Warmer weather is here and Spring is in the air! I love this time of year. It just feels new and fresh and gets me excited about life again after being cooped up inside all winter trying to stay warm. And that warming up is also a trend in the world of wargaming and many publishers are readying their spring games for addition to Crowdfunding platforms and publication. This month for the Wargame Watch I was able to find 24 games (including the game from our sponsor Proxy War from Amoral Games)! Of that total, 7 games were offered on Kickstarter or Gamefound.
Again this month, we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch post in a new publisher called Amoral Games. This indie publisher creates games exploring the darker side of humanity where players have to combine cooperation and competition, build alliances and backstab, trade and battle. They are celebrating the anniversary of their debut game Proxy War.
Proxy War immerses players in the conflicts of the modern era where angry citizens take up arms against an oppressive government while lurking foreign powers try to beat their rivals through exploiting war for profit. Blending elements of Catan and Diplomacy, this 2-8 player game turns players into dictators, rebels, and greedy foreign powers striving to survive and secure a cut of a resource rich land.
This is a game that I have purchased and am planning to play soon while attending Buckeye Game Fest at the end of April so you may want to give it a look. I love Amoral’s approach to game design and their self written description says a lot about that approach.
Amoral Games also has a couple new projects in the works called Proxy War: Merica! and Proxy War: European Disunion, so you will want to keep an eye out for updates from this publisher.
A look at the components of Proxy War. The game has a very interesting modular board that is created with hex shaped tiles that contain resources.
Yes those are AK-47 rifles that are used in the game to represent armies. There also are small factory pieces that can assist in extracting resources from the tiles.
This is a look at the different resource tokens in the game including Ore, Drugs, Lumber, Oil and Cash Crop (coffee beans).
A look at the currency of the game, which is Ammo. The card reads “Everything needed to keep a conflict going”.
The game includes many different type of military equipment and assets including Air Power, Military Advisors, Minefield Tokens, Minesweeper Tokens, Anti-Air Tokens and Artillery Tokens.
Here is a look at an unboxing video for the game to give you a good idea about the contents as well as a bit of insight into what the game is:
1. Moscow ’41: Soviet Aviation and Strategic ToolsExpansion from VentoNuovo Games Currently on Kickstarter
VentoNuovo Games has a whole line of block wargames that they have published over the years. One of the their most successful has been Moscow ’41: The Road to Moscow: July-December 1941 that was published in 2016. Recently, I saw where they were offering an expansion to the game on Kickstarter that adds a Soviet air module to allow players to replicate the Soviet air forces efforts to support the troops during Operation Barbarossa.
From the game page, we read the following:
In the spring of 1941 the VVS was the largest air force on Earth with a total of 20,500 aircraft, of which 10,500 were in the Western Districts or nearby. The fighter force consisted of about 10,000 aircraft, of which 5,500 were in the Western Districts: The 8,000 old Polikarpovs were joined by about 2,000 modern MiG-1/3s, LaGG-3s and Yak-1s. The latter were all in the Western Districts.
The bomber branch was equipped with about 6,000 aircraft between ground attack and medium or long range bombers, of which about half were deployed in the Western Districts: 600 modern ground attack aircraft (Su-2s, IL-2s and Ar-2s) and 2,000 modern medium and heavy bombers (DB-3/Il-4s, Pe-2s, TB-7s and Yak-2/4s).
Finally, of the 1,000 reconnaissance aircraft, 1,000 transport aircraft, 1,000 training aircraft and 1,000 assigned to the navy, about half were available in the Western Districts.
The Axis air force that on the attack line on June 22, 1941 had only 3,000 German and 300 Romanian aircraft, managed to destroy in a few days on the ground or in combat about 10,000 enemy aircraft.The remnants of the VVS were used and destroyed in the Battle of Smolensk in a desperate attempt to contest the German bridgeheads on the Dnieper and deny control of the corridor that led to Moscow.
Thus, in just one month the most powerful air force on the planet was reduced to a few thousand aircraft and neutralized until the end of autumn.
How did the Luftwaffe achieve such a success while ensuring air supremacy against an enemy that on paper was three times (five for fighters) more numerous?
The new M ’41 Expansion provides:
Soviet Aviation
Air Module
Highly detailed topographic historical map to plan your strategy
Historical analysis and Strategic Guide to reveal game insights and prompt new winning strategies
You can also back it with the M ’41 PLUS Pack.
The new Plus Pack is also available during the campaign, which includes:
Strategic plastic flags
Wooden cubes to enhance the visibility of Soviet recruitment centers
Plastic barrels to mark units out of supply
Velvet Draw-Bags to facilitate the fishing of reinforcements
As of April 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $12,949 toward its $108 funding goal with 114 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, April 10th at 5:59pm EDT.
2. Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge from Renegade Games 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! Over the past few years, Renegade Games Studios has acquired the license for Axis & Allies from Hasbro and they have been working on updating the various editions of the game. This month, I noticed that they were offering a new game called Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge for pre-order (I want to make it clear that it is currently on pre-order but appears to be readying to ship as of mid-April).
From the game page, we read the following:
German tanks thunder into the snow-covered Ardennes forest, opposed only by a few unsuspecting divisions of exhausted American troops. As Axis forces plunge into the countryside, Allied troops must struggle to hold the front line in order to repel the all-out offensive.
Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge challenges two players to control territory and contend with supply shortages while directing infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft in one of the most decisive conflicts of World War II.
The game is back in print after 18 years and focuses on several of the key elements from the historical battle including supply shortages. Players can choose to play as the United States and the United Kingdom against Germany. The board also is hex-based and the game comes with over 130 plastic miniatures including some new truck sculpts.
3. Race to Berlin2nd Edition from Portal Games Coming to Gamefound April 16th
As wargamers, we all love the concept of supply. You have to have it to fight and keeping up with the advancing front lines can always be a real struggle. If you couple that with the concept of a race for the center or the prize you can get some really interesting dynamics that create a tense and fulfilling play experience. Such is the case with the 2nd Edition of a 2015 game called Race to Berlin coming to Gamefound from Portal Games in April.
When I first saw this one, the board looked like it was Ticket to Ride World War II as the game uses blue and read sticks (small blocks) that are placed on the board to represent the advancing fronts on Berlin during the last days of the Third Reich in 1945. But after reading the rulebook, there is quite a bit more to this very interesting looking game.
From the game page, we read the following:
Race to Berlin is a game portraying the last months of World War II in Europe as Western Allied armies cross the borders of the Reich after fording the Rhine and the mighty Red Army prepares for its final offensive toward Berlin.
