One of the things that I love about GMT Games is their system games. They have lots of great wargame series that have been created by some of the most talented designers, developed by teams of really creative and focused individuals and then added to over the years. The best series have continued on with multiple volumes, including series like Combat Commander, Commands & Colors, the COIN Series, and some others that are more focused wargame series like Great Battles of History, Battles of the American Revolution, Levy & Campaign and Men of Iron. Every so often we get a new entry in these series and it is always a great surprise. This month, we were treated to 2 new established series wargames and a few reprints, one of which is a deluxification of one of those series games. I just love to see what it is that they are going to do next with these games.
This month there were 2 new P500 additions offered including Men of Iron Volume VI: Purgatorio: Battles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and Flying Colors Volume V: Thunder on the Baltic. There also was 3 reprints offered in Prime Minister 2nd Printing and SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition and SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition Update Kit.
Also, as is usually the case, there was plenty of other information shared including updates on GMT One products, development updates, upcoming future P500 additions and the usual gorgeous art samples with one piece of really juicy information in their upcoming annual sale!
First to the good stuff! Their was an announcement about the 2024 Annual Sale which will be held in September (originally reported as July but later changed to September). It will be a week-long sale, as usual, and it will be similar in structure to past sales. GMT will be sending another email around July 1st with the exact dates and time and other details for the sale, so please keep an eye out for that as you prepare to get some deals on games. While no specific details have been shared, remember that there will be a fairly steep discounts normally but also if you have purchased P500 titles throughout the year may be even more discounts for you! Just get ready for it! Get that financial house in order. Get a 2nd Mortgage on your home. Save up. Sell a kidney! You will not regret it!
There also was news shared on the new book from Mark Herman, which was just offered on P500 last month. The book named Wargames According to Mark has already garnered 920 orders to date (of which I am one!) and will be going to the printer in late July! GMT is in the final stages of art and layout before sending the book to the printer. They will be using the P500 numbers to determine print run size and won’t be printing many extras. So, if you want a copy of Mark’s new book, you will need to get your P500 order in soon or miss out. Here is a link to the P500 page where you can pre-order the book for $35.00: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1113-wargames-according-to-mark.aspx
Next, they announced that the final playbook for Volume XII in the COIN Series Red Dust Rebellion is now available as a PDF on the GMT website. The game is currently at the printer and my guess is that we will have it on our tables in September/October. To help get prepared to play when it arrives, last month they posted the final rulebook pdf on the website and as of last week, they also posted the game’s final playbook pdf. As is usually the case, this playbook will include a detailed Example of Play, as well as details about each of the game’s cards, full Designer Notes from J. Carmichael and also a deeper look into the story behind the game. I am very much anticipating this title and feel like it has been announced years ago. In case you are interested, you can read our interview with J. Carmichael for further details at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/07/05/interview-with-j-carmichael-designer-of-coin-series-volume-xiii-red-dust-rebellion-from-gmt-games/
We also got a development update from Jason Carr at GMTOne. Here is his report in all its glory:
GMTOne and GMT Development Department – Jason Carr
There’s four games to update you all on this month:
First, Fields of Fire Deluxe Edition is tantalizingly close to being complete. The game is with proofreaders now, and we will send it to the printer some time in July. Thank you to everyone who helped get it right—whether you playtested, suggested edits, proofread, or just commented online. I sound like a broken record, but once more with feeling: Andrew and Colin have done a tremendous job developing the game, and I could not be more proud of what they’ve produced and the way they’ve honored Ben’s vision in the game. There’s really nothing out there quite like Fields of Fire, and I am excited for you all to experience Ben’s masterpiece in this new package later this year.
Second and Third, we are opening up playtesting for solo modes for The Bell of Treason and China’s War this month. The bots for China’s War are based on Bruce Mansfield’s Jacquard system used in Gandhi, Fall of Saigon, People Power, andRed Dust Rebellion, so if you enjoy the card bots in those games, you’ll probably like Joe’s implementation here too. Bell of Treason is based on the system from Red Flag Over Paris and plays fast and mean.
