Old School Tactical VOL IV on Kickstarter NEXT WEEK! First pledgers get a game for $1 USD
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Flying Pig Games
Old School Tactical VOL IV on Kickstarter NEXT WEEK! First pledgers get a game for $1 USD by Flying Pig Games The portable porcines are ...
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Flying Pig Games
Old School Tactical VOL IV on Kickstarter NEXT WEEK! First pledgers get a game for $1 USD
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Flying Pig Games
Red Blitz An Expansion for Old School Tactical Volume 1 Second Edition by Flying Pig Games Flying Pig Games should have really used hog ...
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Flying Pig Games
Red Blitz
An Expansion for Old School Tactical Volume 1 Second Edition
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Flying Pig Games
'85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires by Flying Pig Games The aeronautical porcine is at it once again. This time they take us to Afgh...
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Flying Pig Games
'85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires
by
Flying Pig Games
The aeronautical porcine is at it once again. This time they take us to Afghanistan in the 1980s. This is when the USSR tried their hand at pacifying that country. For Russia to have control of Afghanistan had long been a part of their strategy. England and Russia played the 'Great Game' for it during the 19th century. Now the USSR tries to see if they can do better than the Tsars. This is the second game in their Squad Battle Series. The first was '65 Squad Level Combat in Vietnam, which has earned some very deserved kudos from the wargaming public.
"’85 Graveyard of Empires is the second game in the Squad Battles series. Building on the mechanics introduced in ’65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, Graveyard of Empires (GoE) features squad-level battles between the Afghan Mujahideen and Soviet Red Army in a card-driven, hex and counter game."
"GOE introduces card-activated events, immersive helicopter rules, more tactical decisions, new powers and abilities, and of course beautiful counter and game board art. The counters are 1” or larger (for the vehicles) and the game board hexes are huge. Included are counters for Mujahideen RPG and RPD teams, rifle squads and heroes, as well as captured T-55 and BMP armored fighting vehicles. The Soviets respond with Spetsnaz, line rifle squads, heroes, Hind-24 attack helicopters and several types of AFVs, such T-55, T-62 tanks, BMPs, BTRs, and more."
To add to the game, you can also buy an add-on that allows you to play solitaire.
The soaring swine have some of the largest and beautifully made games in the wargaming world. I urge you to take a look at this and all the others they have to offer.
Robert
'85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires -A Squad Battles Game by Mark H. Walker — Kickstarter
A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition/Reprint | Flying Pig Games
Fatherland: The Long Road Expansion by Flying Pig Games For some unknown reason whenever I look at the title of this expansion, I am alwa...
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Flying Pig Games
Fatherland: The Long Road Expansion
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Flying Pig Games
For some unknown reason whenever I look at the title of this expansion, I am always reminded of the Nazis singing Die Wacht am Rhein in the movie Casablanca. Which, of course, is then followed by the Marseilles being sung by the rest of the patrons in the bar.
I cannot do a rundown of the history behind the game because luckily it did not happen and hopefully never will. You will however get to test the different NATO and Warsaw Pact armaments from 1985. The biggest addition to the NATO forces in the game are:
10 - Leopard II tanks
10 - Leopard I tanks
10 - Marder (not the World War II variety) The 1985 Marder was equivalent to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It possesses a 20mm automatic cannon and also carries Milan anti-tank missiles.
1 - Tornado multirole aircraft
2 - PAH-1 helicopters
10 - Panzergrenadiers
You also get three of the last units of Jagdpanzers to be designed after World War II: the Jagdpanzer Kanone 90mm, plus several other vehicles.
These are the only rule changes when playing this expansion:
As a member of Nato, West German forces use the American/NATO Action Cards.
Armed Mobs do not count against stacking restrictions.
Armed Mobs will never attack West German units.
The West German player may control Armed Mobs that are generated in a hex containing a West German Combatant.
The West German player may control Armed Mobs after a West German Combatant moves into their hex.
Armed Mobs controlled by the West Germans assume the morale of the best West German unit in the hex.
So, in this expansion Flying Pig Games have gone for the straight military World War III simulation as far as units. There is no Yog-Sothoth unit, or any other nightmare added to the mix. This does not mean that they do not show up in some of the six new scenarios that this expansion brings to the table (literally).
