Mini Gangs Review.

Hello and Welcome Back.

Recently I have been playing Mini Gangs, so I thought I would write up a quick review. 

Mini Gangs is a small scale skrimish game by Curtis Fell of Ramshackle Games. It is set in the same Post Apocalyptic setting as the Nuclear Renaissance gane and is figure agnostic. Games take less than a hour to play.

Mini Gangs came out back in 2017, I backed the Kickstarter. At the time, the rules didnt suit my gaming needs. I loved the figures released with the rules. To my shame, I still need to paint up a couple of those gangs.

Then again 25 years ago, I thought Babylons Burning was the best rule set. A few years later I couldnt be bothered with all the faff of going through all the tables. Tastes and needs change with time. It's worth keeping a open mind.

I have been seeing a lot of people playing the Mini Gangs online, so as I own the V1 rules (V2 was realised a couple of years ago) I decided to finially give them a spin and see what the fuss is about.

The original version 1 rule book is some 60 pages long (version 2 comes in at 74 pages). In addition to explaining the rules there are lots of beautiful pictures of Ramshackle figures in action, pictures and background fluff from the Nuclear Renaissance universe.

The Game comes in three flavours. Gateway, Casual and Hardcore. I will explain each flavour in turn. The rules use a D6 and the scale/measurements is in cm. Mini Gangs can be played on a small table top. Any surface with 50cm to 60cm square is more than enough. There is also a group of scenarios to play in the rule book. There are no vehicle rules in the game, but given the size of the tabletop vehicle play would be impractical. 

Gateway Mini Gangs: 

Mini Gangs is a quick, easy to learn game to introduce people new to tabletop games to the hobby. Gateway is the basis the rest of the rules is built upon. The game is built around gangs of 4 figures, each with a Awesomeness value. This is the only stat in the game, which prevents it being daunting to new players. It also helps players with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia. Each gang has a Leader, Fighter, Shooter and Medic. The game is played performing an action and rolling a D6 above or below the Awesomeness value depending on the action. Gateway gives a balanced game.

The Gateway rules are available for free from:

http://download.ramshacklegames.net/MiniGangs/MiniGangs_Gateway_web.pdf

Casual Mini Gangs:

The Casual Mini Gangs builds on the Gateway rules. It uses a card deck in addtion to the rules. The players deal 8 cards each. The cards give weapons, armour, food, skill and strategies to be used by the Gang. These give the gangs random advantages during the game. It can make a game feel unbalanced as a character could end up with power armour and a plasma blaster. But then who said life was fair? It makes for a good story if nothing else. Some of my favourite games have been challenging ones.

Another cool thing, at least to me anyway, is that one of my minis is used as the picture on one of the cards. Free autograph if you can guess which card! 

Hardcore Mini Gangs:

Hardcore Mini Gangs is more like a traditional tabletop game. It is played using the Gateway Rules, but using points values and will need the Mini Gangs rules book. The players are allowed to taylor gangs to suit according to the agreed points value for the game. You can equip them and add figures according to the points build. I would like to play 6 or 8 figures at some point just to see how the rules handle them. The points calculations are quite simple case of adding single numbers. There are mechanics for campaign games and given how long it takes to play, a campaign can be finished in a evening.

Thoughts: 

I have played a few games of Mini Gangs at each level. It is quick to learn and play. Most of my Gateway games took under a hour. It does give a good game, with only the one dice. The above and below rolls allows one stat number (Awesomeness) to function in different ways and works well. The Hardcore level allowing custom gangs can give a more traditional game. 

Mini Gangs is great for quick games and is good to scratch that dice rolling itch when you dont have a lot of time. Gateway allows you to grab a handful of figures, a D6, some terrain and play. It could allow you to game while on lunch at work, on holiday or out and about. I have seen games played in the park, beach and woods, on the ground using local materials. 

No one dies while the game is running. Injured figures can crawl about usually trying to get the medic. While the Medic is unarmed and has low Awesomeness value, do not make the mistake of ignoring this figure. Medic's keep your figures in the fight. It's worth protecting them in play.

Given the figure agnostic nature of the game, it can be played in any setting allowing gamers a huge potential for play. I just grabbed a bunch of sci fi figures and added a couple of magic users to use as medics. 

The rules allow for monsters and other nasties to be created, should you feel like going on an abandoned vault/bunker crawl, bug hunt or monster hunt.

