11 Wargames to Buy Your Wargamer for Christmas – 2020 Edition

I am just going to say it. 2020 has been a dumpster fire! COVID, civil unrest, toilet paper shortages, murder hornets, the west coast on fire. The list goes on and on. But, the good news is that it is now November and we only have 36 days left till it is over. And it is the holidays, which is my favorite time of year. Food, family, friends, football and games around the holiday table, although this year we are considering not doing our normal family gatherings. It also is time for me to issue our Christmas List of Wargames for that special wargamer in your life. This year I am going to shake this list up a bit. I am going to do it in a few different categories, featuring 2-3 games in each. The categories will include Hex & Counter, Card Driven Games, Solitaire Only and Waro (Hybrid Euro Wargames). I will also throw in a few smaller format games that can be used as stocking stuffers! On to the games!

If you are interested, here are links for the previous year’s editions of this list:

2019 Edition

2018 Edition

2017 Edition

2016 Edition

One more thing before we get to the games. If you are looking for something different for your wargamer for Christmas check out our The Players’ Aid merchandise available from TeeSpring at the following link: https://teespring.com/shop/tpa-classic-logo You can find t-shirts, sweat shirts, fleece blankets, facemasks and die cut stickers with our very fashionable logo. Take a look!

Hex & Counter

The classic wargame that we all think of includes lots of counters and gorgeous hex maps. Here I provide a tactical level game and an operational level game.

Old School Tactical Volume III – Pacific 1942/1945 from Flying Pig Games

Old School Tactical from Flying Pig Games is a tactical combat system that is set in World War II to date. The game focuses on the simulation of small unit combined arms engagements where historical units, weapons, armor and vehicles will duke it out on a beautifully crafted board full of hexes. During a turn, players will go back and forth using an Impulse Point System to activate units to either Move, Assault Move or Fire. The players will play through a predetermined amount of rounds and at the end, victory points and casualty points will determine which side is the victor. The most recent volume in the series is Old School Tactical Volume 3 – Pacific 1942/1945 and includes battles between the Japanese and their Special Naval Landing Force and the American Marine Corps.

This one is different enough that I believe you can play it, and while the system will be familiar, you will have new tactical puzzles to figure out in order to deal with those cagy Marines or the suicide Banzai charges of the Japanese.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components:

Here also are links to a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game:

Action Point 1 – new terrain, weapons and  vehicles presented that are unique to the Pacific Theater of combat

Action Point 2 – new playable faction the Japanese, examining their new units including the Tank Killer and Sapper, and dove into the very powerful Banzai Attack

Action Point 3 – the United States Marines and what makes them some of the most elite fighting men of the war.

Action Point 4 – inside the Hell Bent Expansion and talk about the different scenarios offered.

Finally, here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Old School Tactical Volume III – Pacific 1942/1945, you can purchase a copy from the Miniature Market website at the following link: OST Vol III

Stalingrad 42′: Southern Russia, June-December, 1942 from GMT Games

I have really liked the ‘4X Series designed by Mark Simonitch and this entry in the series is also really good. After we played Holland ’44 two years ago, this one was highly anticipated for me and it didn’t disappoint. The name though can be a bit misleading as the game doesn’t focus on the siege of the city of Stalingrad but more the drive up to it and the southern front of the East Front.

Stalingrad ’42 uses the same scale and nearly all the rules of Ukraine ’43. The system has seen some modifications and really plays smoothly. I truly enjoyed the combat and similar to many of our East Front gaming experiences the Soviets are relegated to biding their time, falling back to a defensible position and looking for those few opportunities to counterattack and make it hurt. I also truly enjoy the ZOC Bond System and feel that it is such an interesting way to deal with overwhelming force up against only a few defenders. Another home run for Mark Simonitch and I can’t wait for his announced upcoming Salerno ’43.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here is a video Battle Report of sorts from our session: 

And finally here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Stalingrad ’42: Southern Russia, June-December, 1942, you can purchase a copy from the Miniature Market website at the following link: Stalingrad ’42

Card Driven Games

The Card Driven Wargame uses cards to provide points to build and activate units and also provides historical events that effect things throughout the game.

