I love the fall! The changing leaves, the cooler temperatures and football has kicked off with basketball not too far away. It is just my favorite time of year. But, I also like new wargames and this fall there are a ton of new offerings out there. I am glad that I can do some research and bring you these great games so you can ponder how you are going to afford to buy them. This month, I found 21 total games including 2 being offered on crowdfunding (1 on Kickstarter and 1 on Gamefound).
If you missed the September Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/09/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-september-2023/
Pre-Order
1. Old School Tactical Vol IV Italian Theater 1943-45 from Flying Pig Games Coming to Kickstarter October 5th
We have played each and every volume of the Old School Tactical Series and really enjoy its crunch. The game is just fun and because the rules are pretty good you get into the action pretty quickly. The series is now moving to the Mediterranean Theater during World War II and tackling Italy with OST Volume 4 Italian Theater 1943-45, which is coming to Kickstarter on October 5th.
From the game page, we read the following:
After the victory in North Africa, Allied planners readied a new campaign. It was aimed at the so called ‘soft underbelly‘ of Europe. A bold plan to knock Italy out of the war and drain Axis units from fighting on other fronts. Beginning with the invasion of Sicily in July of 1943, the Allies pressed the enemy, but there was nothing soft about the bloody fight. The drive to Messina in Sicily, the landing at Salerno, the beleaguered beachhead at Anzio, through all the Allies pushed on towards Rome. Countless river valleys and fortified lines favored the German defenders and stymied the Allies at every turn. The Volturno River, the Rapid River, the Liri valley, the Gustav Line, the Caesar Line, all of these names proved a deadly challenge to the Allies fighting to control them. The drive up the Italian Peninsula was costly for both sides and dragged on until the end, which occurred May 2, 1945 with the formal surrender of all Axis forces in Italy.
Old School Tactical Volume IV brings the exciting OST System to this challenging theater of WW2. It brings British forces into the game to battle German and Italian units in difficult terrain. Vickers machine guns, Commandos, Bren guns, PIATs and sticky bombs will see action in the game on the side of the British. They also have an allotment of vehicles including Sherman and Churchill tanks.
The German and Italian forces counter with many panzers including the Marder III and Elefant.
A large map of beautiful Italian countryside is designed for players to contest the many exciting scenarios included in the playbook.
We will be reaching out to the designer Shayne Logan to do an interview for the blog so keep your eyes open for that.
If you are interested in Old School Tactical Volume 4: Italian Theater 1943-45, you can check out the Kickstarter campaign page at the following link (the Campaign doesn’t go live until October 5th but this is a preview page): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhwalker/old-school-tactical-vol-iv-italian-theater-1943-45
2. Great War Commander 2nd Printing from Hexasim
You know we like our tactical wargames here at The Players’ Aid and we also have a growing interested in WWI. What happens when you mix the 2 subjects together? Well, you get a pretty great game that I am definitely interested in. We have yet to play Great War Commander from Hexasim, even though we have a copy on our shelves, but there is a new 2nd Printing that was just announced for pre-orders and I am giving it a hard think!
From the game page, we read the following:
Great War Commander (GWC) is a wargame based on the popular Combat Commander Series created by Chad Jensen where two players take turns playing “Fate cards” in order to activate military units on the mapboard. GWC offers many new and unique elements to its parent system. The maps are deeper, allowing more playing surface to maneuver two battalion-size forces facing each other. There are several new orders, like Offensive, Runner, and Machine Gun Suppress, all reflecting the intense combat. There are over 30 actions including Engineering works, Go to Ground, and Rolling Barrage, highlighting terrain destructions and powerful artillery. 40 events deal with experiences unique to the times, such as Tanks and Sturmtruppen. Among the new and many contemporary events are Trommelfeuer, High Command Meddling, Petard Raquette and Machine Gun Nest.
I absolutely love Combat Commander and this is one that I really need to own and get to the table.
If you are interested in Great War Commander 2nd Printing, you can pre-order a copy for 79.00 € (approximately $83.31 in US Dollars) from the Hexasim website at the following link: https://www.hexasim.com/en/3786-Great-War-Commander-2nd-printing.html
3. Assault Sicily 43: Gela Beachhead from Assault Games Coming to Gamefound October 13th
There are a bunch of different tactical systems out there, and most of them are very good, but some are much better than others. There is always a new designer that will add some new tricks to make a new experience. Such is the case with Assault Red Horizon 41 from Assault Games that we played in 2021 and really enjoyed. This game made my Top 10 Wargames of 2021! coming in at #3 and we really enjoyed our plays of the game and have been looking forward to the planned expansions and future entries into the system as it was really that good. They are now launching a new big box covering the Italian invasion during WWII called Assault Sicily 43: Gela Beachhead, which is coming to Kickstarter on October 13th.
