Five Players, 10 Delvers on Rescue Mission in Moonrest

 

    Oslac the Fighter & Leof the Brute are assaulted by orcs in our big game of Four (10?) Delvers

The goal of cooperating with Rich Brown of RRB Minis & More on revamping David Bezio's fantasy skirmish rules, Four Delvers, was to see if it would work for my Sunday evening gang. Typically, we have 6-7 players, and the original rules were written with only four adventurers in mind. So, it would need some expansion to accommodate. My plan was to have each player control two Delvers, so with six of us present this past Sunday for the playtest, I would have 10 Delvers on the table. I decided not to play myself, though it is a cooperative game and no GM is really necessary. 

    Somewhere inside Moonrest are 3 shepherd boys, kidnapped by orc raiders - can you free them?

I created a dozen characters to give the players some choice. Rich and I had greatly expanded the original Fighter, Wizard, Elf, and Dwarf characters to include a Barbarian, Cleric, Thief, Brute, and others. The core of my original adventuring gang from my two solo games was chosen, so Oslac and Company would once again be exploring the abandoned city of Moonrest. The scenario was that Orc raiders had kidnapped several shepherd boys (along with some sheep, of course), and were dragging them back to their haunt in Moonrest. The adventuring party tracked them to the city, spied out where they were encamped, and concocted a plan to free the captive boys -- if they were still alive. Except this was our Sunday Evening Gaming group, and they skipped the whole "plan" stage and just lined up on the board edge they were sitting closest to and charged in!

    My group of five players for the play test: 'Plan? We don't need no stinking plan...charge!'

That might have worked as a plan, but it had one noticeable flaw. Joel and Mike S didn't have a "fighter type" among their four Delvers. Joel controlled the "halfling" Setch and the cleric, Friar Horace. Mike had the Elf Erevan and thief Cain. Their best two in melee would be the elf and cleric, with Setch and Cain being the weakest with only 1 Hit Point each. On the other side of the table, there was a bit more beef. Jenny controlled the dwarf Baldur and the ranger Minatur, Allen the barbarian Callum and wizard Malik, while Keith had Fighter Oslac and the new Brute, Leof. Lots more fighter types on this side of the table!

    The 19 orc defenders were deployed randomly throughout the 3'x3' board, including in this square

In an attempt to streamline the game process, Rich and I had made the Wound Table more deterministic. Rather than being able to take an unlimited number of Wounds after dropping to 0 Hit Points, monsters could take a maximum three, but would likely be knocked out of action on their second wound with the modifiers were had created. However, the possibility of rolling a 8-12 on 1d12 still existed, so models taking their first Wound could still be knocked out. Rich had also wanted to limit Wandering Monsters to one on-board at a time. So, my thought was that I would need to beef up the initial monsters by about 50%, with those changes. That mean 19 orc enemies were randomly deployed on the table, 7 of which had bows.

    Setch the Sidhe 'halfling' and Erevan the Elf occupy a ruined building & begin shooting orcs

The Delver's pregame scouting of the orc location led them to believe the creatures had the shepherd boys stashed somewhere inside the 10 buildings on the 3'x3' tabletop. When a Delver searched the inside of a building, they would roll a six-sided die: 1-2 they found a treasure token; 3-4 sheep, 5-6 one of the shepherd boys. Each player also received one token for a free re-roll of a die during the game. They also randomly determined their player order, resulting in Joel and Mike's weaker force coming on first. The lack of strategizing likely handicapped the players, along with what would prove to be awful die rolling. Or, should I say, their excellent rolling for the monsters? Time and again, they would roll successful "Battle" rolls against the Orcs only to have the nasty creatures make their Save rolls. I insisted they roll for the enemy, since this was meant to be a cooperative game, and I didn't want it to have to do all the rolling for the enemies.

    Minastur the ranger & Baldur the dwarf are beset by orcs, but Callum rushes to their aide

Under the rules, the Delvers and monsters alternating activating a figure until all models on the board have activated. For the Delvers, we had each player activate one of their characters in turn going around the table, then their second figure. In between, of course, a monster would activate. Since the orcs outnumbered the players, we would resolve the remaining half dozen or so at the end of each turn. The players split up, with Mike and Joel arriving on table and occupying a ruined building in the middle of their table edge. They immediately began shooting at the orcs, who quickly closed in on them or began to shoot back. Soon, four Delvers were crowded inside their little "Alamo," doing their best to fight off the attacking orcs.

