Under normal circumstances, it might seem a bitter irony that Paolo Mori and Alessandro Zucchini’s partnership will be lauded for Toy Battle over the supernal Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars. But these are no normal circumstances. Not when Toy Battle is currently up for a Golden Geek alongside its crunchier sibling, which I’m sure has infuriated a certain class of grognard, but strikes me as maybe the perfect encapsulation of that silly award. (If you needed further proof that the Golden Geeks aren’t especially rigorous, my podcast is also up for one. “LOL,” as the kids say.)

It helps, too, that Toy Battle is a tremendous little plaything. I’d even say it’s good in much the same way that Old Boney’s Battlefields is good, threading an uncommon needle between strategy and chance, heft and approachability. Or maybe I’m just saying that because it’s colorful, feels great on the fingertips, and my twelve-year-old can give as good as she gets.

For those who aren’t in the know, Toy Battle is effectively Toy Story 6, a joke that will grow even further out of touch when in a half decade they wheel Tom Hanks and Tim Allen out of the crypt for yet another unexpectedly delightful coming-to-terms with mortality. Basically, the toys have mobilized for war. Why? They are toys. War is their raison d’être.

From its very first moments, Mori and Zucchini pack the box — which is surprisingly small — with so many goodies that to call it a toy chest would be appropriate, if far too cute for any self-respecting critic. In addition to two full armies, staffed by mismatched rubber duckies, painted unicorns, green army women, and many others besides, there are eight full maps to wage conflict over. It’s nothing if not generous.

The basic concept is so simple that it would only clutter the game to describe. My six-year-old figured it out from two minutes of standing on the sidelines. But in short, toys can be placed on any space that traces ownership back to your base, but only if their target space is empty or, if occupied, their strength exceeds that of any unit already there. There are two main ways to win, whether by chaining your toys to your opponent’s base or encircling spaces to earn a certain number of star badges. Both approaches are viable, and indeed may prove distractions from their opposite number, prompting little tussles where a rival is so busy with logistics that you merrily gobble enough stars to sweep the rug out from under their feet.

In every case, this feels wonderful. Everything about Toy Battle feels wonderful. Every map has its own special rule, like a cursed cemetery that keeps popping units out of your graveyard or a volcanic jungle where untimely eruptions frighten troops into hasty retreats. The same goes for the units. There are eight types in rotation — with plenty of duplicates, naturally — and there isn’t a single extraneous member in the entire roster. There’s a monkey that paratroops behind enemy lines, a fire-breathing tyrannosaur whose entire thing is that he’s a fire-breathing tyrannosaur, a punch-robot for slaying enemies and a wind-up robot for slaying enemies but in the opponent’s hand rather than the battlefield. Some, like the skeleton, seem brittle until they circle around to being exactly the tool you need for the pickle you’re in at this very moment.

It’s tempting to leave the game there. Toy Battle doesn’t require belaboring. It has that childlike spark to it, the quality that makes me recoil ever so slightly when I see people discussing the breadth of its strategies or the unexpected combinations it permits.

But those are a not-insignificant portion of its elegance. Because while Toy Battle straddles the line between adolescence and adulthood, it doesn’t feel like it was designed for the under-fourteen demographic. Not only for them, at least. There are real considerations here. Logistics, for instance. Having to trace a line back to your base in order to keep the troops rolling out is every bit as relevant here as in a denser wargame, and as prone to disruption, too. I mentioned the airborne monkey, right? These stuffed apes aren’t the toughest grunts in your roster, but as delaying and disrupting tactics, they can’t be beat. There’s also a plastic army woman named Cap’n, whose combat number is the second-lowest in your company, but who permits another unit to be added to the map afterward. She’s effectively her own Red Ball Express, especially if you can deploy multiple copies to swiftly encircle multiple objectives.

In its own way, the game even includes resources and the need to rest your army before another push, though in this case both concepts are represented as the troops in your tray. Most turns consist of placing a unit, but you’ll see plenty of pauses to draw a pair of new tiles. If this were a WWII game with periodic breaks to refuel armor columns, we would laud it for its careful modeling of the operational situation. Instead, you just recruited a rubber ducky that can defeat anything on the table and a unicorn with light reinforcement potential. Special forces and combat engineers, anyone?

