Game Night at the Prancing Pony: The One Ring (RPG)

🕑 12 min read

It’s been a while since I last sat down at a table to properly roleplay - dice in hand, character voice ready, and expectations somewhere between chaos and storytelling magic. So when the opportunity came up to play a one-shot of The One Ring, I was in.

What followed was an evening that was equal parts promising, rushed, chaotic, and - ultimately - fun.

---

The Setup

We had four players and a Loremaster (GM), running their first session of The One Ring. Experience levels varied: one new player, three experienced (two of us having run games ourselves).

The plan? Fit an entire adventure into 2.5 hours.

Ambitious.

I went in expecting:

• A quick narrative arc
• Limited encounters
• Maybe one meaningful combat

To the Loremaster’s credit - we got a lot done.

---

The System: A Pleasant Surprise

Before diving into the story, it’s worth touching on the system itself.

The One Ring is refreshingly intuitive once you grasp a few core ideas:

🎲 Core Mechanics

• You roll a Feat Die (d12) + a number of Success Dice (d6s) based on your attribute
• The goal is to meet or beat a Target Number (TN)

⭐ Gandalf & Eye Symbols

• Gandalf rune (on the d12): automatic success
• Eye of Sauron: can mean trouble, especially under pressure or corruption

💪 Hope & Shadow

• Spend Hope to boost rolls using your attributes
• Accumulate Shadow through fear, corruption, or despair
• Too much Shadow leads to… problems (great for roleplay)

🧭 Journey System

• Travel is structured into roles (Guide, Scout, Hunter, Look-out)
• Rolls determine how well (or badly) the journey goes
• It’s designed to make travel itself meaningful - not just filler

⚔️ Combat

• Stance-based (Forward, Open, Defensive, Rearward)
• Fast, decisive, and surprisingly fluid
• Encourages narrative over crunch

The system clicked quickly for all of us, which is no small achievement for a first session.

---

The Adventure (At Speed) ::SPOILERS::

We began, as tradition demands, in a tavern - the Prancing Pony.

Our group had apparently been travelling together for years under a shared patron. No real discussion, no character-building moments - just a narrative drop-in and a hint of an incoming quest.

And then… we were off. Or rather, ushered.

There was little room to breathe. Roleplay opportunities were minimal, not by design, but by necessity. With a strict time limit, the group (sensibly) chose momentum over flavour.

I did not.

---

Axes are 'easy-mode'

The Dwarf Who Wouldn’t Shut Up

I played a dwarf loosely inspired by a more mercurial, opportunistic archetype - quick-witted, slightly self-aware, always ready with a line.

Or several.

I tried to:

• Spark conversations
• Draw out other players
• Inject humour

But the table dynamic leaned heavily toward:

“We’re on a mission. Let’s move.”

 

Understandable - but it did mean that much of the roleplay I enjoy simply didn’t have room to land.

So I adapted.

Badly, perhaps.

Leaning into the chaos, I began flirting with the edges of immersion - borderline fourth-wall humour, observational commentary, and a steady stream of dry remarks.

Not my most refined performance - but I was entertained.

---

Encounters on Fast Forward

SPOILERS!!

The structure of the session became clear quickly:

• Travel roll
• Arrive at encounter
• Resolve quickly
• Move on

We encountered:

• Rangers (briefly, and then not at all)
• A dead horse in a circle of stones (intriguing, but fleeting)
• Goblin ambush (fast, efficient combat)

Combat, to its credit, was excellent:

• Quick
• Clear
• Satisfying

The Loremaster made a conscious effort to push outcomes forward, even stepping in to accelerate resolution. It broke immersion slightly, but kept us on track.

Given the time constraints, it was the right call.

---

More Spoilers...

The Final Encounter

After effectively “skipping” several potential encounters (again, to save time), we arrived at a goblin cave.

Stealth failed spectacularly.

Combat began.

This time, we knew the system - and it showed. The fight was efficient, coordinated, and decisive.

Then came the boss:

• A massive she-wolf
• Big presence
• Strong introduction

And… she went down fast. Very fast.

