My favorite time of the year is the holidays! Thanksgiving and Christmas are always such a great time with food, family, friends, football and games around the holiday table. Around this time of year I start to put my list together for Christmas Wargames for that special wargamer in your life. I am going to change up the title of this post though as this year, we have secured several participating publishers who have provided us with special discount codes for your use in getting these great games at a better price (we get no kick back or sharing of these sales). I will keep the same format however and I am going to present the list in a few different categories, featuring 2-4 games in each. The categories will include good old fashioned Hex & Counter (plus Block Wargames), Solitaire Only, Card Driven Games and Waro (Hybrid Euro Wargames). I will also throw in a few smaller format games and some wargaming supplies that can be used as stocking stuffers!
Once again we have secured holiday promotional codes with several publishers to offer a discount code ranging from 10-40% off the retail price of their great games! Merry Christmas! These publishers include Form Square Games, PHALANX, Nuts! Publishing, Capstone Games, The Dietz Foundation, Draco Ideas, Plague Island Games, Bellica Third Generation, Lombardy Studios, Neva Wargames, Tompet Games, Cadet Games, Solo Wargame, Columbia Games, Fortress Games, Flying Pig Games and Catastrophe Games. That is 16 total codes available to save you money while adding to your burgeoning collections. We thank these publishers for their participation and we hope you can take advantage of these deals.
Here are the participating publishers and their codes:
Capstone Games – TPA2025 for a $20 price for Watergate, Meltwater 2nd Edition and Match of the Century only good through December 10th.
Draco Ideas – TPA20 for 20% off everything on their site through December 31st.
Bellica Third Generation – B3GPlayersaid25 for 25% off everything on their site through December 31st.
Plague Island Games – PlayersAid20 for 20% off everything on their site through January 5th.
Catastrophe Games – Cancer2025 for 20% off at their online store only on Catastrophe Games items through December 31st.
Lombardy Studios – HOLIDAY2025 for 10% off regular prices for all of the products sold on LombardyStudios.com through January 15th.
The Dietz Foundation – PlayerAidXMas for 15% off their games through December 23rd.
Neva Wargames – TPA25 for 25% off Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth and Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages through January 7th.
Tompet Games – 20% off Halls of Hegra at the following link: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/tompet-games/tompet-games-store
Form Square Games – PLAYERSAID25% for 25% off all their games through December 31st.
Nuts! Publishing – TPA30 for 30% of everything on their stie through January 15th.
Cadet Games – 711493LL for 10% off their line of games through January 5th.
Solo Wargame – The discounts (anywhere from 35-40%) and will last until December 1st.
Lone Wolf: https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?discountId=9551ac2ebe
Operation Barbarossa: https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?discountId=96e53cabeb
Siege Works: https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?discountId=96e8023423
War In the Pacific: https://www.wargamevault.com/browse.php?discountId=96e2754ad0
Columbia Games – Free USA shipping over $149. Bundle of 3 Wargames at $149.98 for a limited time. Buyer chooses 3 games from around a dozen titles and saves a bundle!
And for those who can’t get 3 games, this special code will give free USA shipping for any order, even for 1 game. The code is: grant2025.
Fortress Games – playersaid10 for 10% off total purchase.
Flying Pig Games – HOLIDAY2025 for their sale that is good through December 25th.
Happy shopping!
This year again, we have a sponsor for this post in PHALANX, the maker of fantastic wargames such as U-BOOT, Hannibal & Hamilcar, Freedom!, Purple Haze, Total Domination, Iron, Blood, Snow and Mud, A Very Civil Whist, 1944: Race to the Rhine, Fire in the Sky and more. We have really never had a bad experience with any of their games and have really loved many of them!
They have a lot of great games upcoming and in the pipeline and we highlighted several of them below in the post (including Punica and 1920: Nest of Eagles) but they have many others that you should check out. You can follow the link to their Gamefound webstore by clicking the above image. Several of these games are still in the production process after successful crowdfunding campaigns and you can still get them for a discounted price
If you are interested, here are links for the previous year’s editions of this list:
One more thing before we get to the games. If you are looking for something different for your wargamer for Christmas, then check out our The Players’ Aid merchandise available from Spring at the following link: https://the-players-aid.creator-spring.com/?
You can find t-shirts, sweat shirts, coffee mugs, fleece blankets and die cut stickers featuring our very fashionable logo. We even have a few new offerings with a leopard print logo and some other goodies. Take a look!
So, with that business out of the way onto the games!
Hex & Counter + Block Wargames
The classic wargame that we all think of includes lots of counters and gorgeous hex based maps as well as those that use blocks. I have included 2 Block Wargames and 2 Hex and Counter Games.
