Summer is here and the games just keep coming! I found so many great games this month and just had to stop adding them as I ran out of time. This month for the Wargame Watch I was able to find 38 games (including the 11 games from our sponsor Catastrophe Games)! This is in fact the most games that we have highlighted in the Wargame Watch (beating last month’s 34 games) and I am interested in every single one of them. Of that total, 7 games were offered on Crowdfunding with 5 on Kickstarter and 2 on Gamefound.
Again this month, we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch post in Catastrophe Games. Catastrophe Games is a tiny Michigan based publisher of historical games who came onto the scene with their first game release in 2021 called Judean Hammer: Guerilla Warfare During the Maccabean Revolt. We covered that game and were immediately impressed with how good it was and we could feel the passion for the historical subject and the gameplay. Since that time, they have released several games including USS Laffey: The Ship That Would Not Die, Campaign: Fall Blau, The Landing: Gallipoli 1915, Crisis in Korea and our favorite Zurmat. Their games are just so well made and very good.
Their stated design focus is to create games that are:
1. Easy to learn
2. Play in less than 2 hours; and
3. Historically based (not just a pasted on theme)
They have succeeded at this mission and continue to put out great games on interesting topics. Some of their upcoming games include:
Lonely Cairn – The Franklin Expedition: 1846-? – Solitaire game in which the player takes on the role of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition as they attempt to find the famed Northwest Passage through the Arctic.
Campaign: Bagration – Solitaire game which is a sequel to Campaign: Fall Blau, but now focused on the Soviet counterattack.
True Command – 2-player, tactical level, division command in WWII, chock full of Fog of War and Friction. We played this one at Buckeye Game Fest and very much enjoyed it and what it was trying to accomplish. I have been told that this will be heading to crowdfunding possibly this fall.
A More Perfect Union – 2-player & solitaire game which covers the political struggle to draft the US Constitution. We played this one at Buckeye Game Fest 2024 and it was a huge hit with us. Here is an interview with the designer John Lapham for more information:
Conflict of Wills: War of Giants – 2-player game about the revolt against Napoleon in the Vendée.
Conflict of Interest – 2-6-players, dark, satirical look at defense corporations doing horrible things in the name of profit.
True Command: Ancients – True Command System applied to ancient battles.
Sadr City – 2-player (maybe solo?) game about urban conflict in Iraq using the Zurmat COIN System. This is one of my most anticipated games from Catastrophe and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
Conflict of Wills: La Guerra de los Mil Dias – 2-player game covering turn of the 20th century revolution in Columbia.
Conflict of Wills: Afghanistan – 2-player game covering the 2001-2020 conflict between the Coalition and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
High Command – 2-5 player strategic game about the ETO in WWII.
That is a lot of great looking games on interesting topics in the design pipeline from Commander Densham. I look forward to many more great games from Catastrophe Games and wish Tim and his crew the best of luck in their endeavors!
But now onto the games for June!
Pre-Order
1. Gallipoli: Ordered to Die from The Dietz Foundation Currently on Kickstarter
Bursting on the scene over the past couple of years, Clint Warren-Davey is a new designer who has jumped in with both feet. His first design is called Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948 from Legion Wargames and is a COIN Series inspired card assisted game about a what if scenario where the Werwolf Insurgency wreaks havoc over the final few years of World War II and continues their struggle even after the surrender of the Third Reich into the Post WWII era. He also has a new game out called One Hour World War II. But his newest project is about the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli called Gallipoli: Ordered to Die from The Deitz Foundation. The game has some interesting looking mechanics on an interesting looking topic and I think that you should give it a look.
From the game page, we read the following:
Gallipoli: Ordered to Die is designed by Clint Warren-Davey, teacher and designer of the “One Hour” series of boardgames: One Hour World War Two (available from Worthington Publishing already!), World War One and English Civil War. Gallipoli is a two-player game playable in 30-60 minutes, capable of being played in classrooms or pubs by students, friends, or history buffs.
To get Gallipoli: Ordered to Die through the publishing process, the Foundation is seeking to raise $5,000. This will pay for the art, printing, and shipping costs (see “anticipated difficulties”). If we exceed our goal, we will be able to make copies available to educators and educating-organizations at a lower cost (since the Dietz Foundation exists to promote education through gameplay).
Playing Gallipoli: Ordered to Die does not require any prior knowledge of the battle, World War One, or even where Gallipoli is–or why it is important. It doesn’t require any experience with wargames either. It is designed to help explore the subject matter in a way that is fun and competitive. Experienced players can be up and playing within 15 minutes of cracking open the box while people new to boardgames may need 30 minutes. The game does not have huge stacks of counters and its playing space is compact enough, it can fit on a folding card table!
If you’re already familiar with games about war, Gallipoli: Ordered to Die will give a vibe similar to the classic GDW A House Divided, except Gallipoli: Ordered to Die is diceless!
As of June 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $7,785 toward its $5,000 funding goal with 156 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, June 14th at 11:33am EDT.
2. Conquest of Paradise Deluxe 3rd Edition from PHALANX Currently on Gamefound
Many years ago (it seems), I played and really loved Conquest of Paradise 2nd Edition from GMT Games. The game is a fantastic 4X style wargame that seems to have it all, expansion, exploration, extermination and exploitation and does it in a lite and fun way. Now that game is being given a new edition in a Deluxe 3rd Edition from PHALANX and it looks gorgeous.
From the game page, we read the following:
Conquest of Paradise: Deluxe 3rd Edition is a strategic game of exploration, expansion and cultural development set in the vast Pacific Ocean around 500 AD. Designed for 1 to 4 players, it places you at the helm of a Polynesian island culture at the dawn of a great voyage into the unknown. Each player begins with a home island group and a handful of resources. From there, you’ll build canoes, set out into unchartered waters and discover new islands – each offering opportunities for growth, but also challenges in maintaining communication, defense and control.
The game combines area control, resource management and strategic planning with a high level of player interaction. As you empire grows, you’ll face difficult decision: expand further or solidify your holdings? Develop your culture or raise warriors? Invest in exploration or protect what you’ve already claimed?
The Deluxe Edition features updated artwork inspired by the cultural heritage of Polynesia, upgraded wooden components, a stitched neoprene playmat and mechanical refinements developed with the original designer to enhance pacing and thematic immersion. With quick setup, elegant rules and deep replayability, Conquest of Paradise offers a rich and satisfying experience for fans of historical and strategic games alike.
If you back this project on Gamefound, you will get the 5th player expansion free. Remember also that this game will not be available in retail.
As of June 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised €77,445 ($87,822 in US Dollars) toward its €20,000 ($22,632 in US Dollars) funding goal with 1,044 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, June 6th at 3:00pm EDT.
