With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#69: Blockade from Twilight Struggle: The Cold War, 1945-1989 from GMT Games
Twilight Struggle is a 2-player game simulating the forty-five year ideological struggle known as the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States which can be played in 2-3 hours. The entire world is the stage on which these two countries “fight” to make the world safe for their own ideologies and way of life. The game starts right after the end of World War II in the midst of the ruins of Europe as the two new “superpowers” of the world squabble over what is left and ends in 1989, when only the United States remained standing.
The map is a world map of the period, where players move units and exert influence in attempts to gain allies and control for their superpower. The beauty of the CDG system used here is that each decision of whether to use a card for the event or the operations value is a struggle as if it is the other side’s event, it might go off hurting you very badly. There are mechanics to allow for the ignoring or cancelling of some of the best cards for your opponent in a side game within the game called The Space Race as well as nuclear tensions, with the possibility of game-ending global thermonuclear war (Shall we play a game, anyone?). I have played TS about 30 times and love it more and more with each sitting. The game makes me sweat, cringe, jump with joy and bite my fingernails. To me, a game that can do all of that in one sitting is worth the price.
One of my favorite type of cards from the game are those that force an action upon your opponent, such as discarding a card, reducing the Ops from card plays or causing them to have to make other plans than what they were working toward. These type of cards are more reactionary but definitely cause issues and mimic the various non-military focused strategies and tactics used during the Cold War. One of the most famous events from the early history of the Cold War is that of the Berlin Blockade. And there is a specific card that pays homage to the event in the game called Blockade. Blockade is an Early War Soviet Card that has an Ops Value of 1, which makes the card more valuable to be used for the printed event versus for the Ops.
When played, the card requires the US Player to immediately discard a 3 Ops or more value card from their hand or the consequence of not doing so will see all US Influence being removed from West Germany. This is a tough choice. Being early in the game, it is possible for the US to rebuild in West Germany and replace the lost influence over time if they do not wish to discard such as high value card. But, herein lies the real key to the Blockade cards use. The Soviet Player, who should be paying attention to not only their hand but also the card plays of the US Player, should try to use this card later in a turn once the US Player has played a majority of their cards in order to ensure that the event text can be realistically be achieved. If played quickly during a turn, the chances of the US Player being able to discard the required 3 Ops or great value card is higher and the card play will not generate any meaningful difference on the board state. I also would recommend a 2 card strategy here as the Soviet Player should be holding in their hand a high Ops card to be able to follow up this action with the placement of Influence into West Germany on their very next play. But, the real value to a card such as Blockade is that it forces the US Player to consider what cards are out there and to play around their negative effects as much as possible. Due to the nature of the game, and the randomness of card draws, having an expendable high Ops card ready and able to be discarded just in case of the play of Blockade is not really feasible. Also, remember that in Twilight Struggle that opponent events on cards that you play will go off and Blockade being drawn by the US Player can be bad as it will require them to play the event as you cannot discard a 1 Ops card to get rid of its negative effect in the Space Race Track due to the minimum requirement being a 2 Ops card. So the moral of the story here is that both players need to consider and plan for the play of or the mitigation of damage from Blockade.
The Berlin Blockade, which lasted from June 1948–May 1949, was a major Cold War crisis where the Soviet Union blocked all land and water access to West Berlin to attempt to force Western Allies out. The Soviet Union was taking this action as a means of retaliation against the introduction of the new Deutschmark currency. The US and Britain responded with the massive Berlin Airlift, flying over 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and supplies to the city. At the peak of the Airlift, a plane landed in West Berlin every 30 seconds. The blockade failed and the Soviets lifted it on May 12, 1949, after realizing the Allied Airlift could sustain the city for an extended period of time, marking a significant victory for the West in the ideological struggle. This event led to the acceleration of the division of Germany into East and West and the deepening of Cold War tensions.
Last day. We have had a great time and got 14 different games played! I’m exhausted but it’s a good exhaustion, if there is such a thing. Our final day was filled with 3 more great games as well as a lot of quality time with friends and fellow wargamers.
The day started with our first play of a brand new game called Imperial Elegy: The Road to the Great War 1850-1920 from VUCA Simulations. Imperial Elegy is a card driven game that blends diplomacy, warfare, and statecraft and feels a bit akin to games like Here I Stand and Virgin Queen from GMT Games. Grand scale sweeping epics that play multiplayers and take a day to play. Players play as 1 of 6 unique major powers in the game including Germany/Prussia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria-Hungary, Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
The game takes place over 7 turns, with each turn representing approximately a decade. If the Great War breaks out, the game can be extended by an additional 6 shorter turns.A turn in the game consists of numerous player impulses that is driven by the play of action cards for their Command Points or the printed events. Players will use CP and events to take actions like colonize, conduct diplomacy with minor nations, fight wars, as well as hinder their opponents by playing events that take away their actions or resources. A turn will end once all players have consecutively passed or when all players run out of cards.
Here is a look at the German player board which tracks a lot of information including current Stability, which decides whether various actions like war can be taken or if there are various positive or negative modifiers, the available Manpower that will determine how many armies can be built, Industry that tells how many action pointed you will have to spend during war to maneuver units, attack and replace losses. The focus of the game is about the control of territories both on the Minsk and of Europe as well colonies abroad and there is an automatic victory if a certain target number is met, in the case of Germany 15.
Here is a quick look at the Russia player board for comparison’s sake as each faction is unique and has various starting levels and abilities.
We only played the first full turn and it took us about 90 minutes including an hour of setup and rules overview and discussion as only one of us at the table had player previously (John Lapham). But we very much enjoyed the experience and found lots to like. We are going to try to put together another full game in the next several months and will have more to report on after that. But suffice it to stay everyone at the table was impressed with the design and everyone had a good time with it.
The 2nd game of the day was Bretwalda from PHALANX. This is such a beautiful game but is also a very good design in the area control/dudes on a map realm.
Bretwalda attempts to do what Civ Builders do but do it in a novel and different way…and also finds a way to incentivize combat, which was really a breath of fresh air for me. Bretwalda from PHALANX is a game for 1-4 players that plays in around 2 1/2 hours. Each player takes charge of one of the kingdoms of medieval England, including Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex and East Anglea, and each of these kingdoms has unique leaders and abilities. The goal is to be crowned the Bretwalda of England and victory will be achieved through a combination of controlling key areas with victory points, completing Chronicle cards in the form of hidden objectives and also focusing on building various buildings such as Abbeys.
The game has very little assymetry and I initially thought that this would be a bad thing for the design but really enjoyed how they did make each kingdom feel different, also how they provided unique choices in the area of Kingdom Tiles and the development of your kingdom. The Kingdoms differ in three main aspects. First, they are located in different areas on the map. Now this might not seem very important but there are advantages to each of these locations. East Anglea has access to several Areas that produce Food. This is very good as you have to feed your soldiers at the start of each Winter Phase and you will always be on the lookout for how to get more Food. This is a very good advantage but the tradeoff is that they are very open and spread-out on the map in the east and have more areas susceptible to attack which requires more troops for defense. Northumbria is located in the north of England up against Hadrian’s Wall which provides some form of protection as it provides extra defense if attacked. They can also conquer the area to the north of their kingdom and have very little worry about any threat from that side so they can focus on defending other areas.
Second, each kingdom has its own permanent, unique special rule that provides them with an advantage. East Anglea starts with 3 Food in their capital while other kingdoms start with just 1 and they also obtain 2 Food at the start of each Spring Season. Wessex will draw one extra Lordship Card after winning a battle. This is very important as these cards are very versatile special benefit cards that can be used in battle to do several things like reroll dice, add reinforcements, bring back a destroyed unit, etc. They also though have other uses through other phases of the game including scouting your opponents stash of cards before attacking, cancelling played card effects, gaining additional Gold, amongst other benefits. Mercia is able to Recruit 1 additional land unit when they take the Fyrd (Recruit) action. This gives them access to larger armies more quickly than other kingdoms so you have to watch out for them to be aggressive early. Finally, Northumbria may build Abbeys for 1 less Gold. This is probably the most simple benefit but Gold is at a premium and this really helps them to get more Gold as Abbeys give victory points (called Dalcs) as well as provide 1 additional Gold during the Collect Action. These benefits are not massive or game breaking but really add some flavor to each kingdom. Third and finally, as already discussed in the point above, each of the kingdoms has a set of its own unique historical Rulers, each with a different ability. I wont say anymore about this here but I really liked this part of the assymetry and thought it worked really well without breaking the game or making it more difficult than it had to be.
The area that I really wanted to cover in this part though was the Kingdom Tiles. During the Development Action, each player can pay 3 Gold and place 1 Kingdom Tile on their board. These Kingdom Tiles are divided into 4 different categories (you can see the four categories on the Kingdom Board shown above) tied to the four available Actions for players, including Development, Collection, Fyrd (Recruit) and Movement. The surprising thing about these tiles was that they are all the same for each kingdom. At first I thought maybe this was a missed opportunity but then after playing I saw that each having the same access to the same tiles was smarter as it gave the game balance. Also, each of the categories offers 3 possible Kingdom Tiles to develop and each player only has 2 spots on their board so you cannot develop all 3 in each category and each player will have to choose what makes the most sense for them at the time. I have seen this done in several of the Lite Civ Dudes on a Map Area Control games but they tend to overcomplicate it and make it clunky whereas in Bretwalda it is streamlined and simple yet there are options and paths to develop.
Bretwalda is a unique game amongst the many Lite Civ Building Dudes on a Map Area Control games out there. I had a great time playing the game and enjoyed the very interesting and fun combat system with custom dice for each unit type and Lordship Cards that add special abilities. This game is special and beautiful and thematic and earns a spot on my shelf as a game that I want to play again and again.
The wrap up event was annual roleplaying game and this year Cullen prepared a session of a new RPG called War Stories, which is set during the World War II. With it, players take the roles of heroic soldiers parachuting into Normandy during Operation Overlord in June of 1944.
As an RPG players will have characters with various special focuses across 4 abilities including Strength, Agility, Intelligence and Empathy. Each time a skill is to the checked you find the matching ability and roll that number of six sided dice looking fur 6’s which mean success. If multiple successes are rolled you can earn special tokens called Lucky Strikes that can be saved and used as successes on future rolls. The players will have to decide if they roll their dice again and will remove any 1’s from the pool and roll the remaining dice again. If they fail this time though the GM will gain a FUBAR token that can be used to cause a failure on a rolled success in the future. This really created some cinematic moments and was a very interesting way to handle a check.
Our friend Cullen was the GM and did a fantastic job guiding us through our first experience with the system. His good explanation and clear understanding and familiarity with the system really made our first experience an enjoyable one.
We were tasked with taking a hardpoint on D-Day behind enemy lines to assault and take out several gun emplacements shelling the upcoming landing beaches. We went through a series of rolls and checks on the flight in on the Dakota C-47 and then had to bail out over flak filled skies taking hits and losing gear or our musette bags.
When we landed we had to gather up, create a plan and then execute that plan to maneuver through German held positions under fire and take out the emplacements. There were lots of heroic actions, good sniper shots, daring orders and of course explosions and we had a great time with the game.
In the end we were successful and only lost a few of the men under our command. I look forward to playing more in the future. Thanks to Cullen for his preparation and time devoted to teaching us the system
We finished up at about 9:00pm and we then gathered up all of our games, equipment and items and said goodbye to friends who we hope to see next year. This week was a major success as we played 14 different games and had a very good time. Thank you so much for following along in my daily posts and look ahead to the videos we did appearing on the YouTube Channel over the next month.
Day 4 dawned early and we are really tired. I actually felt like I had slept, although I didn’t fall asleep last night until about 1:30am, but just didn’t feel refreshed and had very little energy. I am a Wargamer and I simply sucked it up and got downstairs where we had breakfast with friends including Russ, Cullen and Hermann Luttmann. We imbibed in the buffet eating more pieces of bacon than someone should in a fortnight and made it to the War Room a bit before 9:00 where we started setting up for our annual 6-player game of Here I Stand from GMT Games.
Playing with us was Russ (France), Cullen (Ottomans), Bill Simoni (Papacy), James (England) with me (Protestants) and Alexander (Hapsburgs).
Not sure what Russ was doing with his hand and Alexander never smiles!
We simply love Here I Stand and have played the game at least 15 times and it just gets better every single time. If you don’t know, Here I Stand: Wars of the Reformation, 1517–1555 is a grand-scale Card Driven Game that simulates the political and religious struggles in Europe during the period covering 1517-1555 referred to as the Reformation. It is designed primarily for six players, each controlling a major power with unique, asymmetric goals and mechanics and is best with max players.
The game takes place over up to 9 turns, but for us a majority of our plays have lasted 4-5 turns with our longest play being today as we finished the game in 6 turns. Each of the turns represent approximately 4 years of historical time. The game utilizes a Card-DrivenGamesystem where players spend cards for their Command Points to perform actions like moving armies or building fleets or for the unique historical event described on the text of the card.
The game is very asymmetrical in its gameplay as each of the factions plays a different game based on its historical role and will win via amassed VP’s that are earned in vastly different ways such through piracy (Ottomans), building of chateaus (France), New World Exploration (England, Hapsburgs, France) and through battles. The Papacy and Protestants will wage a religious war over the souls of European Christians to either sway spaces to Catholicism or Protestantism. But one of my favorite parts is the Diplomacy and making of secret deals between the players to help out their goals.
With that being said our game started off with the nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg and as the Protestants I have never seen a worse opening as I was only able to switch 3 spaces in Wittenberg, Brandenburg and Leipzig. Not a good start at all for the Protestants but I was undaunted, although I said many curses under my breath and to the gamers at the table, and quickly got my self under control and was determined to recover.
A look at one of the poorest starts of all time for the Protestants.
I worked hard over the next few turns to spread the faith and was quickly able to get most of Germany under control and take over 4 of the Electorates which gave me units that would help me continue to spread toward France and England.
It was amazing to see Bill Simoni and the Papacy and I go at it as we held many theological debates, ultimately each of us disgracing a debater and gaining VP, and for me to have the full Bible translated into German during Turn 2 quickly followed by the translation into English by Turn 3. I had made a deal with England for him to play a card that favored me in exchange for a concerted effort to get the Protestant faith rooted in England so he could gain some VP.
Meanwhile the Ottomans got out the Barbary Pirates card early and had built a sizable fleet of corsairs causing France and England to loan the Hapsburgs several boats to combat this green menace in the Mediterranean.
Also several colonies were formed in the New World and ultimately Alexander’s Hapsburgs were able to circumnavigate the globe and score several important VP.
During this time, the Protestants and Papacy were fighting tooth and nail but my dice rolling, and innate ability to win ties, allowed me to build a sizable lead in the religious war. I was in very good shape when the Schmalkaldic League card was played turning the Protestants into a military power and then changing the other players focus to then declare war one and begging to attack my fortified Electorates to take away VP I had earned by having both religious and political control in 5 of the 6.
As we came into turn 5, I was at 24 VP and ultimately came up shy of a victory by 1 point at the time. I had been able to take over the entirety of England and change every space and also get about 5-6 spaces in France. but now the Papal Bull came to play and Bill fought me back and forth with him taking over 3-4 spaces followed by me reclaiming 3-4 spaces. It was beautiful game of back and forth and I used every tool at my disposal to fight him including The Wartburg card to stop the untimely excommunication of Luther before he could attempt to embarrass one of my lesser debaters.
Then England gained ground as a healthy Edward was born and he gained 5 VP and then took over a key from France to get close to my score going into Tuen 6.
At that point it was dog pile the winner as everyone declared war on the Protestants and came after my Electorates but I was able to stave them off and ultimately never lost down to lower than 4 controlled which retained 8 VP for me and allowed me to finish the Bible translation in French and take a sizable lead in VP.
The game came down to the last card play as England and my Protestants tied at 25 VP and I won on tiebreakers as I had the most VP in the turn prior. What a fantastic game that took us over 9 hours to play!
We were all wasted and went to dinner at a nearby bar called The Flat Iron Grill and had a very enjoyable meal. We decided to not play the WWII RPG War Stories and might till tomorrow night as we were all a bit brain dead.
We played about 5 scenarios of the beautiful and very fun trick taking game called The Lord of the Rings Trick Taking Game: The Two Towers from Office Dog. This is a standalone continuation to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game, with several play modes including solo, 2-player, and 4-player and we did the 4-player version. It is a cooperative card game that follows the narrative of J.R.R. Tolkien’s second book through 18 unique, story-driven chapters.
The game functions as a “must-follow” trick-taker, where players must play a card of the led suit if they have one; otherwise, the highest card of the led suit wins the trick. Unlike many traditional trick-taking games, players work together to meet individual character goals simultaneously to progress through the story. And they s game is very tough with the new edition adding in several very tough challenges as the addition or orc cards that have no function but if lead because you have no other choice lead to a loss. Just great and thinky fun that is very relaxing and frankly very fun to play.
Examples of 2 characters which each have a unique goal that must be completed during the scenario.
This was a perfect way to end the day and we actually made it back to our room at 9:30pm allowing me time to write this post and get in near before midnight.
Tomorrow is our last day and we have big plans as we will be playing Imperial Elegy from VUCA Simulations (a kind of Here I Stand style CDG on the rise and fall of European empires from the 1850’s through WWII), Bretwalda from PHALANX (an Ameritrash combat game set in medieval England) and then a night cap of the RPG War Stories that we didn’t get to this evening. See you tomorrow night!
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
Card #68: Usurper Emperor from Barbarians at the Gates, The Decline and Fall of the Western Roman Empire 337 – 476 from Compass Games
Barbarians at the Gates, The Decline and Fall of the Western Roman Empire 337 – 476 from Compass Games is a Card Driven Game for two players set during the final hundred plus years of the Western Roman Empire as the Barbarian tribes in the north came down with a vengeance as they clashed with civilization and carved out their place amongst it. The time period covered in the game is from the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD) to the deposition of the last Western Roman Emperor by Odoacer in 476 AD. The Roman player will command the Roman Legions loyal to the failing central authority and those Germanic peoples who have settled peacefully inside the Roman Empire, while the Barbarian player leads Usurper Emperors, and controls the migrations of the Germanic peoples, who are the Barbarians at the Gates. This game is really quite good and feels very much like a wargame even though it is a Card Driven Game. There are lots of opportunities for troop movement, combat and maneuver. And I really liked that. The game is a Card Driven Game and the use of cards is all important and very well done. Each player has their own unique deck of cards that are used and these cards are sometimes removed from those decks when played for an event and also new cards will be added to the deck after each turn. The cards played during a player’s impulse which are not used for the Event are then used for their Operation Points value. These Operation Points can be used for many purposes including Activating a leader, Forced Marches, Raiding, Reinforcement, Migration and Successful Usurpation.
The real trick to the cards is to plan out how you are going to use them to your advantage but also how best to use them. Activating Leaders is very important as you can then move them to attack, defend, change control of areas and other actions. Activating a leader depends on their strategy rating (the lower the strategy rating, the better). When a leader activates from a card, they receive a number of Action Points which can be used for movement (1 over highway, 2 over rough or river connections, 3 over strait or for naval movement), continuation after battle (a kind of advance after combat), changing control over unfortified spaces and sieges of fortified spaces. But the cards also are very mean spirited. What do I mean by this? Well, in our first play, I was carefully using my cards to build up my armies to fend off the initial attacks of the Barbarian hordes. I also had begun to build somewhat of a super stack as well to attempt to foray into England and take on the Barbarians there. As I did this building up, I was unaware of the nasty nature of some of the cards. Some of the cards, both for the Barbarians and Romans, allow a play that will turn a single leader and their entire stack into either a Usurper or a Pacified Barbarian Settlement. Both are equally nasty and you have to keep in mind that you can have your best armies simply taken from you and turned to your enemy.
