Posting from Classical Hack Yahoo Group

Last night I recieved my copy of Knight Hack and gave it a quick skim through here are my initial impressions.

The Good:

1. The cover is stunning. The use of a period illustration really sets the tone of medieval warfare.

2. The colour photo diagrams. These help to show what things look like in actual practice.

3. The army QRS, Phil has done all our work for us. This fits my "Games should be playable with one double sided play sheet" criterion perfectly.

4. The inclusion of DIY unit factors. I have always enjoyed the "modify the game to suit your interpretation of history" approach of the Hack series.

5. The concise, streamlined rules mechanics. This is not what I would call a "fast play" rules set, but it is not longer and more complex than it needs to be in order to give historical results.

The Gripe;

1. The markers are scattered through out the book. I am going to be doing a lot of cut and paste at the copy machine.

2. The Casualty Calculation Matrix is bound in the middle of the book. Harder to copy with out breaking the binding.

3. Same issue as above with the Army QRS. Copying could produce excessive wear on the binding.

4. A few bits of layout were not as clear as they could have been.

5. No rules for pre-1000AD armies. I want Hack in the Dark!

Other than dabbling in the early Reconquista and the events around 1066 in England I am not much of Medievals player. Biblicals and Dark Ages have been more my cup of tea. These rules are making me think seriously about expanding into the Crusades.

Now i just need to assemble my figures and devise a suitable playtest scenario.

cheers,

Dave