AUSTERLITZ:1805

from

TRAFALGAR EDITIONS

Having had the pleasure of playing and reviewing Waterloo 1815, the first game in this system from Trafalgar Editions, I've been waiting with anticipation for this second game to appear.  Apart from Austerlitz being regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest of Napoleon's victories, it's a battle I find particularly fascinating for gaming.

Though for the Napoleonic period, Waterloo inevitably has had prime place in history and on the gaming table, for me the close geographical confines have always been a restriction to manoeuvre and above all fog of war when it comes to the gaming table.  The combination of kriegspiel style blocks and the marriage of miniature style elements to boardgame ones in Trafalgar Editions' system was one I relished seeing get its full go-ahead in the much more expansive battle of Austerlitz.

Rather than repeat ground that I covered in my review of Waterloo:1815, I will concentrate on what I consider the differences and changes.  To help with this I've reposted my original review so that you can make easy comparison.

In all respects it's a fine follow-up, though the small wooden units have given way to more traditional cardboard ones -a feature that may disappoint some gamers.  However, I do find that the cardboard pieces are easier to read. Nor do they have the problem of balancing markers on them that was a difficulty with the wooden blocks and, best of all, there's none of the problem of applying very small stickers to wooden blocks that barely fit them. 

The next difference is that the map is even easier to deal with as you have little more than contours to take account of and small villages, especially as the significantly wooded north edge of the map is likely to see little game play occurring there.  Once again it is a solidly mounted board of several panels in two sections.  Though the joins are obvious in the photo below, they soon settle into place very tightly.

The bare map contrasts with the colour of the units that you can see below

I really like the format that they have gone for here and, I believe that they have also introduced them into new editions of Waterloo: 1815.  If this change from wooden blocks is not to your favoured taste, I think that the several other changes in Austerlitz will meet with nothing but applause. 

For me, nowhere is this more true than the rule book which is a major step up in quality., despite the slight hiccup in forgetting to change the year from 1815 to 1805!

 It is a substantial glossy production from the striking battle scene on the cover to the huge improvement in layout inside.  Instead of the very cramped small print which was one of the few problems that I had with Waterloo, these are laid out in two columns of very well spaced text that make reading so easy.  All illustrated examples are now in full colour to add to the quality and the standard case numbering for rules stands out in a clear, bold font.  

As a result, the whole process of learning the rules is much enhanced and the organisation steps you through the sequence of play very smoothly and is augmented with four full pages of additional examples. 

Though divided into separate igo-ugo Attacker and then Defender player turns, there is a strong element of interaction.  In the Rally Phase, only the active player attempts typical rally actions along with removing certain types of markers.  Then Defender Artillery fire is followed by the same for the Attacker.  The Attacker next conducts movement followed by Defender then Attacker Musketry Fire and a player's turn concludes with Close Combat.

The main rules remain virtually unchanged from those in Waterloo but have a much greater succinctness and fluency in the English translation.  Combat, which covers fire and close combat, has been streamlined into a single table with separate modifiers for each type. This is another change that I heartily go along with and its execution is carried out using one of the handy play aids [one for each player] that lays everything out in a large, capitalised font.  Having wilted in the past under one or two of my games that have a slew of tables printed in microscopic print, this gets a big thumbs up!  Though print on the terrain chart is, on the other hand, very small, it is still very easy to read and even easier to remember.  So, no complaints there.

The easy to read, easy to use all-in-one Fire & Combat Table

What Austerlitz 1805 introduces that is wholly new to the system is Fog and Fog of War.  With the battle being shrouded in fog in the early hours and played out on a much vaster geographical canvas, these were the factors I was most looking forward to exploring and the design here is very successful.  The fog itself is handled in a familiar manner - guaranteed to cloak the battle for the first 3 turns, a die roll may cause it to begin to lift on any of the next 3 turns and finally its dispersing will begin on turn 7, if a roll hasn't succeeded earlier.  

As to Fog of War, there's a very simple, but effective set of mechanics.  First of all, each player has a very nice A4 card strategic map for hidden movement of each side's Corps HQ markers.  The French have no restrictions on the number of Corps they can move, unlike the Allied army which has significant restrictions.  At the same time, both players have up to 18 numbered chits for movement on the game map, while the actual units these chits represent are placed in corresponding numbered holding boxes on the Strategic map.  As you might expect some of these chits may well be decoys!  While the actual fog endures, both players are severely limited as to how many chits they may move.

The French Strategic map on the left

The Allied Strategic map on the right

Consequently there is a slow build up that helps get you into the movement rules, before having to deal with combat, while introducing a nice element of bluff and uncertainty.  Little details like all chits having the same maximum movement rate neatly make sure you don't accidentally give away the presence of faster units such as cavalry.