Of course, I’m half-joking about the game’s potential as a Serious Battlefield Simulator. The half that’s not joking is the part that believes this to be a surprisingly deep experience despite all appearances, which I hope you don’t think I’m knocking, and its sub-ten-minute duration. For example, I just played a four-minute session on Board Game Arena to make sure I wasn’t misusing a particular piece. I won the session by bum-rushing the enemy base and then hoovering up badges while my opponent scrambled to regain territory. Like everything else in Toy Battle, it felt great. Even the randomness of the draw, while not inconsiderable, is one of the game’s highlights. In this case, I sincerely hope the randomness eased the thrashing I delivered to my foe. It wasn’t your fault, Tristi7. It was the pieces you drew. Promise.

Honestly? I hope Toy Battle sweeps the wargame category in the Golden Geeks. Not out of spite, mind you. Popularity contests serve a special purpose in any hobby, and I don’t begrudge the Golden Geeks for that.

Rather, it’s because Toy Battle is every bit as smart and as forward-thinking as Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars. It’s a game that feels obvious in retrospect, a perfect little gem that must have always been there, only it took many decades and two veteran designers at the top of their game to fashion one of the best expressions of both childlike delight and groggy combat simulation. This one is perfect. I think I’ll tackle another five-minute session right now.

 

(If what I’m doing at Space-Biff! is valuable to you in some way, please consider dropping by my Patreon campaign or Ko-fi. Right now, supporters can read my first-quarter update of 2026: the best board games, movies, books, and more!)

by Steph Hodge

▪️ Hachette Boardgames USA has been on it with announcing new games! Today, I will highlight some of the smaller games coming out in the next several months.

[imageid=8969959 medium Rep]▪️ Canal Houses just released this April and should already be hitting the stores. From the Gigamic catalog, Canal Houses is a 20-minute game where you build up the beautiful streets of Amsterdam. The colorful houses and charming artwork are used for scoring at the end of the game. From the newsletter:



▪️ Another new release from Gigamic is Pirate King! this June! Pirate King is a push-your-luck card game for 2-5 players and will play in about 15 minutes. Pick your captain and build your deck, but don't be too greedy, or you just might bust out.




▪️ Leaf It! is a new dexterity game from Edition Spielwiese releasing this June. Leaf It plays 2-4 players and takes about 10-20 minutes. There is a mix of memory and dexterity as you have to assemble the canopy and then dismantle it, collecting the most valuable animals as you do.

From the newsletter:

▪️ HUCH! is a new partner with Hachette, and they just announced 3 mini games releasing this May! All of the games support 2-5 players and can be played in about 15 minutes.









If you are on the go or are looking for some quicker games for the collection, these seem like they would fit the bill.

The Tactical level wargame is a staple in my collection and in our hobby. I have played a lot of the various offerings out there over the past 10 years including Advanced Squad Leader from The Avalon Hill Game Company, Lock ‘n Load Tactical from Lock ‘n Load Publishing, Combat Commander from GMT Games, Fields of Fire from GMT Games, Conflict of Heroes from Academy Games, Old School Tactical from Flying Pig Games, Assault from Assault Games, Fighting Formations from GMT Games, Combat Infantry from Columbia Games, Valiant Defense Series from Dan Verssen Games, 2GM Tactics from Draco Ideas and Squad Battles from Flying Pig Games to name just a few. Tactical level wargames are just so gritty, action packed, bloody and in your face and I love that about them. But, there are some things that I don’t love, as with all games. In this edition of The Love/Hate Relationship, I want to share what I love and hate about Tactical level wargames. 

Love

I love tactical squad level combat. I will say that I am partial to World War II tactical games but am always open and willing to play other time periods. There is just something about the strategy, the tension and fear inherent in the game that really draws me in. What is going to happen when I run my squad out from their comfortable and relatively safe building to cross an open field, offering little to no cover, in order to get into position to eliminate the enemy? I don’t know but whatever it is it will be fun!

