First Steps in The Old World: a Fast, Brutal Little Battle
Battle report from our first games
We recently managed to get a small game in, and honestly? Our first impression was very positive. This was one of those matches where you can already feel, after just a few rounds, that the system has something really special going on.
The game took us a bit over an hour and a half, and we played 3 rounds. By the end of it, Kuba had less than 25% of his points left on the table, so it was a pretty decisive result.
At the same time, it also felt like the kind of game that speeds up dramatically once both players know the rules properly. Our impression was that with the same size forces, but with the rules already internalised, we could probably play it in around half an hour.
That obviously comes with the scale of the game: fewer points means fewer units, fewer decisions, and less table state to process. With bigger armies, we fully expect games to take longer. Still, for a smaller battle, the flow felt really promising.
What stood out immediately
A few mechanics clicked with us right away.
First of all, manoeuvring in formations feels fantastic. Suddenly, formations are not just a visual thing on the table, but a real gameplay consideration. In particular, skirmishers immediately became much more interesting to us. Not without drawbacks, of course, but in a way that makes them feel like a meaningful tactical choice rather than just a special rule you forget about.
We also really liked the sequence where charges happen before regular movement. It changes the feel of the turn in a very satisfying way and makes positioning matter a lot.
Another pleasant surprise was that the rolling itself moved along fairly quickly. Even checking the opponent’s Toughness didn’t feel annoying in practice.
But the real star of the show?
Break tests.
Seriously, break tests make the game. Such a great mechanic.
The moment of the game: Black Orcs vs cavalry
The standout moment of the battle was a combat that perfectly sold us on the system.
Kuba charged in with 5 cavalry models into Stas’s 9 Black Orcs. The Orcs held the charge, but lost two models on impact. Then they struck back and killed two riders.
So at first glance, the combat result looked even: 2 vs 2.
But Stas had a banner in the unit, which tipped the combat by +1.
Kuba then failed his Leadership test.
The cavalry broke, turned to flee, and rolled 8 for their Flee move. The Black Orcs pursued and rolled 10. They caught them, smashed the whole unit, and the cavalry was effectively removed from the battlefield.
That whole sequence was just brilliant. One combat, a tiny edge from a standard, one failed test, and suddenly the fight turns into a complete disaster for the losing side. It felt dramatic in exactly the right way.
One more break that mattered
Later on, there was another important break result: Kuba’s archers broke, which took them effectively out of the game for a turn.
And again, that was one of those moments where the system showed its teeth. Units don’t just slowly grind down wounds until they disappear — morale and battlefield control matter, and that gives the whole battle a lot more character.
Final thoughts
Our overall feeling after this one is simple:
we’re in.
Even in a small game, there was already a lot to like: formation play, charge timing, the pace of resolution, and especially the tension created by break tests. It felt dynamic, tactical, and full of those little swings that make you immediately want to set up the next game.
If this is what a small introductory battle looks like, we’re very curious to see how the system opens up with larger armies and more table presence.
Because if the first impression was this strong, then this may be the beginning of a very fun journey for us.