Norman Conquests 

Conflicts of the Normans and Their Successors 1053-1265

by

GMT Games

 The Nordmannorum, or Normannorum, (either has been used in Latin texts), burst forth from the north of Europe or Hell itself, according to the Roman Catholic Church. These were the people who went 'a Viking' (Viking actually being a verb and not a noun) all across Europe and some of Asia and North America. The first Northmen raid is usually listed as taking place in 793. From that one raid, a hurricane of death and destruction was unleashed. The southern Europeans did not really have any way to counter them. So, it became rather commonplace to offer them land and riches in return to defend the coast against others of their brethren. The Northmen would then become baptized and join the status quo. The most recognizable of these areas is the aptly named Normandy. Men of Iron Volume V follows through these Northmen to their sons, grandsons, and beyond. 

 The Men of Iron Series is composed of this game and four others:

Men of Iron - Warfare in the Middle Ages

Infidel - The Supremacy of Cavalry in the Crusader Era 11th - 12th Century

Blood & Roses - Battles of the War of the Roses 1455 - 1487

Arquebus - The Battles for Northern Italy 1495 - 1544

 GMT Games released a tri-pack of the first three games Men of Iron, Infidel, and Blood & Roses. Unfortunately, the first printing sold out, but it is on their P500 list for reprint.

Close-up of the front cover

A portion of the back of the box

 These are the battles that come in Norman Conquests:

Civitate 18 June 1053 – Normans from Sicily and southern Italy clash with the Pope and allies.

Fulford 20 September 1066 – Norwegians (Vikings) come to lay claim to the English throne. Saxon nobles raise their levy and give battle in northern England.

Stamford Bridge 25 September 1066 – Saxon King Harold II hurries north and catches the Norwegian invaders with their pants down.

Hastings 14 October 1066 – Saxon King Harold II hears of the Norman invasion of England and rushes south. Facing off with William, Duke of Normandy, on a hill in the south of England, Harold learns that arrows are pointy.

Tinchebrai 28 September 1106 – Lacking primogenitor, two of William’s children battle over his legacy. King Henry I of England and Robert, Duke of Normandy, face off in Normandy.

Lewes 14 May 1264 – King Henry III, great-great-grandson of Henry I, and a coalition of his Barons clash over Baronial rights.

Evesham 4 August 1265 – Edward (later Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots) fights Simon de Monfort to free his father King Henry III.

 Of the seven included battles, three of them are about the year 1066 and the two different invasions of England one by the Norse under King Harold Hardrada, and the other from Normandy under William the Bastard, soon to be William the Conqueror. The first battle, Civitate, might seem surprising to some. We are used to reading about the Popes and the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperors meeting on the field of battle, or at least their followers. Robert Guiscard was not the leader of the Normans against the Pope at Civitate, but he was the one that won the battle that led to the Pope's capture. Robert was also the father of Bohemond of Antioch who figured so prominently in the First Crusade. Bohemond also has a big part to play in the other Men of Iron game Infidel about the battles in Outremer during the Crusades.

 The next battle, Tinchebrai, has two of William the Conqueror's sons fighting over the realms that William had left as his legacy. Lewes and Evesham are battles that were fought between the Plantagenet Kings of England and their barons, mostly because of John Lackland, or Softsword, and his losing battles to the barons.

 This is what GMT Games has to say about Norman Conquests:

"The Normans, and their successors, had a large impact on history. Normans, from Nortmann (northman), were originally Viking raiders that settled in what would now be northern France. Normans gained territory as far away as southern Italy and Sicily, and modern day Syria. They were Crusaders, they were Kings, they were princes, and they were scoundrels. They began as raiders from the north that fought on foot and transformed themselves into Dukes, Kings, and princes that fought from horseback.

How many games include a battle with a Papal army? Very few, so Norman Conquests visits Italy and the Norman Count of Apulia fighting with, and capturing, the Pope. Stretching the definition to include the Norwegian King Harald (III) Hardrada (undoubtedly a northman) and his invasion of England allows us to include all three battles for the throne of England in 1066, including the most famous Norman William the Conqueror and his invasion of England. Next we catch up with two sons of William I, the Duke of Normandy and the King of England, feuding over his lands years after his death. We end with the Baron’s War between William I’s great-great-great-grandson Henry III and his barons who were led by Simon de Montfort."