Alliance: Multiplayer Napoleonic Wargame from Columbia Games
As you know, we very much enjoy multi-player wargames and anytime there is a new multi-player game coming out we very much sit up and take notice. In early 2024, Columbia Games launched a Kickstarter for a game on the Napoleonic Wars called Alliance: Multiplayer Napoleonic Wargame. Alliance is billed as a 1-7 player strategic level game of diplomacy and warfare in the Napoleonic Era with a Columbia Block System twist. The game is huge and plays best with more players. The players take on the roles of different nations during the time and you can play as Austria, England, France, Prussia, Russia, Spain, or the Ottomans. Earlier this year we played a full 7-player game and had a grand old time. While the game is not perfect, and there are some quirks that you must get past, the game is really pretty fun and interesting and could be one of those main staples at gaming conventions where you need a lot of players.
Here is a link to my First Impressions post and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/03/06/first-impressions-alliance-multiplayer-napoleonic-wargame-from-columbia-games/
I also wrote an entry into the Beautiful Boards of Wargaming Series and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/11/06/the-beautiful-boards-of-wargaming-alliance-multiplayer-napoleonic-wargame-from-columbia-games/
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
Here is a link to our video review:
If you are interested in Alliance: Multiplayer Napoleonic Wargame, you can order a copy from the following link: https://columbiagames.com/columbiablocksystem/alliance/
An Impossible War: The First Carlist War in the North, 1834-1838 from Bellica Third Generation
A beautiful and well produced game on the First Carlist War in the North of Spain (1834-1838), An Impossible War is a block wargame that also includes counters and cards. The main map (or Northern map) shows Navarre, the Basque Provinces and part of Cantabria, Burgos and La Rioja, and a secondary map that reflects the regions of the rest of the country, where Carlist uprisings break out and the expeditions sent from the North may operate.
The game creates a good simulation of the conflict. The historical background is what characterizes and differentiates our hobby from other board games and this one feels like you are immersed in a specific historical episode, and not just any indeterminate conflict. The game is also very playable balanced between sides.
We posted an interview with the designer David Gómez Relloso and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/07/14/interview-with-david-gomez-relloso-designer-of-an-impossible-war-the-first-carlist-war-in-the-north-1834-1838-from-bellica-3rd-generation/
If you are interested in An Impossible War, you can order a copy from the Bellica 3rd Generation website at the following link: https://bellica3g.com/en/product/una-guerra-imposible/
American Revolution Tri-Pack II (Monmouth Courthouse, Germantown and Newtown) from GMT Games
GMT Games and designer Mark Miklos have been going through the older volumes in the Battles of the American Revolution Series and doing these mega Tri-Pack packages that contain 3 of the out of print volumes. In Tri-Pack II, we get Monmouth Courthouse, Germantown and Newtown. All games in the package feature hard-mounted maps and the deluxe, thick-cut counters that are the hallmark of GMT quality components. While attending the World Boardgaming Championships in July this year, we had the chance to play Germantown with designer Mark Miklos and it was superb. Mark played as the British lead by General Howe and Alexander and I teamed up to play the Patriots commanded by George Washington.
The scenario was 10 turns and had a very interesting situation as one of the Patriot leaders named Major General Adam Stephen was drunk and in the game this is reflected with a random die roll to start each turn to determine which direction he would move his troops as there was a dense fog. Just such a. Interesting way to deal with this and frankly it killed us as he moved his troops into contact with other troops and they hit confused and opened fire and caused several panics. The troops retreated toward the north east corner of the map and opened up a large hole in our line that would ultimately be our undoing.
Ultimately the British held and my gambit with the militia to curl up the flank where the Hessians were failed as I couldn’t get enough Continental regulars to assist.
I very much love the way that BoAR models the troops of the time and really reinforces the differences between the professional British and Hessian troops versus the militia and raw Continentals particularly in the early battles in 1777 before they gained experience and the leaders caught up. We ended the night at around 10:30pm and thanked Mark fur his time. He is planning a special gaming event in 2026 in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is thinking it will be held at Camden in South Carolina. We are considering attending and will share more info as it gets closer.
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
Here is a link to our video review:
If you are interested in American Revolution Tri-Pack II (Monmouth Courthouse, Germantown and Newtown), you can order a copy from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1002-american-revolution-tri-pack-2.aspx
1920: Nest of Eagles from PHALANX
1920: Nest of Eagles is a 2-player wargame (with a three-player variant) that simulates the largest military operations of the Polish-Soviet War. It’s an intermediate complexity, hex-and-counter strategic-level game that features some pretty neat and fairly innovative concepts of lines of friction instead of traditional zones of control, focuses on reaction movement, and morale advantage that fit together to create a very interesting and dynamic experience. Both sides have access to unique and special units and deal with the torn loyalties of the Ukrainians, fighting on both sides of the front.