From the game page, we read the following:
Assault Sicily 43 is the second volume in a planned series of tactical level wargames in which players lead historical units into battle during the landing and airborne operations around Gela Beachhead in July 1943. Americans, Italians and Germans fight bitterly for the backdoor Sicily as a launchpad for the invasion of the continent. The scenarios and included dynamic campaign show the fierce and brutal fighting in the early days of the landing. US Rangers and Airborne soldiers face Italians and German counterattacks by Panzergrenadiers and the Hermann Göring Division, supported by the 504th Heavy Panzer detachment. Become part of the courageously led assaults on Italian positions by the American airborne troops of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment dropped the night before the landings.
We have a prototype copy of the game and also a completed interview with the designer that we will be sharing over the next few weeks in a runup to the campaign but I am very interested in how the system adapts to the viscous fighting and difficult terrain found in Italy.
If you are interested in Assault Sicily 43: Gela Beachhead, you can check out the Gamefound campaign page at the following link (the Campaign doesn’t go live until October 13th but this is a preview page) : https://gamefound.com/en/projects/assault-games/assaultsicily43#/section/what-is-in-the-box-21001
4. Levy & Campaign Ancients Volume 1 Epipolae: The Athenian Expedition in Sicily, 415-413 BCE from GMT Games
Like I have mentioned in the past, the hottest series out there today is the Levy & Campaign Series from GMT Games. 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 along with the most recently shipped Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, 1459 – 1485 there are 3 titles currently listed on the P500 (Henry, Seljuk and Žižka) with at least another dozen (or more) that have yet to be announced but are being developed and playtested. Now the series is not growing in the traditional way with a new volume but is expanding into a new period with a new series called Levy & Campaign Ancients.
From the game page, we read the following:
For the first time, Epipolae brings Volko Ruhnke’s Levy & Campaign Series to the Ancient World, portraying 5th-century BCE Greek military operations with a focus on logistics and maneuver. Players will raise and equip their armies and navies, build alliances through diplomacy, and ravage, siege, and battle their way to victory.
The game entry didn’t give a lot of information but I did read where the variations from the base Levy & Campaign mechanisms include Triremes (naval forces), Siege walls and Counter walls, and Diplomacy.
If you are interested in the Levy & Campaign Ancients Volume 1 Epipolae: The Athenian Expedition in Sicily, 415-413 BCE, you can pre-order a copy for $58.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1066-epipolae-the-athenian-expedition-in-sicily-415-413-bce.aspx
5. Firefight Tactical from GMT Games
You know we love tactical scale wargames here at The Players’ Aid. We love the action, the small scale, the counters representing individual soldiers and the interesting choices and tactics you are confronted with. When I saw this new offering I was immediately interested.
From the game page, we read the following:
Firefight Tactical is an innovative dice-driven tactical WW2 wargame at the squad level. Quick to play and learn, this compact game follows American forces through 12 scenarios in the weeks after the D-Day landings. The scenarios gradually introduce game features as you progress. Starting with small infantry engagements on tight maps, players will work their way to larger scenarios with multiple phases, artillery, and tank-on-tank action.
The scenarios follow American forces from early skirmishes of the Normandy invasion at St. Mere Eglise and Carentan through to St. Lo and Operation Cobra and conclude with Operation Market Garden. The battlefields will vary from desperate battles over a “no man’s land” devoid of cover like Bloody Gulch, to claustrophobic urban battles like Cherbourg. Each scenario can be played 2-player against a human opponent or against a customizable solitaire automa.
As I look into this one, I like several things. The fact that the game has a small table footprint and that it has high replayability. These are things that most of us crave in our wargames.
The Firefight Tactical system was designed to be quick to play and easy to learn, whilst being packed with tactical decision-making. Its compact size also enables play on relatively small playing surfaces, making it an ideal game to travel with. The core infantry rules are straightforward and can be learned from ~10 pages, including many examples and a glossary of actions.
