Skip to main content

Two Sets of Rules for Batman, Which Should I Choose?

Now is a great time to get started with the Batman Miniatures Game by Knight Models. It is however, also a confusing time. The newly updated (and great looking) printed rule book has recently been released and folks all over the place are getting excited about the game. That means people are looking at the rule book vs. the free PDF rules available for download and starting to ask questions about which rules to start with.


Can I learn the game using the free rule book?

Yes you can. You'll get a feel for the flow of the game and its mechanics, but be prepared to deal with changes if you are going to buy the new book. If you plan to play in a small group with a few friends, there's nothing wrong with just using the free rules...but a few things will be missing so it could become increasingly challenging over time.

I intend to buy the rule book, should I start with the free rules?

This is how another local player and I got started, playing 3 or 4 games with the free rules. We were awaiting the arrival of the rule book but wanted to get playing right away. However, I've actually found that starting with the free rules and then moving to the printed rules while still learning the basic game mechanics has proven frustrating.


Several things have changed with the new book (remember, it's essentially version 2 of the rules!) and trying to remember what has changed and in what way is challenging. This was particularly evident yesterday when I was asked to give a local gamer a demo of the game. I had to dig through the rule book a few times because I was asked questions and knew that it was "slightly different in the updated rules."

So in short, I'd say if you intend to buy the book anyway, start playing after you receive it. I think it will make your learning experience a lot smoother. Order the book then build some models, lampposts or objective markers while you wait for your rule book to arrive! You'll need those regardless of which version of the rules you decide to play with.

Whatever you decide, you're in for some good Gotham fun. I'm happy with the game and am always looking forward to my next game!

Comments

styx said…
I keep my eye on this....I love the Arrow, the introduction of them as a team is sweet...then again, I am not a huge fan of DC, but the game mechanics are nice but the price point is a bit ouch!

Obsidian3D said…
Definitely a fair point. The prices ARE high when you compare them to other games, in my opinion.

That said if you were to pick up Arrow, Canary and one of the cop packs you would have some good options for force building.

Unknown said…
Thanks for pointing this out.
Obsidian3D said…
It's just my opinion of course. The appeal of free rules for a good game is a strong one... :)

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell Ozzy!

This afternoon I found out that the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, has passed away. Although I've been a fan since my early teens, I am surprised at how strong my reaction to the news has been. I had missed out on catching the Black Sabbath farewell show a few weeks back during live stream, so I've not yet seen it. A friend of mine told me about a few days after, and I'm looking forward to watching it when it becomes available. I've had the good fortune of seeing Ozzy perform twice; once at an outdoor stadium show with Zakk Wylde on guitar, and once with Black Sabbath several years later. I remember more about the experience of those shows than the specific details, and could not tell you set lists or anything like that. His impact on music and pop culture, both as a member of Black Sabbath and a solo artist simply cannot be understated. As impactful and important as that is, it also hits me that his children have lost their father, which happened to me at the end o...

Errata Discussion

Here's my first-ever joint article! Thanks to Scott Mooney for providing counter-point to my ramblings. Following the release of Marvel Universe and Marvel Evolution there has been a lot of discussion among our player group (and online) about the powers of certain cards, both in terms of sheer power and in terms of wording. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the debate brought on by the 3-cost, Exiles-affiliated Blink. We'll not be discussing that particular card today, but rather some other combinations you may or may not have thought of. Scott has built a very deadly Starjammers/X-Factor/X-Men deck that takes advantage of discard effects and Energize to lead to an amazing turn 7 combo using Cyclops, Astonishing X-Man and Havok, Proud Son. This combo can stun an opponent's board if they are unable to pay the discard required by Havok's ability. It is especially dangerous in a multi-player format and brought up some thoughts on designer intent versus the ...

Marvel Universe Miniatures Game - Avengers Painted

Shortly before the Marvel Universe Miniatures Game was released by Knight Models I picked up several single pack figures at a slight discount. The game dropped shortly after, but has so far seemed difficult to acquire in Canada. I'm hoping once I get out an do a few demos it will pick up locally like the Batman game has started to do. This is the original model for Black Widow, which I prefer greatly over the highly sexualized one that comes in the Avengers starter box. Don't get me wrong, she's a sexy character but I think the new sculpt is a little over the top. She was the first Marvel figure I painted. It a pretty easy paint job and I think she turned out well. This figure proved more difficult to paint than I expected. It's a great looking pose, but I wish the details on the shield were a little deeper. I'm not the greatest when it comes to steady detail work, so found doing the stripes on the shield highly frustrating. A wash or two would usually b...