We are now getting into the “long cold” as January, February and March is normally referred to. But, as the temperatures outside have plummeted and the days have gotten shorter the wargame scene had definitely seen a warming trend. This month for the Wargame Watch I was able to find a whopping 38 games! I was amazed at the amount of new games that are being announced and released at this point in the year. Of that total, 13 total games were offered on Kickstarter or Gamefound with a few entries accounting for more than 1 game. Just a massive haul this month and I could have added some more games frankly but I had to stop somewhere.
Again this month, we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch post in Form Square Games owned and operated by Andrew Rourke. Form Square Games, which is a British board game publishing company, specializes in historical games, with a particular emphasis in the Napoleonic and gun-powder era. Andrew Rourke, chief designer, has many years of experience in wargaming/board gaming and is committed to designing games with simple, unique and elegant mechanics. Eager to publish some of the very interesting, smaller and lesser-known campaigns, the intention is not only to self-publish but support other designers in the hobby, particularly first timers, to publish their designs and achieve their ambitions too!
The company has great plans for the future and is currently developing a wide range of games in the Limits of Glory Series. These games have a single simple mechanic which makes play easy to learn, though the decisions a player constantly faces creates fantastic depth, engagement and replayability. Campaign I – Bonaparte’s Eastern Empire, covers Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt. Campaign II – Maida 1806, explores the Third Coalition’s six month campaign in Italy. Campaign III – Capri and Campaign IV – Santa Maura, are two smaller games in a single box, each covering the invasion of a small Mediterranean island during the Napoleonic Wars.
The next Gamefound launch will be later this year and the preview page is already up for you to follow. Campaign V – Donning the Sacred Heart is the next project in the Limits of Glory Series. This exciting new game will look at the complex and vicious civil war, sparked by the demands of conscription. Catholic peasants and their aristocratic leaders from the countryside of the Vendée in France, pitted themselves against the bourgeois inhabitants of the major towns in the region, who were backed by the staunchly Republican revolutionary government of 1793. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we can now exclusively reveal an exciting new project in the Limits of Glory Series, Jersey New Jersey. We will be offering two campaigns in a single box. First time designer Peregrine Nicholls, who comes from the island of Jersey, has designed an intriguing game covering the French invasion of the island as part of the American Revolutionary Wars. We believe there are no other games on this subject so hopefully it will be of interest to any fans of the Revolution!
At the other end of the prominence scale, in the box with Jersey will be a second game, covering the crossing of the Delaware into New Jersey. This celebrated campaign will cover the 10 days at the end of 1776 and the start of 1777 where the Revolution recovered from endless setbacks at the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Campaign VI – Jersey & Campaign VII – New Jersey will launch on Gamefound later this year together with Donning the Sacred Heart, so be sure to follow the campaign page on Gamefound. Each game will be available either separately or together.
Copies of all of Form Square Games products, past and present, can be ordered through the Form Square Games website. If you’d like to find out more about their forthcoming projects, please sign up for their newsletters through the website and keep in touch through the Limits of Glory Facebook Group.
Here is a link to our video review for Limits of Glory – Campaign I: Bonaparte’s Eastern Empire:
I also have written (and am still working on) a series of Action Point posts on various aspects of the game and you can read those at the following links:
One final interesting note about the Limits of Glory Series and the art is that all the illustrations and artwork used throughout the game on all components, tables, charts, the map and the box, are taken from contemporary political satirical cartoons. Their creators’ work brought to life events of the time to a public who had no access to photos, videos, films or social media. Many of the images depicted would never have been seen by the artist. Their imagination of often written accounts, constructed a critical and at the same time ludicrous view of the great and the good from all sides of the political divide, friend or foe.
You can find more information and further reading on all three cartoonists by following these links:
1. Québec 1759– 50th Anniversary Deluxe Limited Edition from Columbia Games Currently on Kickstarter
I do love a good block wargame. The fog of war created by the hidden units is just marvelous and really models the concept of not knowing exactly who or what you are attacking in a conventional battle. And Columbia Games was the pioneer of the medium with their first game Québec 1759 published in 1972. They have now created a new 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the game with new artwork and upgraded components and it is currently being offered on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
A strong British force has arrived in Quebec City, intent on taking it. The French defenders have the advantage of time and terrain but are no match for the British regulars in pitched battle.
As commander of the British or French forces, you’ll replay the epic battle for Quebec City and, perhaps, reverse the outcome. Every game is a unique challenge and either side can win. Can you change history?
Québec 1759 is a fast-playing block wargame depicting the British-French conflict in Canada during the French and Indian War / Seven Years’ War.
Players simultaneously move hidden units along historical roads using a point-to-point system. This elegant game sets up quickly and plays in under an hour, ideal for a short gaming session.
This limited edition of Québec 1759 boasts stunning new artwork by Richard Luschek, including a revised cover, an elegantly mounted map and battle board, and extra-large, one-inch jumbo wooden game pieces with updated graphics.
That map looks great as does the new cover art for sure. Here is a bit more about the origin of the game and the designer Tom Dalgliesh:
In 1972, in Vancouver, Canada, Tom Dalgliesh released his groundbreaking game, Québec 1759, revolutionized wargaming with its innovative mechanics: fog-of-war, hidden movement, and a step-reduction system for simple combat. This groundbreaking game established the ‘block game’ genre using Columbia Games Block system.
Québec 1759 pioneered the use of blocks instead of traditional cardboard counters. This innovation brought fog-of-war to the battlefield and allowed for up to four-step strength reductions. Wargame enthusiasts worldwide have praised the block game system, earning thousands of ratings on boardgamegeek.com.
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $38,041 toward its $10,000 funding goal with 259 backers. The campaign will conclude on Sunday, February 9th at 8:00pm EST.
2. Fix Bayonets! Volume I: 1811: Albuera Second Edition from Tactical Workshop Currently on Gamefound
A few months ago, I caught wind of a new edition of a very interesting looking Napoleonics wargame getting a new second edition. The game is 1811: Albuera Second Edition from Tactical Workshop, which was originally released in 2020 designed by Frederic Delstanches. We definitely have a growing interest in this period and this one looks pretty good and appears to have been well received.
From the game page, we read the following:
Fix Bayonets! Volume I: 1811: Albuera Second Edition is a thoroughly researched simulation of the battle that pitted Maréchal Soult’s French army against the combined British-Portuguese-Spanish forces of Marshal Beresford and General Blake in Spain in 1811.
It uses the Fix Bayonets! rule set and will work with all future entries in the series. It is a hex and counter tactical (battalion level) combat system of moderate complexity that can be played solo (but with no “automata” or bot, just by playing both sides).
After I first encountered this game, I was somewhat interested in the battle and in the approach of the design. But after doing a bit more research and looking into the background of the game and reading the rules, I definitely became much more interested.
As of February 1st, the Gamefound campaign has raised $5,298 toward its $12,000 funding goal with 96 backers. The campaign will conclude on Friday, February 21st at 11:59pm EST.
3. The Lions of El Alamein from VentoNuovo Games Currently on Kickstarter
Recently, while perusing the internet, I found mention of an upcoming block wargame on the battles in and around El Alamein in World War II from VentoNuovo Games. The game covers the Axis and Commonwealth Forces clash in the North African Theater in Egypt during 1942 and really looks to be pretty interesting. The game is called The Lions of El Alamein and is currently on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
What is The Lions of El Alamein? North Africa, 1942.The Battles of El Alamein were a series of battles fought in Egypt between Axis and Commonwealth forces between July and November 1942.
The terrain of El Alamein, close to the Qattara Depression, was chosen by the British after the Tobruk rout because it was the only geographical segment that could offer a defense in depth capable of protecting the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal. The game offers five scenarios to play all the battles fought at El Alamein from July to November 1942.
A turn is made of Impulses and each turn represents a month of real time. Each hex represents a distance of about six kilometers from side to side. Units vary from brigades to battalions, most of them HQ’s, armored, artillery, motorized, or infantry. The game employs the newly developed SLIT engine.
Complexity depends on the scenario played and the optional modules applied, thus varying from 2 to 4 out out of 5. Average game duration is less than a hour for the short battles, and about 1-4 hours for the three major battles.
There was supposed to be a series of these small interviews in a run up to the Kickstarter but there was a language misunderstanding (that I still cannot figure out) and I believe that I offended the parties involved and the series was cut short after just one entry. Shame really as I was liking what I was seeing and hoping to bring more of it to you!
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $17,288 toward its $10,418 funding goal with 109 backers. The campaign will conclude on Sunday, February 9th at 5:59pm EST.
4. Afrika Corps 41 from Trafalgar Editions Currently on Kickstarter
Who doesn’t love a good North Africa wargame? No one says me and I am excited to share with you this new upcoming game called Afrika Corps 41 from Trafalgar Editions. The game is currently on Kickstarter and needs some love as it is only at around 60% of its funding goal.
From the game page, we read the following:
Afrika Korps 41 represents the campaign in North Africa during WWII. In February 1941, Hitler sends the newly formed Afrika Korps under the command of Generalmarshall Erwin Rommel to assist the Italian troops who were being defeated by the British.
It can be played at three levels of difficulty, ranging from basic to advanced. It is recommended to start with the basic level to understand the game dynamics and once mastered, incorporate new rules to increase the difficulty until reaching the advanced level, where you will see everything that the game has to offer.