I landed the final blow - clean, decisive, satisfying.

And just like that, it was over.

---

What Was Missing?

Not through fault - but through time:

• Exploration
• Character development
• Meaningful decisions
• Looting (apparently no one robs corpses anymore?)

There were moments that could have blossomed:

• The circle of stones
• The dead horse
• The rangers
• The wolf’s speech

But each was trimmed to keep the session moving.

---

The Loremaster

For a first-time run?

Impressive.

Strengths:

• 
  Well-prepared
• Confident with pacing
• Open to feedback
• Kept the session moving

Areas to grow:

• Delivering rules in-world rather than stepping out
• Letting scenes breathe
• Trusting player-led moments

At one point, I suggested:

“Let us describe what we want to do - then you handle the mechanics.”

He took it well. The game improved immediately.

That alone speaks volumes.

---

The Fellowship

Final Thoughts.. 

Was it rushed? Absolutely.

Was it enjoyable? Yes.

Would it have been better over 2–3 sessions? Without question.

But that’s the reality of modern gaming:

Too many systems. Not enough time.

 

Game Night - Twilight Inscription : Roll-and-Write the Galaxy

🕑 10 min read

I recently managed to get not one, but two full games of Twilight Inscription to the table with the same trio of players (myself included), and it’s safe to say - this is a game worth talking about.

On the surface, Twilight Inscription presents itself as a fairly straightforward roll-and-write. Roll some dice, fill in some boxes, make some choices. Simple, right? Not quite. Beneath that approachable exterior lies an immense web of interconnected decisions. Every mark you make can ripple across your entire strategy, and it’s surprisingly easy to wander into blind alleys or create spiralling inefficiencies in your resource engine.

In many ways, it feels less like a traditional roll-and-write and more like a full-scale eurogame condensed into a writable format.

In short: it’s clever. Very clever.

---

A “Short” Twilight Experience?

The game was designed to recreate the feeling of Twilight Imperium - a title I own but, like many, have yet to actually play - in a shorter, more focused format. “Shorter” is doing a bit of heavy lifting here, though. Both of our games clocked in at around 3 to 3.5 hours - long for a roll-and-write, and very much in line with what others report.

That said, it never felt long. The time genuinely flew by, which is always a good sign.

---

Learning Curve & First Play

Before our first session, I read through the rulebook and watched several YouTube explainer videos. Even then, I could tell this wasn’t going to be a “learn once and go” kind of game. The rules lean heavily on keywords and iconography. While they’re generally consistent, edge cases and timing interactions can occasionally feel ambiguous, especially on a first play.

We did find ourselves referring back to the rulebook multiple times, and there were definitely moments where we questioned whether we were playing something exactly as intended. However, none of this caused major issues - we made rulings, kept the game moving, and, importantly, had a great time doing so.

Our first playthrough actually went quite smoothly overall. A few bumps here and there, but nothing that derailed the experience.

And despite those early uncertainties, one thing stood out immediately: you really do feel like you’re carving out your own strategy as the game unfolds.

---

The Four Pillars of Your Empire

At the heart of Twilight Inscription are four boards - each representing a different aspect of your galactic empire:

Navigation – This is where you explore trade routes and connect with planets, forming partnerships across the galaxy. There’s a real sense of racing here, as players compete to reach key locations first.

Expansion – Focused on individual planets, this board is all about extracting commodities and resources. It’s a satisfying puzzle of efficiency, with a subtle row-and-column optimisation element.

Industry – Your engine room. Here, you consolidate power, unlock trade opportunities, and stockpile goods for future turns. Planning ahead is key, and a well-run Industry board can carry your entire strategy.

Warfare – The sharp end of your empire. Build fleets, develop technology, and - if your neighbours get complacent - punish them. There are strong incentives here for military dominance, with bonuses for fielding the most impressive forces.

Each board feels distinct, yet tightly interconnected. Neglect one, and you’ll feel it elsewhere.

Despite the presence of a Warfare board, direct player interaction is relatively light. Most of the game unfolds as a shared optimisation puzzle, with players largely focused on building their own engines rather than disrupting others.