We actually sat down to play 1920: Nest of Eagles with CEO of PHALANX Waldemar Gumienny and had a really great time with the system. Soviet and Polish forces fight on a large area stretching from Kiev and Smolensk in the East to Warsaw and Thorn in the West.
This is a unique hex and counter wargame as there is a very interesting concept used called Lines of Friction, which mimic the effects of Zones of Control but are not sticky, and units simply have to use extra movement points when they come in contact with enemy units. This system creates a lot of interesting maneuver and makes movement a very critical part of the game.
Combat is simple and used a CRT that compares Attacker vs. Defender Combat Strength and then provides a specific to hit number that must be rolled less than or equal to on 2d6.
We only played 4 turns but got a good feel for the system and mechanics and will be playing this one again soon. It was very enjoyable and we found that simplicity of the combat system, when matched with the focus on movement and maneuver and the very interesting Lines of Friction, created a very dynamic game of back and forth attack and counterattack all while focused on lines of supply and strategically falling back to reform and hit again.
If you are interested in 1920: Nest of Eagles, you can order a copy from the PHALANX website at the following link: https://phalanx.co.uk/games/1920-board-game/
Solitaire Only
Solitaire Wargames are a real thing and they don’t mean that you don’t have friends. These games are specifically designed for one player and as such the games have a well developed AI running your opponent. I like solitaire gaming for many reasons, including the challenge as they are often very hard to win, going at my own pace and trying to strategize my way around the opponent. I chose 5 games here, with a mix of Print and Play and traditional offerings.
Okinawa: The Last Battle of WWII from Best with 1
I love a new and interesting way to tell the story of a key battle and I found a very interesting one called Okinawa: The Last Battle of WWII from Best with 1 earlier this year. This is a solitaire only game and for each game the player will draw four objectives from a possible 12 that you must survive and capture before time runs out. On your turn, the player will roll special dice and then spend those to take actions such as movement, attack and take special actions from different unit action cards that will be set up in a square from 1 to 10.
I think that the best part of the game is the concept of resource management as you have to use the diced appropriately to move and fight and also to manage your troops as you can upgrade certain cards as you pass the midway point of the round as well as when special actions are granted via the special resource chits. The game is about efficient of movement and doing the most with what you have.
The different units have various functions including attack, such as the Rifleman, Machine Gun Team and Sniper but also have secondary functions to remove the fog of war, heal your damaged units or gain additional resources.
In the end the game is about defeating the Japanese defenders while doing so in a set amount of revolutions around the rondel setup. This can be as few as 2 times around or as many as 4 and knowing when to use your resources to reroll your dice, as you either didn’t get the run of consecutive numbers you were looking for or just need a specific number, you will run out of resources quickly and you must plan them out as best you can to win the game. This one is really fun and I have played it about a dozen times winning about 70% of the time. The game plays in about an hour and the action is fast and furious and you are immediately beset by the staunch Japanese defenders and must act quickly.
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
If you are interested in Okinawa: The Last Battle of WWII, you can order a Print and Play copy from the Best with 1 website at the following link: https://bestwith1.com/product/okinawa-pnp/
The Pursuit of John Wilkes Booth from Blue Panther
A few years ago, while attending the WBC, I had the chance to meet Wes Crawford who was demoing his upcoming game Engine Thieves. He was a very nice guy and his game was pretty interesting as well. Since that time, he has another game that has been released designed in partnership with Ryan Heilman in The Pursuit of John Wilkes Booth published by Blue Panther. I had a chance to play the game solitaire (with Wes overseeing the game and giving me guidance and pointers) at WBC in 2024 and have since played the game on my own several times and had a really great time with it. Great little solo game with several other modes where the player uses resources like police and detectives to search for clues in the hunt for Lincoln’s assassin after the events at Ford’s Theater on the evening of April 14, 1865. There really is a lot to like with the way that clues are found and chits are blindly drawn to verify clues from a bag. There is also a great little movement mechanic with police and detectives to try to acquire more clues.
I know that this is not a traditional wargame but the topic is just so very interesting and the variety of modes you can play in is also very cool. I think that this one is a game that will stay in my collection for years to come and I think that you will enjoy the chit pull, use of your special Stanton Cards that give special events or actions and the way that the movement, searching and raiding works when you find Booth.
