Each month with GMT’s Update, you just never quite know what they are going to reveal. They put out so many great games every month that they are always really busy with prepping, packing and shipping games, I am not really sure how they go about the process of meeting with new designers to sign titles, work with development teams to improve those games or manage the bevy of art that they have to review each month as they draw close to printing several titles. I guess that is why they have a great team assembled and bright young stars helping out. But the volume of games coming out of Hanford is always astonishing! So is the case this month as they shipped out a ton of reprint copies of the beloved Commands & Colors Napoleonics armies amongst other things like custom dice, Pursuit of Glory 2nd Edition (which I am very much looking forward to) and 18 India.
This month saw two brand new P500 additions, including The Last Hundred Yards For King and Country Volume 5 and Levy & Campaign Series Volume VII Žižka: Reformation and Crusade in Hussite Bohemia, 1420-1421 as well as a 2nd Edition of a popular CDG Caesar: Rome Vs. Gaul and a 2nd Edition Update Kit for said game. A big months but that is just business as usual for GMT Games.
Also, there was plenty of other information shared including updates on digital products, development updates, upcoming future P500 additions and art samples.
In case you missed the Monthly Update email, here is a link: https://mailchi.mp/0b7975696f5a/august-17-update-from-gmt-new-p500s-art-samples-production-update-and-more
The first thing that Gene discussed in the update was the fact that the 1st Printing of Mr. President, the very interesting and unique solitaire game where the player takes on the role of the President of the United States and has to not only survive but also do a good job to get reelected or lose the game, is sold out! But don’t despair, there is some good news as the 2nd Printing is already in the works.
Mr. President is Sold Out. 2nd Printing Going to the Printer in September. Thanks to all of you who have purchased, played, and spread the word to others about Mr. President! Because of all of our combined efforts, the 1st Printing of Mr. President is now sold out—in about 6 weeks!
Both customer and distributor demand for the game continues to be high, so we are currently working with Jason, Justin, and our internal teams to get the game’s many books and components updated (with all known errata corrected) with the goal of getting all the files for a 2nd Printing to the printer in September. So next month, when we have all the details ready and the pricing established, we’ll list on P500 both the 2nd Printing and an Update Kit for those who would like it. Stay tuned for details in September’s newsletter.
I can attest that the game is very interesting and unique as Alexander and I played together cooperatively a few weeks ago and I have a First Impressions post ready to post on the blog next week. Here is a link to our initial impression video on the game:
GMT is also looking for playtesters to help out with several interesting looking designs including 1848: Springtime of Nations and Fields of Fire Volume III. If you are interested in helping out, please contact the team members for the game you are interested in at the links below.
- 1848: The Springtime of Nations: Developer Peter Evans has informed us that playtesting is now open for 1848: The Springtime of Nations. If you are interested, please sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/PwGMX1TppRFgAkP48
- Fields of Fire Volume III: They are looking for playtesters for Fields of Fire Volume III: The Parachute Regiment. They will begin by testing the Falklands Campaign. Although the Falklands campaign will be the most familiar of the three to players who own other volumes, they are looking for playtesters who are already confident and know how to play Fields of Fire, as the purpose of this testing is to validate the missions, rather than re-do the testing of the rulebook, that has now been done at length. Testing will be via Vassal or Print and Play kits (for Print and Play, you must own Fields of Fire Volume I or II), and they will have a discord server available for discussion and questions. You can sign up to test here: https://forms.gle/Dm8rbSVqYhWuvtLX9
New P500’s
This month there were 2 new P500’s added including The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King and Country and Levy & Campaign Series Volume VII Žižka: Reformation and Crusade in Hussite Bohemia, 1420-1421. There also was added a 2nd Edition reprint of a popular CDG Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul and a 2nd Edition Update Kit for said game.
The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King and Country
If you didn’t know we really enjoyed The Last Hundred Yards very much as well as Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe. The system is extremely interesting for a tactical game and uses some novel elements in regards to how victory points are scored including a focus on time and casualties. Really an excellent system! Now, even though there are 4 total volumes that have been released, including most recently Volume 4 The Russian Front, Mike Denson has forged ahead with the next entry which gives us the British and Canadian forces to use in taking back Western Europe.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King & Country joins the Last Hundred Yards family as British and Canadian Forces retake Western Europe from German occupation. The pack contains ten/twelve Missions that occurred in 1944 during the Normandy landings and breakout phases from June through August and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September. Players must own The Last Hundred Yards Volumes 1 and 2 to play Volume 5.