    Oslac (quartered blue shield) is the toughest fighter in the game & immediately bloodies his enemies

Keith brought his two warriors in on one street, while Allen and Jenny entered in the alleyway behind the church. All were immediately swarmed by orcs when spotted. The "A.I." for the monsters has them advance relentlessly towards the Delvers unless armed with a missile weapon. In that case, once within range, they fire away. If Delvers come within 6", they fire and back off. I think the A.I worked fine. There were only a couple times when it seemed the rules had the orcs not being clever enough. This happened on Keith's front, whose Brute and Fighter blocked off a narrow street, creating a bottleneck of orcs behind those engaged with the Delvers. I solved this by having a couple of the orcs circle the buildings to attempt to fall upon their rear.

    Wounded, Malik the Wizard is stalked by orcs, but Callum bravely rushes to his aide

Only one Delver was knocked out of action. Malik, roaming about his side of the board rather freely instead of sheltering behind the fighters, was targeted by orc archers and eventually fell to the street, riddled with arrows. Several others reached 0 Hit Points and had to make rolls on the Wound table when they were hit again. More than half of the players cashed in their re-roll tokens to save their Delvers. When the wandering monster (a troll) finally showed up, this prompted the "Alamo" to be abandoned by Erevan, Setch, Horace, and Cain. This actually allowed Cain to find one of the shepherd boys when he sought refuge inside a building. Horace made up for his excellent rolling in my last solo game and struggled to heal Erevan, who was down to 0 Hit Points for the last one-third of the game or so. Joel and Mike did a great job, though, keeping their under strength force alive, though. I don't blame them for fleeing rather than facing the troll when it finally wandered over to their makeshift stronghold.

    Joel & Allen's 'Alamo' defensive position is getting crowded when joined by friar Horace & Cain

Jenny's characters, augmented by Callum the barbarian, did a good job holding off the orcs in the alley beside the church. Keith, though ringed by orcs thirsting for his Delvers' blood, slew more enemies than any of the others. I feel the Fighter is the single strongest Delver type, so was not surprised he slowly and steadily racked up the kills. However, Keith was plagued numerous times by orcs saving against his successful blows an unlikely number of times. He fully got to experience the frustration I felt might be inherent in the system.

    It took several turns, but finally a wandering troll showed up, drawn by the sounds of fighting

How did the game go? The players said it went fine. They seemed less bothered by the frustration than I felt they might be. Keith admitted it did get to him at times, but seemed philosophical about it. Bad die rolls or lucky opponents happen in wargaming. We discussed how the rules worked out for about 20 minutes after the game. Had I overestimated how many monsters would be needed with the changes to the combat system Rich and I had made? Possibly. I used 50% more than the equivalent number would call for. I felt the limit on Wandering Monsters would really hamper the monsters. I had 3-4 show up in each of my previous games, with 2-3 on the table at the same time. The troll didn't come on until turn 3 or 4, and his "Stupid" trait meant he spent one of those turns scratching his head, wondering where all those Delvers that were holed up in the ruin had gone.

    Though orcs are bloodied all around them, the ring of foes around Oslac & Leof seems not to falter

For myself, I am still not 100% sold on the mechanics. Many, many games using a Saving roll. However, when you are in control of only two characters instead of an army or large force, enemy saves seem to have a bigger impact. Time and again, Keith would roll for Oslac, have him inflict a hit or two hits on an orc, only to have it save against all. Then, the monsters would counter-attack, inflict a hit on a Delver, only to have the Delver save, too. Four rolls, but a whole lot of "no effect" going on! Like I said, I think I was more bothered by the potential frustration of this system than my five players were. Still, we got through at least 8 turns in three hours. However, the players were not near to completing their mission. There were still a good number of orcs on the table -- enough to prevent the players from breaking off a Delver or two to begin searching rooms (only four buildings were searched, finding one shepherd boy, two treasures, and some sheep). 

    Another look at medieval Moonrest before the battle begins, with orcs patrolling the alleys

We'll see, though. I reported back to Rich Brown, so I may have him take over 100% of the rules tweaking for awhile. I'm still tempted to try a variant of my Mean Streets gang warfare rules to see how they play out for a small scale medieval or fantasy skirmish. So, that will likely be the next thing I try. I'd already crunched a bunch of numbers and written a few pages of things down for a fantasy Mean Streets variant. Maybe it is time to get that on the table and compare how the two games go? Stay tuned to see what comes up!

In the meantime, my next batch of Elves is all but done. So, I will likely be posting pictures of them soon. I'm working on another medieval building, too. So, now that I am back from vacation, I should get back to posting more regularly!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 159
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 85

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 3
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 22

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 16
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 56 

Four (er, Six?) Delvers Smell a Rat in Moonrest...!

    New party member Setch, peers through the hole in the wall at Callum & Erevan fighting a giant rat

The Hibernian barbarian smiled as he introduced an old friend to his fellow explorers. "This is Setch," he said gesturing towards the bearded little man who barely came to Callum's waist. "He saved my life once, when I was wounded and left for dead on a battlefield." The Wizard Malik stood up from the table quickly and approached, obviously intrigued by the little man's arrival. 