Some of the cards, both for the Barbarians and Romans, allow a play that will turn a single leader and their entire stack into either a Usurper or a Pacified Barbarian Settlement. Both are equally nasty and you have to keep in mind that you can have your best armies simply taken from you and turned to your enemy. Because of this, the Roman player has to decide whether they will group Combat Units under a single leader in order to face the mighty Barbarian challengers at the Gates in which case he risks that leader to Usurp, or to disperse these troops over several stacks never allowing a single leader to amass too many CU but on the other hand also never having a true striking force to attack with. There is an exception here though as an Emperor leader cannot Usurp and you don’t have to worry about that but this is also dangerous as you can lose that Emperor.
Likewise, once they have an Usurper leader on the board the Barbarian player will try to group all Usurper CU with this leader (in order to keep this force strong and in order to allow their Barbarian CU, leader and tribes to march unopposed into the Empire). This creates a very real and historical danger as the Barbarian player is incentivized to do what an Usurper would historically have done and empty the border garrisons in order to march on Rome.
These type of cards are extremely strong and a situation can occur in which most of the Romans still on the board are Usurper leaders and CU. But there is an action that allows for the Roman player to counter these cards and that is the Successful Usurpation action. If the Barbarian player over does it with the Usurper powers, the Roman player can simply steal these conquests by swapping the Roman power for the Usurper power. This in effect has the Usurpation process succeed and the former Usurper leader now becomes the true Emperor!
Usurper emperors in history, particularly in Ancient Rome, were rulers who seized their power illegitimately, often times via a military rebellion rather than legal succession, and were labeled “tyrants” if defeated, or emperors if successful. They were most common during crises and times of turmoil, such as the “Year of the Four Emperors” in 69 AD following the suicide of Nero, often relying on legionary support and issuing their own coins to legitimize authority.
Emperor Galba by Paulus Moreelse (left); with Emperor Marcus Salvius Otho by Gerrit van Honthorst (center left); with Emperor Vitellius by Hendrick Goltzius (center-right); and Emperor Vespasian (far right).
Usurpation was common during the whole imperial era; virtually all imperial dynasties rose to power through usurpation and conspiracies. The “imperial office” established by Augustus never defined an stable system of succession, and emperors often had to rely solely on military power to survive.
In the Eastern Roman Empire (395–1453), rebellion and usurpation were so notoriously frequent as compared to medieval West, where usurpation was rare, that the modern term “byzantine” became a byword for political intrigue and conspiracy.
Here is a look at our unboxing video:
We also did a video review and you can watch that at the following link:
I am very tired of the cold and dreary days of winter. I want it to be warm soon but we are realistically a few months away from consistently nice weather. But, this month, even though the weather has been brutally cold, we saw a warming trend with historical wargames. This month for the Wargame Watch I was able to find 33 games (including the 3 games from our sponsor Bellica Third Generation). Interestingly though this was a cooler month for crowdfunding as I only found 4 games featured on Kickstarter or Gamefound.
This month again we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch in Bellica Third Generation, or Bellica 3G for short, owned by designer Francisco Ronco. I asked him to write up a summary of his company and their core values and he has provided the following:
Bellica Third Generation is a group of players with many games played between them and a longstanding and deep interest in everything related to Military History. Our members come from Cadiz and Seville (Spain) and we are proud to have started this Andalusian and Spanish project in the field of strategy and simulation games.
Please let us introduce ourselves:
Francisco Ronco Poce (1969).
Game designer and producer. A Napoleonic fan for over 45 years. He is both the heart and manager of the team. And has designed the four first game series that our company will start developing shortly.
Reyes Gallardo Gutiérrez (1978)
Our newest gamer. A military history enthusiast as a hobby and teacher of physics at a secondary school by trade. She is an outstanding playtester, with a critical and analytic mind.
Ramón López Martín (1973).
An experienced gamer. Game designer and play tester. Well known for his skill eliminating all game counters in play; both his and his opponent’s…
What do we do?
Strategy and simulation games. In fact they are “cardboard simulators”. Computer and video games based on the simulation of car races, first person adventures, aircraft -or spacecraft flight- or tank driving are both widely accepted and successful. Now we propose something similar; our games strive to make the player confront the experiences that historical commanders and leaders lived. Facing the same situations, managing resources and making decisions about a hardly predictable outcome.
The main attributes of a simulation as we understand it are:
Resource management
Essential role of logistics
Game centred on decision marketing
Uncertainty and fog of war
All of them are present in every one of our games. With the firm intent of achieving this with the least possible number of rules. We do not feel that elaborate and complex rules are necessary if the internal dynamics of a game system can produce the desired effect. Likewise, it is our intention to follow an editorial line based on game SERIES, thus the players may learn a new game effortlessly having to deal with just a negligible number of new special rules. In our view, the games will contain a “Series Rulebook” dealing with all the elements forming the game system and another “Special Rulebook” containing those rules that reflect the peculiarities of a given scenario.
Our commitment is to offer the player a maximum of playability and variability for their money without an unnecessary effort or learning rules. Our simulations are fun to play, both for those who are already versed in Military History – since they are simulation models – and for the uninitiated looking for a good opportunity to learn the hobby.
After years playing war games of all kinds, periods and scales (from World War II to Ancient Rome, including XVIII century or Napoleonic tactical games) we are convinced that there are basically two different approaches to war gaming; one is game oriented while the other emphasizes simulation. To reach an equilibrium between these two tendencies is not an easy task. There are games whose mechanics and effects might equally apply to a Panzer Division or a Roman Legion. These games are usually easy to learn and are nicely presented, essentially they provide competitive play, are fun and quick paced. Others try to accurately portray a period, campaign or battle where the player must play the role of a corporal firing a machine gun and –at the same time- that of the Army Corps Commander; sometimes they have plenty of rules, exceptions and an alleged “realism”. Quite often, this double perspective has presented “playability” as opposed to “realism”. Quite often, this double perspective has presented “playability” as opposed to “realism”. We think that this approach completely misses the point; We rather see it as a question of “game” vs “simulation”.
We make games:
Rules systems that allow players to perform certain actions while forbid others; with goals that all participants may and want to reach. But our desire is to provide “simulations”; our rules try to establish a framework as close as possible to the one that historical participants faced so that the goals that players must achieve correspond to their historical counterparts, then it is up to the players to find the means.
We have produced not only in-house designs but also designs from other designers. Recently, we have released An Impossible War from David Gómez Relloso -designer of the famous Crusade & Revolution from Compass Games.
An Impossible War is a game about the decisive years of the First Carlist War in the North. Infantry and cavalry are represented by blocks, which introduce fog of war into operations. There are also artillery counters (field and mountain artillery) and logistics units (supply trains and backpacks).
The main map is a point-to-point board covering the northern theater of operations: Navarre, the Basque Country, and surrounding areas of La Rioja, Burgos, and Cantabria. In addition to provincial capitals, major towns and other localities are shown, along with primary and secondary routes of communication. There is also a smaller map of the rest of peninsular Spain, showing the regions affected by the Carlist uprising and allowing expeditions being launched from the North.
Each turn, players compete for initiative and carry out a variable number of actions. There is also a card deck for each side, including historical, operational, and tactical events. The cards add background and unpredictability to the game, helping make each session different. This is NOT a card-driven game, but one assisted by cards.
An Impossible War simulates the historical conflict, which featured numerous skirmishes, few major battles, and significant siege warfare. It is an asymmetric game in which each side has strengths and weaknesses. Players must exploit their advantages and mitigate their disadvantages to achieve victory.
The Carlist player must make use of superior mobility and unit quality to consolidate territory, wear down the enemy, and threaten cities. The Liberal player must contain and suppress the insurrection; they have more troops, but of lower quality and plagued by logistical nightmares. Additionally, they must quell uprisings and chase down Carlist expeditions across the rest of Spain.
We produced the games fully in Spanish and English versions, this game also had an Italian version.
Now we are preparing the reprint of our small but well-known Santa Cruz 1797, the forefather of Von Manstein’s Triumph and Castelnuovo 1539. And the soon to be released Volume IV of the Campaign Commander Series: White Sea, which covers the Spanish-Ottoman struggle in the Mediterranean from 1565 to 1574.
Both of these games are planned to be released later this year.
In summary, here is a look at a sampling of Bellica Third Generation’s games from their website. Many of these are out of print but can be found on the secondary market at places like Noble Knight Games. Click the image below to be taken to the Bellica Third Generation selection of games at NKG.
But now onto the games for March!
Pre-Order
1. Combat! 4: Eastern Front from Compass Games
This month we had another one of the huge downloading of a large amount of new pre-order games from Compass Games that I have affectionately referred to in the past as “Pre-Order Palooza”. The first game that I am highlighting here is the next volume in the highly thought of Combat! Series of solitaire wargames. These games represent man to man combat on the battlefields of World War II where typically each of the counters on the board represent a single soldier. This small tactical scale is one of my favorite wargaming modes as I just enjoy the decisions required regarding movement, the use of tactical strategy such as scoot and shoot, throwing smoke for cover, suppressing fire and the like. I have yet to play any of the previous 3 volumes, even though I own all 3, but they are high on my want to play list and I am very much interested in this system.
The newest volume is called Combat! 4: Eastern From and deals with the fierce fighting on the East Front of World War II during Operation Barbarossa in 1941-1943.
From the game page, we read the following:
Combat! is a solitaire game series of man-to-man combat in World War II. This is the fourth game in the series. The system uses a unique AI to make for intense combat situations as well as unlimited replayability. You will stand on the defense against a relentless foe. Can you hold on?
Combat! Eastern Front is a solitaire game of man-to-man combat on the Eastern Front in WWII. The player can command a squad of German or Soviet soldiers in various engagements. This game includes the all-new Series Rules, which have been clarified and streamlined from the original rules, and now enable players to control either nationality in this game.
There are 11 tense scenarios across 4 full-size maps ranging from forest partisan warfare, to urban fighting in Stalingrad, to desperate battles on the steppes. A comprehensive random scenario generator further expands the possibilities and will create a limitless supply of unique scenarios. In addition, the included campaign game allows the player to lead a squad of men through 10 battles.
One of the things that I do like about this system and the various volumes is that it is not just cookie cutter churning out new games but each game has their own unique elements modeled into the game play as special rules or changes to account for the history of the setting. Here is a look at the changes in this new volume:
Soviet and German OOB’s contrast the crude but determined Red Army with the efficient Wehrmacht.
City fighting with demolition charges, factories, upper stories, fortress buildings, and other forms of close-quarter fighting.
Light Mortars are long-range nuisances able to saturate an enemy position with explosives.
Weather and Fire add flavor and realism to any battle.
Artillery is now a frightful weapon with a new and accurate placement process.
Confidence rules ensure that a side will not fight to the last man, but may retreat or waver if they sustain too many casualties.
2. Man of War: Fleet Combat in the Age of Sail, 1775-1815 from Compass Games
I have only ever played a few Age of Sail games but have always been interested in the era and the concept of gaming that out on the tabletop. One of the recent pre-order offerings from Compass Games is Man of War: : Fleet Combat in the Age of Sail, 1775-1815 designed by Stephen Newberg. The game looks very interesting and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what it has to offer.
From the game page, we read the following:
Man of War is a game of naval combat between sailing ships from 1775 to 1815. Turns are of variable length and represent up to 4 minutes. Ships are represented individually, but the concentration of the game system is on actions involving a number of ships on each side, that is, squadron and fleet level actions.
Rules cover wind speed and direction, which affect movement. The firing broadsides with crews rated for their proficiency ranging from green to excellent. It is possible to board enemy ships, have them strike the colors, and take them as a prize!
You take command from the viewpoint of a fleet commander.
The game is scenario based and it offers a total of 12 historical playable scenarios as follows:
• USHANT, 27 July, 1778
• DOGGER BANK, 5 August 1781
• CHESAPEAKE BAY, 5 September 1781
• MADRAS, 17 February 1782
• THE SAINTS, 12 April 1782
• THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE, 1794
• CAPE ST. VINCENT, 14 February 1797
• CAMPERDOWN, 11 October 1797
• CABRITA POINT, 12 July 1801
• TRAFALGAR, 21 October 1805
• SAN DOMINGO, 5 February 1806
• LISSA, 14 March 1811
I think that one of the most interesting parts of the way this is designed is that there is an ability to create custom scenarios to play out “what-if” scenarios or to create larger battles with tons of ships just because you can.
As I said above, I have not had the chance to play any of the games in the Combat! Series but am interested in them and own the 1st 3 volumes. This month, Compass Games released information on their next volume following Combat! 4: Eastern Front, which was just announced as well, called Combat! Crete. Combat! Crete is a stand-along game that can be played without any other games in the series. When I saw this I was immediately taken as I have played a few smaller scale tactical games on the ground combat in Crete but was excited to see this subject come to a solitaire system. And the opportunity to play as the British Tommies against the German Fallschirmjäger is always a welcome opportunity on my gaming table!
From the game page, we read the following:
Combat! Crete is a stand-alone solitaire game of man-to-man combat in WWII. The player commands a squad of British Tommies or German Fallschirmjäger in various engagements. The included scenarios are set on the islands of Crete and Leros, but full-war OOB’s are included for both factions.
The comprehensive Random Scenario generator further expands your gaming possibilities. With this tool, players can generate a limitless supply of unique scenarios for Combat! Crete or combine their game with Combat! Eastern Front and/or Combat! Tunisia & Sicily to create an even more expansive gaming experience.
In addition, the included Campaign Game allows the player to lead a squad of men through 10 battles, gaining experience along the way.
One of the things that I do like about this system and the various volumes is that it is not just cookie cutter churning out new games but each game has their own unique elements modeled into the game play as special rules or changes to account for the history of the setting. Here is a look at the changes in this new volume:
Off Board Artillery rules including air support (Stukas!).
New Terrain types including Vineyards, Weapon Pits, and an Airfield.
Parachute Drops, with a massive four map paradrop scenario.
Scenarios with Australian, New Zealand, and Maori troops.
Scenarios on Leros which feature Fallschirmjägers with FG42s.
Competitive Play rules for head-to-head battles!
Armed Cretan Civilians give the Fallschirmjägers a nasty welcome.
I have played a few games from Joe Miranda over the years and have always found them to be good and well designed games. This month, Compass released a 2-pack of a few of his interesting card driven games called Imperial Wars. This box set includes 2 games in the card-driven Imperial Wars System—Sikh War and Caucasus Campaign. Both become a contest between great powers fighting for control of regions with wider strategic implications. With multiple scenarios for each game, Imperial Wars provides you with many opportunities to alter the course of history on far-flung and lesser gamed frontiers. This box set really looks unique and I am very much intrigued and will be reaching out to Joe to see if I can get a designer interview completed to share.
From the game page, we read the following:
Sikh Wars covers the 1845-46 conflict between the British Indian Empire and the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab. Roth powers were expanding in northwest India, and their armies clashed from the Sutlej River to the outskirts of Afghanistan. The war led to the later expansion of British India to what became the Northwest Frontier.
Caucasus Campaign has the Russian and Ottoman Empires fighting for control of the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian Seas as part of the wider Crimean War. This campaign had a considerable impact on the future of the Middle East.
Players command armies composed of regiments, brigades, and divisions, which fight using battle and skirmish combat results tables. Certain units have elite status, giving them greater resiliency in combat. The many imponderables of leadership, expeditionary warfare, and chaotic political situations are accounted for in each player’s deck of Campaign cards. Astute play of cards can decide a battle or spark an uprising deep within enemy territory.
Both games have multiple scenarios. There are also options for bringing in additional forces, which can swing the tide of a campaign. Each game becomes a contest between great powers fighting for control of regions with wider strategic implications. Imperial Wars provides the opportunity to alter the course of history on far-flung frontiers
We have played several of Adam Starkweather’s games and systems and have very much enjoyed them, particularly the Company Scale System or CSS. He is a very solid designer and his newest game coming from Compass Games is Warriors of Mexico, which deals with the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. The game looks to be pretty good and uses the system first seen in Warriors of America and Warriors of Politics, adapted to the unique military situation that existed in 1846.
From the game page, we read the following:
Warriors of Mexico is a fast-playing game of the conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, using a similar system to the one used in Warriors of America and Warriors of Politics, but adapted to the unique military situation that existed in 1846. As was the case in those times, image and perception are as important as military success. Players will navigate the treacherous waters of time and yet fulfill America’s ambitious land expansion.
6. The Battles of Burgoyne’s Campaigns from Compass Games
Several years ago, while attending Buckeye Game Fest in Columbus, Ohio, we met a new designer named Ken Repel and got a chance to take a look at a few of his games including 1812! War on the Great Lakes Frontier from Compass Games and The Battles ofBurgoyne’s Campaign that was announced this past month from Compass Games. The summer and fall of 1777 was a major turning point in the fate of the American Colonies and the Revolutionary War and this game captures the action at 3 of those key battles including the Battle of Hubbardton, the Battle of Bennington and the Battle of Freeman’s Farm.
From the game page, we read the following:
During the sweltering summer of 1777, the American Revolution reached a turning point in the rugged terrain of upstate New York where the Saratoga Campaign unfolded. Led by General John Burgoyne, the British Army marched south from Canada aiming to cleave the American colonies in two by defeating General Horatio Gates’ Continental Army, capturing the Hudson River Valley and gaining control of Albany.
The Battles of Burgoyne’s Campaign is a 2-sided historical board game with one player commanding the Gates’ Continental Army and the other player commanding Burgoyne’s British Army. The game depicts three critically important battles fought during the Saratoga Campaign of 1777, The Battle of Hubbardton, The Battle of Bennington, and The Battle of Freeman’s Farm. Each contest presents the players with a unique tactical situation: Hubbardton is a rearguard action, Bennington a surprise attack, and Freeman’s Farm a meeting engagement.
While attending Buckeye Game Fest in the Spring of 2023, we shot the following video that contains a discussion about this game. You can watch that at the following link:
I was once told that you cannot understand warfare until you under naval warfare and how important it is to the overall scope of the tactics. Well, a new game called Lords of the Seas appears to examine strategic naval warfare during the 5th Century through the 16th Century AD. The game is designed by Stephen Newberg, who has done several naval focused wargames, and is set in the Mediterranean Sea.
From the game page, we read the following:
Lords of the Seas is an uncomplicated 2-player war game centered on the naval campaigns during the era when rowed warships vied for dominance of the Great Middle Sea, the Mediterranean.
The game depicts this conflict at a strategic level, with most operational and tactical details represented by fast and easy-to-play systems, rather than intricate mechanisms.
Players take the part of the commanding leadership of opposing States in historically-based scenarios. The intent of the game is to provide a broad overview of the historical events while being fun to play.
The object of the game is for each player to use their naval forces to keep open the trade routes of their State while also controlling the coastal sea areas needed for the land forces operations of their respective States.
The specifics of these objectives are set out in each scenario, as well as the forces involved, any reinforcements arriving, and the time frame of the scenario or campaign. The time scale of the game is 2 turns per year.
Both players must obtain their objectives by deploying their naval resources into the sea areas on the map and engaging in combats that are resolved on the Battle Board.
Victory points are earned for sea areas and trade routes under their control at the end of each turn of the scenario, as well as for inflicting hits on opposing units in combat. Each represents an individual State as indicated by the scenario.