Fatherland comes with a new mounted map. It also contains a full counter sheet of those beautiful one-inch counters that came with the main game, The Long Road. So, now you can see how the Bundeswehr would have matched up against both Soviets and Vampires etc.
This is a great add on for an excellent game. This is a piece from the rules of The Long Road:
"So that is the twist, a wargame with paranormal elements. Make no mistake, I’ve strived to make this an accessible, yet accurate wargame. Included is everything from advanced sights, multi -spectral smoke, artillery-delivered minefields, to electronic counter measures, anti-tank guided missiles, attack helicopters and the man-portable, air defense systems required to bring them down. You’ll command the weapons of the time; Abrams tanks, T-80 tanks, M60A3, T-64B, and Sheridan tanks. Bradleys, M-113s, BMPs, infantry, spetsnaz, and more."
Now we can add to the mix a lot of West German troops and armaments. What is there not to like? Plus, we will get the grognards arguing about which one is better, the Leopard II or the M1 Abrams. The game system used is Mark H. Walker's Platoon Commander Deluxe. Which if you have not played in some version, I think you should check it out.
Thank you, Flying Pig Games, for allowing me to review this expansion.
Robert
Flying Pig Games:
Fatherland: The Long Road Expansion:
The Long Road | Flying Pig Games
My Review of The Long Road:
Mark H. Walker's The Long Road World War II... With a Paranormal Twist by Flying Pig Games Normally, I will start with some history o...
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Flying Pig Games
Mark H. Walker's The Long Road
World War II... With a Paranormal Twist
by
Flying Pig Games
Normally, I will start with some history of the battle or war that the game I am reviewing is about. In this case, World War III never happened at this time. However, we also have some interesting additions to this modern-day warfare tactical game. So, I will let Flying Pig Games take the helm. This is their write up about the game:
"The agents of those powers might be nothing more than a special ops team of mysterious origin sent to assassinate a world leader, nothing more than a militia, ambushing foreigners raping their mother country; nothing other than normal. Then again, they might be other than normal, or—by definition—paranormal.
So that is the twist, a wargame with paranormal elements. Make no mistake, I’ve strived to make this an accessible, yet accurate wargame. Included is everything from advanced sights, multi-spectral smoke, artillery-delivered minefields, to electronic counter measures, anti-tank guided missiles, attack helicopters and the man-portable, air defense systems required to bring them down. You’ll command the weapons of the time; Abrams tanks, T-80 tanks, M60A3, T-64B, and Sheridan tanks. Bradleys, M-113s, BMPs, infantry, spetsnaz, and more.
But of course, war isn’t won by equipment; war is won by soldiers. In The Long Road soldiers’ training and morale is integral to the game, integral to combat resolution. But even more important than the rank-and-file grunts are the heroes. The men and woman who can - turn the tide of battle. We’ve included them too. People like Mike Hudson, Colonel Adrik Aleksandrov Shabalin, tank commander Sergeant Matt Dahl, and Commissar Colonel Elena Petrova. Heroic humans, but humans, nonetheless.
But there is something more. Somethings that are not "humans nonetheless." Demons that summon electrical storms, rendering advanced weaponry nearly useless, Lycan clans that fight with assault rifles, RPDs, and RPGs, as well as the fang and claw of their elders. A witch with an agenda, plus the powerful spells to make it happen, and of course, Katarina Ubirek; an amoral Romanian vampire worth dozens of inexperienced soldiers in combat. You know those things that you have read about, watched in movies, heard about on horror podcasts? Well, in The Long Road they are real.
But not every scenario contains nightmares. Sometimes you’ll fight with/against/in spite of these paranormal beings, yet often your battle will be about nothing more than depleted uranium rounds, reactive armor, maneuver, and massed fires. In fact, we include a separate scenario book in the game titled Long Road Tactics that includes nothing but historical, for lack of a better word, scenarios.
So that is The Long Road; part military horror, part authentic recreation of World War III, but all fun. We hope you enjoy it."