One point that isn't wholly clear is what happens when the fog has totally cleared.  Wording seems to imply that Fog of War rules only apply until the fog has dispersed and this is supported by the lack of FoW in the last of the three shorter Scenarios.  However, in playing the whole campaign, I've chosen to continue to employ both chits and the hidden Corps HQ markers until either an enemy unit/chit comes into line of sight or a player chooses to deploy units on the map.

The Allied Strategic Map with Corps HQs in place

The full campaign can be played in an Historical scenario where both sides have designated Corps HQ set up and specific objectives.  For those who like even more uncertainty, there is what has become the customary choice of a Free set up scenario.  My preference tends to be for historical play, but each to their own choice.

In terms of new elements, the last one is the set of rules for solo play.  These add 4 more pages to the 15 pages of rules and do a good job of guiding you through the actions of your NP [non-player] opponent, with a healthy dash of allowing you to use common sense when the acuteness of an enemy threat should override a mechanistic approach.  For those who like BOTS that must be rigidly stuck to, this may be slightly disconcerting.  Having cut my wargaming teeth in the period when playing solo meant playing each side to the best of your ability, this common sense approach is very welcome.

To round off the package, there is the familiar set of shorter Scenarios, in this case three.  The first is a very small engagement both in number of units and geographical area - an excellent choice for learning the basic rules of movement and combat.

The next takes you north for Lannes against Bagration in a modestly sized encounter.

While the last Scenario, employing only marginally more units, covers the major French attack in the centre assaulting the Pratzenberg Heights.

Altogether, a good system has been built on to provide additional improvements in physical quality and a presentation of the rules that enhances their understanding while introducing strong new elements.  

On my wishlist for their next choice of Napoleonic battle would be Eylau - another climatic clash with opportunity for some really nasty weather rules!  I can only hope.

Once again many thanks to Trafalgar Games for providing this review copy of the game

 The Hunted

Twilight of the U-Boats 1943-45

by

GMT Games

 The German U-boats experienced two 'Happy Times' in World War II. The first was right after the fall of France in 1940 and lasting into 1941. This took place in the North Sea and North Atlantic. The second Happy Time was directly after the the entry of the U.S.A. into the war. This took place on the east coast of North America. In the second Happy Time, 609 Allied ships were sunk to only 22 U-boats. Roughly one quarter of all Allied shipping sunk in World War II occurred then. However, those are featured in the first game of the series by GMT Games 'The Hunters'. This is the story of 1943-1945, and it is a totally different tale. In 'Black May' of 1943, 118 U-boats were at sea. The German Navy lost 41 of them in May 1943. The amount of Allied shipping losses continued to fall even before then. German Admiral Dönitz ordered a temporary halt to the U-boat offensive in order to come up with some ideas to stem the tide against his U-boats. This game is a solitaire simulation of U-boat warfare in the last years of the war. As with most of the German 'wünderwaffe' (wonder weapon), the weapons that were being developed for the U-boats came too little and too late.

 As mentioned, this is the second game in the series. I will have a link below to my review of the first game: 'The Hunters'. The series has actually been expanded to include the Italian Submarines in the newest iteration called 'Beneath the Med'. There is actually a fourth title in the series 'Silent Victory', where you play as an American submarine Captain against the Japanese. This is what comes with the game:

One ½” full-color counter sheet

One ¾” wide full-color counter sheet

Rules booklet with designer's notes

Five player aid cards, 2-sided

Six U-Boat Display Mats, 2-sided

Two U-Boat Patrol Maps, 2-sided

U-Boat Combat Mat

Eight U-Boat Kommandant Cards

U-Boat patrol logsheet

Three 6-sided, two 10-sided dice, and one 20-sided die

 These are the areas of the world's Oceans that you can patrol in:

Arctic

Atlantic

Australia

Brazilian Coast

British Isles

Caribbean

Indian Ocean

Invasion (Atlantic)

Mediterranean

North America

Norway

West African Coast

These are the U-boats that you can command during your patrols:

Type VIIC

Type VIIC/41

Type VIIC-Flak

Type VIID

Type IXC

Type IXC/40

Type IXD-2

Type IXD/42

Type XB

Type XII (hypothetical)

Type XIV

Type XXI

 The new weapons and U-boat improvements include these:

Decoys

Schnorkels

Homing Torpedoes

FaT Ladder Search Pattern Torpedoes

However, the Allies also have these counter measures:

Hedgehogs

Squid

Fido

Heavily Increased Aircraft Presence

 The player has the use of twelve different U-boat types. You will be facing both day and night combat encounters. To spice up your patrols you can be assigned these 'Special Missions':

Abwehr Agent delivery

Supply Delivery

Replenish

Minelaying

 The sequence of play (synopsis) is:

Consult U-Boat Patrol Assignment Table

Conduct Patrol

  Check for Encounters in Each Travel Box entered

  Check for Random Events

  Resolve Air or Ship Encounters (Enemy ship engagements is always voluntary)

  Attempt Repairs

  Return to Port

Refit U-boat

  Check for Crew Recovery or Replacement

  Check for Crew Advancement

  Check for Kommandant Promotion or Medal Earning

Take your crew and Kommandants life in your hands once again.