The Boer War is a conflict that I have never really played a game on. I know that there are several out there but I have just not had a chance but maybe that will change with this beauty called simply Boer War from Compass Games.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Boers, white settlers of Dutch and French descent, started to colonize the shores of what would become Cape Town in 1652. Over time, British settlers and pressure forced them inland, where they founded the Orange Free State and Transvaal, isolated areas rich in gold and diamonds. The British continued to try to subdue the Boers in the Transvaal War of 1881 and the Jameson Raid of 1895. Anticipating a third attempt by a feared invasion, the Boers decided to invade the British colonies first in October of 1899. It is here that the game begins.
Boer War is a 1-2 player game split into two phases, the Conventional War Phase and the Guerrilla Phase. It is played in 6 turns, with each player alternating between spending Action Points and playing Event Cards. With unique victory conditions and Event Cards for each phase, and the Guerrilla Phase being playable as a separate scenario, players get two games in one box. As the British try to keep up their Morale and the Boers destroy and plunder through Guerrilla warfare, who will be the one in control when no one is left standing?
9. Historical Advanced Squad Leader (HASL) ModulePrelude to War: Marco Polo Bridge, 8 July, 1937 from Multi-Man Publishing
Last year, I finally played ASL! As you may have seen, I wrote my First Impressions post about the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #4: Pacific Theater of Operations after playing a scenario with a friend I had a very enjoyable time. I still have lots to learn and lots to experience but at least that first plunge is done. And I definitely want to play more! So this month, I saw that they are bringing back a few things including ASL Prelude to War: Marco Polo Bridget, 8 July, 1937.
From the game page, we read the following:
Prelude To War: Marco Polo Bridge is a Historical Advanced Squad Leader (HASL) module depicting the battle outside the walled town on Wanping, China on July 8, 1937 when Chinese troops resisted Japanese attempts to force their way into town on the pretext of finding a lost soldier. This precipitated the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, commonly called the Second Sino-Japanese War, which was the start of WWII. The battle focuses on the key railroad bridge over the Yongding River just outside the walled town.
Prelude To War: Marco Polo Bridge comes with a historically accurate 22″ x 34″ map of the area outside the walled town crafted by designer Ken Dunn and artist Charlie Kibler. There are five stand-alone scenarios on the map recreating portions of the battle. Then there is the Campaign Game covering the entire action, with the calendar day divided into five Campaign Game scenarios separated by a special Refit Phase that allows players to regroup and reposition their forces. The Campaign Game starts with the Japanese attacking onto the map to capture the bridge, followed by the desperate Chinese defense of the bridge and the Dragon Temple (a prominent feature east of the river), the possibility of a Japanese river assault in boats, and concludes with a Chinese night assault by special broad-sword equipped Volunteer units. The only other ASL modules needed to play are Beyond Valor and Rising Sun.
If you are interested in Historical Advanced Squad Leader (HASL) ModulePrelude to War: Marco Polo Bridge, 8 July, 1937, you can pre-order a copy for $33.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://mmpgamers.com/asl-prelude-to-war-marco-polo-bridge-p-455
10. Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit Historical Module (HASLSK) Prelude to War: Marco Polo Bridge from Multi-Man Publishing
And along with the regular ASL Historical Module for Marco Polo Bridge, they also offered their Starter Kit version of the game on pre-order. I will be picking this one up this summer at WBC hopefully and add it to my ASL Starter Kit #4 box.
From the game page, we read the following:
Prelude To War: Marco Polo Bridge (SK) is the second Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit Historical Module and covers the battle outside the walled town on Wanping, China on July 8, 1937 when Chinese troops resisted Japanese attempts to force their way into town on the pretext of finding a lost soldier. This precipitated the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, commonly called the Second Sino-Japanese War, which was the start of WWII. The battle focuses on the key railroad bridge over the Yongding River just outside the walled town.
Prelude To War: Marco Polo Bridge (SK) comes with a historically accurate 22″ x 34″ map of the area outside the walled town crafted by designer Ken Dunn and artist Charlie Kibler. There are five stand-alone scenarios on the map recreating portions of the battle. Then there is the Campaign Game covering the entire action, with the calendar day divided into five Campaign Game scenarios separated by a special Refit Phase that allows players to regroup and reposition their forces. The Campaign Game starts with the Japanese attacking onto the map to capture the bridge, followed by the desperate Chinese defense of the bridge and the Dragon King Temple (a prominent feature east of the river), and concludes with a Chinese night assault by special broad-sword equipped Volunteer units. All the necessary counters for Chinese units are included. ASL Starter Kit #4 (Japanese) is required to play.
Prelude To War: Marco Polo Bridge (SK) contains:
one box and lid
one 22″ x 34″ map sheet
two counter sheets
five scenarios
one Campaign Game rules booklet, with all of the new rules needed to play the scenarios and the Campaign Game, including rules for rivers, railroads, bridges, hedges, roadblocks, offboard artillery, night combat, and special broad-sword equipped Chinese Volunteer units.
one page Data Chart
one reduced-size copy of the map sheet
If you are interested in Historical Advanced Squad Leader (HASL) ModulePrelude to War: Marco Polo Bridge, 8 July, 1937, you can pre-order a copy for $33.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://mmpgamers.com/asl-prelude-to-war-marco-polo-bridge-p-455
11. Peking: 55 Days of Fury from Neva Game Press
Neva Games Press (formerly Neva Wargames) is a new publisher who has appeared on the scene in the past couple of years. When I started seeing their posts on Twitter and Facebook, I was immediately impressed with their interesting topic choices for their upcoming games as well as the fact that they are trying to make small footprint wargames that pack a punch. And the art is also very appealing and brings an aesthetically pleasing and attractive look to their games! Their next set of pre-order games is ready to launch in mid-March and the first game that I will highlight here is Peking: 55 Days of Fury that deals with the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900.
From the game page, we read the following:
Peking: 55 Days of Fury is a tactical wargame that places players in the heart of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. Players choose to command either the besieged Eight-Nation Alliance or the attacking Chinese forces, each with unique objectives and strategies.
The game is designed for 1-2 players and offers a tense, immersive experience lasting approximately 1.5 hours. In solo play, players take control of the beleaguered Eight-Nation Alliance.
Each turn represents roughly 11 days of the siege. The game board depicts the International Legations, divided into four main areas. Players use a combination of event cards and operation points to execute actions, such as firefights, raids, artillery attacks, and barricade repairs.
The game begins with an initiative phase, determining the order of play. The player with the initiative initiates a mandatory firefight, followed by the other player. Players then play event cards to trigger various effects, supported by additional cards if conditions are met.
Next, the eight nation alliance player must manage supplies, with shortages potentially leading to epidemics or desertions. In the operation phase, players use remaining cards as operation points to perform actions. Finally, the maintenance phase involves checking victory conditions, handling fog of war cards, and preparing for the next turn.
A distinctive fog-of-war mechanic sets this games apart. Mastering this element is key to outmaneuvering opponents.
Will you be able to withstand the siege and protect the International Legations?
Experience the intensity of the Boxer Rebellion in this tactical wargame.
I am currently working on a designer interview with the designer José Manuel Neva (who is also the owner of the company) and hope to have that out in the next few weeks.
12. Reformation: Fire and Faith from Neva Game Press
The 2nd game of Neva’s new release pre-order phase is the interesting looking Reformation: Fire and Faith designed by Clint Warren-Davey. I am keenly interested in this one and have been working with Clint to do an interview and maybe a series of other articles on strategies.
From the game page, we read the following:
Reformation: Fire and Faith is a game about the wars and religious struggles that raged in Europe from 1517 to 1555. This time saw the Protestant Reformation sparked by the renegade monk Martin Luther and the subsequent wars of religion in Germany and elsewhere, as Christianity was shaken to its core on. It saw numerous wars between the great powers of Europe regardless of religious affiliation. The Ottoman Empire was at its height and threatened the Christian world from the south-east, while at the same time new lands were discovered in the Americas that started a race for colonial expansion. In this game, 1 to 6 players will use their Armies, Fleets, Followers and Churches in an attempt to achieve their victory conditions and attain the most Victory Points (VP). It plays in about 60-90 minutes. The rules are very simple and easy to teach as the game was originally designed for use in a high school setting by the highly experienced game designer and teacher, Clint Warren-Davey. The game includes 6 unique Factions that are all competing for dominance in their own way
A few years ago, while attending SDHistCon we sat down with Sam London and played his new upcoming game called Common Sense (it was originally called Absolved from All Allegiance), which was recently announced on GMT Games P500. The game is an American Revolutionary War Strategic Level game that uses trick-taking and is a struggle over the Will to Fight Track that measures the level of commitment by both sides to the fight. We very much enjoyed playing the prototype and really could see what the design was trying to do and that it did it very well.
From the game page, we read the following:
Common Sense is an asymmetrical trick-taking card driven wargame. One player will take control of the 13 colonies in their fight for independence while the other uses the might of the British crown to quash the rebellion. The game revolves around the Will to Fight Track which tracks both sides’ willingness to continue to fight the war. As it is an asymmetrical game, both sides have different problems they will have to manage to resist the decline of their Will to Fight. The colonies are primarily concerned with morale and their ability to believe that they could potentially win their independence. Losing control of colonies and failures of the Continental Congress to galvanize the colonies will have the heaviest impact on their conviction. The British on the other hand never had hearts and minds to begin with, as the war was never popular at home. Instead, their Will to Fight represents parliament’s willingness to continue to fund the war. Poor results relative to commitment of forces as well as losses of British Regulars can spell a speedy exit from the war for them. The game will end when both player’s Will to Fight markers converge on the track, or rarely at the end of 1783, with position on the track determining much of the game’s scoring.
Common Sense is played with 2 unique 36 card decks. Each card in a player’s deck is also unique, and represents a key personality, battle, event, or concept from the American Revolution. Cards are divided into 4 suits, which are Battle, Mobilize, Recruit, and Special. Since the game is asymmetrical, while Battle, Mobilize, and Recruit serve similar purposes for both players, their actual executions vary in some ways. Battles let you engage in fights with the enemy in the same space, Mobilize lets you move your armies between spaces, and Recruit lets you bolster your forces. The Special suit on the other hand varies radically and really showcases differences between the two sides. The Colonial Special suit governs training of militia into the Continental Army as well as all interactions with the French. The British Special suit on the other hand manages native led operations as well as the might of the British navy. Each card grants a certain number of actions of a specific type, as well as a historical themed event. Events can be one off effects, powerful action modifiers for the current turn, or remain in play for multiple turns granting powerful abilities or changing core rules. Each card also has a numbered value that is used for the trick taking.
The game is played over a series of 10 card hands (each hand is considered a year of the war). Each year consists of 10 tricks, wherein the winner of the trick is given the chance to perform actions. The lead player chooses and plays a card from their hand face up. The other player then plays a card from their hand based on what their opponent played. If they have at least one card that matches the suit of the card their opponent played, they must play one of those cards. If not, they can play any card that they wish. If the card they played matched the suit of the lead player’s card and was the same value or higher, they win the trick and will get to take the turn and become the new lead player. Otherwise, the lead player gets the turn. If the responding player does not have a card of the matching suit they could also win by playing the highest value card they have of the trump suit that corresponds to the lead suit. In any case, the player who wins the trick gets to resolve the event on the card and perform the actions on the card. Alternatively, the player can always choose not to resolve the winning card to perform any one action of their choice.
Here is a link to a designer interview and discussion with Sam London regarding Common Sense at SDHistCon in 2024:
14. Iron Triangle: Search and Destroy Operations in the Vietnam War from GMT Games
A new series, and we have seen how well series have done at GMT GMT Games, a new designer and a new concept to wargaming (lane battler), I think that this game has great potential and it happens to be focused on one of my most liked wars to game – the Vietnam War. Iron Triangle: Search and Destroy Operations in the Vietnam War is designed by Darren McGuire takes a look at the struggle between the United States military and the Viet Cong insurgents as they fight over control of three key “lanes” or key regions. I am very much excited about this one and will be reaching out soon to Darren for some additional information.
From the game page, we read the following:
Iron Triangle opens the new Lines of ConflictSeries with a focused and tense asymmetric lane battler set during the Vietnam War search and destroy operations from 1966 up to the Tet Offensive in 1968. Two players assume opposing roles: the Viet Cong, leveraging concealment, mobility, and disruption, and the United States, applying sustained pressure and attritional tactics to limit insurgent influence. Across three rounds, players commit action cards to search and destroy operations along three lanes, contesting control of three key regions in III Corps: War Zone C, War Zone D, and the infamous Iron Triangle.
Each faction employs distinct tactical systems. The Viet Cong may deploy cards in three states—tunnelled (face down), concealed (face down and rotated), or exposed (face up)—and, through careful resource management, can flip and rotate these cards to conduct hit and run attacks and ambushes, lay booby traps, and establish Tunnel Bases to accelerate gains or blunt U.S. advances. The U.S. player focuses on revealing and eliminating insurgent units by exposing tunnelled and concealed Viet Cong cards with Tunnel Rats, restricting movement and concealment through tools such as Defoliation and ADSIDs (Air Delivered Seismic Intrusion Devices), or or employing more forceful measures such as napalm, saturation bombing, and zippo raids, which, while effective at disrupting Viet Cong support networks, also undermine the stability of urban areas like Saigon.
At the end of each round, players evaluate operational outcomes and their impact on control across the three areas, adjusting regional stability and tracking the resulting shifts in South Vietnamese public opinion. Players can achieve victory if the Viet Cong drives Public Opinion low enough or if the U.S. accomplishes its body count objective while stabilising the region. Otherwise, the conflict culminates in the Tet Offensive—a final chit-pull from a bag shaped by the position of control markers on the area tracks, remaining Viet Cong Tunnel Bases, and the scale of the refugee crisis—where each Tet chit drawn represents a stronger offensive that further erodes Public Opinion toward U.S failure.
I am all in on this concept and the new series and very much look forward to what might be included in future conflicts and how the series grows.
15. Levy & Campaign Ost Bot Solitaire System from GMT Games
One of the more active series out there today is the Levy & Campaign Series from GMT Games from the mind of Volko Ruhnke. The series had its start with Nevsky: Teutons & Rus in Collision, 1240-1242 and then followed that up with Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain, 1085-1086. Since that time, there have been multiple other games published including Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-1261 and the most recent Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, 1459 – 1485. In addition to the released volumes, there are many others on the P500 with at least another dozen (or more) that have yet to be announced but are being developed and playtested. With such a popular series and with solitaire gaming becoming a mandatory part of any new wargame, I am very glad to see that GMT has prioritized this new offering and released it on the P500. The Levy & Campaign Ost Bot Solitaire System is designed by Jan Arvanitakis and Christophe Correia, who have significant experience in developing the L&C Series and I couldn’t be more excited about this offering.
From the game page, we read the following:
Introducing Ost, a solitaire system for the acclaimed Levy and Campaign Series that allows you to play 5 Volumes in the series against a non-player opponent.
The system eases the tedium of bot upkeep and simplifies the implementation of the bot’s turn so that you can concentrate on your move.
Your opponent will complete the game’s signature Levy & Campaign phases of each turn—including Arts of War, Muster, & Call To Arms. On its turn, a Non-Player Active Actions flowchart will dictate the bot’s main action—March, Siege, Storm, Sally, Tax, etc. Then, a dedicated chart for each action will briskly lead the player through a number of simple Yes/No questions until the action’s full resolution. The system thus sidesteps the need to evaluate complex priorities and check for conditions each turn.
The bot does not use any assets, such as Provender and Coin, nor Levies Capabilities, further easing the burden of bot upkeep. Yet key Capabilities are incorporated as part of the bot’s actions, Battle, & Storm. The system features special rules for automating non-player Lords’ Service shifts on the Calendar, as well as preparing the bot’s Campaign Plan.
Ost will present you with an unpredictable and challenging, yet easy to implement opponent that is responsive to your moves and the current game state. It offers a realistic simulation of the moves a human player would make—like approaching your Lords in the field, laying siege to your Strongholds, blocking Supply Routes, and marching to friendly ground before an upcoming Levy phase.
Ost is named after the service d’ost, the French feudal military service owed by vassals to a Lord. It is an allusion to one of the game’s underlying concepts. The service d’ost, or ost, often lasted around 40 days per year and was imposed on all free men, vassals, and vavasors (a vassal’s vassal).
16. Next War: Korea 2nd Edition, 2nd Printing from GMT Games
The Next War Series of wargames from GMT is very popular and also very large and detailed. We still have been unable to get our copy of Next War: Korea to the table yet but one day we will. But, for now there is a 2nd Edition being offered on the P500.
From the game page we read the following:
This reprint edition includes all known errata (including counters) as well as updated counters for the US, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese Orders of Battle. The map has changed slightly as we bring both the bridging rules from Next War: India-Pakistan back to this game, which necessitates noting which hex sides can’t be bridged, as well as defining Beaches and Invasion Hexes a la Next War: Taiwan, which actually takes us back to the original Crisis: Korea 1995 map. The Series Rules and Player Aid Cards will be brought up to the latest standards, and, of course, the Game Specific Rules will have to be changed to incorporate all of the above.
From Pyongyang in North Korea to Pusan in the South, the war rages. In a scene reminiscent of the first attack by the In Min Gun in 1950, the North Korean People’s Army surges across the Demilitarized Zone and penetrates deep into South Korea. Special Operations Forces from both sides conduct raids, interdiction, and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines while airborne, air assault, and amphibious forces strike far behind those lines attempting to outflank the main army forces of both sides. In the air, both sides wage a heated campaign in an effort establish superiority over the skies of Korea. With rough terrain and the full ferocity of modern armor, airmobile, airborne, and marine warfighting capabilities, there is no safe haven in the lethal cauldron of battle which has engulfed the Korean Peninsula.
While North and South battle for a quick, decisive victory, the world awaits the response of the two military superpowers in the region: the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China. Will the United States, stung by high casualties among the soldiers of its 2nd Infantry Division near the DMZ during the surprise artillery barrages and initial assaults on the first day of the war, be able to reinforce the South quickly enough, and, if so, how and in what strength? Will the Communist Chinese again react to a massive US response and intervene, thus widening the conflict? As the situation evolves, choices are made, forces are committed, and the security of Japan and the future of the two Koreas hangs in the balance.
Next War: Korea, Game #1 in our Next War series, allows players to fight a near future war on the Korean peninsula. In this updated and improved version of the previously-released Crisis: Korea 1995, players have access to virtually all military assets of North and South Korea, as well as large forces from the USA and the PRC. The integrated, easy to learn air-land combat system allows for unit efficiency, armor effects, light infantry, attack helicopters, Close Air Support, Cruise Missiles, and the particularly tough terrain of Korea.
Make no mistake: Next War: Korea is not an Introductory wargame. Rather, we have intended herein to create a system (and a series) that will allow detailed study of modern warfare in various venues as well as engaging gameplay. That said, the Standard Game rules encompass a fairly straightforward ruleset that will, we think, be considered pretty “easy to learn” by experienced wargamers. So players who choose to play Standard Game scenarios can have a relatively quick game when that’s what suits them. The real flavor of a war in the theatre, though, comes through in the Advanced Game, where you get much more control over airpower and can more clearly see each side’s strengths and weaknesses. For players who want a “mini-monster game” experience, playing the Advanced Game Campaign Scenarios with some or all of the optional rules will definitely “deliver.”