Players take on the roles of Soviet and Allied commanders, competing to capture strategic regions of Germany and ultimately claim the capital of the Third Reich. The game was first released in 2015, and this Portal Games’ edition features significantly improved components, a revised rulebook, and some rules adjustments based on experience with the first edition.
I am very much interested in this game as it just looks to be a unique take on the classic racing game approach but with a wargame twist. This does remind me of the Phalanx releases over the past couple of years including Race to the Rhine and Race to Moscow. This one appears to have a focus on supply using what are referred to as Logistics Blocks that allow the players to take various military maneuvers but also the opportunity for battles against the defending forces of the Reich as you approach Berlin. The battles use interesting looking custom dice and there are various fortification markers as well that players will have to deal with. Each of the players will control their own forces but can also use their limited actions to control the German defending forces against their opponent. This one is going to be so good.
The campaign is scheduled to kickoff as of April 16, 2025.
4. Song for War: Mediterranean Theater from Invicta Rex Games Coming to Kickstarter on April 23rd
While attending Buckeye Game Fest in the spring of 2022, we met two new designers who had a very cool looking prototype copy of their new game setup in the War Room called Song for War: Mediterranean Theater. Chris Helm and Seth Stigliano were really nice guys who obviously had put a ton of time into their game and it was immediately evident that this was going to be a different experience. Unfortunately, because of our crazy schedule of events and already committed to games, we were unable to sit down and play the game but got a crash course into the design as well as a good look at the awesome components.
The game is coming back to Kickstarter on April 23rd after a first non-successful attempt in spring 2023 and I look forward to seeing the campaign fund and getting the chance to play this game by the end of 2026 (hopefully). They have made some changes to the game and I hope that this helps broaden its appeal to improve its chances of funding.
From the game page, we read the following:
Song for War is a tabletop strategy game based in the contested regions of southern Europe, north Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea during World War II. Representing one of four nations, players must work together as the Allies (US or Great Britain) or Axis (Germany or Italy). Players have the option to set strategy, move units, attack and defend as individual nations or simultaneously as the Allied or Axis team. Innovative mechanics allow players to deploy their land, sea, and air units strategically as combined forces, with faster units moving first and more often, followed by heavy units with stronger firepower. Take strategic objectives, control shipping lanes and resupply, deploy new technologies and units, and recreate historical events to defeat the enemy and win the day.
One of the best parts is the asymmetry built into the design for each of the nations. This gives the game some feeling of reality versus everyone just having the exact same units with the exact same abilities. I also am really interested in each nations’ special units and want to see how these things work and feel as the game is played.
Fellow content creator Zilla Blitz did a preview for the game in 2023 and you can check that out at the following link:
If you are interested in Song for War: Mediterranean Theater, you can learn more about the project on the game page at the Invicta Rex Games website at the following link: https://www.invictarex.com/songforwar
The campaign is scheduled to kickoff as of April 23, 2025.
5. A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg 4th Printing from Flying Pig Games Currently on Kickstarter
Over the past few years, Hermann Luttmann has released a new series of games using a new system similar to his famous Blind Swords System to model combat in the American Civil War. The first game with this new focus was The Devil’s to Pay!: The First Day at Gettysburg from Tiny Battle Publishing. Then, a big game was released which took a look at the entire 3 days of the Battle of Gettysburg called A Most Fearful Sacrifice. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Printings sold out and Flying Pig Games is now ready to do a 4th Printing. That should tell you all you need to know about the game!
From the game page, we read the following:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice is an epic two-player wargame with over 15 square feet of playing area and 526 playing pieces depicting the fighting that occurred during all three days of this decisive clash. The game utilizes a new ACW operating system called the Black Swan System, which is closely related to the popular Blind Swords System first introduced in the game The Devil’s To Pay! by Tiny Battle Publishing. This version of the system is specifically designed to handle larger-scale battles yet keep rules overhead low.
One of the reasons for the development of the system was to allow for larger scale games with lots of units to be more playable and to cut down on the time it takes to play. I know that some of you are groaning at this but to me this is a good innovation that will get larger games back to the table for additional plays. How is this shortening of the game done with out taking out units and formations? The elimination of chit pull.
Players can simulate huge encounters in a reasonable amount of playing time. This is accomplished in one way through the use of card draws rather than chit pulls. Also, players will trigger activations by Corps instead of by lower-level formations but they still have tactical decision-making choices by needing to determine which Divisions get activation priority. Though at a grander scale, this system maintains a tactical feel about it and still emphasizes the three “FOW’s” of war … the Fortunes of War, the Friction of War and the Fog of War. Players will be challenged to deal with a constantly developing battle situation, never quite sure of what the Gods of War will throw at them, and thus they must always be prepared to deal with historically realistic “Black Swan” events.
There are some new elements added to the game with this 4th Printing and you can read more about those as follows:
We wanted to make this Kickstarter unique for those faithful who have backed it. Accordingly, we have come up with three EXCITING additions to the game that will only be offered to backers of this Kickstarter.
1. A BRAND NEW full-length scenario. Titled Around The Left, this “what if” scenario postulates that Hood’s Division outflanked the Union left instead of smashing futilely into Sickle’s corps on the 2nd day. It’s a tense, enjoyable battle that will add hours to your game.
2. Three really cool Mini Scenarios. These are perfect for a lunch break, or just when you don’t have much time. The scenarios are, The Bloody Wheatfield—follow the Irish Brigade into the bloody wheatfield as the Union tries to stem Longstreet’s attack on July 2nd, A Rock and a Hard Place—charge with Hood’s Division into the wicked boulders of Devil’s Den, and It’s not Easy Being Greene—make a last stand with Greene’s valiant wall of blue as they face the flanking Confederate horde.
3. Finally we will be adding 5 new command cards to the game. These cards focus on General “Fighting Joe” Hooker. What if Lincoln and Halleck hadn’t accepted his resignation and replaced him with Meade? The cards will include three Commander in Chief Cards for Hooker. (Poor, Average, Superior), a Corps Commander card for Meade (V Corps), and a Division Activation Card for Sykes. You can use these for any on the scenarios in the game, including the new additions in this Kickstarter.
We played the game and absolutely loved it. It was engaging, very interesting with how the chit pull activation works in tandem with the cards and also beautiful to look at. We also shot a first impressions video and you can watch that the following link:
As of April 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $39,495 toward its $6,000 funding goal with 243 backers. The campaign will conclude on Tuesday, April 1st at 12:00pm EDT.