"Are you one of the Aos Sí, my good sir?" he inquired, bowing slightly. Callum smiled at hearing his native tongue spoken. He turned abruptly as Oslac clapped him on the shoulder, booming that any friend of Callum's was a friend of his, as well. The wood elf Erevan entered the room with a quizzical look on his face as he watched his friends gather around the newcomer. 

"You can use that term, yes." Setch said in much deeper voice than one would expect for his size. "Others call us the People of the Barrows, as our homes are built underground, and often resemble burial barrows to them." He turned to look at the Erevan, pulling his cap from his head and holding it to his heart. He let loose a stream of melodic Elven phrases. Erevan replied in kind, also bowing to the little, bearded man. "Your friend Callum is bound to me." Setch explained to the group. "When I healed him of his grave wounds years ago, part of our spirits were joined."

Callum folded his arms. "We are brothers, now. Twins, even!" A wide smile broke out on the Hibernian's face. It was echoed by Setch, who looked up at his friend, towering over him. He looked back at the others with a twinkle in his eyes. "Even our own mothers would struggle to tell us apart." Setch said. Laughter bubbled around the circle. He continued, "I sensed my brother's recent injury and have come to look in on him." 

Callum seemed startled and looked down at his friend. "I was injured only two weeks ago -- surely you have not journeyed all the way from Hibernia in that time..." Setch looked up at him and merely smiled, eyes twinkling. Callum chuckled, and patted his shorter friend's shoulder. "Okay, okay...keep your mysteries!"

    Six delvers this time! Cleric Friar Horace & Half-Folk Setch joined Callum, Oslac, Malik & Erevan

It was time for another game of Four Delvers. I wanted to increase the party size this time, as my eventual goal is to run games for the Sunday evening group. In those sessions, I will want players to control two delvers each, which on a normal evening, would mean a dozen in the party. So, for this game, I was increasing the party size gradually from four to six, the table size from 18" to 24" square, and doubling the number of creature opponents starting on the board. 

    This scenario begins with the delvers in the middle of the board - a ruined portion of Moonrest

I had another change in mind, too. After my first game of Four Delvers, I reached out to the rules author, David Bezio, and game aficionado Rich Brown, to discuss questions and ideas that I had. My biggest concern with the mechanics was the potential for it devolve into a dice rolling slog with "a whole lotta nothing going on" as I expressed it to them, citing some percentages and statistics. In Four Delvers, you roll an attack, and if you hit your opponent, he rolls to save. If the creature does not save, and is down to 0 hit points, you roll an additional time on a Wound Chart. I was concerned that on the Wound Chart would slow the game down. On it, a d12 roll of 1-4 is no effect ("Flesh Wound"), 5-7 the creature is Stunned and can take no action on its next turn, and 8-12 knocks it out of action. This extra third step to finish off an enemy concerned me, especially as you have only about a 41% chance of rolling an "8-12" on 1d12. I suggested to Dave and Rich that perhaps a final, unsaved hit should not require a roll on the Wound Chart and would kill the monster, instead. I said we could keep the Wound Chart for the players, especially since a number of the character types can take only one hit (such as Malik and Setch). Dave said it would make the game faster and perhaps more cinematic that way. Both Dave and Rich encouraged me to give the rules tweak a try.

    Erevan's keen Elven ears detect the approach of our enemies -- four giant rats carrying disease

So, SIX delvers ventured back into the abandoned city of Moonrest. Partway through their exploration, Erevan whispered to the group that he could hear the sound of movement closing in all around them. Perhaps it was large claws on the cracked stone pavement, he added. Oslac ordered the six adventurers to form a loose circle, back to back. Besides Setch, also joining the group was a holy man named Friar Horace. His main task would be to heal any party members who were gravely wounded. Erevan pointed out to the group where he heard the movement coming from and nocked an arrow to his bowstring. A high pitched squeaking could also be heard, now. The source soon came into view -- four giant rats, eyeing the adventurers hungrily. Each was the size of a large wolf. "Be wary, something else comes besides these vermin," Erevan cautioned, head tilted and listening. 

    'I smell a rat...!' Callum spots one of the creatures and breaks ranks to charge it immediately

Through the ruined buildings, Callum saw movement and the twitching of a pink tail. He shouted a Hibernian war cry and darted from the circle, bursting through a gaping doorway to attack one of the rats. There was a loud squeal as Callum's new, magical axe struck home, then a curse as the creature twisted quickly and bit him in return. Friar Horace twirled his staff and called, "Ware their bite, Hibernian -- these foul creatures carry a disease that acts quickly and weakens the body!" Callum grimaced at the pain and raised his shield. The rat charged quickly and snapped, but Callum was able to swing his buckler to intercept the bite. While it gripped his shield with its teeth, he tugged it forward, and swung downward with his axe. There was a satisfying crunch as its skull was crushed and a final, pathetic squeak. 