The Shores of Tripoli from Fort Circle Games

I have never played a historical wargame on the First Barbary War, which if you didn’t know was one of the first major wars the young United States of America participated in that was situated far outside their sphere of influence in North and South America. Shortly after the end of the American Revolutionary War, commercial vessels of the United States were being attacked and raided by the pirates of the Barbary coast in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1801, newly inaugurated President Thomas Jefferson was eager to put an end to this threat and sent a “squadron of observation” to the Mediterranean to deal with the threat. The Shores of Tripoli covers this conflict and does so using a card driven game mechanic that works really well in this instance. The game is a little deceiving, as at first it appears to be pretty introductory with simple rules and mechanics, but the depth for the game lies in the strategy for each side and the fact that their victory conditions are asymmetric.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here also are links to a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game:

Action Point 1 – the Game Map and the different locations including harbors, naval patrol zones and the open sea.

Action Point 2 – discuss the differences between the units of the United States and her Allies and Tripolitania and her Allies and how they are used in the game.

Action Point 3 – the cards that drive the action and provide interesting Events that ground the game in history.

Action Point 4 – Sequence of Play and the Victory Conditions and cover examples of the different actions players can take by discarding the cards.

Action Point 5 – few examples of things like Naval Movement, Naval Combat, Naval Bombardment and Ground Combat.

Here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in The Shores of Tripoli, you can purchase a copy from the Crowd Ox website for the Kickstarter campaign at the following link: The Shores of Tripoli

Struggle for Europe 1939-1945 from Worthington Publishing

A few years ago, we played the game Lincoln designed by Martin Wallace and published by Worthington Games. That game used a very interesting and unique deck building/destruction mechanic where cards drove the action of moving forces, recruiting units and being played for events but then some cards would be removed from the deck after use and new cards would be introduced in a phased approach. The system creates some really interesting choices and dilemmas with how to use those cards and we enjoyed the system very much.

Now that same system is being used to simulate the European Theater of World War II in a game called Struggle for Europe 1939-1945. Similar to Lincoln the game is a fast playing and light two-player card-driven strategy wargame that allows players to re-fight the entire struggle for Europe at a strategic level in under two hours. As the decks are cycled throughout the game, the Allied player adds some better quality cards, with the Russians and Americans entering play during the 1st and 2nd reshuffle. The Axis player will burn through their early game quality cards, becoming weaker as resources dwindle. The underlying game mechanism is one of “deck destruction” rather than the more normal deck-building.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here also are links to a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game:

Action Point 1 – Game Board and the Locations and various Boxes and Tracks that are used to play the game as well as examined the various pinch points on the Point to Point Movement system that create a very interesting tactical puzzle.

Action Point 2 – makeup of the Axis and Allied decks and discussed the very interesting deck destruction mechanic, including a comparison of the differences in the two decks and what that means for each of the players.

Action Point 3 – units involved in the game, including the Infantry and Tank units as well as static defenses in the Fortresses and how the Location Boxes work on defense and attack.

Action Point 4 – look at how Battle works and look at a few examples.

Here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Struggle for Europe 1939-1945, you can purchase a copy from Amazon at the following link: Struggle for Europe

Prelude to Rebellion: Mobilization & Unrest in Lower Canada, 1834-1837 from Compass Games

I love the card driven game mechanic and how it pits players against each other. The mechanic is very well suited to any game where two ideologies are fighting for control and I found a really good implementation of the system in a game from Compass Games called Prelude to Rebellion: Mobilization & Unrest in Lower Canada, 1834-1837. This game depicts this conflict of ideas as a card-driven game using key events from 1834 to 1837 as the Patriotes and Loyalists fight for control of the electorate. The player will have many choices presented to them in how to use their cards and will be torn between using each for the card’s Activity Points or the Event while doing their best to fend off and undo your opponent’s cards. The overall focus of the game is that the player will fight to mobilize the people of the various counties of Lower Canada and rally them to your point of view. In addition to Montréal and Québec, 24 rural counties, with each having a bias towards a faction, are represented on the board. Every county has a number of Mobilization Boxes, each costing a number of activity points to place a cube in. Whoever has the most cubes in a county is said to control it.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here also are links to a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game:

Action Point 1 – Game Map and discuss the Mobilization Boxes, Scoring Tracks, Turn Track, Rebellious Spirit Track and take a look at the Opportunity Pool.

