Subject: Fw: battle cry variant Lee ... Having played Battle Cry a half a dozen times or so, I decided that I wanted something more from the game. Don't get me wrong --- I love the game, I just want a little more control over it and a few more interesting decisions. Like many people who have played the game, there were things in the game that I didn't particularly care for. One of the more obvious complaints was the seemingly too powerful "All Out Offensive" card. It makes sense in the context of the war, but within the gameplay it's just too strong. The luck element was also just a bit too high for my tastes. I wanted to scale down the luck somewhat, but without changing the wonderfully simple game mechanics. Here are a changes we implemented in our games and the reasons why --- many of these are modified ideas from other gamers --- some are mine. Try a few out and tell me what you think.... 1. All Out Offensive Card ---- order any 4 units on the board. This rule was adopted from another gamer. We prefer it immensely to its alternative. 2. Each general now pulls from his own deck (and no I don't have 2 games). First, all of the special cards are taken out and placed in a seperate pile. Each player recieve an identical set of cards --- 3 skirmishes, 6 probes, 4 attacks, 3 assaults, and 2 coordinated attacks. This set up partially cuts down on the luck of the draw. There have been games where my opponent drew 2 or 3 assaults in a row, and I was helpless. Now at least, I know that he's used his powerful cards, and mine are still in my deck. Seperate but equal decks is a HUGE step towards minimizing luck. If you've done any calculations from above, you'll realize that 6 order cards have been omitted. They are placed in the special card pile. Now, although I'm fully aware that some people like the fog of war element and randomness in the game, which is fine if that's what you like, there are others of us who prefer to have a bit more control over our game. And while it may not be historically accurate, or even logical to have precise control over your units, I enjoy the control because it's a game, even if it's not a great simulation. Having said that, I still wanted to retain a certain element of card management that's inherent in the game mechanics. So each general now has a choice (I love tough decisions). You may choose 2 cards from your deck and keep one (you must announce how many you are to draw BEFORE you draw). You discard the other. OR you may choose ONE card from the special card pile. I've played several games like this and it works out beautifully. It's agonizing at at times to decide which pile to choose from. It's also sometimes tough to decide which card to keep out of the 2 you draw from you deck. Running out of time now --- I'll have to post the other stuff later. It concerns firepower reduction modifiers, more units in the scenerios, veteran units, and the implementation of an "assault" die that was adapted from a variant by Walt Mulder. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.