 This is what comes with the game:

Three 22" x 34" Maps (2 back-printed)

Two 1/4 Sheets of 9/16" Counters

Three Player Aid Cards

One Rules Manual

One Battle Book

Two 10-sided Dice

 I usually do not discuss/describe the box, but here I will make an exception. The box cover artwork is done by Kurt Miller and shows a Norman Knight on horseback facing numerous infantry. It could represent numerous battles, but it definitely gives me a Hastings vibe. The battle maps are split up as follows: 

Evesham and Lewes are full maps on the back of each other.

Stamford Bridge and Tinchebrai take up half a map each with Fulford and Civitate, both a half map, on the reverse side.

Hastings takes up a full one side of the last map.

 The maps are well done and the ones, like Hastings, that have a good amount of different terrain are very nice to look at. Most of the battles at this time were fought on flat featureless areas and the other maps represent this. There are two hard card stock Players Aids that come with the game. These are 11" x 17" foldouts They are in full color and have the different terrain charts for the seven different battles. They also have the Fire/Shock Tables and everything else the player needs. There is also a single-sided 8.5" x 11" that has the 'Flight Point Track' and the 'General Track. Next up is a 28-page Rules Manual. This is in full color. It is called the Norman Conquests/Men of Iron Tri-Pack Rules Manual. So, it has the rules for all four of those games (If you do not own the Men of Iron Tri-pack which has the games Men of Iron, Infidel, and Blood & Roses in it, you should really pick up these great games at a great bargain.) The Battle Book comes in at 24-pages and in essence is the scenario/battle playbook. It has the setups and any rules particular to each of the different battles. Included are also some examples of play. I have left the best for last. The two and 1/4 counter sheets are really well done. At 9/16" the counters are nice and large. The colors and the illustrations on them are superb. So, the game certainly measures up in the component category.

 The series was first designed by the master of wit and wisdom, Richard Berg (some might add venom to the mix). This game was designed by Ralph Shelton. Having played the original games, I believe Mr. Shelton has completely caught the essence of them. Whether this was done completely by thinking and playing or if it had a bit of necromancy thrown in, I am not certain. 

 The game rules are like a very advanced rock, paper, and scissors game, but really so is Napoleonic tactics. The player has to learn combined arms to be very proficient in the game. You cannot just launch your heavy cavalry every battle and expect to come out the winner. The timing of your armored horseman's attacks is crucial. Supposing, of course, that your troops are even able to move. I really like the 'Continuation Activation' mechanic used in the game series. This rule allows a player who has successfully activated one 'Battle' (Battle was the term for the separate units of an army at this time), to continue to attempt to activate another Battle or even an entire Army activation, if the player had just successfully activated his army. This captures the feel of momentum in battles. Each side is also given a certain number 'Seizure Counters', depending on the scenario, to be used in the game. If a player tries for Continuation Activation, the other player can try and negate this with one of his Seizure Counters. The reverse of the Seizure counters also has effects that effect the units in the game. These can rally your troops or disorder the enemy. 

 The battles are on the smaller side of what you usually see in hex and counter wargames. There is nothing wrong with this. It means that the games can be quicker, and the player is not drowning in stacks (although I really like that at times). The game system to me is like the Great Battles of History series, only on a more playable level. You still get the historical feel and immersion, but at a much more playable size. The length of the battles means that you do not need to have them setup on a table for a week or two, unless you want to and have the room. The games that I have played have been mostly fast and frenzied. You get to release thundering knights on their charges and also to counter-charge them at times. I have been a fan of the series for a bit and in my eyes the mantle has been taken over and GMT Games has another great release. Having some Norman blood in me, I can highly recommend the game.

 

Robert

GMT Games

GMT Games

Norman Conquests: Conflicts of the Normans and Their Successors 1053-1265 by GMT Games

GMT Games - Norman Conquests: Men of Iron Volume V

Men of Iron Tri-Pack 2nd printing P500

GMT Games - Men of Iron Tri-Pack, 2nd Printing

 Burden of Command Demo by Green Tree Games

Video Review by Joe Beard

 Some of you old time readers might remember our old friend Joe Beard. He had to move on to better and brighter things in his life, but now he has found the time to delve into video reviewing. I am pleased as punch to introduce you to A Wargamers Needful Things joining the 21st century. Without further ado, here it is:

https://youtu.be/gNObyx7mSv8?si=ack7Xo68C_XK2IOh

 Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires

by

Flying Pig Games

Part Deux

 So, we left off with a bit of history about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The repercussions of that event are still being felt around the world. It directly led to the later US involvement in the 'Graveyard of Empires'. It is pretty hard to imagine that the timeline for all of these events up until now is only 45 years. However, this game deals specifically with the Soviet Union against the Afghanistan Mujahideen, a name the western countries have had to learn all about in the ensuing years.