6. Combat Commander: Vietnam from GMT Games
As I espoused earlier, I just love Combat Commander. The system is really good and creates some very interesting choices for the players including how best to utilize their hand, whether full of good cards they need or not, how to bluff their intentions to obfuscate their true objectives or paths of approach and also how best to utilize the abilities and benefits of the soldiers under their command. I love tactical games in general but when you throw in the chaos of card management to the mix it just creates that much of a better gaming experience. I am also very glad to see that someone is taking up the torch passed on by the late Chad Jensen and taking his system into new and interesting theaters and wars. I know that there are several other Combat Commander products in the works, such as the previously announced Island Hopping Campaign Battle Pack and the rumored CC: Afghanistan or CC: Spanish Civil War.
From the game page, we read the following:
Long awaited by fans of the series, Combat Commander now covers the Vietnam War in all its complexity. Building off of Chad Jensen’s superb Combat Commander: Europe, this new game strives to capture the spirit of the original while transporting the system to a new era.
Starting from the view that the heart of CC is Chad’s random scenario generator (RSG) design, Combat Commander: Vietnam captures the immense diversity of units, regions, and periods during the Indochina conflicts from 1961-1975. We harnessed the ingenuity of the RSG system and extensive research of perspectives from all sides to provide one of the most representative depictions of the Vietnam War (plus Laotian and Cambodian civil wars) to date. Whether famous or lesser-known, comprehensive coverage of nearly all relevant units, engagements, and periods is provided by 6 factions, 24 scenarios, a full RSG system, and a new Campaign mode tailored to fit the Vietnam War. For additional coverage we could not cram into the already stuffed base game box, Battle Packs and an expansion are already being devised. We are happy to introduce players to the first step in the broader Vietnam Experience of games by adapting a classic wargaming system to explore the dynamics of small-unit engagements.
Alright that sounds awesome already and I shouldn’t be surprised as Chad created a very good and stable yet versatile system that could be tailored to fit other conflicts. I also am very pleased with the design duo here with Stephen Rangazas and Non-Breaking Space taking on this effort. Both are smart dudes who approach game design very well and I expect great things from them. Let’s take a look now at the makeup of the different factions that will be playable in the game.
Combat Commander: Vietnam includes 6 factions, each with their own Fate Deck, Counters, and Order of Battle table. The factions were selected to cover all major fighting formations relevant to the fighting in Indochina (South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) between 1961-1975. Two Communist factions, NLF and NVA, go up against four Free World factions, ARVN, Free World Allies (FWA), Special Forces (SF), and US. They can be organized into three categories:
Local Irregulars: Using 36 card Fate Decks, similar to those of CC: Resistance, these factions represent locally recruited forces fighting as irregulars. The NLF Faction represents the National Liberation Front (NLF), commonly known as the Viet Cong, but also the Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge. The SF Faction covers local Free World Force irregulars, usually led by Special Forces, including units such as MIKE Force, CIDG, and Hmong Special Guerrilla Units.
Local Conventional: Using standard 72 Card Fate Decks, these factions represent the conventional forces of the states in the region. The NVA Faction represents the North Vietnamese Armed forces, officially the People’s Army of Vietnam (VPA), that served in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Rules account for their deployment as light infantry early in the conflict and their more conventional deployment during the major offensives toward the end of the war. The ARVN Faction represents the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) but also the armed forces of Laos and Cambodia. They include units such as ARVN Rangers all the way down to Territorial Forces.
Foreign Conventional: Also using standard 72 Card Fate Decks, these two factions represent conventional forces deployed from outside of the region fighting on behalf of the Republic of Vietnam. The US Faction represents the Airborne, Army, and Marine infantry deployed to South Vietnam alongside units such as the Combined Action Platoons. The FWA Faction represents the “many flags” that joined the American war in Vietnam including ANZAC, Republic of Korea (ROK), and Thai forces. Special Fate Deck shifts account for the differences between Army and Marines in the US Deck and between ANZAC and the other nations in the FWA Deck.
As well as having the basic game included there will be a new Campaign Mode that will see several scenarios be strung together while offering various objectives to accomplish.
Not wanting to just adapt Chad’s superb system for the Vietnam War (a fairly daunting task already!), we also designed and included a full Campaign mode for Combat Commander: Vietnam that can be played as either one of 8 historical campaigns or a randomly generated campaign using the random campaign generator. Campaigns in CC:V focus on “one scale up” from standard CC engagements by placing players into the role of Battalion commanders launching a month-long operation. Players will confront issues normally above the scale of Combat Commander such as finding and fixing the enemy, attrition and interdiction of opposing forces, and the impact of military operations on the “village war.” Using a modified version of the standard RSG, the Campaign mode generates engagements relevant to what is occurring on the Campaign display. In other words, the Campaign mode illustrates how the broader goals of each side generates CC scale engagements.
The eight included campaign scenarios were carefully selected and researched to capture the incredible range of variation across factions, regions, and periods highlighted above. From a Marine Operation into the Que Son Valley in I Corps, to ROK operations in II Corps, to ANZACs in Phuoc Tuy of III Corps, and finally the famous Sea Swallows CIDG units in IV Corps—these are only half the included historical campaigns. Like with Combat Commander: Europe, we hope to extend campaign scenarios and mechanisms with future Battle Packs.
Kai’s lovely near-final art of a rubber plantation map in III Corps, inspired by the battle of Long Tan (1966)
On the eve of the 20th Anniversary of Combat Commander and the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, now is the perfect time to revisit the Combat Commander system in the new context of the Vietnam War. Sufficient distance from the war has enabled us to leverage hundreds of sources including memoirs, oral histories, archival research, and translations of accounts in French, Lao, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. The various factions of the war are presented on their own terms.
Like with Combat Commander: Europe, we plan to expand Combat Commander: Vietnam beyond the extensive content provided in the base game box, we are working on Battle Packs themed around the Tet Offensive, US Army Divisions, “Wider War,” and an expansion dialing back the clock to the first Indochina War (1945-1954) that offers new maps, counters, and an RSG for the earlier conflict.
I like the direction and approach being taken with this one. They appear to have a plan and are going to give us what we want as they expand the offerings to encompass most every aspect of the Vietnam War. I very much look forward to seeing how this develops and what future offerings are going to be. Very exciting!
7. For the People – 25th Anniversary Edition2nd Printing from GMT Games
For the People is one of the most respected Card Driven Games out there and happens to have been designed by my favorite designer Mark Herman. A few years ago, they announced a 25th Anniversary Edition of the game in a 4th Printing and they also added new art to the game with a reimagined cover, that I happen to think looks really great and is an improvement for the game. I guess that it has been well received and they are doing a 2nd Printing of the new 25th Anniversary Edition, which is a good thing to see.