We were able to post an interview with Wes Crawford on the blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2024/12/03/interview-with-wes-crawford-designer-of-the-pursuit-of-john-wilkes-booth-from-blue-panther/
Here also is a link to our video interview after playing the game with Wes at WBC:
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
If you are interested in The Pursuit of John Wilkes Booth, you can order a copy from the Blue Panther website at the following link: https://www.bluepantherllc.com/products/pursuitofjwb
Siege Works: A Napoleonic Siege Roll & Write from Solo Wargame
Until a few months ago, I had literally never heard of the concept of a Roll & Write game. But, I started seeing these things pop up on Kickstarter from a new company called Solo Wargame and I was immediately intrigued as the topics for the games were so interesting and varied that I thought that there just might be something worth looking into. Since that time, I have played 2 of these Roll & Write games from Solo Wargame and really found that Siege Works: A Napoleonic Siege Roll & Write was my favorite. I say my favorite because who doesn’t like a siege game and a game set during the Napoleonic Wars is always fun!
Roll & Write Games are typically small and portable games, some are even Print ‘n Play games like Siege Works, that involve the player rolling dice and then marking the results on sheets of paper or sometimes erasable boards. These markings can mean several different things including goals being met, pre-requisites being completed or enemies defeated. The genesis or archetype for these Roll & Write Games is Yahtzee, where players roll a handful of dice looking for various combinations of results to mark off on their sheet that then score points in the end. But recently that game genre has started to include a bit more player agency and choice about how they go about reaching goals including dice selection from those that are rolled, choosing results that are needed at the time but may be less than optimal in the long run and in completing certain goals that will open the door for additional future beneficial options for the player. Don’t get me wrong. A Roll & Write Game is very simple and is not a traditional style of wargame with hexes, counters and Combat Results Tables. But the game tells a story of a siege and how it works. So I was initially skeptical about this form of game and just had to give it a try to see what it was about. I have actually played 2 of them and found them to be lite, fun and interesting. And Siege Works is a solitaire Roll & Write Game so I have played it by myself on my gaming table and had a good time with them.
The biggest plus to the game is the simple rules, easy setup and fast onboarding with learning and being able to get the game played. You can play this easily with a simple read of the rules and a bit of review of the Game Sheet before playing. The sequence of play is very good and easy to follow as well and I found that the game is pretty intuitive. My only issue with the rules was that I found that they sometimes needed just a few more words or an additional sentence for clarity. But this is combated somewhat by the fact that the rules contain a lot of good play examples for the different actions in the game.
Here is a link to my First Impressions post and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/09/16/first-impressions-siege-works-a-napoleonic-siege-roll-write-from-solo-wargame/
If you are interested in Siege Works: A Napoleonic Siege Roll & Write, you can order a copy from the following link: https://www.wargamevault.com/en/product/530416/siege-works-a-napoleonic-siege-roll-write?filters=40101_0_0_0&keyword=Siege%20Works
Shogun Solitaire from Worthington Publishing
I love the lot of Solitaire Travel Friendly wargames and have been been designed by Worthington Publishing. I have played many of them and one that was different, unique and very challenging was Shogun Solitaire. Shogun Solitaire is a card game where the player’s goal is to lead a coalition of four clans to unite feudal Japan. Each clan must secure three objectives within their territory to achieve unification under a single Shogun. To accomplish this, you’ll need to deploy armies in strategic combinations in the form of multi-colored suits, outsmarting and outmaneuvering your enemies.
These 3 objective locations are in the following order from bottom to top; Port, Village, Castle. There are 3 objective counters for each clan that start on the boards and are removed when they are seized. To do this each clan must seize the 3 objectives of its color on its board by matching 3 cards in a row of the same color and suit. This is not as easy as it sounds as you will have to deal with lots of difficult enemies including Ronin, Assassins and just plain bad luck and you must do this before your deck runs out of units.
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
If you are interested in Shogun Solitaire, you can order a copy from the Worthington Publishing website at the following link: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.com/collection/shogun-solitaire
Iwo Jima 1945 from Worthington Publishing
A few years ago, Worthington Publishing published their first game in the Island Fight Series called Tarawa 1943. That game was awesome and was truly difficult to win, as it should be. Now, they have published the 2nd volume in the series called Iwo Jima 1945 that covers the only island assault during the Pacific war that the attacking US forces would suffer worse casualties than the Japanese defenders. On February 19, 1945 the USMC would land 30,000 marines on the island against a Japanese defensive force that numbered roughly 21,000 Japanese soldiers. Facing a Japanese commander who had learned valuable lessons from the losses on other Japanese islands, the USMC would eventually land over 70,000 marines and suffer over 25,000 casualties during the 36 day campaign.
