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Posted on Jul 17, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Prelude to Dunkirk – “But Not in Vain: The Siege of Calais” Game Review

Prelude to Dunkirk – “But Not in Vain: The Siege of Calais” Game Review

But Not in Vain: The Siege of Calais Game Review. Publisher: High Flying Dice Games Designer: Paul Rohrbaugh Price: $20.95 (non mounted counters) $26.95 (mounted counters) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Easy to learn. Fast and addictive game play. Great value for the money. Interesting subject matter. Beautiful components. Failed Basic: Historical unit set up would be nice. AA guns should have some affect on air strikes. You have to cut the counters out. High Flying Dice Games (HFDG) has another hit on their hands with their newest release “But Not in Vain: The Siege of Calais ” which covers the fight for the port of Calais over three days in 1940. “But Not in Vain” breaks from many other HFDG products in that it uses a point to point movement system which is overlaid on top of their beautiful map of Calais and the surrounding country side. From HFDG’s rule book: “After breaking out of the Ardennes, the German armored and motorized forces drove for the Channel ports to...

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Posted on Jul 10, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Time to Get Medieval With You! Hastings 1066 Board Game Review

Time to Get Medieval With You! Hastings 1066 Board Game Review

Hastings 1066 AD Game Review. Publisher: Turning Point Simulations Designer: Lembit Tohver with Jim Werbaneth Price $32.95 (ziplock) or $37.95 (boxed) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Fun and educational, nice components and expertly written rules, interesting random events, mounted board, innovative activation system, good solo play, living rules updated on company’s website Failed Basic: a little too static in set up, maybe more alternative set ups and scenarios, needs a glossary, yellow banded counter set up not clear on map board “Hastings 1066” is the 8th game in Turning Point Simulations’ wonderful “Twenty Decisive Battles of the World” series which is based upon Sir Edward Creasy’s book. It effectively and succinctly illustrates the challenges, strategies and tactics which encompassed this famous battle. While I could go in to my own dissertation on the basics and historical significant of this battle, let me quote from Turning Point’s expertly written description for the game from their own website: “The background to Hastings is well known, with an English king (Edward the Confessor,...

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Posted on Jul 6, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Better Run Through the Forest! Compass Games ‘Blood on the Ohio’ Board Game Review.

Better Run Through the Forest! Compass Games ‘Blood on the Ohio’ Board Game Review.

Blood on the Ohio: Washington’s Indian War 1789-1794. Publisher: Compass Games. Game Designer: John Poniske Price $ 59.00 Ray Garbee Passed inspection: Attractive, unmounted color map board depicting the landscape of northern Kentucky and a portion of the ‘Northwest Territory’. Large four-color counters that cleanly depict information. Well defined combat mechanism for resolving ambushes, battles and raids. Failed basic: Rules could be more explicit or included additional detailed examples of play that would have helped resolve some of the ambiguities in text. Mention the phrase ‘Indian Wars’ and you’ll likely conjure up images of Custer and Sheridan battling the Sioux and Cheyenne across the western plains of North America. But in last decade of the 18th Century the space that would soon become Ohio, Indiana and Michigan was the setting for a series of American military expeditions designed to forcibly push the Native American inhabitants off the land and out of the region opening the land to American settlers from the East. Compass Games, Blood on the Ohio: Washington’s...

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Posted on Jun 20, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one he said.” DVG’s “War of the Worlds” Game Review

“The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one he said.” DVG’s “War of the Worlds” Game Review

The War of the Worlds – East Coast of America Board Game Review. Publisher: DVG Game Designer: Arnauld Della Siega with Kevin Verssen Price $59.99 Rick Martin Passed Inspection: easy to learn, fun to play, covers strategic maneuvering plus tactical land and sea battles, can be played in an afternoon, tons of replay value, different editions of the game can be linked for a grand Earth wide campaign Failed Basic: Rules need re-organizing and editing, needs an index, clarity issues, not enough plastic stands included in the game, plastic stands can damage counters if not careful, box not deep enough for easy storage of game components. No index in the rule book. In the interest of full disclosure, Richard Martin has designed three games for DVG – Tiger Leader, The Tiger Leader Upgrade Kit and Sherman Leader. “Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with...

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Posted on Jun 18, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

The Return of Bona Fide Rivals at Sea: Compass Games South China Sea Board Game Review.