According to the Floating Porcine this was the game that The Long Road was based on. It was from Tiny Battle Publishing. |
So, there you kind of have it. World War III with Vampires, Zombies, Lycans, and Witches. I think Mr. Walker has been watching too much of the Underworld series of movies (although they are very good). Now, Vampires, Lycans and Witches are my kind of people. However, I am not a fan at all of the Zombie movies and its attending craze. Apparently, in my mind I can grasp the idea of the undead sleeping in their coffins to rise every night but cannot grasp walking corpses coming out of their graves to shuffle off to Buffalo. Oh well, let us see what the game comes with:
7 sheets of thick (2mm thick), large (1" square, large) counters.
3 MOUNTED 17” x 22” map geomorphic boards. Not paper, not stiff cardboard, but rather 2mm-thick, wrapped and backed mounted game boards.5 sheets of thick (2mm thick), large (1" square, large) counters.
72 full-color Action Cards in two decks. The game isn't card driven; it's card assisted.
6 Over-sized Monster Champion Cards
Full-color Rules Book
2 Full-color Scenario Books
2 Player Aid Cards.
5 ten-sided dice for resolving combat.
A quarter ton of scenarios.
"A quarter ton of scenarios". Do yourself a favor and got to Flying Pig Games and read their information about each game. Mr. Walker has a bit of a sense of humor, and it shows in each one.
Combat between 'regular' forces |
So, before we get into the mechanics etc. of the game. Let us look at the components.
The maps are muted in color. You might think that this might make them boring to look at. That is not the case at all. The colors match perfectly with Armageddon being fought, especially with the likes of Lycans and Vampires added to the mix. The three maps give the player a good amount of different terrain to fight on, with the added fact that more than a few scenarios only use one map. The counters are the usual Flying Pig Counters, which is to say, they are extremely large, thick, and come with excellent artwork. Their size makes that incredibly easy to read. Even though there is a good amount of information on them they do not look 'busy'. You might be tempted to use the counters to steady a table leg because they are so thick. The counters also come pre-rounded and are desperate to remove themselves from their sprues. There are two decks of thirty-six Action Cards. The first deck is used when only fighting with 'normal' units. The other deck is used for the Actions of the paranormal units. Both decks' artwork again shows Flying Pig Games attention to detail and wonderful choice of color and scenes. There are also six oversized cards that show the abilities and attributes of the paranormal Champions. The Player Aids are made of hard stock and in full color. One is single-sided and has the Sequence of Play and the Turn Record Track on it. The other one has the different tables used on one side and the terrain chart on the other.
The Rule Book is thirty-nine pages in length. It is in full color and the type is large. The actual rules take up twenty-nine pages. Then there is a look at the individual Action Cards. Next up is a three-and-a-half-page Sequence of Play and Rules. On the back page is the index. These are always helpful. The Campaign Book is the main part of the game. It has eighteen scenarios that take you through the story. Naturally, each of them can also be played separately. If you are not in the mood for the paranormal, the Tactics Book will be right up your alley. This is eighteen pages long. It comes with a total of ten scenarios. Six of these are the US versus the Soviets. There are also two scenarios that use the East German troops. The last two scenarios are meant for solo play. The first one contains zombies, but the second is you commanding Soviet forces against US forces.
Everything that comes in the box is produced to the high standards of all of the Flying Pig Games I have ever played.
The US forces go against the Lycans |
This is the Sequence of Play:
"2.1 DETERMINE INITIATIVE
Both players roll 1d10. High roll wins the initiative. In the
case of a tie during any rolls or rerolls the rolling stops
and the player who DID NOT have the initiative the
previous turn is given the initiative. Unless the first turn
initiative is delineated in the scenario, reroll all first turn
ties. Either player may reroll the number of times
allowed by the Focus marker in the Initiative box (see
3.1).
2.2 DRAW ACTION CARDS
During the scenario setup, draw the designated number
of Action Cards from the draw pile after both sides have
set up their forces. During this phase on subsequent
turns, each player draws the scenario-designated
number of cards from the pile. The player with initiative
draws all his cards first. Cards may be played when
appropriate, but no more than two cards may be played
per player, per turn (exception Winds of War 1.6.1).
2.3 RALLY PHASE
Both sides may attempt to rally disrupted Combatants by
rolling 1d10 for each Combatant and comparing it to the
Combatant’s morale. If the number is less than or equal
to the Combatant’s morale, it rallies. The Soviets have a
morale of 3. The Americans, Lycan Clan, and Vampire
Coven have a morale of 4. Zombies have a morale of 2.
