Summer is now fully upon us with high temperatures and baseball has finally started! Usually there seems to be more activity on the new wargame front during the summer and this month is no exception. I was able to find 16 total games to highlight, with 1 of those being a Kickstarter. GMT Games has been shipping out lots of games over the past month and this month (including new games shipped in July) they are shipping out a total of 5 new release games. I have only highlighted a few of them but you can check out those other games in their Monthly Update.

There are also at least two other Kickstarters that I am aware of that will commence in August but cannot find any concrete information to share with you. These two Kickstarters are Hidden Strike: American Revolution from Worthington Publishing and Zero Leader from DVG.

If you missed the July Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/07/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-july-2020/

Pre-Order

1. Trench Club from PKB Games Currently on Kickstarter

Trench Club is a complex strategy game in which, attack strength and armor of the troops, their tactical setup, combat experience, damage and terrain, have a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle. Since each unit brings its own strengths, you must cleverly assemble your army to win the victory over your opponents. This game is very interesting looking and is a similar style game to the old Milton Bradley Gamemaster Series from the 1980’s that included titles such as Axis & Allies, Shogun and Conquest of the Empire.

From the Kickstarter page we read the following:

The game is for 1-4 players and lasts 1-4 hours (~1 hour per player). The game has been developed, play-tested and refined for over 10 years. Here is what play testers consistently said they most enjoyed:

• Highly complex strategy game, yet very easy and intuitive to learn the rules

• Detailed miniatures

•  Different unit types with individual strengths and weaknesses – without using a simple “Rock, Scissors, Paper” principle

• Individual strengths of the different nations, yet balanced chances

• The game stays in balance for a long time, so every player still has a chance to win and stays excited

• Complex combat system that depends on type of unit, combat damage, experience, strategic formation, terrain and armor

•  “Dice luck” only plays a minor role (since battles involve a lot of 12-sided dice the outcome is usually around the expected value)

• High re-playability due to the variable start setup

We were able to contact the designer Philipp K. Berger and post an interview on the blog a few weeks ago: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/07/22/interview-with-philipp-k-berger-designer-of-trench-club-from-pkb-games-now-on-kickstarter/

If you are interested in Trench Club, you can pre-order a copy on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/trench-club/trench-club

As of August 3rd, the project is fully funded with $52,489 toward the $23,421 goal from 466 backers. The campaign will end on Thursday, August 6th at 9:14am EDT.

2. Unconditional Surrender: Western Campaigns from GMT Games

Unconditional Surrender is one of Alexander’s favorite wargames of all time and now it looks like there is an expansion of sorts that takes the game action to focus on the Western Front which should be very interesting.

From the game page, we read the following:

Unconditional Surrender! Western Campaigns is an operational/strategic-level game covering World War 2 campaigns fought between the Axis and Western Allied factions in Western Europe. With its emphasis on force projection, players focus on the big picture of managing their military forces. Using simple mechanics and low on-map counter density, players easily handle the action without complicated subsystems or tall stacks of counters.

This game is billed as a smaller, faster playing version of Unconditional Surrender and should allow for greater exposure due to its small footprint. The game also can be used as a gateway to the larger Unconditional Surrender game for new players. There are 6 scenarios in the game that appear to be designed to expose the player to new mechanics as they progress through them. From the game page, we read the following:

From the air and ground mechanics in Poland 1939 to the airborne-assisted invasion in Denmark-Norway 1940, players learn the basic operational rules to the game that they can tune in the Balkans 1941 or French North Africa 1942 campaigns. They can then take that experience to larger, competitive scenarios like France 1940 and France 1944. You will decide how far to push your successful spearheads, not knowing how far the rest of your units will advance. You will have to decide what the right balance between timidity and recklessness is and where to commit your air and other assets for success.

This one looks amazing and I am definitely interested in seeing how it differs from the original. Differ is a bad word as it is the same system, but how they differentiate.

If you are interested in Unconditional Surrender: Western Campaigns you can pre-order a copy for $25.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-870-unconditional-surrender-western-campaigns.aspx

3. The Last Hundred Yards Volume 3: The Solomon Islands from GMT Games

If you didn’t know we really enjoyed The Last Hundred Yards and are eagerly awaiting Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe. The system is very interesting and uses some novel elements in regards to how victory points are scored. Really an excellent system! Now, even though there is already a new volume in development, Mike Denson has forged ahead with the next entry which takes us to the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II: From the game page, we read the following:

The Last Hundred Yards Volume 3: The Solomon Islands is the third game in The Last Hundred Yards Series. This game focuses on the vicious and brutal Solomons Campaign, including actions to control the islands of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and New Georgia.

