FOR GLORY FROM SPIELCRAFT If you don't know your ludus from your lanista, you soon will after playing a game of For Glory and there...
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FOR GLORY
Napoleon 1806 by Shakos Games The Third Coalition was brought into existence by English money (subsidies) to defeat Napoleonic France. Pr...
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Napoleon 1806 by Shakos Games
Napoleon 1806
by
Shakos Games
The Third Coalition was brought into existence by English money (subsidies) to defeat Napoleonic France. Prussia, oddly enough, had not joined it. The consensus of historians that they were biding their time until either side had given them enough of a bribe. They hadn't counted on Napoleon, and the completely trained and incredibly formidable Grande Armee. Before anyone realized what was happening, the Austrian General Mack (and 50,000 soldiers) were swept up by Napoleon without really a fight. This sent the Austrians reeling back to meet their Russian Allies. However, a little battle called Austerlitz put the Third Coalition down for a dirt nap. Prussia was just starting to think it would be a good idea to join the Third Coalition before it was no more. So with the Grande Armee and its roughly 200,000 troops sitting in Germany or nearby on the border, the Prussians came up with one hell of an idea. The Prussian court had a war party headed by their lovely Queen. This war party finally talked the King and his ministers to go to war with France virtually on their own. What was wrong with the drinking water in Berlin I guess we will never know. Russia had not concluded peace with France, so the Russians could help in the long run. The Prussian Army was led by octogenarians who had been weaned on Frederick the Great's battles. One of their youngest generals was Blucher, who was in his sixties. The Prussian staff seemed to have no idea of what actually to do. They staggered slowly toward the French border with no real plan. They also decided to split their army in two without having any idea of where the French were. The lion that was Napoleon had no trouble dispatching the sheep that were the Prussians. As a matter of fact, the 1806 Campaign is usually listed as the first blitzkrieg. The French went through Prussia like poop through a goose, probably only stopping at times to procure more maps of each new area they were rampaging through. This is one of those games where it is almost impossible to do as bad as your historical counterpart. The history being done, let us see what is in the box:
1 mounted game board 60 x 60 cm
1 rulebook
1 quickstart booklet
2 player aids (orders of battle)
2 player screens
2 sets of 36 cards
1 sticker sheet (54)
More than 220 wooden pieces
10 combat dice
1 cloth bag
Opening up the box leads a person to exclaim 'C'est Magnifique! This is another European wargame that mixes a real honest to God wargame with a Euro game's look. The map is a beauty, and has a real historical feeling to it. The stickers are little pieces of artwork. They have the countenances of the Prussian King Frederick III and his various generals. These are countered by portraits of Napoleon and some of his Marshals. The two Orders of Battle are made of hard stock and are also a pleasure to look at. The Quickstart Guide is a very large four page fold out. It has a simplified rundown of this information on the first and fourth page:
Setup
How To Win
How To Play
How To Move
Fatigue
How To Engage In Combat
The middle two pages have a complete picture of the map and the Orders Of Battle and a Sample Card. The information needed for using the Orders Of Battle and Cards are also printed there. There are two Player Screens, one in blue, and one in gray. On the inside of the Screens are The Game Sequence and information on combat etc. The two Decks of Cards are also well done, and the Cards themselves do not feel flimsy. The manufacture of the wooden block pieces was done with excellent quality control. I found no mismatched sizes in the different pieces. The Rulebook is a work of art in itself. It is filled on most pages with colorful illustrations of what is being written about on the page. It is twenty-three pages in length. The actual rules take up fourteen pages. There is also a Short Scenario added for those who can only fit in time for a short game. A section called 'Rules For The Grognard' is added to add some historical flavor, and fog of war to the mix. Next is a section called 'Rules Of The Marshal"; this is a setup to play a tournament of the game. For conventions etc. this is a nice addition. What follows is a three page rundown of every Card and their meanings. The end of the Rulebook is a four part History Of The Campaign, and Design Notes. You also get a nice bag for the different pieces. The picture on it is a gold Napoleonic Eagle done on a blue background. The actual game pieces are a carbon copy of what you would find in Shakos Games 'Napoleon 1807' game. I will have a link to my review of that game below.