Big dice. Feels good to roll. 

---

The Event Deck – Driver or Passenger?

The game is structured around an event deck made up of six phases. While the order is randomized, the impact of that randomness feels… fairly light.

After two full games, it became clear that the event deck plays more of a structural role than a transformative one. While the order is randomized, the overall arc of a game feels broadly similar from play to play.

Each event allows you to spend resources on a chosen board, followed by a dice roll that all players use to develop their empires further. This shared dice system is engaging, but the events themselves didn’t feel like they were injecting a huge amount of variety into the experience.

---

The Real Star: Factions

Where the game does shine in terms of variety and replayability is in its alien factions.

There are 24 of them - and honestly, I want more. The more the better.

Across our two games, each of us only played two factions, and I probably saw around five or six in total. Even within that small sample, it was clear just how impactful they are. Each faction subtly (or sometimes dramatically) shifts your priorities, nudging you toward different boards, different efficiencies, and different long-term strategies.

They’re not just flavour - they’re fundamental.

Your faction helps define how you approach the puzzle. Do you lean into Industry and build a powerhouse economy? Push aggressively through Navigation? Dominate Warfare? The faction you’re given provides that initial nudge and influences where your dice and resources feel most valuable.

It’s this layer that really elevates the game and gives it legs. With more factions, you’d get even more ways to “crack” the puzzle - and I’d happily see as many as the designers can come up with.

---

So What’s the Game, Really?

At its core, Twilight Inscription is a game of layered optimisation:

• Racing for position on the Navigation board
• Maximising efficiency in Expansion
• Building and timing your engine in Industry
• Balancing aggression and defence in Warfare

All of this unfolds through shared dice rolls and resource management, until one player edges ahead on victory points.

It sits somewhere between lighter roll-and-writes and heavier titles like Hadrian's Wall, offering more structure and interdependence than most games in the genre.

---

Final Thoughts (For Now)

After two plays, I can confidently say this is a game that rewards persistence. It’s not the easiest to learn, and it doesn’t always explain itself perfectly, but once it clicks, it delivers a deeply satisfying strategic experience.

Will I play it again? Absolutely - probably plenty of times.

That said, one of the group has just picked up Hadrian’s Wall, so it looks like we’re heading into a full-on roll-and-write phase over the next few weeks. And honestly, I’m all for it.

There’s a lot going on in Twilight Inscription - arguably more than you might expect from a roll-and-write - but that’s exactly what makes it stand out.

This is one I’ll definitely be karting over to a NoBoG evening. There’s still plenty to explore, refine, and (inevitably) get wrong before we truly master it.

And honestly? That sense that you’ve only just scratched the surface is exactly what makes it worth coming back to.

BattleTech Double Report: One Giant vs The Swarm

🕑 15 min read

Classic BattleTech Scenario - 1 v Swarm

There are moments in tabletop gaming where an idea starts as a throwaway “what if…” and very quickly escalates into something far more dangerous.

This was one of those moments.

Glen and Dave posed a simple question: what happens when one pilot puts everything into a single, god-tier BattleMech… and the other brings a swarm? Not just any swarm either - fast, coordinated, opportunistic. The kind of force that doesn’t win through brute strength, but through chaos.

Two Bases and River runs through it...

The Rules of Engagement

• 5000 BV per side
• One player must field a single mech
• The other must field at least three mechs
• No assault mechs allowed in the swarm
• Same dense urban map: twin bases, high walls, blind alleys, and nasty sightlines

And one particularly spicy house rule:

Alternating Initiative
After round one, initiative alternates automatically - but you can give it away in exchange for a single reroll that turn.

Use it wisely… or regret it forever.

---

Marauder II

GAME ONE – The Lone Titan

Forces

Glen (The Solo Player): 

• Marauder II (100t) – Gunnery 0 / Pilot 0

Marauder / Thunderbolt / Blackjack

Dave (The Swarm):

• Marauder (75t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4
  
• Thunderbolt (65t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4
• Blackjack (45t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4

---

Opening Thoughts

Glen’s Marauder II was a monster - elite pilot, heavy firepower, and jump jets. But Dave’s trio? Flexible, dangerous, and capable of surrounding and isolating.