 Your goal in the game is to take your U-boat to sea and to sink as many Allied ships as possible, with the caveat of returning you and your crew home safely. The game adds some RPG elements to its wargame base, by having your Kommandant able to receive both promotion and earn medals. You can even be awarded the coveted Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. For anyone who has played the first game, winning medals and just staying alive is a lot harder in this game, as it should be. The game does incorporate a multiplayer aspect. However, it is not you playing against the other player. You are essentially both playing solitaire and trying to outdo the other player on the tonnage of sunken ships you both inflict. 

 As in the first game, to add a little to the historical side of the game, you can play as a historical U-boat Kommandant. Each of the Kommandants come with certain enhanced abilities in the game. Alfred Eick for example, gives the player both 'Expert Gunner' and 'Vigilant'. Extra Gunner gives the player an additional -1 to hit targets. Vigilant allows the player a +1 on crash dives. These are the historical Kommandants you can play:

Alfred Eick

August Maus

Heinrich Timm

Werner Henke

Jürgen Oesten

Werner Hartmann

Albert Lauzemis

Robert Gysae

 The game components are pretty much exactly what you would get in the first game, 'The Hunters'. The counters are easy to read and very colorful. You will experience no eye strain while reading them. You also get eight counters with portraits of the historical Kommandants to add to the immersion level. The Rule Booklet is in large print, and is also in color. The 'Designer Notes' are interesting, because the designer (Gregory M. Smith) did not even want to do a follow-up game about these years of the war for U-boats. He felt the historic 'brutal aspects' of a game would be uninteresting to players. The first game had such an overwhelmingly favorable response, and the fact that so many players clamored for a 1943-1945 game, that he acquiesced. He states that he did not sugar coat the war or try to tip the game in the U-boats' favor. The seven double-sided U-boat Mats are the main game piece and the best piece of artwork in the components. The Patrol maps that you will use in your cruises are also very well done. The whole ensemble is meant to be both functional and good looking.

 The game is hard, and it is meant to be because that is how it was historically. However, we do not play these games, especially solitaire ones, to win all the time. We play them to try and simulate a certain part of history. I feel that the game captures the moment in time perfectly. If you as Kommandant are sent to the Indian Ocean your crew's life and your stock has just risen. Should you pull the short straw and are given the North Atlantic, good luck and may the fates be with you. Thank you GMT Games for allowing me to review this gem. A big thanks to the designer for listening to the player base and following up 'The Hunters' with this game. 

Robert

GMT Games:

https://www.gmtgames.com/

The Hunted:

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-590-the-hunted-twilight-of-the-u-boats-1943-45.aspx

My review of The Hunters:

https://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2020/07/the-hunters-german-u-boats-at-war-1939.html

 

 German fighter Aircraft in World War I

Design, Construction, & Innovation

by

Mark C. Wilkins

 I have to admit to a fascination with World War I. From its weapons to the military history of the war on all fronts. In this book from Casemate Publishers, we have a gold mine for the World War I enthusiasts and aviation history lovers alike. This is a one volume history of the German fighter program from its inception at the beginning of the war to the final days of the fighting.

 The book starts off with a short introduction, and then jumps into the history of the 'Taube' (dove) aircraft, which was the only aircraft in Service with the German Army at the start of the war. After that, the book follows with chapters about all of the German fighter manufacturers in the war. Some of these are:

Aviatik

Halberstadt Flugzeugzelte

Fokker Flugzeugwerke

Albatross Flugzeugwerke

 The book then has a chapter on the various armaments and engines that were used with the aforementioned fighters.

 The author has liberally spiced the book with extremely rare pictures of not only the aircraft, but also the manufacturing of the aircraft and the various factories where the different companies were headquartered.

 For the aviation lovers, there are a good many pictures with explanations that show reproduction aircraft in various stages of  assembly. To be able to see a Fokker D.VII with the structure complete and the engine and everything in working order, sans the fabric skin of the aircraft, is amazing. You will also see pictures showing the reproduction of a DR.I from single pieces of wood to the completed bird. The book goes into the engineers of each company and their different designs. One of the best things about the book is that you are able to see the huge leap forward in the German aviation from 1914-1918, from the simple wing-warping of the early birds to the mechanical efficiency of the later designs.