We really have enjoyed games covering the PTO and find them to be very chaotic and bloody. It appears that this volume will reinforce that stereotype and keep things really interesting.

When you play the Solomon Islands Campaign missions, you will experience some of the fiercest small unit actions in the Pacific Theater. The game will focus on actions involving the 1st (The Old Breed) and 3rd (Fighting Third) Marine Divisions, as well as the Army’s 25th Infantry Division—the unit that finally drove the Japanese off the island, earning them the nickname “Tropic Lightning.”

As with the previous new volume, this one will introduce new weapons and terrain including flamethrowers, anti-tank halftracks, light and heavy jungle. Each mission will provide new challenges with different elements, forces, and situations encountered.

If you are interested in The Last Hundred Yards Volume 3: The Solomon Islandsyou can pre-order a copy for $41.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-871-the-last-hundred-yards-volume-3-the-solomon-islands.aspx

4. Comanchería: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire 2nd Printing from GMT Games

I really love the system used in these solitaire First Nation wargames created by Joel Toppen. My first introduction to the series was Comanchería and I really enjoyed the system and how intelligent the AI was as I lost my first 3 or 4 plays. But I kept at it and finally won the game and now have moved on to play the longer game and have won it, although I have been steamrolled several times. This one has now been added as a 2nd Printing and I would recommend that you get this one as it is really good.

Here are a few Action Point posts I wrote several years ago that will give you insight into how the game plays:

Action Point 1 – Take Actions Phase

Action Point 2 – The Enemy Instruction Display

You can also check out my video review to get a feel for how the AI works and what I enjoyed about the system.

If you are interested in Comanchería: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire 2nd Printing you can pre-order a copy for $44.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-872-comanchera-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-comanche-empire-2nd-printing.aspx

5. Defending America: Intercepting the Amerika Bombers 1947-48 from Compass Games

Both of us love narrative when we play our wargames. The more story that can be created, with heroic acts, amazing feats of courage and lucky dice rolls, the better as it simply creates an experience that you can buy into and feel a part of. Gregory M. Smith is the king of these type of games and has released many of them over the past 5 years or so. His last one, Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies, saw the player taking the role of the Germans in a very different World War II where the Allies were repulsed and Germany won the war. This lead to Hitler making a fleet of bombers referred to as the Amerika Bombers to punish America for intervening in European Affairs. Now, the player gets to fight back to defend America with a slew of upgraded fighter jets.

From the game page we read the following:

Defending America is a solitaire, tactical level game which places you in command of an actual or experimental interceptor aircraft during a frightening look at what might have been in World War II. This game is highly accessible to those familiar with the B17: Queen of the Skies system. The game system lends itself very well to capturing the tense feelings of being on an interception mission, and gives a frightening look at “what might have been” had the Allies fared poorly in the war. While Defending Amerika is designed as a solitaire gaming experience, additional options for play are provided for both multi-player cooperative and competitive gaming sessions, and an option to link the game with Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies.

The object of the game is to conduct sorties as an interceptor pilot and score as many bomber kills as possible, with a special focus on trying to stop atomic attacks. As in manh of Greg’s other solo games, pilots will earn experience with each successful mission and can add new skills to improve their odds of success. An interesting new concept and addition to the game is the Technology Track where players can spend resources to invest in new technologies designed to make their planes even more successful.

These games from Greg are really great narrative style wargames and I have enjoyed my several plays of Nightfighter Ace, Interceptor Ace and Amerika Bomber.

When I think of this game, I hear the lyrics to the iconic song God Bless the U.S.A. from Lee Greenwood where it says, “and I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend Her still today. ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land. God Bless the U.S.A.”. I imagine young men and women lining up at recruiting stations to sign for that chance to fly a rocket against the invaders to protect their homes and families. But I digress…

If you are interested in Defending America: Intercepting the Amerika Bombers 1947-48, you can pre-order a copy for $52.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/defending-america-intercepting-amerika-bombers.html

6. The War: Europe 1939-1945 Reprint from Compass Games

Monster wargames can be a challenge to get to the table. Space, time and an opponent usually stops most of us before we are able to play. But, dammit, I still love a good monster!

This month, Compass added a reprint of The War: Europe 1939-1945 to their upcoming games and I am really interested in this one.