As a result of the dice and random battle maps, the game has intensely high replayability, even within a single scenario, so players will get tons of enjoyment from the “basic” game. Once you are ready for more, though, you can start adding more rules, covering support weapons, weather, armor, and so forth in the heavier scenarios. Firefight Tactical is the perfect game for those looking for a lot of tactical depth and replayability with a small footprint.
If you are interested in Firefight Tactical, you can pre-order a copy for $55.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1065-firefight-tactical.aspx
6. Illusions of Glory 2nd Edition from GMT Games
We love our WWI games and recently Alexander played Pursuit of Glory solo and we are going to get it to the table soon for a 2-player game. This month they added Illusions of Glory 2nd Edition to the P500.
From the game page, we read the following:
Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front is the latest Card Driven Game to simulate the Great War in Europe. First came the award-winning legendary Paths of Glory by Ted Raicer, which simulates the entire war in Europe and the Middle East and is now a convention favorite. It was followed by the well-received Pursuit of Glory, designed by Brad and Brian Stock, which focuses on the war in the Near East. Illusions of Glory takes this proven game system to a new and exciting level by applying its focus to the Eastern Front.
The Allied Powers bring massive forces to bear against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey while trying to prevent a game-changing revolution in Russia. The Central Powers must defeat Russia, hold off Italy, and win the upper hand in the Balkans or face demoralization and rebellion at home. Players test their generalship and strategic abilities as Illusions of Glory lets you recreate the dramatic events of World War I’s Eastern Front.
Your hand of strategy cards present you with a rich array of strategic and operational choices. You must decide whether to use each card for its historic event, unit movement, combat, or troop replacements. You must commit your forces to a variety of objectives: winning the dynamic war of maneuver between German-led and Russian armies, seizing the Balkans and its vital objectives, or prevailing in the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Italy. If you are looking for a game that is relevant, fun, challenging, and tense, from complete campaigns to shorter playing scenarios, you will enjoy Illusions of Glory.
If you are interested in Illusions of Glory 2nd Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $50.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1064-illusions-of-glory-2nd-edition.aspx
7. Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 2nd Edition from GMT Games
Last month, we were told 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, was sold out! But don’t despair, this month Gene announced the 2nd Edition being added to the P500.
I can attest that the game is very interesting and unique as Alexander and I played together cooperatively a few months ago and I have posted a First Impressions post on the blog.
Here also is a link to our initial impressions video on the game:
From the game page, we read the following:
What’s New in Mr. President, 2nd Edition. First off, several have asked me “Why a 2nd EDITION? Why not just reprint the original game in a 2nd Printing to get it back in stock as quickly as possible?” Well, we considered that, but after looking at the FAQ document, and with tens of thousands of games being played over the past few months and so many players posting their experiences online (thank you, I love to read your Presidential stories!), we have seen some places we can tighten up to help players understand the game better. There are some “balance” issues that I want to address on the design side as well. We are also using this opportunity to address the first edition errata. So, yes, we could have just reprinted. But because we want to make the game the best it can be, we’ve decided to take the approach of “fix the bugs and also give the players game enhancements,” which means we’re going to do a full-blown 2nd Edition.
This approach means that we are going to have updates to most of the game’s manuals, half a dozen cards, and a few counters. Those will all be folded into the 2nd Edition. For you 1st Edition owners, we are also offering what is going to be one behemoth of an Update Kit (see the Update Kit /Order page here).
If you are interested in Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 2nd Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $69.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1056-mr-president-the-american-presidency-2001-2020-2nd-edition.aspx
8. Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 2nd Edition Update Kit from GMT Games
As mentioned above, never fear if you have already purchased the 1st Edition and are concerned you won’t be able to get the new content. You can purchase the new Update Kit.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Mr. President 2nd Edition Update Kit will include the following items:
- 6 cards
- 16 counters (duplicates of those in the 2023 Replacement Countersheet—note that four of these are very minor errata; the other 12 are helpful reminder counters)
- 4 double-sided Action Cards (Domestic, Diplomatic, Military, Presidential)
- Booklets:
- Scenario Booklet ~36 pages
- World Peer China ~12 pages
- World Peer Russia ~12 pages
- Ally/Rogue State ~12 pages
- World Charts ~32 pages
- Governing Manual ~52 pages
- Domestic Charts ~20 pages
- Flipbook ~28 pages
- Briefing Booklet ~20-24 pages.