So our hope is that we have created a game with enough variety and scaling of complexity that you can find an engaging and maybe even enlightening experience whether you want to play a fast two-player game, a longer monster game, or an ongoing solitaire study. We intend to provide tools for online game play as well (a Vassal module is being created now for use during
17. Révolutions! France 1820-1880 from Fellowship of Simulations Coming to Kickstarter Soon
We have played and enjoyed several of the games offered by Fellowship of Simulations with my 3 favorite being Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno, Wars of Religion France 1562-1598 and Napoléon’s Conquests. They recently announced their next project that deals with the French Revolution called Révolutions! France 1820-1880, which is coming to Kickstarter soon.
From the game page, we read the following:
Révolutions – France 1820-1880 is an immersive political simulation for 3, 4 or 5 players.
Get ready to relive 60 years of political conflicts, civil wars and major societal choices. Whether in the Chamber of Deputies or on the barricades, Ultras, Orleanists, Bonapartists, Republicans or Socialists clash to ensure the triumph of their ideals. Each faction has its own starting situation, objectives and assets.
You’ll need to constantly adapt your strategy to the situation at hand, and convince allies to impose your vision of society.
Each turn, players begin by taking their action cards, which represent their supporters. They use them to develop their influence in six Society zones: Songs, Newspapers, Notables, Peasants, Workers and Clergy. They can also modify Social Tensions, which determine the stability of the government.
If the regime is stable, a Chamber of Deputies is elected. Players take advantage of the influence they have acquired in the Society zones to obtain votes. These votes give access to the best seats in the Chamber. Players receive political influence tokens according to their posi¬tion. Political influence is the «currency» that enables legislative action to change the current regime.
If social tensions become too great, Paris will rise up, and a civil war will begin. Players mobilize Society zones to support the government or fuel the insurrection. If the revolution triumphs, the victorious insurgents can make more radical changes to the state.
If you are interested in Révolutions! France 1820-1880, you can learn more about the project on the Kickstarter preview page at the following link: Révolutions! by Walter Vejdovsky — Kickstarter
18. Pacific War Games (including 1943: Race to Rabaul and Tora Tora Tora!) from PHALANX
PHALANX does some really great games and they have 2 new games that have been recently placed on pre-order in a 2-pack called Pacific War Games. This package includes 1943: Race to Rabaul designed by Volko Ruhnke and Tora Tora Tora! designed by Wataru Horiba.
From the game page, we read the following:
1943: Race to Rabaul
In 1943 the Allied push across the Pacific reached a critical phase. Every step toward Rabaul demanded nerve, planning and a constant fight with the limits of supply. 1943: Race to Rabaul puts you right in the middle of that pressure.
This time the series introduces opposed play. You can play as a team or head-to-head, with one or two players commanding the Japanese side and one or two leading the Americans. Both fronts chase momentum, both struggle with logistics and both try to outthink the other before their plans run dry. The map is wide, resources are tight and every choice has weight.
The result is a game where ambition always meets resistance, and the path to Rabaul is never straightforward.
Tora Tora Tora!
Tora Tora Tora! is a two-player strategic game that presents a holistic and dynamic view of the Pacific War. Rather than focusing on individual historical battles, the game captures the broader struggle for control across the theater, emphasizing tempo, positioning, and resource management.
Players take command of either Japan or the Allies, each operating under a different economic logic. Japan pays to expand across areas of the map, while the Allies pay per unit regardless of distance. This fundamental asymmetry shapes every decision, forcing each side to approach movement, expansion, and confrontation in a distinct way.
Actions require limited resources, and battles involve hidden commitments before resolution, creating tension even before dice are rolled. Overextending can leave forces undersupplied and vulnerable, so players must constantly balance immediate gains against long-term sustainability. The game rewards careful pressure, territorial control, and forcing the opponent into inefficient responses.
The game ends after a fixed number of rounds, and victory is determined by strategic control of key areas and overall position on the map. Winning is less about a single decisive clash and more about managing tempo, preserving strength, and gradually exhausting the opponent’s options.
If you are interested in Pacific War Games (including Race to Rabaul 1943 and Tora Tora Tora!), you can pre-order one or both of the games at the Gamefound page located at the following link: Pacific War Games by PHALANX – Gamefound
19. Fix Bayonets! Volume II1809: Talavera from Tactical Workshop Currently on Gamefound
Last year, I caught wind of a new edition of a very interesting looking Napoleonics wargame getting a second edition. The game was 1811: Albuera Second Edition from Tactical Workshop, which was originally released in 2020 designed by Frederic Delstanches. Now, he is seeking crowdfunding for the next game in the series called 1809: Talavera.
From the game page, we read the following:
1809: Talavera is the second volume in the Fix Bayonets! Series of Napoleonic tactical wargames. It covers, at the battalion level, the two days of the battle with one player in charge of the Anglo-Spanish armies and the other leading the French forces. The game allows players to recreate the eponymous battle of the Peninsular War, face to face with another player or as a solitaire experience.
Take command of the French army under Joseph, Napoleon’s older brother, and shatter the nascent Anglo-Spanish Alliance standing their ground near the town of Talavera! Alternatively, you can lead the Allied armies and attempt to hold the line with your disparate force. Can you equal the tactical victory achieved by the future Duke of Wellington and his Spanish ally general Cuesta or will the bloody engagement result in the rout of your armies?
As of March 1st, the Gamefound campaign has funded and raised $7,322 toward its $7,000 funding goal with 99 backers. The campaign will conclude on April 1, 2026 at 1:00am EST.
New Release
1. 2025 Errata Counter Sheet from GMT Games
Errata is a fact of life with all publishers and all games! No matter what, a mistake will always slip through and cause us gamers a bit of angst. This is where GMT Games stands head and shoulders above the competition though as they admit to their mistakes and more importantly try to make them right. We have seen this time and time again. So they have a solution for errata found on counters in their new games this year that makes a lot of sense and makes it economically very easy to acquire: a replacement countersheet.
From the P500 page, we read the following:
We are happy to announce today that we have created a 2025 Replacement Countersheet that includes all of the counter updates that we and the designers know of as errata for games from 2025. We’re setting this up as a P500 item like we did last year—except that it’s already approved to print. We just need to know how many of you want the item. Please get your order in over the coming few weeks so we can get these in your hands by year-end.
The price for this item will be $5 for US customers and $10 for non-US customers. Note that the cost INCLUDES shipping. Clearly, we’re supplementing most of the cost on these, which we think is only fair, in that these counters represent mostly errata that we missed when we produced the games the counters belong to.
The games with counters on the sheet are:
By Swords & Bayonets
Here I Stand NOTE: These are the same as the 2024 versions but not everyone got theirs so we’re printing them again.
2. Silent Victory: U.S. Submarines in the Pacific, 1941-45 3rd Printing from GMT Games
One of my favorite movies of all time is Das Boot. I know that this is a movie about a German submarine and I am using it as the introduction to a post about American submarines but it is simply so good and really helped to give me an understanding of the absolute hell that those submariners endured in the depths in a slender metal tube being depth charged to death. I remember the scene where the Chief Machinist Johann loses it and has to be restrained. As we follow along on the patrol of the U-96, we grow to understand the difficulty with which those men had to deal as they did their job and took the punishment. As you know, the movie ends when they are in a sub base and are bombed by Allied planes and we see the Captain and most of the crew shot up and dying as they watch the U-96 slip under the water. After playing Silent Victory, where the player takes the helm of an American submarine in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, I could understand (not physically or psychologically) emotionally how they felt, just a bit, as my boat was depth charged mercilessly and I simply could not get away from the Escort. Eventually, I did get away but not before I lost a few crew to injuries and basically nearly sank myself by deciding to go past test depth to escape.
From the game page, we read the following:
Silent Victory is a solitaire tactical level game placing you in command of an American submarine during WWII in the Pacific. Your mission is to destroy as much Japanese shipping and as many warships as possible while advancing your crew quality and decorations – all while remembering you have to make it home.
Silent Victory is purposely designed to deliver a brisk yet intensive gaming experience that forces many decisions upon you as you take command of one of the major U.S. Fleet submarine types in service. Patrols will take you to differing parts of the Pacific as time progresses in the war. The most successful commanders will be those that can manage the risks they take while prosecuting as many targets as possible.
The game engine is built upon the successful The Hunters design and has proven to be a solid, playable experience. All the major U.S. Fleet boat types are accounted for with every level of detail including period of service, armaments, crew makeup, damage capacity, and more.
As a Fleet submarine commander, you will be confronting many decisions during your patrols. To begin with, seven U.S. Fleet submarines are profiled and available for you to choose from. Patrol zones reflect the changing operational areas as the war progresses, from the Philippines to Midway, the Solomons, and even patrols to the waters just off the coast of Japan and China.
Conducting patrols is the heart of the system, as you will be resolving encounters against individual ships, convoys, or even enemy aircraft and submarines. Situations you face and decisions you make suddenly come in quick succession:
How will you engage a convoy once spotted?
Do you close the initial target range at increased risk of detection for a more lethal attack?
If your engagement is at night, will you conduct a surface attack?
Do you launch one or two fire salvos, and how many torpedoes do you fire?
Will you try to follow a convoy or ship to engage in additional rounds of combat?
How will you slip away from escorts to avoid or minimize damage?
3. The Hunters: German U-Boats at War, 1939-1943 4th Printing from GMT Games
Another fantastic solitaire submarine game designed by the incomparable Gregory M. Smith is The Hunters and they are now releasing the 4th Printing version of the game. 4 printings should tell you something about the game and how good it is!
From the game page, we read the following:
The Hunters is a solitaire tactical level game placing you in command of a German U-boat during WWII. Your mission is to destroy as much Allied Shipping and as many Capital ships as possible while advancing your crew quality and increasing your commander rank culminating in special decoration ‒ all while remembering you have to make it home.
The Hunters is purposely designed to deliver a brisk yet intensive gaming experience that forces many decisions upon you as you will take command among the major German U-boat models in service during WWII, and try to complete an entire tour. If you ultimately survive all patrols from 1939 to 1943, you will be transferred to the U-boat Training Command for the remainder of the war, having successfully carried out your service for the Fatherland.
Those familiar with the classic Avalon Hill game title, B-17: Queen of the Skies, will come to enjoy the same type of gaming experience of the German U-boat War. All major U-boat models are accounted for with every level of detail including period of service, armaments, crew make-up, damage capacity, and more.
As U-Boat commander, you will be confronting many decisions during your patrol. To begin with, eight German U-Boat models are profiled and available for you to choose from. Patrol zones reflect the time period during the war at sea and will shift as the war progresses. All stages of the U-Boat campaign are represented as missions become increasingly more difficult as your adversary makes advances in anti-submarine warfare.
Conducting patrols is the heart of the system as you will be resolving encounters against individual ships, convoys, or even enemy aircraft. Situations you face and decisions you make suddenly come in quick succession:
How will you engage a convoy once spotted?
Do you close the initial target range at increased risk of detection for a more lethal attack?
If your engagement is at night, will you conduct a surface attack?
Do you launch one or two fire salvos, and how many torpedoes do you fire?
Will you try to follow a convoy or ship to engage in additional rounds of combat?
How will you slip away from escorts to avoid or minimize damage?
What evasive maneuvers do you undertake?
The major German U-Boat models are represented and accurately profiled for the patrols you will undertake:
Type VII A
Type VII B
Type VII C
Type VII D
Type VII FlaK
Type IX A
Type IX B
Type IX C
Patrol Assignments include:
Atlantic
British Isles
Spanish Coast
Mediterranean
Norway
West African Coast
North America
Arctic
Caribbean
The game delivers an historical narrative as 350+ ship targets are uniquely identified (including tonnage) with their historical counterparts that were sunk during the war, including freighters, tankers, and American ships.
4. COIN Series Multi-Pack #2 The Guerilla Generation: Cold War Insurgencies in Latin America from GMT Games
Stephen Rangazas has been active behind the scenes over the past few years with his development work on Fall of Saigon: A Fire in the Lake Expansion. He used his background and research capabilities to great effect as he did the background work on the Event cards for that game. From that experience, he has now come forward with a few of his own designs in The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire, which was announced in 2021 as well as Sovereign of Discord announced in 2022. Now, his most recent work on a new COIN Series Multi-Pack that deals with insurgencies in Latin America during the height of the Cold War called The Guerrilla Generation is shipping.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Guerrilla Generation: Cold War Insurgencies in Latin America is the second COINMulti-Pack, containing four separate games exploring a series of thematically related insurgencies. Building on the The British Way, this new multipack allows players to explore variations in insurgent groups’ organizational structures, strategies, and relationship with civilians, across four insurgencies in Central and South America between 1968 and 1992. During this part of the Cold War era, Latin America experienced an incredible number of different insurgent groups, many inspired by the Cuban Revolution featured in Cuba Libre, ranging from popular backed rural insurgencies, flexible urban guerrillas, externally sponsored raiders, and brutal ideologically rigid groups. This multipack features a game exemplifying each of these types of insurgencies, to offer players the chance to compare different approaches to rebellion highlighted in the quote by scholar Jeremy Weinstein above. The Guerrilla Generation also offers four longer and more complex individual games than those found in The British Way, as well as an entirely different approach to the linked campaign scenario, which combines two games into a simultaneous side-by-side experience.
This Multi-Pack includes four full games in one box, which is a fantastic value that will allow players to explore four different conflicts set during the height of Cold War Latin America between 1968 and 1992. Each game uses a unique ruleset building on the same general mechanical structure, ensuring that they are easy to pick up while still offering a distinctive experience.
I also love these Multi-Packs because they have a small board footprint with each of the 4 games playing in under 2 hours and taking place on a single 17” x 22” board. But, the game doesn’t just treat these games as individual as they are designed to experience at least a portion of the full span of the period and be used to learn more about these insurgencies.
There is also a “Resisting Reagan” Campaign designed into the game. A linked campaign scenario allowing up to 4 players to play El Salvador and Nicaragua side-by-side, with new mechanisms to represent the Central American peace and solidarity movement’s efforts to resist the Reagan Administration’s aid to both the Salvadoran government and the Contra insurgency, by influencing Congress and American public opinion.
5. Battle of the Bismarck Sea from War Diary Publications
As I was recently trolling the internet, I came across a new solitaire game from the guys over at War Diary Publications. The game is called Battle of the Bismarck Sea and is designed by Allyn Vannoy.
From the game page, we read the following:
Battle of the Bismarck Sea is a solitaire wargame that uses individual ships and flights/squadrons of aircraft. The Player assumes the role of General George Kenney, Commander of the 5th U.S. Army Air Force, with the mission of intercepting the Japanese effort to reinforce its ground forces on the island of New Guinea. The Player must utilize the limited resources available and then determine how best to apply them within specific time constraints. The results of these efforts will be borne out in the effectiveness of air operations.
This design by Allyn Vannoy contains: one 22″ x 32″ Mapsheet, a 16-page rulebook, one Player Aid Card, and 114 oversized laser-cut counters.
6. Souls to Waste: The Battle of An Bao, May 5, 1968 from High Flying Dice Games
Paul Rohrbaugh is a designer I love to follow. He is always doing games on smaller or lesser known conflicts and I just find his work to be superb and really draws me in. He has done a line of games dealing with different battles from the Vietnam War and always names them after popular songs of the time including games like Long Cruel Woman: The Attack on Firebase Mary Ann, March 28, 197, No Satisfaction: Operation Hump November 5-8, 1965 and As Tears Go By: Operation StarliteAugust 1965. Recently I saw one of their newest games on the Battle of An Bao called Souls to Waste and I guess it might be named after the Rolling Stone’s song Sympathy for the Devil (Souls to Waste).
From the game page, we read the following:
Souls to Waste portrays the epic fight waged between the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and tanks and the 1/69th Tank Battalion against three Battalions of the 22nd Regiment, 3rd PAVN (People’s Army of Vietnam) Infantry Division.
The NVA laid a trap in the hills to the west of three firebases maintained by the 173rd Infantry Brigade. The NVA’s 22nd Infantry Regiment was recently deployed to the area and well-armed with the latest Soviet weaponry, especially new Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) that could easily penetrate the armor of the American’s M-113 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), as well as mortars and heavy machine guns. The goal was to lure one of the US troop companies into an ambush, and then either inflict more casualties on any relief force that would come to their aid, or fall back and do it again at a time and place of their choosing.
Each turn represents 30 minutes of time. An inch on the map corresponds to about 100 yards in actual distance. Infantry type units are platoons, and armored units represent 1 or 2 vehicles.
If you are interested in Souls to Waste: The Battle of An Bao, May 5, 1968, you can order a copy for $22.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/anbao.html
7. Death or Glory: The Battle of Rorke’s Drift from Art of Wargames
Solitaires games are plentiful this month and another one that I found was Death or Glory: The Battle of Rorke’s Drift from Art of Wargames. This one looks pretty interesting and has some really interesting mechanics to it. Plus, it is a solitaire game on one of the most known and greatest battles of history.
From the game page, we read the following:
Dive into history and Heroism in Death or Glory: The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, a war game that immerses you in the heart of this legendary clash. Relive the valiant stand of 150 British soldiers as they defend a mission station against a Zulu “impi” numbering in the thousands, during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.
As the clock strikes 4:30 PM, the earth trembled with the thundering chant of “Usuthu!” – the Zulu battle cry. Masses of warriors surged forward in wave after wave, their horns echoing across the plains and their assegai spears flashing in the sun. The British defenders, entrenched in the makeshift redoubt, met the onslaught with unwavering resolve and disciplined volleys of rifle fire.
When the dust settled, the battlefield lied eerily quiet, strewn with hundreds of casualties. Eleven British heroes will be awarded the Victoria Cross for their extraordinary bravery.
8. And the War Came: American Civil War 1861-1865 from Pinkerton Games
Add this one to the publisher that I didn’t know about until now category but this game looks to be very interesting. And the War Came: American Civil War 1861-1865 from Pinkerton Games is a strategic level look at the American Civil War and looks to be well made with good solid components.
From the game page, we read the following:
Civil war came to the United States on April 12, 1861, and finally ended 4 bloody Aprils later in 1865. And The War Came is a strategic level boardgame on that conflict, the American Civil War. Play either the side of the United States, attempting to restore the Union; or the rebelling Confederate States of America attempting to gain southern independence.
The game is “We Go” turn based. In the same three-month seasonal turn, both players recruit and mobilize replacement units, promote and reassign generals, play orders cards to activate corps sized units to conduct area movement and engage in combat, and perform logistics functions.
By both land and naval movement, or successful combat actions, players gain victory points by seizing areas or taking victory points away from the enemy. Generals may command units in combat and movement, and higher ranked generals can command more units-but generals may also be killed, wounded or captured. To create fog of war and uncertainty there are covers that hide unit strength and type from the opposing side until committed to combat.
There are four short length yearly scenarios (1861 through 1864), two multi-year campaign scenarios, (1861-1863, and 1863-1865) and the entire war scenario. Select a Scenario, deploy your troops, and prepare for action!
VUCA Simulations is a new company on the scene the last few years and they are coming out with some really great looking games. We have played several of their games and always have a great experience with them. One of their newest pre-order offerings is called Operation Overlord designed by Clem. It covers the D-Day invasion and as usual looks to be of the highest quality and production.
From the game page, we read the following:
Operation Overlord is a deep, historically grounded strategic wargame that simulates the Normandy invasion and the critical battles that followed from June to August 1944. One player commands the Allied SHAEF forces, planning and executing the largest amphibious operation in history, while the opposing player takes the role of Oberbefehlshaber West, defending the Atlantic Wall and attempting to delay the Allied advance long enough to alter the course of the war.