From the game page, we read the following:

The War: Europe 1939-1945 is Compass Games’ new WWII strategic level game combining all the best features of the genre into an intuitive, challenging new game. While offering all the expansive features of the WWII Monster Game genre (such as U-Boat warfare, diplomacy, espionage, strategic bombing, jets, rockets and numerous variants for each Major Power), The War also offers tremendous scope in its 12 scenarios.

I do find it interesting that this one is not billed as a simulation, even though it contains all of the elements you would expect from a game with this scope on the subject. The game is somewhat of an open ended experience where different choices can lead to different results and I really like that. From the game page, we read the following:

Although the game is the result of extensive research by its designer, The War isn’t a simulation and isn’t intended to be. It’s a “gamer’s game” with quick, user-friendly combat systems on land, in the air and at sea. Veteran gamers familiar with classic WWII strategic level games should pick up the game very quickly. For new recruits, the short scenarios teach the basics, but can be played as stand-alone games in their own right. Both realistic and playable, The War should present a rewarding challenge for any WWII strategy game buff.

If you are interested in The War: Europe 1939-1945, you can pre-order a copy for $115.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/the-war-europe-1939-1945-reprint.html

New Release

1. Commands & Colors Tricorne: Jacobite Rising from Compass Games

We have played through all of the existing volumes in the Commands & Colors System to date (with the only exception being Samurai Battles) and a new entry to the series is very interesting.

Jacobite Rising is Compass Games first standalone game for Commands & Colors Tricorne and features 13 battle scenarios by Richard Borg. Mounted game board, terrain tiles, blocks, command and combat cards, stickers and large, molded dice are all included. You will find many new and interesting play concepts which brings new experiences and challenges covering the world of the Highland Clans in the time of the Jacobite Risings.

From the game page we read the following:

A Command card is played each turn by the active player to order troops on a player’s side to move, battle, or do something special. The mix of units both players may have under their commands include; regular infantry, highland infantry, lowland infantry, militia infantry, battle cavalry, light cavalry, trained artillery, light artillery and leaders. Units are represented by a group of 4 blocks in a hex and a single block represents a leader. Units and leaders may only move and battle when given an order. During a turn when units are battling, the battle dice will resolve combat quickly and efficiently and when the last block of an opposition unit or leader block is eliminated, a player will gain one Victory Banner. Again the number of banners needed to win is detailed in a scenario’s victory conditions.

If you are familiar with the C&C system, you will know that cards are an important part of the game and lead to some really challenging, and hair pulling moments when the card you need is nowhere to be found. One of the elements we really liked in the C&C Tricorne was unit morale.

In a Jacobite Rising battle, unit morale is one of the main thematic concepts, as it was historically. With the possibility that an entire unit that has only taken minimal losses, when forced to retreat, may actually break and rout from the battlefield, which will definitely keep players on the edge of their command chairs during an entire battle.

To further emphasize the differences in battlefield doctrine between the Highland Clans and Government forces, each army has its own unique deck of Combat cards. These cards when played, represent a mix of unit training, abilities or unexplainable actions that take place during the course of a battle.

If you are interested in Commands & Colors Tricorne: Jacobite Rising, you can order a copy for $75.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/commands-colors-tricorne-jacobite-rising.html

2. OCS Hungarian Rhapsody: The Battle for Hungary: October 1944-February 1945 from Multi-Man Publishing

I know that many of you are big fans of OCS or the Operational Combat Series from Multi-Man Publishing and this month they have a new offering shipping that deals with the Eastern Front during late 1944 and into early 1945 in Hungary called Hungarian Rhapsody.

From the game page, we read the following:

Hungarian Rhapsody is an Operational Combat Series (OCS) game that depicts the Soviet 1944 drive into Hungary which led to the battle of Debrecen, the siege of Budapest, and the German 1945 KONRAD counter-offensives attempting to relieve Budapest. Romania’s defection in August 1944 allowed the Soviets to outflank well-defended Axis positions in the Carpathian Mountains from the south. In the process, the German 6th Army was almost destroyed, losing most of its heavy equipment (which explains the relative weakness of the German artillery at the start of the campaign).

Hungarian Rhapsody allows players to play the two major Soviet offensives at the time as well as several smaller scenarios covering the German counter offensives.

If you are interested in OCS Hungarian Rhapsody: The Battle for Hungary: October 1944-February 1945, you can order a copy for $140.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://www.multimanpublishing.com/tabid/59/ProductID/370/Default.aspx

3. Desert Eagles: Air Battles Above Israel 1948 from High Flying Dice Games

Another great looking smaller game on an interesting topic in the air battles above Israel in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli War. Israel’s victory during this war established it as an independent nation and instigated conflict with their Arab neighbors that has lasted over the past 70 years.

