The weather is beginning to turn, at least momentarily, and March has now arrived! It is nearly spring and that means that summer convention season is nearing and I am getting excited about seeing many of you and playing games together. But in the meantime, there are lots of goings on in the wargaming world with plenty of new releases and new projects being launched on Kickstarter and Gamefound. This month, I was able to find a total of 17 games, which surprised me, with 3 of those being offered on Kickstarter and 1 on Gamefound. There are just so many choices it is very hard to hone in on the 3-4 that I am really interested in.

If you missed the February Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/02/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-february-2023/

Pre-Order

1. Song for War: Mediterranean Theater from Invicta Rex Games Currently on Kickstarter

While attending Buckeye Game Fest in the spring of 2022, we met two new designers who had a very cool looking prototype copy of their new game setup in the War Room called Song for War: Mediterranean Theater. Chris Helm and Seth Stigliano were really nice guys who obviously had put a ton of time into their game and it was immediately evident that this was going to be a different experience. Unfortunately, because of our crazy schedule of events and already committed to games, we were unable to sit down and play the game but got a crash course into the design as well as a good look at the awesome components.

The game is now on Kickstarter and I look forward to seeing the campaign fund and getting the chance to play this game by the end of 2023 (hopefully).

From the game page, we read the following:

Song for War is a tabletop strategy game based in the contested regions of southern Europe, north Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea during World War II. Representing one of four nations, players must work together as the Allies (US or Great Britain) or Axis (Germany or Italy). Players have the option to set strategy, move units, attack and defend as individual nations or simultaneously as the Allied or Axis team. Innovative mechanics allow players to deploy their land, sea, and air units strategically as combined forces, with faster units moving first and more often, followed by heavy units with stronger firepower. Take strategic objectives, control shipping lanes and resupply, deploy new technologies and units, and recreate historical events to defeat the enemy and win the day.

One of the best parts of the design is the asymmetry built into the design for each of the nations. This gives the game some feeling of reality versus everyone just having the exact same units with the exact same abilities. I also am really interested in each nations’ special units and want to see how these things work and feel as the game is played.

Fellow content creator Zilla Blitz did a preview for the game and you can check that out at the following link:

We posted a designer interview with Chris Helm and Seth Stigliano and you can check that out at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/02/27/interview-with-chris-helm-and-seth-stigliano-designers-of-song-for-war-mediterranean-theater-from-invicta-rex-games-coming-to-kickstarter-february-28th/

If you are interested in Song for War: Mediterranean Theater, you can back the project by visiting the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/invictarexgames/song-for-war-mediterranean-theater

As of March 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $10,265 toward its $50,000 funding goal with 100 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, March 30th at 8:21am EDT.

2. 85′ Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires from Flying Pig Games Currently on Kickstarter

In 2017, we played ’65 when it was released on Kickstarter. First off, I want to say that I’m always impressed by Mark Holt Walker’s games because he packs so much in the box, and your hard earned cash can take you really far. The rules themselves are pretty light for a squad level tactical game, especially a Vietnam game with all of the potential complexities from that war. That made ’65 quite accessible and I’d recommend it for those looking to enter the tactical side of the hobby, as well as those who are looking for a game that is high on the fun side, and low on the dreary sense of impending doom when you lose side.

Now that same system is being taken to Afghanistan to cover the Soviets and their quagmire there in a new game called ’85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires. The game has multi-use cards that drive the action, and are used for so many aspects of the game. They also have events so there is a bit of chaos that is injected into games.

From the game page, we read the following:

’85 Graveyard of Empires is the second game in the Squad Battles Series. Building on the mechanics introduced in ’65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, Graveyard of Empires (GOE) features squad-level battles between the Afghan Mujahideen and Soviet Red Army in a card-driven, hex and counter game.

GOE introduces card-activated events, immersive helicopter rules, more tactical decisions, new powers and abilities, and of course beautiful counter and game board art. The counters are 1” or larger (for the vehicles) and the game board hexes are huge. Included are counters for Mujahideen RPG and RPD teams, rifle squads and heroes, as well as captured T-55 and BMP armored fighting vehicles. The Soviets respond with Spetsnaz, line rifle squads, heroes, Hind-24 attack helicopters and several types of AFVs, such as T-55, T-62 tanks, BNPs, BTRs, and more.