 I can never play a game without a tie-in to a movie or a book that I am perusing at the time. In this case, I was presented with the game and had to find something to get me into the mood to play it. The movie 'The Beast', fit the bill nicely. The movie is about a T-55 and its crew in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupancy during the 1980s. It is an excellent movie about people fighting for their homeland. It also shows the savagery of the women against the invaders. Many times, during the centuries, invaders would be much better off being captured by the men they were fighting instead of their womenfolk. Well, that is enough of that, onto part deux. 

 For those of you not living under some strata of compressed earth Mark H. Walker's name should be well known. This is what his website has to say:

"Mark has been designing board and computer games for over a decade. In that time, he has designed over a dozen games and developed, produced, and published over 100 more. In November of 2014 Mark founded Flying Pig Games, a game company dedicated to publishing high-quality strategy games. In September off 2015, Mark opened the doors to a second game imprint, Tiny Battle Publishing. (I think you have to tack on just a few more years than a decade by now)"

 This game is the second in the series of 'Squad Level Battle Games' the first was '65 Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam'. Unfortunately, '65 is out of print but do yourself a favor and look for it in the resale market. One of Mr. Walker's axioms is 'the playing is the thing', meaning that the rules will be as condensed and easy to understand as possible, among other things. He wants the player to be playing and not reading a 100-page rulebook. This is shown in all of his designs that I have played, and '85 is no different. One other thing that his games are known for its size. I am not talking about table space. I am talking about the size of the counters, hexes, and the writing in the rulebooks etc. I am assuming because he is an old grognard he feels pity on the rest of us grumblers and our fading eyesight. 

 If you have played '65 you really only need to glance at the new rulebook to get up and running. As mentioned, the rulebook is extremely large in print and thin on length. It has both a Contents and an Index. If you cannot find your way around it, then I suggest that wargaming may not be your best choice for a hobby. To put it into perspective, this is a rulebook that deals with squad-level war in the almost modern battlefield. We are talking missiles and all the new-fangled weaponry that they had in the 1980s. To be able to make a rulebook for a game in the modern era that is also easy to read and understand, and also be terse, is pretty much unheard of. 

 These are some of the units you will be sing or fighting against:

T-55

T-62

BTR-70

BMP-1

Mi-24

RPG equipped infantry

Spetsnaz

DHSK

Numerous rifle equipped units

Commanders

 At first, it seems that fighting the bear that went over the mountain is pointless. However, if there ever was a country that guerilla war could thrive in it is Afghanistan. True, there are no jungles, but the terrain is tailor made for the defender. Without the 21st century's drones the battles devolve into small knife fights. The Russian player at times will feel like he is trying to kill a wasp with a 20lb sledgehammer. The trick for the Afghan player is not to have the sledgehammer land. The gameplay is fairly reminiscent of the US against the North Vietnamese in the game '65. In both the under armed side had best use Ali's axiom and 'Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee". The Soviet ability to use helicopters really puts you to the test when defending against them.

 

 This is a game on the squad-level. Each one of your units/counters means a lot. You cannot go crashing in guns blazing and not expect to not take horrific casualties. The eight scenarios are spread out among a varied amount of different type actions. The fact that you can receive any variation of the Action Cards means that each time you play a scenario it is different. You have no idea of what your enemy is holding in his hand, or you in yours. It will also be easy to make your own scenarios. If you are into historically accurate games where the game play is paramount, then look no further. This game has a huge amount of game play in it along with some of the largest counters I have ever seen. Thank you again Soaring Porcine Amusements for allowing me to review '85.

 The next part of the trilogy will deal with the solitaire expansion '85 Alone in the Mountains'.

Robert

Flying Pig Games:

Best Strategic War Games | Flying Pig Games

Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires:

Flying Pig Games

 Aces & Armor

by

PKB Games

 PKB Games is a new smaller company that has already made a big name for itself with their first KS game Trench Club, now Trench Club Legacy. Wargames with miniatures, real wargames, and not the simpler more children friendly versions of the 1960s, have become more and more popular. Even on the digital side of wargaming, 3D miniatures have been used for quite a while. So, has this merger between a more artistic approach and simulation type rules been a success? In the games that I have played it has been an undeniable yes. Let us see how this new KS from PKB Games measures up. Here is what they say about their company:

"We are a small board game publishing company. Our games started with games we wanted to play ourselves but didn’t exist yet. So, we were our first customer ourselves. I hope you share the excitement, and we wish you hours of fun with our games!"