 I can easily recommend this volume to aviation enthusiasts, World War I history lovers, and especially model makers. The pictures included are a trove for anyone interested in modeling World War I planes. Thank you Casemate Publishers for this incredible book. It must have taken the author years to assemble the information and especially the pictures.

Robert

Book: German Fighter Aircraft in World War I: Design, Construction, and Innovation

Author: Mark C. Wilkins

Publisher: Casemate Publishers 

 

KAIS: A True Story of a Daring Rescue in the Swamps of New Guinea, Summer 1944 is a fascinating account of the crash of a B-25 bomber into the jungles of New Guine. It details both the efforts to find and rescue the crew immediately after, and the search to find and recover the aircraft 75 years later. The book takes its name from the Kais river, which both the rescue and research teams traveled on to reach the crash site. The author, Bas Kreuger, is a Dutch researcher who focuses on the history of the Dutch in the East Indies.

KAIS opens with a summarized account of the war in the Pacific on and around New Guinea. This was interesting in and of itself, as this fighting is not often discussed or depicted in media. New Guinea is an extremely harsh island covered in swamps, jungles, and rivers, with virtually no infrastructure across vast swathes of the landscape. This made merely existing on the island difficult for both the Japanese and Allied soldiers, never mind finding each other and fighting. As the war went on and the Allies gained the upper hand, it was decided that it would be easier to isolate and starve out most of the Japanese strongholds on the island, rather than destroying them directly. Most of the fighting then became about air superiority, and attacks against each side's airfields. If the Allies could control the skies, they could then easily destroy any Japanese cargo ships trying to resupply the soldiers in the brutal jungles and swamps. 

Enter the 418th Night Fighter Squadron. These men were brought in to crew, you guessed it, night fighters, but due to the realities of war in the far flung reaches of the Pacific, they didn't have any on hand for some time. So instead they found themselves operating a variety of aircraft, including the B-25 bombers being used in an anti-ship role. After an intense attack on some Japanese ships, the crew of the fateful B-25 realize that they aren't going to make it home due to damage sustained to the aircraft. Knowing that they are deep in Japanese controlled waters, they decide to fly inland and look for somewhere to put the plane down. 

After a mostly successful crash landing into a swamp, the crew is then at the mercy of the environment and fate. Fortunately for them, one of their fellow bombers was able to track them down quickly, and so their approximate location is known to the Allies. Unfortunately for them, reaching their location borders on the impossible. Any rescue attempt will have to brave miles river, jungle, and swamp filled with both hazardous wildlife and hostile Japanese soldiers. The rescue team, composed of Dutch, Indonesian, Australian, and American soldiers sets out on an expedition to find and rescue the crew, which ends up taking three weeks. The book details this entire endeavor, including direct combat with Japanese soldiers, meetings with local tribes, and all the misery of camping in the jungle.

I'll leave it to you to read the story of how all of that goes down, but I will say it is quite the adventure and would make an excellent movie. Every soldier and airman involved in the book is detailed as much as possible, with the author having tracked down family members, photographs, and even local Papua's who were connected to the event. His efforts are extremely impressive and reveal so much about this event that would otherwise have been forgotten. 

The latter third or so of the book details his modern day research efforts in pulling together all of this information, and the expedition he went on in 2019 to try and find the actual crash site in the swamp. The area is still as wild and undeveloped as it was at the time, with the expedition facing exactly the same environmental hazards that the rescue team dealt with. Initially, I thought this part of the book wouldn't be as interesting as the actual event, but in the end it was very enjoyable. It opened my eyes to what researchers do and had some shades of a real world Indiana Jones adventure, just with gentlemen a bit more out of their element than Dr. Jones ever was.

This book is a very easy one to recommend. The pages fly by and the story is quite thrilling all the way through. Like I said above, this event would make a great movie, and one could write the whole script simply based on Kreuger's account, as it is extremely detailed and vivid. 

KAIS is available on Amazon Kindle or paperback.

- Joe Beard

Barbarossa

by

The Knowledge Company

  I like to do a little bit of history behind the games that I review. In this case I hope it is not necessary at all with this game. If the date June 22,1941 is not etched into the brain of every wargamer who has lived since then, I do not know what date would be. Most gamers would find it easier to remember this date than the one they were married on. I am talking about your current wife. If your closet holds one or more, you are totally forgiven the remembrance of those dates. 

 Strap on your seatbelts and hold onto your hats, the big one is coming. Barbarossa is a simulation, definitely NOT a game, about the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The simulation plays out between June 22,1941 and June 30,1943. The invasion of the Soviet Union was the largest military campaign in the history of the world. Just like the invasion, The Knowledge Company has delivered up to us a simulation of monumental size. Up until now I have never compared one boardgame to another. There is just too many variables in every game to really compare them to each other. I am doing this only as a size comparison, not anything about each game's rules etc.