3. Liberation from Platypus Game Coming to Kickstarter June 18th
I love a good historical cooperative board game and we have played some really great ones over the past few years including Black Orchestra, Dutch Resistance: Orange Shall Overcome!, The Red Burnoose and SAS: Rogue Squadron to name a few. I am always on the lookout for the next best game in this genre and recently I saw an announcement about a game called Liberation that deals with the French Resistance during World War II and was immediately interested. This one is a bit different though as you can play as the occupying Nazis though so that should be a very interesting twist. The game is coming to Gamefound on June 18th and I have already followed the campaign and am ready to mash that buy button just as soon as I am able.
From the game page, we read the following:
After the debacle and breakthrough of the German army, France came under German occupation. Faced with a sense of injustice, some intellectuals begin to revolt and organize the beginnings of the French Resistance. Liberation is a game that features an asymmetrical confrontation between the occupying forces and the French Resistance. The occupier can be played by one player or in the form of an automa. The Resistance players each lead their own maquis, fighting together to liberate the country. In a cat-and-mouse game, the Resistance fighters carry out missions while the occupying forces set traps and capture the brave fighters. The game features 5 main scenarios, ranging from 1940 to the liberation of Paris in 1944. Each scenario has its own twist, forcing players to play differently. The game can be played per scenario, or as a campaign (non-legacy) where each scenario has a bearing on what happens next.
Liberation is a bit of a different take on the genre and I am very impressed with the components and the art style that has been chosen for the game to really make it stand out.
Mark Simonitch is a very talented designer! (understatement I know but its very true). His talents have given us many great games including the ’40X Series (Normandy ’44, Ardennes ’44 and Holland ’44, Stalingrad ’42, Salerno ’43, North Africa ’41 amongst others) and the great Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage and many others (The U.S. Civil War, Successors, etc.). I am always amazed by his talents and the way he mixes a bunch of great mechanics together to make a very playable and enjoyable simulation of historical events. He also is quite the artist and his boards are always fantastic as his style is very clear and functional but he always puts nice touches on terrain and important aspects such as bridges, roads and cities. His maps just seem to pop and really set a great mood for his games.
Well, when GMT offers a new Simonitch game, I am immediately interested and this month we get a new game in a new series called Koniggratz ’66.
From the game page, we read the following:
Three years after Gettysburg, a similar epic battle occurred in Europe—The Battle of Koniggratz. It was on this battlefield on July 3rd, 1866, that the Kingdom of Prussia fought and beat the Austrian Empire in the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War. Their victory would lead to Prussia becoming the dominant kingdom over the independent German states and within 5 years would create and lead the German Empire.
Koniggratz ’66 is a 2 to 4 player game on that decisive battle. The scale is battalions/regiments for infantry and regiments/brigades for cavalry. The battlefield and forces engaged were twice the size of the largest American Civil War battle, so two maps at a scale of 400 yards per hex are required.
The game is intended to be an easy game to learn and play but large enough so players will learn the details of the battlefield as well as the weapons, tactics, and maneuvers that succeeded or faile The important elements of the battle are included, such as the Prussian breechloading Needle gun, Austrian shock tactics, and the superior Austrian artillery that had recently been modernized.
The game includes two main scenarios covering the initial action in the morning and the full day scenario. It will also include an introductory scenario, a retreat scenario, and a “what if” scenario that gives the Austrian player more freedom with his reserve corps.
I can’t wait to dig into this one and learn a bit more about the system and how it works to model the Austro-Prussian War.
Recently, we had an opportunity to take Congress of Vienna out for an initial test drive while attending Buckeye Game Fest in Columbus, Ohio and let me tell you we had a great time. It took us about 3 hours to get the setup complete, rules reviewed and everyone up to speed (we had one new player to the system) and then to play one full turn.
Congress of Vienna is a diplomatic card driven wargame. It is based on Churchill designed by Mark Herman and is the 4th game after Churchill, Pericles and Versailles in the Great Statesmen Series. The game is set during the years of 1813-1814 and sees players take on the role of the main characters in the battles of the time.
From the game page, we read the following:
Congress of Vienna 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.
All tables necessary for gameplay are printed on the game board. Congress of Vienna reproduces the spirit of Churchill in the mechanics and organization of its rules, diplomatic display, and its military map.
Historical Context and Congress of Vienna Scenarios
CoV recreates The Full Campaign (10 turns) with a low density of pieces: 14 army blocks and other auxiliary counters. The game also includes three shorter scenarios: (i) The Spring Campaign of Saxony in 1813; (ii) The German Liberation War of 1813; and (iii) The 1814 Campaign for France. Each turn, players decide the most important geopolitical issues for their nation and the strategy to achieve them: high diplomatic and organizational efforts will be needed. If you’re a fan of multiplayer games involving persuasion—often intense and occasionally desperate with your nation’s fate at stake…this is for you!
The aim of the game is to become the leading European power at the end of the Napoleonic Wars by employing a wise combination of negotiation and resources. Bludgeon-like tactics are doomed to fail; whereas deliberation and elegant finesse among ambassadors are key characteristics for successful CoV play. Nevertheless, armies and generals will be ready to do their duty and carry out military operations which culminate in dramatic battles across Europe and America. This is a fight for the soul of a continent. Will the Europe the players create entrench the rule of autocracy or shall the spirit of liberalism prevail?
Replayability is assured by CoV’s Card Driven Game (CDG) design. The deck of Initial Turn cards along with traditional CDG cards (play the event or the card’s numerical value) through the Diplomacy and Negotiation Segments ensure a fun and exciting game every time the box is opened. Furthermore, another deck of cards, called Handicap Cards, has been developed. These allow more playability and offer balancing factors to help inexperienced CoV gamers learn how to play, be competitive, and best enjoy the game.
There are 100 small markers to designate military units: white for Austrian, green for Russian, blue for French, black for Prussian, red for British, yellow for Spanish, carmine for Portuguese, light green for Swedish, orange for King Joseph’s satellite, and light blue for American, with 8 brown pieces to indicate British Fleets. These military units fight within an army. An army is represented by a large token which marks its position, along with its military units placed in their respective “Army Boxes” near each player’s National Track.
The game has two different but related phases including the conference table where players debate over the control of issues that are then used on the battlefield to recruit units, attack and take overall command of battles. The cards also can be used in battles to add DRM’s and battles are fought by adding up a bunch of DRM’s with +1 for each furor involved and then a battle track is consulted to determine losses.
Congress of Vienna is both a diplomatic and strategic military conflict. Congress of Vienna is similar to Churchill in the mechanics and organization of its rules, diplomatic display, and its military map. But it very much feels more like a true wargame and was extremely interesting. We are still learning and need to keep playing this one but I did enjoy what it was that we were doing.
6. Battle Hymn Volume 1 – Gettysburg and Pea Ridge Restock from Compass Games
We really enjoyed our play experience with Battle Hymn Volume 1: Gettysburg and Pea Ridge from Compass Games in 2019. The rules were very approachable with lots of good details that were based in history, a good combat system that keeps the battle interesting and engaging but is simply withering and the game evokes a lot of emotions. I played as the CSA and it was heart breaking knowing the outcome and seeing what those men would have encountered going against those formidable Union defenses as they had the high ground and were not going to give it up easily. The board is a thing of beauty and is one of the most well done American Civil War boards that I have played on. They are finally doing a new printing run and you can get a copy of the game on pre-order.