In this solitaire game, the player takes on the role of the USMC commander leading the invasion of Iwo Jima. The game system, driven by cards, will simulate the strategies of the Japanese defenders, often referred to as the Japanese AI, adding a layer of historical authenticity to your gaming experience. If you have played Tarawa 1943, you will be familiar with the system.
Key changes to Iwo Jima 1945 are as follows:
Iwo Jima’s play deck is larger than Tarawa’s. There are mountain positions on the island where the attacking USMC will roll 1 less attack dice. The USMC player is allowed to play any number of the cards from their hand during their turn. The other rules are almost all the same, and you can begin playing with just a brief read of them.
I have played this one about 10 times and have not even come close to winning. It is tough and the way the dice system for combat works it is truly difficult for the Marines to score hits quickly enough to make significant progress, which is how it should be.
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
If you are interested in Iwo Jima 1945, you can order a copy from the Worthington Publishing website at the following link: https://www.worthingtonpublishing.com/collection/iwo-jima-1945
Card Driven Games
The Card Driven Wargame uses cards to provide points to build and activate units and also provides historical events that effect things throughout the game. I chose just 2 games here using the mechanic.
New Cold War: 1989-2019 from VUCA Simulations
I love playing these large geopolitical tug of war style Cold War card driven games like Twilight Struggle, 1989: Dawn of Freedom, 2 Minutes to Midnight and others. The scope of these games is huge, as they typically deal with the entire globe and all of the different theaters of the Cold War, they deal with coups, and insurrections, major political upheavals and wars. It is always just so very interesting to see how the events that cover that 40 year period unfold and how they are all intertwined. Well the Cold War was finished in 1989 with the toppling of the Berlin Wall and things like Glasnost and the United States of America came out on top of the struggle.
But, there has been a new Cold War raging since then with some of the old players but with other rising powers as well such as China. That New Cold War is a very different animal and I am was interested when I heard about a new game called (you guessed it!) New Cold War: 1989-2019 from VUCA Simulations. I was very excited about the game because it was going to cover a 30-year period that I have grown up in and have a remembrance of many of the major events that are covered in the game. Things like the first Iraq War (which happened when I was a senior in High School), 911 (which happened when I was a new young father), and more recent events such as Brexit, the rise of the far right and others. I am just very much excited about a game that covers this period and I really am interested in how this game lives up to the hype that I have built up in my own mind. I have played New Cold War twice now, once last summer at WBC on a prototype board and the 2nd this spring while attending Buckeye Game Fest, and I am going to tell you that the game is very interesting and very good but I do have some concerns about a few things.
New Cold War is a game about geopolitics that takes place from 1989 to 2019. It begins with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and ends with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Players take the role of the great powers fighting for the new world order during this 30-year period including Russia, China, the United States and the European Union. China and Russia are referred to as the Red Bloc and the United States and EU as the Blue Bloc. The allied powers will each have to loosely work together by doing such things as exchanging cards, both working to move the Media Marker on the Social Media Track and discussing their strategy for control of each of the regions. But remember that there is only one nation that can win the game and this loose alliance will begin to deteriorate as the game wears on. The game lasts over a period of 9 turns and one of the things that I really liked about this structure was that the various parts of the game didn’t score at the end of each turn but when they do score is identified on the Turn Track. This causes players to have to plan for these upcoming scoring opportunities and can be a really great part of the game as you prioritize your limited cards and actions to achieve the goals that will help advance your individual score. There are two victory conditions in the game; when a power must declare two of the hidden Objectives on its agenda during the game or lead the victory point score at the end of the last turn of the game. The game is advertised as a 3 hour game and our game took about 4 hours as we were all still learning. Once you get it down, I can see the game taking 2 1/2 hours to play.
Our only real concern with the game was the aspect of competition and how difficult it is for say China and Russia to get a foothold outside of their realm. China just seems to be so handicapped, as is Russia, with their setup and limitations. In 2 games, I have seen the United States run away with the game and the EU is also very competitive in this respect. There was lots of discussion after our most recent game about the trouble of playing as the Chinese and the Russians as they have a lot to overcome and we wondered if they are possibly underpowered. China really has a tough time I think. More plays will reveal the strategies needed to overcome this aspect of the game but I do have some slight concerns about the balance.