 Fire in the East by GDW:

Time Scale - Two Weeks per Turn

Hex Size - 16 Miles per hex

Counters - 2500 +-

Maps - 6 - at 21" x 27"

Barbarossa:

Time Scale - Half-Month Turns

Hex Size - 15 Miles to the hex

Counters - 7840

Maps - 14 - 18" x 26"

              2 - 10" x 26"

              2 - 18" x 14"

Just as an extra comparison I will also give you another monster game that I was awarded the honor of reviewing; Australian Design Group's World In Flames Collector's Edition Deluxe:

Time Scale - 2 Months

Hex Size - 90 Kilometers per hex

Counters - 4900

Maps - 4 large (574 x 820mm) maps covering most of the world (West Europe & Africa, East Europe & the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific);

One 297 x 420 mm full-color map of The Americas 

 So, you can see that Barbarossa easily stacks up as the largest of the three games. It has twenty-eight counter sheets! That was not a typo. If you are into corner clipping, good luck. I believe you will need a new clipper and a set of hands when you are done. Either that or you will have the grip strength of the world's strongest man. 

 This is the perfect time to compare monster games. I mean we have Godzilla against King Kong coming out soon, although I am not sure how a 50' King Kong is supposed to do battle with a 200-300' Godzilla. They must have fed him steroids or zapped him with radiation. But I digress, we are here to pay homage to a simulation that is literally worth its weight in postage stamps. As an aside, I have been weightlifting for 47 years and I was surprised at the heft of the box. 

 So, now let us list what comes with this behemoth (take my advice and sit down and get a cup of coffee, we will be here for awhile). This is the list from the Colonel's Edition:

Game Rules Book (notice I did not write booklet) - 174 pages

Soviet Order of Battle - 84 pages

Axis Order of Battle - 107 pages

Axis Minor Nations Order of Battle - 40 pages

Western Allied Order of Battle - 49 pages

At Starts (for the numerous scenarios) - 125 pages

Maps - 20 From the top of Norway to Iran, and from Budapest to the Aral Sea

Game Charts  - 18 separate pages, with 17 of them double-sided

Replacement Schedule booklet  - 8 pages

Terrain/Unit Identification Charts  - 4 pages

These are the scenarios:

A. Learning Scenarios:

  1. Target Berlin

  2. Stuka

  3. Panzers Los!

  4. The Battle of the Barents Sea

 B. Crimea Scenarios (Discovery Group)

  A. Scenario One (D): The 'Neck' Taken

  B. Scenario Two (D): The Crimea Invaded

  C. Scenario Three (D): The First Assault on Sevastopol

  D. Scenario Four (D): The Soviet Amphibious Attack

  E. Scenario Five (D): Trappenjägd

  F: Scenario Six (D): The Final Assault on Sevastopol

 C. From the Danube to the Don

 D. The Crimean Campaign

 E. Kalinin - The Northern Gateway to Moscow

 F. Operation Mars

 G. Operation Uranus

 H. November 11 1942

 I. Northern Finland 1941-1942

 J. Fall Blau: The 1942 Campaign

 K. Rommel Goes East

 L. Hitler Goes East

 M. Barbarossa Extreme

 N. The Beginning of the End

 O. Enemies of the Blood Royal

 Scenarios L,M,N, and O require other games and their assets from the TSWW series.

 Looking at the list, you can play scenarios from only one map up to the full twenty. This is excellent for people with limited space now that are going to have a larger area to play on in the future.

 All of the books, Game rules etc. come in black and white, and four of them are hard bound. The maps are a sight to behold. They are designed to be totally functional and good looking without any added garishness or unnecessary clutter. They are not just paper, but 'single side matt laminate'. Per TKC, that means you can spill coffee on it and not ruin them. The counters are also well done, and are a 1/2" in size. The land units are very easy to read, and the ship and aircraft ones come with a side-view depiction of the type.

 This is a rundown of a very few of the rules you will be dealing with in a full campaign game:

 Geography and Climate

 Facilities (Fortifications, Air Bases etc.)

 Ground Unit Movement

 Air Unit Movement

 Naval Movement

 Air to Air Combat

 Antiaircraft Combat

 Logistics

 Administration

 Political & Economic Rules

 As you can see, everything including the kitchen sink and the installation instructions for said sink are included with this edition.