The game comes with 5 very well done illustrated 11” x 17” geomorphic game boards so there are lots of variety of setups and scenario potential with a generally reasonable footprint. The counters are large and thick 1” and 1.375” so they stand out on the board and really have a major presence. There are 54 action cards, 4 Event Cards, 5 Bonus Victory Condition Cards included in the one deck that is used by both players.

There also will be a complete solitaire mode called Alone in the Mountains that will allow the player to take on the AI. This was done very well with 65′ as well and that was called Alone in the Jungle.

Here is a link to a Kickstarter video from Flying Pig Games on the game (with not much detail about gameplay but cool nonetheless):

If you are interested in 85′ Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires, you can back the project by visiting the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhwalker/85-afghanistan-graveyard-of-empires-a-squad-battles-game

As of March 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has already funded with $22,637 toward its $16,000 funding goal with 215 backers. The campaign will conclude on Wednesday, March 22nd at 4:00pm EDT.

3. Prelude to Revolution: Russia’s Descent into Anarchy 1905-1917 from Compass Games Currently on Kickstarter

Following on the success of a new system and game we looked at a couple of years back in Prelude to Rebellion: Mobilization & Unrest in Lower Canada, 1834-1837 from Compass Games, Mike Willner has put his heart and soul into a new game called Prelude to Revolution: Russia’s Descent into Anarchy, 1905-1917. The game is a Card Driven Game that takes a look at the buildup to the Russian Revolution over the period of 1905-1917 due to the consequences of several wars, including the Russo-Japanese War and The Great War, as well as the abdication of the Tsar. The game looks very interesting and will challenge players as they must guide or fight against the revolution with only their wits and cards.

From the game page, we read the following:

Prelude to Revolution lets the players experience the drama and chaos of the years leading up to the Russian Revolutions in February and October 1917. This 2-player CDG allows players to take the role of Revolutionary or Government and attempt to address the urgent and competing social, political and military issues of the time. Play proceeds through historical eras: The Years of Turmoil (1905-1913), The Great War (1914-1916), and The Collapse (1917).

We posted a designer interview with Mike Willner and you can check that out at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/02/10/interview-with-mike-willner-designer-of-prelude-to-revolution-russias-descent-into-anarchy-1908-1917-from-compass-games/

If you are interested in Prelude to Revolution: Russia’s Descent into Anarchy 1905-1917, you can back the project on Kickstarter at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/compassgames/prelude-to-revolution

As of March 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded raising $10,225 toward its $2,500 funding goal with 100 backers. The campaign will conclude on Wednesday, March 1st at 5:01pm EST.

4. The Hunt from Salt & Pepper Games Coming to Gamefound March 15th

Big games that come in small boxes! That is how I would describe this new upcoming project as it all fits nicely into a small box but has a lot of depth and replayability similar to former titles by Matthias Cramer such as Watergate.

The Hunt is an asymmetrical game that uses cards to represent the different units involved. It uses hidden movement and plays in about 30-45 minutes.

From the game page, we read the following:

September 1939: the commander of the Admiral Graf Spee receives the order to sink as many British freight ships as possible in the South Atlantic. The objective is to intercept the ships crossing the Atlantic and prevent supplies from reaching the UK and other destinations. The plan seems to work in the first months: within a few weeks, the Admiral Graf Spee sinks 9 freight ships and sends almost 50,000 gross register tons to the seabed. The gigantic loss put the army command in London Whitehall under pressure. In order to protect their freighters in the best possible way, the Admiralty had no choice but to reinforce the English fleet in the South Atlantic by sending three cruisers in what is known as The Battle of River Plate.

The Hunt is an asymmetrical duel where one player will assume the leadership of the British Royal Navy, while the other player will represent the German Kriegsmarine. Each player will have their own deck of cards. In order to win, the German side must stay hidden from the British while attempting to sink five cargo ships.