Rather than focusing on tactical skirmishes, Operation Overlord operates at the operational–strategic level, where timing, logistics, intelligence, and command structure are decisive. Players maneuver divisions and army corps across a detailed map of Normandy, manage supply networks and reinforcements, execute historical and fictional operations, and influence battles through doctrine, supports, and event cards.
Each month begins with high-level planning: the Allied player secretly schedules strategic and special operations, while the German player designates key cities as Festungen, to be held at all costs. Weekly turns then unfold through intelligence gathering, supply allocation, reinforcement arrivals, and alternating unit activations that combine maneuver and combat into a tense, fluid system. Fog of war is maintained through hidden unit values and simultaneous combat card reveals, ensuring constant uncertainty and meaningful decision-making.
Victory is not measured simply by territory, but by time and consequences. The German player is unlikely to drive the Allies back into the sea—but every week gained has far-reaching implications for morale, resources, and other fronts of the war. Likewise, an Allied breakthrough ahead of schedule can dramatically reshape history. Each scenario and campaign outcome includes historically reasoned consequences that frame the result within the broader context of World War II.
With multiple scenarios (June, July, August, and a full campaign), robust asymmetry, and a strong emphasis on planning and operational art, Operation Overlord offers a demanding and rewarding experience for players seeking a serious, historically informed wargame.
If you are interested in Operation Overlord, you can order a copy for €119,99 ($141.68 in US Dollars) from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasims.com/products/operation-overlord
10. Hold the Line: Hannibal from Worthington Publishing
Love me some Ancients and particularly if those Ancients include elephants! Such is the case with the newest game from Worthington Publishing called Hold the Line: Hannibal. The Hold the Line Series is a series of historical wargames by Worthington Publishing focused typically on horse-and-musket era combat, specifically the American Revolution. The game features quick-playing, tactical, hex-based scenarios and the series uses custom dice for combat.
From the game page, we read the following:
Hold the Line: Hannibal is a grand tactical two-player game covering 10 of the greatest battles of the Punic Wars. Following in the footsteps of Richard Borg’s Commands and Colors system and more directly Worthington’s Hold the Line series, Hannibal includes the same standard size map board, 13 hexes wide and 9 hexes deep. Combat is resolved with custom dice.
The scale is 300-400 meters per hex, 90 minutes per turn and units of 3-6,000 infantry, 2-4,000 cavalry and 15-25 war elephants. The units are mainly of 4-steps and include four types of infantry: elite, regular, barbarian and light; three types of cavalry: regular, barbarian and light; and, of course, war elephants. Some units have missile capability, which enhances lethality in combat.
Hold the Line: Hannibal, features 10 battles of the Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome.
As usual, thanks so much for reading along and sticking with me this month as I navigated through the many websites and game pages looking for new and interesting games to share.
Finally, thanks once again to this month’s sponsor Bellica 3rd Generation!
New Cold War: 1989-2019 is a Card-Driven Game based in the most important geopolitical events from 1989 to 2019. Players lead one of the four great powers (Russia, China, US, EU) in their fight for the new world order. Initially, the confrontation is between the red bloc, consisting of Russia and China and the blue bloc, comprising the United States and the European Union. However, each player must also prioritize their own strategy, as only one power can emerge victorious at the end of the game. Therefore, this game starts with cooperation between allied powers in the early stages but becomes entirely competitive as the moment of final victory approaches.
New Cold War utilizes a Card-Driven game mechanic. Players strive to attain victory by gaining international prestige, dominating the media and increasing their control of countries and different regions of the world. Other key factors to manage include military force and United Nations Security Council vetoes. Players’ strategies are determined by a series of hidden objectives they must pursue to achieve victory.
The game accommodates three or two-player versions and includes a solitaire mode through a system of bots.
Time of Wars: Eastern Europe 1590-1660 is a card-driven multiplayer game in which players assume the roles of rulers of five superpowers in Eastern Europe – the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Empire of Russia, the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Holy Roman Empire. There are also smaller states – Denmark, Brandenburg, Moldova, Wallachia, Transylvania and the Crimean Khanate. They can be the basis of strong competition between players or the source of internal problems.
The game presents the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. This period was full of famous figures (rulers and commanders) and critical events – for example Great Sadness in Russia, Thirty Years’ War in the German Reich, “Swedish Deluge” in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. All of this and more are elegantly integrated into the gameplay.
At the heart of the game are five decks of cards – one for each superpower. Each time a player uses a specific card, he has to make a difficult decision – play the card as Operations Points or as an Event. The background of the choice is the need to develop one’s own country or weaken the enemy’s position.
There is a lot of interaction between players during the game. They can declare wars or form alliances through secret negotiations. Winning battles and wars are important, but players must also keep their countries healthy. The game shows factors such as economy, domestic politics, military level and religion. All of them can affect specific player actions.
The game has many options for each player, and each country has its own problems and advantages. Despite this, the gameplay is extremely well-balanced. Moreover, the random factor is reduced to the necessary minimum. As a result, players feel that the fate of Eastern Europe is in their hands and depends on their decisions.
With this new My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#67: Frederick Douglas from Votes for Women from Fort Circle Games
Votes for Women is a very interesting card-driven game that covers the American Women’s Suffrage Movement from 1848-1920, culminating in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which granted women the right to vote. The game is a 2-player game, that has a fully developed solitaire mode with an “Oppobot” and offers a cooperative mode for those who don’t wish to play as they Opposition. The Suffragist player will have to push Congress to propose the Nineteenth Amendment, and then focus on campaigning to have a minimum of 36 states to ratify the Amendment. The Opposition side will try to prevent Congress from proposing the amendment and failing that to have 13 states reject the amendment.
The game uses cards in a fairly traditional CDG way as there are events that can be be taken or the cards can be played to do things like Campaign, Organize or Lobby Congress. Each card has a specific Card Era that is used to create of the each players’ Draw Decks. Late cards will be on the bottom of the deck, Middle cards will be in the middle of the deck and Early cards will be on the top of the deck. The Suffragist and Opposition decks each have one Start card that will be placed in the player’s hand at the start of the game. Some Event Cards have a prerequisite and some of the cards require a player to roll a 6-sided die and only take the the action on a roll of 3-6. Otherwise, the Event Card is discarded with no effect. The cards in this game are also steeped in historical details, from the name of the events that tie back to specific individuals or happenings, to major moments in the struggle. This game is about the history of the struggle for the right to vote and it is very good!
I like to see Votes for Women as a game primarily as it uses some really fun and lite methods to determine the majority control in various states. One of the goals of the game is for either side to place out their influence cubes in the states in order to collect State cards that provide unique and sometimes very powerful free ways to add more influence or otherwise change the level of influence in states. This goal also leads all the way to the end game as if when the 19th Amendment is ratified in Congress because the Suffragist player used their cards to place out support cylinders in Congress each of the states can have their support for the amendment decided at that time if there are 4 or more influence cubes of either side in that state. If there are 4 cubes in a state at that time either a green check mark will be placed, representing support for the 19th Amendment or an orange X will be placed meaning the state voted against.
The Frederick Douglas card is one of these methods used to shake things up a bit and give the Suffragist player a chance to push their luck and roll the die to see how many influence cubes they can place. The card text instructs the player to roll a D8 (the game uses D6’s, D8’s and D12’s) and then add that number of influence cubes in the Northeast region, which includes states such as New York, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The key limiter here though is that no more than 1 cube per state can be placed. The other thing about placing these influence cubes is that you can use 1 cube to remove a cube of the opposing player. This action does not allow you to then place one of your cubes in the state if that action would remove the only Opposition cube in the state…but nice try!
Frederick Douglass was a staunch, lifelong advocate for women’s suffrage, viewing it as an essential component of human equality, famously declaring “Right is of no sex”. As a key ally to suffragists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, he supported the cause for over four decades, including crucial support at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention.
In an issue of the North Star published shortly after the convention, Douglass wrote:
In respect to political rights, we hold woman to be justly entitled to all we claim for man. We go farther, and express our conviction that all political rights which it is expedient for man to exercise, it is equally so for women. All that distinguishes man as an intelligent and accountable being, is equally true of woman; and if that government is only just which governs by the free consent of the governed, there can be no reason in the world for denying to woman the exercise of the elective franchise, or a hand in making and administering the laws of the land. Our doctrine is, that “Right is of no sex.”
Douglass continued to support the cause of women after the 1848 convention. In 1866 Douglass, along with Stanton and Anthony, founded the American Equal Rights Association, an organization that demanded universal suffrage. Though the group disbanded just three years later due to growing tension between women’s rights activists and Africa-American rights activists, Douglass remained influential in both movements, championing the cause of equal rights until his death in 1895.
Here is a link to our full video review of the game:
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
Card #66: Harwood’s Intuition from The Hunt from Salt & Pepper Games
I have played several hidden movement games over the years and enjoyed them all. Some of these titles have included wargames such as They Come Unseen from Osprey Games, Sniper Elite: The Board Game from Rebellion Unplugged and Bomber Command from GMT Games as well as a few board games including Hunt for the Ring from Ares Games. The concept of moving cautiously, attempting to evade pursuers, all while trying to locate and acquire or destroy objectives makes for a very interesting gaming experience. These situations can make for some really tense games that cause your head to ache and your wits to be tested. But they rely on some bluffing as well. Trying to force your opponent to anticipate where they think you should be and then trying not to be there. A really great mechanic in board games but not always easy to pull off and make for a very playable and interesting game. In 2022, we played a new design from Matthias Cramer and Engin Kunter that took this hidden movement concept and put it into a historically based game about the struggle over control of the South Atlantic between the British Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine during the early years of World War II called The Hunt from Salt & Pepper Games.
The Hunt is a Card Driven Game where the German player has to attempt to stay hidden while trying to sink merchant shipping as the Royal Navy hunts for them throughout the South Atlantic. The players each have asymmetric actions to use to accomplish their missions and each has a tough time doing what they have to do. But, if they manage their cards wisely, using them as effectively as possible, they can successfully either evade their pursuer or catch their prey.
In today’s post, we will take a look at the very useful British card Harwood’s Intuition. Harwood’s Intuition is a 5 Ops card, which makes it a very important card in the British deck as it allows for the taking of 2-3 actions in a single turn, but for which there is an even more important use as an ambush by playing it as a Reaction to a German action. If the German player ever searches for a Freight Ship in a space where there is a British Task Force, and Harwood’s Intuition is played as a reaction, the British will get a free Search action with a +1 DRM to the roll. Normally, a Search requires a 5+ on a d6 to be successful, but with this bonus +1 that will mean success on a 4+ which is a 50/50 proposition. And remember, the point of the game for the British is to find and sink the Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate. Such as tasty surprise card for the British! I know that when I play as the Germans, I have to always keep in the back of my mind that this card exists and that if there is a Force present, I have a risk of being ambushed. This is one of the elements that makes this game so good.
The Battle of the River Plate was fought in the South Atlantic on December 13, 1939 and was officially the first British naval battle of World War II. In the months leading up to this infamous date, due to several successful sinkings of merchant shipping by the Graf Spee, the Royal Navy was ordered by Admiral Sir Henry Harwood Harwood to keep observation between Medanos and Cape San Antonio located off the coast of Argentina south of the River Plate estuary. In the lead up to the climactic final battle, following various raider-warning radio messages from the merchantman Doric Star, which was sunk by Admiral Graf Spee off South Africa, Harwood suspected that the raider would try to strike next at the merchant shipping off the River Plate estuary between Uruguay and Argentina. He ordered his squadron to steam toward the position 32° south, 47° west. Harwood chose that position, according to his dispatch, because it was the most congested part of the shipping routes in the South Atlantic and therefore the point at which a raider could do the most damage to enemy shipping. A Norwegian freighter saw Admiral Graf Spee practicing the use of her searchlights and radioed that her course was toward South America; the three available cruisers of Force G rendezvoused off the estuary on December 12th and conducted maneuvers.
Though generally considered a river, the River Plate has been considered by some geographers as a large bay or a marginal sea of the South Atlantic. Principally this is due to the River Plates enormous width, if we are considering it a river the widest in the world, with a maximum width of about 140 miles. Acting as the marine border between Argentina and Uruguay, the River Plate was a main artery of maritime trade and a gateway into the interior of the South American continent.
It was here that Harwood predicted the German raider would strike and his assumption made sense. The River Plate’s Estuary acted as a natural bottleneck for ships with perilous tides and sandbanks additionally hampering any ability for a British Merchant vessel to escape the guns of a German raider. So it was near the Estuary of the River Plate that Harwood’s H.M.S Exeter, Ajax and Achilles would make their stand. With their force concentrated here, on December 12th preparations were made and tactics drawn up in anticipation for an arriving adversary and to spring the trap and catch the elusive Admiral Graf Spee off-guard and send her to the bottom.
Here also is a link to our full video review of the game:
Anticipation! Something that we feel for things that we are interested in, whether it be family trips, sporting events, time off, holidays or hobbies. Anticipation keeps our minds focused on something that we feel and hope will be a good thing that brings us great joy. I feel anticipation each year for the new wargames that we are going to get to play many of which we will have been waiting upon….sometimes for years. Each year since year 3 of the blog (having been started in 2016), I have posted this list highlighting my most anticipated wargames for the upcoming year. The list has grown each year with the first entry consisting of 11 games in 2018, then growing to 12 games in 2019 and 2020, ballooning to 18 games in 2021 and then settling on just 10 games in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and then 11 games in 2025. This year, I will focus on 15 games because I cannot help myself! In case you missed my post from last year, you can read that here: Most Anticipated Wargames of 2025!
Once again the same as I did last year, I wanted to put this caveat out there. The games chosen for this list might not fit your definition of a wargame. I feel that historical and wargames are somewhat interchangeable terms because of the quote from Clausewitz “war is a mere continuation of politics by other means”. Wargames to me are a broad category not simply relegated to hexes, counters and a CRT. Don’t get me wrong. I really like hexes, counters and a CRT. But wargames can include none of these three things and be considered wargames to me. But that is probably a debate for another time. Once this post is shared, I expect many comments and questioning statements from you our audience and I have come to actually “anticipate” reading these. So sit back, relax and get ready to have your paradigm about what a wargame is shifted!
Battle Commander: Volume I – Napoleon’s Italian Campaigns from Sound of Drums
I have been following this project for the past couple of years after it had a very successful Gamefound campaign in November 2024. I just really like the way the game looks to be laid out and executed and frankly anything designed by Carl Paradis has been good such as the No Retreat Series. Another tactical Napoleonics game sounds like something that I am very much in need of and am hotly anticipating this title. Battle Commander: Napoleon’s Italian Campaigns is at the Brigade/Division scale, is supposedly very playable, with no downtime or complex computations or mechanics. Because it is being published by Sound of Drums, the package will be super-deluxe, using a very large box, allowing the 2-sided mounted maps to be folded only once, game pieces will be painted-on wood blocks of different shapes, so no annoying stickers to apply, you’ll have a couple dozen blocks per side in a game, often less. Also, no dice, almost no markers, and the emphasis is on the gameplay!
The crux of the game engine will be the deck of event cards, that will also take care of all the combat results and other dice functions and the cube-pull mechanism, that will manage player unit activations, but also turn end, when combat and rally happens, and other similar game happenstances. It’s all a very granular affair. The whole package has a definite “Kriegspiel” look, with all the graphics done in a contemporary Napoleonic style, with a very different way of maneuvering units on the field of battle compared to other Napoleonic games.
From the game page, we read the following:
Battle Commander intends to recreate historical 18th-19th century battles. It features a fresh framework focused on providing two key aspects: command decision and maximum playability.
In Volume I, you act as Army Commander in a series of six dramatic Battles fought during Napoleon’s two Italian campaigns. Volume II will cover engagements of the Second and Third Coalitions, including Austerlitz and the Battle of the Pyramids.
In Battle Commander, you struggle against the chaos of battle, making meaningful high-level decisions, not micro-managing your troops: that’s your colonels’ job! Good card play is paramount for Battle success, but make no mistake: this is not a card-driven, but a card enhanced game.
Cube-pull activation is used to manage game phases (movement, combat, rally, card draws etc.), and cards for the interactive combat system and events, allowing for a myriad of possibilities and solitaire-friendly gaming. No dice, no complex odds counting, no markers, no play downtimes, no sure thing!
A persona card represents each Commander, his specific abilities and your Army’s resources; the all-important Subordinate Leaders are integrated in an innovative multi-role card system.
Morale and troop skill are a core mechanic: demoralizing the enemy goes a long way towards winning the fight, with Armies slowly degrading in performance, until the breaking point! Casualties are managed effortlessly, and a correct “Battlefield Look” maintained at all times. With a game piece count similar to Chess, you’ll be able to assess your going in one quick “coup d’oeuil”.
This one looks to be interesting! And Carl Paradis is a very good designer as we have played lots of his No Retreat! Series games and enjoyed them.
I am 100% confident that Battle Commander Volume I: Napoleon’s Italian Campaigns will be out this year and I am very much looking forward to playing it.
Valiant Defense Series Volume V: Guadalcanal: The Battle for Henderson Field, Oct 23-26, 1942 from Dan Verssen Games
The Valiant Defense Series originally designed by David Thompson has been one of my favorite solitaire wargame series of the past 8 years. Each of the volumes in the game addresses very specific situations and always have a very interesting take with fun mechanics, great art and fantastic production. The torch for the series though appears to be passing to a new designer in Vincent Cooper. He has been working on Guadalcanal: The Battle for Henderson Field, Oct 23-26 1942 for the past few years and it had a successful Kickstarter campaign in July 2024.
From the game page, we read the following:
Valiant Defense Series Volume V: Guadalcanal: The Battle for Henderson Field (Oct 23-26, 1942) from Dan Verssen Games is a solitaire wargame where players command US forces defending a fixed perimeter against waves of Imperial Japanese Army troops. It focuses on the pivotal four-day battle, utilizing card-driven AI to simulate intense, often nocturnal, combat, similar to Pavlov’s House.
Players will command the 1st Marine Division and the 164th Infantry Regiment, defending the Lunga perimeter against the Japanese 17th Army’s major October offensive. Similar to Pavlov’s House, you manage multiple layers of defense, including the Cactus Air Force (Wildcats and SBD’s), supply lines from Task Force 62, and the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment. The game emphasizes the “Night” setting of Guadalcanal’s jungle warfare, utilizing unique card illustrations to show Japanese columns advancing through the dense foliage toward your perimeter.
This all started about 3 1/2 years ago when I first played Pavlov’s House. I say played. I ‘played’ the game for about 10 minutes…and then I sat there in stunned disbelief at how a game could be sooooo good!!!! By the time I finished there were two very clear ideas for games fully formed. I contacted DVG to see if there was any interest and they put me in touch with David Thompson. I didn’t hold much hope. There was no reason for him to trust his IP to me, a person he didn’t know.
But I gave it a try and David, it turns out, is one of the nicest people you can ever come into contact with. After some back and forth, the idea for Guadalcanal – The Battle for Henderson Field was born (not, in fact, one of the original ideas, but we’ll see what the future holds for them…).
Art by the supremely talented Nils Johansson
Thank you to all the play testers, and in particular Glenn Saunders, Shane Freshwater and Martin Fenwick Charlesworth Much more to come from out design team in the near future!!!
The most recent update on this one’s progress says that the game was sent to the printer in December 2025 and that this process could take “months”. With that being said, my guess is that this will shipping in the spring, probably around April.