I really like the approach they are taking with this system by adding Mission Packs as well as products like this that work with previously released volumes to create a new experience.
In For King & Country, you will take the experience gained from Airborne over Europe and extend it to these British elite forces for airborne missions into Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden and behind the German lines at the Caen Canal in the dark hours before D-Day. The bridge was later renamed “Pegasus” in honor of the Red Devils’ mascot.
Enter into the decisive phase of the war and storm Juno beach with the new and untried Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. Push inland towards the Caen-Bayeux railway line and take the airfields at Carpiquet, against the initial counterstrokes made by the 21st Panzer Division. Finally, join operations aimed to take Caen with its vital road network and face the fury of the unbloodied 12th SS Panzer Division equipped with the best weaponry and equipment available, finally unleashed and sent forward against the invasion.
If you are interested in The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King and Country, you can pre-order a copy for $39.00 on the P500 game page at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1061-the-last-hundred-yards-volume-5-for-king-country.aspx
Levy & Campaign Series Volume VII Žižka: Reformation and Crusade in Hussite Bohemia, 1420-1421
It seems that the hottest series out there today is the Levy & Campaign Series. Initially started by Volko Ruhnke with his Nevsky: Teutons & Rus in Collision, 1240-1242 and then followed up with Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain, 1085-1086 there are 2 titles currently listed on the P500 (Henry and then Seljuk) as well as the most recently shipped Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, 1459 – 1485 with at least another dozen (or more) that have yet to be announced but are being developed and playtested. Finally, we got this new Volume VII announced in Žižka: Reformation and Crusade in Hussite Bohemia, 1420-1421 designed by Petr Mojžíš who also has done The Bell of Treason: 1938 Munich Crisis in Czechoslovakia which looks really good!
From the game page, we read the following:
In Žižka, designer Petr Mojžíš (The Bell of Treason) brings Volko’s Levy & Campaign Series to the heart of late Middle-Ages Europe. The iron Lords of the Holy Roman Empire can withstand even crossbow bolts, and gunpowder is in its infancy. A new army emerges to collide with the seemingly invincible knights: peasants with no training but fanatical religious faith and therefore no mercy.
That opening paragraph already has me as anytime you deal with religion and fanatical followers, things can get really interesting.
The Hussites start with almost no Strongholds, cannot obtain Coin from the populace, and are slowed by the vulnerable flock of women and children accompanying their flailmen. They must build their capabilities step by step and use unorthodox tactics and weapons like war wagons and various firearms. Or perhaps their religious songs can even scare away the crusaders!
The seemingly strong Catholics have challenges too. The number of crusaders joining the cause as well as the timing of the crusade are uncertain and the logistics daunting. Two mighty fortresses and a fortified hill complicate the struggle for control of Praha (Prague).
But this games is not just mailing it in and going with the tried and true formulae set out by series creator Volko Ruhnke. It is bravely forging some new ground and adding some very interesting mechanics to the system that should create a new experience with Cause Cards.
Žižka also introduces Cause cards to portray the parallel religious and political struggle taking place. Hussites would recognize Sigmund as King if he would allow the teachings of Jan Hus and both kinds of communion. Negotiations through Cause cards will strengthen or lessen the Hussite haytmans’ will to fight.
This one seems to be going in a good direction and I believe that the series is in good hands!
If you are interested in Levy & Campaign Series Volume VII Žižka: Reformation and Crusade in Hussite Bohemia, 1420-1421, you can pre-order a copy for $65.00 on the P500 game page at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1060-ika-reformation-and-crusade-in-hussite-bohemia-1420-1421.aspx
Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul 2nd Edition
Mark Simonitch is a very talented designer! (understatement I know but its very true). His talents have given us many great games including the ’4x Series (Normandy ’44, Ardennes ’44 and Holland ’44) and the great Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage and many others (The U.S. Civil War, France ’40, etc.). I am always amazed by his talents and the way he mixes a bunch of great mechanics together to make a very playable and enjoyable simulation of historical events. Well, he has created a very playable and interesting game on the Ancients in Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul with some changes to the game in a 2nd Edition.