Other forces’ morale will be identified when introduced.
The play of Action Cards may alter the die roll. The
player with the initiative rallies his or her Combatants
first. Combatants in cover (i.e. would receive a favorable FRT
shift from any incoming fire originating from an enemy
Combatant) and/or Combatants not in the Line of Sight
of an enemy Combatant, or within the LOS of an enemy
Combatant, but not within at least long range of said
Combatant and not adjacent to or in the hex with (it
happens with Zombies) an undisrupted enemy
Combatant, add 1 to their morale. That’s 1 total, not 1
per instance.
The above bonus only occurs DURING THE RALLY PHASE,
not when attempting to negate a hit in the Fire Phase. In
the Fire Phase, targets receive shifts on the Fire Results
Table to reflect the cover that they have.
Zombies never Disrupt, so they don’t need to rally.
Helicopters automatically rally.
2.4 FIRE PHASE
Players ALTERNATE attacks as per the rules for Fire
Combat (4.0). The player with the initiative executes the
first attack. When neither player wishes to execute any
further attacks, the phase ends. Mark firing Combatants
with a Fired marker unless utilizing Gun and Run (4.1.1).
2.5 MOVEMENT PHASE
First one side, and then the other player moves all their
Eligible Combatants that they wish to move. The player
with the initiative determines who will move first. Note
that unlike the Fire Phase, the players do not alternate
moving Combatants. One side moves ALL its Combatants
and then the other side moves ALL of its Combatants.
Mark moved Combatants with a Moved marker unless
using Overwatch (4.1.2). Opportunity Fire may be
conducted by Eligible Combatants during the movement
phase. Mark Combatants that Opportunity Fire with a
Fired marker.
2.6 CLOSE ASSAULT PHASE
Non-disrupted adjacent Combatants that are not marked
Fired may initiate Close Assault. Players alternate
declaring and resolving Close Assaults. A Combatant may
only conduct one Close Assault per phase, but may be
the target of numerous Close Assaults. The player with
the initiative declares and resolves the first Close
Assault.
Note that Lycan (actual werewolves “L”), Vampires
(actual vampires “V”), and Zombies attack from the
same hex as their target is located. Specific Abilities may
alter these rules.
2.7 HOUSEKEEPING PHASE
In this, EXACT order:
1. Remove Out of Ammunition Markers on
undisrupted units without a Moved or Fired
Marker on them (4.2).
2. Remove all Fired, Moved, Blast, Overwatch, Run
and Gun, and Electronic Counter Measure (ECM)
markers.
3. Remove Smoke 1 markers (8.1.5).
4. Flip Smoke 2 markers to Smoke 1 (8.1.5).
5. Determine refugees’ status and movement.
(12.0), create Armed Mobs.
6. Consolidate Zombies (12.1).
2.8 AID AND FOCUS PHASE
Place, flip, move, do nothing, and remove Aid and Focus
markers as designated in the rules (3.0).
2.9 ADVANCE TURN MARKER
Advance the turn marker to the next turn."
The game rules are based on Mr. Walker's Platoon Commander Games. The story is based on two books that he has written:
Dark War: Revelation
Dark War: Retribution
The Campaign Booklet follows his characters from the books as they face this new world.
I love hex and counter board games. I also love role playing games. Most of the time they both have warfare in them. An RPG does not just have a battle(s) as the primary mover of the game. There is a story to be told. In this hex and counter game there is also a story to be told. So, I was a little bit reluctant to dip my toe in these waters. It was like having the worst part of your meal touching the best part on the same plate. It is just not done. My foray back into wargaming during the last several years has introduced me to all of the newfangled ideas that designers put into wargames. Most of them have been different ways to play a wargame as in card-driven, AI bots, and a host of others. The Long Road is definitely a real mix of both the genres. Once I started to look at the monsters as just different weapons or soldiers, the game clicked for me. Of course, even if you do not take the leap of faith that I did you can still play The Long Road as a straight up tactical wargame. Just like its older siblings in the Platoon Commander series it plays extremely well. All of the newer weaponry that was available during the 1980s is here for you to play with.
