Hidden Movement: What Makes it Cool?

Like if you have 16 Pieces, you would probably want to DIVIDE those forces into TWO (2) GROUPS:

• One group is used to protect the Emperor (8 pieces);

• The other group is used to attack your opponent (8 pieces).

Group #2 (the Attackers) will no doubt have the "Assassin" as part of their contingent and will probably CLASH with the opponent's "Attack Party"... Given the results of that attack... The surviving units will need to regroup and figure out HOW to attack the DEFENSE group of the opponent.

I'm not saying any one side will wipeout the opposing side... My guess is that there will be casualties on each side and the net result of a clash between both aggressors will short list how the remaining defensive units can be used to bolster either a SECOND (2nd) attack with attackers (and some support from the DEFENSIVE crew)... Or will they simply march forwards to the opposing Emperor's camp and try to kill the Emperor???

It is VERY interesting in how clashes may result in weaker and weaker defensive units all the while trying to PRESERVE the "Emperor" security while reflecting some sense of aggressivety to defeat the opponent.

I find the battles to be fascinating and the STRATEGY to be pretty INVOLVING!

This is by no means a "dumb" set of ideas... They translate into some pretty complicated gymnastics when it comes to combatting the opponent. The WAY to PLAY the game is in no way "trivial" ... It sets up some deep levels of commitment and configuration when building your two (2) camps...

And it's not because I put it together. While I merit some credit, your input @Jacob also helped to mould the OVERALL concept.

TBH ... It seems much cooler than I thought.

Someone would says: "How stupid is it to blend Chess + Stratego???" When the two (2) actually seem to create DEEP STRATEGY and a method of striking the opponent as each piece is conquered, setting the stage for a challenging outcome.

If you have time and WANT to playtest, please let me know your results. Because by my own "simple" analysis... This is a VERY heavyweight system for combat and it is LESS about the "Stratego"-side of matters and somehow MORE about the "Chess"-side which is very surprising.

To me it feels very COMPELLING and STRATEGIC. Again let me know if you find the time to playtest this iteration of the game and report back your findings. I'm sure everyone will be interested.

And just as an FYI, last month we got OVER 26,000+ UNIQUE visitors and they are NOT BOTs. So our viewership is much larger than just a few members here-and-there.

Best!

One thing you want to TEST out or solidify is movement and spotting. Like the Mystic should NOT be able to SPOT. But he can KILL a Dragon IF that Dragon is on a revealed Hex. Why is this important???

Because if the Dragon is "in the clouds" he is PROTECTED by "Fog of War" (FoW).

And one of the KEY benefits of the Mystic is that he can RESTORE FoW to the tiles that he visits (And remember he has three Movement Points). This is VERY important for the Ninja as well as the Dragon. Because often times, you will want to PAIR these two (2) units such that they work in Tandem with the Mystic. And he can only be killed by a Guard.

So that's FOUR (4) Units/Pieces that form a cohesive bond to securing the a tighter group which can beat out opposing forces with the various TACTICS at disposal.

That FoW is important because it allows you to BUILD A WALL of FOG between you and the OPPONENT... And since the Ninja (I think it's better to call him the "Assassin") has three Movement Points too and can NAVIGATE FOG... He can be a threat from further away...

Remember you were saying something like: "How do you mitigate the units defending one HEX???" And then the situation of ONE (1) Unit/Piece in this case the "Emperor" still means that the "Assassin" can sneak through enemy lines and defenses to assassinate the "Emperor"...

To be real honest... That's WORTHY of playtesting. Formulating the right formation and trying to conquer your opponent and survive long enough to get within STRIKING distance (3 Tiles FoW or none).

Let me know what you get a chance to playtest and how it goes. If you manage to get everything cohesive, oh boy ... This is definitely one (1) game that I DEFINITELY will want a copy of. No matter how many people LIKE the idea or not. The KS world is filled with "Haters" so I know first hand, sometimes you don't get the "expected" crowd to your campaign.

Anyways please do SHARE with us your findings... And if you have issues or questions with some of the ideas (clarifications or better explanations) don't hesitate to ask. Feel free to comment whenever you like and also if there is something that's unresolved or unclear and needs more explaining, just ask for more information to clarify the situation (or question point).

Cheers.