 There has been a move in recent years to add minis and colorful maps to some wargames. To the grognard, it is easy to dismiss them as just Axis & Allies clones. In this you would be sadly mistaken. Many of these games that mix Euro games and normal wargames together are deep and give the wargamer a great experience. 

 As you can see, the game map and game pieces and player aids are extremely well made. They are colorful but large and very easy to read.

 Here you can see how meticulous the detail is in the miniatures. They are also paintable if you so choose.

 The miniatures sit on bases that have two columns built on them. These columns are used to keep track of the units' status elite, veteran, etc. and also the damage that any unit has.

  The units that the game gives you to play with are:

Infantry

Mobile Infantry

Mechanized Infantry

Militia

Cavalry

Tiger

Panther

T-34

Sherman

Pak 40

8.8 Flak

Katyusha

Howitzer

ME 262

Ju 87 Stuka

BF 109

Ju 88

IL-2 Sturmovik

Yak-9

P-51

B-17

 The game can be played by one to four players. This game follows the trend of giving the player a full solitaire experience right out of the box, instead of having to play both sides or wait for someone to create some solo rules for the game.

These are two painted minis. You can also see the detail in the railroad bridge.

 The game comes with three scenarios. However, the main crux of the game is its skirmish mode. This allows each player to choose the units that he wants to play with in the game. There are also factories to take away damage from units and to build new units. Victory is achieved through the capture of enemy factories. Because I prefer to play solo when I can, I was very happy to see the built in solo rules. I found the solo rules and play to be just fine. The game is made to be played fast and furious (the rules even suggest to time player moves to five minutes). It is not a game that you will leave up on your table looking at all of the different strategies you can try out before making your move. This is not a beer & pretzels game, but it certainly isn't Squad Leader either. Still, I had an enjoyable time playing it. The game is also completely finished. This cannot be said of all Kickstarter games by any means.

 Thank you PKB games for allowing me to kick the tires on your newest game. If you get the chance, also look at their Trench Club Legacy game.

Robert

PKB Games - PKB Games (pkb-games.com)

Aces & Armor Kickstarter - Aces & Armor by PKB Games — Kickstarter 

 

Great to bring you the latest announcement from 

Form Square Games

MAIDA 1806

Gamefound Launch

 

"The date has been set for the official launch of the crowdfunding campaign for Maida 1806. The campaign will go live at 18.00hrs GMT on Tuesday 30th July 2024. The game will include the mounted map, two commander charts, hard mounted event clock and combat table, four sheets of punchboards and a full colour rule book plus eight dice and ten wooden pawns, all for an amazing £59, reduced from its normal price of £72. Follow the campaign on Gamefound before the launch date to be notified of it going live.

We are so excited to bring this second game in the Limits of Glory series to everyone who has been waiting. Thank you for your previous and future support."

 

 By Iron and Blood

The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866

by

Blue Panther LLC

 Bismarck is the prime minister for Prussia underneath King Wilhelm I. Bismarck had intended to kick Austria out of Germany by hook or by crook so that Prussia would become the most powerful German state. He also had a much larger plan, which was to create a unified Germany for the first time ever. For almost the last 1000 years Germany was just some lines drawn on a map and called the Holy Roman Empire until Napoleon came along. It was just a conglomerate of many small and a few large states. Now was the time that Austria and Prussia were going to duke it out to see who was to control the future of Germany. All Bismarck wanted was an excuse to put them both at war. After the war started there were some battles on the frontiers but now the Austrian Army was gathered together for the final act of the play. Two Prussian armies were bloodhounds on the scent of the prey. The largest battle in Europe until the 20th century was about to take place. Hermann Luttmann and Blue Panther have put you in command of either army. The Prussians have the needle gun against the muzzle loaders of the Austrians. The Austrians have new Krupp cannons against the older guns of the Prussians. So, general, what are your orders?

