I’ll be running my second MG session tomorrow and despite skimming the forums I dont think I totaly understand how the rules work for 2 teams against 2.
Say for example there are two teams of mice against two of weasels.
Mouse team 1:Attack
Mouse team 2:Defend
Both weasels: Attack
My question is do you group together before declaring targets? For example could weasel team one and mouse team one attack each other while weasel team two attacks mouse team twos defence? Or would it simply be a case of both teams helping each other and the mice picking weither to attack or defend?
Edit:Additional question
Say Mouse team one feints instaid of attacks, the weasels get to attack team one. I’m assuming mouse team 2 tests defend against whatever the weasels rolled when attacking team one. Say mouse team two rolls lower than the weasels, do they loose disposition despite not being the actal target, or do they simply not gain any?
Attack and Defend don’t help each other in any event. Attack v. Attack are independent tests, while Defend v. Attack is a versus test.
But, if both mouse teams had scripted attack they would get to choose if they were attacking the same target, or not. If they attack the same weasel team, it’s a helping roll.
Edit: actually, if the mouse teams have the same target and that weasel team scripts a maneuver, the attack and defend are both versus. So, in that case the mouse teams would be helping each other.
As for the additional question. If mouse team one scripts feint, it makes no test. Mouse team two has defend, but it is not being attacked. So, no test again. Weasel tests attack against an ob zero.
I think I’m starting to get it. One more example though.
The weasels both attack mouse team one
Mouse team one attacks weasel team one
simple so far but what if mouse team 2 elects to maneuver? Do they test against ob0, or do they have to roll versus the weasel teams combined attack roll? Also if they do roll against the weasels can they loose disposition despite not being the target of the attack?
It would seem to me that the Maneuver would still have to be directed at one of the Weasel teams, right? And then, it would be an Obs 0 test as the Weasels are not paying Team 2 any attention. Is this correct? This too is giving me some trouble in understanding! I’m not even sure you have to direct an action against one of two groups of opponents. A little help?
Determine how you must group based on the Multiple Teams, Multiple Actions rule on page 114.
In the original scenario that CircleBoy posted, the weasels have three options:
Choose different targets and roll as normal. (i.e., Weasel team one attacks Mouse team one; Weasel team two attacks Mouse team two).
Help one another to attack Mouse team one.
Help one another to attack Mouse team two.
Mouse team one and Mouse team two will be rolling separately in any case, as their actions are not complementary (Mouse team one is making an Independent test and Mouse team two is making a Versus test).
If the weasels choose option 1, then it gets resolved as normal. If the weasels choose option 2, then the weasels help each other and both the weasels and mouse team one make independent tests. It’s going to be bloody! Whichever weasel team takes the lead in the roll is going to lose disposition according to what mouse team one rolls. In this scenario, Mouse team two is unopposed. As such, it rolls its Defend as if it were an Independent test.
If the weasels choose option 3, then one weasel team helps the other in a Versus test against Mouse team two. Mouse team one gets an Independent attack on the weasel team of its choice.
In the second scenario, Mouse team two has an unopposed maneuver. Treat it as an Independent test.
So running my first Mouseguard game, my group is 6 players +GM so always 2 teams. right now in delivering the mail, it is 2 teams against our Raven who is trying to steal the mail. (my new dice love me. hate everyone else. Raven disposition is 15 (yes rolled six 6’s, a 5, and a 2 on my disp roll!) Team Insanity has 7, and Team sanity has 8. The Ravens goal is to steal the mail, and both groups choose to drive the raven away.
Ive been playing so that one team can give the other team a SINGLE helping die (due to the number of players i have), so if both team-mates and the other team help out thats +3 dice just from mice. If team 1 helps teams 2 on an opposed roll, both teams suffer the disposition loss. however if a team doesn’t help they remain unaffected…or… either way, at this point, im muddling through how to handle this dynamic, and i think i got most of the bits figured out (though i will come back here if i need too and get some more questions answered ;))
mainly what im wondering is with the goals, what happens if team 1 drops to 0 disposition while team 2 still has some, should we figure out some narrative reason why they are out of the rest of conflict while team 2 fights to hold on to the mailbag?
Edit: Using the Example in the book i understand how to run 2 v 2 conflicts, but its 1v2, or 3v2, type that i start to get muddled on rulings.