Action Point 2 – look at the cards and discuss their use either as an Event or for the Activity Points.

Action Point 3 – how you can spend your Activity Points and how they are used to battle for control of various regions and also discuss the Special Actions available to each player.

Action Point 4 – the Scoring Tracks and how the Scoring Die works and also discuss the Scoring Sequence and how the game can be won.

Action Point 5 – points of strategy and how each player should go about waging this conflict.

Here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Prelude to Rebellion: Mobilization & Unrest in Lower Canada, 1834-1837, you can purchase a copy from Noble Knight Games at the following link: Prelude to Rebellion

Freedom! from Phalanx

Freedom! is a card driven siege game that pits the freedom fighters and the besieging imperial forces against each other. The siege is of the Greek Holy City of Messolonghi by the Ottoman forces during the Greek War of Independence.

The really interesting thing about this one is that that there are actually two maps that are used to play the game. One of the maps shows the actual city and the forces involved in the siege while the other shows the surrounding areas, highlighting the support that each of them provides to both players. The art is gorgeous and this one is a game that we had a really good experience with. There also is a solitaire module that you have to buy separately but it works very well and provides an opportunity to play this game when you can’t find an opponent.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here is our video review used for the Kickstarter campaign (we have not yet shot an official review video since receiving a final production copy) so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Freedom!, you can purchase a copy from Noble Knight Games at the following link: Freedom!

Solitaire Only

Solitaire Wargames are a real thing and they don’t mean that you don’t have friends. These games are specifically designed for one player and as such the games have a well developed AI running your opponent. I like solitaire gaming for many reasons, including the challenge as they are often very hard to win, going at my own pace and trying to strategize my way around the opponent.

Here is a link to a post that I wrote about my thoughts on solitaire wargaming: Love Hate Relationship with Solo Gaming

Stilicho: Last of the Romans from Hollandspiele

Last year, I discovered a great solitaire game called The Wars of Marcus Aurelius from Hollandspiele that dealt with the Romans attempting to pacify Barbarian hordes from the north in the Danube provinces during the Marcomannic Wars in 170-180 AD. Now the designer has taken that system and applied it to another period in Roman history when the Goths and Vandals, as well as a pretender named Constantine, were assaulting Rome itself and one man was asked to defend her from her enemies. Flavius Stilicho was a high-ranking general who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in the Western Roman Empire. After many years of victories against a number of enemies, both barbarian and Roman, a series of political and military disasters finally allowed his enemies in the court of Honorius to remove him from power, culminating in his arrest and subsequent execution in 408. In Stilicho: Last of the Romans the player must survive these attacks from enemies both external and internal and quell all three advancing enemies.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here also are links to a series of Action Points on the various aspects of the game:

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.

I have not been able to shoot a video review yet nor a playthrough video so stay tuned.

If you are interested in Stilicho: Last of the Romans, you can purchase a copy directly from the Hollandspiele website (they currently are running a sale on all of their games until December 6th) at the following link: Stilicho

Jeff Davis: The Confederacy at War from White Dog Games

I love a really hard and involved solitaire wargame and I found a really good one in Jeff Davis: The Confederacy at War. The game is designed by Charles S. Roberts Award-winner R. Ben Madison and he does a great job with his games. The player takes on the role of President Jefferson Davis, and you have to manage the Confederate government and the Southern war effort during the American Civil War. The choices help determine the fate of armies and the struggle between Lee and Grant. The game also has a very interesting method of determining your per turn funds as you have to run blockades against the Union to get funds to supply armies, move your troops and invest in actions to build defenses. I have really enjoyed this one although it is a full 2 hour game as you have to get through 40+ chits to survive to the end. Lot of tough choices, lots of interesting side issues, such as dealing with slaves in the southern economy and keeping politicians happy. This is a great solo game!

