"Square Bashing vs Crush the Kaiser vs Bloody Picnic" Topic

I'm at a lost with WW1

The 3 rules I have above interest me but not sure on the playability.

I have BP, bought on a whim, never played. There seems to be bloody little in terms of reviews so I can't get a feel for them, even from reading the rules. My opponent isn't sure about them.

SB seems like a nice set. A little abstract maybe but apparently has that magic feel, which is important. Again, my opponent is put off my some of cab rule that allow them to out flank on the table and chop the enemies rear up.

KTC know little about. Again there seems to be sparse review. But looks nice. Only seems to cover western front which is great but the east does interest me as well as rcw.

So I leave it to you chaps. What do you know about these rules?

Please not really interested in skirmishes rules. Mud and blood doesn't float my boat atm either.

In a weird coincidence, I've just pulled my copy of BP from my rules pile to give them another look. They certainly seem exhaustive and complete. Been a while since I looked at them since I too bought them on a whim.

For WWI ground, I own Bloody Picnic, Square Bashing 2nd ed and Great War Spearhead II. I've read all of them several times, but I admit that I've only played Square Bashing. Like yourself, after reading all of them, SB was the only one that felt interesting to me. Don't have Crush the Kaiser.

True, it's a bit abstract to some, but I rather like it. One of the big draws for me is that (like all of Peter Pig's rules) it creates a little scenario wherein the attacker outnumbers the defender. Sometimes by a little bit; sometimes by a lot. War isn't fair. (Having said that, the victory conditions attempt to compensate for the initial unfairness).

The pregame system also adds some nice colour and chrome to some of the results. Which might be where your opponent is wary of flank attacks? If I remember correctly, most armies are not able to achieve such a result, and of those that are able to make potential flank attacks, it takes a fair bit of luck in the pregame to get that result. If I understand your comment that is. Not sure what "Again, my opponent is put off my some of cab rule" means.

I'd play it again in a heartbeat, and in fact plan on doing so, once I get my Russians painted up.

Tony

PS – I think Bloody Picnic sales must be entirely impulse driven! Like everyone I also bought those rules on a whim after seeing them used at a flea market.

Sorry that was auto text. I meant a cavalry rule where they were able to outflank a lot. I think it was more to do with the pre game setting and I guess it was rcw as that it all this chap and his mate use to play.

Given the low troop densities and prevalence of mounted troops (cavalry, and cart/wagon borne anarchists) in the RCW, flank attacks were relatively common compared to WW1. I'd expect to see them prominently represented in any set of rules covering the period.