Desert Eagles is an introductory level game about aerial combat set in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The game appears to be less of a simulation about aerial warfare, although those words are used as a subtext to the title, and more of an exercise. The game uses the same or a similar combat system as several other aerial warfare games designed by Paul Rohrbaugh including Dueling Eagles, Fighting Eagles, Head Honcho and Showtime Hanoi.

The game uses a square tile arrangement board and has only a few counters that have a small number of factors on them keeping the game light and easy to learn and play.

If you are interested in Desert Eagles: Air Battles Above Israel 1948, you can order a copy for $11.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: http://www.hfdgames.com/dee.html

4. Undaunted: North Africa from Osprey Publishing

The follow up to Undaunted: Normandy, which was a surprising hit from 2019, is now finally available and takes the system to the deserts of North Africa and pits the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) against the Italians.

Undaunted: North Africa introduces new units, new terrain and vehicles including tanks, gun truck, scout car, recon aircraft and a patrol truck.

For more information, please check out our designer interview on the blog with David Thompson at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/07/06/interview-with-david-thompson-codesigner-of-undaunted-north-africa-from-osprey-games/

If you are interested in Undaunted: North Africa, you can order a copy for approximately $40.00 from the Osprey Publishing website at the following link: https://ospreypublishing.com/undaunted-north-africa

5. Beneath the Med: Regia Marina at Sea 1940-43 from GMT Games

This time Greg takes us inside the Regia Marina as the player can control an Italian submarine during World War II.

From the game page, we read the following:

Beneath the Med is a solitaire tactical-level game placing you in command of an Italian submarine during WWII. This is the fourth game in the The Hunters series, and covers one of the largest fleets of submarines in the world at the time. You command one of many submarine models available starting in 1940, and look to successfully complete patrols until the armistice in September 1943. Not only is this a standalone game, but fans of The Hunters will enjoy having the capability to complete Italian careers in one of the many interesting classes of Italian submarine.

If you are interested in Beneath the Med: Regia Marina at Sea 1940-43, you can order a copy for $52.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-697-beneath-the-med.aspx

6. The Battle of Rhode Island from GMT Games

As you may know, I am a big fan of games on the American Revolution and recently wrote a ranking of the games on the subject we have played. To many’s surprise, we have not played any of the games in the Battles of the American Revolution Series from GMT. It is not that we don’t want to but just haven’t had the chance yet. In fact, late last year I acquired a copy of the American Revolution Tripack and I have clipped it but still haven’t tabled it….maybe this year!

From the game page, we read the following:

The Battle of Rhode Island is volume 9 in GMT’s Battles of the American Revolution series by designer Mark S. Miklos. The map board depicts the northern half of the island including the fortified American positions around Butt’s Hill. There are 64 American, British and Hessian combat units and leaders giving the game a counter density comparable to Saratoga in the series. Although the tactical situation is somewhat straightforward; Americans retreating and British pursuing primarily up two main roads, the nuanced play and game texture is like that found in all the games of the BoAR series.

One more thing about this volume. As a bonus, it does also include the Battle of Newport which is a what if scenario that features a second map board depicting the southern half of the island, the city of Newport and the British defensive works that surrounded it as well as the American siege lines. The French army is presumed to have stayed on the island to cooperate in a direct assault upon the town. It will make for a fascinating “what-if” study of the first attempt at cooperation in the war by Franco-American forces.

If you are interested in The Battle of Rhode Island you can order a copy for $59.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-634-the-battle-of-rhode-island.aspx

7. 1989: Dawn of Freedom 2nd Printing from GMT Games

One of the CDG’s that I have always wanted to play but just hadn’t had the opportunity. Now it is finally shipping and I can’t wait to have a Jason Matthews evening and play Imperial Struggle and 1989. What a night that will be!

From the game page, we read the following:

1989 is an exciting, fast paced game simulating the end of the Cold War in 1989. During this amazing year, a series of democratic revolutions ended the 40 year Soviet empire in Eastern Europe. 1989 simulates the political, social and economic aspects of these revolutions using a card driven system similar to Twilight Struggle.

One player plays the Communist. At the start of the game he holds unquestioned power across the six nations of the Warsaw Pact. But there are ominous clouds on the horizon. The new leader in Moscow has declared no more will Soviet tanks prop up tottering Communist governments. The economies, after decades of central planning and stagnation, have reached various stages of crisis. Inside the churches and among the students and their professors there are dissident movements that have been emboldened. From crushing dissent to offering concessions, the Communist player will have to use a variety of strategies in a struggle to hold on to his empire.