From the game page, we read the following:
For the People is a grand strategy game of the American Civil War covering the conflict from Texas to Pennsylvania, from the firing on Fort Sumter to the end at Appomattox Court House. You take the role of either President Lincoln or President Davis and command armies, promote and relieve generals, conduct amphibious assaults, dispatch cavalry raids, and even battle incompetency and political intrigue among members of your own cabinet.
For the People includes a deck of strategy cards for conducting campaigns and incorporating the many events and personalities of the war. The Confederate player can build ironclads, naval mines (torpedoes), submarines, conduct overseas purchases, and work towards foreign intervention. The Union player can build up his naval blockade, his ironclad fleet, fight draft riots, secure the Border States, and issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Relive the history of this exciting time when our nation was torn asunder.
Note on 2nd Printing: This will be nearly identical to the 1st Printing except that all known errata will be corrected.
I am embarrassed to say that I bought a copy but we still haven’t been able to get it to the table. But, there is always hope that 2025 will be our opportunity. Here is a look at our unboxing video for the 25th Anniversary Edition1st Printing:
8. Huey Leader: The Vietnam War Close Air Support Solitaire Strategy Game from Dan Verssen Games Currently on Kickstarter
Over the past couple of years, we have gotten some very good additions to the Leader Series from Dan Verssen Games including Corsair Leader, Zero Leader and most recently Stuka Leader. But now they are doing the mother of all Leader Series games in Huey Leader designed by Dan Verssen himself.
From the game page, we read the following:
Huey Leader puts you in the cockpits of the Vietnam War’s best Close Air Support aircraft. In Huey Leader, fly search and destroy missions to attack enemy troops, fly missions to deploy US ground troops into hostile Landing Zones and then provide Close Air Support to help the troops complete their mission, and even fly resupply missions to keep US Forward Bases supplied.
Huey Leader is based on our popular Thunderbolt-Apache Leader System. If you’ve played TAL, you’ll be up and flying missions against the Vietcong in minutes.
The game places you in command of the pilots and aircraft of a squadron of U.S. Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft.
A major part of the game is mission planning. You decide how to arm your aircraft and which pilots are best for the mission. Pilots are rated for skill level. Deciding which pilots to fly each mission is a major consideration. Your pilots will become fatigued with every mission. If you fly a pilot too often, his skills will degrade. Your pilots also gain experience with every mission flown. This makes for some great decision-making. Should you keep flying the top pilots and further fatigue them to get the job done, or fly the new guys to prep them for the tough missions ahead?
There are new tricks added to the game including Scouting (where you have to engage a unit to better determine what its strengths are similar to what was done in Warfighter: Vietnam) and lots of expansion content. You can also add on lots of out of print games in the series such as Sherman Leader, B-17 Leader, Corsair Leader and more.
The list of expansions is pretty lengthy but includes things such as Firestorm, Wild Weasel, Rescue Wings, Viper Strike, Ghost Riders and Iron Lift. You can also get customized D10’s with each of the base Leader Series games you order including Huey Leader but also the other out of print entries that are being offered as add-ons.
As of April 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $70,549 toward its $20,000 funding goal with 415 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, April 17th at 2:59pm EDT.
9. The Battle for Hamburger Hill– Operation Apache Snow – May 10-20, 1969 from Cadet Games Currently on Gamefound
This game challenges the players to re-fight the Battle for Hamburger Hill. Can you, as the U.S. player, destroy the NVA, capture the hill and deny the enemy their base area? Or will the NVA player triumph and hold their ground? Get ready to re-live or re-write history in the battle for Hamburger Hill!
The Battle for Hamburger Hill lasts 11 turn-pair game-days (with a night turn each game-day also). Each turn, players alternate moving and attacking each other’s forces on the game map, which is divided into hexes. Combat can include small arms firefights between adjacent units or fire missions that target hexes with artillery, airstrikes, helicopter gunships and mortars.
At the end of each combat phase, once all fire combat is complete, adjacent units may conduct close quarters combat (CQC) to decide which force will occupy contested hexes. Each game-day, after all movement and combat is completed, both sides draw cards to determine special actions for the future day’s turns and may get reinforcements according to card events, history and the roll of the dice.
As the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) player, your goal is to hold hill 937 and hill 916. If, at the end of the last turn, the U.S. player does not control both of the summit hexes, you have won.
As the Allied player, your goal is to control both summit hexes at the same time. Whenever the U.S. player has accomplished this at the end of a game-day, the game ends with a U.S. victory.
But in case you are wondering if they are just changing a name and slapping the same game together, you will be pleased to learn that they are changing the combat system to take into account the 3D terrain and are changing the little minis to counters.
The combat systems and fire support mechanics for They Were Soldiers were originally developed for this game back in 2020, but the much shorter Ia Drang battle for LZ X-Ray was an easier overall design subject, and so TWS got the first crowdfunding campaign and final development ahead of Hamburger Hill. Since then, other designs have been in the production queue ahead of this one – but we decided early in 2024 to get this one back off the shelf and get it through some of its remaining design challenges to see what we could do with it. We ended up with a VERY credible simulation of the real battle for Hill 937, and a super looking game with very accessible rules (dare I say…fun?).
There were things that just didn’t work out well in play testing vs. the actual battle with our initial design ideas back in 20/21. We had lots of time to consider how to improve the game and that’s just what we did. One result was to change HH from a mini/chip design to a traditional 1/2″ counter game. This was not done to save table space or expense (we’re super used to minis and big maps) – but really because the game just worked better with counters. The whole map concept (using the original UTM 1:50,000 scale maps from the actual Vietnam War battle) worked brilliantly at 22×34 (just look at the map – the A-Shau terrain physically rises up out of the table!). But once it was magnified up to be 44×34, the 3D terrain effect was seriously diminished. And the little mini figures (especially when stacked and placed adjacent to each other) diminished the 3D effect of the terrain as well. Counters worked much better to preserve the actual appreciation for the “real” terrain of the historical battle – which was the reason we chose that map concept in the first place.
As of April 1st, the Gamefound campaign has raised $5,565 toward its $18,900 funding goal with 75 backers. The campaign will conclude on Tuesday, May 20th at 12:00pm EDT.
10. Panzer Grenadier: Black Panthers from Avalanche Press
I love history! It is interesting, filled with both triumph and tragedy, and is never fully told as people obscure or leave out details that do not support or validate their views. Thankfully we have forward thinking publishers like Avalanche Press who are interested in telling these stories. This month, I saw that they had a very interesting looking offering, including a book and a game, called Panzer Grenadier: Black Panthers.