    The other three rats close in and begin to charge members of the party, inflicting & receiving hits

As another rat prowled close to the circle of adventurers, Oslac shouted his own battle cry and charged, sweeping his sword downward and then back. The blade struck home, and the rat squealed its pain and backed off. More rats were slinking through the ruined buildings and came into view. Erevan loosed an arrow which struck a rat, but seemed to do little to deter it. Setch whirled a sling over his head, but the stone missed and clattered past another rat. Malik began chanting, summoning up magical energy.

    Bloody combat begins and soon two of the rats are downed...but wait! What is that loud roar??

In this scenario, called Among the Ruins, players roll at the start of every turn to see if the strong wind has picked up or a momentary calm has arrived. On turn 2, I rolled "Favorable Winds" (+1 to Shooting) -- the only time in eight rounds! All other turns shooting would be at a -1 to the roll. And for a second turn in a row, thankfully, no wandering monster had arrived on the board edge. That would change, though! Turn 1 had been a good start for the delvers-- one dead and one wounded rat. As the wind began to rise, the rats pounced on the adventurers. Oslac suffered a diseased wound, as well. Erevan's second shot struck home and provoked an angry squeak. Malik hurled a magical bolt of energy and finished off the rat that Oslac had wounded. Oslac turned his head as the friar clamped a hand on his shoulder. He felt a healing surge of energy enter his body through his shoulder and looked back, muttering quick words of gratitude. Callum jogged up beside Oslac and grinned. He nodded to the dead rat a few steps away, "That's two, now," he said, raising his gleaming, blood-soaked axe.

    So far, Erevan's arrows & Setch's slingstones have yet to stop this massive rat from advancing

Callum winked as he charged off to help Erevan, who was facing down a rat only a few steps away. Seeing Malik protected from the rat, Erevan called to Setch, and the two ran off through a collapsed building. As they entered the street behind it, the elf pointed at one half-buried chest for Setch to investigate while he darted off to another. Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the haunted, abandoned city. Whatever it was, it sounded big!  Back at the main group, Oslac blocked the lunge of a rat with his shield. He stabbed around the shield, the blade sinking deep into the rat's mid-section. Another rat sank to the pavement, blood staining the surface. 

    Oslac & Callum were both wounded several times throughout this bloody fight

The roaring was getting closer and closer and Oslac turned to face it. A massive bear soon pounded around a corner into view, sniffing the air in front of it angrily. "Now, there's a big boy..." Oslac muttered. He swallowed, and then raced towards the bear who reared up on its hind legs. Oslac slashed its mid-section drawing a roar. The bear brought both paws down on Oslac's shoulders and crushed him to its body. The stout warrior's breath left his lungs in a whoosh. It...was...strong! He heard shouting behind him and Friar Horace charged to his assistance, whacking the bear's snout with his staff. The bear backhanded the burly friar and three lines of bloodstains appeared on his robes.

    Thinking the fighters have the rats under control, Erevan & Setch dash off to secure the treasures

The bear's roars were answered by another close on its trail. Erevan sighed, glancing one last time at the half-buried, iron-bound box and shook his head. He turned and darted back to help his friends, calling on Setch to do the same. The little man had knelt next to the box and was carefully examining it for signs of any traps. Meahwhile, Callum swung his axe at a rat, which nimbly dodged out of its path and leapt forward, its jaws snapping shut on the Hibernian's arm. Oslac continued to struggle with the bear, as it tried to crush the life out of him. Gripped in its arms, he was unable to swing his sword with any force in reply. Friar Horace continued to pound the bear with his staff, but its hide was thick and it took no notice of his blows. Half of the delvers were wounded and they were still facing two bears and a giant rat. 

    But it was not to be! First one bear, then another attacks the party inflicting crushing blows

And then a third bear arrived! So intent on the half-buried box was Setch that he was startled when he heard a deep snuffling nearby. He looked up and saw a bear approaching him, only a short distance away. He whirled the sling over his head and loosed the stone, then sprinted off -- not even waiting to see if it struck its target. As he raced by a gap in a ruined wall, he could see that Callum was still struggling with the rat. Blood was running down his arm as he swung his axe, unable to land a solid blow as the nimble but giant rodent ducked and skittered back and forth. Malik called on him to fall back to avoid the charge of the approaching bear. Shield up, the barbarian stepped backwards, the rat following him warily. 