Volume II Civil War Heritage Series – Army of the Potomac: Campaigns of 1862 & 1864 from GMT Games
Several years ago, Mark Herman designed a very unique and simple American Civil War game called Gettysburg that appeared in C3i Magazine #32. That game became the basis for his new Civil War Heritage Series with the first volume being Rebel Fury that focused on five battles from the Chancellorsville and Chickamauga Campaigns. He has been working on the follow-up to that game and we finally will get it with Army of the Potomac.
From the game page, we read the following:
Army of the Potomac: Campaigns of 1862 & 1864 is the second volume in the Civil War HeritageSeries and the follow-up game to the innovative and acclaimed Rebel Fury. Army of the Potomac uses the same core rules as Rebel Fury, so players familiar with Rebel Fury will be able to jump right into the action. Each battle in Army of the Potomac is quick-set-up, quick-playing, and deeply interactive. The density of counters in each scenario is low, allowing you to see and experience the big picture of the battle.
Army of the Potomac covers the battles of Spotsylvania II, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and the entire Seven Days battle (McClellan vs. Lee), including the prelude Seven Pines (McClellan vs. Johnson) when Johnson’s wounding brought Lee into the command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Each battle places you, the player, in the role of the Army Commander (Grant, McClellan, Lee, Johnson). You maneuver your army to find the enemy’s flanks, concentrate your forces for an attack, and determine where to commit your artillery assets.
I think that one of the most interesting parts is that this new game can be played with Rebel Fury as also included are two bonus scenarios to allow owners of Rebel Fury to fight Spotsylvania II and begin the Campaign scenario from Wilderness to Cold Harbor using their original Rebel Fury map.
While attending the WBC last summer, me sat down with Mark Herman and he gave us an overview and insight into the game and its focus. You can watch that interview at the following link:
If you are interested in Volume II Civil War Heritage Series Army of the Potomac: Campaigns of 1862 & 1864, you can pre-order a copy for $49.00 from the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1108-army-of-the-potomac.aspx
The most recent update from GMT Games from late January was that Army of the Potomac is currently at the printer but doesn’t have an expected shipping date as of yet. My guess is this one will be on our tables sometime in early summer.
First Man in Rome – Strategikon Book II: The Civil War and the Fall of the Republic from Thin Red Line Games
If you are a monster wargame fan then you are probably familiar with Thin Red Line Games and the genius behind the madness Fabrizio Vianello. They are a small but passionate publisher and my favorite thing about them is that Fabrizio speaks in his military jargon so fluently that it is such a thematic boost to the games they produce. Over the past couple of years, we have posted interviews with Fabrizio covering their Cold War Gone Hot games called Die Festung Hamburg and In a Dark Wood as well as the first game in a new Ancients series called The Fate of All: Alexander’s Campaign Against the Persian Empire. Following along in that Strategikon Series is the new volume called First Man in Rome that was announced during the fall of last year.
From the game page, we read the following:
Citizens, the creation of the great mosaic depicting the beleagured civil war between Caius Iulius Caesar and Cneo Pompeius Magnus continues!
As already discussed in the Senate, we intend to represent the entire civil war, from the crossing of the Rubicon in 49BC to the defeat of the last Pompeian forces in Spain in 45BC. So it’s not just a glimpse of this epic confrontation, but the whole struggle for the greater good of the Res Publica.
I can now share some details on the map, almost at its conclusion. The map will be probably divided in six parts, each one with the size of a “standard” map. Due to the enormous extension of the conflict, the scale has been increased from 30km to 60km per hex, and the rules will be adjusted accordingly.
If you are interested in First Man in Rome– Strategikon Book II: The Civil War and the Fall of the Republic, you are encouraged by the designer to reserve a copy immediately by writing a votive tablet (email) to info@TRLGames.com! Don’t miss your chance to join the Legions and defend the Res Publica!
Rising Dragon: Platoon Level Combat in 2034 from Flying Pig Games
Several years ago, we played a very fresh and innovative wargame called Armageddon War, which is a platoon level scenario based game set in the near future. The game focuses on the Mid-East, pitting Israelis, Russians, and Americans against age-old adversaries. The game felt very fresh and new as it adds a few new tricks to a tried and true hex and counter tactical wargame system. And Flying Pig Games pulled out all of the stops on production with huge hexes, beautifully large counters and custom dice. Now, finally, Flying Pig Games and Greg Porter are unveiling the next volume in this series called Rising Dragon: Platoon Level Combat in 2034 and it looks awesome!
From the game page, we read the following:
October 1, 2034 marks the beginning of the conflict that unfolds in Rising Dragon, a standalone game and campaign setting for the Armageddon WarSystem. With the United States turning inward in the wake of the catastrophic ‘Armageddon War’, China seizes the moment to assert its territorial claims, letting the world know that it is now the unchallenged power in the region. This sets the stage for a military showdown that spans East Asia, with Taiwan at the epicenter.
Platoon Level
Scale of 150 meters per hex
15 minutes per turn
Continuous Chit-pull Activation
18 stamped dice for combat resolution
Naval, amphibious, and urban conflicts
Age: 14+
Players: 2
Playing Time: 1-3 Hours
Scenario based
The game introduces cutting-edge technologies, including hypersonic missiles, advanced amphibious operations, and features detailed maps that bring the battlegrounds of Taiwan and the wider region to life. Scenarios include the Chinese invasion of Taiwan, where hypersonic missile systems like the PRC Heaven Sword devastate Taiwanese defenses.
OPLAN 5027 Supplement
OPLAN 5027 expands the conflict further, introducing North and South Korean hostilities, where players can engage in both the defense and offense of Korea’s border zones. With Rising Dragon, players can immerse themselves in a fast-paced, near-future conflict, where technological advancements and strategic decision-making determine the fate of East Asia.
Gameplay is continuous and fluid. There are no turns, just continuous activations. The intensity of a unit’s close combat modifier is determined not only by its weapons but also by the tactics you choose to use for the assault or defense, and when you fire on a unit, it has the option of taking cover or returning fire. The number of dice and the color of dice rolled, determine the number of hits.
Formations are activated by chit draw (nothing new there), but returned to the draw cup not at the end of a turn, but rather in a continuous manner. When chosen, a formation marker is placed on the activation track, to the right of the last-drawn formation. When only one chit remains in the cup, the two leftmost chits are returned to the draw cup. Simple, continuous.
I am unsure if this title will be ready this year but am hoping that it it. The Kickstarter campaign was funded in November and I see no reason why this cannot be fulfilled by the end of the year.
Rebel Tide: The American Civil War, 1861-1865 from Compass Games
There is no secrete that we really enjoy Gregory M. Smith designs and we also count him as a close friend so take that for what it is worth. He is a great designer and has put together some of our favorite narrative-driven solitaire wargames, such as Silent Victory, The Hunters and The Hunted, but also has done some great 2-player strategic level games on various historical periods including Imperial Tide, covering WWI, and Pacific Tide, taking on the Pacific Theater of WWII. His new game in the system deals with the American Civil War and is called Rebel Tide.
From the game page, we read the following:
Rebel Tide: The U.S. Civil War, 1861-1865 is a two-player strategic level game that places you in command of either the USA (Union) or CSA (Confederacy) during the Civil War. Each turn consists of a year, during which multiple card plays occur. These give the players movement, combats, entrenchments, and other actions. At the end of each year, players must make critical decisions on which cards to re-buy in an attempt to win the war outright or to win by placing the other side in a disadvantageous position by 1865. Rebel Tide is based on the popular, action-packed Imperial Tide/Pacific Tidegame system by Gregory M. Smith, with many combat and strategic decisions to challenge players in just a single evening’s game.
The core of the game is the unique card re-buy system, in which players take their annual production (adjusted for blockades and blockade runners) and decide which cards they need for the upcoming year. Cards not only provide for reinforcements, but allow for movement, combat, and entrenchment. Which cards to rebuy is without question one of the key decisions the player must make to prepare for next year’s operations.
The game has infantry units for all of the major participants, cavalry, and artillery units. Naval operations are mainly abstracted, although the Confederate player must worry about Farragut invading a port from the sea. Besides the focus on card play, the game features a small footprint (one standard map) and also is designed to be played in just a single evening – estimated at 3 hours for experienced players to fight the entire war.
But don’t worry because the game is not just a reskin of the same system used in those other two games, although the system is really interesting, but instead attempts to create new mechanics and elements to tell the proper story of the struggle for the soul of the country in the 1860’s.
One new mechanic in Rebel Tide is the Political Track, which is an abstract measure of the support of England and/or France to the Confederacy. If this track reaches the maximum early in the war, it can trigger an early CSA victory.
Another new key mechanic in the game system is the addition of historical Leaders, who range in ability from excellent (5) to poor (2). Bad leaders may be “sacked” and removed from the game and randomly replaced by the expenditure of a movement action. Leaders are vital in advancing after combat and also can add strength to an attack’s total combat power.
While attending WBC a few summers ago, we had a chance to sit down with Gregory M. Smith to cover a few of his upcoming designs and Rebel Tide was included in that discussion. Here is a look at our video interview with Greg:
As of February, Rebel Tide was the 4th next game to be published according to Compass Games website so I would think that this will be in our hands early summer.
Brandywine 1777 – A Time for Heroes from Les 3 Zouaves
As you know, I love a good game about the American Revolution and last fall (September) month I noticed a new game going to Gamefound on the Battle of Brandywine Creek on September 11, 1777. The game is from a new company that I don’t know much about called Les 3 Zouaves but looks really great.
From the game page, we read the following:
The smoke of musket fire hangs in the air. The Brandywine River glistens behind your lines. Across the field, redcoats are on the move — and one bold decision could tip the balance of the entire Revolution.
You hold command.
Will you outwit your enemy? Will you strike with daring precision, or hold the line against impossible odds?
Play as General Howe or General Washington in a tense, card-driven clash of minds.
Every decision matters. Every move could rewrite history.
And only one can emerge victorious.
Brandywine 1777 is more than a battle: It’s your chance to prove you are a true tactician… a hero of the Revolutionary Wars.
In Brandywine 1777, you assume the role of George Washington, facing a bold and elusive enemy. Activation Cards are your principal tool —used to commit your forces at just the right moment… if you can anticipate the British plan.
But it’s never that simple. Each card lists several potential formations—some real, some misleading—and you’ll never have enough activations to do everything you need to do. Choose wisely, bluff cleverly, and stay one step ahead.
You’ll be balancing:
Major activations – few in number, but vital,
Minor activations – flexible but limited,
And Bonus activations, which cost precious cohesion but can turn the tide when used effectively.
This one is a stretch to add to this post but once again I am being optimistic.
Limits of Glory Campaign V: Donning the Sacred Heart from Form Square Games
A few years ago, we became acquainted with Andrew Rourke through his Coalitions design from PHALANX that went on to a successful crowdfunding campaign and is a game that I am very much looking forward to and have been since that time. He has since been a busy guy with starting his own publishing company called Form Square Games and also publishing the first 3 designs in a new series called Limits of Glory that will take a look at the campaigns of Napoleon and other contemporary conflicts. In Campaign I, which is called Bonaparte’s Eastern Empire, the game is focused on the campaign of the French in Egypt between 1798 and 1801. Campaigns II, III and IV are Maida 1806 and Santa Maura & Capri. Last year, they ran a successful crowdfunding campaign for the fifth campaign and volume in the Limits of Glory Series and it is set during the French Revolution and the Civil War in the Vendée in 1793 and is called Donning the Sacred Heart. I very much have enjoyed our plays of this series with its use of Glory and chance in managing your leaders and their inherent elan and leadership.
From the game page, we read the following:
The French Revolution was not welcomed by all in France. The staunchly Catholic and Royalist leaning Vendée Militaire was a region unwilling to sacrifice its youth to the voracious appetite of the Republic’s military conscription machine, and the people of the Vendée were prepared to fight to defend their beliefs. Donning the Sacred Heart covers the vicious Civil War in the Vendée from March until December, 1793. All combatants and significant commanders are included and the game causes Multiple strategic decisions every turn. Your decisions will decide victory or defeat, the easy to play mechanics produce a subtle game with full player agency. Complete player engagement throughout.
Tension builds as the Event Clock drives the game, neither player being able to depend on events going their way, or knowing when the game will end.
I would expect this one to be fulfilled in late summer as the most recent update in late January was that the games would be shipping soon.
An Impossible War: The First Carlist War in the North, 1834-1838 from Bellica 3rd Generation
A few years ago, we did an interview with David Gómez Relloso covering his well thought of Crusade and Revolution: The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 from Compass Games that was getting a deluxe edition and on Kickstarter at the time. Since that time, we have played the game and really enjoyed it. Recently, I spoke with Francisco Ronco and he informed me that his company Bellica 3rd Generation was doing a new game by David called An Impossible War. That game covers The First Carlist War in the North of Spain and is currently in the process of being fulfilled so it won’t be long now.
From the game page, we read the following:
An Impossible War is a game about the decisive years of the First Carlist War in the North. Infantry and cavalry are represented by blocks, which introduce fog of war into operations. There are also artillery counters (field and mountain artillery) and logistics units (supply trains and backpacks).
The main map is a point-to-point board covering the northern theater of operations: Navarre, the Basque Country, and surrounding areas of La Rioja, Burgos, and Cantabria. In addition to provincial capitals, major towns and other localities are shown, along with primary and secondary routes of communication. There is also a smaller map of the rest of peninsular Spain, showing the regions affected by the Carlist uprising and allowing expeditions being launched from the North.
Each turn, players compete for initiative and carry out a variable number of actions. There is also a card deck for each side, including historical, operational, and tactical events. The cards add background and unpredictability to the game, helping make each session different. This is NOT a card-driven game, but one assisted by cards.
An Impossible War simulates the historical conflict, which featured numerous skirmishes, few major battles, and significant siege warfare. It is an asymmetric game in which each side has strengths and weaknesses. Players must exploit their advantages and mitigate their disadvantages to achieve victory.
The Carlist player must make use of superior mobility and unit quality to consolidate territory, wear down the enemy, and threaten cities. The Liberal player must contain and suppress the insurrection; they have more troops, but of lower quality and plagued by logistical nightmares. Additionally, they must quell uprisings and chase down Carlist expeditions across the rest of Spain.
If you are interested in An Impossible War: The First Carlist War in the North, 1834-1838, you can order a copy for 120,00 € from the Bellica 3rd Generation website at the following link: https://bellica3g.com/en/product/una-guerra-imposible/
This game just recently became available and I actually own a copy and am in the process of doing an unboxing video0 and learning the rules to play it with Francisco Ronco (owner of Bellica 3 G) at the end of the month.
Song for War: Mediterranean Theater from Invicta Rex Games
While attending Buckeye Game Fest in the spring of 2022, we met two new designers who had a very cool looking prototype copy of their new game setup in the War Room called Song for War: Mediterranean Theater. Chris Helm and Seth Stigliano were really nice guys who obviously had put a ton of time into their game and it was immediately evident that this was going to be a different experience. Unfortunately, because of our crazy schedule of events and already committed to games at the convention, we were unable to sit down and play the game but did get a quick overview and crash course into the design as well as a good look at the awesome components.
The game was funded on Kickstarter in 2025 and we have been told that the game will be available by the end of 2026.
From the game page, we read the following:
Song for War is a tabletop strategy game based in the contested regions of southern Europe, north Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea during World War II. Representing one of four nations, players must work together as the Allies (US or Great Britain) or Axis (Germany or Italy). Players have the option to set strategy, move units, attack and defend as individual nations or simultaneously as the Allied or Axis team. Innovative mechanics allow players to deploy their land, sea, and air units strategically as combined forces, with faster units moving first and more often, followed by heavy units with stronger firepower. Take strategic objectives, control shipping lanes and resupply, deploy new technologies and units, and recreate historical events to defeat the enemy and win the day.
One of the best parts is the asymmetry built into the design for each of the nations. This gives the game some feeling of reality versus everyone just having the exact same units with the exact same abilities. I also am really interested in each nations’ special units and want to see how these things work and feel as the game is played.
Fellow content creator Zilla Blitz did a preview for the game in 2023 and you can check that out at the following link:
If you are interested in Song for War: Mediterranean Theater, you can pre-order the game at the Invicta Rex Games website at the following link: https://www.invictarex.com/songforwar
The Lions of El Alamein from VentoNuovo Games
Last year, while perusing the internet, I found mention of an upcoming block wargame on the battles in and around El Alamein in World War II from VentoNuovo Games. The game covers the Axis and Commonwealth Forces clash in the North African Theater in Egypt during 1942 and really looks to be pretty interesting. The game is called The Lions of El Alamein and was successfully funded on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
What is The Lions of El Alamein? North Africa, 1942.The Battles of El Alamein were a series of battles fought in Egypt between Axis and Commonwealth forces between July and November 1942.
The terrain of El Alamein, close to the Qattara Depression, was chosen by the British after the Tobruk rout because it was the only geographical segment that could offer a defense in depth capable of protecting the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal. The game offers five scenarios to play all the battles fought at El Alamein from July to November 1942.
A turn is made of Impulses and each turn represents a month of real time. Each hex represents a distance of about six kilometers from side to side. Units vary from brigades to battalions, most of them HQ’s, armored, artillery, motorized, or infantry. The game employs the newly developed SLIT engine.
Complexity depends on the scenario played and the optional modules applied, thus varying from 2 to 4 out out of 5. Average game duration is less than a hour for the short battles, and about 1-4 hours for the three major battles.
There was supposed to be a series of these small interviews in a run up to the Kickstarter but there was a language misunderstanding (that I still cannot figure out) and I believe that I offended the parties involved and the series was cut short after just one entry. Shame really as I was liking what I was seeing and hoping to bring more of it to you!
I recently received a shipping notice on that one and would expect it to arrive by the end of February.
Model’s Counterattack: The Battle of Radzymin and Bagration’s End from Dissimula Edizioni
A few years ago, Sergio Schiavi broke onto the scene with his new company called Dissimula Edizioni with their first Kickstarter called Radetsky’s March: The Hundred Hours Campaign and that game was then followed a few years later by From Salerno to Rome: World War II – The Italian Campaign, 1943-1944 and then their third game called Give Us Victories: The Chancellorsville Campaign. Now, they have launched a very interesting looking East Front wargame during the summer of 1944, after Soviet forces launched a series of offensives that annihilated much of the German army but Field Marshal Model rallied some intact forces and counterattacked managing to halt temporarily the Soviet forces. This game is called Model’s Counterattack: The Battle of Radzymin and Bagration’s End and is currently available.
From the game page, we read the following:
In the summer of 1944, Soviet forces launched a series of offensives that annihilated much of the German army. During their advance they went as far as the Vistula, arriving near Warsaw. Field Marshal Model, by rallying some relatively intact forces and counterattacking, managed to halt, at least temporarily, the Soviet forces. While all this was happening east of the Vistula, the city of Warsaw rose up behind it…
The game lasts a total of ten turns; during each turn both players, altering each other, move and fight with their forces on the map, trying to conquer or defend key positions. During the course of the game some particular historical events may occur such as the arrival of reinforcements or the Warsaw uprising. At the end of the game, the victory conditions are checked and victory is awarded to the player who scores the most points.