It is up to you to change history, this is your moment. “A good general not only knows how to find the way to victory, but also knows when it is impossible.” – Erwin Rommel
One thing that I do find interesting about the design is that it has the ability to increase level of the rules to appeal to all types, even beginners. There is a basic level, intermediate level and an advanced level.
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $3,817 toward its $6,801 funding goal with 52 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, February 20th at 12:11pm EST.
And if you back the game on Kickstarter, you will get a very cool looking 88mm flak resin turn marker piece. Act quickly for this free gift!
5. Poland ’39 from Trafalgar Editions Currently on Gamefound
The second crowdfunding campaign from Trafalgar Editions (this time on Gamefound) offered this month is Poland ’39. I really do like the look of that cover and hope that the game within lives up to what they are trying to sell.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Polish Campaign of 1939 begins when the German Army attacks Polish territory in September 1939. Also known as Operation Fall Weiss, it triggered World War II in Europe and ended the Second Polish Republic.
Poland ’39 is a game for two or three players, one of them leads the Polish Army and the rest leads the German and/or Russian Armies, depending on whether they are two or three players.
The 1939 Polish Campaign begins when the German Army attacks Polish territory in September 1939. Also known as Operation Fall Weiss, it was the trigger for World War II in Europe and brought an end to the Second Polish Republic.
I think that the game looks interesting but with this subject it will be interesting to see how they deal with balance and victory conditions as we all know that the Polish armed forces, who fought bravely and gave it their best, were not really a match for the German war machine and their combination of Stuka dive-bombers and blitzkrieg tactics.
As of February 1st, the Gamefound campaign has raised €4,052 ($4,159 in US Dollars) toward its €5,000 ($5,247 in US Dollars) funding goal with 61 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, February 22nd at 5:59pm EST.
And if you back the game on Gamefound, you will get 2 very cool looking armored train resin pieces with your order. Act quickly for this free gift!
6. Until the Bitter End – Tanks – Battle of the Bulge Print ‘n Play from Matt White Currently on Kickstarter
A few years ago, we posted an interview with Matt White, who is a very talented graphic artist and budding game designer, that focused on his artistic talents and love of tanks. He has since designed several very interesting small scale print and play wargames, with his most recent series being a World War II tactical wargame series for 1-2 players pitting the British Airborne versus the German Wehrmacht called Until the Bitter End. He has proceeded to add several different expansions or entries to this series including Until the Bitter End – US Airborne followed by Until the Bitter End – Tanks. His most recent offering in the series is called Until the Bitter End – Tanks – Battle of the Bulge and is currently being offered on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
Until the Bitter End – Tanks – Battle of the Bulge is a World War II tactical level wargame. This is the fifth game in the Until the Bitter End Series and the third game that focuses, solely, on tank (and other armoured fighting vehicles) battles. This is a print and play game for solitaire and two-players. This is a standalone game in the series of WW2 print and play games. You don’t need to have played or own the first games – all of the digital PDF files are included (you simply print it out, provide yourself with a regular six sided dice and a pencil). This game also features new elements in the series including a full Campaign Game with rules for both two-players and solitaire campaigns.
The game is quick to setup and play, it takes around 30 minutes to play a shorter game, to less than a couple of hours for a larger game and requires very little space.
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $4,612 toward its modest $245 funding goal with 132 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, February 6th at 2:01pm EST.
7. A Most Bitter Blow: Operation Battleaxe, Cyrenaica, Libya, 15-17, June 1941 from Three Crowns Games
Last year, I came across a great looking little game publisher in Three Crowns Games and their at the time new game Iskra:Spark of Victory. We did an interview with the designer of that game Stefan Ekström and the product was really a great looking little game. They now have a whole gaggle of new offerings on pre-order. The first one I will share is A Most Bitter Blow: Operation Battleaxe, Cyrenaica, Libya, 15-17, June 1941 designed by Paul Shackleton.
From the game page, we read the following:
After the failure of Operation Brevity in May 1941, General Wavell realized that Allied forces in
North Africa needed substantial reinforcement before another attack could be attempted. This was provided via the famous Tiger Convoy which travelled across the Mediterranean, rather than take the much longer route around South Africa. Its arrival brought over two hundred tanks and fifty Hurricane fighters; the arrival also brought increased pressure from British Prime Minister Churchill to attack the Axis forces immediately.
General Wavell had reservations about the operation but, at the insistence of Churchill, had given the green light. The Allied attack on 15 June 1941 was divided into three: a Coastal Force tasked with capturing Halfaya Pass; a central force to capture Fort Capuzzo; a flanking force made up of the recently reconstituted 7 Armoured Division to deal with the expected Axis armoured counterattack.
Three days of heavy fighting saw the Allies retreat to their starting points, having lost about 100 tanks, with more damaged. For the Axis, losses were far lighter; Rommel concluded in a letter 23 June, “The joy of the “Afrika” troops over this latest victory is tremendous; now the enemy can come he will get an even bigger beating.” Upon hearing the outcome of the battle, Churchill concluded it was “a most bitter blow”.
A Most Bitter Blow is a game recreating Operation Battleaxe, 1941.
To read a bit more about this particular offering, you can go to the pre-order page to see the entry (although there is not much there other than what I have referenced above): https://www.threecrownsgames.com/prebook
8. Platinum Fox: The Petsamo-Murmansk Operation, 1941 from Three Crowns Games
The second game from Three Crowns Games I will share is Platinum Fox: The Petsamo-Murmansk Operation, 1941 designed by Jan Larsson.
From the game page, we read the following:
On 29 June 1941 the Platinum Fox phase of Silver Fox was launched. German Mountain Corps Norway, crossed the border and advanced on Murmansk. They were opposed by units of the Soviet 14th Army. The two divisions advanced in two directions. In the south the 3rd Mountain Division was able to penetrate the Soviet lines at the Titovka Valley in one day after fierce fighting. In the north the 2nd Mountain Division also made good progress in the first hours to secure the neck of the Rybachy Peninsula. The offensive soon met with heavy Soviet resistance, especially from some ad-hoc ground units of the Soviet Northern Fleet.
Platinum Fox is a game recreating the Petsamo-Murmansk Campaign, 1943.
To read a bit more about this particular offering, you can go to the pre-order page to see the entry (although there is not much there other than what I have referenced above): https://www.threecrownsgames.com/prebook
9. Stalin’s Lost Chance: The Soviet Attack on Finland Through Karelia-Ladoga 1939-1940 from Three Crowns Games
The third and final new game from Three Crowns Games I am sharing this month is Stalin’s Lost Chance: The Soviet Attack on Finland Through Karelia-Ladoga 1939-1940 designed by Magnus Nordlöf. One final note, I just love the art that they use for these games! I am not sure if it is original or commissioned by Three Crowns Games or in the public domain but it is just so evocative and I love the style!
From the game page, we read the following:
On November 30, 1939 Stalin attacks Finland. While the majority of the battle is fought on the Carelian Istmus, this game explores the battles taking place on the northern shores of Ladoga. The Russian odds were overwhelming here. Had they pushed harder we might have seen another outcome in the Winter War.
To read a bit more about this particular offering, you can go to the pre-order page to see the entry (although there is not much there other than what I have referenced above): https://www.threecrownsgames.com/prebook
10. Hearts of Iron: The Board Game from Steamforged Games Currently on Gamefound
There is a recent trend where board game publishers (or even first time board game publishers) are taking a successful IP of a video game and then attempting to make that into a board game. Examples over the past few years have been things like Sniper Elite: The Board Game from Rebellion Unplugged (this was actually a good one), Europa Universalis: The Price of Power from Aegir Games and most recently Total War: Rome from CCC Games. This is a tricky and challenging prospect and few accomplish the goal that they set out with of creating a playable game. But, with that being said, I have been interested and excited about a new offering called Hearts of Iron: The Board Game from Steamforged Games which is currently on Gamefound.
From the game page, we read the following:
Hearts of Iron: The Board Game is a game of grand strategy warfare, tactical battles, and shrewd diplomatic choices based on the Hearts of Iron video game franchise released on PC by Paradox Interactive.
In the game, you lead one of five nations — United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Soviet Union, or the German Reich — during World War II, but will you re-enact history as it happened…or play out an alternative timeline, leading your nation down a new path? During set-up, you pair your nation with one of a suite of ideologies. You might choose, for example, to enact real history by playing the German Reich under fascism — or you could return the Kaiser to power and play the German Reich under monarchism. Each ideology has access to different focus decks, which will affect your resources and your routes to victory; these cards are played turn to turn and can influence everything from scoring victory points, to making lucrative trade agreements or declarations of war.
Each board game nation has its own player boards, ideologies, cards, tokens, and minis. Each player’s tracker board shows their current supply levels of vital resources, such as political power, stability, production, and manpower.
At the start of each round, you receive resources based on how many territories you control with resource icons and factories. (You also gain resources during the game for trade agreements and engine cards that grant bonus resources.) You must pay to upkeep your stability, or pay even more to improve it. High stability grants bonuses to your nation, but with a high cost — although possibly not higher than letting your stability plummet.
You have a political board that shows all playable and non-playable nations, and you use it to manage who you’re allied with, who you’re at war with, and everything in between. During the political phase, you can spend political power to adjust your alliances and conflicts; for each point you spend, you move one of your flag tokens, changing your political stance with one other nation. Changing your stance aggressively will eventually lead to a state of war, whereas changing your stance peacefully will lead to forming an alliance — and the more your ideologies match, the less political power you need.