From the game page, we read the following:
Many minor changes were done for the 2nd Edition to improve play balance and to make the game more enjoyable. A partial list of those changes is provided below:
- Most of the event cards now have an Action Point value of 2. There are now only five 3-cards, and three 1-cards. This was done to ensure that no game became unfairly balanced due to repeated lop-sided card draws. Players must now squeeze all they can from each event card to gain an edge over their opponent.
- The Gallic IM graphic was changed to use a more Gallic-style image.
- Sieges now cost only 2 MPs, instead of 3. This was done to break the Gallic “Turtle Strategy.” The Siege Table was modified slightly to accommodate this change.
- Strongholds now require 3 Siege Points to remove.
- The DRM for Intercepting and Avoiding Battle into a friendly-controlled space was reduced from +2 to +1.
- Major Uprising now costs 2 Action Points to declare, but a Major Uprising now comes with free use of the Gallic Council Box.
- There were no changes made to the map.
Here is a link to our video review of the game:
If you are interested in Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul 2nd Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $42.00 on the P500 game page at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1062-caesar-rome-vs-gaul-2nd-edition.aspx
Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul 2nd Edition Update Kit
And if you already own this very interesting CDG, you are in luck as they are offering a 2nd Edition Update Kit.
From the game page, we read the following:
For owners of the previous editions of Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul who’d like to update to the 2nd Edition, we are offering an upgrade kit with the following components:
- The updated deck of 55 Event Cards
- One sheet of counters
- The updated rules booklet
- Two (identical) Player Aid Cards
The countersheet includes nine Stronghold control markers with the new 3 Siege value. It also includes 42 additional control markers and a distinct black color for the control markers that are placed in Germania and Britannia.
If you are interested in Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul 2nd Edition Update Kit, you can pre-order a copy for $14.00 on the P500 game page at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1063-caesar-rome-vs-gaul-2nd-edition-update-kit.aspx
New P500’s on the Horizon
One of the features that I have always enjoyed about these Monthly Updates has been the New P500’s on the Horizon where Gene Billingsley shares a few very cryptic comments about an upcoming project and we are supposed to somehow decipher his meaning from these “clues”.
- A new 18xx title – 18xx is not my thing and I have no idea what this could be.
- A fast-playing WWII tactical strategy game that our internal teams really love – I wish I knew something about this one but don’t.
- A popular WWI era Strategy game in a GMT Deluxe Edition – could this be Great War Commander?
- A Co-design from Mark Herman and Mark Simonitch – could this be Julius Caesar: The Roman Civil War?
Those are my guesses this month and frankly I am embarrassed! I think that Gene has cracked down on his teams and threatened them or something. Or maybe they have all had to sign NDA’s? Who knows. How did I do Gene?
Charging & Shipping
The following information for Charging and Shipping was copied directly from the Update:
Current Charges/Near-Future Shipments: We start shipping Thursday, August 24th all P500 orders for the following games:
C&C Napoleonics: The Austrian Army, 3rd Printing
C&C Napoleonics: (Base Game) 5th Printing
C&C Napoleonics: The Prussian Army, 3rd Printing
C&C Napoleonics: The Russian Army, 4th Printing
C&C Napoleonics: The Spanish Army, 4th Printing
Commands & Colors Napoleonics: Custom Dice
Next Charges/Shipments: We have another large shipment (mostly C&C Napoleonics Reprints) arriving in the warehouse within the next couple weeks. We plan to charge and then ship all of these together in mid-late September in order to save our customers on shipping as much as possible through our “Consolidated Shipping” feature.
The games we’ll charge and ship in that next batch are:
Downfall Mounted Maps + 3″ Box
Great Battles of Alexander, Expanded Deluxe Edition, 2nd Printing
Great Battles of Alexander: Tyrant Module
Sovereign of Discord: A Fire in the Lake Expansion
Project Updates and Sample Art
One final thing that I wanted to share this month is all of the great sample art that has been shared as a part of the update on various games as they run up to production.
The first thing shared was a look at the final box back for The Plum Island Horror designed by Hermann Luttmann. This is a cooperative horror based game where the players fight against zombies (they aren’t actually referred to as that in the design, but we all know what they are!) .it looks quite fun and you know that Hermann can design a good zombie themed game (I’m looking at you Dawn of the Zeds). If you would like more information, we posted a designer interview on the game and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/10/31/interview-with-hermann-luttmann-designer-of-the-plum-island-horror-from-gmt-games/
They also showed several of the Faction Boards as well and they look sharp! Here is the Neighborhood Watch. I think that might just be one of my neighbors!