The other player plays the Democrat. At the dawn of 1989, behind the iron curtain, no one considers revolution possible. The goal of dissidents is to create a civil society outside the control of the Communist regimes. On their side are students who are fascinated with the style and pop culture of the west, and the Church. Against them is the vast apparatus of the Communist state. Their challenge is to persuade the workers, who are the bulk of society, to join their cause.

If you are interested in 1989: Dawn of Freedom 2nd Printing you can order a copy for $65.00 (if you hurry and order now you can get the special P500 price of $44.00) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-543-1989-2nd-printing.aspx

8. Storm Over Asia from GMT Games

Another monster wargame that might just be a snack-sized monster and act as a gateway to a game that has scared me off in A World At War.

From the game page, we read the following:

Storm Over Asia is both a companion game to GMT’s A World at War and Gathering Storm, and is a game in its own right, with its own victory conditions. Starting in 1935, Japan, China, Britain, and Russia prepare for war without being sure of just what is coming. Japan must balance its expansion in China, an impending confrontation with the United States and Russia, and the impact of the Pacific theater in a global war. China, Britain, and Russia must try to resist immediate Japanese expansion, while at the same time laying the groundwork for the successful prosecution of war in the Pacific. These short-term and long-term goals will often be in conflict, and misjudgments in either direction may have dire consequences.

I love a good wargame and this one looks very interesting for sure. I am still very hesitant about this one but the more I read, the more it seems like it might be doable for the two of us. Especially since Alexander is so good with rules.

If you are interested in Storm Over Asia you can order a copy for $105.00 (if you hurry and order now you can get the special P500 price of $72.00) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-774-storm-over-asia.aspx

9. Stilicho: Last of the Romans from Hollandspiele

This game is releasing in August but unfortunately there isn’t a game page set up on the Hollandspiele website as of yet.

From the Board Game Geek page for the game, we read the following:

Stilicho: Last of the Romans is the long-anticipated follow-up to designer Robert DeLeskie’s popular and challenging solitaire game The Wars of Marcus Aurelius. The brain-boiling card angst and nail-biting combats that made that game so compelling are back, along with some new wrinkles that make for a more challenging and nuanced decision space. For example, the Surge mechanism that caused so many gamers to invent new curse words is now more nefarious, with each enemy card having specific surge effects. Rome’s enemies sometimes bump into each other, resulting in enemy-on-enemy battles. Regions might go into revolt, garrisons might defect to the banner of the pretender Constantine III, and the wily courtier Olympius might turn the Emperor Honorius against you.

Here is a newly posted video from Tom Russell with a quick overview of the game as well as some really good life advice (“don’t be killed”):

I am very excited for this one as I simply loved The Wars of Marcus Aurelius. This is a solitaire wargame and if it is anything like its predecessor it will be a very challenging game for sure. Keep your eyes out for the game page going up on the Hollandspiele website.

10. Tactical Combat Series: Ariete: The Battle of Bir el Gubi, Libya from Multi-Man Publishing

MMP is trying to resurrect the TCS Series and Ariete is the chosen game….and it looks really interesting. From the game page, we read the following:

Ariete is a Tactical Combat Series (TCS) game covering the Italian Ariete Division’s defense of Bir el Gubi, Libya, on November 19, 1941.

The well-equipped yet inexperienced British 22nd Armoured Brigade saw an opportunity to season itself against a supposedly weak Italian formation. At full-strength with 162 brand-new Crusader tanks, the British were eager to emulate the easy victories against the Italian 10th Army the previous winter. What actually ensued was a swirling desert battle between evenly matched opponents.

Ariete covers this entire mobile action in turns representing 30 minutes each and a map scale of 150 meters per hex. Units range from sections to platoons. A minimal amount of special rules bring the Tactical Combat Series to North Africa, highlighting the unique tactical challenge of the desert environment.

If you are interested in TCS Ariete: The Battle of Bir el Gubi, Libya, you can order a copy for $36.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://www.multimanpublishing.com/Products/tabid/58/ProductID/358/Default.aspx

Thanks as always for reading through this list of wargames every month. I really do enjoy putting this together as it gets me juiced up for what is upcoming. I always inevitably miss a few new games so if you know of any upcoming or new pre-orders out there, please let me know so I can look into them.

-Grant