From the game page, we read the following:
The U.S. Army first enrolled black soldiers during the Civil War. Buffalo Soldiers saw action against the Plains Indians and in the Spanish-American War, while segregated African-American units also fought in World War One. In 1941, the U.S. Army began to create elite African-American units, including fighter squadrons, paratroopers and armored units including the 761st “Black Panthers” Tank Battalion.
The Black Panthers saw action in France, Belgium and Germany, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and liberating the Gunskirchen concentration camp. The battalion saw 183 days of combat, lost 71 tanks and suffered a fifty percent casualty rate.
Black Panthers: A Historical Study is a radical revision of the book we published back in 2021. It’s actually two books: one (Separate, But Heroes) devoted to African-American military history, focused on the 761st Tank Battalion but including other units and a general history of Race in America (128 pages) and another (Black Panthers, at 64 pages) with 36 Panzer Grenadier scenarios featuring African-American units. The Historical Study is a new type of book for us: with so much history and other background that we have to put it in its own book, and then the game scenarios and game stuff in their own, separate book.
Black Panthers is a special expansion for Panzer Grenadier: Elsenborn Ridge. It has 24 new die-cut and silky-smooth playing pieces for the Black Panthers under their distinctive insignia, and three dozen scenarios based on the epic battles of the 761st and other African-American units.
If you are interested in Panzer Grenadier: Black Panthers, you can order either the game (called a Historical Study) or just the Separate But Heroes book from the Avalanche Press website at the following link: https://www.avalanchepress.com/gameBlackPanthers.php
11. Engine Thieves: The Great Locomotive Chase of the 1862 Andrews Railroad Raid from Compass Games Currently on Kickstarter
A few years ago, while attending the WBC, I had the chance to meet Wes Crawford who was demoing his upcoming game Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 from Compass Games. He was a very nice guy and his game was pretty interesting as well. Now that the game has finally made it to Kickstarter, I wanted to share some information about it as I think that it does look rather interesting.
From the game page, we read the following:
Introducing Wes Crawford’s Engine Thieves—the latest release in Compass Games’ Golden Age Collection. In this riveting railway adventure, you’ll hop on board for a historic train heist. As the Raiders player, you must try to succeed where the original raiders failed. Your risky mission will be to cut telegraph wires, burn railroad bridges, damage track, sever communications, and generally cause an abundance of chaos before meeting up with General Mitchel in Bridgeport to kick off the advance on Chattanooga.
On April 12, 1862, the charismatic Union agent James Andrews and his band of raiders stole the train powered by the locomotive, “The General,” from under the noses of about 3000 Confederate troops training at Big Shanty (Kennesaw), GA. Their risky mission was to cut telegraph wires, burn railroad bridges, and damage track between Atlanta and Chattanooga, thus severing communications, reinforcements, and supplies between the two cities. This was as Union General Mitchel advanced his forces upon Chattanooga with the aim of capturing it and splitting the Confederacy in two. The raiders needed to bluff their way through the Confederate railroad stations and even pass through Chattanooga to meet the advancing Union force in Bridgeport!
Engine Thieves is a one to two-player game covering this courageous Civil War raid. Play as the Union raiders in a solo game as you race against time, and the Confederate soldiers on your tail, to get to Bridgeport. With two players, one of you will play as the Confederates and try to stop your opponent from reaching Bridgeport or at least minimize their destructive sabotage. Follow the adventure and real path these raiders took on their daring ride north!
As the solo player in charge of Andrews and the Union raiders, you must accumulate at least 25 Victory Points by some combination of burning bridges, cutting telegraph wires, damaging track, bringing the stolen train to Bridgeport, and defeating Confederate units that get in your way, all while minimizing raider casualties. Reaching Bridgeport is a high priority since without that accomplishment, General Mitchel would likely call off his attack on Chattanooga. Mitchel might be otherwise unaware of the Raiders’ successes!
You must decide, in 15-minute increments, what Actions you want to accomplish, all the while keeping an eye on the train’s wood supply and planning stops to replenish it. With the trainmen and a train from Marietta in hot pursuit, you must negotiate southbound trains, Station Challenges, and Encounters with Station workers and suspicious citizens, all deep behind enemy lines and surrounded by Confederate Units. Sometimes all that will save the group from disaster is Andrews’ Persuasive ability!
You begin a turn by choosing 15 minutes worth of Action cards, in order, to move, damage track, burn bridges, cut telegraph lines, resolve challenges and encounters, initiate combat, and more. The game’s bot controls the dogged pursuit of the trainmen and the movement of the southbound trains. The Raiders player must be careful to not use up too much wood in their tinder or allow the Alert Level to rise high.
The game ends when the Raiders player either passes through Chattanooga and reaches Union General Mitchel in Bridgeport, must abandon the stolen train, all Raiders are killed or captured, or the time track reaches 4:00pm.
In the Two-Player version of the game (which was not included in the Print-on-Demand edition), as the Confederate player your goal is to keep the Raiders from accumulating Victory Points by relentlessly pursuing them, inflicting casualties, minimizing their ability to carry out sabotage, and keeping them from reaching Bridgeport before the game’s end.
Sounds easy enough, right? Well, did we mention that this is a covert mission? You’ll be tearing up the tracks all while trying to keep alarm bells from ringing up and down the East coast. Meanwhile, in the two-player mode, the Confederate player’s job is to pursue you and your fellow engine thieves by any means necessary—chasing you down on foot, horseback, by pole car, and by train!
As of April 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $13,394 toward its $2,500 funding goal with 146 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, April 3rd at 11:24am EDT.
New Release
1. Prelude to Leipzig: Napoleon’s Spring 1813 Campaign from Hollandspiele
We love a good Napoleonic War game and have played quite a few recently. When I saw this new offering from Hollandspiele a few weeks ago, I was immediately interested, not only because of the subject but also because of the designer John Theissen and his reputation. Prelude to Leipzig is a follow-up to the 2018 game Campaign of Nations.
From the game page, we read the following:
Prelude to Leipzig is a prequel to John Theissen’s Campaign of Nations. That game tackled the autumn 1813 campaign that culminated in the climactic Battle of Nations, covering those events with his clean, streamlined approach to operational hex-and-counter gaming. In this game, he turns his attention to the spring campaign. Historically, Napoleon failed to achieve the decisive victory he was looking for, resulting in a summer truce – giving his enemies precious time to plan and prepare for the battle that would signal the end of his rule. But perhaps your French Coalition can realize his ambitions? Or maybe your Prussian and Russian forces will stop him in the spring?