I wrote a First Impressions style post on the game and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/05/09/first-impressions-new-cold-war-1989-2019-from-vuca-simulations/
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
Here is a link to our video review:
I also did an interview with the designers and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/05/19/interview-with-andoni-orive-and-igor-plaza-designers-of-new-cold-war-1989-2019-from-vuca-simulations/
If you are interested in New Cold War: 1989-2019, you can order a copy from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasims.com/products/new-cold-war
Congress of Vienna from GMT Games
We picked up Churchill back in 2014 when it first was printed. From what I could tell at the time was that it wasn’t getting a lot of buzz amongst board gamers on BGG and there were only 2 YouTube videos about the game where we could learn a little more (one from Mark Herman and his wife, the other from Stuka Joe). I realize now that I was wrong to a large extent about the presumptive popularity of the game. First, we had bought it while it was brand new so the buzz was just getting started in a major way. Secondly, Churchill is viewed by many as a wargame and as such many euro gamers are hesitant to give it the try it so rightly deserves. But the game system and what it is trying to do is just fantastic with its debating over issues, seeing those issues translate to action on the board in the further prosecution of the war and then the way that people work to coordinate their actions. Just a really solid system.
A few years ago, after playing all of the games in the Great Statesmen Series, we heard of a new game in the series from a designer not named Mark Herman and I was immediately interested and intrigued as we have had so much fun with Churchill, Pericles and Versailles 1919. Congress of Vienna from GMT Games is a diplomatic card driven wargame based on Churchill and is the 4th game 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 of the struggle between the Napoleonic Empire and the coalition of Russia, Austria, and Great Britain with their Prussian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish allies. We played the game recently while attending Buckeye Game Fest and then played a full campaign again while attending the World Boardgaming Championships and absolutely were amazed at the changes and innovations to the system introduced by the designer Frank Esparrago.
I really feel like the combat system is very easy to use and takes into account everything a wargamer expects from a Napoleonic battle at a grand strategic level. This includes the influence of the overall military and the effects of a generals’ performance with ground, auxiliary, cavalry and artillery, including coordination between corps. But this is just lumped together and doesn’t include a lot of unnecessary detail or calculations to complete to finish a battle. Its just add up all of the DRM’s and then each side rolls 2d6 and adds them together to determine the number of losses that are printed on the battle chart.
I would say that the game is very involved and will take a few plays to really get comfortable with. I don’t want anyone to take this to mean that the game is overly complex and difficult to play. That is not the case. It is a very approachable system and game once you get the basics down through the play of a few turns. I would also say that there is a ton of differences and asymmetry with the nations and learning all of them well and understanding their tactics will take some time. But that is a good thing in my opinion and means that there is depth to the game and replayabilty is huge.
One other aspect that really surprised me was the game end and how it possibly changed history. In our 2nd play recently at WBC, I was playing as the British and during Turn 9 really worked hard with the French player by trading him his best combat cards and other French cards to help him out all the while trying to get what I needed to move up on the fronts. I was most concerned about the prospect that both Russia and Austrian with their combined central front forces would easily break into Paris and gain a significant amount of VP’s. We also both negotiated hard to keep the Generalissimo issue from landing on either Russia or Austria’s track as we wanted to deny them the opportunity to combine their forces to crush Paris. It worked and France was able to win a battle driving the forces back and keeping them from being able to enter Paris. To this end, as we worked together, I really thought about what that meant for the game and the history and decided that it makes perfect sense as we picked over the dying carcass of the French Empire. I loved this aspect of the game and our combined efforts and if we dug deep enough, or better yet, were in those rooms during the negotiations would find that those type of back channel deals were being floated out there but not necessarily being recorded for history’s sake.
I wrote a First Impressions style post on the game and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/08/06/first-impressions-congress-of-vienna-from-gmt-games/
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
Here is a link to our video review:
I also did an interview with the designer and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/08/17/interview-with-frank-esparrago-designer-of-congress-of-vienna-from-gmt-games/
If you are interested in Congress of Vienna, you can order a copy from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1167-congress-of-vienna-2nd-printing.aspx
Waros (Hybrid Euro Wargames)
Waros (from the fusion of the words “war” and “euro”) are games which can be described as a fusion of a Wargame and a Eurogame. Waro games include aspects of both types of games, including the use of colored wooden cubes to represent forces and the use of cards. I focus on 4 games, 2 designed by the duo of David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin, a classic from Catastrophe Games and a new one from our title sponsor PHALANX.
Line of Fire: Burnt Moon from Osprey Games
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.
The decks consist of different types of units that borrow the same roles and concepts from Undaunted where there are units that can scout, units that can control and units that can build fortifications. The players will place their units from their deck into the board in lanes and attempt to either capture the lane, and then defend them later, or attack the enemy Inuits in the same lane. No dice are used in combat resolution so it is deterministic and I actually thought that was an interesting choice for this design.