    Setch is surprised by the approach of a 3rd wandering bear - he dashes off without the treasure

Erevan arrived at a gap in a wall near where Oslac and the friar struggled with the bear. He saw the second bear approaching, so loosed an arrow that sunk deep into its chest, provoking an angry roar. With his arms constricted, Oslac was finally able to redirect his sword and plunge the point upwards. He felt it slice through the bear's muscle and pass between its ribs. He kept shoving with all of his strength. Finally, the point reached a vital organ, and the bear groaned and released him. It wobbled for a moment on its hind legs, and then crashed backwards to the ground. Panting heavily, Oslac adjusted his shield and stance as he saw the second bear charging towards him. Before it arrived, he sighed involuntarily as he felt the healing touch of the friar, and the sweet vitality of life pouring back into him. His breathing became less labored and his bruised chest ached less. He narrowed his eyes and braced his shield for the charge of the bear. It hurtled into him, battering away with its mighty arms. Oslac was able to avoid its crushing embrace this time, but his return strikes seemed not to affect the bear.

    Erevan dashes back to add his arrows to the brutal battle against the bears which just keep coming

The bear continued to hammer at Oslac. Thankfully, his quality chainmail and stout oaken shield protected him from the bear's claws. He ducked under one swipe of a mighty paw and thrust with his blade, hearing it roar as the sword struck home. The bear backed away shaking its head in pain. Suddenly, an arrow shaft sank deep into its ear. The bear turned to run, but stumbled only a few steps and fell to the pavement, its deep breathing labored, and then growing slower and slower, as it died. "What a shot!" Oslac shouted at his Elven friend. "Thank you!"

    Finally killing the last rat, Callum & Malik face a new, stronger foe...but the friar arrives to help!

Malik used his staff to hurl a bolt of magical energy, which finally struck the rat solidly. Every hair on its mangy pelt seemed to stand up, and it slumped to the street, lifeless. "By the prophet's beard - finally! I grew tired of missing that vermin over and over." Callum chuckled at the wizard's uncharacteristic expression of anger and frustration. He pointed with his axe at the approaching bear and crouched, shield held high. He heard footsteps behind him and Oslac appeared at his side. The two warriors nodded to each other and turned back to face the bear. Behind them, Friar Horace skidded to a stop, staff raised.

    After much blood is spilled, the party gathers to deal with the 4th & final bear

Meanwhile, Erevan stayed in place, staring down the street from which the bears had come. He nocked another arrow, waited, then aimed. Sure enough, another bear was stalking towards him, muscles in its back and shoulders rippling. Erevan loosed and saw the arrow sink into the creature's shoulder. He called out to Malik, warning him of the creature's approach. He fired another arrow and this one seemed to have no effect on its approach. He heard the whirl of Setch's sling and saw the stone crash into the skull of the creature. It stopped and shook its head in pain. "Cor...there you go, laddie!" Setch laughed. "I have another one of those for you right here," he said, reaching into his pouch. There was no need for the stone, though because another blast of eldritch energy rippled down the street, enveloping the bear. It sank to the street, lifeless.

Between Oslac and Callum, the two warriors were eventually able to kill the final bear. Whenever it wounded one of the pair, Friar Horace would heal him. It had been a long, bloody fight for the delvers. The giant rats and bears had been deadly foes and several of the party had been near death themselves. With teamwork and the friar's healing hands, though, they'd overcome their foes. A moment later, Erevan and Setch jogged up, each carrying an iron-bound box. Malik called from a short distance away that he had the third treasure that they'd spotted earlier. "Let's go, my friends," Malik said. "Unless Erevan's ears say otherwise, it sounds like the way back to the bridge is unblocked by foes. Now, let's go before more are drawn to us by the sounds of battle..!" The other five needed no more encouragement and ran towards the wizard.

    Victory! Oslac, Friar Horace, & Callum celebrate downing another mighty bear

It had taken eight turns to defeat the four giant rats and four wandering monster bears. Did I enjoy the rules tweaks? The board did not seem too big at all and the six delvers were not tripping over each other or too much to keep track of for me. I will probably add two more delvers next time and increase the board size. I felt that removing the Wound Chart for monsters and having them die on an additional, unsaved hit after they fell to 0 hit points gave the proper effect. Although none of the delvers died, three of them were wounded and only one more hit away from zero. 

I will probably increase the monster count proportionally in the next game, though. This is because I feel my rolls were well below average for the most part, with one important exception. Friar Horace earned his place among the delvers and NEVER during the entire game failed a 7+ healing roll on 1d12. On the other hand, Oslac's attack rolls were awful! Successfully hitting on a 6+ on 1d12, he never during the game hit twice on his attacks. Worse, he missed twice on almost half of them! Callum rolled a 10+ on an attack once the entire game -- getting to use his Berserk ability only once. Malik failed to cast his spells three times in the first four turns. Wandering monster bears appeared 50% of the turns, though there was only a 33% chance of that occurring. Setch hit only once with his sling the entire game. And don't get me started on the favorable vs. unfavorable wind rolls...haha! So, I think my delvers under performed, making the game a closer run than it could have been otherwise.