Instead, the player leading the British must hunt down and fight the Admiral Graf Spee in a final naval battle, in which case the side that ends up with lesser damage wins. Will the Royal Navy be able to take advantage of their numerical superiority or will the Kriegsmarine be the ones who, with their cunning and refined strategy, manage to overthrow their rival?

An exciting and determining battle begins that will define the fate of the Second World War. 

If you are interested in The Hunt, you can take a look at the project on the Gamefound preview page at the following link: https://gamefound.com/projects/saltandpepper/the-hunt

The campaign doesn’t kick off until March 15th. We are working on a written interview with the design team (Matthias Cramer and Engin Kunter) and have a prototype copy of the game that we are playing and will be posting a preview video on our YouTube Channel a few days prior to the campaign launch so stay tuned.

5. We are Coming, Nineveh! from Nuts! Publishing

This one just came up on my radar thanks to a message from Metal Rat on Board Game Geek. And Brian Train is involved in the project as developer. To date, I have not heard much about it….if at all! But, it looks pretty interesting and gives me a Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest from Mighty Boards type of vibe.

From the game page, we read the following:

We Are Coming, Nineveh! is a tactical/operational-level game of the Iraqi government campaign to liberate the western area of the city of Mosul from the forces of Daesh between 19 February and 9 July 2017. This was one of the largest and most difficult urban operations of the post-WWII era, and marked a major defeat for Daesh and its so-called “Islamic State.” The game is thus able to combine low complexity (and hence be accessible to even neophyte wargamers) with a rich and detailed treatment of this important battle.

Unlike most wargames where there is a single measure for victory or loss, We Are Coming, Nineveh! assesses three key aspects of the campaign: the speed at which the operation is completed, the casualties suffered by Iraqi government forces, and the collateral damage done to Mosul. One might outperform the historical case, capturing the Old City faster—but at a terrible civilian cost.

The game uses blocks to represent the units on the board and they have a lot unique symbols and numbers to track the strength of the units. This keeps the blocks hidden from your opponent and really creates a lot of doubt and uncertainty about the outcome of battles.

The use of blocks maintains uncertainty and the “fog of war.” The game combines a simple, intuitive, but highly effective system for movement and combat with a number of innovative game elements:

• Before the operation starts, players choose a number of special capability cards—reflecting their planning and preparations for this long-awaited battle. Should Iraqi government forces deploy large amounts of air and artillery support, or might this cause excessive destruction in Iraq’s second largest city? Should they bring in additional ground forces, or invest in better training for those they have? What about the volunteer Shi’ite militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces—will these be used in the largely Sunni city? Will Daesh invest in more and larger improvised explosive devices? Will they pre-position bomb factories and arms caches, or perhaps a media production facility to publicize their accomplishments? What surprises might they have in store: home-made drones, primitive chemical weapons, or a network of tunnels under the city? No two games will be the same.

• During each turn, event cards can be triggered at any time by either player. Some of these indicate the growing collateral damage done to the city and its people. Others generate tactical vignettes. Troops can get lost in the maze of small streets, communications can break down, and commanders can be faced with difficult moral and operational choices.

If you are interested in We are Coming, Nineveh!, you can pre-order a copy for 52.00€ (about $55.00) from the Nuts! Publishing website at the following link: https://www.nutspublishing.com/eshop/nineveh-en

6. Combat Commander: Europe/Med. Master Edition from GMT Games

I have played both Combat Commander: Europe and Combat Commander: Mediterranean and absolutely love the narrative that the game creates. I love the cards and how they are used for combat, there are no dice in CC, activations and events. The system is just full of chaos and fun. A few years ago, they reprinted CC: Europe and it has already been sold out along with CC: Mediterranean so it is very good that they are bringing both of these volumes back into circulation so that more and more gamers can enjoy Chad Jensen’s creation (and I should also say Kai).

From the game page, we read the following:

“This format, with all six nations and the full Random Scenario Generator, is how Combat Commander was originally designed and tested. Adding in counters specific to the minor nations and updating the scenario pages with the images for their leaders and units has been on my list for years. I am delighted that GMT has presented this opportunity and believe Chad would be very happy to see the game back together after all these years”. – Kai Jensen

Combat Commander: Europe/Med. Master Edition includes all components of the original CC:E and CC:M plus additional minors counters and updated scenario pages where those minors appear.

