Mini Gangs has arrived!

So while awaiting the exciting package that is the 2nd expansion for Gruff, another one was delivered and blindsided me! My kickstarter pledge for Curtis' new game from Ramshackle Games.

The game came with a A3 sized ref sheet with the casual rules spelled out nicely.

There is also the physical A5 rulebook with rules for equipment, campaign games and six different scenarios, along with some nice pieces of photography and some illustrations I suspect to be the work of Spevna Studio

As you can probably glance from the above image, there is a granularity to its design that make it very easily approachable to newcomers to the genre or significant others being introduced into your weird hobby. At the Gateway level each player get 4 characters, each with a different combat role (Leader, Fighter, Shooter, Medic) and then slug it out to last man standing.

Adding a layer above that is the Casual level, bringing objectives and scenarios into the play as well as each player drafting 8 pieces of equipment with unique rules and divvying them out among his crew.

And finally there is the Hardcore level where a points system is introduced to equipment and combat roles, so you can build a force from the ground up however you see fit. Should you want a mass of carnivorous tribals or a cadre of expensively equipped super soldiers. It also adds campaign rules for buying additional manpower and equipment over several games as your crew gains notoriety.

Going back to the casual level: getting random equipment could have been rolled on a series of charts, but instead Curtis goes for something more user friendly, a deck of 56 cards. This means that newcomers can easily pick out a few random ones and reference them during gameplay as well. And even beyond the casual level they can be used as reference for specific equipment, or a shopping catalogue, although the rulebook also comes with full lists, descriptions and point values of the equipment, skills, events and grenades on the cards.

And of course finally we have the plastic! I did not order any of the optional four gangs as I have plenty of miniatures, but regardless I got a free gang and some grenade tokens as part of the campaign. Some of which may look familiar if you remember one of my earlier posts.

   

I plan to paint one of them up to match with the single unpaired one from earlier. Beyond that they'll probably collect a little dust before some idea descends upon me. But I hear you, I am being a tease.

These are the scarecrows, a group of robe and mask wearing weirdos. And of course their medic who I noticed looked a little familiar, not that I can complain about anything free.

I remember Curtis posting about using a new resin for these, and while the picture above is no good comparison you can see the extra fidelity when they're held next to a member of the rival gang, The Ironstrike Squats.

And yes, that is a dwarf in a power armour with a riot shield, sledge and jump pack.