The Sequence of Play is easy to remember:
Draw - Each Player Draws Three Cards
Initiative - The Player With The Highest Value Card Wins
Operations - Movement And Combat
Recovery - Each Player Can Remove Fatigue From Some Corps
Thank you very much Shakos Games for letting me review this beautiful and great playing game. It deserves to be right up with its brother Napoleon 1807 on your shelf. They have also come out with Napoleon 1815, so it is now a trilogy of games. I also had a chance to review their Saladin game. I will have the review in the links also.
Robert
Shakos Games:
Shakos | Historical board games
Napoleon 1807 Review:
Napoleon 1807 La Campagne de Pologne by Shakos Games - A Wargamers Needful Things
Saladin Review:
Saladin by Shakos Games - A Wargamers Needful Things
GKR: HEAVY HITTERS FROM CRYPTOZOIC ENTERTAINMENTS & WETA WORKSHOP It's bold! It's bright! It's brash! Is it Ameritrash? W...
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GKR: HEAVY HITTERS
GKR: HEAVY HITTERS
FROM
CRYPTOZOIC ENTERTAINMENTS
&
WETA WORKSHOP
Yellow Jack The War of Jenkin's Ear 1739-1743 Part of The Sea Lords Series of Games By Red Sash Games The War of Jenkin's Ear, w...
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Yellow Jack: The War of Jenkin's Ear 1739-1743, By Red Sash Games
Yellow Jack
The War of Jenkin's Ear 1739-1743
Part of The Sea Lords Series of Games
By
Red Sash Games
The War of Jenkin's Ear, was mainly a conflict between Bourbon Spain and England. Robert Jenkins was a captain of an English merchant vessel who was mutilated by Spanish Coast Guards in 1731. In reality, the war was really about money, specifically the Asiento (a contract with England that allowed her to sell slaves in Spanish America). In Spain, the war is called The Guerra del Asiento. The war mostly took place in the Caribbean. The War of Jenkin's Ear then became part of the wider European conflict: The War of the Austrian Succession 1740-1748. There was also an earlier outbreak of hostilities between Spain and England over the same reasons named The Anglo-Spanish War 1727-1729. The wars were really about English merchants' access to the Spanish areas of North and South America. Red Sash Games mainly has naval and land warfare games centering around the time of the War of the Austrian Succession. They call their land warfare games of the time The Lace Wars Series. Their sea warfare games of the time are from their The Sea Lords Series. As obscure as this war seems I remember being taught about it in High School. Well, enough of that. Here is what actually comes with the game:
6 die cut counter sheets – 720 counters – including the naval forces of Britain, Spain, and France, plus Pirates (no Caribbean naval game is complete without Pirates). One of the counter sheets includes all the important naval leaders who participated in the War of the Austrian Succession; another consists of land units – all the regiments that fought in the Caribbean. There is also a sheet of generic markers.
37 wooden disks representing “task forces” (boxed game only; regular counters are also supplied to represent these items).
48” x 54” map depicting the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Carolinas coastline.
1 series rulebook, 1 exclusive rule book, 2 scenario/OOB books, 1 set of charts & tables, historical commentary. 1 set of display cards.
One piece of the Map |
This is their own write up about the game:
"Autumn, 1739. Fierce economic competition between Britain and Spain has broken into open war: the War of Jenkins' Ear. As His Britannic Majesty's naval commander-in-chief in the Caribbean, your duties have suddenly multiplied. Their Lordships at the Admiralty demand action. Parliament expects the speedy conquest of Spain's New World possessions - ALL of them - but is unwilling to supply men and ships. That would require the adoption of methods suitable only under a 'French Despotism'. Before you utter them let it be known that your objections are unpatriotic and un-British. Meanwhile, the powerful Planters' Lobby is insisting you make defending their islands your top priority, while the equally powerful Traders' Lobby is demanding convoy protection and simultaneously accusing you of 'pressing' merchant seamen into service aboard your ships. Or, can you honourably serve the great House of Bourbon, whose scions rule France and Spain? The English heretics have unjustly fabricated a war. They are jealous of Spain's greatness and desire her colonies for their own. For years they have paid lip service to the international laws of commerce while breaking those same laws at every opportunity. Of late, His Most Catholic Majesty had graciously agreed to accept arbitration for so-called 'wrongs' done to British traders, waiving compensation for similar wrongs done to Spain. But when she offered payment, the English dogs slapped Spain's hand aside, saying it was not enough! This insult will not go unavenged. The King has ordered you to secure our trade routes and has issued letters of marque for the harrying of British merchantmen - let their own methods be used against them! In the fulness of time, our brother France has promised his support.