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

I have not been able to shoot a video review yet nor a playthrough video so stay tuned.

If you are interested in Jeff Davis: The Confederacy at War, you can purchase a copy directly from the White Dog Games website at the following link: Jeff Davis

Waro (Hybrid Euro Wargames)

Imperial Struggle: The Global Rivalry – Britain and France 1697-1789 from GMT Games

This game is even better than it’s predecessor Twilight Struggle. Very different, but better. I didn’t think that was possible but it is. I still like TS a lot but this game fills a whole new niche and I have really enjoyed exploring it. Imperial Struggle deals with what historians refer to as the Second Hundred Year’s War and covers the period of 1697 through 1789 stretching over four different wars. The game uses cards and Investment Tiles to allow the player to take various actions that change their fortunes across the globe with diplomacy, economic growth, and if all else fails war. Players will score Victory Points from the domination of Regions, controlling various Markets and from victory on the field of battle. There are so many options and strategies available in this game that it makes for a very deep and lasting experience that only gets better with time and more plays.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here are links to a series of Action Point posts that dive into the various aspects of the design:

Action Point 1 – the map focusing on the different Regions and Sub-Regions and the various spaces, boxes and lines located in each.

Action Point 2 – the very interesting limited action selection mechanic using the Investment Tiles and the Advantage Tiles that enhance them and what that means for the player and their efforts.

Action Point 3 – the various Event Cards and Ministry Cards to get an idea for how these fit into the design.

Action Point 4 – Game Sequence, including the differences between Peace and War Turns, Action Rounds and the different actions available including Diplomatic, Military and Economic Actions.

Action Point 5 – how a Turn is scored including the three major scoring categories of Regional Scoring, Prestige Scoring and Global Demand Scoring and how the game can be automatically won if things get a bit out of hand.

Here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Imperial Struggle: The Global Rivalry – Britain and France 1697-1789, you can purchase a copy from the Amazon website at the following link: Imperial Struggle

Versailles 1919 from GMT Games

At WBC in 2017, we had the distinct pleasure of playing Versailles 1919 with one of the designers Mark Herman and we really enjoyed the game (I actually won the game which was a four player affair with me, Alexander, Moe Fitzgerald and Mark. I must confess that Mark helped me win in the last round so I see it that we both won, me especially because I was able to play a game designed by one of my design heroes).

The game revolves around the struggles of the Entente powers post WWI to bring a lasting peace to the world. In a four player game, the active factions represented are Great Britain, the United States, France, and Italy. The game can be adjusted to two or three powers with Italy becoming an inactive faction and the players taking turns acting as the third active faction, but like all of these games, max players provides the optimal negotiating experience. The game is just fantastic and really plays well. We recently played it again with 4 players and it was a supreme experience.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

We recently shot our official video review for the game but it has as of yet not been uploaded to our YoutTube Channel. Here is a video from 2017 when we played the game with Mark Herman but is more of an interview and look at the overall game:

If you are interested in Versailles 1919, you can purchase a copy from the Miniature Market website at the following link: Versailles 1919

Undaunted: North Africa from Osprey Games

One of my surprise games from 2019 was a deck-building tactical game called Undaunted: Normandy designed by a rising star in the gaming industry David Thompson & Trevor Benjamin. The game is simply fun and deals with the setting and history very well using some interesting non-traditional wargaming mechanics. But I really like creativity and am open to these types of games.

Due to that game’s success a new expansion was designed and released and is simply fantastic. Undaunted: North Africa adds in several new elements, including new abilities, new cards, new terrain and scenarios but most importantly vehicles. 

One thing I want to get out of the way is that this game is not simply the same product with a new setting, new package and more stuff. This game feels very different and has a smaller scale feel from its predecessor Undaunted: Normandy. It feels more intimate and the squad level concept has been shrunk to feel more like a small team of commandos, with the addition of some very cool and interesting vehicles, trying to execute their missions.

Here is a look at our unboxing video so you can get a good look at the components: 

Here are links to a series of Action Point posts that dive into the various aspects of the design:

Action Point 1 – look at the deck building aspect, including the makeup of the deck and how you “build” it.