Here are a few of the Champions |
The Champions are very strong, but they are not as strong as say Dracula in the movies. The designer has given them the right amount of power. Without having the correct Action Card Lycans cannot just attack a tank. If, however, you use the 'Ferocity' card then they can wreak havoc on even an armored vehicle. They can use the Action Card 'Panic' to disrupt their enemies. Zombies are a bit of a dull bunch. Fear and panic do not enter their failed brain cells or as Mr. Walker writes "They are too stupid to care." Naturally they have a chance to turn troops that they have bitten.
Some of the normal weaponry/ordinance Action Cards are:
Airstrike
Counterfire!
Artillery Barrage
For the Motherland
Double Time
Spetsnaz
KGB
If you have played Platoon Commander Deluxe Kursk from Flying Pig Games, then you already know most of how it plays. To represent the new nature of the conflict compared to World War II many parts have been added. Tanks being able to move and shoot at the same time, Helicopters, and Civilians are among some other things that rules have been added for. If you are a connoisseur of Flying Pig Games, then the choice has already been made in your mind. Even if you are looking for a straight up World War III matchup then this is your game. I cannot recommend this game highly enough. It is deep enough for thinking and easy enough for just fun. How many other games have B-52 strikes in them?
There is also an expansion for the game called 'Fatherland' which gives you West German units of the Bundeswehr to command. It comes with a new map, counters, and six new scenarios. I will be doing a review of it shortly.
Robert
Flying Pig Games:
Mark H. Walker's The Long Road: World War III... With a Paranormal Twist:
The Long Road | Flying Pig Games
This is the website on Amazon for Mark H. Walker Books:
Amazon.com: Mark H. Walker: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition by Flying Pig Games The big guy is back in the ring. Flying Pig Games has a Kickstarter for A Most F...
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Flying Pig Games
A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition
by
Flying Pig Games
The big guy is back in the ring. Flying Pig Games has a Kickstarter for A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition coming out on October 26th. If you remember, this has a gorgeous map that is FIFTEEN SQUARE FEET in size. The unit counters are also very large at 13/16". Below will have the Designer Notes from Hermann Luttmann. I will also throw in some pics. Without further ado:
"GAME CREDITS
Game Design: Hermann Luttmann
Publisher: Mark H. Walker
Game Developers and Testers: Claude Whalen, Stephen Poitinger,
Zeke Conover and Fred Manzo
Map Art: Rick Barber
Game Counters and Aids Art: Jose Faura
Rules Layout: Guillaume Ries
DESIGNER’S NOTES
Thank you so much for purchasing and playing A Most Fearful Sacrifice! It has been quite a long, grueling process to get this project tested and finished … but it was indeed a labor of love. I have to first thank the individuals you see listed as the Game Developers and Testers. This group of gentlemen is the most dedicated, talented, and valuable team of gamers with which I have ever worked. They have been tireless in their efforts to test every aspect of this design and their contributions and observations have made this a much better game than I could have created on my own. So, my utmost thanks to all of them! I also want to thank Mark Walker and Flying Pig Games. They are a terrific company for which to design, and Mark is a wonderful guy who has also become a good friend over the years.
I know many of you are saying … “Why another Gettysburg game?”. Well, honestly … why not? This is the iconic American Civil War battle and when taken in its entirety, it is a fascinating study in command, strategy, and tactics. It also tells some of the most heroic - and most tragic - stories to emerge from the annals of military history. The conduct of the battle and the myriad possibilities of how it could have evolved are fascinating topics to explore in a wargame. Overall, the consequences of the Battle of Gettysburg and its reverberating effect on the conduct of the remainder of the American Civil War cannot be understated and thus it has drawn warranted attention in the gaming world.
Ultimately, the decision to do the entire battle was an easy one to make. We felt that we had a good core system with The Devil’s To Pay, which is essentially an upscaling of the Blind Swords system. But I did not want to do just an expansion to that game (which covers only the first day of the battle) for a number of reasons. Such an expansion’s footprint would have to be quite large in order to cover both the second and third days of the battle. In addition, the extra rules required to handle a multi-day battle would essentially have made the expansion larger than the original game. No – we needed one epic design to handle all three days and that’s what we set out to do.
