Concept: Hinterlands/Skirmish to Path to Glory

[Kramer]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to bounce a few ideas with you fine internet peepz. I'm looking to drag a mate of mine kicking and screaming into the hobby. So a cool summer campaign should do the trick.

I first wanted to do the skirmish campaign, but having played it I found the upgrade system a bit lacking. At least it didn't make me love my hero. So then I thought what about Path to glory? Very cool.. except only fun if you play the same faction (the current version can be so insanely unbalanced between factions). Hinterlands? Even cooler but ends up with a lot of paperwork after 3 or 4 games for a new player. (Personally like the depth that it adds but... also know my boy  ) And both skirmish and Hinterlands don't build up to a full game experience. 

So I threw everything I liked together into a blender and I love to hear your thoughts! (this is my concept in a nut shell and if other people like the concept i'll write it out in depth).
I had some extra thoughts marked with an asterix. Not sure if it's too much or a fun extra. 

First three games! Hinterlands...

- Both players start with 10 Clanrats that are numbered and the goal is to discover what clan your hero belongs to. Hidden in an envelope their is a list which number corresponds with the different clans. (2 Moulder/Skryre/Eshin/Master/Verminus). 
- The first scenario is to learn the rules, second and third offer you the chance to discover the clan of a couple of rats. Level the rats through the Hinterlands level system and you can recycle every rat but it then loses it's experience)
- After the third game you choose a rat to be your hero, reveal the clan and turn the rat into the hero of that clan. All skills or injuries are carried over. 
* Maybe choose two lieutenants, reveal their clan and note their level.

Next three to six games! Skirmish...

- Both players start with their hero and 10 Renown/*the two lieutenants turn into a clans unit champion. 
- All upgrades for the leader are carried over until the next phase. 
- The winner of the campaign gets a small advantage for the next campaign and all upgrades are carried over. ( i'm thinking in the theme of the rats that the winner can trade a lieutenant as he betrays his master)
* The lieutenants can add to their levels in some way. note them down.

Path to glory! 

- Just a regular campaign with the following exceptions
- Both players start with their Path to Glory with their hero including all magic items and upgrades. (extra command abilities become a roll on the chaos command table)
- Maybe ending the final game as the old chaos PtG with the champion turning into a Verminlord.
* The lieutenants get their very own unit to run. Every level (or two) turns into a roll on the unit table to represent their champions skill. 

I'm a planning to play every set of games before fully fleshing out the details of the next set of games. Depending on the enthousiasme, speed of play and our time limits we may add more games, more points and the like. 

The backstory will develop from play but in essence it's two rivaling litters of 10 rats with all the bloodshed and treachery involved in that. 

Sorry for the wall of text and love your dedication for reading this far  

[Moldek]

I've never actually played aos so my feedback is limited but heres what I think:

Starting small is a good idea imho, but I don't know if playing the same 10 identical minis will really help immersion.
I think your friend would have more fun and getinto it more easily if the starting band is a bit more varied,
even if it's just a few giant rats and a rat ogre instead of just 10 clanrats.
I suppose you'd play some scenarios? I think it really helps get into the game if you're not just trying to kill each other, but trying to capture something / kill a specific model/ get the warpstone etc.
Also maybe letting him choose his clan, so he doesn't get a sorcerer when he wanted a cool ninja assassin...
If he's really beginning the upgrades can even be simply changing a model for another or getting a new one, so your champion clanrat turns into an night-runner for instance... switching systems every 3 games may be more confusing than good, but you know him better than I do

All in all it's a really cool idea, and he's lucky that you're so invested into it, I hope you'll tell us how it goes !

[Kramer]

On 7-7-2017 at 2:55 AM, Moldek said:

I've never actually played aos so my feedback is limited but heres what I think:

Starting small is a good idea imho, but I don't know if playing the same 10 identical minis will really help immersion.
I think your friend would have more fun and getinto it more easily if the starting band is a bit more varied,
even if it's just a few giant rats and a rat ogre instead of just 10 clanrats.
I suppose you'd play some scenarios? I think it really helps get into the game if you're not just trying to kill each other, but trying to capture something / kill a specific model/ get the warpstone etc.
Also maybe letting him choose his clan, so he doesn't get a sorcerer when he wanted a cool ninja assassin...
If he's really beginning the upgrades can even be simply changing a model for another or getting a new one, so your champion clanrat turns into an night-runner for instance... switching systems every 3 games may be more confusing than good, but you know him better than I do

All in all it's a really cool idea, and he's lucky that you're so invested into it, I hope you'll tell us how it goes !

Good feedback! In response I did two things: I discussed the 10 equal models leading to your champion idea and he actually liked it better. So that was a go. But unbeknownst to him, he'll win a redo when choosing in the third scenario. 

Secondly you are totally right on the importance of the scenarios so I started writing them down a bit more and will be hopefully be able to share them soon! 

(Hopefully) With pictures of our go with them ?