From the game page, we read the following:
Battle Hymn Vol. 1 includes two games: Gettysburg: The Tide Turns and Pea Ridge: The Struggle for Missouri. Battle Hymn is a new brigade-level system based upon the latest research into Civil War combat. Designed by Charles S. Roberts Award-winning designer Eric Lee Smith.
Battle Hymn is a new brigade-level game system that simulates the chaos of the America Civil War using a simple activation system combined with a detailed combat system. The system’s designer, Eric Lee Smith, originated the “chit-pull” activation system in his game “Panzer Command” and later used it in “Across Five Aprils,” Battle Hymn’s forerunner, both published by Victory Games. Units are organized by command, usually divisions, and activate for movement when the command’s activation market is picked from the cup.
The system uses traditional mechanics for movement, with units differentiated by type, but adds a level of detail to combat that feels almost miniatures like. In fact, the system is designed for easy conversion to miniatures. When one side has the initiative they decide when their combat phase occurs, without it, you don’t know when it will happen. Units have strength point steps, which are either “formed” or demoralized, and losses a taken point by point. Based upon the latest research into Civil War combat and tactics, units suffer attrition in both losses and demoralizations until they finally shatter and are removed from the map. There are two combat phases, each of which consists of two rounds of combat. Engagements are fluid, with retreats and advances setting up unexpected confrontations during the second round of combat.
Battle Hymnis a “player’s game” designed to play fast and provide lots of fun and historical insight. With scenarios taking as little as an hour, up to a full campaign taking eight hours, there is plenty of variety. The system is streamlined and does not have the complications seen in other games, such as logistics and leadership hierarchy. Here it is all about strategy, movement, and fighting.
Gettysburg: The Tide Turnsneeds no introduction as to subject, but the treatment is noteworthy. Using a graphics approach based upon the maps produced by the US Government after the war, the map is a pleasure to behold. There are six scenarios in the game, some of which have alternatives for additional variety.
Pea Ridge: The Struggle for Missourisimulates the decisive battle of Pea Ridge, which determined that Missouri would stay in the Union. It could have gone the other way. This is a classic meeting engagement with the Confederates on the offensive and outnumbering the Union for once. Optional rules include hidden movement and more randomization during combat (more historical and also simulates async computer play).
I love a good solitaire wargame. And one that deals with Operation Market-Garden and the British 1st Airborne is one that I am all in on. Recently, Compass Games announced that Combat! Volume 3: Arnhem was headed to Kickstarter and the game has funded but can still be pre-ordered. The game is the 3rd volume in the popular Combat! Series of solitaire wargames that focuses on man-to-man combat.
From the game page, we read the following:
Combat! is a solitaire game of man-to-man combat in World War II. This is the third game in the series of Combat! games that use the same system. This game introduces the British Armed Forces into the system. The game will focus on one of the most well-told moments in the long history of Britain. The fight for Arnhem Bridge. Players will use the actual British army forces that fought at the famed bridge and most hold at all costs.
This is a stand-alone game.
The game system uses a unique AI to make for intense combat situations as well as unlimited replayability. You will stand on the defense against a relentless foe. Can you hold on?
There are multiple scenarios covering several stages of the attack on the Arnhem Bridgehead.
8. Sniper Elite: Operation Kraken and Reprint from Rebellion Unplugged Currently on Gamefound
Sniper Elite: The Board Game is a hidden movement game based on the iconic video game series by the same name. In the game, one player takes the role of the Allied sniper, who is trying to make their way past the German guards by stealth or violence while up to three other players control squads of German soldiers, striking a balance between defending their objectives and hunting the sniper. The game is a very interesting and well done game that is very tense and difficult for both sides. We played it several times in one sitting with 3 players and had a great time.
Recently, I caught wind of a new campaign that added an expasi9on to the game called Operation Kraken. I was immediately interested and started to follow the campaign and have since backed the game.
From the game page, we read the following:
Designed by the legendary duo of Roger Tankersley (Resist!, Witchcraft!) & David Thompson (Undaunted Series, General Orders: World War II), Sniper Elite: The Board Game is a hidden movement game based on the iconic video game series.
The Ultimate Hidden Movement Game
Sniper Elite takes the popular board game mechanic of hidden movement to new levels of tension and strategy as the hunt for the sniper is constantly balanced on a knife edge. Being found and wounded only TWICE is enough to eliminate the Sniper and secure victory for the defenders. The steady escalation of both time pressure and noise tokens being added to the sniper’s Shot Bag mean that there is never a moment to delay.
“One Versus Many”
Played either as 1v3, 1v2, or simply 1v1 the sniper will always find themselves initially outnumbered as squads of soldiers and officers swarm the map. With careful planning the sniper can start to even the odds utilizing their trusty rifle, well-timed distractions, and brutal traps. It’s down to the sniper to decide when to stay in the shadows and when to “go loud” to complete their objectives before time runs out.
Dedicated Solo Mode
Sniper Elite and its expansions include support for a dedicated single player mode designed by Dávid Turczi, designer of Anachrony, Teotihuacan solo, and many more, and Noralie Lubbers. Each map comes with it’s own set of solo mode cards which control how the defenders move around the map and their methods of pursuit. In this tough test of wits a solo sniper must move quickly to dodge the patrols of an onslaught of German soldiers.
The crux of the Sniper Elite franchise is the hidden movement used by the sniper to move around the board to meet their objectives. They have the ability to move a certain amount of squares per round but do not have to move their full allotment. So, this means that the defending players can somewhat count the number of squares on the board from their entry point and at least keep an idea of about where they are at all times. Also, if the sniper ever takes a shot at the German guards, their location will be identified with a noise marker and then the German players will aggressively converge on that location. This doesn’t mean that they will automatically find the sniper as they have to continue to hunt and deduce where they hidden but it gives them an idea.
Sniper Elite is a really well put together game based on the hit video game and the designers took great care to insert the importance of hidden movement at the heart of the design. This is very much a game and I really loved the tension and strategic discussions that the players had together as the game unfolded. Just great fun this one!
As of June 1st, the Gamefound campaign has funded and raised £115,846 ($155,233 in US Dollars) toward its £25,000 ($33,750 in US Dollars) funding goal with 1,208 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, June 19th at 4:00pm EDT.
9. Line of Fire: Burnt Moon from Osprey Games
We love anything designed by David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin. They just know how to make a good game and his newest game is right up my alley. Line of Fire: Burnt Moon is a game set in the same universes as Undaunted 2200: Callisto but is its own game which is a 2-player card game that includes both deck-building and the concept of lane battling. Lane Battling is a new mechanic for me but has been used in lots of games. The concept here is that there are 5 lanes that each have a victors point value and players will fight to control them and the one who has the most VP’s at game’s end will win.
From the game page, we read the following:
Line of Fire: Burnt Moon is a two-player deck-building card game of machines warring across the volcanic surface of Io.
