Dresda is a ‘fast-play’ fantasy battle skirmish system designed for small numbers of troops yet involving more than a little role-playing on the part of the players. Indeed, unlike many conventional wargames with little or no ‘role-playing’ element, in Dresda you are your units' Commander in the field, and you not only have the responsibility of commanding the unit in battle, but also the headaches of paying your troops, buying their equipment and generally trying to improve your (and their) financial position. Dresda is a scenario driven game, not points based one. This means that careful thought needs to be given to the designing of scenarios by the GM. So, although you can line up your troops on opposite sides of the table and simply advance until you bump into each other in the centre, you'll find this isn't really much fun, and you'll quickly find that your games will be much more enjoyable if you (and/or a good GM) put some effort into designing an interesting or challenging scenario. Of course, it also helps to create a feeling of unit continuity by treating your unit as a group of individuals rather than disposable 'cannon (or halberd)-fodder'. Name each of them, decide what they like to eat, drink and how they feel about their Mum, and suddenly you can see them as characters in a role-playing game, not just as troops in a ‘one-off’ wargame. Over a number of games you'll see your unit develop, watch their fortunes wax and wane and individual characters come and go. Eventually you'll find that some of these factors will start to dictate your actions on the battlefield, for instance you may see ‘heroic’ traits develop in one character or cowardly traits in another as the miniatures begin to become characters in their own right, and not just anonymous lumps of painted white metal. The Aim of the Game The basic aim of Dresda is to raise a small unit of fighters, fight battles and get rich! Unfortunately, whilst this basic aim is simple, it isn't necessarily easy. What's more, this is likely to be a more 'hands-on' experience than you may be used to, even in skirmish wargaming. That's because you, the Player, will take on the role of your unit's Commander, and will be represented on the battlefield by a miniature figure!