This time of year is a great time to be looking for new games to purchase for yourself or for a wargaming friend and this month didn’t disappoint with tons of new pre-order and new release games being put out there by a lot of fantastic publishers. This month, I found 24 total games including 3 of those being offered on Kickstarter and 1 on Gamefound.

This month we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch post in the great guys over at Blue Panther. Steve Jones has worked hard to partner with several fantastic game companies including Hollandspiele, Catastrophe Games, White Dog Games, War Diary Magazine, Schutze Games, Red Sash Games and The Historical Game Company to produce their games and get them out to your tables. They also produce and publish their own games through the Blue Panther label. Their newest upcoming release is a fantasy wargame called The Struggle for Zorn: The Red Blight from designer Hermann Luttmann and his dream design/development team of Fred Manzo and Ryan Heilman. They also plan to offer a free canvas map upgrade to the first 50 purchasers of the game. You can find out more information about the game by clicking the banner image below or checking out the entry in the New Release section found below.

We also had a great sit down interview with Steve Jones while attending Buckeye Game Fest this past May and you can view that at the following link:

If you missed the November Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/11/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-november-2023/

Pre-Order

1. Armies & Alliances: Blitzkrieg ’40 – The Battle for France from Cadet Games Currently on Kickstarter

Over the past few years, I have become familiar with Cadet Games who has done some pretty interesting looking wargames on Kickstarter. Their first game was They Were Soldiers: Battle of the Ia Drang Valley followed by Nguyen Hue ’72: The 1972 Easter Offensive in Vietnam. They also did a successful Kickstarter in May 2022 for a game in a new series called Armies & Alliances: Arnhem ’44 – Operation Market Garden. On the back of that success, they now have the 2nd game in this series called Armies & Alliances: Blitzkrieg ’40 – The Battle for France which is currently on Kickstarter.

From the Kickstarter page, we read the following:

Blitzkrieg ’40 – The Battle for France is the second in our Armies & Alliances WWII Series. If you liked Arnhem ’44, then you will really like Blitz ’40, which contains 221 minis including separate infantry figures, tanks, artillery, mechanized, recon, fighters and bombers made for each nation. Two big, beautiful map sections that fit together to create a truly impressive campaign area – from the German frontier with fortress Holland all the way to Paris at 9 miles/hex! Event cards introduce aspects from the historical contest and add to the re-playability and “fog of war”. The combat system is similar to Arnhem ’44 but adjusted for division vs. battalion scale, and the air rules include Air Superiority, Interception, Interdiction, Close Air Support, Combat Air Patrol, and Ground Attack missions. This game may use minis and big maps, but make no mistake, it is a REAL wargame, not just a great-looking one. Players can even choose to use counters instead of minis – both are provided to fit your personal preference!

Now you may be asking yourself why make a game on this topic as the Germans just ran over the defending French with ease using new tactics and their superior air power? But, the game is designed to be winnable by either side and depends on the players.

If you have studied the historical campaign, you may wonder if the same operational plan can be duplicated in the game—with the same results.  The answer is yes.  The unit capabilities and game mechanics allow for a repeat of history, but there is always the other player to consider.  As with history, the two sides have nearly the same number of infantry divisions, tanks, mobile units and artillery.  The German advantage is most evident in airpower—the Luftwaffe dramatically outclassed the Allied air forces in the campaign (and so it is with the game).  Only the German player who knows exactly how to employ their units with careful attention to the movement and combat sequences, event card use, the hidden unit dynamic, and especially the air rules—will be able to duplicate the historic success of the 1940 Wehrmacht.  And even then, the historic result was only possible because the Allied response played almost perfectly into Germany’s hand.  But there is more than one path to a decisive result, and the game allows for multiple campaign plans for both sides.  The rules are set up to mirror the operational, command, and doctrinal differences between the two opposing sides, but the contest is designed simply to re-create the same historic “canvas” upon which both players may then paint—the issue will be decided by a combination of player decisions and the fortunes and fog of war.

The greatest challenge for the German player, in my experience, is time.  The German forces, when combined with their air armada, have a telling advantage in combat exchanges—particularly because the Allied force disposition in the early turns affords the German the advantage of mass.  But a slow, methodical advance that grinds the Allied armies up in a battle of attrition takes too many turns—the German player does not have time for this.  One of the game’s most balancing aspects is thus “built into” the design before the first movement phase, card draw or die roll. 

If you are interested in Armies & Alliances: Blitzkrieg ’40 – The Battle for France, you can back the project on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/647106057/aanda-blitzkrieg-40-the-battle-for-france?ref=discovery_category_newest

As of December 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $10,516 toward its $18,900 funding goal with 102 backers. The campaign will conclude on Monday, January 22nd at 3:56pm EST.

2. Hammer and Sickle: Hunger and Utopia in the Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 from GMT Games

In the summer of 2022, while attending WBC in Pennsylvania, we met and played a game with Alex Knight (in case you were wondering the game was Nicaea from Hollandspiele). He is an aspiring new designer, with a quick mind and rapier wit and at the time he was working on his first designer which covers the Spanish Revolution and Civil War called Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War. Since that time, and the success of the game, he has embarked with a few additional design projects one of which has been picked up by GMT and is called Hammer and Sickle and deals with the tumultuous time of the Russian Civil War.

From the game page, we read the following:

Hammer and Sickle: Hunger and Utopia in the Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 is a fast-paced, four-player asymmetric game covering one of the most desperate and world-shaping conflicts of the 20th century, in which four competing ideologies battled for supremacy over the former Russian Empire.

Each season, players will alternate using Action and Commander cards to rally their forces, spread or clamp down on Agitation and Nationalism, and launch offensives into enemy territory. An event card played by each player at the start of the season will determine initiative order and have a unique effect on the game, while at the end of each season players must gather Food from the countryside (Sickles) to feed their factories (Hammers) and generate Firepower, or else risk rising Agitation and eventual Anarchist uprisings! After six seasons the player who has completed the most objectives and whose alliance is most successful will be victorious, determining the fate of Russia.