Glen’s plan was simple: use terrain, isolate targets, and dismantle the swarm one mech at a time.

Dave’s plan? Overwhelm the big guy.

---

Yo. Where we going?

Round One – Run for Cover

Glen wins initiative - and it might be the most important roll of the game.

Dave spreads out immediately:

• Marauder pushes centre
• Blackjack skirts the edge
• Thunderbolt jumps high for vision

Glen responds cautiously, hugging a tall wall and denying line of sight. No early LRM nonsense today.

---

Round Two – Peekaboo

Peekaboo!!

Glen commits.

The Marauder II leaps onto a wall, revealing the battlefield - and itself. It’s a bold move. Possibly reckless.

Dave advances steadily, all three mechs walking for accuracy.

Then… nothing.

An entire volley of fire from Dave’s force misses. Everything.

Glen lands a single AC/5 hit.

A sign of things to come.

---

Keep coming my pretties...

Round Three – “On Yah Head, Son”

Dave accelerates. The Thunderbolt takes a forward wall, Blackjack sprints into open ground, Marauder lumbers behind trying to keep up.

Glen stands still. Waiting.

Then fires.

The Thunderbolt takes a PPC to the head.

Critical hit: life support destroyed.

Feels like a Monty Python sketch

For a moment, it looks like the Thunderbolt might have to withdraw. It doesn’t - but the tone is set. This Marauder II is not here to play fair.

---

Round Four – Storm the Walls

Glen dances along the parapet, keeping his legs hidden and angles awkward.

Dave presses forward - but the dice betray him again. A storm of fire yields almost nothing.

Glen continues to chip away, calmly, methodically.

The swarm is starting to feel… disjointed.

---

Cannon BALLL!!

Round Five – The Insanity

And then Glen does something utterly unhinged.

He jumps.

Not to reposition.

Not to retreat.

But to Death From Above Dave’s Marauder.

Mid-air, the Marauder II is lit up:

• Medium lasers
• Large lasers
• Pulse lasers

Well. This is awkward. 

The armour melts away under concentrated fire.

But Glen lands the piloting check.

And then lands the hit.

30 damage. Spread across the Marauder's top arms, torso and head

The battlefield pauses.

Dave’s Marauder staggers - but doesn’t fall.

Both players stare at the table.

That just happened.

---

HE chickened out! 

Round Six – Tactical Disengagement (Read: RUN AWAY)

Glen immediately jumps out of line of sight, vanishing behind a level 3 wall.

Dave groans.

No shots fired.

Momentum is reset. 

---

Round Seven – Around the Mulberry Bush

Dave is forced to split his force just to get back into the fight.

Thunderbolt and Marauder trade jump fire with each other, but again - poor accuracy plagues Dave.

Glen lands everything.

The Thunderbolt is getting frustrated, battered… but not broken.

---

Choo-Choo! You're dead.

Round Eight – The Trap

Glen drops from the wall and disappears again.

Dave takes the bait.

The Thunderbolt is out of position again, leaving only the Marauder and Blackjack to engage.

Glen unleashes everything on the Blackjack.

Right arm: gone.
Left side: exposed.

Dave swears. Loudly.

Return fire? Pathetic.

The Marauder II dances away almost untouched.

---

Excuse me. Coming through. 

Round Nine – Sweep the Leg

Everything comes down to this.

Dave tries to set up a crossfire.

Glen… refuses to cooperate.

He runs behind the Marauder, isolating it from support.

PPCs slam into the leg.

Then....A kick.

Right leg again.

The Marauder suddenly collapses.

---

All I can hear is screaming...

Result: Called Draw (but…)

Time is up.

Technically a draw.

But both players agree: Glen had the edge.

A single assault mech had survived - and nearly dismantled - the swarm.

---

GAME TWO – The Swarm Strikes Back

Roles reversed.

Now Glen commands the swarm.

Dave brings the big gun.