A group of black-hat hackers known as POSIWID plots to hijack the moon, Io, and hold the entire Jovian power grid to ransom. Standing in their way are the ultra-corporate LFA, the constructors of the lunar energy facilities. Both sides have engaged a fleet of ROV – advanced remotely operated robots to battle across the treacherous landscape.
The machines are activated. Initiate combat sequence. The battle for Io has begun.
Line of Fire: Burnt Moon is a standalone two-player card game that fuses the lean deck-building of the award-winning Undaunted series with fast-paced lane-battling. Sharp decision-making and clever positioning combine in a nail-bitingly tense, endlessly replayable, and tactical experience.
The art for this one is gorgeous and the packaging is also very nifty. I actually went and pre-ordered the game right after I was able to take a look at the game recently while attending Buckeye Game Fest. Part of that was because of the fact that this is a David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin design but also because I very much enjoy the Undaunted Series.
Here is a recent interview we did with David Thompson while attending Buckeye Game Fest where he talks about the game (Line of Fire: Burnt Moon discussion starts at 12:59):
10. General Orders: Sengoku Jidai from Osprey Games
General Orders is a neat little fast playing series of games that is a bit abstract but is a nice little strategic game that can be played in 30 minutes. David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin designed a simple game that is a worker placement wargame to simulate the struggles a commander has in attacking and defending against an opponent with limited access to various actions. The game is an area control game and players will have to work to control crucial strategic assets in the form of small tiles located in the middle of the board that unlock special abilities and deny your opponents from claiming their game changing abilities. My first few plays of General Orders: World War II, which is the first game in the series, was really pretty fun and is beautifully produced as well. I played this many times with my wife this past summer and she very much enjoyed it as well.
But now that series is taking the action to the Sengoku Jidai period of feudal Japan where Daimyo and Samurai fought for control of the countryside in the 2nd entry in the series called General Orders: Sengoku Jidai.
From the game page, we read the following:
Take command of feudal lords in tense battles for control during Japan’s Sengoku period in an exciting sequel to General Orders: World War II.
General Orders: Sengoku Jidai pits two competing daimyo against each other in a fight for control over crucial battlefields in 16th century Japan. Deploy your commanders to seize powerful advantages, secure valuable supply lines, and capture well-defended forts, whilst protecting your vulnerable HQ. This thrilling stand-alone game also introduces new strategic waterways, ships and devastating siege weaponry across two battle maps.
From award-winning design duo David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, this compact two-player game combines the dynamism of a wargame with the cut-throat decision-making of worker-placement games.
While this is a different game focused on a different time period, you can get an idea for the game in the following video review of General Orders: World War II that I shot with my wife after playing the game several times:
11. DOODLEBUGS! The First Week of Operation Eisbär, 1944 from Legion Wargames
Another great looking solitaire mini airwar game design by Steven Dixon has been announced in the upcoming DOODLEBUGS! The First Week of Operation Eisbär, 1944 from Legion Wargames. This is one of their smaller offerings and is definitely focused on an interesting aspect of World War II.
From the game page, we read the following:
DOODLEBUGS! is a solitaire game in which the player controls the British response to the V-1 rocket launches of Flak Regiment 155 located along the coast of France across the channel. Their target…London!
The game covers the first week of Operation Eisbär, which began on June 13, 1944. The game concludes after the last phase of the game is completed for June 20. The actual campaign continued until March 1945.
The goal of the player (playing the British side) is to prevent the Germans from gaining a victory, which would bring a tremendous propaganda coup for Nazi Germany.
Operation Eisbär started in full force on June 13. The Germans did launch V-1’s on 12 June but none made it to England, hence the game’s start date of June 13. Firings continued until Oct. 1944. Of the 5,823 V-1’s launched during the first month (until July 15) 2242 hit London. Aircraft were responsible for shooting down 925, AA 261, and the barrage balloons were responsible for 55 V-1 losses.
At its peak, more than one hundred V-1s a day were fired at southeast England, 9,521 in total, decreasing in number as sites were overrun until October 1944, when the last V-1 site in range of Britain was overrun by Allied forces. After this, the Germans directed V-1s at the port of Antwerp and at other targets in Belgium, launching a further 2,448 V-1s. The attacks stopped only a month before the war in Europe ended, when the last launch site in the Low Countries was overrun on 29 March 1945.
The aircraft in the game, while fast, could barely keep up with the V-1 making it difficult to sustain attacks against it, hence fighters can only fire once. Close range was preferred but it had its risks.
“We found the ideal tactics for destroying the menacing missiles to be crucially governed by the range at which we fired. Rounds shot from 250 yards or more usually hit the flying control system of the craft, which would then dive into the ground still with an active warhead. Opening fire from a range of 150 yards of less almost always clobbered the warhead which could severely damage the attacking fighter when it exploded. The best chances for success came when shooting between 200 and 250 yards, as from this distance you were reasonably certain of exploding the warhead in the air without undue damage to your fighter…” wrote Wing Commander Bobby Oxspring.
The AA batteries did not have proximity fuses. Once these started to come in from the US in the following month, AA kills began to increase and would surpass aircraft kills as time went on.
By the date in the game, it was pretty clear the Germans were going to lose the war. It was just a matter of when. What could have happened if the Germans were successful with Operation Eisbär was to see the Churchill government resign. If this had happened it would have been a tremendous propaganda victory for the Germans. But it would not have won the war for them.
The V-1 had several nicknames, the English called it a Doodlebug while the US called it a Buzz Bomb. The Germans may have called it a Höllenhund (hell hound), Kirschkern (cherry stone), or Maikäfer (maybug). V was short for Vergeltungswaffen (vengeance weapon). Its official Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) designation was Fieseler Fi 103.
If you are interested in DOODLEBUGS! The First Week of Operation Eisbär, 1944, you can pre-order a copy for $25.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_DDB.html
12. FALL OF BERLIN End of the Thousand Year Reich, 1945 from Legion Wargames
Looking for a big game in a small package? Well, look no further as Legion Wargames is putting out a new folio game called FALL OF BERLIN End of the Thousand Year Reich, 1945. The game comes with an 11″ x 17″ map, 176 counters, a 12-page rulebook and 5 player aids. This game is the 2nd game in the new Russian Front Series and looks really good.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Fall of Berlin, known as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviets, was one of the last major offensives of the European Theatre. It wasn’t the last battle but it certainly was the one that marked the end of the war in Europe.
The Americans had recently crossed the Rhine and Stalin was concerned that they might capture Berlin before him. To avoid this, he divided the command of the Berlin operation between Marshal Zhukov in the center and Marshal Konev in the south. This division of the operation effectively created a race between his two front commanders, as both Zhukov and Konev were eager to take credit for capturing the German capital.
The battle took a heavy toll on both sides. Around 81,000 Soviet Union soldiers were killed and another 280,000 were wounded. Up to 100,000 German soldiers were killed, another 220,000 wounded, and nearly half a million were captured. The city of Berlin was reduced to a pile of rubble with 22,000 German civilians were killed and over a million were homeless. The Battle of Berlin resulted in the surrender of the German army and the death of Adolf Hitler. It was a resounding victory for the Soviet Union and the Allies.