So you can see that this game is not a traditional wargame but has such interesting mechanics that are sure to create a tense game with lots of player interaction including combat, bidding and negotiations. These elements are all winners in my book and are sure to create a very interesting experience of a game.

Highlights:

• Four asymmetric factions with unique tokens, powers, and paths to victory. Each faction has its own distinct set of cards, including Actions, Commanders, Events, and Objectives. The balance of power swings between the two alliances, but each faction approaches victory by achieving their individual objectives.
• A tight economy that demands all factions compete over two limited resources: Food and Firepower. Rural ‘Sickle’ territories produce Food, but only half as much in Winter seasons as in Summer seasons. Urbanized ‘Hammer’ territories produce Firepower, but only if the workers receive Food. If you cannot pay Food to your Hammers, they instead produce Agitation, strengthening the Anarchists.
• Combat is based not on random die rolls but on bidding, negotiation, and bluffing. Factions adjacent to Combat may choose to intervene if it suits them or demand compensation either for doing so or for sitting out. Players secretly commit a Commander (with a unique power) or a Bluff card, along with their troops. They also secretly bid Firepower, which removes enemy troops. The side with superior remaining force wins the Combat, while the losing side must retreat or be captured.
• Opportunities for short-term and long-term planning, through selection of Events, Objectives, Propaganda, and investment in permanent upgrades for the Bolsheviks, New Nations, and Whites.
• An accessible ruleset that encourages fast-paced, interactive play. Lower complexity than traditional COIN games or other popular asymmetric games like Root.

This one is very intriguing and I am very keen on getting with Alex to do a designer interview on the game and how it works.

If you are interested in Hammer and Sickle: Hunger and Utopia in the Russian Civil War, 1918-1921, you can pre-order a copy for $62.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1081-hammer-and-sickle.asp

3. Wings for the Baron Deluxe GMT Edition from GMT Games

Talk about interesting and unique games! This month the most interesting game announced was the Deluxe GMT Edition of Wings for the Baron, which is a WWI economic centered game that sees players taking on the role of various companies designing and building aeroplanes for use in the fighting of The Great War.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Great War has been going on for nearly two years, and the Western Front has become a series of fruitless attacks and counterattacks. Germany must control the air to break the stalemate and win the war. The army turns to the aeroplane manufacturers to build the best planes to drive the Allies from the sky. Wings for the Baron gives you control of one of six companies, competing for lucrative contracts and the prestige of producing the best designs. Can you steer your business to produce the best fighters, bombers, and/or reconnaissance planes? Can you manage rising inflation, outwit your opponents through subterfuge and espionage, and lead your company to success?

Wings for the Baron is a 1 to 6 player game of economic and technological development in the German aeroplane industry during World War I. The Standard Game focuses on German fighter development, and the Extended Game adds development of bombers and recon planes. Experienced players can play the Standard Game in about 45 minutes and the Extended Game in about an hour, making Wings for the Baron perfect for repeat play. The Deluxe GMT Edition adds to the gameplay of this beloved game by adding components and rules for a new sixth company (Siemens-Schuckert), as well as all-new art by artist Tim Allen and deluxe components.

I just love wargames that take into account other aspects of the war industry, such as the manufacture of arms, ammunition and the like or the logistics of getting these armaments to the front to be used, and this one seems to be a really interesting look at the aeroplane industry during WWI. Sign me up as I am extremely interested. I have never played the original version but I am sure that this edition will be the definitive one with new components, new art and some new content like a new playable company.

Let’s take a little bit of a deeper look into how this economic competition wargame plays out:

Each turn, a company has five actions they can perform: Build additional factories, conduct Espionage to learn the technologies from another company, increase your plane’s efficiency with new Design technology, conduct Research to find new technologies, or take your papiermarks to a neutral country and convert to gold by performing a Bank action. But there’s a catch: you can only perform a limited number of actions each turn! You will have to carefully combine these actions with your chosen Events, which can impact rival companies or benefit your own. Events range from obtaining a Talented Engineer for your company (which helps your Design rolls) to improving one of your designs by using technology obtained from captured Allied aeroplanes.

As the war rages on, the specter of Inflation lingers every turn. Inflation is unpredictable, and may be moderate or severe. Savvy owners will know when to use their actions to convert their papiermarks to Gold and when to risk Inflation. Inflation never causes you to lose your carefully stashed Gold! Additionally, the effects of the war are felt through the resolution of a War Status card which impacts Allied and German Morale, available contracts, and Allied plane technologies.

The design also includes solitaire and 2-player variants designed by Ken Keller which allow players to pit themselves against two (or three or four!) other Non-Player Companies (NPC’s) in the Extended Game.

If you are interested in Wings for the Baron Deluxe GMT Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $62.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1083-wings-for-the-baron-deluxe-gmt-edition.aspx

4. Andean Abyss: Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Colombia 3rd Printing from GMT Games

The first game in the COIN Series is simply a masterpiece! This game was originally published in 2012 and I didn’t get to actually play and experience the game until around 2019 when the 2nd Printing was released. Over the past several months, I have played about 40 games of Andean Abyss on Rally the Troops! and each time I play it I fall more in love with the game and with the COIN Series itself. If you haven’t played Andean Abyss, you are missing out. But you are in luck, as they just announced a 3rd Printing run.

From the game page, we read the following:

Andean Abyss takes 1 to 4 players into this multifaceted campaign for control of Colombia: guerrillas and police, kidnapping and drug war, military sweeps and terror. Each of four factions deploys distinct capabilities and tactics to influence Colombian affairs and achieve differing goals. Players place and maneuver 160 wooden pieces across a colorful map and exploit event cards that cannot be fully predicted. Accessible mechanics and components put the emphasis on game play, but Andean Abyss also provides an engrossing model of insurgency and counterinsurgency in Colombia—smoothly accounting for population control, lines of communication, terrain, intelligence, foreign aid, sanctuaries, and a host of other political, military, and economic factors.

I have really grown to love this game and as it is the genesis for the vaunted COIN Series, it is really a great experience to get the series at its purest, most unadulterated and true version as the ideas for the system distilled from the beautiful mind of Volko Ruhnke.

