Samurai Blades - review

Samurai Blades is a 1984 game using the Cry Havoc system. Unlike it's Europe-based sister games (Cry Havoc, Siege and Outremer) it's a completely standalone product with one small exception. This isn't a surprise, as the game's theme is man-to-man combat in feudal Japan, which is a few centuries and many thousands of miles away from the medieval Euro-centric world of the other games.
Systemically, however, it's exactly the same. Betraying its mid-1980s wargame roots, the game uses the usual attack factor-defense factor-movement factor system so familiar to wargamers along with an odds-based combat result table for melee combat.
Missile combat is handled somewhat differently, with die rolls on a table based on the target type with modifiers for cover and range. There's only one type of missile weapon, the longbow, making that aspect of the game a little simpler than the others.
The turn sequence is also familiar for experienced wargamers. Archers fire, everybody moves, archers fire again and finally adjacent figures battle in melee.
Samurai Blades is more limited in scope than the other games of the series which have a fairly large number of available scenarios included in the published games. (All games in the series also have fan-generated material available).
Of the six scenarios included in the game, three involve unique sets of characters that aren't used in any other scenarios.
The other three could be called the "saga of pack 8" as all of them involve characters from the set called "pack 8" in the rules, sometimes alone and sometimes combined with other packs. One of the three "pack 8" scenarios also uses the Crossroads map from the original Cry Havoc game. Other than that you don't need any of the earlier games in order to play.
Compared to the other games the scenarios in Samurai Blade tend to be small to medium sized, using a dozen to two-dozen characters in total.
While a couple are fairly straightforward battle scenarios, some of the others are notable riffs on famous Japanese movies or stories including a scenario based on The Seven Samurai, one based on the Kagemusha (Shadow Warrior) and a ninja assassination scenario.
The physical presentation was superior for its time, with full-color artwork on the board and the character counters, although the counters and boards are thinner stock than many would prefer.
The rules were written in the informal British style which assumes everyone will make a good-faith effort to play within the spirit of the game and is therefore ill-suited for groups infested with rules lawyers.
Not every 24-year-old wargame holds up well, but Samurai Blades does better than most and it's well worth snagging a copy if you're interested in the topic.

Cry Havoc! Waiting For Odo

A session report:

“I want my pence now!”
Giles eyed his co-conspirators warily. Gobin was a rough sort, good to have in a situation like this. That huge, gnarled club alone had ended many a flight before it even started. John the Baker, fidgeting beside Gobi, on the other hand, wasn’t the sort you’d expect to sign up for something like this. He made a pretty penny in the lord’s bakery. Yet he’d eagerly insisted on being included as soon as Giles hatched his plot.
“Something might happen to you in the fight and then how would I get my money?” Gobin continued.
Giles opened his purse a bit and showed Gobin the coins within.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll leave the purse under my hat by the pool, that way if something happens to me you’ll still get your money afterwards.”
Gobin seemed satisfied with that answer. Giles suspected that the chance to bust a few heads was more attractive to Gobin than the money, anyway.
“Here’s the plan,” Giles said. “You two will wait here by the Hillock. I’ll pretend to be fishing in the pool. When I see Odo coming I’ll call out to him to distract him while you two sneak up behind him and knock him on the head. That quick.”
Gobin and Baker nodded they understood and ambled over to the Hillock to wait. Giles took his pole and sat down on the ledge of the pool to fish.
Odo was bound to come through the crossroads today like he did every morning, but this time Giles would teach the sheep thief a lesson.
Giles was a little surprised to see the morning’s first traveler approach. It was his namesake, Giles the crossbowman, from Sir Thomas’s retinue. He hoped that Giles would hurry on through before Odo showed up. He seemed likely to take his fellow soldier’s side if there was a fight
Sure enough, there was Odo, right behind him. This would complicate the ambush a lot. Giles watched Odo. Odo seemed to sense this morning was different than most. His carried his spear at the ready. Had someone betrayed the plot?
Things looked very suspicious now. Ben the spearman appeared up the path and met up with Odo. They exchanged a word or two. Still, Giles the crossbowman didn’t seem to expect trouble. His weapon was slung and he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Giles wasn’t sure what to do, but he’d have to act soon. Odo was right in the middle of the crossroads.
Odo and Ben split up, and Odo was starting to walk away! Giles realized he was out of position and started to get up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Odo’s boss, Sgt. Tyler come into view. Are we ambushing Odo or his he ambushing us? Giles wondered.
Gobin and Baker burst from the trees by the Hillock and were on top of Odo in an instant.
Baker took a wild swing with his sword, but Odo had no trouble sidestepping the blow and sticking Baker at the same time. This was off to a bad start.
Giles looked over his shoulder. Giles the crossbowman seemed not to notice the disturbance as he rounded the corner and passed from view, but Tyler and Ben were running to help Odo. Very bad.
From bad to worse, as Odo’s other buddy Bowyer appeared next to the Hillock. He apparently wasn’t expecting trouble, though, because his bow wasn’t strung.
It might not matter, though, because Ben was within striking distance now. Ben seemed surprised when Giles parried the blow and he stepped back. Giles was surprised himself, truthfully.
He glanced over to see that John the Baker was already crumpled in the dust. This was very bad.
They needed to take Odo out now. Giles saw his opening. Gobin was occupying Odo’s attention, so Giles would have one chance to strike a blow from behind.
Odo was too quick. He parried Giles’ blow and spun around planting his spear in Gobin’s shoulder.
Giles could see Ivor, his neighbor, approach, but Ivor didn’t seem interested in joining any fights. There’s be no help there.
Odo worked to finish off Gobin while Tyler and Ben started swinging at Giles.
Gobin was tougher than he looked, though, and managed to knock Odo upside the head solidly with his club. Profuse amounts of blood showed it was a hurtful strike. Giles was able to fend off Ben and Tyler’s blows for a moment.
That gave Giles the opening he needed to bring his staff down on Odo’s head. Down the sheep thief went.
Tyler and Ben stopped fighting.
“What’s this about?” Tyler demanded.
“Odo attacked my friend Baker, here and slew him!” Giles exclaimed.
Tyler looked over to Ben.
“Did you see who started it?”
“No, I didn’t,” Ben said. “I had just talked to Odo, and he did seem like he was expecting trouble. He was carrying his spear at the ready and seemed like he was looking for someone.”
“Well, the baker is dead,” Tyler observed.
Giles and Gobin started to edge away.
“I’ll have to tell Sir Thomas about this. You two go on your way,” Tyler said.
Tyler, Ben and Bowyer headed off, carrying Odo’s body.
Gobin looked rather worse for wear, but seemed excited by how things panned out.”I’ll take the whole purse,” he said as he walked toward the pool. “John won’t need his share.”
Giles looked at poor John.
Now what was he going to do with him.