I plan to run an undead invasion outside of a Sarenite church in a small village (specifically Roslar's Coffer). The problem is I'm not a fan of mass battles and keeping track of large amount of units.
Between a small group of survivors, and a unending horde of undead, the only thing I plan to track is whether the makeshift wall between them stays up or goes down. The unpredictability of Jenga will emphasise the uncertainty of mass warfare. An unlucky block pull could result in a short encounter, or maybe, just maybe, the tower could hold - though I'm having difficulty figuring out a natural endpoint for before tower falls).
After the initial outbreak the PCs will find a small group of villagers holding out, asking for help and advice on maintaining their safety.
Before the PCs can answer I'll dump the Jenga blocks onto the table. As the tower is built ill instruct;
"A blockade is like a tower, and like a tower this small militia will crumble if its foundations become unstable. Instead of brick, mortar, and steel, this tower is made of archers, pike men, and town guard."
I'm confident in my set-up, though fine-tuning the mechanics for a smooth running game has proven difficult.
The battlefield will be split into 3 choke points; the PCs will have to choose between attending one battlefront or spreading themselves thin, and where to sent the townspeople to defend.
I intend to use faction initiative (all allies act, all foes act, party act, and repeat) for simplicity but I may reconsider.
The big question is what mechanics to use to decide how many Jenga blocks need to be pulled. I've thought each choke point could have a d8 rolled which can be reduced to d6, d4 or d2 depending on the level of re-enforcement.
I'd love opinions and critique