One thing that I do love is a good fantasy wargame. I have not played that many of them but those that I have played are always a blast! Games such as Titan from The Avalon Hill Game Company, Wizard Kings from Columbia Games, War of the Ring from Ares Games, The Battle of Five Armies from Ares Games and then some more recent offerings such as Burning Banners from Compass Games and The Struggle for Zorn: The Red Blight from Blue Panther, These games are just special games that merge two of my loves in wargaming and fantasy worlds. And these games really excel at immersing players in the world they are held in and I just love that. In this entry into the Best 3 Games with…Series, I want to share with you a few of my most favorite fantasy wargames.

*Image used as the header for the post is titled “Battle of the Five Armies” and is attributed to the artist Donato Giancola. The scene is focused on the Battle of the Five Armies from J.R.R. Tolkien’s story The Hobbit, which sees the armies of Men, Elves and Dwarves against a massive army of Orcs, Wargs and Trolls fighting over the hoard of the deceased dragon Smaug.

3. Burning Banners: Rage of the Witch Queen from Compass Games

Burning Banners: Rage of the Witch Queen is a fantasy boardgame for 2-6 players set in the fantasy world of Kalar and is a hex and counter wargame with the players controlling one of 6 different unique and asymmetric factions. The game is absolutely gorgeous and is one of the best produced games I’ve ever seen with fantastic art, an amazing board drawn by Christopher Moeller who also designed the game and has fantastic production with things like recessed player boards and beautiful cards.

The factions in the game include things like the Orcs, the Army of Night, Oathborn who are Dwarven warriors and the mighty Eastern Empire. We have played the game 4 times now and I have really very much absolutely loved what we were doing moving about the board doing combats and taking over towns and cities for plunder while also attacking monster lairs for gold and extra treasures that would grant temporary or one shot special abilities. This mixed the traditional open combat between players and their armies to also being able to explore and fight monsters for extra benefits.

One of my favorite parts though was that there are a number of elements that make playing each Kingdom a unique experience as every kingdom has its own armies, heroes and special rules. For example, the Empire have a significantly larger economic base than the other kingdoms, but it has special rules that cause its settlements to revolt during the game, harming their economy. The Empire can ignore the revolts, but if they accumulate unaddressed, they will wreak more and more havoc with the Empire’s income.

On the other hand, the Orcs are unique in that they have no economy at all! They must loot enemy towns and cities in order to get money, so their posture must be one of constant expansion. They must literally conquer or die. The Army of the Night is small and stealthy. It can establish secret covens in enemy settlements, making them vulnerable to attack and giving the vampires additional income.

You also must pay attention to the terrain types you are in as certain units gain advantages that you must remember. There was a lot going on with this one and I would say that multiple plays will begin to unlock more strategies and provide players with better insight to make more competitive games. Just really a great and unique gaming experience.

If you want to learn more about Burning Banners, you can check out our interview with the designer on the blog at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/06/13/interview-with-christopher-moeller-designer-of-burning-banners-rage-of-the-witch-queen-from-compass-games-currently-on-kickstarter/

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

2. Titan from The Avalon Hill Game Company / Valley Games

This one is probably more nostalgic to me but Titan from Avalon Hill is just about as good as it gets in the fantasy wargame genre. The game has hexes, and you move your Titan around the board recruiting different beasts from terrain types that you land in. These beasts start out as very basic creatures, such as Ogres recruited in the Hills, Gargoyles in the Brush and Centaurs in the Woods. But as you obtain multiples of these base creatures you then can recruit their upgraded minions such as Cyclops, Trolls, Lions, Gorgons, Giants and even Dragons. This makes it very interesting as you have to plan out your moves, this game is a roll and move at its heart, and follow the interlocking ring of hexes down or up when you can to reach the desired terrain to recruit what you want to fill out your army.

The game then has a tactical combat aspect as you will come into contact with your opponents stacks of creatures, that may or may not contain their main Titan, and have to fight it out on a mini tactical board that is the terrain that you land in. If your creatures in your army are native to the terrain, they get bonuses or can move about freely through the brambles, swamps and trees to get at your enemy. Each unit then rolls a number of dice, some of the units are huge like the Trolls (rolling 8 dice) and the Serpent (rolling 18 dice) and it becomes an exercise in counting up hits and removing those units as their defense/health is depleted. The winner of the battle will then score points and can also recruit after the battle is over if they have matching creatures for the terrain. Just a very simple and cool system that can keep the game going for 6-10 hours as you fight it out to the last man standing.

When I saw the ranking of #314 on Board Game Geek a few years ago, I initially thought that was sufficient but after thinking on it more I changed my mind and think that it should be ranked nearer to the Top 100, not because it has some fantastic or unique mechanics, but because the system works and is fun to play. The one down note on the game is that it can be a bit mean spirited as you can knock out one of your opponents early on before they can build up and then they will have an early night as they can leave or sit around rooting against you for the remaining hours. Just a simple yet well put together game that creates lots of yelling and screaming as the battles can turn on a dime and an unexpected result can come about as a well constructed stack is attacked by an even better put together horde.

1. War of the Ring from ARES Games

If I have a “Grail Game”, this is definitely it, or at least one of the many that I have been seeking to add to my growing collection. And I finally got this great game for Christmas in 2016. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the game as it seemed too basic and not overly deep…the forces of Sauron have to dominate Middle Earth through war or find the Ring Bearer while the Free Peoples have little hope of winning a military victory (it can be done but is unlikely!) and really must focus on getting the ring to Mount Doom! War of the Ring Second Edition from ARES Games is the edition that I own and I just love it. I have always had a deep and abiding love for the Lord of the Rings and this game allows players to take on the roles of either the Free Peoples, and characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, and others, to journey to Mordor and the cracks of doom to destroy the One Ring or play as Sauron and his evil forces who are attempting to destroy the Free Peoples and take back the controlling ring.

The game is a Card Driven Game and uses action dice that are key to fueling what actions can be taken by the players on the board. Rolling the dice and hoping to get the type of symbol you are looking for is always a challenge but this makes the game very tense and interesting as there are also ways to use your character’s abilities or your available cards to change dice. The game has also been expanded about 10 times, and I own most of them although have only played with a few of them. But each time I play, I learn something new about the system and find new strategies and tricks to use against my opponent. To me, this is a key to a good game. Learning, growing in your strategy, trying different tactics and seeing what works best. But also the process of managing your cards is very key to the game and you have to be able to do what you can and not waste an opportunity.

Great miniatures, great and beautifully illustrated board that shows off the appropriate areas of Middle Earth, and fantastic looking custom dice to drive the action. I am in love with this game and look forward to any opportunity to get this one to the table.

Here is a look at our unboxing video (I cannot believe that we have never done a Review Video?!?):

There you have it! My list of Best 3 Games with…Fantasy Wargames! There are not a ton of these out there in the world but I do love them and am always on the lookout for new and interesting games to try out. What are your favorite Fantasy Wargames?

-Grant