Each hex on the map represents a distance of approximately two kilometers, side to side. Each turn represents one day of real time; units vary from brigades to battalions. The map represents the area where the main bales took place, east of Warsaw. Above it is printed a hexagonal grid which serves to regulate some aspects of the game. Warsaw is considered as a single area, an area where only German forces can transit or mass. Tables and tracks are printed on the map and are used to record and regulate some game functions:
Game Turn Track
Track for the Warsaw Uprising
Track for the allocation of German forces in Magnuszew
If you are interested in Model’s Counterattack: The Battle of Radzymin and Bagration’s End, you can purchase a copy for 59 € on the Dissimula Edizioni website at the following link: https://www.dsimula.com/model
COIN Series Multi-Pack IIThe Guerrilla Generation: Cold War Insurgencies in Latin America from GMT Games
Stephen Rangazas has been active behind the scenes over the past few years with his development work on Fall of Saigon: A Fire in the Lake Expansion. He used his background and research capabilities to great effect as he did the background work on the Event cards for that game. From that experience, he has now come forward with a few of his own designs in The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire, which was announced in 2021 as well as Sovereign of Discord announced in 2022. Now, he is working on a new COIN Series Multi-Pack that deals with insurgencies in Latin America during the height of the Cold War called The Guerrilla Generation.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Guerrilla Generation: Cold War Insurgencies in Latin America is the second COINMulti-Pack, containing four separate games exploring a series of thematically related insurgencies. Building on the The British Way, this new multipack allows players to explore variations in insurgent groups’ organizational structures, strategies, and relationship with civilians, across four insurgencies in Central and South America between 1968 and 1992. During this part of the Cold War era, Latin America experienced an incredible number of different insurgent groups, many inspired by the Cuban Revolution featured in Cuba Libre, ranging from popular backed rural insurgencies, flexible urban guerrillas, externally sponsored raiders, and brutal ideologically rigid groups. This multipack features a game exemplifying each of these types of insurgencies, to offer players the chance to compare different approaches to rebellion highlighted in the quote by scholar Jeremy Weinstein above. The Guerrilla Generation also offers four longer and more complex individual games than those found in The British Way, as well as an entirely different approach to the linked campaign scenario, which combines two games into a simultaneous side-by-side experience.
This Multi-Pack includes four full games in one box, which is a fantastic value that will allow players to explore four different conflicts set during the height of Cold War Latin America between 1968 and 1992. Each game uses a unique ruleset building on the same general mechanical structure, ensuring that they are easy to pick up while still offering a distinctive experience.
I also love these Multi-Packs because they have a small board footprint with each of the 4 games playing in under 2 hours and taking place on a single 17” x 22” board. But, the game doesn’t just treat these games as individual as they are designed to experience at least a portion of the full span of the period and be used to learn more about these insurgencies.
There is also a “Resisting Reagan” Campaign designed into the game. A linked campaign scenario allowing up to 4 players to play El Salvador and Nicaragua side-by-side, with new mechanisms to represent the Central American peace and solidarity movement’s efforts to resist the Reagan Administration’s aid to both the Salvadoran government and the Contra insurgency, by influencing Congress and American public opinion.
In the most recent GMT Games update from January, the game was listed as being at sea, meaning that it has been printed and is in transit to the warehouse. Hoping that this one sees our table in April/May.
Small Battles of the American Revolution, Volume I: The Battle of Cowpens
While attending the World Boardgaming Championships in July 2024, I was able to meet up with Dave Stiffler (acting as Developer on the project) and Bruno Sinigaglio who is the designer to get an early look at the upcoming debut release in the Small BoAR Series called The Battle of Cowpens.
I didn’t get any pictures because they didn’t have the components along to show but learned a lot about the design and how it changes the Battles of the American Revolution Series from GMT Games. First off, the scale is the major difference as it is 1/8th of the scale used in the normal series. This means 25 yard hexes and 2-3 men per counter. They also have included both rifle fire and musket fire which is a change as musket fire is simply an abstracted part of the close combat mechanic in BoAR. They also have added some new mechanics to account better for things like morale and being shaken or even shattered.
I have known about this game for a while now, actually nearly a few years or so, but am very excited to see this one see the light of day and hope that the reception is great and that the game does well because I would like to see more small battles covered in future volumes.
From the game page, we read the following:
Two critical battles were considered turning points in the American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Saratoga in New York and the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. The Battle of Cowpens was a catalyst to a series of events that led eventually to the surrender of the British at Yorktown. Small BoAR Volume I, The Battle of Cowpens, puts players directly into the milieu of this decisive contest.
The goal of the Small BoAR design concept is to include small yet critical battles that otherwise do not fit the scale of the historically simulating and highly successful Battles of the American Revolution (BoAR) system designed by Mark Miklos. This new system, aptly termed Small Battles of the American Revolution (Small BoAR), was designed by Bruno Sinigaglio working closely with Mark Miklos to preserve the continuity and popularity of the original Battles of the American Revolution game system.
Although extremely important to the history of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Cowpens involved slightly over 1000 participants per side. In the Battles of the American Revolution system, which represents 100 men per strength point, this would equate to only ten or so combat factors per side. The scale for the battle of Cowpens, on the other hand, is 12 men per strength point, or one-eighth that of the BoAR system. The map scale is also correspondingly reduced to 25 yards per hex from the BoAR scale of 200 yards per hex. The time scale is approximately four minutes per turn as compared with one hour per turn in BoAR.
I think that one of the best parts of this new series, aside from the size and scope of the battles covered being smaller, is that they have not just rested on their laurels and reproduced the BoAR System but have added new mechanics and elements to better deal with these battles and to model the smaller scale battles.
Although Army Morale, the game-within-the-game in BoAR, is faithfully preserved in Small BoAR, and the Small BoAR sequence of play resembles that of BoAR and will look familiar to anyone who has played games in the original series, certain novel elements appropriate to the new scaling have been added. These include:
The ability to designate cavalry units in reserve
Artillery Fire conducted both offensively and defensively
Simultaneous ranged musket Fire as a complement to ranged rifle fire
A Cavalry Reserve Phase where units designated in Reserve may charge after the normal Close Combat Phase
And Opportunity Card Management
As mentioned earlier, I had the honor of sitting down with Bruno Sinigaglio and Dave Stiffler to discuss this new series and The Battle of Cowpens. Here is a link to that video interview:
If you are interested in Small Battles of the American Revolution, Volume I: The Battle of Cowpens, you can pre-order a copy for $48.00 from the P500 game page at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1140-the-battle-of-cowpens.aspx
In the most recent GMT Games update from January, the game was listed as going through final art and proofreading so production should be in the next few months and possibly this one will be ready in the fall.
Imperial Borders – The Congress of Vienna from Nightingale Games
Put this game in the expensive, overproduced, huge, Ameritrashy wargame section if you are looking for a categorization of what it is but Imperials Borders: The Congress of Vienna from Nightingale Games is designed by Larry Harris (he of Axis & Allies fame) and is somewhat of an alternative history game that includes a system of written orders that is really very cool as we played this system with War Room a few years ago. The game is nearing finalization and shipping after successful Kickstarter campaign last year.
From the game page, we read the following:
Imperial Borders – The Congress of Vienna is an alternative historical board game designed by Larry Harris (designer of Axis & Allies) that lasts about 4 to 6 hours.
PREMISE – What if the Congress of Vienna failed to establish peace? 2 to 6 players control the major nations of Europe during the aftermath of war with Napoleon. Establish a dominating presence of power and wealth through clever diplomacy and strategic warfare…
THE HEART OF THE GAME – Establish a dominating presence of power and wealth through clever diplomacy and strategic warfare…Plotting, scheming, deal-making, and backstabbing are fundamental to winning the game. The timing of exactly when to make your play for domination of Europe is a most challenging dilemma.
HOW TO WIN – Each Nation’s final score is their sum of Prestige points gained gradually over the entire game and the value of all their controlled Territories and Elite Forces in the last Game Round. The highest total score wins the game.
END GAME – Starting in the 5th Game Round, the Congress of Vienna convenes. A blind vote is held as to whether to settle for peace or to continue the conflict. Each subsequent Game Round the results are weighted more heavily towards peace.
This game is very highly produced, with hundreds of plastic miniature units (including infantry, cavalry, artillery and ships of the line) and an absolutely huge and stunning looking board. This one is for sure going to become a game we play at conventions and with large groups of friends. We backed the game and are very much looking forward to playing it!
If you are interested in Imperial Borders: The Congress of Vienna, you can pre-order the game from the Nightingale Games website at the following link: https://www.nightingale-games.com/imperial-borders
With a quick look at their website, it appears that they are readying the game for delivery and then retail sale this summer. You will want to keep your eye out on that page to get information and learn more about the game.
Whew! I am wiped out now. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this list (I know I had a good time writing it!) and I hope that you have a good financing plan to purchase all the gaming goodness coming soon. Let me know what games you are looking forward to in 2026 as I always like to hear your thoughts. With so many good games upcoming it is really hard to cover them all!
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#65: Georgi Zhukov from Churchill: Big 3 Struggle for Peace from GMT Games
The players in Churchill: Big Three Struggle for Peace take on the roles of Churchill, Roosevelt, or Stalin during World War II as they maneuver against each other over the course of 10 Conferences that determine who will lead the Allied forces, where those military forces will be deployed, and how the Axis will be defeated. The player whose forces collectively have greater control over the surrendered Axis powers will win the peace and the game.
Churchill is not necessarily a wargame, but more of a political conflict of cooperation and competition. Over the course of the 10 historical conferences from 1943 till the end of the war this mechanic and much of the design should not be taken literally. Before and after each conference small groups of advisors and senior officials moved between the Allied capitals making the deals that drove the post war peace. These advisors and senior officials are represented by cards with an assigned numeric value that represents an amount of influence. Each conference sees one of a group of issues nominated for inclusion in the conference for debating and discussion. The issues categories include: Theater leadership changes, directed offensives, production priorities, clandestine operations, political activity, and strategic warfare (A-bomb). Each of the historical conference cards independently puts some number of issues, such as directed offensives or production priorities, metaphorically on the table, while the players nominate an additional 7 issues. The best part of the design is the conference table and stress and tension that comes from fighting over each and every issue. No one issue is a game breaker and no one issue will outright win the peace for you. But, each issue is key to the game as they unfold and change the landscape across which you are battling. Not landscape of terrain and defenses, but pit falls, traps and dead ends.
As I have mentioned, the Staff Cards are the engine for the game and the players must utilize their asymmetric abilities to the best of their ability in order to come out on top of the heap at the end of the game. These Staff Cards represent real period personalities of advisors, political officers and generals, who had the ear of the leaders and could go about working behind the scenes to move an issue into the limelight. Each player will utilize these cards to win those issues and each card provides either a bonus for a specific attribute or, in rare occasions, a negative modifier.
Today, we will take a look at one of my favorite type of cards from the game in the Chief of Staff Cards and specifically look at the Soviet Chief of Staff Georgi Zhukov who was the Deputy Supreme Commander in Chief of the Red Army. Each of the Chief of Staff Cards have a random numeric value in addition to a bonus for a certain attribute. The random numeric value is determined from rolling a 6 sided die and then using that number as the card’s base value. In Zhukov’s case, he is good with Production Issues and will grant a +1 strength toward moving these issues on the conference table. I like to think that this random determination of the Chief of Staff Card’s strength represents the internal power struggle with each of the nations leaders and those closest to them. In the case of Soviet Premier Stalin and his relationship with Zhukov they maintained a tense, professional, and ultimately strained relationship defined by mutual need during World War II, followed by postwar jealousy and suspicion. While Stalin relied on Zhukov as his top military commander to secure victory on the battlefield, he grew paranoid of the Marshal’s immense popularity and influence, leading to his ultimate demotion. And this random nature of the card’s strength reflects this well as sometimes they would agree and they could make great progress while other times they did not and there was tension and difficulty in their cooperation.
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was born on December 1, 1896 and was a Soviet military leader who served as a top commander during World War II and achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. During World War II, Zhukov served as deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces under leader Joseph Stalin, and oversaw some of the Red Army’s most decisive victories. He also served at various points as Chief of the General Staff, Minister of Defence and a member of the Presidium of the Communist Party (Politburo).
Born to a poor peasant family near Moscow, Zhukov was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army and fought in World War I. He served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, after which he quickly rose through the ranks. In summer 1939, Zhukov commanded a Soviet army group to a decisive victory over Japanese forces at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, for which he won the first of his four Hero of the Soviet Union awards, and in 1940 he commanded the Soviet invasion of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in Romania. In February 1941, Stalin appointed Zhukov as chief of the General Staff of the Red Army.
Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Zhukov lost his post as chief of staff after disagreeing with Stalin over the defense of Kiev. Zhukov, often in collaboration with Aleksandr Vasilevsky, was subsequently involved in the Soviet actions at Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk. He held the title of deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces from August 1942, and was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in January 1943. He participated in the planning of Operation Bagration in 1944, and in 1945 commanded the 1st Belorussian Front as it led the Vistula–Oder Offensive into Germany, where he oversaw the Soviet victory at the Battle of Berlin. In recognition of Zhukov’s key role in the war, he was chosen to accept the German Instrument of Surrender and to inspect the 1945 Moscow Victory Parade. He also served as the first military governor of the Soviet occupation zone in Germany from 1945 to 1946.
After the war, Zhukov’s popularity caused Stalin to see him as a potential threat. Stalin stripped him of his positions and relegated him to military commands of little strategic significance. After Stalin’s death in 1953, Zhukov supported Nikita Khrushchev’s bid for leadership, and in 1955, he was appointed Defense Minister and made a member of the Presidium. In 1957, Zhukov lost favor again and was forced to retire. He never returned to a top post, and died in 1974. Zhukov is remembered as one of the greatest Russian and Soviet military leaders of all time.
In the Shadows: Resistance in France, 1943-1944 from GMT Games is a 2-player card-driven game about the desperate struggle of the French Resistance against the occupying Nazi and collaborating French forces between January 1943 and June 1944. In the game you will play as either the Resistance or the Occupation in a fight over the hearts and minds of the French People. The game strives to have players better understand the nuances of the resistance and the clandestine nature of the fight that led to the founding of the fourth French Republic.
The gameplay of In the Shadows is driven by Event cards and Actions based on suits. The game relies on three different suits (the Resistance Cross, the Victory Cross, and the Iron Cross) to determine the cost and effectiveness of your Actions. Narratively, this is meant to represent the vital importance of local networks and resources. You may be working with resources in Paris but need to perform Sabotage Actions in Vichy. In this way, the game can better replicate the choices that the leaders of the Occupation and Resistance needed to make.
If you have been following our blog for a while now, you know of my affinity for the history of the American Revolutionary War. I am a proud American, believe deeply in the principles of our land and the Constitution that governs it and am grateful to God every single day that our country was successful in our fight for its freedom in order to create a better society and to assist all peoples with protecting their “unalienable rights” endowed by a Creator, which include “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I play wargames on the American Revolutionary War and very much enjoy learning about the history and its key battles. There are many out there that feel the same as I do and they have designed lots of these type of games and with 2026 being our 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there are events that are planned to celebrate it.
One of which is an event put on by GMT Games and Mark Miklos called Gaming the American Revolution 250 Camden, South Carolina. We are planning to attend and have already marked off the date on our calendar and we would love to see many of you there for 3 days of gaming centered on American Revolutionary Wargames produced and published by GMT Games.
The details of the event are as follows:
The Occasion: Three days of AmRev gaming on the campus of the Camden Revolutionary War Visitor Center located in Camden, South Carolina. Camden was pivotal to the story of the Southern Campaign with two battles fought within 6 miles of each other, bracketed by a British occupation of the town. The Battle of Camden in 1780 was a decisive British victory that crushed the American Southern Army and brought disgrace to American General Horatio Gates. The Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill in 1781 was a British tactical victory that proved to be a strategic defeat.
Holding a dedicated AmRev War game event in Camden is GMT’s way of recognizing not only the 250th anniversary in our nation’s history but also those in our hobby for whom gaming the American Revolution holds a special place in their heart. Perhaps most importantly, the energy that we will bring to the occasion ensures that the people and the events showcased in these excellent games will not be forgotten. As the proverb says, “As long as you speak my name I shall live forever.”
Dates: September 24-27, 2026. (Thursday through Sunday)
Location: Camden, South Carolina.
Venues: Liberty Hall, Camden Revolutionary War Visitor Center and Historic Camden.
Registration: $76.00
Travel:
If flying, Columbia, S.C. is 35 miles away, Charlotte, N.C. is 88 miles away, Charleston, S.C. is 127 miles away, and Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. is 134 miles away.
If driving, connect to East-West Interstate 20 and take exit 98 for US 521 toward Camden. Several hotels are at the exit. Our venue is 1-mile away, toward town, and downtown Camden is perhaps one mile further on.
Lodging: There is no official event hotel. Lodging is on your own. Select from a list of nearby hotels to be published on the launch website.
Meals: Meals are on your own, with some hotels serving an included breakfast. See below for a possible group dinner on Saturday. Local restaurants will be listed on the event website.
Games: This event will feature an exclusively-GMT line up of American Revolutionary War games: Battles of the American Revolution Series, Liberty or Death and Washington’s War. In addition, we anticipate having current prototypes of games in development including The Battle of Cowpens, The Battle of Green Spring, and Common Sense available to play. Players are asked to bring their own copies of the GMT Rev War games they hope to play to ensure availability. A limited number of house games will also be available. Respectfully, please leave games by other publishers at home.
Game Schedule: Friday, 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Saturday, 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Sunday, 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Format: Open gaming; play with a friend or make a new one.
BoAR Eutaw Springs Tournament: For any BoAR players who may want to mark the occasion with competitive play, there will be a single-elimination Eutaw Springs tournament. The winner will receive a theme-appropriate prize.
Attendees: Maximum attendance will be 125. Attending will be Gene and Rachel Billingsley and several GMT designers and developers. Content creators and podcasters will also be in attendance.
Event registration includes the following non-gaming activities:
Thursday – On arrival day we are planning an evening Meet & Greet at the historic McCaa Tavern, a restored 18th century tavern on the campus of Historic Camden. We will gather at approximately 6:00 p.m. for light refreshments and period entertainment. At sunset, we will light the cressets and adjourn to the back lawn for brief remarks, culminating with two rounds of artillery fire in full darkness.
Friday – Gather at 8:30 a.m. on the lawn in front of Liberty Hall for some brief period entertainment preceding the start of gaming. On this day there will be photo opportunities for those wishing a picture in period dress. All attendees will have access to the grounds of Historic Camden featuring several restored period buildings including the Kershaw-Cornwallis House (HQ for Lords Cornwallis and Rawdon during the British occupation) and a reconstructed British redoubt. The Rev War museum at the Visitor Center will also be available.
Saturday – Today we will offer two departures by chartered school buses to the Camden battlefield (approx. 8-miles away) where we will enjoy private battlefield tours conducted by Rick Wise, Executive Director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. Tours will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. with departures scheduled accordingly. Each departure will be limited to bus capacities and sign up will be on-site at registration on a first come, first served basis. The grounds of Historic Camden and the museum will be available today as well.
We are currently trying to arrange a private dinner for Saturday night. Reservations will be required and there will be an upcharge to the $76 event price for those wishing to attend. Arrangements may not be completed by the time event tickets go on sale on February 19th. In that case, we will notify all registered players later with information about the dinner, (location, cuisine, cost, time, etc.) and the opportunity to reserve space.
Sunday – Gaming ends at 3:00 p.m. Last chance to visit the sites of Historic Camden, The Old Presbyterian Graveyard, and the Quaker Cemetery, final resting places for several Revolutionary War soldiers. Depart for onward travel.
Agenda for non-registered players: We are working to compile a list of points of interest and other activities for those coming to Camden but who will not be registering to play. This list will include at least one antebellum home open to the public, the National Steeplechase Museum, the Camden Horse & Hound Weekend, antique stores and boutique shops, etc. Entry fees, if any, will be the responsibility of each individual.
More information will be forthcoming soon and the event website where you can register will be available on February 19th.