The Return of Bona Fide Rivals at Sea: Compass Games South China Sea Board Game Review.

South China Sea Game Review. Publisher: Compass Games. Games Designer: John Gorkowski Price $ 79.00 Ray Garbee Passed inspection: Attractive, unmounted color map board depicting the key features of the South China Sea and surrounding region. Good examples of play. Gorgeous four-color counters that cleanly depict the required information. Streamlined combat mechanism for resolving the modern conflict environment. Failed basic: Rules could be better organized. More errata than one would like – including some rules changes. Units are named by class and in some cases represent a pair, or a division of smaller ships. The 1980’s were the Reagan era, the time of the ‘600-ship Navy’ when a new generation of American warships joined the fleet to partner with the aging veterans of World War Two and the Cold War. It was a time when the Iowa class battleships could be seen cruising alongside sleek new Ticonderoga class Aegis missile cruisers, while the black hulls of Los Angeles-class attack subs prowled the ocean depths. While the fleet missed 600...

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Posted on Jun 5, 2018 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

“It will be the Longest Day” D-Day at Omaha Beach Computer Game Review

“It will be the Longest Day” D-Day at Omaha Beach Computer Game Review

D Day at Omaha Beach Computer Game Preview. Publisher: Decision Games Price: $24.95 Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Captures the feel of the board game; nice sound effects, quick to load, takes up very little hard disk space, help screens are nice Failed Basic: Includes two manuals but both are for the board game; one 9 page semi-formatted manual is in folder entitled “Media”; a little back ground musical score would be nice; has some bugs regarding the “landing window” which don’t allow the game to progress; feels like an alpha release; needs more development “It will be the longest day,” said Field Marshal Rommel when he spoke of the D Day landings. Unfortunately, playing this game felt like the “longest day” to me as well. On this anniversary of the D Day landings, we are looking at Decision Games computer version of their wonderful D Day on Omaha Beach board game. While that board game is a classic, the computer game doesn’t make the cut. In D Day at...

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Posted on Jun 4, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

A Chivalrous Duel and a Deadly Slaughter: GMT Games Illusions of Glory Board Game Review.

A Chivalrous Duel and a Deadly Slaughter: GMT Games Illusions of Glory Board Game Review.

Illusions of Glory Game Review. Publisher: GMT Games. Games Designer: Perry R. Silverman Price $ 65.00 Ray Garbee Passed inspection: Well executed, mounted color map board. The game captures the feel of launching army level attacks across a broad front. Game contains three scenarios supporting early war, mid-war and the full Great War campaign. Supports exploration of alternative ‘what if’ strategies. Insights into the war in the east often overlooked in the western Eurocentric view of the war. Great examples of play. Failed basic: Rules could be better organized. More errata than one would like – including some rules changes. Units are named but feel interchangeable with most having the exact same ratings. The First World War began with the invasion of Serbia by Austria-Hungary (also known as the Dual Monarchy). This ‘minor’ war then snowballed into a series of declarations of war and treaty obligations into a conflict the engulfed the continent. It’s a known fact that most school children can recite. But the conventional narrative usually pivots...

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Posted on May 28, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

A Beautifully Designed and Implemented War Game! Arquebus Board Game Review

A Beautifully Designed and Implemented War Game! Arquebus Board Game Review

Richard Berg’s Arquebus Men of Iron Volume IV Board Game Review. Publisher GMT Designer Richard H. Berg Price $65.00 Rick Martin Passed Inspection: solid game play, easy to learn, very detailed, great solo play, highly educational Failed Basic: the counters are a little too small for “mature” gamers Arquebus is the fourth in the series of Richard H. Berg’s Men of Iron games. The Men of Iron games look at the evolution of warfare from the Middle Ages to the Crusades to the War of the Roses. Now, with the release of Arqebus, Men of Iron turns its attention to the battles in Northern Italy from 1495 to 1544. During this time period, warfare began to change with the introduction of the primitive firearm known as the arbuebus. From GMT’s wonderful description of the game on their website: “Northern Italy – and especially Milan – at the end of the 15th century was the brutal focal point for power and control between France and the Imperialist empires of Venice...

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Posted on May 25, 2018 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

John Tiller Brings the Battles in the Middle East to Your Android. Computer Game Review.