 This is what comes with the game:

22"x17" inch game map

176 Unit Markers

27 Playing Cards

Two Player Aid Cards

Two Command Tracks

Game Turn and Victory Point Tracks

Rulebook

Two 6-sided dice

PLAYERS: 1-2

TIME TO PLAY: 4 Hours or More

AGES: 13 and up

SOLITAIRE SUITABILITY: 4 out of 10

SOLITAIRE COMPLEXITY: 6 out of 10

Game Design: Hermann Luttmann

Game Development: Fred Manzo and Ryan Heilman

Game and Box Art: llya Kudriashov

Production: Blue Panther LLC

What is in the box

 This is what Blue Panther says about the game:

"By Iron and Blood simulates the climactic engagement of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, the Battle of Koniggratz (also known as the Battle of Sadowa). Taking place on July 3, 1866, this decisive clash pitted the forces of General Helmuth von Moltke's Prussians against the Austrian armies of Feldzugmeister Ludwig von Benedek.

At stake was the question of whether Prussia or Austria would be the dominant power in central Europe. This battle was the largest clash of arms on the European continent since the Napoleonic Wars (the Battle of Leipzig, 1813), and would not be matched again until 50 years later at the start of the First World War in 1914.

In this innovative game from award-winning designer Hermann Luttmann, the Prussian player will be challenged to match the skill of their historical counterpart by bringing together widely separated forces to engage in a crushing assault on the defending Habsburg army. On the other side, the Austrian player must effectively engage their opponent by defeating the enemy piecemeal before their armies can join together in overwhelming numbers.

With so many choices and variables, players are assured that By Iron and Blood will always offer an engaging and challenging experience. Will the Prussians crush their foes and set the path for the creation of the new German Empire? Or will the Austrians successfully fend off their foes and retain their position of power? Play By Iron and Blood to find out."

The map

 The map may seem like a Plain Jane, but nicely done, war game map. However, the colors and various terrain make it very easy on the eyes. It is very easy to read and there is no question about what terrain each hex is. The counters appear to be laser cut and have a glossy finish to them. Each counter has a small illustration depicting what each unit actually is. The Prussian units are divided into two armies: the 1st and 2nd (the 2nd army is a lighter shade of blue). The Austrian player has both Austrian and Saxon units to command. The Rulebook is 39 pages long. It is in color and is in very large type. There are variant rules that can be added to the game. The Rulebook also includes a write-up about every Event Card in the two decks. It ends with some short Designer Notes. There are actually three decks of cards in the game - the aforementioned Event Cards and then one that decides the Prussian 2nd Army arrival times. The cards are the normal size and thickness for game decks, meaning that you might want to invest in sleeves. They come with an artwork from the battle, or war, on the reverse. These also have large type on them. There are five Player Aids in the box. These are all of card stock and glossy. Four of them, two Austrian and two Prussian, are for the fire and assault tables, these are all one-sided. The fifth one is two-sided and has the Sequence of Play and all the other information you would need on the sheet. There are also three half-page sized sheets. These are for the Turn Record Track/Victory Points and the separate Austrian and Prussian Command Points. The entire ensemble is up to snuff.

 

 This is the Sequence of Play:

Game Turn Marker Phase

Command Points Phase

Event Cards Phase

Initiative Phase

Activation Phase

End Phase

 The separate phases, and their separate actions, above are meat and potatoes to any grognard. 

Prussian Event Card

 As far as the gameplay goes, this is a Hermann Luttmann design, thus making it a no-brainer for any grognard worth his salt. Most of us fans would buy an Ant Farm if it was designed by Mr. Luttmann. That being said, the game is as tense as the battle actually was. The Prussians' 1st Army is meant to hold the Austrians in place while awaiting their 2nd Army on the Austrian right flank. The Austrian Player has better artillery but only smoothbore muskets. The Prussian troops have smoothbore cannons, and their infantry has the needle gun. There are eight Victory Point hexes that give one point per turn and three that give the Prussian Player 5 Victory Points per turn (although these are on the lower and far right of the map, if the Prussian Player gets there the game is inevitably over). The game can be won in sudden death by either side. The Austrian Player is definitely on the defensive and should make good work of his longer artillery range and only close with the Prussian troops when needed to save Victory Points. The Prussian Player has to decide how much of a drubbing his 1st Army will take in trying to wrest Victory Point hexes from the Austrians. If the Austrians have too much of a lead in Victory Points the Prussian 2nd Army arrival may not make up for them. The game ends after 12 turns.

