At this point already in 2022, we are simply covered over with lots of high quality games in our possession that we have to get played and reviewed. But there are more coming! I am astonished at the continual onslaught of new games from great publishers each and every month. It shows no signs of slowing down either as I am aware of at least 2-3 Kickstarters that will be coming out after July as well as many pre-orders that are getting ready to deliver. This month I was able to find 14 new games to share with you. Interestingly though, there were no new Kickstarters that I could find, which is a first for a while now.

If you missed the May Wargame Watch, you can you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/05/03/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-may-2022/

Pre-Order

1. Crown & Crescent: The Struggle for Independence in South Carolina from Multi-Man Publishing

If you have followed us for long, you know of my affinity for games covering the American Revolutionary War. Each July, I write a summary of all of the games that I have played on the subject. So, earlier this month, when I saw this one announced by Multi-Man Publishing, I was immediately interested. Furthermore, the cover art is just fantastic!

From the game page, we read the following:

Crown and Crescent models the two years of intense, fierce fighting in South Carolina adopting and modifying the unique and innovative command and control mechanics created by the Ragnar Brothers for Angola! These mechanics keep players guessing, create plenty of tension, and reward the right balance of boldness and caution as you guide your forces towards independence or crushing the revolting colonists. The map is divided into seven districts, encompassing 6 to 7 key locations each, used to show control of the district. Control enough key locations and you’ll then control the district and therefore advance on the victory point track towards winning the game.

The counters represent military units and auxiliaries such as artillery, rifled and light troops, grenadiers, dragoons, and cavalry. A unique command and activation system has players planning in secret the order in which they will activate a limited number of their units for the turn. The players then take turns activating their units in the determined order. The result is a tense game, with players trying to analyze the map and out guess their enemies.

While I have yet to play Angola!, which I do own and have clipped and sorted it awaiting an opportunity to play, I have seen and heard really good things about the system so this one should also be very good. I think that I also like that this game is a multi-player game, playing with 2-4 players.

I have reached out to the designer Bryan Collars about doing one of our designer interviews and we are currently working on putting something together.

If you are interested in Crown & Crescent: The Struggle for Independence in South Carolina, you can pre-order a copy for $60.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://mmpgamers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=356

2. Rebellion: Britannia from GMT Games

I love it when GMT Games announces a new series of games. It is very exciting and I always dream about what it may become. This month in the Monthly Update, they announced a new game that covers the rebellions against Rome in Britannia during the 1st century AD called Rebellion: Britannia. The game is designed by a designer that I have enjoyed in Maurice Suckling and I look forward to how he will make this new series stand out. If this one does well on P500, there are other designs that are planned.

From the game page, we read the following:

Rebellion: Britannia is a game about the Roman military campaigns to suppress the Silures, Brigantes, and Boudica Rebellions (47-61 CE) and the relationships between the key British tribes.

In this game, 1-4 players take control of one of the powerful factions of the time: either Rome or one of the key British tribes—the Iceni, Silures, or Brigantes. Over the course of 12 game rounds (lasting 60-90 minutes), players attempt to gain the most victory points by controlling land, burning Roman infrastructure, and reducing enemy forces.

I have played a few games on this period and have really enjoyed them. I love a good Card Driven Game and this one incorporates that mechanic in a new way with a preparation mechanic.

You may have noticed that two of the five Sequence of Play steps…revolve around the preparation of a card. This innovative addition to the CDG system allows the player to strategically plan ahead for their next turn. There is a risk that the situation may change before your next turn and a prepared card may be ineffective or even imperil your forces. But setting up a powerful two-card turn or a defensive trap that triggers if another faction makes a move against you is often too great of a reward to pass on.

I have reached out to the designer Maurice Suckling about doing one of our designer interviews and we are currently working on putting something together.

If you are interested in Rebellion: Britannia, you can pre-order a copy for $52.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-989-rebellion-britannia.aspx

3. Zheng He: Admiral of the Ming Voyages from GMT Games

A good solitaire game is a wonder to behold. But, in order to be good it needs to have a guiding hand that has made good solo games in the past. Such is the case with Zheng He: Admiral of the Ming Voyages that was announced in late May. David Thompson, of Pavlov’s House, Castle Itter, Soldiers in Postmen’s Uniforms fame, has done it time and again. He also is teamed with Geoff Engelstein who has done some games that we have really enjoyed, including Versailles 1919 with Mark Herman.