You’ll note that’s most of the Booklets and PACs in the game! Some of this is to accommodate errata and clearer wording from the FAQ for the 2nd Edition, but it will also include numerous game enhancements to make the game more challenging (especially in years 3 and following) and to add features, importance, and more difficult choices to areas like:
- Ally Relationships/Actions
- Strategic Capabilities
- Combat (Counterattacks, Carrier Support and Combat DRMs based on Strategic Capabilities, Heavy units less useful in Guerrilla War)
- Iran at War (including a new Action Table)
- Cascading Events (January Surprise)
If you are interested in Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-2020 2nd Edition Update Kit, you can pre-order a copy for $15.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1068-mr-president-the-american-presidency-2001-2020-2nd-edition-update-kit.aspx
9. France ’40 Mounted Map from GMT Games
France ’40 2nd Edition is a major upgrade to the original game. The changes include several rules updates for Extended Movement, Combat, Advance After Combat, Breakthrough Combat and Determined Defense have been updated so they are more in line with the recent games in the 19XX Series such as Stalingrad ’42 and Salerno ’43). A new scenario has also been included that is designed by Mark Merritt that combines both maps.
This double-sided mounted map features the game’s Dynamo map on one side and the Sickle Cut map on the other. And they look really great as they have been updated with some new colors and layout. As I look at the board, I just think it draws me in and makes we want to play it.
Here is a gander at the Sickle Cut scenario board:
And the Dynamo scenario board:
If you are interested in the France ’40 Mounted Map, you can pre-order a copy for $19.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1069-france-40-mounted-map.aspx
New Release
1. Platoon War: Vietnam – A Solitaire Game of Small-Unit Combat in Vietnam (1965-1973) PRINT AND PLAY from Berserker Games
I am always on the lookout for new games, new distributors and new publishers and this month I found one. The game that caught my eye from their large collection, of both original designs and other publisher’s wares, was Platoon War: Vietnam, which is a solitaire print-and-play game.
From the game page, we read the following:
Platoon War: Vietnam is a solitaire game of Small-Unit Combat during the Vietnam War where the player assumes the role of an American Soldier (or Marine) by creating their own Player Soldier Character. Your Player Soldier starts out as a member of a Rifle Platoon and will be assigned a variety of Missions that you must complete during your Tour of Duty. Missions include Reconnaissance, Intelligence Gathering, Ambushes, Raids, Search & Destroy, Hearts and Minds, Rescues and many others. The Game Scale is 1:1 where each Counter represents a Single Soldier or Vehicle. During the course of your Campaign, your Player Soldier will gain in Rank and may even transfer to an Elite Special Forces Platoon such as the Green Berets, LRRPs, FORCE RECON or Rangers.
This looks to be a small print and play game that definitely has some potential. And for the price, it actually has some surprising depth with several different length scenarios.
The objective of OPERATION: NAM is to successfully complete a number of missions to locate and destroy enemy forces in order to gain Mission Points (MP) for the US Forces. The player can choose to play a short game (6 Missions), a moderate game (9 Missions) or a full Tour (12 Missions). Once all Missions have been resolved (successfully or not) the Player totals his MP and compares this with the Victory Determination Table to determine the level of success.
If you are interested in Platoon War: Vietnam, you can order a copy for $20.00 from the Strategist’s Den Games website at the following link: https://strategistsden.com/products/platoon-war-vietnam-a-solitaire-game-of-small-unit-combat-in-vietnam-1965-1973
This is a Print-and-Play (PnP) war game sold as a digital file for you to print and assemble yourself. You will not receive a boxed game.
2. TCS Goose Green from Multi-Man Publishing
We have never partook of a Tactical Combat Series game from Multi-Man Publishing. We did buy TCS Ariete a few years ago but frankly never got around to playing it. I have regretted that ever since, and instead of doing the sane thing and giving what we already owned a play, we got sucked into the vortex and pre-ordered a copy of their newest release in the series TCS Goose Green.
From the game page, we read the following:
Goose Green is a Tactical Combat Series (TCS) game covering the first land battle of the Falklands War on May 28, 1982. The outcome of this engagement was crucial for both the Argentinians and the British: The Argentinians needed to prove themselves against the professional British war machine, while the British needed a land victory to satisfy the government and the public after recently suffering naval losses. Originally intended as a raid, the clash became a full 14-hour battle resulting in a hard-fought British victory.