 This is a relatively easy wargame with a small footprint. You should be able to have it on the table to study it for a good long time. That is, if you have a dedicated gaming table. If not, it is short enough to be able to easily play in one sitting. Blue Panther has it listed for four hours of playtime and a complexity of six.

 Thank you, Blue Panther, for allowing me to review this nicely done small package. Please take a look at Blue Panther's other products. My only regret is that the Battle of Königgrätz has never been given a large game as of yet as befits its huge place in the history of Europe. Nothing against this good game; I just wish that the battle had a large-scale simulation about it.

 

Robert

Blue Panther LLC:

Blue Panther LLC Home Page

By Iron and Blood: The Battle of Königgrätz July 3, 1866:

By Iron and Blood: 2nd Edition – Blue Panther (bluepantherllc.com)

 Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires

by

Flying Pig Games

 We are going to do things a little differently this time around. I am going to make this a three part look at this game. I am also going to start off with something that I have never done, which is an unboxing for the first part. The second part will be a look at the actual game play and the third will be a look at Alone in the Mountains: '85 Solitaire Expansion.

 The year is 1979 and the Cold War is in full swing. Some people in the Kremlin decided that it was a good idea to invade Afghanistan and put their own puppet government in place. Afghanistan had been a country that had been a tough nut to crack for many armies and governments for thousands of years. It was the map board used in the 'Great Game' by Russia and England in their attempt to conquer more of Asia in the 19th century. Afghans have a well-deserved reputation for being hard fighters and implacable foes. They also invented Polo and enjoyed using the heads of their enemies as the ball. This should clearly clue you in as to the mettle of the Afghans. 

 The back of the box says:

"'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 features tense squad-level battles between the Afghan Mujahideen and the Soviet Red Army in an exciting card-driven, hex-and-counter game."

 As an aside, if you haven't heard of or played '65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, do yourself a favor and look into that excellent game.

This shows some of the counters and a piece of a map from the game

  This is what comes with the game:

5 richly illustrated, 11” x 17” geomorphic game boards. 

4 lavish sheets of thick 1” and 1.375” counters. 

1 deck of 54 action cards, 4 Event Cards, 5 Bonus Victory Condition Cards. 

Full color rules and scenario booklet.

Player Aid Cards, 

Terrain Effect Charts.

A die.

A box to keep it safe and warm.

 I thought one-inch counters were big. These 1.375" ones, for aircraft, tanks, and other vehicles are massive. Yes, the hexes are quite large enough to not be dwarfed by those counters.

 Because of the size of the counters, there are only so many counters that come with the game. However, just like its older brother '65, this game is about Squad Battles and not large military actions. So, you have more than enough counters, and a good variety of them, to keep you playing for a good long time. 

 The game boards all fold out to give you their 11" x 17" full size. The landscape that the game represents is seen in in wonderful detail, if a little muted in color. They represent the different battlefields extremely well. 

 The Player Aids are 8.5" x 11" in size, and they are made of card stock. One gives you the Sequence of Play and a turn record track. The other is two-sided and has the Terrain Effects Chart on one side and the Range Modifiers etc. on the other.

 The Rule Book is 35 pages in length. It is in full color and is in nice, large, type for us aging grognards. It comes with plenty of example of the rules. The Rule Book also has all nine of the game's scenarios included in it; the ninth scenario was a Kickstarter exclusive. This does not seem like many. However, the game is card-driven so you have endless possibilities for a hand of different cards each time you play a scenario. Because of their small size, it does not look like it would be any trouble to make your own scenarios to add to the mix.

 The deck has 54 Action Cards in it. These have actions for both sides in the game on them. The cards are also used to determine hits on vehicles. There are also four event cards. The above says it comes with five Bonus Victory Condition Cards, although my game came with 11.

Action Card

 If you have bought or played any of the different games from Flying Pig Games, you will be excited about the care and attention that is given to the manufacturing of them. If for nothing else, you should look at the Flying Ham Steaks rendition of Hermann Luttman's 'A Most Fearful Sacrifice'. Yes, once again it is out of stock. I do believe that it will be reissued again and again as that magnum opus deserves. I had the pleasant experience of playing '65 more than a few times and by looking at '85's rules it looks like playing this game will be just as enjoyable. 

 Thank you, Flying Pig Games, for letting me take a look at and review '85 Graveyard of Empires. Stayed tuned on this same bat channel for the other two perusals of the game.