---

Forces

Glen (The Swarm):

• Wasp (20 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
• Stinger (20 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
• Spider (30 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
• Wolfhound (35 tonnes) - Gunnery 2 / Pilot 4
• Centurion (50 tonnes) - Gunnery 2 / Pilot 4

Dave (The Titan):

• Atlas II (100t) Gunnery 1 / Pilot 2

---

Opening Thoughts

This time, the fear is very real.

The Atlas II isn’t just big - it’s terrifying. Heavy Gauss rifle, LRMs, ER large lasers… it deletes mechs.

Glen’s plan: mobility, misdirection, and rear armour abuse.

Dave’s plan: point at target, remove target.

---

RUN!!!!

Rounds One & Two – The Approach

Quiet.

Measured.

The swarm advances quickly, using walls for cover.

The Atlas takes its time, climbing into position.

Like a predator waiting for the right moment.

---

HIDE!!!!

Round Three – “Time to Die”

Glen makes a bold call: gives away initiative for a reroll.

The Centurion runs the gauntlet.

The Wolfhound flanks and the jump jetting Lights scatter into cover.

Then the Atlas fires.

Everything hits.

These trees will protect me.

The Centurion is wrecked - leg nearly gone, structure exposed.

But somehow…

It stays standing.

Barely.

---

I got your back son.

Round Four – The Swarm Unleashed

Glen goes all-in.

Light mechs leap into position.

Wolfhound breaks cover.

Centurion limps forward - still alive, somehow.

Mistakes were made.

Dave senses the danger and repositions the Atlas - but not enough.

The Stinger launches into the sky.

Death From Above.

It connects.

The Atlas is knocked clean off the wall.

Five levels down.

Into the river.

Tickle tickle tickle. Hee hee.

SMASH.

The table erupts.

Nearby gamers turn to look.

One giant plastic robot lies face down in the water.

Dave looks… less amused.

---

ENOUGH!! Puny MORTALS!

Round Five – The Penultimate Clash

The Atlas rises from the river like a furious god.

The Centurion sees its moment.

Moves one hex closer.

Fires.

AC/20 connects.

The swarm circles:

• Rear shots
• Laser fire
• Constant pressure

Centurion has a heart attack and dies. 

But the Atlas responds.

And this time… The Centurion dies.

Utterly obliterated.

---

Round Six – The End Game

Everything converges.

The Atlas retreats toward Glen’s base wall, trying to create distance.

The Wolfhound advances - bravely or foolishly.

Tickle tickle tickle

The lights jump behind the Atlas.

Perfect positioning.

Then:

• Wolfhound hits the legs
• Critical: hip actuator
• Mobility compromised

The swarm strikes.

Kicks.

Shots.

Pressure from every angle.

Nap time. 

Then the Spider lands the decisive blow - 

Leg destroyed.

The Atlas collapses, triggering catastrophic damage.

The Gauss ammo cooks off.

Explosion.

Pilot unconscious.

---

Result: Swarm Victory

Dave concedes.

The jump jetting vultures have done their work.

---

yes yes very concerning..

Final Thoughts – The Experiment

So… was the swarm idea fun?

Absolutely.

Was it balanced?

Surprisingly… yes.

Game One

The single mech dominated through:

• Gunnery Skill advantage
• Terrain control
• Precision targeting

Game Two

The swarm won through:

• Mobility
• Rear attacks
• Forcing positional mistakes

---

The culprit. 

The Real Turning Point

Dave’s biggest mistake came early in Game Two.

He almost committed to open ground - where the Atlas could dominate.

Instead, he climbed the walls.

That decision gave the swarm:

• Cover
• Approach routes
• DFA opportunities

And ultimately… the win.

---

Conclusion

This wasn’t just two games.

It was a proper test of BattleTech’s depth:

• Positioning vs power
• Flexibility vs dominance
• Chaos vs control

And perhaps most importantly:

Never underestimate a handful of angry light mechs.