Goose Green covers this entire battle in turns representing 20-30 minutes each, and a map scale of 125 yards per hex. Units range from sections to platoons. Both sides fielded what was roughly a reinforced Battalion, making for a battle that made for a quick playing game with great replay value. With just a minimum of special rules, this game brings the TCS to the 1980s, where in a classic infantry confrontation, not a lot has changed since WWII.
The other really interesting thing about the TCS Series is that a few years ago MMP was considering retiring the series. But, they thought there might be a demand to support smaller print runs in a ziplock format and gave it a try with TCS Ariete. Due to good sales for that project last year, the series was deemed to be economically viable and they have moved ahead with the next project.
The TCS system has an emphasis on command and combined-arms effects, with a relatively simple set of combat and movement systems. The combat command rules impose realistic limits on the player’s ability to rapidly change missions, without burdening a player with cumbersome detail. For this reason, I can say that I am very interested in this game. Also, as Alexander is a Brit, the Falklands holds a special place in his eyes and he was also very much interested in the game.
If you are interested in TCS Goose Green, you can order a copy for $32.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://mmpgamers.com/goose-green-bagged-p-381
3. Horns of the Buffalo: The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 from Bill Molyneaux Games
There is a need for introductory wargames in our hobby that can be used to teach the concepts of wargames to new players. Very few designers focus on this area but Bill Molyneaux is one of those as he has designed several introductory wargames over the years including Bloody Mohawk and Savage Wilderness. He now has another similar design complete and it is called Horns of the Buffalo and it deals with multiple small scenarios of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.
From the game page, we read the following:
Horns of the Buffalo: The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 is a fast-playing, introductory level war game with a series of engagements from that war between the Zulu and British Empires.
Each battle is designed to be played in about an hour, while not losing the feel or flavor of the events simulated. While the rules provide everything you need to enjoy the many battles included in the game, many scenarios will have special rules to modify the series rules, to enhance the experience of the individual engagements.
As with all my games feel free to adjust a rule or a scenario to make the game your game. The game is also known as HOTB.
We published an interview with the designer Bill Molyneaux for the Kickstarter campaign earlier this year and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/02/10/interview-with-bill-molyneaux-designer-of-horns-of-the-buffalo-12-scenarios-of-the-anglo-zulu-war-1879-from-fast-play-wargames-coming-to-kickstarter-soon/
If you are interested in Horns of the Buffalo: The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, you can order a copy for $50.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/horns-of-the-baffalo
4. Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich from GMT Games
Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield with design consultation by Kai Jensen is a really interesting looking game as each player will control one of the Allies, either the Western Allies pushing through France or the Soviets pushing through the Eastern Bloc, and then one of the defending Axis fronts, OKH faction that is the German and minor Axis armies battling the Soviet Union in the east or the OKW faction, that is the German and Italian armies facing the Western allies in the west. This is a really unique way of dealing with this and I really look forward to playing the game.
From the game page, we read the following:
Gameplay is driven by Downfall’s innovative initiative track. The faction with the initiative chooses an order, pays its initiative cost by advancing their marker along the track, and performs the order. Then, the faction with the initiative (based on the updated positions of the markers) chooses the next order. There is no set sequence of play; initiative expenditures determine who goes next. The progress of faction markers along the track also trigger strategic events, changes in weather, and advancement of game turns.
I am really looking forward to this one and think that I need the mounted mapboard and the upsized 3″ box, which you can get for $42.00.
If you are interested in Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, you can order a copy for $59.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-944-downfall-conquest-of-the-third-reich-1942-1945.aspx
5. Sovereign of Discord: A Fire in the Lake Expansion from GMT Games
There is no doubt that Fire in the Lake is my favorite COIN Series game! It is always a great experience sitting at that table for 4-5 hours and playing through the whole of the Vietnam War. To me, the inter-factional dynamics and loose alliances really makes for a tense and interesting experience as you see people work together for a few turns and then turn on each other near the end when victory is in sight. I also have enjoyed the expansion to Fire in the Lake called Fall of Saigon that just came out this past year. With that being said, Stephen Rangazas, who had helped with the research on Fall of Saigon has designed a prequel of sorts for Fire in the Lake called Sovereign of Discord, which was added to the P500 last year and is now available.