Fourth, although it’s not technically solo, testing for The Plum Island Horror: More of a Bad Thing is in full swing and yielding tremendous results. A few super testers are up to nearly 20 plays each and have really helped me find the places that are most effective at making player’s lives utterly miserable with the Alarming difficulty. We will open another wave of playtesting in July for the new factions and nightmare mode, so if you missed the signup in May, stay tuned. Enjoy the Games! ~ Jason
One final piece of interesting information was that they plan on doing a 2024 Replacement Countersheet and it will be coming to P500 in July. Currently, Justin is working on the countersheet and it is nearly ready to go. The replacement countersheet will go up on the P500 in July and then will be headed to the printer shortly thereafter. As was the case last time, this will only be up for order for a very short time so you will need to be ready to act as they won’t be printing a ton of extras. Errata are a part of our hobby as mistakes happen. This is a very cost effective way for you to get those correct elements for the games that you love.
Now onto the main event with the new P500’s.
New P500’s
As was shared above, this month there were 2 new P500 additions offered including Men of Iron Volume VI: Purgatorio: Battles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and Flying Colors Volume V: Thunder on the Baltic. There also was 3 reprints offered in Prime Minister 2nd Printing and SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition and SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition Update Kit.
Men of Iron Volume VI: Purgatorio: Battles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines
There are some systems that are just very playable. They are well designed, cover an interesting historical period or happening and have very interesting mechanics to boot. Such a series is the Men or Iron Series designed by Richard Berg. We played the new Tri-Pack in 2020 and really enjoyed the system. It was just really playable and ultimately created some great narratives. Since that time, we got a copy of Volume V Norman Conquests but have yet to play it (I am actually clipping the counters right now). This new volume is set in Italy and looks to be really good!
From the game page, we read the following:
The struggle between monarchs in Europe, particularly between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope, would spawn well over a hundred years of conflict in Italy. The Investiture Controversy caused a split between the Italian city states and even the people within the city states. Guelph was the name given to those who supported the Papacy—while the Ghibellines were the supporters of the Holy Roman Empire. Guelph cities tended to be farther away from the Papal States and closer to the Holy Roman Empire, and Ghibelline cities tended to be farther away from the Holy Roman Empire and closer to the Pope’s temporal power.
Battles raged across Italy from the mid-1100’s to the mid-1300’s with both sides ending up on top at one time or another. This sixth Men of Iron game (Men of Iron Volume VI: Purgatorio: Battles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines) covers some of those battles: beginning with Frederick Barbarossa trying to recapture rebelling provinces in Italy in the late 12th century, taking a spin through the 13th century with a few battles that spelled the end of direct Hohenstaufen rule of Italy, and ending with a war that myth says was fought over the theft of a bucket from one city by another!
The battles include: Legnano 29 May 1176 – Frederick Barbarossa fights the Lombard League for control of northern Italy.
Cortenuova 27 November 1237 – Frederick II, grandson of Barbarossa, tangles with the second Lombard League for control of northern Italy.
Montaperti 4 September 1260 – Florence and Sienna fight one of the bloodiest battles in medieval Italy—as seen on TV, or in GMT’s Inferno!
Benvento 26 February 1266 – Manfred, King of Sicily, dies in battle in southern Italy against Charles I, King of France, earning Charles I the title King of Sicily.
Tagliacozzo 23 August 1268 – Conradin III, King of Jerusalem, is captured and executed after a battle in southern Italy against Charles I, King of France and Sicily.
Campaldino 11 June 1289 – Florence and Arezzo fight in northern Italy. Famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri fought in the battle. Later, his brand of Guelph would lose power in Florence, and he would be forced into exile.