Control the seas and you control the fate of the New World. Whichever side you choose, glory and honour - and prizes galore - are yours for the taking. Provided you avoid court martial and disgrace."
I like the writing in the above piece, so I added it in. Sometimes a game company can come up with a more succinct and intriguing summary than a reviewer. The game is operational in scope. By the way, Yellow Jack is actually jargon for the rampant Yellow Fever in the area. Although by this time they were waning, the game does contain pirates and privateers.
The map pieces are well done, and to me at least have a period flavor to them. It could be because I played Pirates from Sid Meier for so many hours on the C-64. The counters are wonderful. They are pretty much the same as the ones in their game 'Cockpit of Europe'. I did a review of that excellent game, and the link will be below. The counters are large and easy to read. There are numerous Players' Aids in the box, from a hurricane sheet to a four page turn sequence fold out! It also comes with a twenty-three page 'Exclusive Rule Book' for this game. Yellow Jack comes with two Scenario & Orders Books, one for the Bourbons (France & Spain), and one for the English. To top it all off, there is a 111 page Historical Commentary which is well stocked with maps and pictures. The Historical Commentary moves easily between the big picture and the minutiae of the period, and it is easily worth its weight in gold doubloons. The game and Historical Commentary were both done by the designer Ian Weir. It is plain to see that these games are a labor of love by Mr. Weir.
This game was given a rating of 4.5 for complexity. Yes, it is a very complex game. This is not one that you are going to break out on game night and decide to play on a whim while trying to teach the rules. However, like almost all games that are complex, you get out of it what you put into it. If you have a Saturday to run through one of the smaller scenarios, and then try your hand at the campaign game, this would be your best bet.
There are five Minor Scenarios from 1739-1743, each one lasts one year.
1739 - Rule Britannia
1740 - Old Grog & Peg Leg
1741 - Carlos Don't Surf
1742 - Spanish Fly
1743 - Hot Cocoa
The Price of and Ear - The Campaign Game
Hasta La Muerte - The Extended Campaign
1744 Scenario
1745 Scenario
1746 Scenario
1747 Scenario
1748 Scenario
The scenarios of 1744-1748 saw no major operations historically, but they do add France as a Spanish Ally.
The Turn Sequence has these and many other segments:
Wind Generation Step
Check for new Hurricanes
Check for Random Events
Resolve Hurricanes
Resolve Gales
Reinforcement & Reorganization
Conduct Searches & Mark Spotted Formations
Detach Independent Squadrons Without Orders
Disembark Expeditions
One side of the Hurricane Map |
If you love sea warfare from an operational standpoint, this game is for you. The historical information of sea warfare at this time is alone the price of admission. The game is complex, but it has to be to plumb the depths of historical accuracy that the designer intended. The game was intended to be a two-player, but like almost all games it can also be played solo. The age of warfare that the game represents has very little boardgames to choose from. This game is not historically like the Campaign of Trafalgar. It is one of far flung outposts that are important to each crown, but not as much as they once were. There are no more Spanish Treasure fleets filled with Inca and Aztec gold plying these waters. Even Piracy has lost the glitter of its golden age. Both sided in the game must deal with pretty much the forces that they have been dealt with, especially in the one year scenarios.
I am definitely an aficionado of the era. For me to pull myself away from a game, or simulation, of land warfare when one of your counters represents Maurice de Saxe is a pretty hard task. However, Yellow Jack was up to it and more. Thank you very much Mr. Weir and Red Sash Games for letting me review this game.
Red Sash Games has numerous ways to buy their products, including the ever more popular print & play. I urge you to take a look at all of their games when you have a chance.
Robert
Red Sash Games:
Yellow Jack:
Yellow Jack (redsashgames.com)
My Review of 'Lace Wars, The Cockpit of Europe':
Cockpit of Europe by Red Sash Games - A Wargamers Needful Things
Joe Balkoski's The Korean War: Designer Signature Edition June 1950 - May 1951 by Compass Games The Korean War, often called the Forgo...