The system used for A Most Fearful Sacrifice is basically the same as used in previous games in the Blind Swords family, but because of the grander scope of the battle I needed to re-design the activation system, or the game would take way too long to play. Thus, was born the idea of converting from chit-pull to card-draw mechanics. Not only is it microseconds faster to draw a card than pull a chit, but more importantly, actual game information can be included on a card, and this results in a huge time saver – no more hunting for a rule or event effect on a chart or in the rulebook. Also, by switching to activating units by Corps, this cuts down severely on the number of cards that need to be drawn. Instead, an extra layer of player decision making was incorporated into the concept of the player needing to set up each Corp’s “Division Priority”. This certainly adds an additional element of command and speeds up gameplay at the same time. Other mechanics were also re-designed and tweaked to maintain just as much “crunchy” detail as before but with less effort. All in all, we feel that Black Swan is the ultimate ACW grand-tactical game system, and we hope you agree.
Finally, we’ve designed thirteen scenarios of varying scopes so that players can explore every portion of the Battle of Gettysburg in detail. There are small and medium scenarios covering just snippets of the battle’s narrative (and these obviously require shorter swaths of playing time) or you can experience all three days in a “grand battle” extravaganza so players can explore all the strategic options for both sides. However, you choose to experience this game, we hope that you ultimately enjoy it. Once again, thank you for your kind support and good gaming!"
Hermann
Flying Pig Games:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition/Reprint | Flying Pig Games
Kickstarter for the 2nd Edition:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice -Second Edition by Mark H. Walker — Kickstarter
A Most Fearful Sacrifice The Three Days of Gettysburg a Hermann Luttmann Game by Flying Pig Games Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Acquita...
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Flying Pig Games
A Most Fearful Sacrifice
The Three Days of Gettysburg a Hermann Luttmann Game
by
Flying Pig Games
Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Acquitaine in 'The Lion in Winter': "There'll be pork in the trees come morning".
Do not ask why, but I love that quote and I believe I have put into every Flying Pig Games review I have done.
So, we are looking at the 399th game on the Battle of Gettysburg, and why exactly are we? Many have made the argument that had Lee won the battle the Civil War would be over. This has to be taken with a grain of salt. Armies during the Civil War were never destroyed by battle. You must also add in the troops (50,000+-) that were in forts around Washington. Even with the horrific losses that both sides suffered during the three days of Gettysburg, the war still continued for two years. Yet, we wargamers and designers are pulled like a moth to the flame by the mere mention of this insignificant Pennsylvania town. There are three battles that have always been the highest on the list as far as games made about them: Gettysburg, The Bulge, and Waterloo. The one thing that Gettysburg has over the other two is the historical seesaw action that took place. Both sides have a chance to win the battle outright. A designer does not need to play with the victory conditions on a Gettysburg game. So, let us "Cry Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war" once more on these Pennsylvania fields.
Most of us will have at least a few maps etc. that were made by Richard Neil "Rick" Barber in our game collection. What some people may not know is that Mr. Barber was also a very good game designer. He even designed his own magnum opus on Gettysburg called 'Summer Storm'. You can easily see that the map was one of Mr. Barbers. The other interesting thing about Summer Storm was one counter/artwork that he included with the game. He has a counter with a zombie looking dead Jackson for use in an alternative history scenario. The reason I mention Mr. Barber is because we wargamers lost a giant in our hobby with his passing. As a matter of fact, A Most Fearful Sacrifice is dedicated to him (very nice touch, Flying Pig Games). There is even a card with his portrait on it included with the game. The monster map that comes with AMFS is a testament to his genius and artistry.
Some of the beautiful map and counters |
This is what comes with the game:
1 – Full color rulebook
1 – Full color scenario Book with THIRTEEN scenarios. Nine use one of the two maps, four use both.
2 – Game Maps totally FIFTEEN SQUARE FEET of gaming goodness
4 - Sheets of a total of 352 13/16” (that's big) counters
1 – 5/8” counter sheet (176 counters) for the admin markers
90 - Cards to activate corps, initiate planned events, trigger unplanned events and create fog of war.