    The base rules for 'Four Delvers' is available for free on Wargame Vault & RRB Minis & More

Not sure when the next game will be, though. I'd like to get it in before I leave for vacation early next month. I want to play at least one more game before I spring it on the guys for a Sunday evening's treasure hunt in Moonrest. Plus, I need to paint up more buildings to appropriately represent the abandoned city of Moonrest! You know how it goes, as a gamer...ALWAYS...NEED...MORE!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 159
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 73

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 3
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 21

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 16
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 48

Giving 'Four Delvers' Treasure Hunt a Solo Run

    Beset by giant spiders & orcs, my 'Four Delvers' fight their way through an abandoned town 

My long-time friend Keith wants to run "dungeon crawl" fantasy skirmishes, and is searching for a good set of rules. Last weekend, he hosted us at his place to play test a version he'd cobbled together using Dragon Rampant battle rules. It provided an entertaining evening. However, we both agreed in discussions afterwards that it was not the right rules mechanics for an adventuring party exploring caverns or dark places. DR's activation rolls and one action per "units"adapted to single figures seemed clunky. So, we agreed to keep exploring. My friend Rich Brown is a fan of David Bezio's Four Delvers rules. I downloaded them (free on the RRB Minis & More website) and gave them a quick study. For those that don't remember, Bezio is the author of Zombie RV rules, which I played extensively the past two years and ran at various conventions.

    In David Bezio's 'Four Delvers,' players control an adventuring party of four characters

After reading the rules, I discussed them with Rich and David, and also sent them on to Keith to look over. Keith and I weighed giving them a try or continuing with a side project I've been scribbling on recently: using Mean Streets gang warfare rules for small scale fantasy skirmishes. Keith felt that since we still had more to write and play test with the Mean Streets variant, we should give Four Delvers a try. They are an already published set and Rich recommends them. It would be less work than creating our own set with Mean Streets. In addition, David has been working on an expansion called Four Delvers Quest, which introduces new character types and adds more stats for the adventurers. Rich had also added a bit himself to David's base rules, such as new monsters and more. 

If you remember my Zombie RV games, I also added more details and a campaign system when my friends and I were playing it. Four Delvers reminds me a lot of Zombie RV -- very simple and streamlined rules that are open to expansion and tricking out to make it what you want of them. In fact, Keith, Rich, his friend Kyle, and myself created a group email to discuss new expansions. I look forward to brainstorming with them and hope we're able to create a campaign or system for a series of linked games. 

    'The Courtyard' scenario set up with treasures and enemies (circled in red) - five orcs await our entry

Since Rich has played at least a dozen games of Four Delvers, and I had yet to try them out, I decided that I should probably play a game. It makes sense to try something before you start pontificating about what you want to change! So, I created my own adventuring party of four delvers, throwing in one of the new character types David had created. The party was led by the bold hero Oslac, a fighter of great renown. His companions are Malik the Wizard, Erevan the Elven archer, and Callum (a Barbarian, the term I would prefer over "Berserker" for that new class). I chose one of the 10 scenarios in the base rules, The Courtyard. It seemed simple, plus it matched the setting I am planning on using for my eventual small scale fantasy skirmishes that I would like to run -- adventuring in an abandoned city that has fallen into decay.

    In addition to the enemies on the board, each turn there is a chance a wandering monster will appear

In the scenario, the delvers (the game's term for the adventuring party of four) are exploring the courtyard of an abandoned noble's house, searching for treasure. The board is very small in this game -- only 18" square. So, delvers and creatures are in contact and fighting almost immediately. I blocked off a section of my new 3'x3' stone pavement mat I bought recently, and set up the terrain. For the delvers and enemies, I grabbed a mix of my Saga and Dragon Rampant figures. I also pre-rolled what foes Oslac and his band would facing: five orcs, two of which were armed with bows. Giant spiders would be the wandering monsters, if and when they appeared. Players roll 1d12 at the beginning of every turn, with a 9+ meaning a wandering monster arrives on a random board edge. I also rolled randomly for the board edge that my delvers would enter from, as well as the location of the orcs and three treasures. Interestingly, most were concentrated very close to the board edge we would be entering from. 