John Tiller Brings the Battles in the Middle East to Your Android. Computer Game Review.

John Tiller’s Modern Campaigns Mideast 67 Android Computer Game Review. Publisher John Tiller Software Price $2.99 (also available for PC and Mac at different prices) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Nice traditional war gaming graphics, good help functions can be accessed on the web, evocative sound effects, accurate units, tons of options, challenging, great value for the price Failed Basic: limited number of scenarios, frustrating time limits on some scenarios, can only play the Israelis on the Android game, no “help labels” for the buttons on top of the screen, no way to take back a move For computer war gamers, John Tiller is a legendary game designer. His games on the PC, Mac and now on the Android platforms have covered all imaginable subjects from ancient battles, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II and modern conflicts; Tiller has a game for every interests. Middle East 67 covers the wars for Israel from 1956 to 1973. You, as the Israelis, must coordinate infantry, armor, artillery, engineers...

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Posted on May 11, 2018 in Electronic Games, Front Page Features

“Play that Zero – I dare you!” KARDS Computer Card Game Preview

“Play that Zero – I dare you!” KARDS Computer Card Game Preview

KARDS – Computer Game Preview. Publisher: 1939 Games Lead Game Designer: Gudmundur Kristjansson Price: The base game is free but expansion cards will have to be purchased but the exact price has yet to be determined Rick Martin World War 2 themed card games have been few and far between. Two standouts that I played almost all the time many years ago are the fantastic Echelons of Fury and The Last Crusade. During this decade, DVG Games’ Warfighter has breathed life in to the genre and is considered a classic by many. Now, a company out of Reykjavik, Iceland called 1939 Games is developing a World War II themed card game with a twist – the cards are virtual! While I was initially skeptical as I like to hold the cards in my hand – call me “old school”, I have been captivated by KARDS. KARDS is currently undergoing play testing and I have to say, it will be a winner! KARDS is a multi-platform game. It will be...

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Posted on May 2, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“No Bull – Clash of Giants: Civil War is a Great Game!” Board game review.

“No Bull – Clash of Giants: Civil War is a Great Game!” Board game review.

Clash of Giants: Civil War. Board game review. Publisher: GMT Games. Designer: Ted Raicer. Price: $55.00 Ray Garbee Passed Inspection: Fast playing, dynamic game. Clearly defined color counters. Attractive graphics in depicting the battlefield maps. Great examples of play in the battle book. Good replay value Failed Basic: The double-sided map means wear and tear to the map regardless of which battle you fight. The game systems depiction of artillery support may be too abstract for some people’s taste. There is a plethora of board games on the various battles and struggles of the American Civil War. But if you narrowed your focus, you could fill a substantial bookcase just collecting the many different games covering the battle of Gettysburg. In a sea of game choices, what the hobby needs are good games that ease new players into the traditional hex and counter game space. These games should be interesting, exciting and accessible. Ted S. Raicer has applied the Clash of Giants system to two significant battles of the...

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Posted on May 1, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Will You Unify Germany? A Review of Turning Point Simulations’ The Sadowa Campaign Board Game

Will You Unify Germany? A Review of Turning Point Simulations’ The Sadowa Campaign Board Game

The Sadowa Campaign 1866 AD Game Review. Publisher: Turning Point Simulations Designer: Jim Werbaneth Price $32.95 (ziplock) or $37.95 (boxed) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: concise expertly written rule book, easy to learn, dynamic play, great solo experience, excellent value for the money Failed Basic: flipping the counters to show that they have acted gets old fast especially with the small hex size and stacks of 4 or more counters The Austro-Prussian War is a subject that I knew next to nothing about until I started my research in order to review Turning Point Simulations game “The Sadowa Campaign 1866 AD” (Sadowa). If one sign of a good game is that it challenges the player to learn more about the subject then Sadowa is not only a good game, but a great game! Why is Sadowa considered a “turning point in history”, you may ask, I couldn’t put it any better than in the description on Turning Point Simulations’ web page regarding The Sadowa Campaign: “… one could make the...

