Sometimes we play, sometimes we fight today we fight

 In January I wrote 2 blog entries about movement.  This month I'm going tackle combat.  For me a great combat system needs the following things:

  #1. The player has to have some kind of control or a way to influence the combat.  I want to be able to add extra troops, take the higher ground or play a card to increase my chance of success in combat.

 #2. I want a general understanding of the probability of success or failure.  However, there should always be some chance of failure.

#3.  I prefer rolling a handful of dice over just 1 dice or picking a card or something.  A handful of dice (2-6) is the right amount more than a handful is just a waste. 

#4.  I want to know the results immediately or quickly after the dice are rolled.  There is nothing that kills the excitement of combat more than having to look up 4 combat tables or do a lot of math to figure out the results.

  #5. I think it is best when the attacker and defender get to roll dice or play cards at the same time.

  So here is my favorite combat systems in order from best to crap:

  #1.  Risk. The simple combat system is so simple yet so brilliant.  Attacker can roll up to 3 dice the defender can only roll up to 2 dice but the defender wins ties.   I love Risk but how come Risk is the hardest game to get on the table with niche gamers?

  #2. Battleball.  Attacker and defender both roll a dice.  Who ever rolls the lowest number wins.  The strength of a player is control by which type of dice they roll.  The strongest player rolls a 6 sided dice the weakest player will roll a 20 sided dice.

  #3. 5 and 6 are hits.  Many Ameritrash and wargames use this simple but effective combat system.  For this the unit strength determines the number of dice rolled.  The nice thing about this system is that it is easy to count up hits.  The bad thing about it is counting up how many dice you will roll and trying to roll 10 or more dice.

#4. Fancy combat dice like Battlelore, Doom, Age of Conan, Ghost Stories, etc.

#5.  Nexus Ops, Ti3, Battlestar Galactica.  Units hit when the dice roll is greater than some number.   

  #6.  Hannibal.  This is a very innovated combat system.  Players will get tactic cards and play them against each other if you can’t counter the other players tactic card you lose the battle.  

  #7. Dune and Cosmic Encounters.  Troop strength gets added to secretive cards that make a huge difference on combat.

  #8. Fury of Dracula, Talisman and others.  Attacker and defender roll 1 dice add in modifiers.  High number wins.

  #9. Struggle of Empires and Shadow Hunters.  Roll 2 dice.  Damage is the difference between the 2 dice.

  #10. Combat Resolution Tables.  Used more in old school war games.  In most CRT to players will compare the ratio of the attacker strength to the defender’s strength.  Than a dice is rolled.

  #11. Starcraft.  Attacker and defender compare combat cards that they selected.  Technological advance let players use more powerful cards.

  #12.  Shogun, Wallenstein and the End of the Triumpharant.  The big tower and cube thing is ok but there's no dice.

   #13. Warrior Knights.  Pick some cards and play some cards.  

  #14. Diplomacy.  No armies are eliminated.  If one side has more units attacking or supporting the other side must retreat.

  #15. Imperial.  Each side eliminates equal number of units.  Who ever has units left wins.

  Last. Euros.  Who ever has the most donkey’s shit wins.