Thanks @screamingaddabs, @Nav, @salem!
I wouldn’t call 4 games many, but I got a good impression of the game.
You said it already, it’s hard to compare Vanguard to KoW.
They are different games for different players. I enjoy both, but competitve tournament player won’t get happy with Vanguard.
I loved Mortheim back in the days, Necromunda also. If you like those kind of games with a narrative focus, cineatic moments and (sometimes) overly complex rules, Vanguard is for you.
The four games I played were a lot of fun. Sometimes funny, very close outcome, extremely important dice rolls without being a final verdict for the ongoing game. I like the scenarios a lot. It’s a good balance between style/narrative and gameplay.
Compared to KoW you have to look up rules more often. I haven’t had a chance to play with the updates rulebook, but it reads a lot more fluid.
I like Vanguard, it’s a classic skirmish game were a lot of things can happen, a lot of rules to keep in mind and loads of fun.
I like it also that it’s not a ‘fantasy deadzone’. I really like the quick gameplay of deadzone, but this is truly a game about your warband and how they cope with different scenarios.
Of course this is all down to personal style.
Thanks for the response - it’s interesting to hear what others think - I have only been able to play games against my son, but have found that after a few games (we have played 6 in total, 4 in our current campaign) that once you are used to your warband the rules do become more second nature, though I must admit we missed a couple here and there!
Your comment about “a lot of things could happen” has been my experience too. Our last game (Snow Blind) finished with almost everyone dead or having fled and my son’s last unit (an unbreakable snow troll) grabbing the objective on the last turn!
I liked Necromunda back when it was first released and I like the narrative elements of vanguard that knit things together nicely. I’d love to play KoW, but the thought of buying and painting 2 armies (one for me and one for my son, who has limited patience and skill for the painting!) is too daunting really, especially as summer comes around and cricket, bike rides and hill walking call to me! The next challenge (once I finish the minis I have) will be a forces of nature warband for my daughter!
I guess most KoW players could play Vanguard fairly easily using their “hero” models or if they haven’t multibased absolutely everything.
Very understandable, but you really miss out. I play tabletop wargames since the early 90s and never had a painted army. KoW changed that! Multibasing had a huge part in that, as it allows for more creativity and is more forgiving on single miniatures. Almost every paint level looks nice when in a multibased regiment.
Two armies is a lot though, I have only recently finished 2000pt of Undead. But 1000pt I had painted quite quickly. I guess aming for two 1000pt non-horde armies can be done.
Ruleswise KoW is brilliant. It’s so fluid, easy to learn and a lot of tactical depth.
Moneywise, I managed to buy almost 1000pt of Orcs for about 60€ on Ebay. So, if you are licky, it’s not that much to invest.
Good point, can’t argue with that!