I finally got Burrows & Badgers 2nd Edition to the table on Thursday, and the thing that struck me most was how quickly it settles into its own rhythm. The core rules are light enough that you’re playing almost immediately, but there’s just enough texture in the skills and equipment to give each warband a bit of personality without tipping into extensive bookkeeping. It’s a clean design: simple to learn, expressive in play.
The game flowed well, in a way that would probably have felt frictionless if it weren’t for having to look up so many skills. That’s knowledge that will come in time, I suppose. Turns pass quickly, decisions stay focused, and the mechanics never get in the way of the table energy. It’s the kind of system where you stop thinking about the core rules after the first couple of activations and start thinking about what your little critters are actually doing on the board.
Getting my witch‑hunter warband onto the table was a delight. There’s something inherently charming about watching stern, slightly unhinged woodland inquisitors clash with a friend’s impeccably drilled royalist mice. The setting does a lot of work without demanding anything from you: it’s familiar enough to read instantly, but odd enough to feel fresh. The miniatures help, of course, and the ones we chose were full of character before we even rolled a die.
What impressed me most was how the game balances accessibility with a sense of progression. Even in a first match, you can see how a campaign would build momentum: a few skills here, a piece of gear there, and suddenly your warband has a story. It’s not a heavy system, but it has enough hooks to make you want to come back. And back. And back.
One game in, Burrows & Badgers 2E feels fast, characterful, and quietly tactical. I’m already thinking about what my witch hunters will face next, and what they could become after a few more battles.
I’d love to get a few more games in and get a full review completed.
No Rerolls 