If you are interested in FALL OF BERLIN End of the Thousand Year Reich, 1945, you can pre-order a copy for $34.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_FOB.html
13. Trench Raid: Solitaire Patrol Command on the WW1 Western Front from Compass Games Currently on Kickstarter
This title looks to be really interesting and intrigues me quite a bit. A solitaire WWI design from a new designer that I do not know anything about. I like new and different and this looks to be both. Trench Raid: Solitaire Patrol Command on the WW1 Western Front is a new pre-order offering from Compass Games that was debuted early last month along with a bunch of other games that I am highlighting on this list.
From the game page, we read the following:
Trench Raid is a single-player game set on the Western Front in World War One. The player assembles a group of 10 raiders and plots their course on a map towards the enemy lines on the other side of No Man’s Land. With 12 different raid objectives and 20 random events that can take place during the crossing, no two playthroughs will be exactly the same.
The game also includes rules for campaign play — whether their raid was successful or not, the soldiers who make it back to their trench lines relatively unscathed will steadily get better at raiding, learning through experience how to survive.
Building a team of raiders, each with different attributes and benefits, plotting your course across the map and then trying to accomplish different objectives. And these scenarios play in under an hour. This one is very interesting looking and I cannot wait to learn a bit more about it!
As of June 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $15,267 toward its $2,500 funding goal with 186 backers. The campaign will conclude on Wednesday, June 18th at 1:13pm EDT.
14. Secession 1861: The American Civil War and The Armada from Fortress Games Currently on Kickstarter
Fortress Games, operated by Bob Phaneuf, is the maker of some very good and interesting solitaire wargames, of which I have played 20th Air Force: A Solitaire Game of the Strategic Bombing Campaign against Japan 1944-1945. They have 3 other published games though on interesting topics and recently announced a new Kickstarter campaign for 2 new games, 1 solitaire and 1 that is a 2-player game. The 2-fer has 2 different games that are kicking off new series. The first is Secession 1861: The American Civil War and the 2nd is The Armada.
From the game page, we read the following:
New games launch new game series! The Armada in Britannia Rules the Waves Series; Secession 1861 in 19th Century America Series.
Secession 1861 – you play as the besieged confederacy in this solitaire game, struggling to parry the powerful military, political and industrial strength of the determined North. Can you fare better than the doomed South? There’s only one way to find out.
The Armada – in 1588, King Philip II’s “Great Armada” sailed from Spain on a mission to subdue upstart England. That effort failed, and the Great Anglo-Spanish War of 1585-1604 saw naval and land battles stretching across western Europe, and English privateers raiding the Spanish Main. Choose your side in this exciting 2-player game.
As of June 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $2,247 toward its $5,000 funding goal with 26 backers. The campaign will conclude on Thursday, July 31st at 9:45am EDT.
New Release
1. Off the Line: Expansion #2 from Relative Range
We do love our tactical level games here at The Players’ Aid and this month Blue Panther, through its partner publisher Relative Range, is offering a new expansion game for one of their series to feed that interest. The expansion is called Off the Line: Expansion #2 and is an add-on to the Off the Line: Man-to-Man Combat During World War IISeries. This game focuses on the addition of the Italian Army and battles in Italy.
From the game page, we read the following:
From the Allied landings on Sicily to the heartland of the boot of Italy, this second expansion for Off the Line presents soldiers of the Italian army.
Players will find eighty individually named, rated, and armed soldiers ready to battle the enemy across six new double-sided maps and six new scenarios.
Also introduced is a new “sunken path” terrain type that adds protection to moving soldiers trying to make their way across the battle zone and on toward victory.
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.
2. No Such Blood: Two Tactical Simulations from the American Civil War:Smash ‘Em Up! The Battle of Belmont, Missouri – November 7, 1861and I Fight Mit Sigel The Battle of New Market, Virginia – May 15, 1864 from Homegrown Designs
Good looking games on the American Civil War have become much more welcome on our table over the past few years with Alexander’s current fetish with the topic, both on the gaming table and in his personal readings. A few months ago, I was introduced to a new to me company called Homegrown Designs who has a partnership with Blue Panther. Their newest offering is called No Such Blood: Two Tactical Simulations from the American Civil War:Smash ‘Em Up! The Battle of Belmont, Missouri – November 7, 1861and I Fight Mit Sigel The Battle of New Market, Virginia – May 15, 1864. The coolest part of this design is that it is a tactical system and I have not played that many ACW games at this level.
From the game page, we read the following:
“No Such Blood” combines two exciting battles into one package. The game concentrates on two key battles during the American Civil War:
Part 1: “Smash ‘Em Up” covers the Battle of Belmont, Missouri on November 7th, 1861. A game in two acts. In Act I, Grant, supported by a flotilla of transports and timberclad gunboats, must capture a Confederate camp staked along the Mississippi’s eastern shore. Act II begins with the Yankees ensconced in that same camp. But it has become a trap. A rebel force commanded by Leonidas “Bishop” Polk has ferried his army across the river and cuts the tether between the Yanks and their fleet. Grant has smashed his way into the box. Can he smash his way out as well?
Part 2: “I Fights Mit Sigel” focuses on the Battle of Market, Virginia on May 15th, 1864. U.S. General Franz Sigel’s objective was simple: descend the Shenandoah Valley and punch through any Rebels in his way. From there, a hard left and a jump of the Luray Gap would land him square on Lee’s flank. Only a scratch force of rebels, commanded by John Breckinridge, stemmed disaster. Defeat loomed sure, but the Rebs wielded a sword that Sigel could not parry: Cadets, youngsters in fact, from the Virginia Military Institute to lead the charge. Would their clan save the day?
Veterans of the “Huzzah!” System should reread the Series Rules (the Huzzah v4.0 Battle Manual) before jumping into the Introductory games. There are significant differences between versions 3 and 4.
If you are interested in No Such Blood: Two Tactical Simulations from the American Civil War:Smash ‘Em Up! The Battle of Belmont, Missouri – November 7, 1861and I Fight Mit Sigel The Battle of New Market, Virginia – May 15, 1864, you can order a copy for $54.00 from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/no-such-blood
3. American Revolution Tri-Pack #2 from GMT Games
After owning the American Revolution Tri-Pack #1 for a few years, we finally got it to the table a few years ago and played the Brandywine game. I really like tactical feeling games and this one is definitely in that genre as you are moving smaller typically regimental unit counters around the board. The Battles of the American Revolution Series is a long standing and well respected series of hex and counter wargames that portray specific American Revolutionary war battles. The series is designed by Mark Miklos and is published by GMT Games and there are a total of 10 Volumes in the series.
This system is very good, very playable yet provides the player a look at the way battles were fought in the American Revolution with enough crunch to keep you involved. Now GMT Games has released the the Tri-Pack #2, which contains three out of print volumes in one box (what a value) in Monmouth, Germantown and Newtown.