Here is a link to our video review of the 2nd Printing of the game:

If you are interested in Andean Abyss: Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Colombia 3rd Printing, you can pre-order a copy for $57.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1082-andean-abyss-3rd-printing.aspx

5. Flying Colors Volume II – Serpents of the Seas 2nd Printing from GMT Games

If you follow us, you know of my affinity for any game set in the American Revolutionary War. I also really have enjoyed our plays of naval wargames such as Atlantic Chase from GMT Games and Captain’s Sea from Legion Wargames. This title addresses both of these areas in one box.

From the game page, we read the following:

Serpents of the Seas is the second stand-alone volume in the Flying Colors Series of naval combat games and represents frigate actions and the rise of the American Navy.

Unlike the larger battles between ships of the line depicted in Flying Colors (Volume I), Serpents of the Seas includes sixteen battles from the American Revolutionary War era and the War of 1812 that involve smaller ships—from tiny gunboats with only one or two cannon through “5th Rate” frigates of less than 50 guns.

Also depicted are three dozen “Ship Duels” between one or two vessels on a side, like the mighty Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) against her foes Java and Guerriere. To make these duels more challenging, an all new initiative system has been created using activation cards that might grant players a jump on their opponents but limit their flexibility in the process. The cards can also be used as events that provide additional shipboard flavor. These new systems are fully compatible with the original Flying Colors game, with mechanics that can be selected a la carte.

If you are interested in Flying Colors Volume II – Serpents of the Seas 2nd Printing, you can pre-order a copy for $48.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1071-serpents-of-the-seas-2nd-printing.aspx

6. Operation Rolling Thunder: Air War Over North Vietnam, 1965-1968 from Legion Wargames

Another great looking solitaire airwar game is the upcoming Operation Rolling Thunder: Air War Over North Vietnam, 1965-1968 from Legion Wargames. This game is not being designed by Steve Dixon and Bob Best though as this one is from Bertrand Guillou-Keredan. This time the game takes us to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War in 1965-1968.

From the game page, we read the following:

Operation Rolling Thunder is a simulation game that recreates the historical bombing campaign conducted by the US Air Force and the US Navy over North Vietnam during the period spanning from 1965 to 1968. The game accommodates both solitaire or cooperative play, in which one player assumes command of the US Air Force, while the other oversees operations of the Navy (with an option to play in semi-competitive mode).

The core objective for the player(s) is to inflict enough infrastructural damage to compel North Vietnam to engage in peace negotiations while disrupting the flow of troops and resources that sustain the insurgency in South Vietnam via the logistics network known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The overarching campaign is divided into seasonal phases, wherein the player or players determine which objectives have been identified as potential targets for the current phase. They then calibrate the scope and composition of air raids, aligning missions with their chosen strategic imperatives. Decisions entails prioritizing missions, including tasks like safeguarding raids against enemy fighter interception through combat air patrols, neutralizing enemy ground-based air defenses, deploying strike capabilities to maximize damage on specified targets, and the hunting down of opportunity targets. Through the use of cards, players resort to a repertoire of historical tactics, specialized missions, selective target assignments, and technological assets to optimize raid efficiency and protection. The augmentation of US forces occurs incrementally, encompassing both numerical reinforcements and advancements in equipment. This includes the introduction of advanced-technology missiles, reflecting an evolving military landscape. Additionally, pilots progressively gain experience, achieving exceptional proficiency in specific mission types.

If you are interested in Operation Rolling Thunder: Air War Over North Vietnam, 1965-1968, you can pre-order a copy for $80.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_ORT.htm

7. A Forgotten Sideshow: USMC Air Support Operations – Bougainville, 1944 from Legion Wargames

The second of several new air war games from Legion Wargames this month was A Forgotten Sideshow: USMC Air Support Operations – Bougainville, 1944 designed by Steve Dixon.

From the game page, we read the following:

A Forgotten Sideshow is a solitaire game that recreates Marine air participation in the reduction of the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul, New Britain. By mid-1944, Kenney’s 5th Air Force had pretty much rendered the Rabaul area useless to the Japanese.The Imperial Japanese Navy had pulled its naval forces out of the area, and Japanese airpower in the Solomon Islands was all but wiped out. As General Douglas MacArthur prepared for his return to the Philippines, Kenney’s 5th Air Force was directed to head up the aerial campaign to retake the Philippines. Marine air, along with air units from New Zealand, carried on with the attacks on Bougainville, New Britain, New Ireland and other islands to keep the Japanese from using them as launch points for counter attacks.

You, the player, will be flying a F4U Corsair with VMO-251 stationed at Piva Airfield on the island of Bougainville. Your goal will be to survive a six month tour of combat during which you will be attacking a variety of targets in the area. There are two versions of the game. The Basic Game introduces the player to the core rules of the game. The Advanced/Campaign Game introduces special rules, expands the Basic Game and allows the player to command the squadron.

If you are interested in A Forgotten Sideshow: USMC Air Support Operations – Bougainville, 1944, you can pre-order a copy for $55.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_FSS.html

8. THUNDERCHIEF!: The F-105 Thunderchief “Thud” Over Vietnam, 1965-1968 from Legion Wargames

And finally the 3rd air war game from Legion Wargames is designed by the dynamic duo of Steve Dixon and Bob Best called THUNDERCHIEF!: The F-105 Thunderchief “Thud” Over Vietnam, 1965-1968.

From the game page, we read the following:

THUNDERCHIEF! F-105D Thunderchief “Thud” Over North Vietnam is a game which puts the player in the cockpit of an F-105D Thunderchief fighter bomber flying missions with the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. The 355th TFW was assigned to Takhli RTAB where the USAF operated as “guests” of the Republic of Thailand. The 355th TFW flew missions from late 1965 until the Rolling Thunder Campaign ended in 1968. Fighter pilots were rotated into the wing’s fighter squadrons where they would fly 100 missions and then rotated home. You play as an Air Force pilot flying strike missions against targets in North Vietnam. Your goal will be to survive a mission or a campaign. Facing you will be a determined North Vietnamese force. It is possible you will face small arms fire, AAA, SAM launches, and encounters with MiGs.