• 6½ countersheets
• One 24-page Rulebook
• One 52-page Playbook
• Eight PAC sheets (6 two-sided nationality cards, one Terrain chart, one misc. play aids chart)
• 439 Cards (6 decks of 72 cards each, 1 Fate card, 6 nationality reference cards)
• 24 Maps on 12 double-sided 17″ x 22″ sheets
• One 8½” x 22″ Track Display

One comment I would have about the Combat Commander system other than the fact that it is a very interesting, highly playable and fun tactical system is that it is a great value. There are at 12 scenarios in each of these volumes and when added to the Random Scenario Generator, there is ultimate replayability baked into the system.

If you are interested, here is a link to my preview of Combat Commander: Europe: https://theplayersaid.com/2016/05/17/i-was-already-playing-combat-commander-before-it-was-even-invented-a-preview-of-combat-commander-europe-by-gmt-games/

Here also is a link to my preview of Commander Commander: Mediterranean: https://theplayersaid.com/2016/07/27/a-preview-of-combat-commander-mediterranean-by-gmt-games-which-is-not-an-expansion/

If you are interested in Combat Commander: Europe/Med. Master Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $99.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1028-combat-commander-europemed-master-edition.aspx

7. Order & Opportunity from GMT Games

VPJ Arponen is a great guy who designed COIN Series Volume X All Bridges Burning: Red Revolt and White Guard in Finland, 1917-1918. I loved his approach to that game and it was a blast playing that one as it has some very unique factions and interesting mechanics. He had told us at that time that he was working on a few other designs but I hadn’t heard much from him over the past 2 years. Well, now I know why as he has been busy with this new game called Order & Opportunity which takes a look at the post-Cold War world order set in the first decades of the 21st century with the major powers of the United States, Russia, China and the EU controlling the direction of the agenda.

From the game page, we read the following:

Order & Opportunity is a 1 to 4 player game with a dedicated solo system about the making of the post-Cold War world order covering the first decades of the 21st century. In the game, the United States, Russia, China, and the European Union compete over control of the agenda and ultimately over victory points in the dimensions of economic, political, cultural, and security power projection. Order & Opportunity combines card-driven, asymmetric gameplay to produce a topical and thematic historical game on a global scale. The game offers a distinctive and captivating play experience at every one of its player counts. Order & Opportunity begins in the early 2000’s and covers the next twenty years of global, multidimensional power competition. In that setting, the game aims at creating a thematic experience of the period as players are faced with historical and familiar crises, challenges, and opportunities as they emerge from gameplay.

The game is a card driven game that sees both sides struggling back and forth as they build their control as well as alliances and connections.

Order & Opportunity adapts the familiar card-driven game mechanic to introduce different types or suits of action cards (cultural, military, economic, and political) in place of the more traditional operations points. The players each hold a hand of action cards. During their turn, they select a suit and play any cards of that suit they wish. The number of cards played determines the consequences per the selected suit. These include growing domestic polarization (economic actions) and stress being put on the collectively maintained rules-based world order (security actions).

Each card is played either for its event text or for an action associated with the suit. In a game of area control and presence, card plays are used to pursue economic and other opportunities that award players more actions, fuse or defuse crises in the form of major world events on the map, and place political, economic, or military influence and alignments on the map.

Each power in the game makes use of their own associated deck of cards that they cycle through during the game. Many of the cards have effects specific to particular powers, creating asymmetry in the game.

The game also features a light deck building mechanism whereby, once at the end of their turn, powers may “build” their own deck by adding and/or removing cards from it. This enables the players to tune their decks to the strategy they have chosen.

Cards are also used to afford players reaction abilities that enable them to take actions outside of their own turn. Reactions are activated by playing cards onto the map then using them to respond to actions from other players as occasions arise.

I love the CDG mechanic and really am looking forward to this one for sure! I have already been contacted by Vez and we will be doing an interview in the next couple of months. I would also hope that he could agree to share some card spoilers with us as well as he did in the past with All Bridges Burning.