Here is the Greenport Township Faction Board. Look at those hard working government employees (I am a government employee in case you didn’t know!)
They then shared some counters from the game.
And finally they shared some example cards from The Plum Island Horror.
The last thing that they showed was the box back for the upcoming Men of Iron: Norman Conquests.
I want to end this post by sharing our recent content on the blog and YouTube Channel for GMT Games products including reviews/interviews/unboxing videos:
Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa – Action Point 1
Europa Universalis: The Price of Power vs. Here I Stand Comparison Video
Initial Impressions Video for Sword of Rome
Video Review for Unconditional Surrender!
Faction Function Video for Andean Abyss – FARC
Faction Function Video for Andean Abyss – AUC
Faction Function Video for Andean Abyss – Government
Faction Function Video for Andean Abyss – Cartels
Short – Pursuit of Glory Sample Game Using CDG Solo Method
One final thing. I really appreciate that GMT shares content creators stuff in this Monthly Update. It helps spread the word and draws a new audience. This month, they shared several of our pieces of content, including blog posts and videos and we just want to say THANK YOU!
Please let me know what caught your interest from the update this month and what GMT Games products that you have been enjoying lately.
-Grant
A lot of good stuff from GMT as every month; and a lot of headache when to play all of this 🙂
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Agreed. I have a stack of games that is taller than me that we need to play. I need more hours in the day!
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There is an unfortunate error on the back of the game box re “Norman Conquests” ! William ( the Conquerer ) was William I ( and NOT William II ). Hopefully this was just a “back of the box” typo, rather than a more general error !
Please pass this info on to GMT. Thanks
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Hi,
Please ignore my previous “error” comment re William the Conquerer. It transpires ( upon investigation ) that he was indeed William II ( of Normandy ), albeit NOT Duke William II ( of Normandy ), as William I ( of Normandy ) was a mere Count…
My apologies to all ( including GMT games ) .
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Re: your guesses for upcoming games, do you think Great War Commander would count as a strategic game?
I am having a hard time, though, coming up with a strategic-level WWI title not already made by Compass or GMT that GMT could upgrade….
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Definitely not. I was just being silly. It’s tactical.
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Aah. I haven’t bought or played any of the “Commander” games. Probably because they’re tactical 😛
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Herman and Simonitch, now that’s a grand combo!! Grant I think you’re on the money with the Roman era, both designers are known for that era, but anything could happen. Whatever it is my money is on it passing the 500 orders within a week. The quandary with Caesar 2ed, only $14 between the update and what looks like really good new box art.
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I have confirmation on this one from the mouth of Mark Herman. Book it.
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One thing not mentioned are P500 orders for the 2023 Errata counter sheet – it’s mentioned in the mail update link Grant provided. Or here for lazy people: 😉 https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1053-2023-replacement-countersheet.aspx
Apparently they are not doing many extras as they’re relying on the p500 numbers.
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I mentioned it in my summary of the July Update and didn’t think it was necessary to add it to this update but thanks for sharing. I think it’s a good deal if people have several of the games covered.
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Getting kind of tired with having to consider “update kits” for GMT games. It’s an aggravating trend over the past year. I am the point where I am probably going to pass on 1st edition stuff unless it’s REALLY interesting and gotta have now.
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I understand for sure. I do think that this 2nd Edition changes some rules for balance but they probably should have caught that in playtesting.
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I already have a 2nd edition update kit for Nevsky and the errata counter sheet on order and now have to think about update kits for Mr. President and Caesar It’s just so tiresome…almost makes me want to back off on a couple of P500s I have pledged for and wait to see what surprises need to get worked out first. Hopefully, this is just a bad streak and isolated incident.
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Ed, while I’m a big fan of GMT, I appreciate your point about the update kits. I lately haven’t been rushing to place P500 orders lately, but waiting instead to see how they perform. If a game is a good seller, then I figure it’s pretty likely that there will be a second printing, so I will just hold off until such a time as there’s a reprint. (Haven’t pre-ordered Red Dust Rebellion or The Pure Land despite being a “COIN collector,” for example.) I figure that I have more games than I can play already and, in a worst-case scenario of no second printing despite a big P500 performance, there will still be lots of used copies floating around.
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