Thunderchief adds a new mission for the player. “Close Escort MiGCAP” allows the player to fight individual aerial battles with guns and missiles, “one-on-one” against intercepting MiG fighters. (Compatible with the Legion Wargames Skyhawk: Rolling Thunder game). Players will also be able to create pilot’s with a wider range of combat skills for a more realistic Campaign game experience.

If you are interested in THUNDERCHIEF!: The F-105 Thunderchief “Thud” Over Vietnam, 1965-1968, you can pre-order a copy for $55.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_THU.html

9. 1793: Patriots & Traitors – The French Revolution, Year II from Sound of Drums Games Currently on Gamefound

If you are looking for really well produced and beautiful game covering the French Revolution, you don’t need to look any further. 1793: Patriots & Traitors is a new offering from Sound of Drums Games and is just gorgeous. The components appear to be top notch and the game looks very interesting as it is a Card Driven Game.

From the Gamefound page, we read the following:

1793: Patriots & Traitors recreates the chaos that tore up France in the years 1792-1794 as it has never been done before!

Each of the players belong to a political faction, each with their own objective. Although engaged in a brutal political tug-of-war, they WILL have to work together to prevent the armies of Austria, Prussia and Sardinia-Piedmont from reaching Paris, thereby crushing the Revolution and ending the game prematurely…for everyone!

1793: Patriots & Traitors is a very compact CDG game that makes use of multi-functional playing cards to allow the players a broad range of decisions…and rest assure that every decision made has its consequences. With them, the players will be able to influence a number of areas in Paris (National Convention, Palais-Egalité, the Paris streets…) or the provinces. Each controlled area offers certain benefits…or will help them to perform a Coup d’Etat or Civil War if things turn for the worse… 

Also included are the various revolutionary protagonists such as Robespierre, Danton, Marat, Brissot who can help their faction to achieve their objective IF they are not arrested or assassinated in the meantime!

Core mechanic is the possibility of making of laws for the new Republic which will change the game rules or even alter the board…of course: it’s a Revolution!

Be prepared for a warm and asymmetrical game of high replayability that will allow you and your fellow patriots to relive the French Revolution: from the heated discussions in the National Convention to the angry streets of Paris and from the cheering crowds around the bloody guillotine to the gun smoke filled battlefield of Fleurus!         

Also if you prefer your games solo, 1793: Patriots & Traitors includes a solitaire mode. In the mode, you will be able to play the Conservative Feuillants or the Radical Jacobins. The non-active moderate Girondins and Ultra-Radical Cordeliers will function as the ‘AI’ which you must try to influence in order to make them your political ally…In both systems, the actions and events during the course of the game are determined by the symbols at the bottom of the cards, offering a faster paced game, but with the same pressure and challenges.

If you are interested in 1793: Patriots & Traitors – The French Revolution, Year II, you can back the project on the Gamefound page at the following link: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/sound-of-drums-gmbh/1793-the-french-revolution-

As of December 1st, the Gamefound campaign has has funded by raising €33,636 toward its €15,000 funding goal with 384 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, December 28th at 5:00pm EST.

10. The Other Side of the Hill from NAC Wargames Currently on Kickstarter

I really am intrigued by this game. The Other Side of the Hill is a very interesting looking take on World War II and has some very unique looking mechanics. We recently posted a very in-depth interview with the designer Carlos Márquez Linares and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/12/04/interview-with-carlos-marquez-linares-designer-of-the-other-side-of-the-hill-from-nac-wargames-currently-on-kickstarter/

From the game page, we read the following:

The Other Side of the Hill is a boardgame that simulates the effects that the struggle for power within the German High Command had on the development of the Second World War. Up to four players represent military leaders cooperating and competing as they manage Germany’s wartime strategy. To win, they must vie for Prestige by advancing the careers of their chosen Army and Army Group commanders, grabbing their share of victories while the early-war pickings are easy, then avoiding responsibility for battlefield disasters as the Soviets and the Western Allies solidify and push back.

There are also several game modes for gameplay:

Competitive > One player will win, even if Germany collapses.
Cooperative > If Germany collapses, all players lose.
Semicooperative > There will be one winner, but Germany must survive.
Solitaire > You are alone against all odds.

There are also several different scenarios with varying game lenghts:

The Triumph of Blitzkrieg (1939-1941): 3-4 hours
Total War (1942-1945): 5-6 hours
World War (1941-1945): 8-10 hours
Armageddon (1939-1945): 10-14 hours

Here is a link to a teaser trailer video:

If you are interested in The Other Side of the Hill, you can back the project on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edicionesmasqueoca/the-other-side-of-the-hill-the-game?ref=bggforums

As of December 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded by raising $34,647 toward its $32,011 funding goal with 519 backers. The campaign will conclude on Wednesday, December 20th at 12:00pm EST.

11. Blackhorse from Tiny Battle Publishing

Cold War Gone Hot is all the rage and there is a new and very interesting looking offering coming out soon from Tiny Battle Publishing called Blackhorse. As you know, the term Blackhorse typically refers to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment which has fought in different wars and theaters over the years.

From the game page, we read the following:

Summer 1989: The Iron Curtain is not coming down. Tensions are high. Will war return to Europe?…. Blackhorse is a grand tactical game of furious mechanized command in the summer of 1989. Units are companies and platoons… Hexes are 1000 meters across. Turns are three hours each, using an innovative system emphasizing friction and the importance of command and control. Blackhorse puts the player in the shoes of the commanding generals of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division and an array of U.S. units drawn from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 3rd Armored Division. The Cold War has become damn hot. Will you be up to the task of winning this small piece of it?

This game includes:

• a colorful and accurate 17″ x 22″ map depicting the area of the Fulda Gap.
• 2 sheets of brutally attractive counters.
• 4 x highly useful Player Aid Cards.
• 1 x well-balanced D10.
• A box to keep it all safe.
• Black Horse is a 2-player game, but it may easily be played solitaire with one player playing both sides.
• Takes about 114 minutes to play a scenario.