Like Mr. Theissen’s other titles, what happens is up to the players. Pursue your objectives aggressively for an exciting clash. Dilly-dally for an indecisive campaign. This approach, which trusts players to use the tools they’ve been given, has won these designs their ardent fans. In an attempt to bring these joys to a wider audience, the mapsheet – our largest-ever, measuring 32″ x 32″ – uses roomy extra-large hexes, with terrain effects printed directly on the map.
If you are interested in this subject and designer, you are in luck as they currently are offering Campaign of Nations on sale for $55.00 so you pick both up and to the whole shebang.
If you are interested in Prelude to Leipzig: Napoleon’s Spring 1813 Campaign, you can order a copy for $60.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/prelude-to-leipzig
2. Off the Line: Man-to-Man Combat During World War II: Fortress Europe from Relative Range
We love our tactical level games here at The Players’ Aid and this month Blue Panther, through its partner publisher Relative Range, is offering a few new games to feed that interest. The first is designed by Mike Nagel and is called Off the Line: Man-to-Man Combat During World War II. This game is the first module in this new series and is called Fortress Europe and focuses on the Germans versus the Americans.
From the game page, we read the following:
At the beginning of an operation, the commanding officer determines the point from which the mission will begin. This is referred to as the line of departure. In this game, players discover what happens once the soldiers under their command move…Off the Line.
Off the Line is a wargame of low-to-moderate complexity that depicts man-to-man combat during World War II. Each combat unit represents a single soldier. Games are won through the completion of mission objectives such as the control of locations on the map board, exiting soldiers from the map through specific points, or the simple elimination of enemy soldiers. Although players are open to maneuver their forces as they wish, they’ll soon find that traditional tactics for units at the game’s scale are the best bet to achieve goals and to keep their forces intact.
Game play is managed through the use of a shared deck of action cards, each of which is used to determine how many soldiers might be activated during a turn, the resolution of random outcomes such as combat and morale checks, as well as random events. Being able to manage limited resources is a key to victory.
The twelve double-sided maps (one side depicts warm weather while the other depicts winter conditions) are geomorphic, allowing the configuration of hundreds of different terrain combinations.
Each soldier is individually named and rated for morale (which determines a soldier’s effectiveness under fire), melee, weapon, and in some instances, command. Terrain is represented through the use of twelve geomorphic map panels that can create hundreds of different battlefield configurations.
Also included with the game is a solitaire assistance system that allows players to play a challenging game without the availability of a human opponent.
This volume, Fortress Europe, includes soldiers from the United States and Germany facing off through twelve individual scenarios, plus instructions on how to define your own battles. Plans are in place to add additional nationalities, more maps, and lots more scenarios!
Are you ready to lead your squad to victory? Now’s your chance to find out after stepping Off the Line!
I am very much interested in this offering and will be contacting Mike about a possible interview as I had not heard much about its released and this caught me a bit off guard.
If you are interested in Off the Line: Man-to-Man Combat During World War II: Fortress Europe, you can order a copy for $70.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/off-the-line
3. Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War2nd Edition from Blue Panther
The 2nd new tactical level wargame offered by Blue Panther this month is a 2nd Edition of a game originally released by War Diary Publications called Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War. The game is further called Volume I: Rise of the Hoplite and focuses on 4 different battles from Antiquity.
From the game page, we read the following:
Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War is a low to moderately complex game system depicting combat between ancient armies with a goal of showing the evolution of infantry combat from the adoption of the Greek hoplite formation through the Roman maniple and cohort. Two players take control of historical armies to see how well they might fare as compared to their historical counterparts. Each battle takes two to three hours to complete.
This first volume in the series includes the battles of Marathon (490 BCE), Thermopylae (480 BCE), Plataea (479 BCE), and Mycale (479 BCE), where the mighty Greek and Spartan soldiers made their stands against the invading Persian hordes.
Unlike other ancient combat systems, Blade & Bow takes a unique look at how armies were deployed and maneuvered in a linear fashion using a grid of squares rather than hexagons to provide a more realistic experience. Command is key as commanders provide the leadership required to keep their forces moving until the inevitable clash of shields, as well as the ability to keep their forces engaged in the bloody back-and-forth of ancient combat. A deck of event cards provides period flavor as well as a touch of chaos.
If you are interested in Blade & Bow: The Ancient World at War2nd Edition, you can order a copy for $70.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/blade-and-bow
4. Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno 2nd Printing from Fellowship of Simulations
A new out of print classic has made a resurgence and is again available for purchase. Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno from Fellowship of Simulations is a very interesting Card Driven Game that is also quite beautiful with its period art style.
From the game page, we read the following:
Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno is a card driven, area based, simple wargame about the year long fighting around Verdun. The game is based on monthly turns and allows for a tense, action driven contest which includes all the events of 1916 (like the Somme offensive) and their interaction with the Verdun battlefield.
Players will face tough choices, continuing to reinforce Verdun or playing cards to get victory points elsewhere. Both sides get the initiative as the French counter attack at the end of 1916 is also simulated. The game includes 2 scenarios playable in a short session and one campaign game playable in an afternoon.
We also posted a full video review on our channel and you can watch that at the following link:
If you are interested in Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno 2nd Printing, you can order a copy for 89,00€ ($96.00 US Dollars) from the Fellowship of Simulations website at the following link: https://www.fsimgames.com/en/product/verdun/
5. Invasion Normandy WW2 from Historical Board Gaming
I personally enjoy Ameritrash wargames such as Axis & Allies, Fortress America, Conquest of the Empire and many of the other games from Milton Bradley and then then Avalon Hill that were published in teh 1980’s and 90’s. They are just such comfort games to me and I love them. Lots of dice, little miniatures, grand strategic decisions and lots and lots of fun. There is a company called Historical Board Gaming that specializes in these type of games and sells them with options for counters but also for small 3D printed miniatures. Their newest offering is called Invasion Normandy WW2 and is now available for purchase.
From the game page, we read the following:
Invasion Normandy by Historical Board Gaming, designed by Kirt Purdy, is a historically accurate D-Day board game developed over three years of design and playtesting. This WWII strategy game immerses players in the Allied invasion of Normandy, featuring a detailed map in three sizes, battle boards for combat resolution, wire-bound rulebooks, reference sheets, and cardstock roundels and markers for strategic gameplay. Plastic pieces are not included, allowing players to use their own game components. Experience the challenge of commanding forces during one of the most pivotal battles of World War II!