From the game page, we read the following:

Zheng He: Admiral of the Ming Voyages is a solitaire game that recreates the voyages of the Ming treasure fleets in the early 1400’s. In the game you take the role of Zheng He, commanding the fleet as it sails the Indian Ocean, earning glory for the emperor, and keeping favor with the ministers of the court so the voyages can continue. Your goal is to score as many Victory Points as possible until the political will to continue the voyages runs out. Victory Points are earned by visiting ports, gaining envoys, winning battles, and completing special goals. You also earn Minister Points during each voyage by trading and having good relations with ports, which determine whether the game continues with another voyage, and also allow you to upgrade and repair the fleet, and recruit and train officers.

The game also mixes in the use of cards that are used to command your fleet.

You command your fleet through the use of a deck of fleet cards. At the start of the first voyage, you have a deck of 20 cards that represent the ships in your fleet, including treasure ships, patrol ships, supply ships, equine ships, and troop ships. On your turn, you will play these fleet cards to take a wide variety of actions that allow you to sail, build bases, improve relations, battle, resupply, repair the ships in your fleet, and more.

So not a traditional wargame, but maybe more of an adventure game with some combat mixed in. I don’t care what you call it, it looks really interesting to me and I cannot wait to give it a go.

If you are interested in Zheng He: Admiral of the Ming Voyages, you can pre-order a copy for $48.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-990-zheng-he-admiral-of-the-ming-voyages.aspx

4. Ardennes ’44: The Battle of the Bulge 4th Printing from GMT Games

The Battle of the Bulge is one of the over-gamed battles in our hobby. But, when the game is good, I definitely can overlook another Bulge game. I absolutely love Mark Simonitch and his approach to design. He has a talent for distilling conflicts down to a simple, not simplistic, understandable and playable system that models the important points of its history. This is especially true with his ZOC Bond System more commonly known as the ‘4X Series of hex and counter wargames. Ardennes ’44 is one of these games and I have yet to play it but definitely want to.

From the game page, we read the following:

Ardennes ’44 explores this fascinating campaign with a detailed order of battle and an extremely accurate Ardennes game map which covers the area from the Our River to the Meuse. Ardennes ’44 covers the period from December 16^th to the 26^th. Two shorter one-map scenarios are included which cover the initial stages of the German attack. The Ardennes ’44 game system is designed by Mark Simonitch, winner of the CSR James F. Dunnigan Award for Design Elegance and Best WWII Board Game of 2000 for Ukraine ’43.

The result is Ardennes ’44, a game that both the “Bulge enthusiast” and the casual player will enjoy. German attacks follow historical advance routes, and the Bastogne and St. Vith defense perimeters are often as large as they were historically (instead of one big stack of units in the town itself). The Allied player has a chance at holding Elsenborn Ridge and making the Germans pay dearly for the twin villages of Rockerath and Krinkelt. Likewise, the German player has an equal chance of changing history and reaching the Meuse River.

If you are interested in Ardennes ’44: The Battle of the Bulge 4th Printing, you can pre-order a copy for $38.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-987-ardennes-44-4th-printing.aspx

5. Wars of Religion, France 1562-1598 from Fellowship of Simulations

I love wargames covering interesting and unique parts of our world history. They are like a breath of fresh air and get me excited about history. Such is the case with a new game I saw a few weeks on Facebook from Fellowship of Simulations called Wars of Religion, France 1562-1598.

From the game page, we read the following:

Wars of Religion is a card driven game on the XVI century War of Religion in France.

The game can be played by two to three players ( three’s the best ). It simulates the clashes of the Religion Wars between the massacre of Wassy in 1562 and the signing of the Edit of Nantes in 1598. Eight successive wars were fought between the last Valois kings ( Charles IX and Henri III ) and the Huguenots, supporters of the new reformed religion and the Ligueurs, who held an uncompromising Catholicism backed by Spain.

Each of the three players will take control of the destinies of a faction and try to win at the end of the six rounds of the game. Not only will it have to impose itself militarily, but it will also have to win the mind through active propaganda.

I know that you cannot tell a lot about the game from what is available but it definitely has my interest piqued and I definitely want to learn more about it. In fact, we have an early preview copy coming from Fellowship of Simulations and I cannot wait to dig into it and share our thoughts with you. We also have reached out to the designer for a designer interview to share more about the game.