The art is gorgeous and the packaging is also very nifty. I actually went and pre-ordered the game right after he showed it to me. Part of that was because of the fact that this is a David Thompson & Trevor Benjamin but also because I very much enjoy the Undaunted Series.
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
Here is a link to our video review:
If you are interested in Line of Fire: Burnt Moon, you can order a copy from the Osprey Games website at the following link: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/line-of-fire-burnt-moon-9781472867186/
General Orders: Sengoku Jidai from Osprey Games
General Orders: Sengoku Jidai is a Worker Placement Wargame designed by the dynamic duo of David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin. The first game in the General Orders Series was called General Orders: World War II. The game system uses very interesting mechanics like worker placement to take actions and deny them from your opponent. The game is fairly simple but is very well done and creates an interesting and tense struggle over a short 30 minute playtime.
I played that game with my wife Paisley and when the follow-up was announced, and it was set during the Sengoku Jidai of Feudal Japan, I was immediately interested. Recently, Alexander and I played General Orders: Sengoku Jidai together and had a great time with it. The game involves deploying commanders in the form of hexagonal shaped cylinders onto the board in order to control objectives but also to use actions that are printed in the spaces in order to advance on territories, bombard enemy units and control the various waterways on the board. Supply lines are very important in the game as you cannot control an area unless you can trace a line back to other friendly territories and your capital but don’t bog the game down with complex rules. There are a few new additions to the system in the form of ships and their control of waterways as well as special siege engines that are used when assaulting castles and the game was very fresh and interesting.
The game is very simple but has some strategic depth to it as you have to consider your options with your limited actions as you have either 5 or 6 depending on what side of the dual-sided board you are playing, how best to go about taking the areas you want to control, particularly the special bonus objective tiles that improve your basic actions of advance, sail, bombard and shell and when to take back the initiative to create a double move opportunity from the end of one turn to another. I feel that this game really takes into account the theme of the age, and includes lots of great art by the talented Tanner Staheli, to create a truly Japanese like experience with the game. For a fun and lite game on the time period, I would definitely recommend General Orders: Sengoku Jidai.
Here is a link to our video review:
If you are interested in General Orders: Sengoku Jidai, you can order a copy from the Osprey Games website at the following link: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/general-orders-sengoku-jidai-9781472869791/
Punica: Rome vs. Carthage from PHALANX
This last game is a real gem. And it is just gorgeous with such fantastic art and graphic design. Set during the Punic Wars (264–146 BC), Punica: Rome vs. Carthage allows players to command either Rome or Carthage in a contest of military might, territorial dominance, and cunning card play. The Romans seek steady expansion through disciplined ranks and sheer persistence. Carthage relies on its wealth, maneuverability, and the daring tactics of generals like Hannibal Barca. Both factions feel distinct, with asymmetrical starting positions and access to different regional advantages on the map.
Punica is an area control and hand management game, which plays in 20-30 minutes. The game is designed to give a strategic look at the Punic Wars with simple rules and a fast playtime.
I love the combat mechanic as players play cards from their hands that add the value of the cards to the final combat score from 0-6 but also have events that can do things like bring in reinforcements, retreat before resolution and even move troops on different areas of the board to other areas. Just a very slick combat system that is very uncertain.
The victory conditions are to conquer the opponents capital OR control any 3 of your opponents areas OR kill all of their units on the board. That is another key to the design is you cannot replace losses or add more troops. Each side has what they’ve got at start. This one is a nice lite game and we enjoyed it greatly!
If you are interested in Punica: Rome vs. Carthage, you can order a copy from the PHALANX website at the following link: https://phalanx.co.uk/games/punica-rome-vs-carthage/
Zurmat from Catastrophe Games
Long ago, I was told that if you want the truth you go straight to the horses mouth! Well, in a wargame, the horse is usually a veteran who participated in that war or battle and in the case of Zurmat the designer was there and has a very interesting and unique take on the war in Afghanistan.
Zurmat (named for a district in Afghanistan) is a well designed two-player game played across month-long turns with players trying to achieve their commander’s objectives while always trying to gain control of the peoples’ hearts and minds. Each month/turn begins with a random event, then the Coalition player takes their turn, followed by the Taliban player. Each turn you will take an action and play cards. The game ends when winter arrives. Since winter cards are part of the deck of random events, the exact ending of the game may not be known until perhaps even the last turn of the game.
The really great part about this design is how you take those actions. You cannot just select what you want to do, you have to “pay” for it and as you take an action it goes to the end of the line and the cost is greater than you can afford turn after turn. This represents the command and logistical issues of the war and really creates an interesting experience where players have to really think about their plan of attack.
