This is something I do with my new players when teaching the game, for any A&A game really, but lately I have been thinking a lot on g40 for beginners (not least because I have some friends at work who have expressed an interest.)
The first thing I do, before we even look at the map and the money, or start discussing anything particularly complex with regard to the overall game rules or situation, (but the very first thing we do) is break out the units in the box!
This builds on the basic principle that everyone who wants to play A&A wants to play it because they like Plastic Army Men and Maps and WW2 history. The combat system in A&A remains the most entertaining part of the thing for me, and the dice, so this is the first thing I want to showcase to players. Set up training battles, with brief introductions about the units, their cost and basic abilities, that’s how I like to run things.
The first few are example battles and they are always the same, but important, because they express the underlying foundation of everything.
Infantry vs Infantry, since infantry are the beating heart of the game.
Then after that Tanks vs Infantry,
then Tanks and Infantry vs Infantry.
These first three sample battles also allow for the introduction of the critical concept “fodder” to the new player’s understanding or as a refresher. After that I like to launch into real practice battles between the players, before the game itself is started. Example battles can be played out before each practice “Training Battle” to introduce whatever new units from the roster you want to bring into play.
What I would propose here, is that we come up with some standard Training Battles that everyone can use. I mean like a list of a dozen Historical Battles with familiar names, and using the units in the roster in a staged way. Battles we could list with a specific set up, and then have new players “Run” as a way to get the gameplay happening.
We could design a clean, relatively short but engaging list of Land Battles, Naval battles, Land or Naval with Aircraft involved etc. Then come up with a specific list of units for each side. Say 6 on the ground, 6 at sea.
Some good examples of a naval battle list might start with something like, Sinking the Bismark. then build to a
Midway, and then maybe a Leyte gulf at the high end. You do the same with land battles.
This could all be happening before or during the map set up process. So what you are doing is basically setting things, while your players run some sample battles. This primes everyone for the gameplay that will occur in the first round. Depending on how many players you have with you.
Any suggestions? Basically what we are looking for here is little Historical Battle set ups for players to train on, using a basic list or card. This gives the GM something to use to get the players into the game, while they work on broader organization and explanation of the rules. I’m surprised something like this hasn’t been included with a boxed game yet, even after all these years, and the evident usefulness of something like that as a teaching aid.
The way the rulebook reads, there is brief introduction, then several sections and mammoth lists of rules with enumerations and specific illustrations and examples of exceptions to these, and sprawling lists of NOs. But nowhere in there is just a basic, how to Teach this game to people section with some aids for that process. Even the starter board 1941 doesn’t really have this, but I’m not talking about the starter board here, I’m talking about G40. G40, a game where you could conceivably design this list of battles to actually be pretty interesting, with the new units Mech and Tac Bombers, as well as their integration with other land and air units. Or to highlight the combat abilities of Carriers etc. Or you know, just run a whole series of a dozen sample battles.
The Dirtiest Dozen battles of WW2! :-D
Basically what we’re looking for here for is a list of battles, and the corresponding unit set up. Not an insane unit set up, but one which gives the flavor, and which could serve as a trainer for people being introduced to the G40 roster.
Thoughts?