If you are interested in Wars of Religion, France 1562-1598, you can pre-order a copy for $74.00 from the Fellowship of Simulations website at the following link: https://www.fsimgames.com/en/wars-of-religion/

6. Enemy Action: Kharkov from Compass Games

I have yet to play Enemy Action: Ardennes but know that it is a game with a very rabid following from a great designer. I met John Butterfield at WBC in 2017 by the way and he was a fantastic person. We didn’t get a chance to sit down and discuss this game but I really wish we had. Enemy Action: Kharkov is the second game in John Butterfield’s acclaimed Enemy Action Series of card-driven games simulating pivotal battles in World War II, playable by two players or one player controlling either side in the conflict.

From the game page we read the following:

Enemy Action: Kharkov portrays the Third Battle of Kharkov, the key Eastern Front battle in which the German Army ended a string of Soviet victories begun at Stalingrad. In the late winter of 1943, Soviet Operations code-named Star and Gallop drove the Germans from the city of Kharkov and threatened a complete breakthrough, only to be driven back by the German counteroffensive known as Von Manstein’s Back Hand Blow.

Each volume in the Enemy Action Series features:

Two-player competition with low complexity and constant decision points for both sides;

Solitaire play of either side with systems governing all aspects of enemy command and tactics;

Card-driven impulse system, with multi-purpose cards played to activate formations, implement command events, or gain tactical advantages in combat.

Diceless and chartless combat system – players draw combat chits that build a narrative of each combat.

The solo games add fog of war to the experience.  Many enemy unit locations in the solo games are unknown until your forces move to contact.  Enemy units behind the front line often disappear to reappear elsewhere, within realistic movement limitations.

If you are interested in Enemy Action: Kharkov you can pre-order a copy for $90.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/enemy-action-kharkov/

7. Point Blank: V is for Victory from Lock ‘n Load Publishing

One of our favorite older games is Up Front, the card game where you don’t play on a board but have cards that represent terrain and you move up toward your enemy encountering new terrain as you go. Such a great little card game that is very interesting and fun to play. Now I am not saying this game is exactly like that but it shares some DNA for sure. Point Blank: V is for Victory from Lock ‘n Load Publishing is such a very cool tactical wargame that we really enjoyed playing recently as well as in 2017 at WBC.

The game is played on an abstract map board made up of terrain cards and managed through a distance system that accounts for the range to targets, line of sight, and defensive attributes. The player has units that start out on the map and gradually work their way towards objectives by advancing through the battlefield all the while conducting combat actions against their opponent or defending their troops from return fire. Players draw cards from a common action deck where they will play actions on their units on the map board. The game is an IGOUGO impulse system and turns are managed when the action deck is exhausted. Actions in the game consist of Fire, Move, Assault, Rally, etc. The action cards contain dice icons on them to determine random results.

From the game page, we read the following:

Point Blank: V is for Victory is a tactical squad infantry card game set in World War II Europe and is loosely based on the award-winning Lock ‘n Load Tactical game series. Players do not need not be familiar with any of the Lock ‘n Load Tactical rules to play. Point Blank is designed by Sean Druelinger and is a game that dares to be different, with new game concepts that give a whole new feel to tactical wargaming. 

I would agree with every statement in that short description from their website and would encourage anyone who likes card games, or even a good tactical wargame, to give this one a closer look. You won’t be dissapointed!

We posted an interview with the designer Sean Druelinger on the blog covering the design and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2019/09/09/interview-with-sean-druelinger-designer-of-lock-n-load-tactical-point-blank-from-lock-n-load-publishing/

Alexander shot an unboxing video a few weeks ago of a prototype copy of the game that is the near final print proof and you can watch that here:

We also shot a video playthrough of a scenario of the game and you can watch that here:

If you are interested in Point Blank: V is for Victory, you can do a late pre-order for $99.99 from the Lock ‘n Load Publishing website at the following link: https://store.lnlpublishing.com/point-blank-v-is-for-victory-llp312131#:~:text=Point%20Blank%20is%20a%20tactical,Load%20Tactical%20rules%20to%20play.