Hero Quest at Norwich Board Gamers - Splitting The Party Again

🕑 12 min read

If you enjoy board games, questionable tactical decisions, and watching your friends accidentally doom themselves in dark corridors, then Norwich Board Gamers (NoBoG) might be your kind of crowd. We’re a friendly group of board gamers who meet up every Monday and Tuesday (in Norwich), to play everything from modern board games to nostalgic classics - and occasionally we revive something legendary from the 1980s.

This week’s adventure featured Hero Quest, the classic dungeon-crawling board game where a team of heroes explores a dungeon, fights monsters, finds treasure, and very often ignores extremely sensible advice from the game master.

And oh boy… did we ignore advice.

Emma took on the noble roles of Mentor and Zargon (a.k.a. the person responsible for unleashing chaos upon us), while four adventurers bravely stepped forward:

• Bob the Barbarian

• Elfinic Glendalin the Elf

• Zasalemel the Wise Wizard

• Sir Longlegs the Dwarf

Two quests were attempted. Several heroic deeds occurred. Some heroes survived. Some… did not.

Let’s begin.

---

Quest 1 – The Trial (Or: “Let’s Immediately Ignore the Instructions”)

Mentor gave us a very clear briefing.

Stay together.
Be careful.
Don’t split the party.

Naturally, we split the party within about 30 seconds.

The Wizard and the Dwarf formed what could generously be called a “strategic partnership” and headed off toward the north-west corner of the tomb. There they discovered a torture chamber, an ominous altar, and roughly a small village’s worth of goblins who were clearly having a terrible day until we arrived.

Meanwhile, the Barbarian charged forward like a man who had not read the quest briefing at all. The Elf attempted to keep up while muttering something along the lines of “this is a bad idea.”

Inside Fellmarg’s tomb, the monsters had been training. Orcs, goblins, and Fimirs quickly surrounded Bob the Barbarian before the Elf could properly support him. It was suddenly less of a heroic advance and more of a chaotic survival situation.

After a messy and surprisingly close fight, the Elf and Barbarian managed to push back the swarm.

Their reward?

A room containing what looked suspiciously like the administration department of evil - two Chaos Warriors standing around shelves and books like they’d just been filing dungeon reports.

At this point, the party realised something important:

We were all nearly dead.

So, in a shocking moment of wisdom, the group regrouped. Together we took down the Chaos Warriors while the Barbarian and Dwarf clung to what can only be described as “the last few hit points of their lives.”

Then the Dwarf discovered a stone door leading into the centre of the tomb.

Everyone immediately started shouting.

“Don’t open it!”
“Wait!”
“Let’s prepare!”

For once… we actually did.

The party lined up outside the door like a very nervous queue for a very dangerous attraction.

The Elf, being unnaturally fast, flung the door open.

Inside the chamber: a throne, a hearth, a low table, several monsters - and Verag the Gargoyle himself.

There was a moment of silence.

The Elf looked back at the party.

Then he absolutely launched himself into the room.

Sliding across the table like a dungeon-raiding action hero, he plunged his sword straight into Verag and killed the gargoyle in a single strike.

It was glorious. It was cinematic.

It was also the exact moment everything got dangerous again.

The party piled into the room cheering… and the already wounded Barbarian was immediately cut down by a Fimir.

Victory? Yes.
Casualties? Also yes.

With Verag defeated and monsters cleared, the three surviving heroes stood in the centre of the tomb - battered, bruised, and noticeably down one Barbarian.

With no treasure to soften the blow and morale slightly lower than expected, the party decided to return to Mentor.

Later that evening, ale was raised in honour of Bob the Barbarian.

A brave hero.

Possibly slightly reckless.

Definitely missed.

---

Quest 2 – The Rescue of Sir Ragnar (Featuring Bob… The Sequel)

The next quest began with a familiar name rejoining the party.

Bob the 2nd.

From the same tribe. Possibly the son of the original Bob. Maybe the cousin. Possibly someone who just heard there was gold involved.

No one asked anymore questions. 

This time the mission was serious: rescue one of the King’s greatest knights, Sir Ragnar, from the lair of Ulag the Orc Warlord.

The instructions were clear:

Bring Sir Ragnar back alive.
Earn 200 gold.
If he dies… don’t bother coming home.