If you are interested in Order & Opportunity, you can pre-order a copy for $55.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1027-order-opportunity.aspx

8. North Africa ’41 Mounted Mapboards from GMT Games

Based on player requests, GMT is now offering mounted maps for Mark Simonitch’s North Africa ’41. You will need to act quickly though as this is a TIME-SENSITIVE item in terms of orders, because the main game is heading to the printer by the end of February. If you want the mounted maps, they will have to be ordered within the next week or two so they know how many to print.

If you are interested in North Africa ’41 Mounted Mapboards, you can pre-order a copy for $30.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1030.aspx?searchEngineName=north-africa-41-mounted-maps

9. Combat Commander: Minor Nations Battle Pack from GMT games

If you are unfamiliar with the Combat Commander system and how they do expansions, you need to know about the concept of the Battle Pack. The Battle Pack is a way to introduce new maps, new scenarios and occasionally new units to the system to be incorporated with already existing product such as with CC: Europe, CC: Mediterranean or CC: Pacific.

Specifically, this announced Minor Nations Battle Pack contains the new Minor Nations counters already mentioned in the Combat Commander: Europe/Med. Master Edition. But if you already own both, then you can simply order the Battle Pack to get that content.

The Battle Pack will contain one 8.5″ x 11″ countersheet, one cover page, eight 8.5″ x 11″ scenario pages and one 9″ x 12″ ziplock bag.

My guess is that these counters and scenarios will simply use existing maps from those base games and only contains the scenario debrief, setup and victory conditions on the “scenario pages”.

If you are interested in Combat Commander: Minor Nations Battle Pack, you can pre-order a copy for $22.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1031-combat-commander-minor-nations-battle-pack.aspx

New Release

1. Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 from Revolution Games

I love a good solitaire wargame. And if that game covers the famous Battle of Stalingrad mores the better! This month, I caught a glimpse of a new solo game from Revolution Games called Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 designed by Mike Rinella. Mike has done a slew of area movements games, such as Patton’s Vanguard and Last Battle, Ie Shima and his designs are always interesting and playable.

From the game page, we read the following:

Stalingrad Advance to the Volga, 1942 puts the player in charge of the attacking and far more mobile German side while the game system handles the defending and largely static Soviet side. No two games will ever be the same. Each turn represents new and unique challenges for the player in the form of random events, uncertain supply deliveries and unknown Soviet area strength and defensive strategies.

The campaign by the German 6th Army to crush the Soviet 62nd Army and capture the city has been the subject of numerous two-player designs. It is a situation known to most gamers but is presented here in a new and exciting SOLITAIRE format, the first in a series of single-player area movement games by publisher Take Aim Designs. Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 puts the player in charge of the attacking and far more mobile German side while the game system handles the defending and largely static Soviet side. No two games will ever be the same. Each turn presents new and unique challenges for the player in the form of random events, uncertain supply deliveries, and unknown Soviet area strengths and defensive strategies.

The primary game is a nine-turn campaign covering the first great German assault on the city during September 1942. The deeper German forces advance, from the city’s less developed periphery to its urban and industrial core, the greater Soviet resistance becomes. The number of German units bled white, effectively out of action, mounts. German determination to secure a rapid victory, represented as “morale” in the game, gradually decreases. The player wins by equaling or exceeding historical German gains and loses if they fail to do so, or if morale falls too low.

If you are interested in Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 you can order a copy for $55.00 from the Revolution Games website at the following link: https://stores.revolutiongames.us/stalingrad-advance-to-the-volga-1942/

2. Aces of Valor: A Solitaire Game of World War I Aerial Combat from Legion Wargames

Legion Wargames continues to pump out very unique games. This month, they released a new game covering aerial dogfighting during WWI called Aces of Valor.

From the game page, we read the following:

Aces of Valor is a solitaire game where you command a fighter squadron on the Western Front during World War I through a campaign of multiple missions to score as many victory points as possible to assist the war effort. You can play as the Germans, or one the Entente powers (British, French, or Americans). Each aircraft counter represents the pilot and the aircraft combined, and your squadron will have up to eight at any given time.