From the game page, we read the following:
GMT Games and designer Mark Miklos are happy to announce the long awaited and much anticipated second Tri-pack in the award winning Battles of the American Revolution Series. You spoke and we listened. Hundreds of players responded to polls conducted on various social media and other sites and the votes are in. You asked for Monmouth Courthouse, Germantown, and Newtown to be included in the second BoAR Tri-Pack and we are proud to bring them to you.
All games will feature hard-mounted maps and the deluxe, thick-cut counters that are the hallmark of GMT quality components. Player aids and rule books will be printed in color. Each game will feature all replacement counters that have been issued for it over the years so your sets will be the most complete and up to date available.
Just as was the case with the first Tri-Pack that featured Saratoga, Brandywine, and Guilford Courthouse/Eutaw Springs, players will get three titles that actually include four distinct battles with multiple scenarios. This package is a real value and an excellent way to complete or upgrade your collection. Tri-pack II will afford you hours upon hours of replay value as you chase the secret sauce of complete victory in these classic American Revolutionary War battles.
4. Great Battles of the American Civil War Volume IX: By Swords and Bayonets from GMT Games
The Great Battles of the American Civil War Series is a very well respected and interesting series on many of the major battles in the war. But, they are very detailed and crunchy games and always come with thousands of counters and many, many rules. It has frankly kept us away a bit, even though we like big games. But never fear, there is a new approach at work here and it is evident in their new GBACW game called By Swords & Bayonets.
From the game page, we read the following:
By Swords and Bayonets is a two-player, regimental level wargame and the ninth installment in the award-winning Great Battles of the American Civil War Series. Its focus is on small(er)-scale battles of the ACW and will serve as an ideal introduction for players new to the series. By reducing the size of the contending forces, players can more easily learn the detailed, layered rules and subsystems of the GBACW series without fear of being overwhelmed by the size of the battles themselves.
I am really intrigued by this approach by GMT Games with a few of their more venerated series (Battles of the American Revolution and their upcoming Small Battles games). An attempt to not simplify but to scale the games down to smaller battles will help with fatigue and learning curve for new player as they can play quicker scenarios to pick up the rules and get comfortable with the system and strategies.
The four battles being covered in the game include:
Big Bethel, June 10, 1861: Shortly after the onset of hostilities at Fort Sumter, the Union sought to quickly subdue the rebellion. Maj. General Benjamin Butler was dispatched to Fort Monroe, at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula with a force of mostly untested volunteers and an eye towards taking Yorktown. Standing in his way was an equally motley but highly motivated force under “Prince” John B. Magruder. Butler devised an overly ornate, complicated plan to fall upon a hastily constructed strongpoint built upon the banks of swollen Wythe Creek (which he did not even bother to lead into the field himself). After a pre-dawn friendly fire incident sapped the strength of their most veteran infantry unit, the two-brigade Union force pressed on and dashed itself against the dug-in Confederate force at Big Bethel. They were repulsed and driven back south to their camps at Hampton Roads and Newport News.
Mill Springs, January 19, 1862: A battle that helped seal the fate of both Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee. Local scions Maj. General George B. Crittenden and Felix Zollicoffer sought to exert control of the strategic Cumberland Gap through the war’s first winter and to buttress a line of forces spanning both strategic states that were still tenuously held by the Union. Crittenden ignored the advice of Confederate leadership and made a winter camp with his back to the Cumberland River. Sensing a chance to defeat in detail a large Union force under the command of Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas before he could be reinforced by the forces of Brig. Gen. Albin Schoepf, Crittenden and Zollicoffer force-marched their small division north from Mill Springs, hoping to fall upon Thomas in the cold, wet mists of a raw January morning. The battle was hotly contested, but in the end, Zollicoffer met an untimely end, and the Union counterattacked, driving Crittenden’s opportunistic force back down to the Cumberland and beyond.
New Bern, NC, March 14, 1862: In a strategic bid to keep the pressure up in the south Atlantic rebel states and to keep reinforcements from Richmond (then the subject of a major operation on the Virginia Peninsula), Major General Ambrose Burnside is sent on an amphibious expedition of his own. Ultimately, Burnside’s Expedition would prove more successful than the ill-fated Peninsula Campaign to follow that spring and summer. Burnside’s large division disgorged from the North Atlantic Blockading squadron and advanced north along the Atlantic and North Carolina railroad, where a vastly outnumbered, green force awaited under the command of Lawrence O’Brien Branch. His patchwork force manned a series of earthworks and breastworks spanning a mile into the interior of the lowlands west of the Neuse River, anchored by Fort Thompson at the coast. On a foggy, damp morning, the Union juggernaut attacks the entrenched line and finds a key weak point in the defensive salient, forcing a frenzied Rebel withdrawal towards the interior of North Carolina.
Rappahannock Station, November 7, 1863: In the aftermath of the pivotal battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, Robert E. Lee conducts a masterful retreat into Virginia, evading the pursuing forces of Union Major General George Meade. Determined to hold the Rappahannock River Line for the winter encampment, Lee’s forces built a defensive position on a hillock north of the river near Rappahannock Station, hoping to hold it and successfully defend the crossing at Kelly’s Ford, 6 miles to the southeast. The Union mounted a multi-corps level attack on the line, and the task of taking the hilltop bastion fell to General Russell of Sedgwick’s VI Corps. After a methodical advance to the river’s edge, Russell launched a dusk attack that not only captured the dug-in position but also cut off almost an entire brigade of Confederate Maj. General Jubal Early’s division, preventing them from retreating across a pontoon bridge that was the only crossing point over the Rappahannock.
5. The Bell of Treason: 1938 Munich Crisis in Czechoslovakia from GMT Games
I am really impressed with the depth of the designer pool at GMT Games right now. They simply seem to have game after game coming out that has a new, or newer designer attached, that simply seem amazing. Another game that is new is the third entry in the Final Crisis Series of games started with Mark Herman’s Fort Sumter that deals with a country’s decision during pre-WWII Europe in the late 1930’s about resisting invasion by a dictator and fighting back or accepting it and becoming less than they could be. This game is called The Bell of Treason and is designed by Petr Mojžíš.
From the game page, we read the following:
During the crisis period of 1938, Czechoslovakia underwent an internal moral struggle about whether or not to stand and fight against Nazi Germany, the consequences of which Czech and Slovak society have probably never fully come to terms with. The decision to concede the Sudetenland to Germany was a difficult one, and the merits of both sides of the argument are clear: pragmatically, there was little hope that Czechoslovakia could have survived a German invasion in 1938, but its spirit was still strong, and a decision to fight could have sent a clear message to the rest of Europe and altered the course of history. How did Czechoslovakia, with a proud, professional military and seemingly strong alliances with France and the Soviet Union, end up making this fateful decision to concede in 1938? The Bell of Treason allows you to relive the events in Czechoslovakia that led up to this decision and potentially change the course of history.