While at war with another nation, when your units move into their territory, you’ll start combat. If you win, you’ll conquer and take control of that territory, which is the fastest way to gain more resources. While in an alliance with another nation, you can move your units through their territory without starting a fight. You can also deploy units in your allies’ territory! By forming an alliance, you can send units across the board to invade a distant nation.
The game lasts six rounds, covering 1939-1944, and you need the most points to win.
I think that this game is a grand undertaking and I am very much interested in trying it out. So interested in fact that I have backed the game on Gamefound.
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised £653,875 ($808,042 in US Dollars) toward its £40,000 ($49,710 in US Dollars) funding goal with 3,722 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, February 6th at 2:00pm EST.
11. Axis & Allies: Stalingrad from Renegade Game Studios
As you probably know, I have a real soft spot in my heart for Axis & Allies. This was a wargame that I grew up on playing with my brothers and friends and we always had a good time! As you may know, Renegade Games Studios acquired the license for Axis & Allies from Hasbro over the past few years and they have been working on updating the various editions of the game. This month, I noticed that they were offering a totally new game called Axis & Allies: Stalingrad for pre-order.
From the game page, we read the following:
In the summer of 1942, the German juggernaut could not be stopped, and both sides believed that Stalingrad would fall within mere weeks. But six months later, winter weather, a lack of supplies, and a failed relief effort saw the entire German 6th Army, or what was left of it, surrender.
Take command of the German forces (plus some minor Axis powers), and see if you can match their lightning thrust into the fateful city. Or command the Soviet forces, and put up a desperate defense as you await the winter and a massive counter-offensive that could turn the tide of the war. The famous city of Stalingrad gets its own board, and features ferries, snipers, and notoriously close-quarters fighting. Buy time with blood, prepare for the winter, and keep your supply lines open!
Features
Command the German or the Soviet Forces and fight in the famous city of Stalingrad!
Buy time with blood, prepare for the winter, and keep your supply lines open!
Contains two scenarios: Race to Stalingrad and Operation Uranus!
Over 150 plastic miniatures including 2 new units: German StuG III Assault Gun & Soviet Katyusha Rocket Launcher!
Two gameboards! The famous city of Stalingrad gets its own board and features ferries, snipers, and notoriously close-quarters fighting.
Order cards control the flow of the game making learning the rules easy!
This one also has several new units that are being added including a German StuG III Assault Gun and a Soviet Katyusha Rocket Launcher. These models both look great!
I have already placed my pre-order and cannot wait to get this one later this year. They have announced that it will be released in August this year! Probably around GenCon.
12. Advanced Squad Leader Module: Slaughter at Ponyri: Battle of the Northern Kursk Salient 7-9 July, 1943 from Multi-Man Publishing
For those of you out there that are addicted to Advanced Squad Leader and building your collection, here is an opportunity to get a new module.
From the game page, we read the following:
Operation ZITADELLE was the German attempt to cut off the Kursk salient and surround five Soviet armies. While Army Group South attacked the southern end of the salient in what would lead to the massive tank battles around Prokhorovka, Army Group Center, led by General Walter Model’s 9. Armee, attacked from the north on 5 July. Lying directly in the path of this assault was the village of Ponyri.
Slaughter at Ponyri is a Historical Advanced Squad Leader(HASL) module that portrays the fighting around Ponyri during the three most crucial days, 7-9 July, on a beautiful historical map designed by Don Petros from Luftwaffe aerial photographs, supplemented by on the ground review, and executed by Charlie Kibler. A wide range of 12 individual scenarios, each recreating a portion of the battle on part of the map accompany the Campaign Game that covers the battle in six CG Dates over the three days featuring a familiar CG system covering the battle that was to become known as the “Stalingrad of Kursk.”
Slaughter at Ponyri includes special rules and counters for German sappers, elite Russian Airborne troops, mine belts, and fanatic outposts with rules kept simple to allow players of all levels to easily pick up the game, leaving the challenge as how to deploy and maneuver combined-arms forces over the large campaign game map. Three map sheets join to cover the battlefield, with a separate fourth sheet covering a central area where two of the main maps join. Included are enough additional counters to conduct the full Campaign Game with nothing other than Beyond Valor.
If you are interested in Advanced Squad Leader Module: Slaughter at Ponyri: Battle of the Northern Kursk Salient 7-9 July, 1943, you can pre-order a copy for $132.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: https://mmpgamers.com/slaughter-at-ponyri-p-423
13. 1985: Under an Iron Sky 4th Echelon from Thin Red Line Games
Thin Red Line Games is offering a 4rd Printing for 1985: Under an Iron Sky, which is the spiritual successor of The Next War by SPI: an operational, highly detailed simulation of a NATO – Warsaw Pact conflict in Central Europe.
Being a so-called “Monster”, 1985 is not exactly a beer and pretzel game. Rules include every aspect of modern warfare, leaving little or nothing on an abstract level: air war, helicopters, electronic warfare, SAM networks, AWACS, special forces, revolts, nuclear and chemical warfare…..you name it. In order to survive, both sides must keep a constant eye on the front line, the rear areas and on the sky above.
From the game page, we read the following:
Far from being a simple reprint, this new echelon will bring a lot of new and revised stuff. Here’s a partial, work-in-progress list.
Variable Reinforcement Schedule
The arrival date for most reinforcements will depend by the strategic decisions and by the allocation of limited airlift, sealift, and rail transport capacity. As in the previous echelons, the enemy has a vote too.
Tension Phase
No more pre-cooked surprise levels. Using a system similar to 1985: Sacred Oil, Warsaw Pact will execute mobilisation and preparation actions, possibly giving NATO the time to increase its readiness level or even start its own mobilisation.
Updated Rules
Rules updated with latest changes from 1985: Deadly Northern Lights and errata. Also, the rules and scenarios booklets will be printed in full colour, and updated to the now standard two-columns layout.
Updated Graphics
The graphics for the map, counters, and charts will be updated to the style used in 1985: Sacred Oil.
Geolocated Air Bases Map
New, big Geolocated Air Bases Map for NATO and Warsaw Pact, allowing a better control over the air war.
Updated Orders of Battle
The People’s Polish Air Force OOB will be updated using the latest discoveries made during the development of the C3 Series.
The French Armed Forces OOB will be updated using the latest discoveries made during the development of the C3 Series. The Force d’Action Rapide (Rapid Deployment Force) and the Air Force will be the most impacted.
Minor changes to several other OOB’s.
Poster-Sized Cover Art
A poster-sized print of the box art will be included, perfect decoration for your nuclear shelter.
Field Manual
A Field Manual containing operational procedures and tactics will be included.
As is usually the case, there is a lot of game in this box and Fabrizio does things the correct way as evidenced by this game now being popular enough to justify it’s fourth printing. Pretty amazing really for a small boutique publisher who I am sure doesn’t do this full time!
If you are interested in 1985: Under and Iron Sky 4th Echelon, you can pre-order a copy by sending an email to Farbrizio Vianello at Thin Red Line Games at the following link: info@TRLGames.com
14. I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory from GMT Games
A few years ago, I, Napoleon from GMT Games was announced and it was marketed as a historical role-playing game. Not with polyhedral dice, magic and dragons but more as a “choose your own adventure” style of game where you could make choices about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte as he made his way to infamy from his humble beginnings as an artillery officer, to staging a coup d’état in 1799 and becoming First Consul and then to dominating much of Europe and being crowned as Emperor of the French Empire. This was the promise of I, Napoleon and I was very much intrigued by the concept but more importantly about how this game planned to do just that.
As you probably know, normally Ted Raicer designs hard core hex and counter wargames such as The Dark Valley: East Front Campaign, 1941-45, The Dark Sands: War in North Africa, 1940-42 and The Dark Summer: Normandy, 1944. These games are fantastic experiences that are true wargames. But, he also has an eclectic side to him and has designed one of the classic card driven games on the subject of World War I in Paths of Glory. So when I heard that he was designing this interesting looking card based historical role-playing game the first thought that came to my mind was “How is he going to accomplish this feat?” And recently, I was finally able to get the game to the table for a few plays and really very much enjoyed the experience, although I didn’t love it. Partly because it was a very long and involved game, but also partly because it was very tough and seemed to last a long time.
But the game has been very successful for GMT Games and they are now releasing an expansion to the base game called I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory.
From the game page, we read the following:
I, Napoleon is a solo biographical card game that puts you in the shoes of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1793 and allows you to explore the paths his life might have taken until his death in 1821. Despite having 222 cards ranging from Napoleon’s Marshals to his mistresses, his life was so packed with incidents (and what-ifs?) that I couldn’t fit everything I wanted into the original design. Thus, today we are announcing an expansion, I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory.
You don’t need this expansion to play the original, which is complete as designed. I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory offers new events, people, politics, and possibilities, but it also adds some complexity, more cards to shuffle and keep track of, and as much as two hours of additional playtime. You will meet new Commanders (Suchet you say?), new lovers, new political allies, and new enemies (including the Russian Imperial Guard!). The cards increase the importance of Political Points in the game as you will need them to deal with unrest from both Jacobins and Royalists. The Spanish Ulcer will be a bigger problem, with three new Expedition cards to deal with. And the Portugal Box on the map will finally get some use with Portugal’s Royal Family.
