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Wider Wargaming => General Discussion => Topic started by: Last Hussar on 09 August 2026, 05:30:17 PM

Title: Cards v dice
Post by: Last Hussar on 09 August 2026, 05:30:17 PM
I'm sure as experienced gamers we all know this, but interesting little video.

Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: mollinary on 09 August 2026, 05:37:24 PM
I am sure it is, but no video attached!
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 09 August 2026, 06:17:44 PM
@Mollianry  =O  (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Orcs on 09 August 2026, 08:03:06 PM
Quote from: Last Hussar on 09 August 2026, 05:30:17 PMI'm sure as experienced gamers we all know this, but interesting little video.


So why are you telling us?
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Last Hussar on 09 August 2026, 10:51:18 PM
Bugger! I definitely put the link in!

I may, or may not, find it again  >:(  ;D
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: streetgang on 09 August 2026, 11:20:55 PM
My last game I played, my rolling was dreadful. Three consecutive 1s followed by a 2 to.syartbrhe gane. Even with traumatizing experiences like that, I still think I prefer dice. I've played To The Strongest with both dice and cards and prefer it with dice.
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 10 August 2026, 06:04:37 AM
GET IT RIGHT !!!v ;D
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Last Hussar on 10 August 2026, 09:24:12 AM
Streetgang - you weren't playing Sunjester were you? :-\

As the 'honest there was a link' video discusses, cards 'remember'. The chance of the first card on a deck being an Ace is 4 in 52 = 1:13. The chance of the 2nd card being also an ace is 3 in 51 = 1:17. The chance of a 4 on 2d6 is 3 in 36 = 1:12. The chance of the next roll being 4 stays 1:12.

The more you draw Aces, the more likely a 'Non-Ace' is to come out, spreading the results around.
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: fsn on 10 August 2026, 07:11:19 PM
Quote from: Last Hussar on 10 August 2026, 09:24:12 AMThe chance of the first card on a deck being an Ace is 4 in 52 = 1:13. The chance of the 2nd card being also an ace is 3 in 51 = 1:17.
Unless you shuffle the chosen card back into the deck.

Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: streetgang on 10 August 2026, 07:35:49 PM
Quote from: Last Hussar on 10 August 2026, 09:24:12 AMStreetgang - you weren't playing Sunjester were you? :-\

As the 'honest there was a link' video discusses, cards 'remember'. The chance of the first card on a deck being an Ace is 4 in 52 = 1:13. The chance of the 2nd card being also an ace is 3 in 51 = 1:17. The chance of a 4 on 2d6 is 3 in 36 = 1:12. The chance of the next roll being 4 stays 1:12.

The more you draw Aces, the more likely a 'Non-Ace' is to come out, spreading the results around.

I just re-read my quote and with the misspellings, you would think I was inebriated. The challenges of fat fingers on small phone screens.

I like the idea of the possibility that my bad (or on occasion, good) luck with the die rolls not being guaranteed of a correction like there is in a draw of the cards. I suppose it all comes down on personal taste.

I do think cards have a place in games and I have many different gaming systems that incorporate card mechanics. However way, you incorporate some randomness and friction, I'm generally in support of.
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Big Insect on 10 August 2026, 08:00:27 PM
Quote from: streetgang on 09 August 2026, 11:20:55 PMMy last game I played, my rolling was dreadful. Three consecutive 1s followed by a 2 to.syartbrhe gane. Even with traumatizing experiences like that, I still think I prefer dice. I've played To The Strongest with both dice and cards and prefer it with dice.

I agree - not a fan of cards - give me a single (or max 2) d6 everytime.

There is a bit of a debate going on at present amongst ADLG international competition players, as one of the Spanish events is trying the use of 3 x d6 & using the Median score (e.g. if you roll a 2 5 6, you use the 5 as your score). The theory being it will reduce the chance of a 1-6 outcome (which is usually catastrophic for the player rolling the 1). But personally I am not sure about it, as it 'flattens' the probability curve considerably & will probably greatly benefit the more experianced/better players. But we'll see.

There is also the dice system used by the Napoleonic rules, 'Muskets & Marshals', whereby better quality units roll more combat dice (more the better they are) but get to select the higher rolls as their combat score. It's actually a neat way of doing things. So your Imperial Guard might roll 6 dice, picking the 3 highest as their combat/firing dice, whilst a Prussian Landswer unit just roll 3 dice. The Imperial Guard have a higher chance of rolling better dice, but equally they might not.

But cards don't get my vote, no suree!
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Last Hussar on 10 August 2026, 09:17:19 PM
Cards and dice both have a place, as long as the writer understands the maths, and isn't just shoe-horning something in without knowing. It is why 'Dice have no memory, but cards do' is important.

If you have 6 cards numbered 1 to 6, and no shuffle condition part way, you WILL draw a six in a maximum of 6 draws.
If you roll 6 dice, there is a 33% chance you won't roll a 6.

If you add a shuffle mechanism in - so 3 cards, or 3 dice. The chance of no 6 on 3 dice is 57%, the chance on the cards is 50%. The diminishing pool in cards alters the odds.
Title: Re: Cards v dice
Post by: Last Hussar on 10 August 2026, 11:27:43 PM
Found it