The Bell of Treason is a fast-paced, card-driven board game in which two players experience the existential crisis faced by Czechoslovakia in response to Hitler’s territorial demands. One player represents the ideal of trying to Defend the country, even without allies and at any cost. The other player represents the historically victorious ideal of agreeing to Concede the Sudetenland territory, in order to prevent bloodshed and hoping that Hitler’s demands would stop there. The game adapts the crisis modeling system originally introduced in Mark Herman’s Fort Sumter and then further developed in Fred Serval’s Red Flag Over Paris. The game does not make any judgment about whether it would have been the right choice for Czechoslovakia to defend itself in 1938, nor whether such a defense could, in any sense, have been successful. Instead, it allows you to experience for yourself this crisis period of 1938, which forever influenced Czechoslovakia’s path and the eventual course of World War II. The game can also be played solo, using an adaption of the innovative and elegant system originally designed by Jason Carr for Red Flag Over Paris.
6. The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King and Country from GMT Games
If you didn’t know we really enjoyed The Last Hundred Yards very much as well as Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe. The system is extremely interesting for a tactical game and uses some novel elements in regards to how victory points are scored including a focus on time and casualties. Really an excellent system! Now, even though there are 4 total volumes that have been released, the most recent Volume 4 The Russian Front, Mike Denson has forged ahead with the next entry called For King & Country, which gives us the British and Canadian forces to use in taking back Western Europe.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Last Hundred Yards Volume 5: For King & Country joins the Last Hundred Yards family as British and Canadian Forces retake Western Europe from German occupation. The pack contains ten/twelve Missions that occurred in 1944 during the Normandy landings and breakout phases from June through August and Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September. Players must own The Last Hundred Yards Volumes 1 and 2 to play Volume 5.
I really like the approach they are taking with this system by adding Mission Packs as well as products like this that work with previously released volumes to create a new experience.
In For King & Country, you will take the experience gained from Airborne over Europe and extend it to these British elite forces for airborne missions into Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden and behind the German lines at the Caen Canal in the dark hours before D-Day. The bridge was later renamed “Pegasus” in honor of the Red Devils’ mascot.
Enter into the decisive phase of the war and storm Juno beach with the new and untried Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. Push inland towards the Caen-Bayeux railway line and take the airfields at Carpiquet, against the initial counterstrokes made by the 21st Panzer Division. Finally, join operations aimed to take Caen with its vital road network and face the fury of the unbloodied 12th SS Panzer Division equipped with the best weaponry and equipment available, finally unleashed and sent forward against the invasion.
7. Conquering Hell: The Battle of Montfaucon, September 26-28, 1918 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 have a very interesting looking game on an American battle during World War I called Conquering Hell: The Battle of Montfaucon, September 26-28, 1918.
From the game page, we read the following:
Conquering Hell is a moderate complexity level game of the battle for the heights of Montfaucon during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The heights at Montfaucon dominated this sector of the German defenses, and taking them were crucial to the American Meuse-Argonne offensive that sought to breakthrough once and for the enemy’s Hindenburg Line. The US artillery conducted a three hour saturation bombardment that exceeded in ordinance weight all of that fired by both sides in the American’s Civil War, and cost over $180 million (over $1 million a minute). Much was at stake militarily and politically for this American-led offensive, as the war’s end was increasingly apparent for all of the combatants, and how any peace negotiations would be conducted, as well as who would be best suited to set the terms of any peace treaty, would in many ways be measured in the blood and treasure spent on this battlefield. Can you do as well or better than your historical counterpart?
Conquering Hell uses the same design as The Yanks Are Here! The Saint Miheil Campaign. Infantry units are Regiments, tank units are battalions, a hex is a third of a mile across and day represents six hours of time. The game is easy to learn/teach and true to the history. Like The Yanks Are Here! the Fighting Eagles game can also be linked so Conquering Hell so the air battles fought in Fighting Eagles have context and effects on the Montfaucon battlefield.
If you are interested in Conquering Hell: The Battle of Montfaucon, September 26-28, 1918, you can order a copy for $22.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/CH.html
8. A Battle, Furious, Bloody, Repulsive, Crimson, Gory, Boisterous, Manly, Rough, Fierce, Unmerciful, and Hostile from Hollandspiele
Another great series from the mind of Amabel Holland is the Swords & Shields Series. She just knows how to make very interesting games. A few years ago, we played With It Or On It which was the first game in the Shields & Swords Ancients Series. And this series uses similar concepts but is a bit different. Hollandpsiele is bringing this omnibus collection together so you can get all of the great games in the series in one place.
From the game page, we read the following:
This tenth anniversary celebration of the Shields & Swords Series of medieval battle games collects and revises scenarios from all nine previous games, and includes two new scenarios. A dry-erase map allows for twenty-four total scenarios, and leaves the door open for potential expansions in the future.
If you are interested in A Battle, Furious, Bloody, Repulsive, Crimson, Gory, Boisterous, Manly, Rough, Fierce, Unmerciful, and Hostile, you can order a copy for $70.00 from the Hollandspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/a-battle-furious
9. The Twelfth Battle – The Caporetto Campaign 1917 from Hexasim
Hermann Luttmann is a very prolific designer and he has been doing what he does for a while now. Many of his games are very good historical games but they also have a very playable element to them that attempts to replicate the various elements associated with combat including fog-of-war, fortunes-of-war and friction-of-war and does a great job of making these elements matter. Plus, Hermann is a good guy. I have met him at several conventions including Origins and Buckeye Game Fest a few times, played a few games with him and have had multiple interactions through the blog. Herm is really a great guy and a great designer! Recently, I caught wind of one of his new upcoming games called The Twelfth Battle, which is a solitaire wargame that simulates the Central Powers offensive in Italy that began on October 24, 1917, with an all-out assault around the town of Caporetto.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Twelfth Battle is a solitaire wargame that simulates the Central Powers offensive in Italy that began on October 24th, 1917, with an all-out assault around the town of Caporetto. Using gas and stormtroopers, German and Austro-Hungarian formations assaulted the Italian defensive lines along the Isonzo River and around the town of Caporetto, creating a huge breach in their positions. Hundreds of thousands of Italian troops, demoralized and fatigued from the first eleven attritional battles along the Isonzo, were made casualties or surrendered.
In this game by Herman Luttmann, you play as the German + Austrian-Hungarians against the system. The Germans have Storm Troopers and artillery but the Allies have some British and French divisions as backstops. (They never had to engage in real life). The Italians start with poor morale and are easily pushed back. However, as the battle progressed the Italians that remained were of a higher quality and the Central Powers supply line was over extended. The final defensive line ends up “in front of Venice” (but not really that close) and is dug in (it held in real life.) So overall it’s a near run thing.
10. World War II Solitaire: Echoes of War: (Right Handed Allied Edition) (Echoes of War Series) from Five Star Board Games
I love it when I find a new solitaire game offering from a new to me company and this month I was introduced to Five Star Board Games and their new game called World War II Solitaire: Echoes of War: (Right Handed Allied Edition) (Echoes of War Series) designed by Mark Wylie. This is a book wargame and all you need is the book, a pen/pencil and a single die.