 While we are discussing the game's editions here is a rundown of the different ones that you can buy from The Knowledge Company:

Download (Print & Play) - £120

Quartermaster (Print & Play DVD) - £130

Lieutenant (Maps and Counters with all rules etc. on a DVD) - £380

Colonel (Everything except the General's Edition add-ons) - £435

General  (includes the Arctic Front and Generic Counter Set) - £520

 If you are handy and have the time, the print & play versions are a perfect fit for you. If you are a wargamer like me who is both time and artistically challenged, let The Knowledge Company do the work.

 Is it an expensive game, in a one word answer: yes. Is this simulation for you? Please see the next paragraph. The simulation is of unbelievable value for not only the grognard, but also to anyone who is interested in the history of the first two years of the Eastern Front in WWII. The amount of information and erudition that has gone into the simulation is as imposing as a mountain. The amount of enjoyment and time that you are buying with this simulation is almost limitless. For the simulation collector, I have no doubt that this will be worth its weight in gold once it is no longer in print. 

 We now have to go into a very personal decision about the simulation Barbarossa. The question that is always asked about monsters is "are they worth it?". That is a totally unanswerable question for any but the wargamer in his own mind. Do you have the space or time are much more pertinent questions. We have no idea about your personal finances or tastes. We can however tell you that you will need both time and space to enjoy Barbarossa to its full potential. Some of these scenarios are not ones  that you are going to be thinking about taking down and setting back up. If you are lucky enough (the writer falls to his knees and pleads to God) to have rooms that are empty because your children have moved out, or from some luck of inheritance etc. then of course it is worth it. We are Grognards, not mice or lemmings! This is a sign of worthiness in our hobby. Say with pride that you have enough empty space to set up Barbarossa for as long as you want with no repercussions. This is like similar badges of courage in our hobby, much like "I played Campaign for North Africa for a year", or " I got into an internet screaming match with Richard Berg". Every hobby has its marks of honor. When model making, who hasn't glued their fingers together, or pulled numerous muscles playing some sport you were good at forty years ago! Monster wargames cost a lot, but they in turn give a lot back to the player. So you may hear "Is this game too expensive" from a man who just bought a 70K Camaro or what have you, because he can no longer cover the bald spot with a comb over. Ever since H.G. Wells crawled about on his dining room floor, or the German General Staff devoted entire rooms to Kriegspiel we have been in love with monster wargames. It is certainly not a new phase.

 Thank you so much to the Knowledge Company for letting me review this masterwork on the Eastern Front. I will be following up this unboxing with a review of gameplay in the near future. Please take a look at the other simulations The Knowledge Company has to offer, at all price ranges. I especially like the look of their 'Merkur' about the Battle of Crete.

  The Knowledge Company also gives some fantastic vassal modules free of charge (thank you Tom Wenck) with all of their games except; Merkur, or Battleaxe. For those who want to play online or have space issues this is an extra bonus.

The Knowledge Company:

https://www.tkc-games.com/

Barbarossa:

https://www.tkc-games.com/shop/games/europe/barbarossa/

Robert

Rome, Blood & Power

Reform, Murder and Popular Politics in the Late Republic 70 - 27 BC

Gareth C Sampson

 

 This book shows the history of Rome and the political machinations of the years 70-27 B.C. The first part of the book goes back in time to the Civil War between Marius and Sulla. This is so the reader is grounded in the massive political upheavals that had occurred before 70 B.C. The book's timeline includes the last throes of the Roman Republic through the first years of the Empire.

 The cover shows us four of the main players in this tragedy: Pompey, Crassus, Caesar, and Octavian. This volume is a continuation of the author's Rome, Blood & Politics. That book showed the political history of Rome from the Gracchi brothers to the Civil War between Marius and Sulla, and the reforms of the latter.

 This book shows the deals that went on behind the scenes and the open jockeying for position by the different factions in Rome, until it just became a power play by Octavian to destroy the Republic in all but name only. We see how Sulla's reforms that were meant to strengthen the Senate and Republic were just pushed aside by these newer men eager to write their names in the history of Rome.

 Then the book goes into the history leading up to the First Triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. This three way power play continued until Crassus's death in Parthia. Then both Caesar and Pompey fought over whether the Republic would remain intact or a strong man (Caesar), would become emperor without a crown. After Pompey's defeat and then the assassination of Caesar, the book shows us the political history behind the Second Triumvirate of Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus. Then we go to the ousting of Lepidus from his position and the final showdown between Octavian and Antony.

 The author ends the book with some good information, but it is still a bit odd compared to most. The first appendix lists the murdered politicians by year. The second appendix gives a list of the Tribunes that served each year.

  I can easily recommended this book, and certainly both, for anyone who has any interest in the history of the period. Thank you Casemate for letting me review this excellent addition to Rome's history.