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Posted on Apr 26, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“Dice Me Like a Samurai!” Age of War – Samurai Dice Game Review

“Dice Me Like a Samurai!” Age of War – Samurai Dice Game Review

Age of War Game Review. Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games Designer: Reiner Knizia Price $12.95 Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Easy to learn, fast to play, beautiful graphics Failed Basic: Rules for Special Daimyo Battle Line are lacking and confusing, very abstract, no solo rules The Japanese “Age of War” (Sengoku Jidai) lasted from 1467 until 1603. During this turbulent period, Japanese feudal lords called Daimyo fought for control of neighboring kingdoms and, eventually, for control of Japan, itself. This was the golden age of the Samurai and the Ninja. Fantasy Flight’s Age of War is a highly abstract dice throwing game which allows from 2 to 6 players to take control of warriors, cavalry and bowmen in order to conquer castles and take control of Japan. The game is attractively packaged in a small box with gorgeous artwork. The components are 7 custom dice, 14 double sided castle cards and a one page, double sided rule sheet. The game is perfectly sized to take on trips. Age of War is...

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Posted on Apr 9, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

West German and British Forces Enter the Battle – Main Battle Tank Expansions Have Arrived! Game Review

West German and British Forces Enter the Battle – Main Battle Tank Expansions Have Arrived! Game Review

MBT BAOR and FRG Expansions Game Review. Publisher: GMT Games Designer: James M. Day Price $65.00 each Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Highly detailed but very playable expansions to a classic game system, easy to learn, beautiful components Failed Basic: Difficult to get the new maps to lay flat. In 2016 GMT released James Day’s fully updated MBT (Main Battle Tank) which was a tactical game based on a hypothetical war between the NATO forces and the Soviet Union in 1987. Now GMT follows up their initial release with these two well researched expansion packs which add the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to the mix! And, hold on to your tracks MBT fans – GMT has added an expansion featuring the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group to their P500 list of possible upcoming games! MBT, as previously stated, is a tactical combat game. Each unit is one vehicle or aircraft or a squad or half squad of infantry or a special...

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Posted on Mar 30, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“A High Price for Our Blood…” Review of Golan ‘73: Fast Action Battle.

“A High Price for Our Blood…” Review of Golan ‘73: Fast Action Battle.

Golan ‘73: FAB. Board game Review. Publisher: GMT Games. Designer: Michael Gustavsson and Rick Young. Price: $65.00 Ray Garbee Passed Inspection: Explores a pivotal battle in the modern history of Israel and the Middle East. Quality map board presenting the geography of the Golan Heights. High quality components. Challenging game play. Failed Basic: The quantity of errata items that have been reported. The rulebook shares the same structure as other FAB series games with rules split between the ‘core’ series rules and those rules specific to the game. It’s a little confusing if you are new to the series. On October 6th, 1973 Israel was stunned as the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a coordinated assault that coincided with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The Arab states – rearmed and trained by the Soviet Union – initially made impressive gains on both fronts. However, following the mobilization of the IDF reserves, these gains were erased by masterful counter attacks launched by the IDF. The war ended badly for...

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Posted on Mar 27, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

High Flying Dice Games Hits its Target with this Fascinating Vietnam War Game. Game Review

High Flying Dice Games Hits its Target with this Fascinating Vietnam War Game. Game Review

Gone to Pieces The Battle of Binh Gia Game Review. Publisher: High Flying Dice Games Designer: Paul Rohrbaugh Price: $14.95 (non mounted counters) $19.95 (mounted counters) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Exciting game play. Interesting subject. Dynamic turn sequence. Fantastic value for the price. Nearly perfect solo play. Easy to learn. Engages all players in the action at all times. Failed Basic: Needs a full sequence of play aid including rolling for weather sequence. A typo in the rules says that the map is only one 11 x 17 inch page when it is actually two 11 x 17 pages. High Flying Dice Games (HFDG) has consistently delivered highly engaging games at amazingly low prices. Each game covers a unique historical battle many of which have not been covered by other gaming companies. Their newest release “Gone to Pieces” is no exception. Gone to Pieces covers the Battle of Binh Gia which lasted from December 28, 1964 to January 1st, 1965. From HFDG’s own introduction to this game, “Following the...