It sounds like maybe this expansion or new addition is going to offer some new cards and some new challenges but also will increase the length of the game by as much as up to 2 hours. Because it is a solitaire game I am not as concerned with length of play as I can go at my own pace and don’t have to worry about others time but more length to the game sounds daunting to me.
As a Commander, Napoleon may have the opportunity to carry out either his attempted March on Constantinople (historically thwarted by defeat in Syria) or his dream of a March on India. Both very risky but promising large rewards.
The possibility of Escape to America after Waterloo now exists, opening up the chance for a final act of Glory by the fugitive French Emperor. Will you collude with Aaron Burr and perhaps create an American Empire? Or be defeated by Andrew Jackson? Or perhaps serve under the Americans against the British in an ongoing War of 18–?
Of course, new chances for Glory also introduce new threats that can cut your life short, from an assassin making hand grenades to an encounter with a Cossack patrol. I, Napoleon: The Limits of Glory can take a couple of hours longer (a new Card Draw process insures the new cards don’t crowd out the old), but you can still fall at the first hurdle. And then try again!
A few years back, we had a poor experience with Prime Minister from GMT. We just didn’t get the game and we played it with some smart people. Maybe it was our attitudes or maybe it was the scenario that we chose but I came away from it feeling like it was a bit of a missed opprotunity. Now, they have announced a new game called Tsar, that is not using the same system as Prime Minister or really has any other resemblance or connection, but I can see somewhat of a simple comparison between the 2 and I am hoping that this one lives up to my expectations.
From the game page, we read the following:
Tsar reimagines the reign of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. Players occupy the center of his regime, advising and influencing him while competing to advance their own factional goals. The game captures the interplay of public opinion, war, diplomacy, culture, internal order, the economy, and the personal traits of Tsarist leaders and the imperial family. Through this simulation, Tsar explores the inner workings of autocratic regimes, with a realistic portrayal of official corruption, the cult of personality surrounding the Tsar, the violence of oppression and resistance, and the conditions that led to revolution.
In real life, Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until the February Revolution of 1917. Tsar begins with his accession to the throne, and his fate depends on you. The game’s narrative may follow historical realities or may diverge from the historical record into alternate histories. Players may experience actual events such as the Russo-Japanese War, the Zemstvos movement, or the Franco-German alliance, or they may encounter historically-based hypothetical events such as a war with the British Empire in central Asia, the construction of the Moskva-Volga Canal, or Russian control of the Turkish straits. Depending on your decisions, Russia may pursue liberal reforms or maintain a strict autocracy, experience victory in war or defeat, industrialize its economy or stagnate, stabilize its political regime or witness the collapse of the Romanov dynasty.
Tsar is mostly card-driven, with other mechanics including resource management, worker placement, and a hybrid system of action points and bidding. You may play using a built-in solitaire system or in a 3- to 4-player multiplayer game. In multiplayer mode, the game is semi-cooperative with shared resources and a single hand of cards. Although there is a player order in some actions, there are no player turns. Overall decision-making is handled collectively, with different decisions allocated to different players; for key decisions, a “Council” procedure allows all players to bid for their desired outcomes. With a simple automation system for non-player Factions, Tsar easily transitions to solitaire play, with no extra components and minimal rule adjustments.
There are several different decks and types of cards used in the game and it does appear to be somewhat Card Driven. But what about your goal? What are you trying to accomplish?
Players take Era-specific Scoring Cards for their Factions with goals that relate to conditions on the board, such as industrialization of the economy or the form of government. In multiplayer mode, you share each of your VP objectives with one other Faction. These overlapping goals support the semi-cooperative nature of the game, with limits that keep the game competitive: no more than two players can share a common goal, and the VP shared between two players is always unequal. This means cooperation is a strategic decision for the players, not a predetermined arrangement. Players can also acquire Gold by using Offices for corruption.
As long as the regime remains in power, the game proceeds until the final quarter of the Era, with players scoring VPs as they advance their factional goals, and their Gold (if any) is deducted from their VP scores at the end of the Era. But if the regime is overthrown by revolution, solitaire players immediately lose, while in multiplayer mode, the player with the most Gold immediately wins. Accordingly, players in multiplayer games assess the regime’s stability to decide their focus on either VP or Gold.
Finally, your ambitions for VP or Gold often clash with Russia’s need for responsible government. This conflict is especially important for the Favorite: you have to keep the Empire running smoothly to retain the Tsar’s Favor, which means carefully balancing your factional objectives and the Tsar’s expectations.
I feel like this game has great potential and looks to be well thought out and designed. The cards are already gorgeous, although they are just prototype, and the description on the P500 page is one of the best and most thorough that I have ever seen really giving a good idea about the game and how it plays. I am definitely interested in this one!
16. Ukraine ’43: Ukraine ’43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South3rd Edition from GMT Games
I love the designs of Mark Simonitch. We love his ’40X Series and have played most of them including Normandy ’44, Ardennes ’44, Holland ’44, Salerno ’43, Stalingrad ’42 and most recently North Africa ’41. In my search over the past few years, I was able to acquire a 2nd Edition copy of Ukraine ’43 but have not yet had a chance to play it. Well, now that I found and acquired that copy, I knew it was about time for GMT to announce a new edition and they did just that this month with a Ukraine ’43 3rd Edition P500.
From the game page, we read the following:
Ukraine ’43 3rd Edition from designer Mark Simonitch takes advantage of sources that were not available when the 2nd Edition was designed, the 3rd Edition will have historical setups for all scenarios and an improved reinforcement schedule. Additional units will be added plus a few deletions.
Features:
Larger units
Larger hexes
Additional Sturmgeschütz brigades and Tiger Tank battalions in the order of battle
All Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions, Soviet Tank and Mechanized Corps now have a 3rd step (remnant unit)
Simple, classic igo-ugo system
Russian Tank Army and Shock Army capabilities
Soviet massed artillery
German Tiger tanks
Air power
Differing capabilities for Marshal Zhukov and General Manstein
Zone of Control Bonds
On August 3rd, 1943, less than two weeks after the Kursk offensive, the Soviets launched a massive offensive near Kharkov that ripped open the German line. The ensuing battle began their summer offensive that would take them across the Ukraine to the Dnieper River.
During August the two sides were equally matched and a tremendous war of attrition raged from Kharkov to the Sea of Azov with neither side willing to give ground. In September, bled white by the never-ending Soviet attacks, the German army retreated in haste to the safety of the Dnieper River. In October, the battle raged along the length of the Dnieper and for the Perekop Peninsula, the only land exit to the German 17th Army in the Crimea. During this three month period German reinforcements poured in from every sector, but it was never enough. Three Soviet Tank Armies and four Soviet Fronts ground through nineteen panzer and panzergrenadier divisions. German and Soviet losses were staggering. Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, fell on November 6th.
Ukraine ’43 attempts to simulate this important campaign in a moderately complex game. The design uses the conventional move-fight-exploit sequence of play and the popular Zone of Control Bond rules. Soviet tank armies and German panzer corps spearhead constant attacks and counterattacks. With both sides able to attack, the game becomes a tense battle of skill and nerves.
I am very much excited about this new edition and will just have to make sure we get a copy when it comes out. I will say that I think that we are going to play this one well before this 3rd Edition becomes a reality but I will have a 2n Edition that would be available for sale or trade. Just sayin’!
If you are interested in Ukraine ’43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South 3rd Edition, you can pre-order a copy for $43.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1156-ukraine-43-3rd-edition.aspx
17. South Mountain 1862 / 1862 War in Virginia from Worthington Publishing Currently on Kickstarter
Worthington has just been cranking through the Kickstarters lately and they have a few more good ones that I want to share with you today. The first of which is a two-fer as they are offering the newest game in their Civil War Brigade Battle Series called South Mountain 1862 and another small solitaire travel friendly game called 1862 War in Virginia as well as add-ons for their neoprene boards.
From the game page, we read the following:
We have two new exciting games, South Mountain 1862 from the Civil War Brigade Battle Series, and 1862 War in Virginia travel sized game.
South Mountain 1862 is a large box game for 2 players with a large game board.
1862 War in Virginia is a travel sized small box solitaire game with the first DOUBLE SIZED mounted map in our travel series AND CARD DRIVEN.
We also have add-ons for neoprene maps for South Mountain 1862, Franklin 1864 and Seven Days 1862.
South Mountain 1862 is Volume VI in Worthington’s Civil War Brigade Battle Series. With streamlined mechanics in the series rules, and battle specific rules, gamers can refight the Battle of South Mountain in 2 to 3 hours.
1862 War in Virginia was the decisive year of the Civil War, especially in Virginia. There was a real chance that the Union could have won the war early if Richmond had been taken. It was the only time during the conflict that the war could have ended in a Southern victory, had the Confederates been able to occupy Washington. Neither side accomplished these objectives, resulting in a draw in 1862.
1862 War in Virginia is a solitaire game on the Civil War campaigns in Virginia. You take the role of the Confederates against a card driven Union Artificial Intelligence (AI) player to determine the outcome of the Civil War in 1862.
Players will have to fight along the four major fronts during 1862, The Valley, Overland, The Peninsula, and The James. Can you hold the Union at bay — and possibly take the war north of the Potomac. The decisions are yours!
These little solitaire travel friendly wargames from Worthington are really quite good and fit that description aptly as they play in 15-30 minutes and are an excercise in chucking some dice. Very enjoyable and they are reported are travel friendly and you can take them along anywhere. To give you an idea about these games and what they have in store, you can check out my First Impressions post on Pacific War 1942 Solitaire Travel Game at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2024/08/20/first-impressions-pacific-war-1942-solitaire-travel-game-from-worthington-publishing/
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $28,194 toward its laughably low $100 funding goal with 282 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, February 8th at 4:00pm EST.
18. Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth from Neva Wargames
Neva Wargames is a new publisher who appeared on the scene last year. When I started seeing their posts on Twitter and Facebook, I was immediately impressed with their interesting topic choices for their upcoming games as well as the fact that they are trying to make small footprint wargames that pack a punch. And the art is also very appealing and brings an aesthetically pleasing and attractive look to their games!
The day has finally arrived and they have put their first game up on their Incoming! Pre-order system called Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth and it looks really good!
From the game page, we read the following:
Iwo Jima: Hell On Earth is a hex & counter wargame based on this iconic battle. This challenging solitaire wargame puts you in command of U.S. Marine Regiments as they battle entrenched Japanese Battalions during the iconic 36-day Operation Detachment. Each game turn represents approximately four days, condensing the intense conflict into nine turns of strategic decision-making.
The Battle of Iwo Jima, a pivotal moment in the Pacific Theater of World War II, stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the human will and the immense cost of victory. This brutal conflict, fought between the United States Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army, unfolded on the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima, a mere 660 miles south of Tokyo.
From February 19 to March 26, 1945, American forces waged a relentless assault against a well-fortified enemy, determined to seize control of the island’s strategic airfields. Iwo Jima was crucial to the Allied war effort, serving as a vital base for fighter planes escorting long-range bombers on missions to the Japanese mainland.
The battle was marked by fierce resistance from the Japanese defenders, who had meticulously constructed a network of underground tunnels and fortifications. The Marines faced relentless attacks, as they fought their way across the island’s rugged terrain. The iconic image of Marines raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi became a symbol of American determination and sacrifice.
The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, with thousands of American and Japanese soldiers losing their lives. The island’s volcanic ash and the intense fighting conditions made it a grueling ordeal for both sides. Despite the heavy casualties, the Marines ultimately achieved their objective, securing Iwo Jima and bringing the United States one step closer to victory in the Pacific War.
If you are interested in this game and what it might become, Neva Wargames dropped a free Print and Play wargame on December 24th called Iwo Jima that covers the seminal battle by the same name during World War II. It’s a simplified demo of this larger Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth game. In order to get it, you will have to subscribe on the Neva Wargames website for their newsletter, you’ll then receive an email that you will have to confirm and then will get another email containing a download link.
19. Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages from Neva Wargames
The 2nd game that Neva announced and put on their pre-order system is called Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages and this one also looks very interesting.
From the game page, we read the following:
In 1492, Christopher Columbus embarked on a historic voyage that would forever change the course of human history. Believing he had reached the Indies, he landed on a Caribbean Island, unaware that he had stumbled upon a new continent. This momentous event, later known as “The Discovery of America,” marked the beginning of an era of exploration, colonization, and cultural clash.
Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages is a historical board game that immerses players in the tumultuous years following Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean. Players take on the roles of either the Spanish conquistadors or the indigenous peoples, each with their own unique objectives and challenges.
The game spans the period from 1492 to 1505, encompassing the four voyages of discovery led by Columbus and the subsequent Spanish colonization efforts. Players will use Event Cards, to gain control in the 15 distinct Caribbean land zones. The game incorporates historical events and challenges, such as the construction of palisades, gold mining, and the maintenance of Spanish ships. Players must carefully manage their resources, deploy their units effectively, and adapt their strategies to the ever-changing game state.
I have an interview coming up on the blog with the designer Antonio Vaquera and it really explains the game well, with a look at some of the Event Cards and their uses, the history behind the game and his design approach. It is currently scheduled to drop on Monday, February 17th so keep an eye out.
20. D-Day Dice: Pacific from Word Forge Games Currently on Kickstarter
Oh we have had a really good time with D-Day Dice2nd Edition as we purchased the most recent expansions and base game in mid 2024 and have played that game about 6 times. It is light and fun and the production is really great with fantastic custom dice and a lot of player agency with how you build and improve your squad as you move up the beaches. Just a lot of good clean fun and I am very much looking forward to Word Forge Games next product that is now on Kickstarter called D-Day Dice: Pacific.
From the game page, we read the following:
Way back in 2009, Emmanuel Aquin created D-Day Dice as a free “print-and-play” game for BoardGameGeek.com. Two years later, D-Day Dice was launched on Kickstarter and became the most successful boardgame in history (at that point), and the first ever to cross the US $100,000 mark. Its Second Edition, published seven years later by us, Word Forge Games, was even more successful. With well over 20,000 copies sold globally (and thrice that in expansions), D-Day Dice has been nominated and won many awards.
And now, it’s time to introduce you to a new version of the game. First promised for 2014, Pacific has been 10 years in the making. It offers brand-new features, revised rules, optimised setup and even more replayability. Are you ready for the next step? It’s a hot one!
This exciting game puts you on ground level, in the muddy and unpredictable terrain of the Pacific/South-Asian theater of World War II. You are a regular soldier facing a machine-gun nest and a heavily entrenched defender. To defeat it, you will have to rally specialists and find good equipment. Once you reach the upper row of the battle map, covered in jungle, you must discover the hidden bunker and silence it once and for all!
The environment you’ll fight in is as much an enemy as the Imperial Japanese Army. On your way to the bunker, you’ll cross infested sectors, traverse unforgiving rivers, explore perilous caves, hide from enemy air strikes, and face untold dangers in the ever-changing jungle. With its randomly generated attributes, each map has a minimum of 648 different combinations and some have way, way more than that! Talk about replayability!
You can play as 4 different nations: USA, UK, India, and Australia, with a Legendary Unit included for each one to add even more character to your games. As you can see, the main box includes a ton of content.
They also have an expansion they are offering algon with the game as an add-on:
In addition to D-Day Dice: Pacific, we are also launching a new expansion, composed of different modules compatible with all D-Day Dice products. This box offers all you need to expand your game!
Inside this box you’ll find several modules that can be added individually or all at the same time to your games. Each are very easy to learn and add a lot of depth to D-Day Dice. Older players will be familiar with these modules, but the cards they contain are brand-new!
H-Hour contains Special Missions, a set of cards that add specific objectives to each game and reward you with fabulous Field Promotions; The Way To Hell, a mini-game that allows you to play the landing craft ride through enemy bombardment before setting foot on the beach; Gold Dice, a set of dice and rules that add a touch of gold to your turns; Battle Conditions, a big deck of events that add an extra layer of immersion to your sessions; Badges, an expanded and re-imagined pack of 25 cards to give you the extra push you need when facing impossible odds; Servicemen, a deck of cards that give you specific dice results to add to your final tallies; The Big Nine, new alternate rules for solitaire play; and Officers, a never-before-seen module in the form of 30 cards, each offering you the chance to replace your dice with a pre-determined final tally, guaranteed to contain an RWB bonus! In addition to this, H-Hour contains 10 War Stories (mini-scenarios), 7 Specialists, 6 Items and 8 Awards, and that’s not counting those contained in the Battle Conditions.
The Servicemen and the Officer cards contained in H-Hour are NAMEABLE by the backers. If you wish to name one of them, click ‘Manage my Pledge’, then select the “Name a Serviceman” or “Name an Officer” add-on. Head-on to the FAQ for more details.
Total content for this box: 261 cards, 1 Sea Map (double-sided), 4 “Gold” RWB dice, 6 Player Aids (double-sided), and 48 tokens. Even though this expansion is designed with Pacific in mind, H-Hour can be played with all previous versions of the game (like D-Day Dice: 2nd Edition).
Very much looking forward to this one and we have already placed our order!
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $58,733 toward its $12,420 funding goal with 541 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, February 20th at 6:11pm EST.
21. Guns of August Deluxe, Blood of Lions and Take Cover from Worthington Publishing Currently on Kickstarter
Remember I mentioned that Worthington has just been cranking through the Kickstarters lately? Well, they have another one that just dropped and it contains not 1, not 2 but 3 games! Just amazing! Their newest Kickstarter campaign is for Guns of August Deluxe, Blood of Lions and Take Cover.
From the game page, we read the following:
We are offering 2 new games, and a Worthington “Deluxification” of another. Get TAKE COVER! World War II Squad Battle Card Game, Blood of Lions – THE SOMME (solitaire), and Guns of August Deluxe.
When purchased together we are offering all 3 for only $99. Huge Savings!!!!
There is a little something here for everyone, a fast playing (15 minutes) two player card game on World War II, a solitaire card driven game on The Somme that plays in 30 – 60 minutes, and a classic hex and counter World War I game with updated rules, and all deluxe components.
Guns of August Deluxe is a major “deluxification” (updating) of our original title published in 2010. All known errata is being incorporated into the rules. The game box will now be a sturdy Worthington Publishing game box, the game board will be updated and hard mounted, the counters are being updated to our new clean punch counters with pre-rounded corners, each player will receive their own set of rules, and the game will come with a counter tray. Designed by John Gorkowski and Grant Wylie.
Guns of August Game Board
Blood of Lions is a WWI solitaire wargame depicting the actions of the British 4th Army during the month of July at the Battle of the Somme. The game uses a combination of dice, cards, generated Command and Leadership points as well as some push your luck mechanics in order to advance on objectives and obtain victory points.