From the game page, we read the following:
Building off of Mark Herman and Volko Runke’s legendary game Fire in the Lake, the Sovereign of Discord Expansion provides a prequel to the events depicted in the base game, covering the years 1961-1963. The expansion allows players to see how the war escalated from an insurgency between ARVN and Viet Cong, assisted by the US and North Vietnam, to the eventual conventional interventions by North Vietnam and the United States at the start of the base game. New scenarios allow players to extend the game backward to 1961 right after the formation of the Viet Cong, or to 1963 during the tumultuous last year of the Diem regime. Players owning both expansions, Sovereign of Discord and Fall of Saigon, will be able to experience the full Indochina War from 1961 to 1975. This allows players to see how the war evolved from the lower intensity insurgency of the Diem period all the way to the massive conventional offensives of the last years of the war.
We published an interview with the designer Stephen Rangazas and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/03/20/interview-with-stephen-rangazas-designer-of-sovereign-of-discord-a-fire-in-the-lake-expansion-from-gmt-games/
We also published several Event Cards Spoilers posts and you can read through those at the following links:
If you are interested in Sovereign of Discord: A Fire in the Lake Expansion, you can order a copy for $51.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-966-sovereign-of-discord-a-fire-in-the-lake-expansion.aspx
A copy of Fire in the Lake will be necessary to play the Sovereign of Discord Expansion.
6. Great Battles of Alexander Expanded Deluxe Edition 2nd Printing from GMT Games
I love these new Deluxe Editions of game GMT Games. They always upgrade the rules, add some nice expansions into the game, and sometime redo the cover art as well. The newest offering The Great Battles of Alexander Expanded Deluxe Edition is now available.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Great Battles of Alexander Expanded Deluxe Edition, the updated, expanded, full-color-enhanced version of the best-selling, multi-award-winning game system that started the Great Battles of History Series, includes new game counters, maps, packaging, battles, and scenarios that cover all the major battles from the original game and the Juggernaut module, plus five additional battles … ten in all. The Great Battles of Alexander Expanded Deluxe Edition is virtually the complete history of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian art of war.
If you are interested in Great Battles of Alexander Expanded Deluxe Edition 2nd Printing, you can order a copy for $105.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-770-great-battles-of-alexander-expanded-deluxe-edition-2nd-printing.aspx
7. Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777 from Hollandspiele
Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777 is a two-player game focused on the supply and logistics aspect of the Patriots and their struggle for independence during the first three years of the American Revolutionary War. The game is a struggle between the two sides of the war, the Patriots and the mighty Crown forces. The game does a fantastic job of focusing on the logistical side of war and makes it readily apparent to players why this is important as moving and attacking are specifically tied to possessing a type of supply. Green cubes, representing Food Supply, are used by each side to move their troops around the board to position them for battle and natural cubes, representing War Supply, such as ammunition and powder, are used to gain battle dice to be rolled in combat. If you don’t have the type of supply required to fund the actions you desire to take, you will find that you are not doing anything and will need to quickly change your tactics to address this problem. Now the game is back in print because Amabel and Mary ordered a whole lot of wooden cubes to include in the games. Thank you.
From the game page, we read the following:
Armies march on their stomachs, and guns aren’t much use without bullets. This simple, brutal truth is given dynamic, exciting expression in Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777, which looks at the first three years of the American War for Independence through the lens of supply and logistics.
Cities generate Food and War supply cubes, which are used to activate Armies to move and to fight. A paucity of supplies for both sides means that you must choose your battles carefully, as well as your vulnerabilities: of necessity, in order to be strong enough to mount an offensive, you must choose to be weak somewhere else. Will your opponent be able to exploit your weakness, or you his? Or is that display of weakness a clever trap, which he has just sprung? Deceit is an important tool in any general’s arsenal, and a vital part of this game. But it’s not a matter of hidden information; it’s all a matter of feints and counter-feints, and your ability to think three moves ahead.
The game resembles chess in its abstract elegance, its structure of alternating moves, and its cerebral pleasures. Yet it is still a wargame. Control of Cities, and particularly New York and Albany, is crucial not only to Victory Conditions but to effectively orchestrate the movement of supplies and redeployment of troops. The British navy allows for quick redeployment to coastal areas, but they have a harder time of it making roads inland. American hit-and-run tactics might be their best hope for avoiding the sort of decisive battle that plays into British advantages.