I will admit that I am a bit confused by this website and their products as you have to purchase them piece meal without a great deal of direction or information about the various components. The base game, which is the offered game at the above link, is just for the vinyl map, spiral bound rule booklets, various battle boards and holding cards, counters and reference sheets. The rest are downloads that you will have to print out but I think that this is generally all that you will need to play. Then if you desire, you must order the various pieces separate including a game box ($19.95) and the glorious looking little minis.
6. Vendée 93 from Fellowship of Simulations
We are familiar with some of Pascal Toupy’s work in a few games. We both have played, and really enjoyed, Saigon ’75 from Nuts! Publishing and Alexander has played a few of his solo games in Firebase Vietnam found in C3i Magazine #34 from RBM Studio and Roman Disaster at Teutoburgfound in C3i Magazine #35. He is a good designer who has put out several good designs. When I heard that he was doing a game with Fellowship of Simulations, and that it was based on the Vendée Militaire and the French Revolution, I was immediately interested. That game is now available for purchase and it looks gorgeous.
From the game page, we read the following:
At the beginning of 1793, after the execution of King Louis XVI, France was drawn into a war against a coalition of most European monarchies. On 24 February, the National Convention decreed the mass draft of 300,000 men to defend the eastern borders. Throughout the country, revolts broke out against this conscription, everywhere they were brutally repressed with success. However, an insurgent territory, called the “Vendée Militaire” resisted. Determined to engage in a trial of strength with the new revolutionary regime, the Vendéens gradually organized themselves until they formed a “Catholic and Royal Army”.
Vendée 93, a card driven two player wargame, takes you back to this particularly epic period in the French history, which pitted the young French Republic against the Royalist insurgents from March to October 1793.
“White” or “Blue”, choose your cause and take command of your troops! “White”: you will have to take the advantage quickly at the risk of seeing the Republican forces inexorably strengthen, forcing you into a sinister “Virée de Galerne”. “Blues”: time is on your side, resist the first assaults of the “brigands” to then be able to face the hell of the bocage in order to definitively extinguish the insurrection.
7. Strategy & Tactics Issue #352 – Game Edition – French & Indian War 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 #352 has an interesting looking game covering the French & Indian War designed by Joseph Miranda.
From the game page, we read the following:
French & Indian War is a 2-player wargame of the conflict between the British and French Empires for control of North America during the wider Seven Years War. There are two opposing players: British Empire (Britain or British) and French Empire (France or French). Each player represents the high command for their respective forces in North America. There is also the possibility for intervention by American Indian and Spanish Imperial forces. The game has several scenarios, representing different starting situations. The game system models the effects of command control on campaigns conducted across vast distances of largely frontier terrain, and as part of the larger Seven Years War.
Each game turn represents a campaign lasting one year. Each hex represents 85 kilometers (50 miles) across. Each regular unit represents one or two battalions or equivalent-sized groupings of companies/squadrons. Provincial and militia units represent regiments or brigades. Some of the light units represent detachments of one or more companies. Indian units represent groups between 500 to 2000 warriors. Commanders are key leaders, their staffs, and guard troops. Riverine units represent flotillas of boats.
22 x 34-inch game map and a sheet of 228 9/16-inch counters.
8. Israel 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War from White Dog Games
I have not really played any games on the Firs Arab-Israeli War, even though we do own a few, but this topic is very interesting and maybe this one will get that subject onto my gamed list. The new offering this month from White Dog Games is called Israel 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War and looks pretty good. The game is designed by David Kershaw and won several awards in the 2024 Board Game Geek Wargame Competition including Best Overall Game, Best Multi-Player Game, Best Use of Theme and Best Rule Book.
From the game page, we read the following:
Israel 1948 is an award-winning, brigade-level game simulating the 1948 Arab League invasion of the newly formed state of Israel. A two-player game, one player takes the Israeli side and the other player takes the Arab League side. There are three scenarios which cover the three historical periods of fighting, and there are special campaign rules to link two or all three scenarios together into a longer campaign game.
Scenario 1 “Onslaught”: Covers the invasion of the new state of Israel after the British withdrawal from 15th May 1948 to the first truce of 11th June 1948.
Scenario 2 “Ten Days”: Covers the Israeli counter-offensive from 9th to 18th July when there was the second truce.
Scenario 3: “End Game”: Covers the fighting from October 1948 after the end of the second truce.
The game is designed for players who want to be able to learn, set up, and play a game to completion within a couple of hours.
If you are interested in Israel 1948: The First Arab-Israeli War, you can order a copy for $54.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/israel1948
9. All Are Brothers: The Battle of Solferino, 1859 from Legion Wargames
Interesting subjects and great production are two hallmarks of the games that Legion Wargames produces. And this month, they are releasing their newest game called All Are Brothers: Solferino, 1859 designed by Bryan Armor. The game uses a system similar and based upon Hermann Luttmann’s Blind Swords Series to tell the story of this battle in the Second War of Italian Independence. Did I mention that the production looks really great?
From the game page, we read the following:
All Are Brothers: Solferino, 1859 simulates the decisive battle of the Second Italian War of Independence at the Brigade-level, with some additional Regimental-size and smaller detachments included. National and corps-level leaders are represented, on a map at 500 meters per hex, with 1-hour turns. Five scenarios are included: three that separately cover the north, central, and southern sectors of the battle, as well as a combined full battle scenario, along with a small introductory scneario. The combined scenario is suitable for up to four players (France, Sardinia-Piedmont, Austrian 1st Army, and Austrian 2nd Army).
The battle itself was a grinding slugfest often described as a “soldier’s battle” – a deliberate slight to the often uninspired leadership of the generals and a tribute to an allied victory gained only at the tip of the bayonet. Villagers in the surrounding region would do their best in the days after to treat the myriad wounded, and answer as to why Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, Serbs, and Slovaks were treated as well as the Italians: “Tutti fratelli” (All are brothers). The battle pits two Austrian armies against the combined forces of France and Sardinia-Piedmont, and features the full panoply of colorful period units – Jagers and Grenzers, massed cavalry divisions of all types, Bersaglieri, French Imperial Guard, and the French African Zouaves and Turcos. Advances in infantry and artillery firepower would soon make the tactics of the time obsolete, and the carnage at Solferino reflected the start of this paradigm shift, soon to be highlighted bloodily by the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars.
This treatment of Solferino features an adaptation of Hermann Luttmann’s Blind Swords System (At Any Cost, Hammerin’ Sickles, Stonewall’s Sword) as the core ruleset. The system is heavy on unpredictability and fog of war due to the chit pull mechanic. The chit pull mechanic also very much aids in solitaire play, as does variable activation rules and reinforcement tables. A number of other features help make face-to-face play attractive, including a number of scenario variants and optional rules, a free-setup full battle scenario, and the move-and-countermove of event chit play. Nation-specific event chits also inject some period flavor.