For your Wargamer, Toy soldier collector, MiniFig collector, military history nut. Reviews, interviews, Model Making, AARs and books!
Joe BalKoski's The Korean War: Designer Signature Edition by Compass Games
Joe Balkoski's The Korean War: Designer Signature Edition
June 1950 - May 1951
by
Compass Games
The Korean War, often called the Forgotten War, was really part of a forgotten decade of war. The 1950's saw a large part of Eastern Asia alight with the fires of war. The Western Allies were fighting together, and separately, against numerous Communist populist 'freedom fighters'. The French were fighting Ho Chi Minh's Communists in French Indo-China pretty much since the end of World War II. The British were fighting the Malayan Emergency from 1948-1960, again against Communist forces (interestingly, it had to be called an 'emergency' and not a civil war, because British insurance companies would not pay if it was a 'Civil War'). Almost all of the history of this decade was swept away by the intense struggle of the Vietnam War.
The Korean peninsula was divided in half in 1945 (almost exactly like Vietnam was in 1954), between a Communist North and 'Free' South. Again, much like Vietnam, the 'Free' government of South Korea was more of a strongman in power than an actually free society. The game focuses on the first part of the war where maneuvering was still possible. Afterwards it became a stalemate and fought much like World War I, with both sides hunkered down in defensive lines. The beginning of the Korean War saw the North's forces capture almost all of South Korea and push the Allies into the small Pusan Perimeter. General Douglas Macarthur saw his last hurrahs by his amphibious invasion of Inchon, and pushing the North Koreans almost across the Yalu River (their border with China). At that time, the Chinese Communists decided that they had to intervene, and really under the noses of the Allies, secretly moved a large force into North Korea. This force almost swept aside the Allies until they were finally stopped almost at exactly the 38th Parallel, this being the actual demarcation line between North and South Korea. The war dragged on for another two years before peace was achieved. So, now that we have seen the history let us now look at the game. This is what comes in the game box.
Components:
Four map sheets (42.5″ x 71″overall map dimension)
Three countersheets (9/16″ size)
Rules booklet with updated Historical Notes
Two charts and tables booklets
One ten-sided die
Box and Lid
This is the information about the game from it's website:
Complexity: 7 out of 10
Solitaire Suitability: 6 out of 10 (landing options; no hidden units)
Time Scale: one month per turn
Map Scale: 7.5 miles per hex
Unit Scale: battalions, regiments, brigades and divisions
Players: one to two, best with two or more
Playing Time: 4-8 hours depending upon scenario, 20+ hours for campaign
As you can see by the pics, to steal from Monty Python "She's got huge tracts of land", or maps. With the entire Korean Peninsula done at 7.5 miles per hex, the maps have to be that large. The map itself is very well done. It has very large hexes and the color scheme is pleasing to the eye. The different terrains are easily identifiable in each hex. You do not have to try and figure out if a hex is this or that terrain. The counters are also large at 9/16". This makes it very easy to read all the information on them. They are also easy to maneuver for old grognard hands. A few people have complained about the counters being hard to 'punch' out of the cardboard sprues. With counters that do not fall out by themselves, I always use a trusty pair of Solingen scissors that are about 100 years old. I never have a problem with counters. Also, if anyone did have a problem they were sent another set out pronto by Compass Games. Did I mention they have great service? There are numerous Players' Aids that come with it. These are all hard pieces with some lamination on them. This is the list of them:
Three UN Air Support/Interdiction pages. One has the information for Basic Game Scenario 3 on the back.
Game Turn Record for the Advanced Game which is two-sided. This is not really a Turn Record, but it has all of the information for each turn on it.
One Sheet with the UN Reinforcement Charts on it, and a Terrain Chart and UN Escalation Chart on the back.
One UN Combat Results Chart with a Terrain chart and other information on the back.
One North Korean/Chinese Combat Results Chart with a Terrain Chart and other information on the back.
One Sheet of the UN Depot Table, with a Summary of the Units on the back.
One Sheet of the NK Depot Table, with a summary of the Units on the back.
Then there are two for page fold outs, one for each side, with almost all of the information supplied on the separate sheets.
So, you can see that you will not need to share any of the Players' Aids with each other.