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Posted on Mar 13, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

You are Already Dead! Sword and Sorcery Board Game Review

You are Already Dead! Sword and Sorcery Board Game Review

Immortal Souls – Sword and Sorcery Board Game Review. Publisher: Ares Games Developed by: Gremlin Project studio Designers: Simone Romano and Nunzio Surace Price: $70.99 Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Beautiful components – great looking minis and wonderful dungeons and building tiles, exciting game play, perfect solo or group game, dynamic campaign, feels like a game run by a game master, exciting tactical battles Failed Basic: Rules are a little overwhelming at first, too many symbols to learn, too few scenarios in the basic game For those of us who remember the post apocalyptic Japanese animation “Hokuto no Ken” aka “Fist of the North Star” or “Ken North Star Fist”, the hero of the story would use a special attack on his enemies and then wait for them to die. He would tell them “Omae wa shindeiru” or “You are already dead” and then they would die usually in a pretty spectacular and gory way. In Ares Games’ new fantasy game series “Sword and Sorcery”, you can take “You are...

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Posted on Feb 28, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“God Blew and They Were Scattered!” The Invincible Armada is a Fantastic Game! Game Review

“God Blew and They Were Scattered!” The Invincible Armada is a Fantastic Game! Game Review

The Invincible Armada 1588 AD Game Review. Publisher: Turning Point Simulations Designer: Mark G. McLaughlin Price: $29.95 (zip lock) $34.95 (boxed) Rick Martin Passed Inspection: Small footprint, simple to learn but dynamic to play, great value for the price, exciting, plays perfectly well solo. Also a great educational experience. Failed Basic: Needs a better explanation of the Parma counters (turns out these are used during the Armada Rendezvous sequence but they are not referenced directly in the rules), a few rule typos, “Eddystone Light” on the strategic map should just read “Eddystone” as the lighthouse wasn’t built until 1696 – over 100 years after 1588. Fireship rules could be “unpacked” a little for clarity. The Invincible Armada 1588 AD is a game in Turning Point Simulations’ “Battles that Changed the World” series. As with the other games in the series, this game is available in a zip lock version or a boxed version. Surely the battle between the British Navy and the Spanish Armada must be remembered as one...

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Posted on Feb 16, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

“Two Shermans at 1 O’Clock. Loader Panzergranate. Gunner Fire on Closest Tank!” Review of the Tiger Leader Upgrade Kit.

“Two Shermans at 1 O’Clock. Loader Panzergranate. Gunner Fire on Closest Tank!” Review of the Tiger Leader Upgrade Kit.

Tiger Leader upgrade kit. Boardgame Review. Publisher: Dan Verssen Games. Designer: Rick Martin Free with Sherman Leader or download for free from DVG website. Ray Garbee Passed Inspection: Updates rules to the Sherman Leader standard. Adds some additional units to the game. Improved game play results in more engaging game. Failed Basic: Presents rule changes as addendum, does not have an updated integrated rulebook. Retains the original unit card graphics. Dan Verssen Games (DVG) released Tiger Leader in 2015. Tiger Leader was Rick Martin’s game of combat in World War II from the perspective of a German battlegroup commander. Designed expressly for solitaire play, Tiger Leader allowed the player to engage in campaigns across the spectrum of the war from the initial invasion of Poland through the fall of Berlin. While the game was generally well received, there was some critiques of the operational movement model and the tactical combat model that appeared to make your opponents quite skilled and always on the attack. In 2017, DVG released Sherman...

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Posted on Feb 8, 2018 in Boardgames, Front Page Features

Sicily: Fast Action Battle – Operation Husky unleashes Patton and Montgomery in the Race for Messina. Board Game Review

Sicily: Fast Action Battle – Operation Husky unleashes Patton and Montgomery in the Race for Messina. Board Game Review

Fast Action Battles: Sicily Board Game Review Publisher: GMT Games. Designer: Rick Young Price $60.00 Ray Garbee Passed inspection: Gorgeous map. Good balance of detail with speed of play. Elegant method for integrating air support, artillery and low level supporting units. Game contains two scenarios, plus an introductory scenario. Supports exploration of alternative strategies. Failed basic: Rules were a bit dense and could benefit from better organization. In July, 1943 the Allied armies invaded Sicily and took the war to the Axis home turf. The invasion – known as Operation Husky – is a bit of a paradox. It’s both a well-known iconic military campaign in which generals Patton and Montgomery competed with each other in the “Race to Messina” while at the same time, the details of that race have receded into the dusty recesses of faded memory. Fast Action Battles: Sicily, from GMT Games, blows away that dust and shines a light on the campaign. A light that reminds us that the battle for Sicily was much...

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