One side note that I really love in the description above was the term “1 well-balanced D10”. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Awesome!

If you are interested in Blackhorse, you can pre-order a copy for $49.00 from the Tiny Battle Publishing website at the following link: https://tinybattlepublishing.com/products/blackhorse

The game is set to ship on December 8th.

12. The Enemy is at the Gates: The Battle for Berlin, 1985 from Compass Games

This Cold War Gone Hot thing has been pretty hot lately and this one offers a new take on the genre using the Company Scale System designed by Adam Starkweather and used in several recent releases such as Saipan – The Bloody Rock. The Enemy is at the Gates: The Battle for Berlin, 1985 from Compass Games is the 2nd installment in the Modern War Series designed by Adam Starkweather.

From the game page, we read the following very brief summary of the game:

The Enemy is at the Gates: Berlin is a new game in the Company Scale Series using the new added rules to show this bitter battle in a way that has not been seen before. Highly playable but with an emphasis on command and equipment, CSS uses a chit draw system to create a test and challenging game to play, but also with new research, and plenty of historical narrative.

I know that there is not much information to go on here but I have played the CSS system and really did enjoy it and I also have an interest in this Cold War Gone Hot theme.

If you are interested in The Enemy is at the Gates: The Battle for Berlin, 1985, you can back the project on Kickstarter at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/compassgames/the-enemy-is-at-the-gates

As of December 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded by raising $11,804 toward its $2,500 funding goal with 85 backers. The campaign will conclude on Friday, December 15th at 10:00am EST.

New Release

1. Dawn of Battle: Scenario Expansion Pack #1 and #2 from Blue Panther

A few years ago, Worthington Publishing released a new game called Dawn of Battle designed by Mike Nagel. The game was HUGE size wise containing dozens of playable historic scenarios. The game allows players to refight various historical battles from 1500 BC to 1500 AD or a range of 3,000 years of combat. Players take the roles of the great commanders of history, including Xerxes, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Saladin, and William Wallace. Since that time, Blue Panther has agreed to print the game in a new Designer’s Edition and also add some new content to an already large amount of scenarios and counters. Then, recently they announced two new Scenario Pack Expansions, which included MORE scenarios.

From the game page, we read the following:

Dawn of Battle is a hex-and-counter war game system that allows players to experience battles before the modern era. The game spans 3,000 years of combat, from the age of Greek generals to the invention of gunpowder.

SCENARIO PACK #1

This first scenario pack includes 20 more scenarios to further expand the enjoyment and playability of Dawn of Battle. These scenarios are updates of those included with the original version of the game from another publisher. They are not included in the base game from Blue Panther. Battles in this set include:

• Muye, 1046 BCE
• Qarqar, 853 BCE
• Pelusium, 525 BCE
• Cunaxa, 401 BCE
• Leuctra, 371 BCE
• Crocus Field, 353 BCE
• First Asculum, 279 BCE
• Magnesia, 190 BCE
• Vosges, 58 BCE
• Thapsus, 46 BCE
• Second Adrianople, 378 CE
• Ad Decimum, 533 CE
• Volturnus, 554 CE
• Ashdown, 871 CE
• Clontarf, 1014 CE
• Manzikert, 1071 CE
• Dorylaeum, 1097 CE
• Hattin, 1187 CE
• Liegniça, 1241 CE
• Falkirk, 1298 CE

SCENARIO PACK #2

This second scenario pack includes twenty more scenarios to further expand the enjoyment and playability of Dawn of Battle. Battles in this set include:

• Thymbra, 547 BCE
• Plataea, 479 BCE
• Issus, 333 BCE
• Hydaspes, 326 BCE
• Phrygia, 321 BCE
• Trebia, 218 BCE
• Cannae, 216 BCE
• Cynoscephalae, 197 BCE
• Pydna, 168 BCE
• Carrhae, 53 BCE
• Idistaviso, 16 CE
• Cibalae, 315 CE
• Catalaunian Plain, 451 CE
• Lechfeld, 955 CE
• Harran, 1104 CE
• Montgisard, 1177 CE
• Indus, 1221 CE
• La Forbie, 1244 CE
• Kutná Hora (Day 1), 1421 CE
• Kutná Hora (Day 2), 1421 CE

If you are interested in Dawn of Battle: Scenario Expansion Pack #1 and #2, you can order a copy of both together for $35.00 (or $20.00 each) from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/dawn-of-battle-scenario-expansion

Scenario Expansion Pack #1 and #2 requires the base game of Dawn of Battle: Designer’s Edition to play, which is sold separately.

2. The Struggle for Zorn: The Red Blight from Blue Panther

I love a good fantasy wargame! I have not played many, with my main plays being of the original version of Titan from Avalon Hill as well as the reprint edition from Valley Games, but the concept is just so great and appealing. Last year, I heard that Hermann Luttmann was working on his own take on a fantasy wargame and I was immediately interested. It has now come to light and is called The Struggle of Zorn: The Red Blight and it does look really interesting with a non-traditional semi-cooperative format.

From the game page, we read the following:

Players collectively represent the various Houses of the Kingdom of Zorn, and these Houses have joined together to defeat the existential threat of the vile Red Blight. The Red Blight is an evil entity that has just launched an invasion of peaceful Slumbering Troll Valley, the northern-most province of the kingdom. The monsters of the Red Blight are now holding the citizens of the valley hostage and have absconded with the province’s valuables, treasures, and vital resources. The Houses have been summoned by King Rufus V of Zorn to launch a Royal Crusade to free the valley and rid it of this blight.

The game’s players will each control a Commander, a Magic User, and a House Army, made up of various types of military units. Each player attempts to defeat enemy units and capture Treasure Tokens, and by so doing earn Glory Points. The player scoring the most Glory Points will be awarded with the title “Hand of the Crown” and win the game. However, players must cooperate and assist each other as well. If the Red Blight achieves certain conditions, all the players lose the game, regardless of their situation or amount of Glory Points.