The game is an area control style game where each side is fighting over the control of tiles that form the map. Some of these tiles are worth more than others and sometimes what you need to do that game is unknown to your opponent and you have to hide your intentions while going for what will score you the most points. You will also draw random soldiers or supporters from a bag and place them and sometimes what you pull has no value and simply act as decoys.
Here is a link to our preview video:
If you are interested in Zurmat, you can order a copy from the Catastrophe Games website at the following link: https://catastrophegames.net/zurmat/
Stocking Stuffers
Here are some additional smaller format games and items that are ideal for “Stocking Stuffers” or small gifts for your beloved wargamer:
Empire of Grass from White Dog Games
Empires of Grass is a solitaire game about the conquests of Genghis Khan (sometimes spelled, phonetically, as Chinggis Khan). You play the role of the Khan who subdues, first his steppe rivals, and then the “civilized” nations beyond the great grass steppe.
We posted an interview with the designer and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/09/08/interview-with-david-kershaw-designer-of-empire-of-grass-the-conquests-of-genghis-khan-from-white-dog-games/
Here is a link to our unboxing video:
#Manuever Warfare from The Dietz Foundation
#Maneuver Warfare is about two things: turning Marine Corps maneuver warfare doctrine into something tangible, and providing Marines—and hopefully members of other military services, and non-military players—with a simulated environment in which they can explore the problem sets of modern and future warfare.
We posted an interview with the designer and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/interview-with-ian-brown-designer-of-maneuver-warfare-from-the-dietz-foundation/
Counter Trays from Cube4me.com
We are always on the lookout for good quality counter trays to assist us in taming our unruly components in our wargames. Recently, we became aware of Cube4me and looked into their products. They have customized trays for several main stream wargames.
Here is a link to our review video of the product:
Here is a link to the Cube4me website: https://cube4me.com/
AEGIS Counter Trays from Flying Buffalo Games
We have been very impressed with the quality and size of these newer counter trays and have started buying almost all of our trays from Flying Buffalo Games from Amazon. These come in a 5-pack and they are very deep and hold a bit more counters than the typical GMT Games counter tray. Their lid sometimes pops off if you have the compartments too full so be aware of this or you might have a mess on your hands!
Here is a link to order the trays from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Buffalo-Organizers-Collection-AG_0001/dp/B09ZYPBB2D
Oregon Laminations Deluxe Counter Clipper – 2MM
As you know, true wargamers who have taste and are refined always clip their counters. It keeps them neat, tidy and they look much better when battling it out on the game board. We recommend the Oregon Laminations Deluxe Counter Clipper 2 MM and you can get one for $60.26 from our friends at Noble Knight Games at the following link: https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147679505/Counter-Clippers—Deluxe-Hand-Held-2mm-Radius
Dice Towers (with The Players’ Aid Logo) from Neva Wargames
Neva also is offering 3D Printed Dice Towers that are really, really nice….and the best part is that they are customizable with removal logo panels. They even have a deal with us and offer The Players’ Aid logo as an option.
The Dice Towers come in 3 beautiful colors (blue, red and green) and each looks great with our logo and complements the color scheme well.
You can purchase a Dice Tower from the Neva Wargames website at the following link: https://nevawargames.com/product/dice-tower/
You can also purchase one of the removable plates at the following link: https://nevawargames.com/product/dice-tower-cover-the-players-aid/
Peck Labs 3-D Printed Storage Solutions
This is a new to us product and we have a few sets sitting at home that arrived just a few days ago but Peck Labs does a fantastic job with their storage solutions. Here is a summary of their offerings:
Peck Labs started when trying to store components to GMT’s Fields of Fire: Deluxe Edition. Noting the obscene number of counters in the game and realizing counter trays could never hold such a thing, we embarked on our 3D printing and design journey.
Our aspiration is to provide usable, durable storage components for games, with a particular area of interest on wargames and heavy euros. We especially love GMT Games.
You can purchase any number of sets at the following link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeckLabs?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
In the end, no matter what presents you received under the tree or even whether you celebrate Christmas or not, both Alexander and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have plenty of quality time to spend with friends and family, while staying safe and healthy, and are still able to get to roll some dice and consult some CRTs for the holidays! We feel extremely grateful for our associations with many of you, even though we have never met, and we consider each of you as members of The TPA Army and count you are friends! We have been extremely blessed in this venture of ours to share wargames with the masses and cannot believe that we have been doing it for nearly 10 years now!
-Grant
The Players' Aid 
Thanks Grant!
Hope Santa brings you some great games!
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