Amongst our group of Legion players, several have managed quite a bit of experience, and some have lingered behind. This is a game which on the surface is fairly straightforward, but due to the keyword mechanics, can be very deep and detailed. In particular, there are a number on non-intuitive rules that run in unexpected ways, based on the specific wording or punctuation. This results in a notable experience curve for players – someone who has played many games is better suited to predict opponents moves, giving a tactical advantage.
To that end, this week is an unusual opportunity for us to try to fix that. Due to other schedule changes, our Axis and Allies game was rescheduled, and Andy finds his full week open for gaming. Andy is one of our lower-experience players, normally having work conflicts when we play, which has held back his win-loss record quite a bit. As such, we have scheduled a series of games this week to try to improve on that score.
Andy is playing his Rebels again, with an adjusted makeup. The intent is to play 3 games, one for each major faction, using the same Rebel army in each case. For each battle, we will make extra point to explain tactics, rules, etc, and give a chance to really learn how the units play with their strengths and weaknesses. My own experience and ability to guide is limited, so I will be starting off with the Empire tonight. Tomorrow, Craig will be playing the Separatists, with an opportunity to learn as well. Then Thursday, George brings the Republic for the final battle.
I am a strong supporter of using the same army each time, perhaps with small adjustments, in order to truly learn the strengths and weaknesses against different forces. This should provide just that opportunity and allow Andy to be that much more competitive.
Although our goal is always to “win”, my real philosophy is to “win, but allow the opponent to have fun too”. In some cases, we have drifted into the “win at any cost” level, which is fine for tournaments, but doesn’t mesh well with our group. Hopefully, this series will allow Andy to reach the same levels.
As a side benefit, this will also provide a notable stockpile of video content, with these games filling out episode 085, 086, and 087. Assuming I can edit efficiently, they should be posted in the coming weeks.