If players can stave off The Red Blight’s attempt to exploit the valley for four full days, the monsters will lose access to the malignant power that sustains them. If this evil has been successfully thwarted, peace and freedom will be restored once again to the valley and one of the intrepid Houses will gain the ultimate royal reward. Will you become Hand of the Crown, Sire?

I like the art style they have chosen and I can feel the campy writing as I read through the various elements shared on the website. This one looks like a hoot and could be quite good. I will definitely get a copy and get this one played as we are always up for a good, fun, laugh out loud style of game especially one designed by the amazing Hermann Luttmann.

If you are interested in The Struggle for Zorn: The Red Blight, you can order a copy for $85.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/the-red-blight-coming-soon

You can also order a slick canvas map instead of the paper map for $10.

3. Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North from Legion Wargames

Looking for a big game in a small package? Well, look no further as Legion Wargames is putting out a new folio game called Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North. The game comes with an 11″ x 17″ map, 64 counters, an 8-page rulebook and a player aid.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Battle of Velikiye Luki, sometimes called The Stalingrad of the North, was fought during the Winter Campaign of 1942-1943. It was part of the northern pincer of the Rzhev-Sychevka Strategic Offensive (Operation Mars). The Soviet objective was to liberate the Russian city of Velikiye Luki and to cut the north-south rail line to the west of the city. /

Rather than attacking the town directly, the Soviet forces advanced into the difficult terrain to the north and south of the town. Despite heavy losses, they successfully cut the land links to the city, trapping the garrison. Hitler demanded that all the surrounded formations hold out while relief forces counterattacked to open a route to the encircled units. The garrison held out against repeated and determined Russian assaults. In the meantime, Soviet attempts to take their main objective, the rail lines at Novosokolniki, had been frustrated by the counter-attacks of the relief force. An attempt by the Germans to reach Velikiye Luki in late December ran into stubborn Soviet defense and was halted. The German garrison finally surrendered on January 16th.

If you are interested in Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North, you can pre-order a copy for $16.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://legion-wargames2.mybigcommerce.com/velikiye-luki-mini-game/

4. Picket Duty – Kamikaze Attacks Against U.S. Destroyers – Okinawa 1945 2nd Edition from Legion Wargames

I have definitely become somewhat of a solo gamer. I am not totally sold on it yet, as I prefer having an opponent that can talk back to me, but it is definitely something I have done a lot more of over the past year. So, with the 2nd Edition of Picket Duty coming back in stock and available from Legion Wargames, I have a serious desire to play this game.

From the game page, we read the following:

By the time of the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945, the U.S. Navy devised a plan to help ward off the expected kamikaze attacks during the battle for the island. In order to provide an early warning system for impending kamikaze attacks, the U.S. Navy established 16 radar picket stations around the island. In Picket Duty, which is a solitaire game where you as the captain of a Fletcher Class destroyer fend off kamikaze attacks while performing picket duty off Okinawa. The game covers the time period from late March 1945 to late June 1945. Your goal is simple – survive.

The game comes with a basic game, advanced game, six historical scenarios, two hypothetical scenarios, a mini-campaign and a full campaign. Optional rules are also included. Each game turn is divided into three phases, each depicting an eight hour period. Key crew members are depicted with certain functions, as well damage control teams. 27 types of Japanese planes are represented. Some planes have special attack capabilities.

As you can see, this game is a 2nd Edition and you might be wondering what is different. I found this comment from the designer Steve Dixon describing some of the differences:

David Bieksza and I spent nearly a year correcting many ambiguities in the rules, as well as making corrections. Also, corrections have been made to the map and Tables.

One major difference includes the increase in deck fires. Planes, if they hit the ship, automatically start a deck fire on top of any damage determined by the tables. Also, Japanese attack tables have been changed to increase the chance of hits. Another change, when it comes to secondary compartment repairs, there is now a negative effect if no repairs are attempted.

I have also created a gunnery damage sheet so players can track damage to guns. That is now available as a download here: http://www.stevenkdixon.com/gundamage_rev.pdf

If you are interested, you can check out Alexander’s video review of the 1st Edition of the game:

If you are interested in Picket Duty – Kamikaze Attacks Against U.S. Destroyers – Okinawa 1945 2nd Edition, you can order a copy for $60.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_PD2.html

5. Violent Skies: 1940 – Dynamo to the Blitz – A Solitaire Campaign Game of Aerial Warfare from Pocket Warfare Publishing

In the category of new and small publisher I knew nothing about, this month I found a new game called Violent Skies from Pocket Warfare Publishing that deals with aerial combat during WWII. The game has a subtitle of Season 1 so I am assuming that there will be more on the horizon.

From the game page, we read the following:

Sat inside the cockpit with the engine rattling through your bones, you turn to engage. Managing your energy and fuel, can you gain position to get a shot off? Or will the bandit get the better of you? Sometimes it is better to disengage than push a losing fight.

Violent Skies is a solitaire game of aerial combat in the Second World War. Using a game card that acts as your Cockpit and also as a mission generator. The player and Bandit take alternating actions to try and get a shot on the opposition’s aircraft.

This first season of games puts you in the cockpit of the main fighters during the tumultuous months after the invasion of France. Starting with the aerial operations over Dynamo (the Dunkirk Evacuation) to the Battle of Britain and the last daylight bombing raid as the Blitz starts, you will be flying sorties, shooting down bandits and trying your best to survive.
Each sortie lasts between 5-10 minutes, and the player has a logbook to advance their career. As the player completes a campaign, they have the option to keep the logbook and continue their career in different aircraft and theatres.

All is needed is at least four D6, a small marker for the advantage track, and a pen or pencil for the logbook. Everything else is included in the minimal construction print and play PDF. Three optional counters are included and need to be folded and cut out but the rest is ready straight off the printer.

Included as flyable aircraft are the Spitfire MkI/II, Hurricane Mk1, Bf109E3/4, Bf-110C.

Each aircraft comes with two sortie cards (your cockpit and mission generator), campaign tables, optional damage table, Skills sheet and counters.

I have reached out to the designer Ben Rawlings and am currently working on a written interview with him so check back for more information on the blog later. Also be aware that the game comes in the form of a downloadable PDF and you will have to assemble the game to play.