I love that tactical level games focus on individual units, which can range from vehicles and squads all the way up to platoons or companies. These units are assigned rating factors based on what types of individual weaponry the units carry, reflected in firepower, range and usually movement. Tactical games are usually designed so that a rudimentary knowledge of military tactics will facilitate good gameplay. But this personal vantage point, as you control an individual soldier or small squad of soldiers, really feels personal to me. As opposed to larger Operational or Strategic level games where I am making decisions about 1,000’s of men and machines and it feels more generic and removed from the action, in the Tactical level game I get to put myself in the shoes of a soldier named “Joe”.

One of my first experiences with Tactical level games was Combat Commander. I remember sitting down and doing the Example of Play scenario laid out in the playbook where I was paying as the Russians going up against the Germans. The Russians had the initiative and immediately began taking shots at the Germans using an infantry gun controlled by a Weapons team. The first shot was a miss and I was disappointed. I wanted to see their aim be true and do some damage to the Germans but it wasn’t meant to be. I will say that it was amazing to see the range of the gun, which showed me the power of this type of ordinance. The Russians then finished their first turn by moving forces north from the orchard through the forest on a path to be within striking distance of the Germans holed up in the buildings. I saw the power in leaders as well as by activating a single leader, you can control the actions of the units within their command radius.

I remember feeling the angst and weight of the role of Sergeant Kaminsky who was desperately trying to inspire his men to move up on the buildings to engage the enemy and knock them out of that fortification. I also experienced the disappointment of the German leader Sergeant Ganz as his troops were forced to retreat to the north to try to repel the Russians who were threatening the German troops in the buildings. I felt the disgust in my unit’s performance when the very powerful infantry gun continued to miss its targets! I was relieved when the random event put a blaze marker in between my troops and the German forces in the woods obscuring their line of sight and not allowing them to effectively fire. I love this aspect of Tactical level games because it is personal.

Another favorite part for me is the narrative that is told as the battles unfold! As I have played Tactical level games such as Combat Commander, I imagine that I can feel what the squads felt in combat. The narrative is always the best part and allows my mind to participate in the battle, even though I am not there. It is a similar feeling to a well written book that forces you to take the role of characters and experience their feelings as you read the story as it unfolds on the written pages. If a game can do all that, it is definitely good!

I do love the strategy and tactics at play when playing a Tactical level wargame! Scoot and shoot, fire from cover, suppressing fire, using smoke to obscure movement, group fire, flanking, use of off-board artillery and fire support and all of the various elements of this level of fighting. I am in control of the game and have the tools and abilities of my troops at my disposal to try and best solve the tactical puzzle laid out before me and to plan how best to go about reaching my goal. Sometimes in these tactical games there are unit abilities that can be called upon. An example of this is found in the Squad Battles Series from Flying Pig Games. Special abilities or “Powers” that different types of units and Leaders have can be activated by playing the right type of card (see below pictured card with the word POWER shown) and really pay off when you can get them played. This element really adds some variety to the game play and always has me really thinking about how I need to effectively build my squads.

Finally, I really like the granularity and realism of some of the Tactical systems out there. One of the best games in regards to this aspect is Advanced Squad Leader. Admittedly, I have only played the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #4, but got a real taste for the gritty minutiae that the system demonstrates. I have asked many people what the appeal is for them with Advanced Squad Leader. They typically all refer to many aspects of the game, including things like its depth, rules complexity (not I am just joking with this one!), granularity and realism as well as the thought that anything worth playing should be hard to learn. But, I would agree that the granularity of the game and its focus on realism are two of its greatest advantages.

But I think that the systems used in ASL and the rules that prop them up are really quite realistic and provide you the player with a good understanding of the factors involved in these small tactical engagements and their pitfalls. I do really think that the system mimics the process and actions of soldiers in many ways. Does it do this perfectly? Probably not but I am unsure that I can’t definitively say at this time in my journey but I want to learn more and understand the answers to those questions. And hopefully I can play it again to get a better feel and understanding. I also think that people really enjoy the bits and pieces of chrome that are injected into the system. I bring this up as I experienced the chrome of banzai charges as we played ASLSK#4 The Pacific Theater of Operations.