1 – Player Aids
2 – large, 11" x 17" Command Displays
6 – Dice (2 red, 2 black, 2 white)
Another map and counter close up |
This is a blurb about the game form the Portable Porcines themselves:
"A Most Fearful Sacrifice is an epic two-player wargame with over 15 square feet of playing area and 526 playing pieces depicting the fighting that occurred during all three days of this decisive clash. The game utilizes a new ACW operating system called the Black Swan system, which is closely related to the popular Blind Swords game system first introduced in the game The Devil’s to Pay! by Tiny Battle Publishing. This version of the system is specifically designed to handle larger-scale battles yet keep rules overhead low. Players can simulate huge encounters in a reasonable amount of playing time. This is accomplished in one way through the use of card draws rather than chit pulls. Also, players will trigger activations by Corps instead of by lower-level formations, but they still have tactical decision-making choices by needing to determine which Divisions get activation priority. Though at a grander scale, this system maintains a tactical feel about it and still emphasizes the three “FOW’s” of war … the Fortunes of War, the Friction of War and the Fog of War. Players will be challenged to deal with a constantly developing battle situation, never quite sure of what the Gods of War will throw at them, and thus they must always be prepared to deal with historically realistic “black swan” events."
Confederate Cards |
The box itself weighs a good amount. I did not bother to weigh it, but you could use it for curls as a warmup weight, if you are in shape. Since the game was released, the map has garnered every form of adulation available in the English language, some others also. A mounted map this large is a rare breed indeed. A map that was done with such artistry is also exceedingly rare. Then add in all of the incredible details put onto the map and you have a map that you can only use the phrase c'est magnifique! about. There are some other things in the box, but who cares look at that map, said slightly in jest. The 13/16"counters are 'big huuuge' (a phrase one of my sons used to describe anything larger than himself). The pictures on them match the rest of the components, but do not hide any of the information needed for the player. The fact that the troop illustrations on the counters are historically correct does help with immersion. If they wore Zouave uniforms, it is there (Yay! for my Louisiana Tigers). The artillery also shows the correct cannon that the unit possessed. They come pre-rounded for those who have psychological problems with corners. They come off the sprues with no hint of cardboard tags on them. I think they hired Uri Geller to pull off that stunt. The 5/8" counters are your standard squares. The information on them is plainly visible for anyone but the most myopic. The game comes with three Command Display foldouts in hard stock (two Union, one Confederate). These are nice and large. The three Player Aids are also hard stock. They are: The Scenario Setup Guide, Terrain Effects Chart, Combat Results Table etc. They come on two sided sheets. The only real knock on the presentation of the game is the very small writing on the Player's Aids. Flying Pig Games has developed larger sheets that are available for download on their site. I will have the link below. The Cards have the cover picture on the front and the information needed is large and easy to understand. The Rulebook is thirty-two pages long with a full index. The rules are only just over twenty-four pages long. It is in full color and has plenty of large sized examples of play etc. The type is also large sized. The Scenario Book has thirteen scenarios in it. These have pictures of the map to help with placement. Again, it is in good sized type and easy to follow. The Confederates do not have a necromancer handy so there is no variant for a Jackson brought back to life. There is a 'Reynolds Lives' variant for the two Grand Battle Scenarios.
Flying Pig Games was nice enough to send me the Kickstarter add-ons to the game. These include three Union and three Confederate die. Next up is a large pack of Flying Pig Games card sleeves and a very nice mouse pad with some of the map around Gettysburg with some Union units. Then comes four 14" border strips. There are two Union and two Confederate of these strips. I spoke too soon about the absence of a necromancer. You get five cards to show Jackson at the head of the Second Corps. So, he is just replacing Ewell.
Jackson Cards |
We can talk all day about the other components, but there will still be the elephant in the room. Once the map is out on your table it immediately becomes the center of attention of the whole room. Yes, it is that good. However, you will not see a picture of the entire map in this review. You would need a cathedral ceiling and a drone to get the full map, but you would not be able to see any of the magnificent details.