New Release

1. Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain, 1085-1086 from GMT Games

When this new Levy & Campaign Series was announced a few years ago, I was uncertain about whether it would be something that I was interested in. I should have known it would be good, as it is designed by Volko Ruhnke and we have never not enjoyed his designs, but it took me a while to truly become interested. After getting a quick run down from the game’s designer Wendell Albright at Origins 2017 and then posting an interview and playing Nevsky, I was immediately hooked. The system is a bit fragile, and there is a different focus with planning and logistics, but it is very interactive and enjoyable to play. Then in 2020, Almoravid, which is Volume II in the Levy & Campaign Series, was announced and it now takes us from “Nevsky’s frozen northeast frontier to medieval Latindom’s opposite corner”. The same basic system is used to play the game including mustering of lords, managing their levy of forces and various capabilities that come from the play of cards, and their command of armies during 11th-Century Spain. The real major difference here is that the armies will enjoy good Roman roads and gentler seasons as compared to the wet and messy Rasputitsa of the Russian steppe but now must also contend against Iberia’s tough Moorish fortifications as siege becomes more important. Taifa politics and Parias tribute will guide the players military strategy the game will play out across a map half again as large as that of the first volume. This promises to be a familiar walk down a different geographic area with the same mechanics and opportunity to learn more about reconquista in Spain.

We posted an interview with Volko on the blog covering the design and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/08/04/interview-with-volko-ruhnke-designer-of-almoravid-reconquista-and-riposte-in-spain-1085-1086-from-gmt-games/

If you are interested in Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain, 1085-1086, you can order a copy for $90.00 on the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-861-almoravid-reconquista-and-riposte-in-spain-1085-1086.aspx

2. American Civil War Operational Series Volume 2: Mac and Lee: McClellan’s Advance on Richmond from Hollandspiele

Last year, Hollandspiele released this new American Civil War Operational Series of games designed by John Theissen that looked really interesting as they are more about maneuver than open combat. The first game in this series was titled Our God Was My Shield: Jackson’s Valley Campaign and did pretty well. Now they are coming out with Volume 2 in the series called Mac and Lee: McClellan’s Advance on Richmond.

From the game page, we read the following:

Mac and Lee is the second game in John Theissen’s American Civil War Operational Series. Specific units and their strengths are hidden from your opponent as you perform a tense dance of cat-and-mouse maneuvers. This is especially important when modeling George McClellan’s ill-fated Peninsula Campaign, where doubts about enemy numbers and positions exacerbated the extreme caution that saw the promise of “the young Napoleon” give way over the course of these operations to his reputation as a passive, bewildered commander who was hopelessly outmatched by his Confederate counterparts. If they want to succeed, the Union Player will need to be bolder and more decisive than Mac; the Confederate Player, for their part, must use a skillful mix of maneuver, bluff, and nerve to stymie the enemy’s advance on Richmond. Knowing when to attack and when to hold back, when to run and when to make a stand, are paramount, and as ever, subject to the fortunes of war.

If you are interested in Mac and Lee: McClellan’s Advance on Richmond, you can order a copy for $55.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/mac-and-lee

3. Attack on Cahokia Game from The Historical War Game Company (via Blue Panther)

A few weeks ago, I was contacted directly by Blue Panther, which does a lot of print on demand games for wargaming companies such as Hollandspiele, White Dog Games, Paul Koenig Games, Schutze Games, Catastrophe Games and The Historical War Game Company. They informed me that they had a total of 10 new games available from THWGC and I looked into them. I am not going to present all 10 of them here but did choose a few to highlight that looked interesting to me. The first of these is Attack on Cahokia Game.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Attack on Cahokia Game is a low to moderate complexity tactical game covering the British led attack on Cahokia during the American Revolutionary War. The game takes about 90 minutes to play. One player commands the Americans and the other player commands the British.

If you are interested in Attack on Cahokia Game, you can order a copy for $40.00 boxed ($35.00 Folio) from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/attack-on-cahokia?variant=42916358979754

4. Fort Jefferson Attack Game from The Historical War Game Company (via Blue Panther)

The 2nd game I am going to share from The Historical War Game Company is Fort Jefferson Attack Game which deals with the Chickasaw Indian attack in 1780 on Fort Jefferson located in Kentucky during the American Revolutionary War. There are 8 additional new games they have but you will have to check those out on your own. They all are low to moderate complexity games so can be used as introductory wargames for new players or even for more seasoned wargamers who just want a fast playing tactical game on a lesser gamed historical subject.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Fort Jefferson Attack Game is a low to moderate complexity tactical game covering the Chickasaw attack on Fort Jefferson during the American Revolutionary War. The game takes about 90 minutes to play. One player commands the Americans and their allies, and the other player commands the Chickasaws.