The player chooses the campaign’s duration (8, 12 or 16 missions), and draws a card to determine the objective of each mission, which includes patrols, trench strafing, photo recon, artillery spotting, balloon busting, and bomber escort. The player’s flight moves across a gridded map that is a semi-historical representation of the Western front. Anti-aircraft fire is heaviest near the trenches but can happen anywhere over enemy territory. When combat occurs, aircraft are moved to an “Initiative Track” for up to three rounds of combat, where pilot skill, aircraft performance, and luck all come into play to determine the outcome.

The player earns mission points by destroying enemy aircraft and ground targets, and also by escorting bomber and 2-seater aircraft on successful bombing, photo reconnaissance and artillery support missions. When the flight lands, mission points are converted to victory points or used to repair and replace aircraft as well as upgrade aircraft to newer, better models. The goal is to earn enough victory points to achieve a minor, major or strategic victory.

If you are interested in Aces of Valor: A Solitaire Game of World War I Aerial Combat, you can order a copy for $55.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_AOV.html

3. Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea from Compass Games

I really enjoy games covering the Pacific Theater of World War II. I particularly enjoy the Naval Air aspect and carriers are just about the coolest thing in my mind. Now, there is a game that brings back the classic Avalon Hill game Carrier.

From the game page, we read the following:

Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea is a solitaire simulation of the largest carrier battle in history, fought during the invasion of Saipan (June, 1944). As the U.S. commander, you maneuver your task forces and conduct air searches in a tension-packed contest to find the Japanese carriers before they locate and attack yours. Simple game mechanics control Japanese movement and determine the timing and strengths of their attacks. You will not know that a Japanese air strike is headed your way until it is detected by radar and you scramble your fighters to intercept.

The game has a total of nine scenarios. Four learning scenarios take you through the rules by programmed instruction using slices of the real battle. The other five are full-scale, fully replayable games. These include one-day scenarios for each day of the action, a two-day scenario for the whole battle, a hypothetical scenario presuming different US plans, and a hypothetical scenario in which Midway was never fought and the Japanese come armed with the full Pearl Harbor striking force.

Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea includes a hexagonal map of the area of ocean where the battle was fought, at a scale of 33 nautical miles per hex. The mapsheet also includes player displays for US task groups and air missions. One complete game turn represents 80 minutes of real time, divided into four Action Phases of 20 minutes each. There are 528 die-cut counters representing individual capital ships, groupings of smaller ships, air units of approximately 8-12 aircraft each, and informational markers. Other play aids include Japanese force (“Butai”) displays, a charts and tables booklet, a game-turn flow chart, and a Japanese air raid decision flow chart.

If you are interested in Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea, you can order a copy for $69.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/carrier-battle-philippine-sea/?sfw=pass1677073367

4. The Mog: Mogadishu 1993 from White Dog Games

One of my new favorite small publishers is White Dog Games. I have played about 15 of their small boxed solitaire games over the past 3-4 years and really enjoy their systems, mechanics and the designers that they work with including Dave Kershaw who designs simple solo games that are interesting, highly playable and pay great respect to the history involved.

Their newest offering takes players to Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993 and is a solitaire game. It is appropriately called The Mog: Mogadishu 1993.

From the game page, we read the following:

On October 3, 1993, US Special Forces under the auspices of the UN were tasked with capturing top lieutenants of the hostile warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The game begins with US forces preparing to raid a building (the Meeting House) near the Olympic Hotel to capture these high-level members of Aidid’s Somali National Alliance (SNA).

The player’s goal is to get US forces out of Mogadishu with their captives and return safely to a UN base.

​That may be easier said than done as Aidid’s forces have been made aware of the raid and are making haste to attack UN troops, resulting in the Battle of Mogadishu. The player controls the UN side and solitaire rules play Aidid’s forces.

If you are interested in The Mog: Mogadishu 1993, you can order a boxed copy for $48.00 (a PnP copy for $30.00) from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/mogadishu

5. By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866 from White Dog Games

Hermann Luttmann is a special designer. His games are always historically focused but with some added elements of chaos thrown in to keep you guessing. He has a new 2-player game upcoming that deals with the Battle of Königgrätz in the Austro-Prussian War called By Iron and Blood.

From the game page, we read the following:

By Iron and Blood is a two-player wargame depicting the final, decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War.