If you are interested in All Are Brothers: The Battle of Solferino, 1859, you can order a copy for $68.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_AAB.html#
10. Polar Vortex: The Battle for Alaska’s North Slope from High Flying Dice Games
Paul Rohrbaugh and his company High Flying Dice Games is a designer I love to follow. He is always doing games on smaller or lesser known conflicts and I just find his work to be superb and really draws me in. Recently I saw where he was releasing a game on ta fictional near future invasion of Alaska called Polar Vortex: The Battle for Alaska’s North Slope.
From the game page, we read the following:
“According to a State Department representative, Russia is not getting back Alaska, which was sold to the United States in the 19th century. This is it, then. And we’ve been waiting for it to be returned any day. Now war is unavoidable.”—January 28, 2024 comment by Dmitry Medvedev, current Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council and close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As Vladimir Putin’s regime continues, and as the war in Ukraine demonstrated, there are increasingly more reasons to be concerned with Russia using military force to intimidate and coerce any nation it deems a rival or a threat. Putin himself has frequently claimed that Russia reserves the right to “protect” the rights and interests of Russians and Russian property anywhere in the world, and this includes those in Alaska. As conflicts involving Russia endure or escalate in Ukraine and elsewhere, ways to “protect” Russia’s interests by lashing out and taking revenge cannot be ignored. One very cold place where matters can quickly turn hot is Alaska’s North Slope where the terminus of the Alaskan Oil and LNG Pipelines, and the tanker loading facilities for loading those materials, are located. Taking this vital economic resource would be a highly prized Russian military objective, and one that is vital for the US to defend.
Wargames can be excellent vehicles to explore “what ifs?” Can you do as well or better than your counterparts? Learn and enjoy!
If you are interested in Polar Vortex: The Battle for Alaska’s North Slope, you can order a copy for $25.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/polar.html
11. Gloucester: The Battle of the Hook from Bill Molyneaux Games
There is always a need for introductory wargames in our hobby that can be used to teach the concepts of wargames to new players or that can be played fairly quickly as a change of pace. Very few designers focus on this area but Bill Molyneaux is one of those as he has designed several introductory wargames over the years including Bloody Mohawk, Savage Wilderness and Horns of the Buffalo to name just a few. Recently, he put up a new American Revolutionary War game on the Battle of the Hook and it looks pretty interesting.
From the game page, we read the following:
In 1781, the British army has conquered the coastal stronghold of Gloucester Point, Virginia. The American rebels plan a counter-offense. One player commands the British Army and Hessian forces, while the other player leads the American Army and their French allies. Who will you lead to victory? The choice is yours.
Outflank your foes by using the different terrain hexes to your advantage. If you are the British player, deploy your Hessian allies for the advantage. For the American player, team up with the French army for extra firepower. With only 24 turns to play, the average game can be enjoyed in under two hours. The game also has optional rules for players looking for extra depth.
The gameoffers two scenarios:
– The Battle of the Hook focuses on the core battle between the American and British forces. This is the default mode of play.
– Cornwallis Breaks Out is a “what if” scenario, where General Cornwallis makes his daring escape across the York River, avoiding American captivity. Recommended for advanced players.
The Battle of the Hook was the largest written account of cavalry action in the American War of Independence. This conflict saw General Lauzen’s Legion and Lieutenant Colonel Mercer’s Select Battalion of Militia defeat a British detachment of cavalry. Both armies overpowered the Royal Fusiliers, who were positioned at a fortification in Gloucester Town. This contingent was separate from the bulk of General Cornwallis’ army, which was under siege at Yorktown (located south of Gloucester).
General Cornwallis had hoped this force at Gloucester Town would be able to find an escape route through the area, which he could use to safely evacuate his forces by crossing the York River and fighting their way north through the Gloucester area. However, General Washington foresaw this strategy and insisted on attacking the detachment, to ensure that Cornwallis had no chance for escape.
The battle at Yorktown and Gloucester were a resounding success. The British forces at Gloucester Town were forced to cease all scouting operations and retreat into their fortification, where they remained until General Cornwallis surrendered on the 19th of October.
12. Crusaders: The Siege of Acre 1291 from Blue Panther
A new solitaire game is always welcome on my table…and if that game is about the Crusades, even the better! This month, Blue Panther released a few new games and the 2nd on this list is Crusaders: The Siege of Acre 1291 designed by Joe Fernandez.
From the game page, we read the following:
Dive into history and heroism with Crusaders: The Siege of Acre 1291, a solitaire war game that lets you experience the last stand of the Knights Templar and the Crusaders in the Holy Land.
Relive the courageous stand of some 15,000 Crusader soldiers, Knights Templars, Teutonic Knights, and Hospitallers as they defend Acre, a critical port city in the Holy Land, against a massive Mamluk army of some 80,000 soldiers armed with siege engines and catapults during the Ninth Crusade.
Fighting was brutal. Mamluk archers and catapults rained missiles on the walled city, infantry conducted relentless assaults against its perimeter while miners attempted to breach the defenses of the stronghold from below. From behind its ramparts, the Crusaders repelled attack after attack while leading raiding parties outside of the city as the immense Mamluk army tightened the noose of the defending Crusaders.
When the dust settled, the city of Acre was overun by the Mamluk army. Crusaders and citizens were killed as the remnants of the Crusading army fled back to Europe while the legendary Order of the Knights Templars retreated to the island Cyprus. The Crusaders lost their last major stronghold of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, never to return. Can you hold Acre?
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 Amoral Games!
Way back in 1991, I came across a novel by G.F. Borden, Seven Six One on this unit. It was a very good novel, but is now hard to find. Our Library no longer has a copy, but I did find it available through Amazon and GoodReads.
There are characters and incidents from this story that have stuck with me over all these years.
The Players' Aid 
Thanks for the “Crusaders: Siege of Acre 1291” mention lads. Highly appreciated.
All the best,
Joe
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Hello Grant and Alexander, Thank you very much for including my new game
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You are welcome!
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Hello,
thank you very much for the wonderful shout out about the Battle of the Hook!
Bill Molyneaux
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Way back in 1991, I came across a novel by G.F. Borden, Seven Six One on this unit. It was a very good novel, but is now hard to find. Our Library no longer has a copy, but I did find it available through Amazon and GoodReads.
There are characters and incidents from this story that have stuck with me over all these years.
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Thank you so much for the Proxy War mention folks!
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