Robert

Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires:

Flying Pig Games

 LIMITS OF GLORY: MAIDA 1806

FROM

FORM SQUARE GAMES

Just about a year ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to review a prototype of the first game in a new series by a new independent UK company, Form Square Games.  Recently I was able to update you on the final published edition of that game, Limits of Glory: Napoleon's Eastern Campaign. Now thanks again to Andy Rourke, the designer and founder of Form Square Games, I can explore the prototype of the second game in the series.  Like its predecessor, virtually all the components, bar the rulebook, are virtually identical in their excellent quality to what you will find in the final published game.

The system, as is to be expected for a series game, is identical in all its primary elements.  However, the historical campaign furnishes a situation that creates a whole different dynamic with some additional units that add a new level of interest and involvement in the naval side of the game.  In relation to the historical events, the key point to note is that this is not a game on the individual battle of Maida, but on the developing situation in Italy and Sicily.  

Map & Unit Displays, Combat Chart and Event Chart

In particular, British focus was on preventing the French from invading Sicily.  From the set-up instructions and opening Invasion Phase, this seems to be the game's intent as well.   The initial French forces are positioned on the north edge of the map, while various British, Russian, Neapolitan troops are scattered down the map.  The fact that the French cannot be activated until a roll on the Event table allows them to potentially invade Sicily reinforces the immediate impression that Sicily will be the crucial goal.  It therefore comes as a major surprise that the French total victory conditions are [1]to have more VPs than the Allied forces and  [2] to capture and control Gaeta, the very next area to where they initially set up! The rationale behind this will be discussed later.

First of all I want to separate out and discuss the various components that I have compressed into the single photo presented above, starting with the map.

At the top of the map is the Glory Track, where each Leader's marker is placed to record their Glory points.  As with the first game in this series, the map [and rule book] are handsomely illustrated with the political cartoons of Gillray and Cruikshank that are contemporaneous with the Napoleonic period. 

                               The Glory Track in detail

Each player has their own Command Chart that contains each Leader's two markers, until one is placed on the map and the other is placed on the Glory Track.  Below you can see the Command Chart for the French player.

The other two key Displays are the Combat Chart and the Event Chart.  Traditional concepts in most board war games, but given a wholly original and, as far as I'm aware, unique format.

For the moment I want to reiterate the main dynamics of the rules.  At its core, the simple foundational device is that everything is governed by seeking to roll either 5 or 6 on a D6 and Leaders' Glory points are spent to reroll dice.  The only Phase that departs from this principle is the Event Phase that begins each turn.

As in the first game in the series, it's handled by a Display board with events printed on.  Initially you roll a single die and ultimately will be rolling four dice and totalling their scores to find which Event has happened.  Some Events [marked with an R] may happen more than once, while others happen once only and then are covered by a new Event marker.  One of these announces the end of the game!  So much originality achieved with so little physical effort - the first of several concepts that have made this whole design and its designer, Andy Rourke, stand out for me.

 

Events Chart with the many future replacement events stacked at the top of each column that they will be moved onto

Following this comes Momentum, where each player rolls 4 dice and any dice rolls that do not achieve a 5 or 6 may be rerolled once by spending a Glory point from the Senior Leader's current total.  Each 5 or 6 provides a player with a Momentum marker which can be used to attempt to activate one area.  At best therefore, each player will get a maximum of 4 activations per turn - a factor that makes the game both swift playing and very interactive.

For Movement, an area is chosen to be activated. Each area contains a single number which tells you how many dice you roll to attempt to move units located there into an adjacent area.  A single roll of a 5 or 6 on any of those dice is a successful activation.  Should you roll no 5s or 6s, if you have a Leader in the area, you can choose to spend one of his Glory points for each die you want to re-roll.  For those areas where you can roll only one die failure is only too easy and you have to place one of your precious Momentum markers and the turn switches to your opponent!  Momentum markers are also placed, if you are the active player, when you lose a combat.  Movement is very simple and swift to carry out and is interrupted for Combat the moment you enter an enemy occupied area.  If the victor, you may continue to attempt to move on.

Combat, on the other hand, is by far the most detailed [though that is relative as it remains easier than in many other games] and highly original feature in the game, as the following example will show.   A French force with a Leader and 10 infantry units and 2 cavalry are attacking a British force with a Leader with only 4 infantry units and 1 cavalry unit  The first step is to total the combat values of your units, using the simple table below.  