From the game page, we read the following:
World War II Solitaire: Echoes of War: (Right Handed Allied Edition) (Echoes of War Series) puts you in command of the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union as you stand against the Axis war machine in a gripping solo experience. Spanning the years 1940 to 1945, this unique gamebook delivers 24 individual games, each a full strategic campaign of the Second World War, playable in just 30 minutes.
Don’t be fooled by the quick playtime—each game is packed with tense decisions, critical turning points, and historical flavor. You’ll face a relentless AI-controlled Axis (Germany and Japan) opponent that reacts and adapts, keeping the pressure on from every front.
Armed with only a pen and a single die, you’ll dive into a fast-paced world of strategy, sacrifice, and survival. No two games play the same, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Historical events are woven into gameplay, offering unexpected twists and hard choices. Whether you’re defending Stalingrad, launching D-Day, or racing toward Berlin, every turn challenges your leadership and changes the outcome.
This is not just a game, it’s a solo war campaign that captures the urgency and scale of the greatest conflict in human history. Simple to learn, tough to master, and impossible to forget.
Are you ready to lead the Allies to victory?
If you are interested in World War II Solitaire: Echoes of War: (Right Handed Allied Edition) (Echoes of War Series), you can order a copy for $29.99 from Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F92GHS1W
11. Point Blank: Winter Victory from Lock ‘n Load Publishing
While attending the World Boardgaming Championships in 2017, we were able to meet up with designer Sean Druelinger and play a prototype copy of his card game called Point Blank. The game was finally published in 2022 under the name Point Blank: V is for Victory and is a really good replacement for the classic WWII card game Up Front: The Squad Leader Card Game from Avalon Hill. Recently, we heard about an expansion to the game coming out soon called Point Blank: Winter Victory and I am happy to share that it is now ready for purchase. We did interview the designer Sean Druelinger in 2019 about Point Blank: V is for Victory and you can read that interview at the following link to get an idea about the mechanics of the game: https://theplayersaid.com/2019/09/09/interview-with-sean-druelinger-designer-of-lock-n-load-tactical-point-blank-from-lock-n-load-publishing/
From the game page, we read the following:
Point Blank: Winter Victory is an expansion for Point Blank: V is for Victory, bringing players to one of the most brutal and desperate battles of World War II—the Battle of the Bulge. In December 1944, amidst the coldest winter on record, German forces launched a massive offensive into the snow-covered Ardennes, aiming to break through exhausted Allied lines. As German armor and infantry surged forward, the Allied defenders fought desperately to hold their positions and counter the overwhelming attack.
This 1-2 player expansion introduces new units, terrain, weather conditions, map tiles, and scenarios that capture the harsh realities of winter warfare. The Tiger II (King Tiger) and the M4A3 Sherman tank join the battle, alongside fresh infantry squads, leaders, and support weapons. The expansion also adds snow and fog rules, creating new tactical challenges that demand adaptability and strategic foresight. New Airstrike mechanics bring the power of aerial bombardments into the mix, offering devastating new options for battlefield domination.
New Features in Winter Victory
❄️ Winter Warfare Rules – Harsh conditions like snow and fog impact movement, visibility, and combat tactics. Adapt or risk disaster!
🪖 New Combat Units – Deploy elite German and Allied forces, including:
The fearsome German Tiger II (King Tiger) – Heavy armor and firepower dominate the battlefield.
The American M4A3 Sherman – The workhorse of the Allied forces, maneuverable and reliable.
New Infantry Squads and Leaders – Both sides gain additional troops with unique abilities.
🌲 Expanded Terrain & Map Tiles – Featuring 45 double-sided map tiles, players can now construct varied battlefields, adding greater depth and replayability to each scenario. These tiles introduce:
Frozen forests, icy roads, and snow-covered villages affecting movement, line of sight, and defensive positioning.
Bridges, bunkers, and ruins that create choke points and strategic opportunities.
💥 New Airstrike Mechanic – Call in devastating air support to bomb enemy positions! Whether used for precision strikes or wide-area devastation, airstrikes add a powerful new layer of strategy to combat.
🎯 12 New Scenarios – Battle across historically inspired engagements, each with unique objectives, including:
Defend or Capture Strategic Objectives
Hold the Line Against the German Offensive
Survive Ambushes and Counterattacks in the Harsh Winter Conditions
Coordinate Ground Assaults with Air Support
🔥 Enhanced Tactical Gameplay – Continue the fast-paced, card-driven combat of Point Blank: V is for Victory, using:
Action Cards – Play Fire, Move, Assault, Rally, and more to command your forces.
Impulse-Based Turns (IGOUGO System) – Dynamic engagements where every move and counterplay matters.
🕹️ Solo & Multiplayer Options – Play against a human opponent, team up in partnerships, or take on the challenge solo using the AI-driven system.
⏳ Fast, Engaging Battles – Most scenarios can be completed in about an hour, offering an exciting and immersive experience.
The War Doesn’t Stop for the Weather
Point Blank: Winter Victory is an expansion that takes the Point Blank System to the next level with deeply thematic, historically inspired battles that test your tactical skills in one of World War II’s most grueling campaigns.
Will you break through the Allied defenses or hold the line against the German onslaught? The frozen Ardennes await—prepare for battle!
Requirements: This is NOT a complete game; to play, you need Point Blank: V is for Victory game to play.
12. Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars from Ingenioso Hidalgo
A new company on the scene recently is Ingenioso Hidalgo which was created by Paolo Mori. Yes, that Paolo Mori who has designed such interesting little wargames in Blitzkrieg! World War II in 20 Minutes, Caesar!: Seize Rome in 20 Minutes amongst others. He has partnered with Alessandro Zucchini on a new design, which is Ingenioso Hidalgo’s first game, called Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars.
From the game page, we read the following:
Designed with clarity and depth in mind, Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars features an elegant format, visually intuitive battle formations, a clean and responsive command structure that encourages meaningful decisions, and a fast yet tactically rich custom dice combat system. And most of all, it’s genuinely enjoyable to play. Enjoy the elegance of the format.
Choose a Battlefield Folder, open the map, and deploy your pieces in minutes. The inner side of the folder will double as game board for commanding your formations and tracking battle outcomes, as well as providing all the specific scenario rules.
Test your tactical skills with a dramatic command system based on the timing of orders for your units. Decide when commanding your infantry lines and artilleries, or when it’s time to give orders to one of your officers, or reorganize your unit ranks.
Get to know the nuances of a truly unique combat system, with three different types of special dice: for fire, assault, and for the most dramatic actions. No modifiers to remember: set up the most advantageous situation, roll the dice, and resolve the combat in an instant.
Change formation to your infantries according to your plans. Use columns to quickly occupy key positions, lines to fire upon enemy units, and squares to defend against cavalry charges. Enjoy maneuvering your units across the battlefield.
Explore all the battlefields! Once you’ve played and replayed the battles in this box, collect all the upcoming Battlefields folders. Experience small skirmishes and large decisive battles, each with its own special rules for a unique experience every time.
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 Catastrophe Games!
The Players' Aid 