The Battle of Koniggratz (or Sadowa) occurred on July 3, 1866 and involved over 450,000 men from multiple European nations and principalities.

The battle would decide the destiny of Europe, determining whether Prussia or Austria would form a united Germany.

The Prussians under General Helmuth von Moltke invaded Austria in late June of 1866 with three major armies, each following a separate axis of advance. Using divergent approaches was risking defeat in detail, but Moltke counted on superior Prussian maneuverability to outflank the Austrian North Army under Feldzugmeister Ludwig von Benedek.

Battles were fought at Nachod, Tratenau, Skalitz, Soor and Gitschen with the Prussians prevailing in nearly all those encounters. The demoralized Austrians gathered their remaining strength in prepared positions in front of the fortress of Koniggratz, hoping that one last titanic defensive battle would win them the war. The Prussians advanced with the 1st and Elbe Armies, engaging the Austrians. Prussian commanders looked for the approaching 2nd Army, hoping it would arrive in time to deliver the final blow.

But where where were the Prussian reinforcements and how long would it take to reach the battlefield? The race was on – could the Austrian North Army defeat their outnumbered Prussians foes before the 2nd Army closed the vise or would the war end under the walls of Koniggratz?

If you are interested in By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866, you can order a boxed copy for $61.00 (a PnP copy for $30.00) from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/koniggratz

They also have an option for an upgraded canvas map that I might have to consider.

6. Battles of the American Revolution Volume X: The Battle of White Plains from GMT Games

You know that I have a passion for the American Revolution. It has always been my go to historical period when reading or watching documentaries. The struggle for independence and American experiment have always been fascinating to me. I own the American Revolution Tri-Pack that includes Guilford, Saratoga and Brandywine and we have played it but also own Volume IX The Battle of Rhode Island but, as of yet, I have not played it. But I do really like the series thought.

In May 2022, the next volume in the series Volume X Battle of White Plains was announced and has made it up the P500 orders very quickly and is now actually ready for shipping.

From the game page, we read the following about the general obscurity of White Plains in the history of the campaigns of 1776:

White Plains is among the least written-about battles of the American Revolution, an oddity when one considers the scale of forces engaged. Most secondary sources give it a passing mention in the larger discussion of the New York campaign while among the scant primary sources there is considerable disagreement as to key details. Source maps are scarce and often contradictory as well. To bring you Volume 10 in the Battles of the American Revolution Series, exhaustive research was conducted in the sources and on the ground to bring to life the most accurate battlefield map possible.

Likewise the order of battle was painstakingly reproduced from scraps of information: memoirs, General Orders, casualty lists, pension records, compilations of the Westchester County Historical Society, journal articles, Blogs, secondary-source histories, firsthand accounts, and a little intuition. As usual when studying the American Revolution, British records are more complete. American records less so. Where specific unit placements are known the corresponding units are placed accordingly. Where specific deployments are not known, deployments are notional but stand up to the litmus test of brigade and divisional integrity.

The game includes a few different scenarios, the historical fight for Chatterton Hill, an October 31st that explores what might have occurred if General Howe had pressed his assault that day as planned and a full 4-day campaign game spanning 42 game turns beginning with the arrival of the British army on the field on the morning of October 28th and culminating at 5:00pm on October 31st.

In Volume X of the Battles of the American Revolution Series, players command two titanic armies: Washington, desperate to salvage something from the otherwise disastrous defense of New York, and Howe seeking a coup de grâce against the “Old Fox.” You will have to manage your forces over the span of four days with lots of inclement weather to contend with. Can you, as General Howe, break through the American line to deliver a decisive blow and end the rebellion? Can you, as General Washington, hold your own on superior ground, hampered as you will be with some 6,700 militia of dubious quality—fully 46% of the total American force?

I know how passionate Mark Miklos is about the history behind these games and this one looks to explore some very interesting elements about this early battle in the new days of the revolution. We posted an interview with Mark and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/07/04/interview-with-mark-miklos-designer-of-battles-of-the-american-revolution-vol-10-battle-of-white-plains-from-gmt-games/

If you are interested in Battle of White Plains you can order a copy for $69.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link:  https://www.gmtgames.com/p-924-battle-of-white-plains.aspx

7. Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan 5th Printing from GMT Games

A wargame that doesn’t use dice is a very rare thing in the gaming world and Sekigahara was one of the first that I played with no dice (Combat Commander was the first). The game uses cards to move the action, not like a traditional CDG, but more like a card assisted game.