If you are interested in Violent Skies: 1940 – Dynamo to the Blitz, you can order a copy for $9.50 from the Wargame Vault website at the following link: https://www.wargamevault.com/product/460079/Violent-Skies–1940–Dynamo-to-the-Blitz?src=hottest_filtered

6. Battle of Quebec, 1759: 2nd Edition from The Historical Game Company

We have played a few of the games from The Historical Wargame 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 is an interesting looking game on the Battle of Quebec during the French & Indian War called Battle of Quebec, 1759. This is a Second Edition of the game.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Second Edition of Battle of Quebec includes:

• An revised rulebook
• An updated card deck
• Brand new artwork

September 13, 1759 – The British army has invaded on the west side of Quebec. They ascend to mountainous heights that were once considered insurmountable. The British must be stopped at all costs. The French army is quickly summoned on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City. Additional French troops are on their way. But, a counter offensive must be made before it is too late. The stage is set…

The Battle of Quebec, 1759 is a low to moderate complexity tactical game covering the British attack on Quebec during the French and Indian War. The game takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play. One player commands the British and the other player commands the French. Cards allow variety in play.

If you are interested in Battle of Quebec, 1759 2nd Edition, you can order a copy for $40.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/battle-of-quebec-2nd-edition

7. Pyrates! from White Dog Games

Show of hands. Who doesn’t love a pirate themed game? Well, I know that none of you raised your hands and I know that I definitely didn’t. A good pirate themed game is a bit like catnip for me. I just love them! The adventure, the plundering, the broadsides and boarding parties….all combine to make an interesting experience. And when the game is multi-player, mores the better as you can have it out with your pirate friends. This month, White Dog Games released a new 1-4 player pirate gamed called Pyrates!. The tag line is “set during the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean” so you know it is going to be fun!

From the game page, we read the following:

Pyrates! is a game for one to four human players (each pirate captains) set during the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean. As a pirate captain, either as a full pirate with no allegiances or one with an allegiance to England, France, Spain, or the Netherlands, you control the fate of your pirate band while attempting to win the game by accumulating fame, infamy, and popularity. You do this through acquiring new ships to be part of your pirate fleet, attacking merchant ships (piracy), raiding ports, and trading booty seized in attacks on ships and ports for gold.

The game map shows the Caribbean region during the Golden Age of Piracy from the mid seventeenth to the early eighteenth centuries – the age of sail, musket, and cutlass. There are three sea zones: High Seas, East Caribbean Sea, and West Caribbean Sea – these have a range of numbers for random placement of Merchant Ships and other events from a D6 roll. Around the seas are ports which are marked to indicate the nation owning the port: British, French, Spanish, or Dutch. There are also three pirate ports: Tortuga, Nassau, and Port Royal. Ports can be adjacent to one or two sea zones. Pirate ports additionally have random number indicators showing return from sea zones and placement of ships for AI players. The map has a turn track for keeping track of the game’s progress and a scoring track where each player can record their Fame, Infamy and Popularity.

If you are interested in Pyrates!, you can order a copy for $50.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/copy-of-mogadishu

8. Rule the Waves: Britannia! from Catastrophe Games

A 2nd pirate themed game in the same Wargame Watch? How did we get so lucky? Well, this one is not totally a pirate themed game but more a game set in the Age of Sail that allows the player to take the helm of a British warship and fight pirates. But, this theme is is interesting and will include a good deal of ship to ship combat which is always fun. A few months ago, Catastrophe Games ran a successful Kickstarter for a solitaire Age of Sail gamed called Rule the Waves: Britannia! That Kickstarter has now been fulfilled and the game is ready for general retail.

From the game page, we read the following:

Rule the Waves: Britannia! is a fast-playing card game where you take command of a British warship during the Age of Sail. Set your course across multiple journeys in Europe and across the Atlantic, sail around Jamaica, and cruise through the Lesser Antilles. Encounter bad weather, Spanish, French, and Dutch warships, sometimes their formidable flagships, even some of the most notorious pirates!

Each journey only takes 5-15 minutes, so your whole odyssey can take just over an hour.

Includes an historical mode, along with 2 player versions that are either cooperative or competitive.

If you are interested in Rule the Waves: Britannia!, you can order a copy for $30.00 from the Catastrophe Games website at the following link: https://catastrophegames.net/rule-the-waves-britannia/

9. Doubt is our Product from Hollandspiele

Hollandspiele has the best games because they take risks and do interesting games on very interesting topics. These are not always wargames, and this one is a bit of a stretch, but they always have great systems, mechanics and an interesting take on historical happenings. The reason I included this one this month is because I see this as a battle! A battle for public health, a battle for people’s quality of life, a battle against addiction and a battle against a powerful adversary in the tobacco industry. Doubt is Our Product is the newest game from Hollandspiele that pits 2 players against each other fighting over the truth about the tobacco industry.

From the game page, we read the following:

In the second half of the twentieth century, faced with the inconvertible truth that cigarette smoking caused lung cancer, the tobacco industry embarked on a campaign of deliberate disinformation while knowingly selling a deadly and highly addictive product. Deeply entrenched in American culture, and with deeper pockets, they leveraged their lobbyists and marketing to avoid regulation and dodge responsibility for a hundred million deaths. A disparate collection of scientists, grassroots activists, politicians, lawyers, and public health officials faced an uphill battle to change the culture, place limits on tobacco advertising, and combat a health crisis of unprecedented scope.

This game from designer Amabel Holland (Nicaea, Endurance) models the asymmetry of this conflict by giving each side a different game. The Company, representing the industry, plays an economic deckbuilder, setting themselves up for big turns, chains of actions, and big profits. The Movement that opposes them is playing a political tableau builder – slowly coming together and organizing to advocate for legislation and regulation. These two halves, each with its own mechanisms and components, intersect the most fully in the disinformation war. Illustrating Brandolini’s Law – “the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it” – the Company player easily muddies the water, while the Movement must work hard to clear it away.