Hate

Hate is such a strong word for me but there are things that are very displeasing about the medium of Tactical level wargames. First off, sometimes a Tactical level game can feel pretty generic, meaning that we have just thrown a scenario together that isn’t necessarily realistic or tied to a specific historical event. As a player of historical games, and an admitted lover of history, I really like playing games that are rooted in the events of the time portrayed. If I am just covering a generic run across an open field or an assault on a fortified line of trenches, I am not necessarily as interested or vested in this situation. But if you throw a name to it, such as the Marine defense at Alligator Creek, the British defense at Rorke’s Drift or the chaotic Battle of Castle Itter, then I sit up, take it a bit more seriously and can dive into the details of the fight. I just wish that more of the systems out there did a better job of integrating the actual small scale battles into their scenarios.

Sometimes Tactical level games are not necessarily realistic as they are games and they always have some gamey elements such as the activation system, dice or the use of cards to determine results. Now before you blow me out of the water, my use of realism here isn’t to say that these Tactical games are simulations. Sometimes systems, such as ASL, gives the players a sort of God’s eye view of the whole battlefield and the omnipotent understanding of the situation and of what can and will happen. This allows for the players to somewhat plan around any difficulties or traps and make the best of a situation. And I think that any battlefield commander will tell you that this is not the case as you never know exactly who you are fighting, their makeup, their numbers and capabilities nor their support. But, keep in mind that one of the keys to any battles is the use of reconnaissance and scouting of the terrain and battlefield before committing so maybe there is more to this than I think.

Well, in summary, I love Tactical level wargames. They are the best and I love them for many reasons including those I have listed above but also because they are fun and exciting to play. Part of the reason that I play games is to be stimulated and to have to exercise my brain to come up with a workable plan and then to execute that plan in the face of adversity and poor dice rolling. Tactical level games give me this and I will always want to play them.

What do you love and hate about Tactical level wargames? What are your thoughts on my observations? Please share.

-Grant

Saashi challenges you to deliver luggage with care

Continue reading on Board Game Beat LLC | W. Eric Martin

 I will be at the Asian Board Games Festival (ABGF) in the Philippines this coming weekend 2 - 3 May 2026. If you are in Manila, come and say hi! 

Innovation debuted in 2010, accomplishing the impressive feat of packing an entire interactive civilization game into a mere 105 cards. Its popularity has led to subsequent printings of three other editions, each with slight tweaks to card balance and artwork. Additionally, there have been four expansions that add to and alter the existing gameplay in […]

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Disney Lorcana Master Token Set and Token Set for Pokémon TCG - Andrew Holmes

I’m not much of a player of collectable card games, living or otherwise. I like the boards of board games too much, I guess. Recently, however, this has been changing thanks to the interests of two of my frequent gaming partners: my wife enjoys basking in the nostalgic art of Disney Lorcana, whilst my 8 year old son keeps evolving his creatures to defeat me in Pokémon TCG. Both are fun, I can see the appeal even if I can’t always see the card text.

For our first forays into the two games, we got the starter sets: Disney Lorcana: Gateway and Pokémon TCG: Battle Academy. They’re both well put together, easing us as a family into the bottomless waters of duelling card games. I doubt we’ll swim all that much deeper but these are enjoyable boxes with everything you might need to get started, including tokens for tracking health.

The tokens are a mixed bag though, especially for a board gamer who enjoys the luxury of a wooden resource or a stack of Iron Clays. Tabletop games tickle the senses, and tactility is important. In fairness the Lorcana tokens from the Gateway box are perfectly fine, but the Battle Academy ones are little more…

The post Buy The Same Token Gaming Upgrades Review appeared first on Meeple Mountain.

    DC Breakout Arkham Asylum  Designers: Brian, Sydney and Geoff Engelstein  Publisher: Wizkids Players: 2-6 Age: 8+ Time: 30-45 minutes Amazon affiliate link:  Played with review copy provided by publisher Make a mad dash out of Arkham Asylum – … Continue reading →

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