Players are allocated Command Points for which they may undertake specific sets of actions each turn. The objective of the game is to gain as many victory points as possible while reaching objectives defended by a German bot activated by player actions, event cards, and automatic defense values. Designed by Joe Fernandez.
Take Cover is a fast playing card game for two players. Gamers should be able to play several battles over a one hour lunch!!!
Overview: Two German squads battle two Russian squads on the tabletop battlefield. Players perform actions to improve their squad’s combat effectiveness by attaching Weapon, Leader, Terrain cards, and by advancing on and firing on the enemy. Event cards are played to damage or impede the enemy squad. The 10-sided die (d10) resolves combat and Event card results. The game is won by eliminating both of the opponent’s squads. Designed by William Hill.
With only 2 pages of rules and 72 cards gamers will be up and battling in no time. Rules for special weapons, leaders, and terrain are all there…
As of February 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $17,502 toward its $500 funding goal with 176 backers. The campaign will conclude on Wednesday, February 12th at 6:00pm EST.
New Release
1. Pipe Creek – Meade’s Last Stand Expansion for A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg from Flying Pig Games
One comment here. This expansion is somewhat of a what-if type look at the 2nd and 3rd days of the Battle of Gettysburg with some changes regarding Pickett’s Charge. I saw some scuttlebutt on line about this and some accusing this of being Lost Cause focused. I am going to flatly disagree here. This is not that but simply a look at what might have happened and how that could have changed things at Gettysburg. This what-if style of game really appeals to most wargamers as one of the reasons we are here playing these games is to see if we can change history. Not because we are pining for the side who lost or agree with their politics. Just my humble opinion.
From the game page, we read the following:
Pipe Creek uses a fresh method of simulating Civil War combat with the award-winning Black Swan system introduced in A Most Fearful Sacrifice (AMFS). Though only using a portion of the forces that fought at Gettysburg, Pipe Creek adds most of the cavalry that fought at the East Cavalry Field and includes some “What If” troops for the Army of Northern Virginia. Pipe Creek allows players to see what could have happened if Meade had left Gettysburg under a variety of scenarios. Two are based on the Confederate’s July 2nd attack being successful and Meade deciding to pull back to his pre-planned line. The third scenario is completely up to the players and has Meade refusing to fight at Gettysburg and making his stand at Pipe Creek with a fresh army. The fourth scenario, however, is played solely on the maps for A Most Fearful Sacrifice and allows gamers to replay Pickett’s charge, but make it significantly more powerful. Longstreet didn’t think that 15,000 men could break the Union line, but what if Lee had given him 23,300 troops! Is that enough manpower for Longstreet to be successful? Replay the In Magnificent Style scenario in A Most Fearful Sacrifice using additional the regiments supplied in Pipe Creek and find out!
*Pipe Creek is is an expansion for A Most Fearful Sacrifice. You must own a copy of A Most Fearful Sacrifice to play Pipe Creek.
2. The Fall of Röhm: Turning Point, 1934– Night of the Long Knives 3rd Edition from Minden Games
You know me…I am never going to turn away from a solitaire wargame, especially one with an interesting and unique theme. Such was the case this month when I came across a book format offering from Minden Games (with whom I have no previous experience) covering the The Fall ofRöhm which is a power politics games set in 1930’s Germany and the Weimar Republic. I have taken a chance and bought a copy for $14.95 and look forward to its arrival!
From the game page, we read the following:
The Fall of Röhm: Turning Point, 1934– Night of the Long Knives is a solitaire power politics game set in pre-war Germany, before Hitler’s coming to power. It reflects the different factions and personalities present in the Weimar Republic–the Army, the SA, the SS, the economy, Hindenburg, and of course the Nazi party–and allows the player to recreate the political and social scene that culminated in the Night of the Long Knives, Hindenburg’s death, and the eventual consolidation of the Nazis in control of Germany, which of course led to the start of World War II just a few years later.
The game was designed specifically for solitaire play.
Fall of Röhm is the 3rd Edition of this game, but appears in book format for the first time. Game mechanics are unchanged from previous editions, but includes a brand new scenario: Long Knives Denied. Also included in this new edition are many game logs, enabling you to play the game in pencil-mode (where you keep track of the various changing game indexes on the log), and additional historical commentary section.
If you own a previous edition, you do not strictly speaking need this new edition. However, those new to the simulation, and those previous owners who like the game, will no doubt be pleased with the new, professional book format, and the new scenario. The 54-page black & white 6″ x 9″ book includes full rules, optional rules, the aforementioned extras, and game components printed within its pages. All you need to supply is a standard deck of playing cards… and an imagination.
The game’s goal is not so much to be “fun” as much as conveying the era’s history to you in game format, to allow players to learn and appreciate more the swirling events in 1930’s Germany.
3. The Lord of Hosts: The Battle of Dunbar, September 3, 1650 from High Flying Dice Games
Small format wargames on lesser gamed subjects are always welcome at my table. High Flying Dice Games seems to specialize in these type of games and this month they have a very interesting looking game covering the English Civil War at the Battle of Dunbar. This game is Volume X in The English Civil War Series and is called The Lord of Hosts: The Battle of Dunbar, September 3, 1650.
From the game page, we read the following:
The battle of Dunbar, although not as large as others fought during the English Civil War, was of import to Scotland. The Scots were confident of victory. Their position north of Doon Hill was sound, but a more determined stand along the Brox Burn was undone when the Parliamentarians successfully crossed to the west, a swell as gaining a bridgehead just south of Dunbar. Further undermining the Scottish cause was that their leaders were divided and not all willing to follow Leslie’s Orders. Cromwell’s New Model Army, however, was a well disciplined and highly experienced force. The battle of Dunbar was a rout for the Scots, with nearly all those who were not killed ending up prisoners and serving as indentured servants for their English victors.
If you are interested in The Lord of Hosts: The Battle of Dunbar, September 3, 1650, you can purchase a copy for $16.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/ecw10.html
4. ASL Journal Issue 15 from Multi-Man Publishing
For those of you out there that are addicted to Advanced Squad Leader and building your very growing collection, here is an opportunity to pick up some new content for the game including several new scenarios and strategy articles through the ASL Journal Issue 15 from Multi-Man Publishing.
From the game page, we read the following:
ASL Journal Issue 15 is a 36-page magazine for Advanced Squad Leader and features articles, the latest errata and scenario updates in the Debriefing, 11 new scenarios printed on cardstock, and three overlay sheets (to replace the versions with no center dots that came in DOOMED BATTALIONS 4th Edition).
ASL Journal Issue 15 articles include:
Pete Ponders Ponyri wherein Pete Shelling provides some Designer Notes on the upcoming HASL SLAUGHTER AT PONYRI.
My Bags Are Packed, I’m Ready To Go has Jim Bishop discussing what to take to an ASL tournament.
One Long Hillock Jim Bishop examines LOS and Embankment Railroads (EmRR) in HATTEN IN FLAMES.
Brian Plays In The Polder Scenario Analysis of AR2 Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing from the Arnhem 2024 Pack by Brian Youse.
De Haut En Bas (Up And Down) Jonathan Kay traces line of sight between different vertical levels.
Die Panzerwaffe im Angriff Inspired by Panzer Gegen Panzer, Jim Bishop crunches some numbers looking at tanks on the attack.
ASL Hall of Fame Report by MMP about first six inductees.
Warriors Needed, in Haste! Andy Hershey discusses U.S. Marines in the first months of the Korean War.
Debriefing Errata for ASL rules and scenarios and the scenario updates for DOOMED BATTALIONS 4th Edition
Also, this ASL Journal Issue 15 has 11 ASL scenarios including:
J247 Kicked To The Curb (Russian vs Polish, 28 September 1939)
J248 Danish Crossroads (Danish vs German, 9 April 1940)
J249 Guerra Relampágo (Ecuadorian vs Peruvian, 25 July 1941)
J250 Priests At St. Cloud (Vichy vs American, 8 November 1942)
J251 Desperate Try (Vichy vs American, 9 November 1942)
J252 Hill 424 (American vs German, 17 September 1943)
J253 Melting Pot (German vs Allied, 31 January 1944)
J254 Hoppers And Hardy (Allied vs German, 21 June 1944)
J255 Not Much Of A Soldier (German vs American, 25 July 1944)
J256 Mortal Wounding (German vs American, 26 February 1945)
J257 In Min’s Gang Rumble (North Korean vs American, 12 August 1950)
5. OCS The Forgotten Battles: The Battle for Belorussia, September 1943-April 1944 from Multi-Man Publishing
In late 2021, we posted an interview with Tony Birkett as designer and Chip Saltsman as Developer covering his The Third Winter from Multi-Man Publishing, which covers the third winter on the Eastern Front during World War II and deals with German Army Group South as they retreat to the Dnieper River and then the Carpathian Mountains. Then the next game in the Operational Combat Series designed by this team wasOCS Crimea:Conquest & Liberation which came out in 2024. About a year or so ago, Tony started on the next new Operational Combat Series game called The Forgotten Battles: The Battle for Belorussia and now the day has arrived where the game is available for purchase and shipping.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Forgotten Battles (TFB) covers the key fighting between late September 1943 and April 1944 in the Army Group Center portion of the Russian front. This was a war of attrition around cities and rugged terrain in the Belorussian region of the former Soviet Union. The major success in this sector was delivered by the Belorussian Front commander, Rokossovsky, who far outshone his neighboring Western Front commander. This leader was Sokolovsky, a protégé of Zhukov and later Soviet Chief of the General Staff. When the time came to write the official Soviet history of the war, it was not politically acceptable for Rokossovsky, who was Polish, to be seen as more effective than Sokolovsky. The result was that the success of one commander was suppressed just as vigorously as the failure of the other. The campaigns here laid the foundations for the collapse of Army Group Center the summer of 1944, but only recently has the full story of The Forgotten Battles been uncovered.