As you can see the French have a strength of 14 pts and the British only 6 pts.  Both players start by placing their marker pawns on the appropriate column of the Combat Chart.

Now both players roll four dice and each player can use the Glory points of the most senior Leader in the area [or the Glory points of subordinate junior Leader at the player's choice] to reroll any dice that have not scored a 5 or a 6.  If you do choose to use a subordinate junior Leader, beware.  He has to roll for survival after the battle!

For the example, note very carefully that in the French Commander's box is the number 12 and in the British Commander's box the number 8.  This is crucial because if the French player's four dice do not eventually add up to 12, they can count none of their 6s and 5s as successes, whereas the British player's four dice only have to add up to 8 for any 5s or 6s to score.

Continuing our example, the French rolls 6,4,3,1 and the British player rolls 6,5,1,1.  The French player decides to spend three Glory pts to reroll the 4,3,1 and rolls 5,1,1.  The British player spends two Glory pts to reroll the 3 and 1 dice and this time rolls 5 and 3. So now the French dice are 6,5,1,1 and the British are 6,5,5,3.

Finally each player can spend Glory pts to make their opponent reroll successes.  The French player's Leader is getting low on Glory points and decides to spend only two Glory points to make the British player re-roll a 6 and a 5.  The British player also spends two Glory points to make the French player roll their 6 and 5.  The new rolls are 6 and 3 for the French player and for the British player 5 and 5.

So, the final results are French dice 6,3,1,1 and the British dice are 5,5,5,3.  Looking back to the Combat Chart, the French player's 4 dice total is only 11 and so not having achieved 12, the French player's single 6 is not counted as a success.  Whereas the Allied player's dice add up to 18, far more than the necessary 8 and so all three of his dice that rolled a five are successes and a final check on the Combat table shows that for each 5 rolled he inflicts 2 hits.  Consequently, the British inflict 6 hits and the French none at all. 

Please note that reading my example takes at least three times as long as actually rolling the dice and resolving the battle!!  The loser retreats and, in the example I’ve used, as the loser was the active French player, they would have to place a Momentum marker and the Allied player becomes active.

The construction of the Combat table is an ingenious way of factoring in differences between nations and the quality of their troops.  In this game, the British have by far and away the best units, far superior to their Russian and Neapolitan allies and the Calabrian guerrillas, but there are only a maximum of 14 British units, whereas the French who are the best in quality after the British possess the potential to have 45 units in the campaign!  

For me, these concepts are the crowning success of the game system's combat and the designer, Andy Rourke’s signature most original idea.  With any conventional combat system or CRT that I know the only way to achieve this is by boosting the British combat factors to ridiculously high levels or incorporating a mass of chrome rules. These considerations are highly important for the game’s success both as a game and in having the ability to simulate widely varying types of campaign, while retaining ease and speed of play.

As with the first game, sieges and uprisings play their appropriate part too and are handled largely in a similar manner, but with one or two neat little tweaks to reflect this specific conflict.  So too is there a naval aspect, but whereas in Limits of Glory: Napoleon’s Eastern Campaign this was highly abstracted and played a very brief role, in Maida 1806 it has been given a significant boost.  In come counters for gunboats, barges, frigates and 3rd rates and some glorious crew counters, but all with the addition of a surprisingly low number of easy rules.  I’ve greatly enjoyed their inclusion and the individuality they bring to the situation.   If, as the French, you're going to invade Sicily or, as the Allies, try to stop them, you're really going to need and make good use of these units.  A final touch that I like is that there are just about enough VPs on the mainland of Italy so you can just about win the game as the French without getting your boots wet, but you'll have the finest of margins for error.  So, you are pushed in a historical direction just as the French were, but you're not hog-tied to that path.  Just one more element in a game that I relish.

The nautical angle - a particular favourite

The attention to detail is magnificent!

The final component is the rule book which, as with its predecessor's proto-type, is a stark stapled black and white product which gives the bare bones of the rules with no examples or illustrations.  At the moment it allows you to play the game.  In its final production, I can say, with utter confidence, the quality will be outstanding and is the perfect complement to a product at the top of its game...and here's the rulebook cover for the first game in the series.  If you want to see inside and see more of the physical quality have a look back at my reprise via this LINK. 

For me Maida 1806 is even more of a cracker than the first in the series.  Look out for its launch on Gamefound at the end of July and running through August; I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Meanwhile if you didn't pledge for the first game, I believe you might still be able to find a copy in the UK from Second Chance Games.