    Oslac, left, and Callum the barbarian charge in and deal bloody wounds to the surprised orcs

That was very unfortunate for one of the orc archers, who started only 3" from our entry point. I had my "Fighter" (Oslac) charge onto the board to start the game, slashing it for one wound and sending the archer reeling backwards. Each character type has their own special abilities and statistics. A base fighter rolls two strikes when in melee, needing only a 6+ on each d12 to hit. When you hit an enemy, it has a chance to roll a Save (the orc failed). However, when a figure is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it is not out of action. Each subsequent unsaved hit causes a wound, which prompts another die roll. The result can be either "flesh wound" (no effect), Stunned (figure may do nothing on its next action and is -1 to Saves), or knocked out of action. So, the orc would require at least another hit to kill it. 

    The wizard Malik arrives, pausing next to a treasure token to zap an orc archer across the board

In response, one of the orc's comrades charged Oslac, but missed his attack. Next, the barbarian Callum hurtled onto the board hoping to deliver the knockout blow to the orc archer. His "Berserk" ability allows him to continue rolling attacks if he rolled a 10+ on his attack. Wouldn't you know, my barbarian obliged on his very first attack! However, I rolled "flesh wound" for no effect. Callum's follow up attack missed. The orc also missed in its attempt to "Battle Back." When an enemy attacks you, you get to strike back, but your roll is at -2. Annoyingly, the enemy archer staggered back again, still alive! In Four Delvers, after each time you activate one of your figures, you next resolve an enemy's activation. Activated figures can move and attack, attack then move, or move twice (but not come into contact with enemy). Instead of attacking, they can instead do an action like cast a spell, pick up a treasure, etc. My wizard Malik stepped onto the board moving into contact with the closest treasure token. Instead of picking it up, he hurled a Magic Bolt at the other orc archer far across the board (but in line of sight). He zapped him for one hit -- my delvers were off to a good start! 

    My Elven archer Erevan gets the party's first kill - the orc Oslac had initially charged & wounded

It just got better when my Elven archer moved onto the board, sheltering behind the the chest-high stone wall and taking aim at the closer wounded archer. Erevan's shaft struck home, the orc missed his save, and the ensuing d12 roll saw it sink to the ground, unconscious or dead. One of the orc's companions charged into Callum and hit him, but the barbarian saved. Meanwhile, the giant spider who had arrived as a wandering monster at the start of turn one scuttled quickly into the courtyard seeking fresh prey. All in all, though, a good first turn. Turn 2 started off on a note of concern, though, as yet another giant spider appeared. That was two 9+ rolls on d12's in a row! 

    Here comes trouble! The first of 3 wandering monster spiders hungrily scuttles into the courtyard

I began my turn with Oslac, again. Rolling two attacks, as opposed to my other character's one, and with the best chances of success, he would be my hammer. He charged into one of the orcs and struck him twice. However, the wily orc saved both times. Fortunately, its "battle back" missed. In Four Delvers, the target of an enemy charge always recoils after the combat -- even if it wounded the charger and took no hits itself. No figures end a round of melee in contact with each other in these rules -- the defender always backs up 1". I'm not sure I like that. First, I would prefer that figures that took a hit backs off. Who knows? Maybe that will be my first house rule...ha, ha! I like that players can choose the order their figures act in, but the enemy always begins with the closest to a delver. The two sides, Delvers and Enemies, alternate activating a figure until all have done so. 

    No dummies, the elf & wizard shelter behind the wall while the fighter & barbarian block the orcs

The wily orc that Oslac had just charged moved into contact with Callum, hitting him, but fortunately the barbarian saved. Two can play at that game! Malik, seeing the approaching spider, grabbed the treasure token and ran to the wall alongside Erevan. Another orc charged Callum, who avoided its blow but struck it on his counterstrike. Dang it! The orc saved again! On his activation, Callum sidestepped and struck a different orc, once again rolling 10+. He hit with his follow up strike, but once more the second hit caused nothing but a flesh wound. Grrrr! Stung, the orc battled back and hit Callum, who did not save and became my first character to lose a hit point. Both he and Oslac began with 3 hit points, though, while Ereven had two and Malik only one. As Turn 2 progressed, I was beginning to feel some frustration as the enemies I hit always seemed to save. Strikes that caused wounds also failed to knock them out of action. I realized what may be frustrating me on Turn 2 may end up saving one of my characters on a later turn, though. Still, it was getting annoying as the orc and spiders refused to go down! "Mom! Grikhnash isn't taking his deads...!" 

