yeah keep away from CoD to begin with but maybe use those rules in the later games of a scenario as your friends have a few preceding battles to get used to the basic rules.
Heres an idea that just hit me...
Have the first battle with very little terrain so your friends can understand the most simplified of the game's mechanics without worrying about the effects of terrain/LoS etc then with each battle afterwards include more terrain.
Almost as if the attacking army was pushing through the desert (or something else relatively featureless) and slowing forcing the defenders back to their city/military camp, whatever you have the terrain for. |