So naturally, the Elf asked the party to stay together this time.

The party agreed.

For about five seconds.

Then 'someone' opened a door and everything went wrong again.

Inside the passage was a goblin. A very loud goblin.

The creature screamed at full volume and immediately stabbed the Elf.

First blood: goblin.

Not our proudest moment.

The party quickly dealt with the goblin, but from deeper within the dungeon came the unmistakable sounds of more trouble - claws scraping, creatures moving, and the general noise of monsters preparing to ruin our evening.

The group moved together… briefly… before slowly drifting apart again.

The Wizard and Dwarf pushed ahead while goblins suddenly appeared behind the Elf and started attacking him like they had a personal vendetta.

The Elf screamed for help.

The Dwarf ran back heroically.

The Wizard, meanwhile, kept going forward.

Because of course he did.

Soon the Barbarian had to run back to protect the extremely injured Elf, who managed to heal himself but was clearly developing some long-term dungeon-related trauma.

Meanwhile, deeper in the dungeon…

The Wizard found a room full of orcs.

In fairness, he handled it brilliantly.

A fireball spell exploded into the room, instantly incinerating the entire group of orcs in one spectacular magical moment.

We all felt very proud.

Unfortunately, moments later, an orc struck back and killed the Wizard.

Classic dungeon timing.

Scrolls, treasure, and dignity spilled onto the floor as Zasalemel the Wise Wizard met his heroic end.

The party arrived shortly after, avenged him, and gathered his belongings - but then realised something slightly tragic.

The Wizard had been standing right next to the door leading to Sir Ragnar.

So close.

Painfully close.

After unlocking the chains and freeing the knight, an alarm echoed through the dungeon.

Apparently, removing prisoners makes noise.

Suddenly, orcs began pouring out of rooms all over the lair.

Sir Ragnar -who had been quite grumpy up to this point - suddenly found his energy and started sprinting toward the exit like a man who absolutely did not want to be recaptured.

Fair enough.

The team quickly formed a defensive strategy:

The Dwarf escorted Sir Ragnar.
The Barbarian and Elf blocked the orc onslaught.

The Elf cast Rock Skin on the Barbarian, turning him into an unstoppable wall of muscle and determination.

The Barbarian planted himself in a corridor and began chopping through incoming orcs like an extremely angry door guard.

Meanwhile, the Elf blocked another passage but once again found himself nearly dead. Clearly, goblins had left a lasting impression earlier.

At the last possible moment, the Elf cast Pass Through Rock and phased through a wall to escape.

Smooth.

Magical.

Slightly terrifying.

Now only a few orcs remained… and Bob the 2nd was in absolutely no mood for them.

In a display of pure barbarian energy, he wiped out the remaining orcs single-handedly.

Then calmly walked around the dungeon collecting treasure.

Professional behaviour.

---

Victory, Gold, and Some Questions About Sir Ragnar

Eventually, the group escaped the dungeon successfully - with Sir Ragnar alive and 325 gold pieces worth of loot.

Not bad at all.

We did lose another hero - the Wizard - but sacrifices must sometimes be made in the pursuit of adventure, treasure, and slightly reckless dungeon exploration.

As for Sir Ragnar…

Well.

After spending some time with him, we started to wonder why the King liked him so much.

He complained a lot.
He worried about his clothes.
And he didn’t exactly help in the fighting.

There may be more to this story.

Or possibly the King just hasn’t adventured with him yet.

---

Another Fantastic Night at Norwich Board Gamers

All five of us had a brilliant time, and Emma did an amazing job running the game as both Mentor and Zargon, keeping the tension high and the laughs constant.

The evening had everything:

• Heroic moments

• Unexpected deaths

• Dubious teamwork

• And one extremely determined Barbarian

Exactly the kind of game night we love at Norwich Board Gamers.

May the fallen rest in peace... or in pieces.

And may the next quest go… slightly more according to plan. (It won’t.)

Scenario Designer’s Retrospective: Evacuation Under Fire

This is Dave

 So… I designed a BattleTech scenario.

Then I played it twice with Dave
.