This is a supremely unforgiving game, in which a single mistake will render your position unwinnable… provided your opponent is smart enough to notice it.
I have written a few Action Point Posts talking about different aspects of the design and you can read those as the following links:
Action Point 1 – How supply works
Action Point 2 – Battle mechanic and process
Finally, we posted a video review and you can view that at the following link:
If you are interested in Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777, you can order a copy for $40.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/supply-lines-of-the-american-revolution-the-northern-theater-1775-1777
8. Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Southern Strategy from Hollandspiele
In 2017, we played and really enjoyed Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777 from Hollandspiele and were impressed with the way the game modeled the importance of supply and logistics during the first three years of the American Revolutionary War. Then a few years later, we had an opportunity to play the follow-up game in the series called, you guessed it, Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Southern Strategy which shifts the scene of the fighting to the Southern colonies of Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. This edition of the system has a very different feel and emphasis than its predecessor. In the Southern Theater, both combatants have much smaller armies with fewer resources. Maneuver is more central to each player this time around and there are new Siege and Naval Battle rules that provide new opportunities for attack. The big change though is the addition of Partisans who don’t directly fight against the opposition but provide support in the background with holding spaces to extend supply lines, running raids to disrupt enemy supply and supplementing the armies in the theater with new recruits. Now the game is back in print because Amabel and Mary ordered a whole lot of wooden cubes to include in the games. Thank you.
From the game page, we read the following:
Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777 was a surprise hit for us, and we’ve been spending our afternoons bagging up wood bits ever since. Popular with grognards and logistics nerds alike, it secured a nomination for the 2017 Golden Geek Award for Best Wargame. This hotly anticipated standalone sequel covers the second half of the American War of Independence, and shifts the scene to the Southern colonies of Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
It’s more than just a change in locale, however; this game has a very different feel and emphasis than its predecessor. Both sides have much smaller armies with far fewer resources. The South, after all, is really a very minor theater: the British are chiefly concerned with holding onto their Caribbean possessions, particularly with the French, Dutch, and Spanish circling around those profitable islands, while George Washington is obsessed with taking back New York. Unsupported, Cornwallis must attempt to pacify the southern colonies one at a time while coming to grips with the slippery colonials, while avoiding being trapped himself. Maneuver is central this time around, thanks to new and utterly unforgiving siege rules.
And while this operational cat-and-mouse chase dances across the colonies, partisan warfare rages as both sides seek to win hearts and minds. Crown Loyalists can greatly extend Cornwallis’s supply lines, while daring Patriot Militia can harass the redcoats with Raids.
To win this game and the war itself, you’ll need to master irregular warfare, operational maneuver, siegecraft, naval affairs, and, of course, and perhaps above all, logistics.
We published an interview with the game designer Tom Russell on the blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2018/05/14/interview-with-tom-russell-designer-of-supply-lines-of-the-american-revolution-the-southern-strategy-from-hollandspiele/
While I have not yet finished the series, I have written a few Action Point Posts talking about different aspects of the design and you can read those as the following links:
Action Point 1 – we covered the Mapsheet looking at the differences between the various spaces including Cities, Forts and Points while also covering the various Sea Zones and Partisan Boxes and how they function in the game
Action Point 2 – we examined the different Units including Leaders, Soldiers, Navies and Partisans
Finally, we posted a video review and you can view that at the following link:
If you are interested in Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Southern Strategy, you can order a copy for $40.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/supply-lines-of-the-american-revolution-the-souther-strategy
9. Battle of Monongahela from The Historical Game Company
We have played a few of the games from The Historical Game Company from designer Steve Kling and they are designed as nice little introductory wargames with low counter density, great looking maps and easy to learn and understand rules. We described them as games you could play with your dad over a holiday or be used to introduce a friend to wargaming. These games are also print on demand and are printed and shipped by Blue Panther once you buy them. They will take about 10 days to get to you.
Their newest release includes a game on the Battle of Monongahela between the French and the British during the French & Indian War in 1755.
From the game page, we read the following:
July 9, 1755 – the French have built a fort called Fort Duquesne at a strategic location in British claimed territory. General Braddock has gathered a large force of British regulars and colonial militia to march through the wilderness and capture the fort. The British have to build a road as they go leaving them vulnerable to ambush. The French have collected a large force of Native American allies to teach the British about the new kind of warfare in North America.
