Training Game this Saturday

[bubbacleese]

Hey guys, I'm running a training game this Saturday for three players who have very little if any CB experience. Can you suggest a scenario and / or a set of ships I should use. Perhaps not trying to show everything in the one game.

I was thinking of two or three ships for each player. I do not have the MvM expansion yet.

[sharkbait]

I would run 1 BC and 2 CL for each player. I would also suggest not using fighters or missiles in order to keep things simple.

[kashre]

I'd do a simple meeting engagement in teams, 2 on 2, with each player running maybe 2 CA and 2 DD myself. And I agree that I'd leave out fighters and missiles for the first game.

[fastgit]

Both of the previous suggestions would work... you could also run several cruisers on one side against a BC or BB (River Platte), or a couple of BCs/BBs a side (Denmark Strait).

Regardless, I'd avoid fighters... needlessly complex for beginners.

[bubbacleese]

Good suggestions as they match what I was thinking. I'll create a AAR after the game.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[warchariot]

I like all of those, but I'd run a 1 on 1 game in a roll robin. With three players each can run both sides once and sit out once. This allows you to run the game and the extra player to ask questions or give ideas to the peopel playing. It works well as long as no one is cut throat about winning.

[TheDreadnought]

Yeah, it really depends what your objective is.

If your objective is to teach the game, I'd say Warchariot's approach is a good one. That keeps it simplest and allows everyone to focus on the rules. I'd actually say that if you're going to run 1-1 you might actually want to include a few ASGMs to show how they work. Have them fire from a ways out (rather than in 'sprint mode') so they can get used to moving the missiles around on the map.

If your objective is to teach the game AND lure people in, a simple scenario involving multiple ships would be best, but no fighters or ASGMs. The strength of Colonial Battlefleet is its tactical decision making. There are more opportunities for that when you have multiple combatants involved. The basic game is simple enough that people will grasp the essentials pretty quickly.

I would stay away from battleships for a training game also. Battleships can be pretty tough to crack, requiring some coordinated fire. That might be discouraging to new players. Cruiser actions with maybe a battlecruiser or something would be best.

[bubbacleese]

Training Game Part 2 this Sunday:

Ok, looks like I'll have four or five players coming by to for CB this Sunday. About half of them have played a couple of games, while the other half have never played or even read the rules.

I'm thinking of giving them a choice of many CLs and CAs or few CAs and BCs. Neither choice will have fighters and only the BCs having some ASGMs. Something like 5 CLs and 3 CAs vs 3 CAs and 1 BC. I've not run the numbers yet but something close to this. I'm thinking of allowing each player to select which ever force they want to run so it could easily be "many smaller vs many smaller or few bigger vs few bigger".

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[warchariot]

That's a good idea. I would pair experince with never played and let them help out. That way everyone is doing something and learning the rules.