Robert

Book: Rome, Blood & Power: Reform, Murder and Popular Politics in the Late Republic

Author: Gareth Sampson

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

What more can be said about Scythe?  I will offer my own review of this exceptional game – and I’m not someone who particularly enjoys ‘dudes-on-a-map’ games.

Scythe was originally released in 2016 after a hugely successful Kickstarter. It has continued to romp up the bgg rankings and currently sits just outside the all time top 10 games.  Scythe is based in an alternate-history version of Europa in which a heavily mechanised city-state collapsed allowing its neighbouring countries (the players) to target its natural resources and compete for its leftover territories.  What follows is 2 to 3 hours of ‘aggressive walking’ with your Mechs and workers into new territories whilst trying to optimise your own engine; assuming your opponents don’t get in the way.  Scythe is your traditional 4X game wrapped in some very pretty and clever clothes.

It's Starting To Get Busy

Gameplay

Before you start each player selects a faction and player board. The player factions have unique, but balanced, powers and the player boards have asymmetric yet balanced action spaces.  Each player board contains two rows of actions which are not only different between player boards from top to bottom but the cost and reward for each action is subtly different as well.  Which means that you’ll probably have to play dozens of times before you have the opportunity to play the same faction and powers again.  This combined with the randomness of your opponents provides a unique experience almost every time.

The winner is determined by scoring players amounts of territories, stars, and resource.  This is added to your remaining money and whoever has the most (of everything) wins.  There are a number of different viable strategies that can win a game of Scythe but these can be largely pre-determined by your player and and starting Faction.  To be successful you have to optimise your engine to exploit your player board advantages and mitigate your weaknesses. 

The Popularity Track - Essential For Scoring

The turns in Scythe pop along at a quick pace and if everyone’s familiar with the rules you can complete your top actions (which may have an element of interaction and combat) in about a minute or two. The bottom row actions will never involve another player and the next player can start their turn whilst you complete your bottom row actions.  This means that even in a six player game your turns come back around in about 5 minutes, which is mighty impressive when you consider how much is going on. And in those ‘spare’ 5 minutes you may be defending in combat and watching for your neighbours actions that give you bonuses.  There’s always something to do even when it’s not your turn.  I’ve found that there’s often just the right amount of time left in between turns to deal with any other players effects on you and then plan your next turn.  I have never felt bored or inactive in between my turns in Scythe.

Almost everything you do, if you do it enough, will gain you a star.  After any player has accumulated 6 stars the game immediately ends.  If you concentrate on getting 6 stars and finishing the game there is no guarantee that you’ll actually win; if you don’t get 5 or more stars, I can almost guarantee that you won’t… This push and pull of strategic objectives and tactical rewards is perfectly executed.  However, after one player gets their sixth star the scoring of coins, territories resources, popularity and stars etc. feels a little anti-climactic to what has probably been quite an epic game.

These Stars Tell A Great Story

The rules are extremely well written and contain helpful strategy snippets throughout.  They also include a ‘Delay of Game’ variant rule which I think should be applied to every game, not just Scythe: “if a player delays the game for more than 10 seconds by trying to calculate the final score, they lose 2 popularity”. This is one of my favourite rules ever! It is intentionally difficult to glance at the board state and determine who is ahead at any point in time, it can obviously be done and AP-prone player may delay a game that, in my opinion, was designed to be played quickly.

Each player mat contains 4 top row actions: Move, Bolster, Trade and Produce.  These do pretty much exactly what they say do, you pay the cost and then you can take the relevant action although each of them have an alternate action as well.  Move allows you to move …(duh!) (or gain $1 if you don’t move as the alternate action). Bolster provides more combat power (or combat cards), trade converts money into resources (or popularity) and Produce uses your workers to generate resources.

Two Different Player Mats

The bottom row actions that you take are dictated by the top row action taken.  You have to do the bottom row action immediately beneath the selected top row action. However, each player mat, has a different alignment of top row and bottom row actions; the cost and benefits for the actions are also subtly different as well.  This asymmetry, for me, turns this game into a work of genius and gives each faction a different feel and play style.

The bottom row actions are: Upgrade, Deploy, Build and Enlist. These aren’t as intuitive as their top row counterparts but are arguably more crucial to getting your engine humming.  You’ll never be able to afford a bottom row action on the first turn of the game but after that working out how to pay for a bottom row action along with an acceptable, if not good top row action, are the key for success.

Deploy allows you to place your Mechs on the board and consequently gain new abilities. Build allows you to build one of four buildings which each provide a top row action bonus.  Enlist allows you to gain an immediate bonus and provides an ongoing bonus anytime you or your neighbours choose the relevant bottom row action.  I always enlist my Upgrade recruit first as I think that’s the most important bottom row action and assume my neighbours will think the same.  Sadly for me it doesn’t always play out that way though.  