Zappolino 15 November 1325 – Modena and Bologna fight, not over an oaken bucket stolen from a well, but over a long standing feud replete with raids and reprisal that had occurred almost a century.
Flying Colors Volume V: Thunder on the Baltic: Scandinavian Wars at Sea, 1676-1814
If you follow us, you know of our affinity for a good naval wargame. We have not played many but the ones we have played have been really great including games such as Atlantic Chase from GMT Games and Captain’s Sea from Legion Wargames. There is something grand about naval combat for sure! This month, there is a new addition to the well respected and long lived Flying Color Series with Volume V, which is a game set in the Baltic Sea covering the period from 1676-1814 called Thunder on the Baltic: Scandinavian Wars at Sea.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Baltic Sea had always provided a vital outlet for trade and communication between the various countries along its shores. Sweden emerged as a major power in the middle of the 17th century, with important strategic holdings along the northern, southern, and eastern shores of the Baltic. Securing its new empire from its long-term and bitter rival Denmark-Norway, which controlled, and heavily taxed, the only entry and exit passages to the Baltic through the Sound and the two Belts, lead to near continuous conflict between the two Kingdoms. But as the Northern European powers (both Scandinavian and Atlantic—particularly the English and the Dutch) began to embrace naval policies of large standing fleets in the 17th century, their eyes turned to the Baltic and the abundance of natural resources in the region that were so important to shipbuilding to maintain naval strength. Control of the Baltic, or at least ensuring the free trade of these products, became a matter of vital national interest, and “Dominium Maris Baltici” became an often-expressed national goal.
Thunder on the Baltic: Scandinavian Wars at Sea, 1676-1814 is the fifth volume in the Flying ColorsSeries of games on naval combat. It focuses on the rivalry between the two great Baltic Sea powers, the Kingdoms of Denmark-Norway and Sweden, specifically during the Scanian War (1675-1679) and the Great Northern War (1700-1721). Also included is a module of scenarios depicting the so-called “Gunboat War” between Great Britain and Denmark during the Napoleonic Wars (1807-1814). Like its predecessors, this volume is completely independent of—but fully compatible with—the other volumes in the series. Nothing else is needed to play! This volume comes with an updated and expanded rulebook that adds details specific to the navies included herein—particularly, the introduction rules for the antiquated (compared to the Napoleonic period) rigging and ship design of 17th century men-o-war, fireships, bomb vessels, and special rules for Danish gunboats.
There are 18 scenarios depicting battles between the fleets of Denmark against Sweden and the British Royal Navy against the Danes and Norwegians. Each battle is fought by two players (or two teams of players) across one or several conjoined maps depicting shallows and shoals with individually named vessels that have been specifically rated for their abilities in combat. Players activate these ships through the command abilities of individually rated admirals present at each battle. Players may also easily create their own scenarios with “design your own” rules and even pit these fleets against those from other volumes in the Flying Colors series. The command system provides an excellent solitaire experience as well.
Can you, as the commander of the Swedish fleet, maintain control of the crucial sea lines of communication and supply to your Baltic holdings? Or, as the commander of the Danish fleet, retain control of the Sound and ensure the security of the Capital city of Copenhagen? Now you can find out in Thunder on the Baltic!
Both Alexander and I enjoy games that have player interaction and negotiation. We also enjoy historically themed board games that attempt to replicate the political process. Prime Minister came out in mid 2023 and we were very much looking forward to it. We actually had an opportunity to play the game 4-player in early February but it just didn’t hit home with us. We admittedly chose to play the shorter tournament scenario hoping to get a feel for the game and its flow but it just wasn’t all that compelling to us. Please tell me what is great about this one because I am willing and interested in giving it another try. With that being said, the game has done well and it was put back onto the P500 for a 2nd Printing.
From the game page, we read the following:
In Prime Minister, 1 to 4 players take on the roles of talented politicians vying for power and prestige in Victorian-era Britain.