Confederate Counters |
This is the Sequence of Play:
"A Most Fearful Sacrifice is played in a sequence of Game Turns, the actual number of which is determined by the scenario being played. Each Game Turn represents about one hour of time and is broken down into a series of consecutive Phases. Each Phase must be completed before proceeding to the next Phase. A Game Turn is played following the standard Sequence of Play:
1. Advance Game Turn Marker Phase
2. Command Decision Phase
3. Preliminary Bombardment Phase
4. Card Draw Phase
5. Activation Phase
a. Order Step
b. Fire Combat Step
c. Movement Step
d. Assault Combat Step
e. Rally Step
6. End Phase"
Union Counters |
I am a self-proclaimed Hermann Luttmann groupie. He could probably design a game about volleyball, and I would have to have it. As was mentioned, AMFS has been created around his new Black Swan rules. The rules went to cards instead of picking chits. Although, in actuality it pretty much serves the same purpose. The most important thing to remember about these rules for us budding generals, instead of just the complete hit or miss of chit pulls you can get a myriad of different outcomes. You might be able to activate an entire corps, or it will just sit there. On the other hand, you could get a result to be able to activate one division. You could possibly only be allowed to activate one brigade. Take a look at this from the rules:
"No Orders: No units are activated.
• One Brigade –or- One Hex of Artillery: The player may
activate only one Brigade of his choice from the Division
or all Artillery units from the listed Artillery Brigade that
are stacked in the same hex (this includes all Artillery units
arriving as Reinforcements at the same hex).
• One Brigade + One Hex of Artillery: The player may
activate only one Brigade from the Division plus all Artillery
units from the listed Artillery Brigade stacked in the same hex
(including all Artillery units arriving as Reinforcements at the
same hex).
• Division Group + One Hex of Artillery: The player may
activate all units of the Division but each Brigade must be
assigned the same Order (see G-2). In addition, all Artillery
units from the listed Artillery Brigade stacked in the same hex
(this includes all Artillery arriving as Reinforcements at the
same hex) may also activate.
• Division Group + Artillery Brigade: The player may activate
all units of the Division but each Brigade must be assigned
the same Order (see G-2). In addition, all Artillery units from
the listed Artillery Brigade may also activate (regardless of
where they are located).
• Division By Brigade + Artillery Brigade: The player may
activate all units of the Division but may give each Brigade of
that Division its own Order and activate it separately. Players
may opt to substitute the Division Group result (above)
instead if they would rather have the Division operate in
unison with one Order. In addition, all Artillery units from the
listed Artillery Brigade may also activate (regardless of their
location)."
Like I said, a myriad of possibilities.
The game has been described as card activated, but not card driven. Movement Points depends on the Order assigned to the unit/units. Learning to maneuver your troops by using the rules is probably the part of the rules that will take longer to understand or use effectively. Remember, when looking at this and some other rules, Mr. Luttmann was going for playability and not making a simulation game. I think he succeeds in juggling between historical accuracy and great gaming perfectly.
Confederate Border Strip |
Union Border Strip |
This is the epitome of a 'playable monster'. There are games that are meant to recreate the battle of Gettysburg down to every Minie Ball. This is not one of them. You do not have to keep track of spent ammo. There are no printed off sheets to keep a tally of casualties. Hell, there aren't any facing rules. Sometimes it is great to lose yourself in a twenty-pound rulebook. I know the feeling well. If you cannot play a wargame without minutiae, then this game is not for you. If you have to count every artillery shell on hand, again you can live without this game. However, if you want to play a really big, beautiful game and actually remember your first moves without looking at your notes, do I have something for you. The game rules and cards give you more than your fair share of 'friction'. The action is tense and furious. Can your troops make that one more charge, or are they truly spent? It seems to the player that behind every enemy unit there is a Chamberlain waiting to pounce. You will make grandiose plans to see them dissolve like sand at the beach. The game has leaders' abilities, or detriments, but they are not present on the field.
Union Counter up Close |
Thank you, Flying Pig Games for letting me review this modern masterpiece. Some games are beautiful, and they just sit on your shelf. Some other games will get played all the time. The fact that nine of the scenarios only use half of the map will help a lot of players with having the game on the table. Despite its size, you will not need to have it sit there for three months before you finish playing it. If you have looked at the game and said, "I do not have the room", or "I do not have the time", guess what? You have both. It has actually sold out, but they are going to do another Kickstarter for the game. Do yourself a favor and buy it this time. It deserves every bit of the hype the game is getting. Please take a look at the rest of Flying Pig Games offerings while you are at the website.
Robert
Flying Pig Games:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice:
A Most Fearful Sacrifice | Flying Pig Games
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