Two Different Faction Boards

Upgrade allows you to decrease the cost of a bottom row action and subsequently increase the effect of the top row action.  These are tracked by moving cubes from the top row actions into any available slots in the bottom row actions.  I’ve not worked out whether upgrading your good asymmetric powers further or reducing your negative asymmetric powers into parity with your opponents is a better choice.  I believe the decision comes down to a myriad a factors and which are different every game.  However, calculating it is often straightforward and immediately obvious.  This is another example of why this is truly a genius of game design and why Scythe fully deserves its place at the top of most board game charts. 

With big hulking Mechs and Characters roaming the landscape you’d be led to believe that combat is a fast and furious affair.  However, I’ve had games with fewer players where combat didn’t happen at all.  However, once it does it is quickly resolved and often rewarding.  Thematically, I like to think the countries are all a bit war-weary and will only enter another fight if absolutely necessary.  Unlike some area control combat mechanisms where buckets-of-dice randomly determine the winner, you enter combat in Scythe with some intelligence of how much power your opponent can bring to bear.  This allows for a nice element of bluffing and calculated risk management, although it is quite a simple affair.

Will They, Wont They?

There are a number of other mechanics (Structure Bonus Tile, Player Objectives, Encounters) which I won’t describe here as they’re all fairly minor parts of the game; they all serve to change the game from play to play and suffice to say I like them all.

Encounters, Factory Cards, and Objective (left to Right)

During the Covid-19 lockdown I have had the opportunity to play a number of solo games of Sycthe using the Automa provided which plays very well and truly gives a feel of playing scythe against an aware and intelligent opponent.  However, you do need to wrap your head around the valid territory selection process which I initially found a bit cumbersome.  Arguably, the Automas provide an interesting opponent and if you were every caught playing Sycth with 2 or 3 players I would definitely add in an Automa.  I’ve managed to beat the Autometta, and Automa levels (beginner and normal difficulty respectively) and have attempted the Veteran level (Automasyna) twice and lost handily.  I’ve not bothered with their Ultimasyna – an expert level AI (AI may be too strong a word for what is quite scripted).

Components

The production of Scythe is an exemplar of how good board game components can be.  I know we’re experiencing a golden-age of board games with glorious components but I don’t think it gets much better than Scythe.  There are even intrinsic game functions intrinsically built into the component material (e.g. plastic pieces fight, wooden pieces do not).  I think this shows how well designed and published this game is.

I Love Me Some Double Layer Cardboard

The cardboard components are similarly fantastic and I really appreciate the effort to put double layer player mats into the game (even in the retail version).  This helps you to place your upgrades and buildings with much less risk of dislodging them and forgetting where there were.  (Here’s looking at you Terraforming Mars)

Criticisms

I had to think hard to find my criticisms.  I think this is a marvellous game and one I would play anytime.  I’m not the world’s biggest fan of dudes-on-a-map games so let me tell you my very minor gripes.

Mmmm Marvelous Mechs

When played with lower player counts the map feels quite empty for a long time and combat is a rare beast.  This fundamentally changes the flavour, for worse, of the game.  To shine I believe you need a minimum of 4 players (even if one or two of them are run by the Automa). However, it scales well at higher player counts.  Out of the box you can play with 5 players, and with the expansions you can play with 6.  I’ve tried both and would recommend both as long as you’re not teaching it.  I have been in a learning game with 6 players and that did outstay it’s welcome.

I would like to have an option of playing with a smaller map, or increasing the number of resources of pivotal hexes, for example instead of 1 resource produced in a hex, there could be a few bountiful hexes which produce 2 resources per worker. This would provide more chokepoints, particularly among games at smaller player counts, and combat would occur more frequently.

Conclusion

The Game Ends - I Came Third

Scythe tries to unify the typical Euro game (worker placement resource management etc.) and Thematic game (area control, miniatures, direct conflict etc.) functions into one game.  And you know what? I think it’s the best game that manages to implement features taken from both camps, albeit favouring the more thematic mechanisms.  It is evidently a huge success and has spawned a slew of expansions that expand the game further. Unfortunately, it won’t appeal to a more casual gamer, or on the other side of the spectrum, a die-hard grognard/18xxer but the game that appeals to both will probably never exist.  The fact that it can provide an epic-feel in close to 2 hours and broadly appeals to typical gamers, makes it a perfect game to take to game night.

I’d like to thank Asmodee UK for sending this review copy. This is in stock in many stores and you can use this link to find your FLGS

Designer: Jamey Stegmaier

Bgg page: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe

Play time: 120 minutes +

Players: 1-5 (I recommend 4, 5 and 6 with expansions)