The cards display a number and an allegiance and sometimes a special action icon. You simply match the icons on the cards to your blocks on the board in order to deploy them into battle. Losses are inflicted on both sides during the battle and the side with the lower overall score will retreat. Movement is divided into four categories and you pay a number of cards in order to buy into that movement category. The simplicity of these mechanics is a beautiful thing and makes this game playable by anyone, the salty Grognard or the newbie. As with all card based games, sometimes you will draw a bad hand but that shouldn’t stop you from showing your power through the movement and massing of your blocks to show force. Remember, that this is a hidden block wargame and your opponent won’t know what you actually have in your forces nor your cards to activate them. Bluffing is a big part of the game and is very tense and satisfying. Also, the Loyalty Challenge cards make for some really painful yet interesting swings to battles as well. You don’t have to worry about numbers crunching and searching your units for that one additional Combat Factor to make your attack a 4/1 versus only a 3/1 and that is one of the best parts of this design.

From the game page, we read the following:

Sekigahara is replete with unusual mechanics:

• No dice are used
• Cards represent loyalty and motivation. Without a matching card, an army will not enter battle.
• Allegiance is represented by hand size, which fluctuates each turn.
• Battles are a series of deployments, from hidden unit stacks, based on hidden loyalty factors. Loyalty Challenge cards create potential defection events.

Sekigahara is a 3-hour block game based on the Japanese campaign waged in 1600. The 7-week war, fought along Japan’s two major highways and in scattered sieges and backcountry skirmishes, elevated Tokugawa Ieyasu to Shogun and unified Japan for 265 years.

Sekigahara is designed to offer an historically authentic experience within an intuitive game mechanic that can be played in one sitting. Great effort has been taken to preserve a clean game mechanism. (Despite a healthy amount of historical detail, the ruleset is a brief 6 pages.) Chance takes the form of uncertainty and not luck.

If you are interested in Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan 5th Printing, you can order a copy for $74.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-972-sekigahara-5th-printing.aspx

8. Paths of Glory: The First World War, 1914-1918 Deluxe Edition 2nd Printing from GMT Games

This game finally made it off of our Shelf of Shame! Paths of Glory is widely thought to be a masterpiece on WWI and after just our initial play of the introductory scenario I can definitely see why people feel that way. Even though we just played the introductory scenario, it took us nearly 4 hours to get through 3 turns. This game is long and you generally are going to have to play this one over a long weekend to get it all in and enjoy it properly.

We are not done with this one and have plans to play it again but this time taking on the entire campaign game. But, after our play I really enjoyed the mix of historical events and the choices that I had to wage the war in a way that I felt was appropriate. But, my message to everyone who plays this game is beware of supply. Even in our short game, supply was an issue and we had to make sure we didn’t make a fatal mistake that would get us in trouble.

Here is a link to our initial impressions video of the game:

From the game page, we read the following:

Paths of Glory, designed by six-time Charles S. Roberts Award winner, Ted Raicer, allows players to step into the shoes of the monarchs and marshals who triumphed and bungled from 1914 to 1918. As the Central Powers you must use the advantage of interior lines and the fighting skill of the Imperial German Army to win your rightful “Place in the Sun.” As the Entente Powers (Allies) you must bring your greater numbers to bear to put an end to German militarism and ensure this is “The War to End All Wars.” Both players will find their generalship and strategic abilities put to the test as Paths of Glory‘s innovative game systems let you recreate all the dramatic events of World War I.

If you are interested in Paths of Glory Deluxe Edition 2nd Printing, you can order a copy for $75.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-921-paths-of-glory-deluxe-edition-2nd-printing.aspx

Thanks for reading along this month. I am very excited about a lot of these games and really look forward to playing them. Please let me know if you know of a new pre-order game, Kickstarter or new release that I missed.

-Grant