The Game also comes with a Rules of Play booklet, along with a Playbook. The Rules of Play Booklet is forty pages long. The Playbook is also forty pages long. Both are in full color and have a good amount of visual aids for gameplay. The Playbook starts with the Advanced Games Rules on page fifteen, and go to page twenty-seven. Next comes a short Historical Perspective written by the designer Joe Balkoski. Then there is a ten page 'The Game as History' with maps included for each turn. Lastly, there is a piece on Korean Culture and History.
Four of the Scenarios use only Maps A and B and a portion of Map C. One Scenario uses Maps C and D only. The Advanced Game Scenario uses all four Maps.
As with all of Compass Games Designer Series Games, this is not just a new printing of an older game. The original designers have worked on their games and incorporated many errata and actually changed some of the mechanics. Yes Virginia, the map is slightly larger one way than the original. The original had two 22" x 34" Maps. Then again, almost everything is better than what came in the original box. There will always be some people that are not happy with change. The horsey set had a long fight with those new fangled automobiles. I don't know, I think it is easier to walk to the Post Office without having to watch out for land mines. Almost all games that are produced now are made because X amount of people want them published. Just because a Designer Signature Edition has been made does not mean that we are forced to throw out our originals. I have a few doubles of games that were reworked. I also have versions one, two, and three of Imperium Romanum, so I am descending from the soapbox now.
Getting away from pure cosmetics, let us take a look at gameplay. Playing either side in the game presents the player with a completely different set of assets and liabilities. The NK Player has the advantage early on. The Western Allies had lowered their forces after World War II to save money. The US was not prepared for a large land war. This should not come as a surprise, because it happened in almost all of the wars we have fought. So the UN Player has to sacrifice space for time, and fight a delaying rearguard action, until the UN forces are brought up to strength. The rules do a good job of simulating what the commanders of both sides had to deal with. In a nutshell, win a war, but do not win it too much for fear of starting World War III. I am pretty sure that neither side was able to find a strategy for dealing with that threat. Kick some butt on a local scale without hearing the sirens wail to get to the bunkers asap. The UN Player does have a large advantage over the historic UN forces. The UN Player knows that China will become involved if pushed. The UN forces at the time were told that the chance of China interfering was slim to none. The Russians becoming involved is also something to give the UN Player to think about. The UN air superiority was taken for granted up until the Russian intervention. Some of the games rules have been changed because some players learned how to game the original system. My personal take on rules, is if the designer by mistake allows a player to game the system or allows a player to act non-historically, I just modify those rules.
The Air War, except for turn one, and its missions are just for the UN Player. The UN Player must choose between Close Air Support (CAS) missions, and Interdiction missions. Each scenario has rules that make some of the NK northern provinces off limits to UN air missions. These rules will be played out again in the Vietnam War.
The Sequence of Play is very different than most games. It changes so much from turn to turn that a separate Player's Aid is given to you to check the changes from turn to turn.
The Advanced Game is where the game really shines. The Advanced Game adds these and other rules to the game
UN Initial Intervention
UN Escalation
US Mobilization
Global Tension
Chinese Invasion of Formosa/Taiwan
Soviet Intervention
Supply becomes a large part of the game also with the addition of Supply Depots (Supply Depots are in two of the scenarios, but their impact is more limited).
As was mentioned, the game only represents the first year of the war. This was when the situation was fluid and the political consequences of some actions had not been thoroughly thought about. The UN, due to Macarthur's last amphibious invasion, were able to take the fight to NK, and almost overrun it completely to the Chinese border. Unfortunately, he blinded himself to the idea that Chinese forces would intervene. Then the UN forces were forced to fight a rearguard action under the constant threat of massed waves of Chinese forces. Both Players can be put in the position of attacker and defender during any of the scenarios. This is usually a hallmark of a great game design.
So, is the game worth it's price, even though you might own the original? The results are in and it is a resounding Yes! The game play has only been advanced and the components are better. Thank you, Compass Games for giving me the chance to review your newest redo of excellent older games. We grognards salute you. I urge you to take a gander at Compass Games large, and growing by the minute, stable of excellent games.
Robert
Compass Games:
Compass Games – New Directions In Gaming
Joe Balkoski's The Korean War:
The Korean War: June 1950 – May 1951, Designer Signature Edition – Compass Games
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