Action Point 2 – look at the new units in the game and their new special abilities and also will take a look at the biggest new addition including vehicles and new structure markers.

Action Point 3 – look at the major differences between North Africa and Normandy and what has changed in the system other than the new units.

We also did an interview with one of the designers David Thompson and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/07/06/interview-with-david-thompson-codesigner-of-undaunted-north-africa-from-osprey-games/

Here is our video review so you can understand our thoughts on the game:

If you are interested in Undaunted: North Africa, you can purchase a copy from the Miniature Market website at the following link: Undaunted: North Africa

Here are some additional games that are ideal for “Stocking Stuffers”:

Long Cruel Woman: The Attack on Firebase Mary Ann, March 28, 1971 from High Flying Dice Games

The game is a 2-player wargame that deals with the attack on an American Fire Base in 1971, when everyone was starting to look toward the end of the war. One of the most remote American positions was Fire Base Mary Ann, not far from Chu Lai, occupied by elements of the 46th Regiment of the Americal Division. By the last week of March, an ARVN artillery battery had already moved in and the base was to be completely turned-over in early April. However, the local Viet Cong (Communist South Vietnamese) commander saw a growing opportunity during the transition to strike a final blow against the Imperialist forces of the US. Deploying the elite 409th Sapper Battalion for the attack, the Communist’s “parting shot” was to remind both the US and ARVN that the war was far from over.

Here is my written review: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/06/11/wake-up-and-check-the-wire-i-heard-someone-knocking-at-the-gate-a-review-of-long-cruel-woman-the-attack-on-fire-base-mary-ann-march-28-1971-from-high-flying-dice-games/

Here is my video review:

If you are interested in Long Cruel Woman: The Attack on Fire Base Mary Ann, you can purchase a copy from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: Long Cruel Woman

La Résistance from Flying Pig Games

La Résistance is a simple, yet engaging, dice and card game set during the German occupation of France in World War II. During the occupation, brave French men and women fought against the Nazi conquerors, disrupting their communications, destroying supply warehouses, and ambushing German patrols. La Résistance gives players a chance to lead a band of resistance fighters, working to keep their men and women alive as they also strive to become the most famous resistance leader.

On each turn, a player will roll six dice, placing the dice on mission cards common to all players, he or she attempts to defeat the mission card by matching dice on the card, spending recruits, and using their resistance leader’s special abilities. To win, a player must amass 12 Glory Points or break–by stealing or otherwise removing all rival resistance group members—the other resistance bands. La Résistance mixes elements of popular dice games, such as Yahtzee and King of Tokyo, with “take that” card mechanics and player interaction, giving the game a familiar feel.

The game is historically themed, and a great way to introduce gamers to strategy games. Three to five people may play, so La Résistance is great for game nights and family get-togethers.  Coming to Kickstarter this December, and shipping worldwide in April, La Résistance is a great strategy game for wargamers and casual strategy gamers alike. 

We shot the following interview with Mark Holt Walker while at Origins 2019 after we played a four player game with Mark and Hermann Luttmann:

If you are interested in La Résistance you can order a copy (not sure they are shipping just yet) from the Flying Pig Games website at the following link: La Résistance

Western Front from Little Bighorn Games

Western Front is a two player card game where players assume the role of commanders in the armies of the Kaiser’s Germany or the Entente Powers. during World War I. Battles are fought over 5 rounds representing the years 1914-1918 and the first player to achieve 3 years is the winner. Cards represent units and can provide attack or defensive values. Each player reveals their units simultaneously to determine net results before the option of playing additional cards. Committing units to the fight and employing sound tactical decisions will help achieve victory, however unpredictable events can dramatically alter the battlefield.

If you are interested in Western Front, you can purchase a copy from the Little Bighorn Games website at the following link: Western Front

In the end, no matter what presents you received under the tree or even if you celebrate Christmas or not, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have plenty of time with friends and family, while staying safe and healthy, and are still able to get to roll some dice and consult some CRTs for the holidays!

-Grant