The game area covers Belorussia, eastern Poland and parts of the Baltic States, from Daugavpils and Velikiye Luki in the north to Chernigov in the south and from Brest-Litovsk and Tilsit in the west to Rzhev and Bryansk in the east. The Forgotten Battles contains scenarios for the major engagemnts: the desperate fighting around Vitebsk, the dramatic advance of the Belorussian Front through the Prypet Marsh, assaults on fortresses such as Bobruysk, Mogilev, and Orsha, and the last attempts to capture Kovel. The Soviet Partisan campaign requires constant reaction by the Axis player. The Forgotten Battles is designed by Tony Birkett, and is fully playable with The Third Winter. In fact, there is a one map-sized scenario that uses both games to cover the combined advance of the 1st Ukrainian Font and Belorussian Front. Both games can be combined for a massive gaming experience using campaign setups that start in September 1943 and January 1944.
The Soviet command and supply structure is modeled through Front HQ markers. Fronts are either in “Offensive” or “Regrouping” status, allowing for shifting axes of attack and the on/off nature of Soviet operational warfare during this time. Each Front has an assigned Air Force. The activities of Army Group South and Army Group North are represented by boundary markers that shift as the war advances off map, and the Axis player must be careful to watch his off-map flanks.
The Forgotten Battles is Volume 2 of a planned 3-volume “Ostfront” series which, including Crimea, will enable players to explore the entirety of the Russian front during this period.
6. Great War Commander Strategy Cards Expansion from Hexasim
As you may know, I love me some Combat Commander from GMT Games. The system is a fantastic card assisted/driven tactical level wargame set in WWII. Pascal Toupy has borrowed that system and created a similar game set in World War I called Great War Commander. I have still not had a chance to play the game but know that I will love it when we finally do. Recently, I saw where they have a new expansions that adds some strategy cards to the mix.
From the game page, we read the following:
As day breaks, the men are already lined up in the trench. Some have shaky hands, but all grip their rifles tightly. On the other side of the parapet, the no man’s land is deathly quiet. As the sun’s rays reflect off the bayonets, the officers look nervously at their watches. But everyone is confident, because the pigeons that arrived the day before have brought good news: the nation, the generals and the headquarters are doing their best to support this new offensive!
Go over the top and renew your games with the Great War Commander Strategy Cards Expansion. Benefit from the efficiency of nine new Strategy Cards for each Nation (France, Germany, United States, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Russia, Austria-Hungary) and dedicated rules that allow you to easily integrate them into your Great War Commander games.
*Great War Commander Strategy Cards Expansion is an expansion for Great War Commander game. You must own a copy of Great War Commander to play Great War Commander Strategy Cards Expansion.
7. Strategy & Tactics Issue #351 – Game Edition – Bosnian War 1992-1995 from Decision Games
I don’t always share wargaming magazines on this post but when they have an interesting looking game included I definitely make an exception. The upcoming edition of Strategy & Tactics Magazine #351 has an interesting looking game covering the Bosnian War designed by Javier Romero.
From the game page, we read the following:
Bosnian War1992-1995 is a simulation of the brutal ethnic war that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992–1995. There are two players: the Government player and the Bosnian Serb (VRS; Serb) player. The Government player controls the units of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) although certain game events allow the Serb player to control the HVO units. The Serb player can also control the units of the Krajina Serb Army (SKV) through random events (13.0 & 17.0) or NATO intervention (15.0). The Government player can also control units of the Croatian Army (HV) under certain conditions (14.4). In this game, the enemy population is not the victim of collateral damage: the enemy population is the target, so conquering towns and cities and practicing ethnic cleansing is a key aspect of the game.
8. A World at War: Second World War in Europe and the Pacific, 4th Printing from GMT Games
One game that we took a pass on a few years back on the P500 was A World at War3rd Printing. It wasn’t for a lack of interest on our part. It was simply because it intimidates us and we didn’t have a place to leave a monster game like that set up as we play through it over a few months time. But now that we have a new larger table in the bunker and have more recently been playing more monsters, and that they are offering a new 4th Printing, I might have to give it another thought. Frankly, I have regretted the decision to take a pass the last time.
From the game page, we read the following:
First published by GMT in 2003, A World at War is a grand strategy game based on the award-winning Advanced Third Reich/Empire of the Rising Sun gaming system. A World at War simulates the military, economic, political, diplomatic, research, and production aspects of the Second World War and lets the players find out for themselves what might have happened if:
Germany had tried to execute Sea Lion, the invasion of Britain.
Admiral Raeder’s Mediterranean strategy had been adopted and the British position in the Middle East had crumbled.
Russia had been prepared for the German attack.
“General Winter” had not come to the aid of the hard-pressed Russian armies in late 1941.
The European Axis and Japan had cooperated in implementing a strategy aimed at destroying the Western Allied lines of communication in the Indian Ocean.
The Battle of the Atlantic had been won by Germany.
War had broken out between Russia and Japan in 1941 or 1942.
Japan had avoided disaster at Midway in 1942 and instead invaded Australia or India.
Japan had knocked China out of the war.
the U.S had mobilized more armor units and fewer air units, or more infantry and less armor, or…
the Western Allies had tried Churchill’s Balkan strategy
the Western Allies had tried to invade France in 1943 or earlier, leaving Italy for later.
the Western Allies had failed to develop the atomic bomb—but Germany had.
the Western Allies had developed jets or rockets.
YOU had been in command.
Like most monsters, A World at War does come with a dozen scenarios, ranging from the introductory Battle of the Atlantic and Barbarossa scenarios up to European and Pacific Campaign Games. And if you are game and up to the task, you can go for the whole enchilada and try the campaign game.
I love the concept of negotiation in wargames and working to build your strategy for the ongoing conflict while also keeping one eye on the post war world. I really enjoyed this concept in the framework of Churchill by Mark Herman. Still one of my favorite games that I will never say no to playing. I also enjoy seeing how your actions in the political or negotiation stage play out on the board itself as you are fighting a war. It appears that this 3rd entry into the Great Statesmen Series is following in those same footsteps.
From the game page, we read the following:
Congress of Vienna is a diplomatic Strategy CDG for one to four players. It is based on Churchill, the superb, award-winning Mark Herman design, and was well received during GMT’s Spring 2019 Weekend at the Warehouse and June’s CSW Expo in Tempe, Arizona. It is the third game after Churchill and Pericles in GMT’s “Great Statesmen” series.
CoV creates an enthralling gaming arena. It allows players to become the main characters of the dramatic, titanic struggle between the struggling Napoleonic Empire and the coalition of Russia, Austria, and Great Britain (with their Prussian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish allies).
The game starts after Napoleon’s disastrous 1812 retreat from Moscow, covering the decisive years of 1813 and 1814. The abstract game map involves a strategic theatre portraying Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to the boundaries of Poland and Prussia. It also includes the secondary front of Italy, an area for depicting maritime warfare and the British/American War of 1812. This game by designer Frank Esparrago and developer Dick Sauer (with much appreciated input from Mark Herman) has been created to be played as both a diplomatic and strategic military conflict without losing the taste of the Napoleonic era’s great battles.
The other element that I thought was really smart from Churchill was the use of historical figures, staff and aides to carry out the actions at the table through the play of cards. From the game page we get this further insight into this mechanic:
A CoV game turn is divided into three different Phases: Diplomacy, Government, and War; each divided into segments that facilitate interaction between players. In the Diplomacy Phase, the leaders of each Major Power and associated minor countries use their best statesmen to interact on the European diplomatic board to improve their economic and military resources and to prioritize efforts in different military fronts. During the Government Phase, the issues gained during Diplomacy are implemented. These take into account the limitations of each Major Power in terms of manpower, economic resources, political impact, and the military situation on the map. In the War Phase, in addition to recruiting new forces and moving them to campaigning armies, military operations are undertaken which on many occasions lead to huge and dramatic battles. CoV‘s system of Victory Points (VP) reward military, diplomatic, political, and economic achievements, so situationally balancing these factors usually prevails over giving sole attention to the game’s military aspects.
10. Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945, 2nd Printing from GMT Games
When Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945 was announced a few years ago, I was immediately interested because the game was a strategic level wargame and looked to me to be similar in scope and scale to one of my other favorite games covering WWII at the strategic level in Unconditional Surrender!. As I started to do a bit more research on the game and look into it, I realized it was a collaboration between 2 really great designers in the late Chad Jensen and the great John Butterfield, and I was very much anticipating the game. I also saw where the game has the players not only handling one of the opposing Allied sides including the Western Allies and the Soviets but also has each control the opposite defending German army as well.
We absolutely love this one and in fact it made its way onto my Top 10 Wargames of 2023! list coming in at #3.
From the game page, we read the following:
Downfall is a two-player game on the conquest of the Third Reich in World War II. One player controls the Western Allies and the other the Soviet Union in their joint effort to destroy the Axis. Though the two players share the goal of defeating the Reich, each seeks a victory that favors their dominance in post-war Europe. To this end, each player controls two factions:
The Western player commands the Western Allies faction and the OKH faction, that is the German and minor Axis armies battling the Soviet Union in the east (Oberkommando des Heeres).