I am now looking at my favorite existing gangs looking to add medics, as medics are unarmed and have bags or pouches. Ramshackle games carries suitable figures. Some of my gangs might also need dedicated looking fighter figures, as they a bit too shooty. Any excuse to expand my own gangs. I will also be looking to make some game boards, which can also serve as higher ground on a bigger table. There is a couple of 2 x 2 foot blue foam boards laying unloved in my hobby stores.

I think that Mini Gangs is going to be a regular game for me in future. Nice one Curtis. I better get the Version 2 rules ordered. 

Thanks for reading, stay safe out there.

Green Valley Hooligans

Hello and Welcome back to my blog. This is my 500th post. I can’t believe I made it so far.  So sit back and enjoy next bunch of post apocalyptic miniature goodness. 

The Hooligans started life as a wandering band of bandits. After a decade of wandering the gang discovered a wonderful green valley, unspoilt like a ghost from the distant past. They sent scouts into the valley and learnt that besides the mutant bears and wolves, there appeared to be a group of what appeared to be peaceful tribals. 

Deciding that this could be a great opportunity to settle down. Moving forward into the valley the Hooligans discovered that another bandit clan had attacked the tribals. A small band of the tribals where fighting back with the limited weapons at their disposal. Arriving at the village the Hooligans offered their services on condition that they could settle in the valley. The peaceful villagers had mixed feelings but then having a strong ally who could protect them had it’s advantages. The tribals had problems for years with the bandits. Many of them had been killed and a few women molested. 

The Hooligans moved out and hit the bandits hard, who where expecting badly armed poorly trained tribals not battle hardened bandits. The Hooligans wiped the other bandits out with ease, allowing the abused villagers a chance to execute some captive bandits.

A generation later the Hooligans live side by side with the tribals peacefully and have intermingled with them (and providing a much needed genetic variety to the tribals). The Hooligans are regarded as the warlike element of the tribe. Bandit raids have now become a thing of the past. In addition to patrols and war parties the Hooligans escort trade convoys in and out of the valley. 

Critchlow & Klara 

Critchlow is the Hooligans leader. His calm and ruthless attitude has kept him war party leader and green valley safe. Klara is the gangs second in command. She commands respect and is a fierce opponent. Many of the Hooligans including Critchlow wish was their squeeze but Klara has made it clear she is not interested, backed up by bouts of deadly violence. 

Critchlow and Klara are from Emporium Miniatures. These guys are obviously inspired by the art work of Carl Critchlow in the old GW Dark Future rule book. I decided to name the leader after the artist. 

Mad Dave & Karl

Mad Dave is one of the Hooligan’s close combat specialists probably because he has anger issues. He favours an old rotary cutter which is also handy for cutting into ruins and wrecks for loot, or those rare occasions where an escape is needed. Karl is the Hooligan’s technomancer. He carries a old energy pistol and an energy field generator which is handy for when the gang comes under fire. The field usually allows Mad Dave to take is anger out at whoever is shooting at them. 

Mad Dave and Karl are from the Mini Gangs - Key Chain Mohawks by Ramshackle games. Karl lost his sword tip in a cat invasion of the paint table.

Maz and Broose

Maz is a skilled medic and hacker, skills he learnt from books he found in the library of a school in Green Valley. During a bandit raid Maz was wounded and his arm had to be amputated (by Mad Dave who seemed to enjoy performing the operation). In the weeks that followed Maz grafted an arm from a robot to his shoulder. Although he graft was successful it took him months to train himself to use it. Now Maz’ arm is fully functional plus he can punch through a wall. Broose is the war parties gun man. He keeps enemies pinned with automatic fire while the rest of the gang get close. In battle his trade mark battle cry of “Yippe-ki-ee” can be heard of the rattle of his assault rifle.

Maz and Broose are from the Mini Gangs - Key Chain Mohawks by Ramshackle games. 

Masher

Masher is the Hooligans big un and like Mad Dave like to get up close & personal with enemies. His extra bulk and strength allows him to overcome most wasteland psychos easily and even the bears that prowl the Green Valley. In addition to a large hammer Masher carries an modified industrial rotary cutter inspired by Mad Dave who he idolises. 

 

The figure is Chicken by Ramshackle Games. It lost it’s sword in the same cat related incident as Karl. One of the downsides of resin figures is that they can be fragile and not cat bum resistant. I have lost a couple of other resin figures to those cats. The blade was replaced by a 40K Space Ork weapon. The cutter fits nicely on the hilt of he sword. 

The Hooligans are slightly inspired by the gangs of the Taiga forest in the Metro Exodus computer game. 

That’s all for now. I hope 500th post has entertained. Here’s to the next 500! Thank you for following and reading my posts over the years. 

Take care out there and lookout for post 501.