This is normally the point where a designer pretends everything went exactly to plan and nods wisely. That is not what happened.

What did happen is that I learned a lot, lost some ’Mechs, nearly lost a VIP in increasingly stupid ways, and had several moments where I realised I’d accidentally designed something far better (or far more dangerous) than I intended.

Which, honestly, is the best possible outcome.

---

The Map

Why I Designed This Scenario in the First Place

I love Classic BattleTech. Well, I remember enjoying it as a teen.

I love narrative play.

And I love spending time pushing toy robots around a table with friends far more than I care about winning.

What I don’t love is scenarios that end when one side stops moving.

Evacuation Under Fire was an attempt to fix that - to create a game where:

• Killing ’Mechs isn’t the whole point

• Standing still feels like a mistake

• And both players feel mildly stressed from Turn 1 onwards

Basically, I wanted a scenario that yells:

“Stop faffing about. Something important is happening.”

---

The Dignitary (a.k.a. “The Problem Child”)

Let’s start with the obvious star of the show.

The VIP.

On paper, this is just a slow-moving token with armour. In practice, it became the single most motivating object on the table. Players ignored perfectly good targets just to take speculative shots at it. Light ’Mechs did absolutely unhinged things to get line of sight. Heavy ’Mechs soaked terrifying amounts of fire because maybe, just maybe, they could end the game right now.

Which is exactly what I wanted.

After a few tweaks (yes, 15 armour was the correct choice), the VIP stopped being fragile and started being tempting. You couldn’t casually kill it - but you could absolutely ruin your own game trying.

Perfect.

---

Some Turrets

Turrets: I Accidentally Made Them Matter

I’ll be honest - the turrets were supposed to be background noise.

They were not background noise.

Turret control became a mini-game inside the scenario:

• Unmanned turrets annoyed people

• Manned turrets scared people

• High-gunnery pilots on turret duty became priority targets very fast

At one point I realised I’d created a situation where a lightly armoured Raven was more important than a heavy ’Mech. That’s not something that happens often in BattleTech, and I’m choosing to pretend it was intentional. It wasn't. Honest to god.

---

What Actually Decided Games (Hint: Not BV)

Across 2 games, a few patterns became very clear:

• The player who committed first usually did better

• The player who tried to do everything usually did worse

• Overkilling already-dead units happened more than I care to admit

• Light ’Mechs died heroically, stupidly, and often

Victory Points did their job quietly in the background. They rewarded:

• Pulling out damaged units

• Playing the objective

• Knowing when to stop

Which meant games ended because the story ended, not because the table was empty.

That’s a huge win in my book.

---

I think you're winning Dave...

Did Anything Break?

No. And I’m genuinely relieved about that.

There are sharp edges, sure:

• High-gunnery turret controllers are terrifying

• Narrow corridors can be exploited

• Assault ’Mechs can absorb frankly offensive amounts of punishment

But nothing ever felt unfair - just dangerous. And there’s a difference.

If anything, the scenario punishes hesitation more than bad luck, which feels very on brand for BattleTech.

---

What I Learned (And Will Steal for Next Time)

If there’s one big lesson from this, it’s this:

Objectives should fight back.

The VIP moved. The turrets mattered. Time mattered. Players had to react, not just optimise.

Second lesson:

Narrative happens whether you plan for it or not.

You just need to give it somewhere to live.

I also learned that swapping sides is essential. Playing both attacker and defender exposed problems far faster than theory ever could - and it stopped me blaming the scenario for my own terrible decisions.

---

Final Thoughts

Evacuation Under Fire isn’t perfect.
But it is interesting, stressful, cinematic, and replayable.

Most importantly:

Every game ended with us talking about what we’d do differently next time.

That’s why I design scenarios.
That’s why I keep learning.
And that’s why there will absolutely be more of these - whether my friends are ready for them or not.

Until next time. Hopefully I can get some PROPER board games on the table. See yah. 

P.S. Thanks to Dave and the Classic and Everything Battletech Facebook pages for all their help, time and advice. We KILLED it!!

PEW PEW.