At the beginning of the game, each player draws a politician card representing one of the ten historical Prime Ministers who served during Queen Victoria’s reign. Each card features unique abilities that you’ll retain throughout the game. You’ll also have one of three exchangeable player mats for your Politician’s current role: Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, or Backbencher. While always keeping one eye on the upcoming election, players select and debate bills, pursue official appointments, recruit support by hobnobbing with influential Victorians, garner favor with the Queen, and, when the time is right, challenge other players for their leadership roles and seize their player mats. Politician roles and party control of government shift throughout the game, and you’ll rack up victory points as you secure personal and political achievements. Win the game by becoming the first to reach 100 victory points while holding the Prime Minister’s role.
I really enjoy a game that focuses on history and makes an interesting and interactive experience. I am not saying that this game reminds me of it, but Churchill is one of my all time favorites of these type of games. I am hoping we can revisit this one and have a better experience with the game.
I own the Deluxe Edition of this one, which was released in 2018 and it is a beautiful monster with around 6 full counter sheets and 6 double sided maps with 19 scenarios. There is a lot of game here! I have only played the game on Vassal though with a few of the scenarios and have really enjoyed it. I must admit that this one is very deep and there are a lots of rules and exceptions based on the different units that are included in each scenario. I do feel that the rules could use some work but that concern does not sway me away from saying this system and the game itself are fantastic!
The game system really emphasizes the important role of command on the ancients battlefield. Leaders are the most important counters in the game and consequently without leader’s order, the player will find that their very powerful and important phalanx and legions will not be able to take any actions, even moving closer to the enemy.
One of my favorite rules from the game is the all important initiative. When in battle, the player will hold the initiative if you force your opponent to act first and can react on every move. Also, leaders are activated in their initiative rating order from lowest to highest. Leaders can issue individual orders up to their initiative rating to the units in command radius, or if specifically called for in the scenario, activate a whole line of units. Leader may also gain momentum, trying to take turn after the turn if passing their initiative checks. The game is really very playable, with some exceptions for rules that just are not as clear as they need to be, but this system takes into account what was most important on the battlefields of the ancient world.
From the game page, we read the following:
We are proud to bring SPQR back in print in a new and expanded 5th Edition. This edition will not only include the scenarios from the Barbarian module but also the six scenarios of The Hammer of God module published in C3i magazine and an updated version of the Battle of Pydna originally published in the SPQR Player’s Guide. Perhaps the most significant change to the original SPQR and Scenario Pack scenarios is the inclusion of the setups to play with the Simple GBoH 2nd Edition rules!
The game will feature a new edition of the rulebook incorporating all known errata and numerous clarifications based on player feedback. Known errata on the Player Aid cards have been addressed. The Game Turn Track Display will be replaced by a Rout Point Tracking card (which includes a Game Turn Track) in the same style as that in Great Battles of Julius Caesar. There are no changes to the maps. Minor errata on a few of the counters will be addressed and the counters associated with the early C3i Marathon scenario will be replaced with counters for the Pydna scenario along with additional counters to eliminate several counter substitutions.
Due to the increased content, the most significant change to the components is a restructuring of the previous edition’s three scenario/module books into three scenario books arranged chronologically.
I will play SPQR at anytime and I know that there are other games out there that have a better following but for me Herman and Berg were a magnificent team to create these very interesting and unique scenarios.
If you already own SPQR (and let me tell you that you should and we will need to talk later), and feel that you are going to miss out with these improvements, then never fear! GMT Games has you covered with their SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition Update Kit.
From the game page, we read the following:
The SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition Update Kit allows owners of the 2008 and 2018 printings of SPQR Deluxe Edition to use the maps and counters from those games with the new content (see the SPQR Deluxe 5th Edition P500 listing for details).
Components:
One Rulebook
Three Chronological Scenario Books (The Rise of Rome, The 2nd Punic War, and Rome and the Successors)
One of the features that I have always enjoyed about these Monthly Updates has been the New P500’s on the Horizon where Gene Billingsley shares a few very cryptic comments about an upcoming project and we are supposed to somehow decipher his meaning from these “clues”.