The game takes about 90 minutes to play. One player commands the British forces and the other player commands the French forces. Cards vary the game play.
If you are interested in Battle of Monongahela, you can order a copy for $40.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/battle-of-monogahela
10. By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Battle of Königgrätz, July 3, 1866 2nd Edition from Blue Panther
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. This is a 2nd Edition of the game that was originally published by White Dog Games.
From the game page, we read the following:
By Iron and Blood simulates the climactic engagement of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, the Battle of Koniggratz (also known as the Battle of Sadowa). Taking place on July 3, 1866, this decisive clash pitted the forces of General Helmuth von Moltke’s Prussians against the Austrian armies of Feldzugmeister Ludwig von Benedek.
At stake was the question of whether Prussia or Austria would be the dominant power in central Europe. This battle was the largest clash of arms on the European continent since the Napoleonic Wars (the Battle of Leipzig, 1813), and would not be matched again until 50 years later at the start of the First World War in 1914.
In this innovative game from award-winning designer Hermann Luttmann, the Prussian player will be challenged to match the skill of their historical counterpart by bringing together widely separated forces to engage in a crushing assault on the defending Habsburg army. On the other side, the Austrian player must effectively engage their opponent by defeating the enemy piecemeal before their armies can join together in overwhelming numbers.
With so many choices and variables, players are assured that By Iron and Blood will always offer an engaging and challenging experience. Will the Prussians crush their foes and set the path for the creation of the new German Empire? Or will the Austrians successfully fend off their foes and retain their position of power? Play By Iron and Blood to find out.
If you are interested in By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Battle of Königgrätz, July 3, 1866 2nd Edition, you can order a copy for $55.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/by-iron-and-blood-2nd-edition
11. Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War from War Diary Magazine
I have read several War Diary Magazine issues over the past couple of years and have also seen that they have published several games including GUADALCANAL: The Battle for Henderson Field, 1942-1943 and 1914 DELUXE: Hell Unleashed. Roy Matheson puts out a quality publications but these games are also pretty damn good looking. This month, they released a new Ancients wargame called Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War designed by Mike Nagel.
From the game page, we read the following:
Blade & Bow allows players to engage in combat with ancient armies in four classic battles: Marathon, Thermopylae, Plataea, and Mycale. Each battle is fought on its own 17″ x 22″ map, each showing the unique terrain of the area.
This design from Mike Nagel includes a game box; four 17″ x 22″ mapsheets; a twenty-page rulebook; 283 laser-cut counters; 2 player aid cards; 1 tracking card; 60 Special Event cards and 4 dice.
If you are interested in Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War, you can order a copy for $60.00 ($55.00 if you subscribe to the War Diary Magazine) from the War Diary website at the following link: http://www.wardiarymagazine.com/games.html
12. Papers Wars Issue #104: Magazine & Game – Wolfe Tone Rebellion: Irish Rebellion of 1798 from Compass Games
If you have read our blog for a while now, you know that we like John Poniske and any game that he designs. We have played several and really enjoyed his takes on history including Bleeding Kansas, Hearts and Minds, Revolution Road, Maori Wars and others. Recently, I had somehow missed any news about one of his upcoming games called Wolfe Tone Rebellion: Irish Rebellion of 1798 coming out soon in Paper Wars Issue #104 from Compass Games. Once I heard about it, I was immediately interested and I am going to reach out to John for an interview.
From the game page, we read the following:
This is a two-player strategic-level game of the French-assisted Irish rebellion of 1796. The area map is divided into 34 counties and five surrounding sea zones, and covers all of the island and its surrounding waters. Units are abstract using a “strength point” system, and leader counters are important for movement and combat, as is morale. There are seven game turns, each representing one month. The game is of low-intermediate complexity, but due to the criticality of hidden-movement in the naval invasion sequence, it is not easily adapted for solitaire play unless the player is will to make large allowances to ‘fudging’ that important part of play.
If you are interested in Papers Wars Issue #104: Magazine & Game – Wolfe Tone Rebellion: Irish Rebellion of 1798, you can order a copy for $46.95 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/issue
As usual, thanks so much for reading along and sticking with me this month as I navigated through the many websites and game pages looking for new and interesting games to share. 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
The Players' Aid 
You forgot MMP’s BCS Valley of Tears which is shipping starting this week. Last couple of days to get preorder price
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Ooops! I knew I forgot something.
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