    Well, it WAS a good idea...until Shelob's sister decided to do an end run to get at the wizard & archer

Finally, turn 3 saw no new wandering monsters appear. Oslac charged into the wounded spider and gutted it, watching as its talon-tipped legs twitched and then went still. Meanwhile, the second spider had rounded the corner and was scuttling quickly towards Malik and Erevan. The archer aimed and sank an arrow into its grotesque body, causing a hit, but it kept coming. An orc made the mistake of hurling itself upon Oslac who blocked its spiked club with his shield and then slashed its legs with his sword. The orc screamed and fell to the ground. Another enemy down! Callum got in on the action and charged into another orc and struck him down, as well. Turn 3 was progressing much more successfully! The spider charged Erevan, who avoided damage and backed up. As long as no new enemy arrived, it looked like my delvers might be able to take these foes down.

    My deadliest fighter, Oslac, guts the first spider -- its blood pooling next to the orc he struck down

No new creatures arrived on turn 4, but my delvers developed a mild case of the "misses" -- most of my attacks missed. Worse, Callum received his second wound, and Erevan was wounded by the spider. Oslac did "Stun" one of the orcs, so at least it would not activate on its next turn. Still no new enemies were taken down this turn and we suffered two hits. Worryingly, turn 5 saw another spider arrive. Thankfully, when I rolled for the board edges, the spiders continued to show up on the ones furthest away. Though fast, the spiders would have to spend their entire first turn on the board moving and still be unable to reach any of my delvers. Actually, we had not progressed far from the board edge we entered from. The enemies had come to us, though we still had only one treasure.

    3 orcs & 1 spider down, and my delvers are off to a good start at killing their enemies

Seeing Malik and Erevan backing off from the giant spider, Oslac shouted a war cry to attract its attention and charged in, hitting and stunning it. Malik fired a magic bolt at the orc archer who'd been shooting at them from across the board and finally killed it. Erevan loosed an arrow at the new spider as it entered the courtyard. He shouted for Callum to dash for the treasures since the orcs in front of him were all down or stunned. The barbarian bolted forward and skidded to a stop next to the fountain, picking up and throwing over his shoulder a bulging leather satchel. He was not far from the next treasure, so sprinted for it on his next turn, picking it up, as well. Malik, seeing that the elf's arrows weren't stopping the oncoming spider cast "Freeze" upon it, stopping it in its tracks. Noticing Callum had pick up the final treasure, he shouted for his companions to withdraw. 

    Angry at the arrow wound from Erevan, the 2nd spider deals a slash to the elf, who backs up

The adventures slashed at orcs or spiders near them. As the creatures backed off, the delvers turned and ran from the Courtyard. They heard the angry noises of their enemies, but dashed down the dimly lit alley. They met up with Callum, and kept running for the bridge that led across the river. After a few moments, Erevan cocked his head and said he could hear no sounds of pursuit. They could slow down and proceed more cautiously. Who knows? Perhaps the spiders and orcs had turned on each other? Although both Erevan and Callum were wounded, all four had survived. On the bridge, they stopped to bandage their wounds, Oslac taking the small chest from Callum while Malik tended to him. He turned the wooden box around in his hands, examining it. "Let's wait till we cross and are back at our camp before opening these." On the horizon, the sun began to peek through the mists rising from the river. The adventurers turned their back on the abandoned and haunted city, and marched towards the sunrise.

    Shouting a war cry, renowned fighter Oslac charges the spider, driving its hideous bulk backwards

After the game was over, I feel that I rolled reasonably well for the treasures. My delvers found two magic items -- one a potion of Speed and the other a magical axe that is +1 to hit. We also earned 10 gold coins. Much like with "supplies" in Bezio's Zombie RV, the gold coins allow characters to expend one for a re-roll of a dice. I suppose they will also ensure a comfortable stay at an inn while my wounded delvers rest and recover. Did I enjoy the game? Yes, I did. I am concerned about possible frustration to players like I experienced on turn 2, as the enemy saved against all my hits or my wound rolls resulted in "flesh wounds." I messaged Bezio with a couple questions to ensure that I played the game right. Do monsters keep fighting just like characters at 0 hit points? He confirmed that I played it right (which Rich had also told me). He was intrigued, though, by the idea of a subsequent unsaved hit on a creature at 0 hit points automatically knocking it out. He said playing it that way would be "faster and more cinematic." He encouraged me to try a game that way to see what I thought. So, expect to see another test run of Four Delvers, as Oslac and his band venture back into the decaying city.  

    Callum races through the blood-spattered courtyard to pick up the delver's 2nd treasure token

On my paint desk, I am nearing completion of the next batch of Elven archers for my next Dragon Rampant army. I also am painting up the big alien monsters that I bought at Cincycon a few weeks ago. They're coming along well, and should be a nice addition to the potential foes for Critter Control in my Majestic 13 games! The Catrine House for my medieval town is proceeding more slowly, though. I think I need to take a break from elves more often to speed progress along on it!

    Fortunately, the treasures were near each other, so the barbarian snatches up the final one -- victory!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 159
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 65

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 3
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 21

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 16
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 48