Here is a brief tease for P500 additions lining up in the coming months. This month’s Thunder on the Baltic was teased last month as “A new Flying ColorsSeries game” and Purgatorio was previewed back in February as “A battle game set in Medieval Italy.” Note that this is not a comprehensive list (nor will I preview EVERY game we have planned), so I will switch these up a bit from month to month. Over the coming 1-6 months, I anticipate that we will add:
A game that sees the Combat Commander Series move to a new war – Combat Commander Afghanistan. I pried this information from Kai Jensen while attending SDHistCon last November (and I felt quite guilty about that!).
A game on the Wilderness battles in the American Civil War – I have nothing on this one.
A strategic-level American Civil War game – this could be anything and I don’t have any inside information that I can use to divine this answer.
An operational level WWII game set in Italy – Italy ’43 designed by Mark Simonitch. This has been discussed over the years as his other games like Salerno ’43 have been released and I am eagerly anticipating this one!
I am guessing that I got 2 correct this time but how did I do Gene?!?
Charging & Shipping
The following information for Charging and Shipping was copied directly from the Update:
Next Charges/Shipments: It looks like our next two shipments should arrive sometime in mid-late July. We’ll consolidate the two incoming shipments into one larger one to allow customers to take advantage of consolidated shipping and better overall shipping rates on higher package weights. We’ll let you know final charge and ship dates in the July update, but the plan right now is to charge somewhere in the July 25-31 window. This shipment will include:
One final thing that I wanted to share this month is all of the great sample art that has been shared as a part of the update on various games as they run up to production.
The first item that was shared was a look at the box back for the upcoming Commands & Colors: Medieval Expansion Nr. 1: Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1. When Commands & Colors: Medieval was announced this is the type of thing that I had hoped were were getting including battles from the Crusades. This edition is going to be epic and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.
They then shared the final cover for the game and man is it gorgeous! Remember that you are going to need the base game of Commands & Colors: Medieval to play this expansion.
They then they shared a page of the final stickers for the game as well and they are just gorgeous!
One of my favorite solitaire games of the past few years is Comanchería: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire and the new 2nd Printing has received a facelift with an upgraded cover. The new cover depicts a Comanche Pony Raid on the Navajo, which is a nod to the first game in the First Nations Series called Navajo Wars from Joel Toppen. I really love this picture and also really love the game!
We next got a view of some of the final cards for the upcoming In the Shadows, which takes a look at the French Resistance during World War II and is designed by a great group of young up and comers including Dan Bullock, Joe Schmidt and Chris Bennett. In the Shadows is a 2-player card-driven wargame about the struggle of the French Resistance against the occupying Nazi and collaborating French forces between January 1943 and June 1944. In the game players are either the Resistance or the Occupation. 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 modern French Republic.
Next, we got a look at a near final copy of the board for Hubris: Twilight of the Hellenistic World designed by Morgane Gouyon-Rety. I am very much anticipating this game and it currently is in the art department and is expected to have final art in Q3/Q4 2024. If we get lucky, we might see this one at the very tail end of the year or even in early 2025. I can’t wait!
We then got a peek at some of the final cards for the new expansion for Space Empires 4X called All Good Things. This expansion is somewhat of a buffet of several different smaller components that can be added to the game to deepen the experience.
Following along with this expansion they then showed us a few of the counter sheets which look really good.
I want to end this post by sharing our recent content on the blog and YouTube Channel for GMT Games products including reviews/interviews/unboxing videos:
The Players' Aid 
Just because I spilled some of the beans doesn’t mean I spilled them all. Just sayin’…
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Hahaha. You got me! Trickster.
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Sneaky sneaky!
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Sneaky sneaky!
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Oooh, I hope it’s GWOT Afghanistan and not Soviet…
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