I am very excited about this opportunity and Alexander and I are already making plans to attend. We look forward to playing several games of the Battles of the American Revolution Series, as we have really only played a few including Brandywine, Savannah and Germantown, as well as talking with fellow devotees to the historical period and seeing the sights. I have been to Camden in the past, but didn’t get a chance to see all of the sites in the area and look forward to learning more about the period and setting.
Because this is a wargaming blog, I am going to share below some of our content we have made regarding AmRev War games for your review:
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#64: Guns of August from Paths of Glory: The First World War, 1914-1918 from GMT Games
Paths of Glory is widely thought to be a masterpiece on WWI and after just a few plays of the game, both in person and online on the fabulous Rally the Troops!, I can definitely see why people feel that way. Even though we are novices, the game is just that good and really tells the story of the fruitless efforts of both the Entente and Central Powers as they bashed their heads against each other over control of Europe. The game is long and you generally are going to have to play this one over a long weekend to get it all in and enjoy it properly but it is just such as great tool to understand the complexities of the struggles of trench warfare, supply and the balance of attacking versus taking a breath and regrouping. I really enjoyed the mix of historical events and the choices that I had to wage the war in a way that I felt was appropriate. But, my message to everyone who plays this game is beware of supply. Even in our few plays, supply has been an issue and we have had to make sure we didn’t make a few fatal mistakes that would get us in trouble. I want it to be clear here. I am not good at this game…at all and the nuances of supply and how to play have just eluded me as I continue to make the same errors game after game. But it is really good and I look forward to each new play with enthusiasm and am excited about the chance to get to learn more about this fascinating war that was so very fruitless.
I am going to use snips of the board from Rally the Troops! in this post so it might look a bit different from my normal posts.
With that being said, generally in every single game the Central Powers will start out by playing their Guns of August card. Guns of August is a crucial, high-stakes opening event for the Central Powers on Turn 1, enabling an immediate, powerful, and historical offensive against France and Belgium.
The Guns of August is a 3/4 OPs card that is placed into the CP player’s hand at the outset and gives them the initiative immediately. First off, the card destroys the fortress at Liège and then gives a massive mobilization effort booster by moving 2 German Army counters from their starting spaces including the German 1st and 2nd Armies and then activating them both to attack along with the German 3rd Army who is located at the start of the game setup in Koblenz.
This gives the CP player 2 choices about how to start the war with this attack. They can focus on the British Expeditionary Force located in Brussels or the French 5th Army located in Sedan. The allows the CP to destroy the Liège fortress, advance armies, and immediately attack or pressure the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and French forces. In my humble opinion, the BEF is the real target here as this unit cannot be replaced or rebuilt and its removal opens up the path for the Germans to take on the fortress at Antwerp.
While the Guns of August card play is an aggressive move, it does somewhat ensure Austria-Hungary can survive potential Russian pressure as the Allied player will have to quickly use their precious resources to fill the gaps created by this opening attack rather than using them to bolster the Russians in the east or to build up the Serbians a bit in the south to prolong the fall of Belgrade. Paths of Glory is a large part about resource management and the constant pressure to continue offensive momentum and rebuild troops through the use of Replacement Points and events to bring on additional troops is a major problem for both sides. You can only attack for so long before you will burn yourself out and will have to spend time to recover and get ready for the next turn’s offensives. Using the Guns of August cards efficiency will free up resources to use elsewhere.
There are alternative openings with the card that can be considered. If not using Guns of August for the event, the CP player can use 1 OP to destroy the Liège fort, allowing them to conserve the card for later or pivot to a more defensive strategy, such as defending the Rhine.
In the end, I would recommend the hammer approach versus any other use of the card as it will really put the pressure squarely on the Allies to do something about what you have just accomplished. In the picture to the right is the normal outcome of these attacks as you can see the BEF is reduced and the French 5th Army has broken and is now replaced by a smaller Corps counter that cannot really do anything offensively and is just there to protect the back side of the Maginot Line from being caught out of supply.
The Guns of August (published in the UK as August 1914) is a 1962 book centered on the first month of World War I written by Barbara W. Tuchman. After introductory chapters, Tuchman describes in great detail the opening events of the conflict. The book’s focus then becomes a military history of the contestants, chiefly the great powers.
The Guns of August provides a narrative of the earliest stages of World War I, from the decisions to go to war up until the start of the Franco-British offensive that stopped the German advance into France. This led to four years of trench warfare. The book discusses military plans, strategies, world events, and international sentiments before and during the war.
The book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for publication year 1963, and proved very popular. Tuchman later returned to the subject of the social attitudes and issues that existed before World War I in a collection of eight essays published in 1966 as The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890–1914.
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#63: Militia from Stilicho: Last of the Romans from Hollandspiele
Stilicho: Last of the Romans is a very well designed and interesting solo experience that plays in 60-90 minutes. But, due to the unforgiving nature of the random card draws and its reliance on dice luck, that admittedly can be mitigated through cagey card play and proper decisions, the game can be over very quickly. In fact, my very first play a few years ago lasted only 2 rounds and was over in about 15 minutes. Remember that the historical Stilicho only made it to Round 3! The cards are at the heart of the game here and make it a very tense and decision filled experience. Having to analyze each card, measuring its utility against the board state and what pressing matters the player must address while also fretting over having to discard a good Event Card that just isn’t useful at this point in time to take an action can be really agonizing. I think that this design works even better than its predecessor Wars of Marcus Aurelius.
The cards are a form of multi-use cards, as most Card Driven Games are, as they can either be used for the printed events on the cards or simply to be discarded to take one of a number of actions available to the player. It is important to read every aspect of the card thoroughly as some cards have multiple effects, differing effects depending on what the state of the game is or whether one Barbarian has surrendered or may have several prerequisites to that card being allowed to be played.
There are some events that are too important to your efforts to ever discard to take an action as they provide you with such great benefit and are more efficient than taking individual actions. Don’t get me wrong though the playability of a card is always dependent on when in the course of the game the card is drawn. An example of what I am talking about is the Militia Roman Card.
During the game, some cards will cause Unrest Markers to be placed on the various tracks that wind their way through the provinces. These Unrest Markers represent the erosion and weakening of Roman control, the spread of fear throughout the populace due to the threat of usurpers and ultimate civil war as well as the logistical difficulties of defending against barbarian incursions. They act as a critical, accumulating threat that, if left unchecked, can lead to widespread revolts, which are one of the primary ways a player loses the game. Unrest Markers are placed in Dioceses when specific enemy cards (particularly the Vandals) are activated or reach the end of their movement tracks. If a Diocese already contains an Unrest Marker when a new one is triggered, it indicates increasing instability, requiring the player to flip an existing, lower-level Unrest Marker to its “Revolt” side. Unrest/Revolt Markers increase the difficulty of battles in that province. When attacking or defending in a affected Diocese, the marker adds to the enemy’s strength. Also, a major loss condition in the game is having too many Revolt Markers on the board simultaneously. Managing and removing these markers is essential for survival. Unrest Markers are placed in a specific order across the board—starting from Hispania and moving through Gallia to Italia—which dictates the geographic spread of the crisis. Players must spend valuable actions (usually by discarding cards) or use specific Event Cards such as the Militia card to remove these counters from the board.
Before the late 2nd century BC, Rome used a citizen militia or levy of property-owning men aged 16–46, serving unpaid during summer campaigns. Organized by wealth, they formed three lines—hastati, principes, triarii—and provided their own equipment. They were crucial for seasonal defense and expansion, as well as for patrolling and safeguarding supply lines, trade routes and newly conquered territories, ultimately transitioning to a professional army after 107 BC. The citizen troops were grouped into maniples based on age and wealth, with the poorest acting as light-armed skirmishers (velites). Service was typically restricted to the annual campaign season, often ending with the Festival of the October Horse on 19 October. The militia employed a three-line, checkerboard formation to allow for tactical flexibility. Due to many reasons, the militia system was phased out after 107 BC in favor of a full-time, professional army, although conscription remained as a, mostly unpopular, option for raising forces.
I wrote a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:
Action Point 1 – the Mapsheet focusing on the three Fronts down which your enemies advance, but also covering the different spaces and boxes that effect play such as the Olympius Track, Game Turn Track, Army Box, Leader Box and Recovery Box
Action Point 2 – look at the cards that drive the game and examine the makeup of both the Enemy Deck and the Roman Deck.
Action Point 3 – look into the Roman Phase and examine how cards are discarded to take one of nine different actions.
Action Point 4 – look at a few examples of Battles and how they are resolved.
Action Point 5 – look at a few points of strategy that will help you do better in the game.
I shot a playthrough video for the game and you can watch that at the following link:
I also followed that up with a full video review sharing my thoughts:
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#62: Romanian Autonomy from Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa from GMT Games from GMT Games
We all love Twilight Struggle….and if you say you don’t, you really do but just want to be different or are a contrarian! The game is phenomenal and has done very well for GMT Games with 8 Printings as well as the Turn Zero Expansion and now a series of smaller geographically focused spin off games starting with Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa. Twilight Struggle: Red Sea deals with just two regions located in the Horn of Africa including Africa and the Middle East. The game uses the familiar Twilight Struggle formula of Cards with both Events and Operations Points that can be used by players to perform Coups, do Realignment Rolls or place Influence in an effort to gain control of the most Countries in the Regions to score Victory Points and win the game. The game is fast, furious and only lasts 2 hands of cards (unless you choose to play the special 3 Turn variant) so there isn’t a lot of time to mess around and players must be focused on what they are trying to accomplish. The best thing about the game is that it plays in 45 minutes as compared to 3-4 hours for Twilight Struggle.
The next card we will take a look at in this series is the special Romanian Autonomy, which is a unique card that doesn’t play from the deck but starts with the US player and resembles one of the classic cards from the original Twilight Struggle called The China Card. And if you have played Twilight Struggle, you know about the China Card. The China Card is a 4 Ops Value Card that can be held by the player in addition to their hand limit thereby giving them an extra card to use. But the card also has a special ability where if the player uses the card for 4 Ops to place Influence only in Asia, it will grant the player +1 Ops Value to use in placing one additional Influence. The China Card also grant’s the player who holds the card at the end of Turn 10 a +1 VP bonus.
In Twilight Struggle: Red Sea, the China Card has been replaced by the Romanian Autonomy Card. This card is not as powerful as the China Card but definitely creates some new opportunities and challenges for the player playing the card. The Romanian Autonomy Card can effect their Ops Value from cards by +1 during the Turn that they play it if they are behind on the Victory Point Track and also grants +1 VP to the player holding the card during Final Scoring. I think this is a really interesting concept and I think was included as a sort of catchup mechanic due to the short nature of the game. I look forward through more plays to seeing how its addition changes things and whether it is overpowered or just right. Once again, a small and subtle change to the game to create a new and interesting experience for the avid fan of Twilight Struggle or players who are new to the system.
Nicolae Ceaușescu visiting Africa during the Cold War.
During the Cold War, particularly under Nicolae Ceaușescu (1965–1989), Romania maintained a distinct, active presence in Africa, including the Horn of Africa, as part of a strategy to distance itself from Soviet influence, gain international prestige, and foster economic exchanges. While major powers like the Soviet Union and Cuba directly intervened in regional conflicts (such as the Ogaden War), Romania focused on building “fraternal” socialist relations through diplomatic, economic, and technical assistance, often operating with a degree of autonomy from the Warsaw Pact. Romania’s actual African strategy in the Horn of Africa, outlined in its 2023 Africa Strategy, emphasizes partnership, peace, development, education, and security cooperation, not territorial autonomy. Romania aimed to be a bridge between Europe and Africa, strengthening ties through cultural exchange, economic projects, and increased diplomatic presence in strategic capitals like Addis Ababa and Nairobi. Under its former communist regime, Socialist Republic Romania pursued economic independence and influenced African nations, but this was distinct from seeking autonomy within Africa. The phrase “Romanian autonomy in the Horn of Africa” is a game term with strategic implications within the game, while Romania’s real-world engagement with Africa is about broader diplomatic and economic partnerships
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
#61: Mobile Vulgus from Time of Crisis: The Age of Iron and Rust Expansion from GMT Games
I really love Time of Crisis from GMT Games. This is a very light, introductory wargame that is just plain fun to play. I have been playing it a ton on the Rally the Troops! online platform and really enjoy it no matter what the outcome of those games are. One card that I enjoy using is called Mobile Vulgus, which is a 3 value Populace Card that really can be a devious way to usurp your enemies. This card was added to the game in The Age of Iron and Rust Expansion and is one of those cards that is very situational but very good.
As you know, Time of Crisis is a back and forth game that sees players pitted against each other for the control of provinces and ultimately a change in the player who wears the purple robes of Emperor and sits on the throne in Italia. This process is carried out as players play Populace cards to garner Influence points that are then used to Replace a sitting Governor. The problem with the process is the dice. Now, I know what you are saying. Typically, as long as you roll a 2+ on a d6 it is considered a success and garners you a vote but my luck dictates that I will roll multiple 1’s on a roll where you are looking for a number higher than 1. So, if you can somehow get the dice out of the equation, you are better off. Along comes the fantastically powerful card Mobile Vulgus.
Why exactly do I consider this card so good? Well, you don’t have to rely on rolling dice to get what you want…simple as that. The power is maybe not as efficient as I would like it to be, as you will have to take a Replace Governor Action later to seat your Governor, but it is guaranteed. First off, the card allows you to target a province in which you wish to Replace the current sitting Governor. You normally would play Populace cards to create a number of Influence Points that you would then use to roll 1d6 per point. With Mobile Vulgus you simply play a certain amount of Populace cards to create a total amount of Influence that allows you to overcome their current support level. In the picture above, you can see that the current support level for the Blue Governor in Gallia is at 2. You will also notice though that the Blue General is located in the Provincial Capital with a sizeable army. This army will add to the number of Influence points you will have to spend to reduce that support.
As we examine the Blue General’s stack of forces, we see that he has 3 units under his control, 2 full strength Legions (XIV Gemina and X Gemina) as well as a lone Militia. These 3 units will add to the amount of Populace Influence points that must be spent to effect the support level of the province. Because there are 3 units, we will add those 3 units to the current support level of 2 to bring our target to reduce to 5. In simpler terms 2 for the current support level + 3 for the units in the provincial capital. This then successfully reduces the support level to 1. Remember, that if using a normal Replace Governor action, you would have been rolling 5 dice (1d6 per Populace Influence point spent) and would have needed to roll 2+ and garner 7 votes (calculated by doubling the current support level and then adding in +1 vote needed for each unit in the capital). You couldn’t have possibly done that using only the two cards shown and would have had to play at least one more Populace card with at least 2 Influence points to get to roll 7 dice!
Mobile Vulgus is a Latin phrase that means “the fickle crowd”, referring to the changing nature, opinions and reactions of the general public or an audience, which is a derivation of the English word “mob”. It literally denotes a movable public, or the unstable crowd and recognizes the inconstancy of popular taste and the ease with which clever politicians can influence the great mass of voters. In game terms, the support of the people can sometimes falter as easily as it can be encouraged.
With this My Favorite Wargame Cards Series, I hope to take a look at a specific card from the various wargames that I have played and share how it is used in the game. I am not a strategist and frankly I am not that good at games but I do understand how things should work and be used in games. With that being said, here is the next entry in this series.
Card #60: French Leader Napoleon from Congress of Vienna from GMT Games
Congress of Vienna from GMT Games is a diplomatic card driven wargame based on Churchill and is the 4th game in the Great Statesmen Series. The game is set during the years of 1813-1814 and sees players take on the role of the main characters of the struggle between the Napoleonic Empire and the coalition of Russia, Austria, and Great Britain with their Prussian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish allies. Congress of Vienna has two different but related phases including the conference table where players first debate over the control of issues germane to the factions and the period of the war and second these issues are then used on the battlefield to recruit units, attack and take overall command of battles. The players will be playing cards from their hands to “debate” over the various issues that were placed on the table, which include all types of things such as Military Operations, Recruitment, who will lead the combined Coalition forces (Generalissimo), Future of French Government, British Financial Aid, Liberalism vs. Absolutism, Austrian Neutrality and several other issues, and then later the players will use their accumulated Resources gained from the issues to enact action on the Military Map and do things like mobilize troops, place Military Support Markers and the ultimately to conduct warfare.
The game relies on cards and cards can be used to negotiate, i.e. move an issue to your National Track. Cards can provide a particular issue with positive and negative DRM’s depending on which nation plays them and can also be traded with another player during the Diplomacy Phase. Certain cards are better than others for debating an issue moved by another player; and finally, if they are saved for the War Phase, staff cards can be used to modify dice rolling in battles. These are very versatile cards and the players will have to learn them and their benefits in order to be effective at the game.
In this entry, we are going to take a look at the French Leader Napoleon card, which is one of the more powerful cards in the game. There is actually quite a bit of information found on the card but it all has a purpose and clearly explains when it provides bonuses when used on the various issues such as Minor Country Issues, French Recruitment as well as its various Dice Roll Modifiers during combat. This card is very powerful and must be used at the appropriate times for what the player is trying to do. Early in the game, the card can be used for its French Recruitment ability to gain new troops, the French will then gain 2 additional Units to use. When used during the Diplomacy Phase to effect the location of issues at the conference table, if used to move any issue it will provide a free French Military Operations Marker to be used on the battlefield to cause units to attack. The uses of Napoleon are many and players will need time to best understand when and where to use his abilities. But, his most impactful use is on the battlefield where he will grant various DRM’s depending on what French army he is commanding. If used with the Grande Armée, he will grant a massive +6 DRM while when being used for the Army of the Elbe he will only grant a +3 DRM. As the games wears on, and the Allies are at the gates of Paris, if used in defense he will grant a -3 DRM to the Allies attacking. These choices are very important and the correct choices will need to be made at the right time to be successful.
After playing now a few times, I am here to say that Congress of Vienna is probably my favorite game in the Great Statesmen Series. I believe that this game has matured the system and made it something that is more than where it started. Congress of Vienna is very much more like a true wargame and was extremely interesting. We are still learning and need to keep playing this one but I did enjoy what it was that we were doing.
Jacques-Louis David – The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to power during the French Revolution (1789-1799), became Emperor of the French (1804-1814/1815), and conquered much of Europe through brilliant, though costly, military campaigns, leaving a lasting legacy as one of history’s most famous and controversial figures, known for his strategic genius and ambition. He implemented significant legal reforms like the Napoleonic Code but ultimately faced defeat and exile, cementing his image as a complex figure of power and downfall.
Born on the island of Corsica to a family of Italian origin, Napoleon moved to mainland France in 1779 and was commissioned as an officer in the French Royal Army in 1785. He supported the French Revolution in 1789 and promoted its cause in Corsica. He rose rapidly through the ranks after winning the siege of Toulon in 1793 and defeating royalist insurgents in Paris on 13 Vendémiaire in 1795. In 1796, he commanded a military campaign against the Austrians and their Italian allies in the War of the First Coalition, scoring decisive victories and becoming a national hero. He led an invasion of Egypt and Syria in 1798, which served as a springboard to political power. In November 1799, Napoleon engineered the Coup of 18 Brumaire against the French Directory and became First Consul of the Republic. He won the Battle of Marengo in 1800, which secured France’s victory in the War of the Second Coalition, and in 1803, he sold the territory of Louisiana to the United States. In December 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French, further expanding his power.
We have done 2 videos on this game including the following RAW Video after out 1st play at Buckeye Game Fest in May 2025:
We then did the following full Review Video after our 2nd play at WBC last July:
Anmelden
