Post by CmdrKiley on Apr 3, 2014 17:41:51 GMT -5
Just the name alone screams "Awesome! I must own this!"
A Fistful of Kung-Fu is the latest game from Osprey Wargames, by Andreas Sfiligoi. It's the Hong Kong Action Movie themed miniature wargame system. It's based on Andrea's Song of Blades & Heroes game mechanics but I must say after reading many of the variants of that game system this sounds to be the most fun. It's about the closest thing to turning Big Trouble in Little China or any Jackie Chan or John Woo movie into a miniatures game.
First of all it has the same activation and movement game mechanics as the other games based on SoB&H, and even shares some of the special traits. Naturally, there are a lot more new traits that are themed to the setting, but the combat system differs significantly. The combat system is modified for much more non-lethal action and cinematic effects. Rather than simply wounding and dispacting models, they can be wounded, knocked back, knocked down, pinned, stunned, lose their weapon (even loose their weapon to the attacker) and even humiliated (yes, in this game you can slap your opponent in the face with a dead fish!). The mechanics really lend to the martial arts feel of the game. Ranged combat is similar, thus keeping with the Hong Kong Gun-Fu action feel. Although there is ranged combat, the system really focuses on close combat.
Gangs have Chi Points, which are used to activate certain magical powers and some martial arts moves. They can also be used to boost performance in combat or negate some effects when a model looses in combat. Also Chi Points can be used to Motivate your Gang, increasing the potential for them to get more action points during that turn. Models who loose face in combat are Humbled and cannot use any Chi Points until they have Knocked Out or Killed the model who Humbled them. Models can also use excess Action Points to boost their combat rolls, thus getting more effects to choose from when they win in close combat.
Terrain is also treated differently. Some terrain items are defined as props and provide added effects when a model is in contact with them. Some are bonuses, such as furniture can be destroyed and become a tempoarary weapon, plates are assumed to be on tables and thus provide a limited amount of short range ranged weapon attacks. Some effects can be quite harmful, slipping on a pool of blood, contact with dangerous machinery can result in the model getting pinned for a number of turns or an instant grisley death. So in some cases rather than wounding someone you may opt to Recoil the model into something dangerous which can result in an instant death or tie the model up for a number of turns. Garbage dumpsters are a grab bag of potential surprises, ranging from a ditched automatic weapon, some bottles you can throw at your opponents, paper to throw up and provide cover for ranged attacks, a dead fish to Humble your opponent by slapping him in the face with it, or a dead body which forces a morale check. Also things that go boom in the movies will go boom in this game.
The game system is open ended with no fluff or background. Although there are some generic units (Monks, Yakuza, Tongs, Demons, Ninjas, Police, etc.) you can make up your own gang with simple point based construction mechanic. There is an official line of miniatures from North Star Miniatures (including a limited edition Not-Jack Burton figure), but you can pretty much use any models you wish. I myself have a bunch of models perfect for this from my Rezolution, Urban War, Deadlands, and a number of other minis like the Hasslefree Martial Artists line. Also I dug up my old stash of minis from a short-lived game called China Town which fit in perfectly with this game.
A Fistful of Kung-Fu is the latest game from Osprey Wargames, by Andreas Sfiligoi. It's the Hong Kong Action Movie themed miniature wargame system. It's based on Andrea's Song of Blades & Heroes game mechanics but I must say after reading many of the variants of that game system this sounds to be the most fun. It's about the closest thing to turning Big Trouble in Little China or any Jackie Chan or John Woo movie into a miniatures game.
First of all it has the same activation and movement game mechanics as the other games based on SoB&H, and even shares some of the special traits. Naturally, there are a lot more new traits that are themed to the setting, but the combat system differs significantly. The combat system is modified for much more non-lethal action and cinematic effects. Rather than simply wounding and dispacting models, they can be wounded, knocked back, knocked down, pinned, stunned, lose their weapon (even loose their weapon to the attacker) and even humiliated (yes, in this game you can slap your opponent in the face with a dead fish!). The mechanics really lend to the martial arts feel of the game. Ranged combat is similar, thus keeping with the Hong Kong Gun-Fu action feel. Although there is ranged combat, the system really focuses on close combat.
Gangs have Chi Points, which are used to activate certain magical powers and some martial arts moves. They can also be used to boost performance in combat or negate some effects when a model looses in combat. Also Chi Points can be used to Motivate your Gang, increasing the potential for them to get more action points during that turn. Models who loose face in combat are Humbled and cannot use any Chi Points until they have Knocked Out or Killed the model who Humbled them. Models can also use excess Action Points to boost their combat rolls, thus getting more effects to choose from when they win in close combat.
Terrain is also treated differently. Some terrain items are defined as props and provide added effects when a model is in contact with them. Some are bonuses, such as furniture can be destroyed and become a tempoarary weapon, plates are assumed to be on tables and thus provide a limited amount of short range ranged weapon attacks. Some effects can be quite harmful, slipping on a pool of blood, contact with dangerous machinery can result in the model getting pinned for a number of turns or an instant grisley death. So in some cases rather than wounding someone you may opt to Recoil the model into something dangerous which can result in an instant death or tie the model up for a number of turns. Garbage dumpsters are a grab bag of potential surprises, ranging from a ditched automatic weapon, some bottles you can throw at your opponents, paper to throw up and provide cover for ranged attacks, a dead fish to Humble your opponent by slapping him in the face with it, or a dead body which forces a morale check. Also things that go boom in the movies will go boom in this game.
The game system is open ended with no fluff or background. Although there are some generic units (Monks, Yakuza, Tongs, Demons, Ninjas, Police, etc.) you can make up your own gang with simple point based construction mechanic. There is an official line of miniatures from North Star Miniatures (including a limited edition Not-Jack Burton figure), but you can pretty much use any models you wish. I myself have a bunch of models perfect for this from my Rezolution, Urban War, Deadlands, and a number of other minis like the Hasslefree Martial Artists line. Also I dug up my old stash of minis from a short-lived game called China Town which fit in perfectly with this game.