The Soviet player commands the Soviet faction and the OKW faction, that is the German and Italian armies facing the Western allies in the west (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht).
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.
11. In the Shadows:French Resistance 1943-1944 from GMT Games
As you know, we do designer interviews on the blog on a weekly basis and try to reach to out to new designers to bring variety to them. Two designers that we have done several interviews with are Dan Bullock (No Motherland Without from Compass Games) and Joe Schmidt (several titles including Guerillas of the Peninsular War, The Present Winter, Anzac Cove and Kettle Hill). Several years ago, they teamed up for a special game design contest called Consim Game Jam, and while their design didn’t win the contest, they have now brought their creation to reality with a deal with GMT Games. And this game is just so good as we played it while attending the SDHistCon in 2023.
From the game page we read the following:
In the Shadows is a two-player card-driven game about the desperate struggle of the French Resistance against the occupying Nazi and collaborating French forces between January 1943 and June 1944. In the game you will play as either the Resistance or the Occupation in a fight over the hearts and minds of the French People. The game strives to have players better understand the nuances of the resistance and the clandestine nature of the fight that led to the founding of the fourth French Republic.
Card Driven Games are one of my favorite wargame mediums as they allow for greater integration of the history of the struggles they cover but also because they are generally easy to pickup and learn. In the Shadows is a Card Driven Game but takes the medium in a new direction.
The gameplay of In the Shadows is driven by Event cards and Actions based on suits. The game relies on three different suits (the Resistance Cross, the Victory Cross, and the Iron Cross) to determine the cost and effectiveness of your Actions. Narratively, this is meant to represent the vital importance of local networks and resources. You may be working with resources in Paris but need to perform Sabotage Actions in Vichy. In this way, the game can better replicate the choices that the leaders of the Occupation and Resistance needed to make.
If you are interested in In the Shadows: French Resistance 1943-1944 you can order a copy for $49.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-905-in-the-shadows.aspx
12. 2024 Replacement Counter Sheet from GMT Games
Errata is a fact of life with all publishers and all games! No matter what, a mistake will always slip through and cause us gamers a bit of angst. This is where GMT Games stands head and shoulders above the competition though as they admit to their mistakes and more importantly try to make them right. We have seen this time and time again. So they have a solution for errata found on counters in their new games this year that makes a lot of sense and makes it economically very easy to acquire: a replacement countersheet.
From the game page, we read the following:
We are happy to announce today that we have created a “2024 Replacement Counter Sheet” that includes all of the counter updates that we and the designers know of as errata for games from 2023 and several from 2024. We’re setting this up as a P500 item like we did last year – except that it’s already approved to print. We just need to know how many of you want the item. Please get your order in over the coming few weeks so we can get these in your hands by year-end.
The price for this item will be $3 for US customers and $8 for non-US customers. Note that the cost INCLUDES shipping. Clearly, we’re supplementing most of the cost on these, which we think is only fair, in that these counters represent mostly errata that we missed when we produced the games the counters belong to.
13. Dawn of Battle: Scenario Pack #4: Deadly Daisho 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 printed the game in a new Designer’s Edition and also added some new content to an already large amount of scenarios and counters. Now they have a new Scenario Pack #4, which includes 20 new scenarios focused on the battels of the Sengoku Jidai.
From the game page, we read the following:
In Dawn of Battle: Scenario Pack #4: Deadly Daisho, battle your way through Feudal Japan. Conquer the region from the early Genpei war all the way through the Sengoku period. These “Special Rules” modify the turn order and movement of Leader units. This Pack includes twenty new scenarios set in various Japanese battlefields. Available now for purchase!
“Print and Play” version coming soon to WGV
This fourth expansion pack includes twenty more scenarios that focus on medieval Japan, from the early Genpei war through the Sengoku period to further expand the enjoyment and playability of Dawn of Battle. Battles in this set include:
Dawn of Battle: Scenario Pack #4 is not a complete game and requires the base game of Dawn of Battle: Designer’s Edition to play.
14. Oblique: Supply Lines of Frederick the Great from Hollandspiele
I feel like it has been a while since Hollandspiele published a wargame. They have done a lot of great games over the past year or so but most of those were not what I would call wargames. Some good games sure but I am very glad to see this month’s offering in a series that we have thoroughly enjoyed. The new game is Oblique: Supply Lines of Frederick the Great and is designed by Amabel Holland.
From the game page, we read the following:
Oblique is a scenario-based block game covering eight campaigns of Frederick the Great during the Silesian Wars. Players maneuver around the map, attempting to seize strategic objectives while managing their Despair and bringing their opponent to a decisive battle. Your most important actions will require the expenditure of Supply Pieces, which are generated at periodic intervals and moved along supply lines – either by road networks or by waterways, though in the latter case these must move in the same direction as the river flows. Armies without supplies cannot lay siege, build networks of garrisons, recover from casualties, or fight battles; if you are attacked when you have no supplies, you do so at a grave disadvantage. Threatening supply lines and cutting the enemy off from supply is key to tilting the odds of battle into your favor.
These battles are fought using wooden sticks in The Battle Game, a fast-playing and chess-like luckless game of canny deployments, strategic reserves, and Frederick’s famous oblique order. Your capabilities within this Battle Game are determined by what blocks you’ve brought into battle. Losses can be quite heavy and one of these battles can drastically alter the course of the campaign. You’ll need to choose your battles carefully, and try to avoid fighting when the odds are against you.
Campaigns of the period are prone to all sorts of unexpected delays: bad weather, disease, stragglers, even the distraction of a pleasant castle where a weary commander might linger perhaps a bit longer than they ought. After each Prussian turn, a die is rolled to determine how much time passes. Perhaps you’ll have plenty of opportunities and use them well, or perhaps you’ll suddenly find the game approaching its end and you’ve neglected to pursue your objectives. This unpredictability is further supplemented by a series of scenario-specific event tables for each player, rolled at four key points during a match. Will your supplies be raided? Will troops enter the fray from another theater? Will Frederick be laid low by his hemorrhoids, or a bout of tearful melancholy?
Oblique is a game requiring skillful mastery of cutthroat logistics, daring maneuver, and sound tactics. Failure to excel in any one of these spheres will result in disaster. Though the game’s rules are quite simple, you’ll need to invest your time and energy in learning to play the game well. We think Oblique will reward this investment with many dynamic and memorable play experiences.
I have very much enjoyed our play of Supply Lines of the American Revolution (both games including the Northern Theater and Southern Theater) but I am unsure how much those share with this game. Anyway, this one looks very good and I am definitely getting ready to punch that order button!
If you are interested in Oblique: Supply Lines of Frederick the Great, you can order a copy for $70.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/oblique
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.
Finally, thanks once again to this month’s sponsor Form Square Games!
What? No Compass Games? They average 2 new releases per month. The recent Burma/Chaco GDW reprint Kickstarter suggest they are shipping shortly. A recent FB post shows that Pontiac’s War has shipped. You haven’t mentioned Compass since December.
I did just receive my copy of Pontiac’s War this weekend but didn’t know it was shipping this soon when I put this list together. Also, I did see that they offered at least 3 new titles on pre-order this past month (East Wind Rain, Desert Tide and Airborne Assault: Crete) but once again found out too late to add them. I will add those to the March feature. I don’t always know about new games or shipments and I find that Compass is not as good about updating their site regularly. I don’t watch their Town Halls as I am just too busy with my other life. No offense meant if you are seeking a rumble. Thanks for reading! And keeping tabs on my Compass Games inclusion.
Definitely not seeking a rumble, LOL, but I watch the Town Halls (who can pass up on the chance for a free game – I won once) and know they are cranking out games like sausages.
They also did a few kickstarters for the Chaco game and one other but they were very short duration and were announced in the 2nd week of January (I think) with an end before February. Sometimes it is just a timing thing.
The Players' Aid 
What? No Compass Games? They average 2 new releases per month. The recent Burma/Chaco GDW reprint Kickstarter suggest they are shipping shortly. A recent FB post shows that Pontiac’s War has shipped. You haven’t mentioned Compass since December.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did just receive my copy of Pontiac’s War this weekend but didn’t know it was shipping this soon when I put this list together. Also, I did see that they offered at least 3 new titles on pre-order this past month (East Wind Rain, Desert Tide and Airborne Assault: Crete) but once again found out too late to add them. I will add those to the March feature. I don’t always know about new games or shipments and I find that Compass is not as good about updating their site regularly. I don’t watch their Town Halls as I am just too busy with my other life. No offense meant if you are seeking a rumble. Thanks for reading! And keeping tabs on my Compass Games inclusion.
LikeLike
Definitely not seeking a rumble, LOL, but I watch the Town Halls (who can pass up on the chance for a free game – I won once) and know they are cranking out games like sausages.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They also did a few kickstarters for the Chaco game and one other but they were very short duration and were announced in the 2nd week of January (I think) with an end before February. Sometimes it is just a timing thing.
LikeLike
Surprised that Oppidum from Historic One was not discussed in either Jan.or Feb. update.
LikeLike
Not aware of that. What is it?
LikeLike
https://historicone.com/en/products/oppidum
LikeLiked by 1 person
Also ASL module Mannerheim Cross from Bounding Fire Productions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for pointing that out. I will try to remember to add to the March edition.
LikeLike