If you are interested in Doubt is Our Product, you can order a copy for $65.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/doubt-is-our-product

10. Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles 2nd Printing from GMT Games

We have really grown to love the Commands & Colors Series. My favorite will forever be C&C: Napoleonics but Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles is also a very good game that we enjoyed a lot! And it was so popular, that it only took a few years to get back on the P500 for a 2nd Printing.

From the game page, we read the following:

The Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles game rules allow players to portray important engagements of Japanese history. The battles, included in the scenario booklet, focus on the historical deployment of forces and important terrain features in scale with the game system. The scale of the game is flexible and varies from battle to battle. For some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire clan of soldiers, while in other scenarios a unit may represent just a few brave warriors.

The Command cards drive movement and creates a “fog of war” and presents players with many interesting challenges and opportunities, while the battle dice resolve combat quickly and efficiently. The Honor & Fortune game mechanic will task players to maintain a balance between these two important game elements. The Dragon Cards add an element of suspense and surprise that can bend the rules and instantly change the course of a battle. The battlefield tactics you will need to execute to gain victory, however, conform remarkably well to the strengths and limitations of the various Japanese unit types, their weapons, battle terrain, and written history.

So what makes GMT’s Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles game great? In a word, More! GMT’s C&C: Samurai Battles game has more scenarios, more units to deploy, additional types of Japanese units, a jammed-packed battlefield with more units and more terrain. And there are still more expansion materials  already waiting in the wings.

First – there are more units and more unit types in the game. Yep, it will take some time to apply stickers to all the blocks, but doing so is a breeze, when compared to the time it took to assemble figures. When done, blocks are very durable and easy to store.

Second – the battlefield comes on a one-piece mounted map board. Not really any larger in that it still stands at 11 hexes deep by 12 hexes wide, but there are plenty of terrain tiles including new types of terrain, fences, ramparts, castle walls and more.

Third – more scenarios, which no doubt will be the most important feature for anyone who owns and enjoys the previous version of Samurai Battles from Zvezda. The game has 40 scenarios.

If you are interested you can check out our video review for the 1st Printing:

If you are interested in Commands and Colors: Samurai Battles 2nd Printing, you can order a copy for $95.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-973-commands-colors-samurai-battles-2nd-printing.aspx

11. Tanto Monta: The Rise of Ferdinand and Isabella from GMT Games

We have played Here I Stand 5 times to date, with our most recent play being a full 6-player game this past spring, and the game is just special. The card driven mechanic simply makes the game and it really is a bit of a sandbox as you can win in various and sundry ways. Now comes a prequel to Here I Stand that takes place between 1470 and 1516.

From the game page, we read the following:

Tanto Monta: The Rise of Ferdinand and Isabella covers the period from 1470 to 1516, the height of the Age of Discovery and the years leading immediately into the period covered by Here I Stand: Wars of the Reformation, 1517-1555. The game opens with Isabella’s disputed ascension to the throne of Castile, a position contested by a Portuguese-backed faction supporting Joanna La Beltraneja. Ferdinand’s possessions are similarly threatened by Aragon’s ongoing civil war against forces from the Principality of Catalonia, a faction often supported by France. How can these young Catholic Monarchs possibly deal with both these crises while still pursuing their agendas to unite their two kingdoms into a single Spanish realm, subjugate the Canary Islands, and finish the reconquest of Granada?  

The game pits four different powers against each other including Spain, Portugal, the various Muslim Kingdoms and France. From the game page we read the following:

The game retains many of the game systems from Here I Stand and Virgin Queen, as turns start with each player being dealt a hand of cards from the shared deck to supplement their Home Cards, which provide unique actions for each major and secondary power. After diplomatic negotiations and spring preparations have concluded, players play these cards as events or operations to conduct military, political, or exploration actions to maximize their victory point gains. At the end of each turn, armies winter, royal marriages take place, and—unless there is a winner—the game resets in preparation for the start of the next turn.  

Never fear. The game isn’t totally the same as there are various new features that have been included to create a new experience.

Tanto Monta introduces several innovations to the game series. The land combat system is enriched with the addition of explicit siege artillery units and cavalry units for all major powers, which can try to turn the tide in battle by making a dedicated cavalry charge. The spring phase is also extended to include play of Headline Events, chances to use a powerful hand to score bonus VP and sneak in an extra event card play before the turn is fully underway. Finally, the enhanced Exploration Map systems depict the arrival of Vasco Da Gama in India and Christopher Columbus in America and include explicit rolls to try and navigate into the Terra Incognita.

We posted an interview with the game designer Carlos Diaz Narvaez and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/04/12/interview-with-carlos-diaz-narvaez-designer-of-tanto-monta-the-rise-of-ferdinand-and-isabella-from-gmt-games/

If you are interested in Tanto Monta: The Rise of Ferdinand and Isabella you can order a copy for $95.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-884-tanto-monta-the-rise-of-ferdinand-and-isabella.aspx

12. Whatever the Cost: The Battle for Corregidor February, 1945 from High Flying Dice Games

I love lesser gamed subjects. It is always nice to play something unique and interesting while learning new parts of history. High Flying Dice Games does this exceptionally well as they have made their living on doing lesser (or even totally) unknow battles in their small games. Such is the case with Whatever the Cost. Not that we don’t know the historic battle for Corregidor in the Philippines but there are not a glut of games on the subject out there.

From the game page, we read the following:

Whatever the Cost is an introductory level mini-game on the final US airborne offensive in the Pacific Theater against the Japanese held island fortress of Corregidor. The Japanese took the US fortress in May 1942, completing their conquest of the Philippine Archipelago. When he was ordered earlier to evacuate Corregidor and take command of Allied forces assembling in Australia, General Douglas MacArthur vowed to someday return. The recapture of Corregidor was seen as both necessary to complete the liberation of the Philippines, and for MacArthur, personal redemption for the earlier US defeat and surrender.

If you are interested in Whatever the Cost: The Battle for Corregidor February, 1945, you can order a copy for $15.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/WTC.html

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.

Finally, thanks once again to this month’s sponsor Blue Panther!

-Grant