If you are interested in Fort Jefferson Attack Game, you can order a copy for $40.00 boxed ($35.00 Folio) from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/fort-jefferson-attack?variant=42916402856106

5. The Russian Campaign, Original 1974 Edition from Compass Games

A classic game that is being brought back to life. Compass does this quite often with their rejuvenated Designer Signature Series but this one is not a part of that series but is a classic in The Russian Campaign designed by John Edwards.

From the game page, we read the following:

Recognized as one of the finest wargames ever published and winner of the 1976 CSR Awards. Enjoy this remake of the original 1974 Jedko game covering the Eastern Front during World War II that is short on rules and playing time. Relive a true wargaming classic with rules that are easy to learn, yet require cunning strategies to achieve ultimate victory. An ideal wargame for beginner’s, The Russian Campaign also serves as a fast-playing, tense contest for experience gamers.

It appears that the game will begin shipping on June 15th.

If you are interested in The Russian Campaign, Original 1974 Edition, you can order a copy for $59.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/the-russian-campaign-original-1974-edition/

6. Warsaw 1920 from Revolution Games

Revolution Games puts out some great looking and very interesting titles for sure. Their newest title deals with the Battle of Warsaw in 1920 during the Interwar Years and is aptly named Warsaw 1920.

From the game page, we read the following:

Warsaw 1920 is a two-player wargame that recreates the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, 101 years ago. One player controls the Polish (including Ukrainian and Lithuanian) and the other controls the Russians.

The war between Poland, which has regained its independence, and Russia, which wants to export the revolution to Europe, also called the “Soviet-Polish War,” has been waged since September 1919 without a formal declaration of war. Full-scale combat began in April 1920, when the Polish army launched an offensive in the south and occupied Kiev while the Russian army was extracting troops from the front to clear the remnants of the White army.

However, the Polish didn’t achieve the results they expected, and were repulsed by a counterattack of Semyon Budyonny’s 1st Cavalry Army. In July, the West Front Army, led by Mikhail Tukhachevsky, launched an offensive, and the Polish left wing collapsed. The Western Front reached the gates of Warsaw after defeating two Polish army groups and advanced 500 km in five weeks. In August, when Poland was thought to be engulfed by the red tsunami, reorganized troops and Polish units from the south launched an unexpected counterattack from the south against the Russian flank. Relentless and aggressive, the Polish continued to move forward, inflicting heavy losses on  exhausted Russian troops and destroying many of them.

This game shows the battle from July 1920, when the Western Front began its offensive, to the end of August, when Tukhachevsky’s army was almost eliminated by Polish counterattack.

If you are interested in Warsaw 1920, you can order a copy for $35.00 from the Revolution Games website at the following link: https://stores.revolutiongames.us/warsaw-1920/

7. Scream, Aim, Fire! Pacific from Tiny Battle Publishing

Solitaire games are really hot right now and there are lots of them coming out. A new series called Scream, Aim, Fire! debuted last year with a game that focused on the European Theater of Operations in World War II. Now the same designer is releasing the next volume which covers the bloody Pacific Theater.

From the game page, we read the following:

Scream, Aim, Fire Pacific! is a solo tactical game of squad-level combat set in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The player takes the part of American infantry and armor pushing inland to take objectives, using a dice-roll action system that gives you a guaranteed number of actions each round, but not always of the exact type you need. A card-driven action system manages the Japanese defenders, including veteran units, machine-gun nests, pill boxes and even tanks. Victory is based on objectives and American Morale score, and game complications include lack of supplies and surprise Japanese reinforcements, so even on the edge of victory, it pays to be cautious. But with a time limit on every scenario, not too cautious. With five scenarios of increasing difficulty and complexity, Scream, Aim, Fire Pacific! is a challenge you will have to rise to and a challenger that is always ready for you.

Last year, we posted an interview with the designer of the series Jamie Kirkpatrick on the blog covering the debut volume of Scream, Aim, Fire! and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/06/21/interview-with-jay-kirkpatrick-designer-of-scream-aim-fire-from-tiny-battle-publishing/

This one looks very interesting and I hope to get a copy soon and give it a try. I am really enjoying solitaire games right now and always am up for a romp through the Pacific Theater of World War II.

If you are interested in Scream, Aim, Fire! Pacific you can order a copy for $36.00 from the Tiny Battle Publishing website at the following link: https://tinybattlepublishing.com/products/scream-aim-fire-pacific1

Thanks for reading along and please let me know what new pre-order and new release games you know about that are out there that I missed.

-Grant