Unboxing: I, Napoleon (GMT Games)

A recent release from GMT Games is I, Napoleon, a solo, card-driven role-playing game where you take the role of Napoleon, from his early career to his final days (through death, exile, or whatnot). Cards present challenges, assets, and opportunities, and your goal is to equal or exceed his historical achievements. It is an interesting design idea with a lot of potential, so of course I had to order it. It arrived a few days ago, and I tore it open immediately, eager to investigate the game and get started on learning it. In the process, I figured I should take some pictures and post an unboxing, since I would already be examining the components anyway.

As with any unboxing, we start with the box:

A beautiful cover (by Domhnall Hegarty, according to the playbook), with a very understated, but evocative piece of art, and a title that feels perfectly sized. GMT is doing a fantastic job with their box covers lately, very well done!

The back provides us a lot of information:

As I stated, this is a solitaire game, and the complexity is apparently pretty low.

On to the rulebook:

GMT has posted the rulebook here for your viewing pleasure. I am most of the way through it, and there are a lot of interesting things going on, but it does not seem too difficult to get into.

Next up is the Playbook:

This one comes with a very detailed example of play, notes about each card, design notes, and a high-level chronology of Napoleon's career. As with all GMT products, the quality of these playbooks is fantastic, with a lot to read and enjoy, even when not playing the game.

Next up is the Player Aid Card, with a Campaign Battle Mat on one side, so you can easily fight your wars, and a Campaign Selection Table (not pictured) on the other, which provides the pre-conditions for the various campaigns you may fight during the game.

A small sheet of counters is provided, which track various resources, the status of diplomatic relations with other nations, income modifiers, and whatever else needs to be tracked.

The pre-rounded counters will save me a little bit of work, so no complaints here.

Now, onto the game board:

This is a 22"x34" mounted board, with spaces to track a variety of game effects/resources. The larger boxes are for placement of cards, both in draw/holding boxes, and for placement of cards that are currently active and affecting the game. The game board itself seems fine- maybe not the most visually exciting, but it certainly gets the job done.

We are given one (1) ten-sided die to resolve campaigns, random results on various cards, etc. One cool thing to note about the die rolling is that once a turn (once a year), Napoleon can re-roll the die (tracked by the "Napoleon's Luck" counter) if the result is not to his liking. Of course, he can also use his luck to draw a different card or avoid paying a cost. Another resource to manage in the game.

Finally, the meat of the game, the cards. There are cards that will be drawn throughout the game, cards that are used as dividers/reminders of when to add/remove cards, cards that are played as the results of other cards. The contents list on the box mentions 222 cards are included. I did not count to verify.

The previous two pictures are the front and back of the divider cards, which are not shuffled into the deck, but handle separating out cards for easier searching, and in some cases do enter play.

There is also the large pile of cards that get added to the main deck throughout the game, year by year, which create situations/opportunities for Napoleon. The cards are nice quality, well-illustrated, and in my brief look through them, are very easy to read.

This game has a lot of potential, both as a fresh, interesting take on Napoleonic gaming, but also opens the door for future topics using a system like this. I would not mind seeing an I, Alexander, or I, Frederick, for instance. Nothing of the sort has been mentioned, I should rush to add, but it is a really cool concept that I hope plays as well as it presents. I am working to clear up my second gaming table to try to put this out and try it, and if I do, I will make sure to post about it!

That's all for this post- thanks for reading!

Unboxing: Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North (Legion Wargames)

Man, I buy too much stuff. I really do, don't I? The problem is, I really like supporting different designers/publishers/series/whatnot, and when new stuff comes out, I feel compelled to keep at it. Alas, until I get a product that isn't great quality, I have no real reason to stop. The trials of a board game collector, I guess.

Anyway, on to today's topic, Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North by Legion Wargames. What does my opening have to do with this? Well, Legion Wargames caught my eye because they had a CPO (similar to GMT's P500 system) for a game on the Russo-Japanese war, a conflict I was interested in, and a game that seemed very intriguing (funnily enough, by the same designer as today's subject, Michael Taylor). Looking through the preview components, I fell in love, it is going to be a great game... when it comes out (I came across it several years ago, so it has been a while). While looking at the game, I decided to see what else the company had on offer, and there were a lot of designs that grabbed my attention. A solo game about the B-29 Superfortress? Or a great looking game on the battle of Dien Bien Phu? Well, there was a lot to like (although these were not out yet either, I did CPO them and have them now). I have been keeping an eye on Legion since then and have purchased most of their releases as they come out. They do not put out a huge amount of product each year, so keeping up has not been too bad at all.

Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North came out late last year, and I waited a little before ordering it so that I could combine shipping with other releases coming from Legion Wargames that were coming out (in this case, Invasion Malta, and the Target for Tonight expansion). It has gotten complimentary reviews so far, and it is pretty inexpensive for such a nice-looking package. It is a ziplock game, but it has a fantastic looking table footprint, and good-looking rules. Let's take a closer look at the contents.

First, the front and back of the ziplock:

The front is a cover page on thick cardstock, which is very nice, and will be used whenever I move this to a permanent storage solution with some other games. The back is the back of the rulebook. It contains a small map from the Soviet perspective, but there is no description of its source in the rulebook.

Moving on, we have a one-sided terrain chart, on nice card stock.

Next up is the map, measuring 11" x 17".

Feels very clean, and very well presented. The size of the hexes is quite roomy, when you compare them to the size of the counters, which is extra nice for a game that may be a really perfect introductory game.

Speaking of the counters, let's have a look:

There were some errata for some of the counters, but they have been fixed with stickers applied by Legion Wargames already. The counters look very nice and clean and are cut well.

Finally, we have the rulebook, which is only six pages of rules.

And really, given that the front page of the rules is all background, the rules are only five pages! I have read through the rules, and it seems pretty standard wargame fare, ZOCs, replacements, combat which is not mandatory. Again, this seems like a completely perfect intro wargame. Might be just the thing to try with my nephew (and my brother, if I can get him to try it). We will see.

And that is a quick look over the components for this game. It is very affordable and has Legion's typical great quality. Definitely recommend taking a look!

Unboxing: Drive on Leningrad 1941 (Decision Games, Campaigns in Europe I, World at War #97)

The second issue of my World at War subscription arrived about two weeks ago, and I have been excited to talk about this, but have been delayed due to illness. However, I am recovered enough to write about it and share some excitement about this new game. This will be a pretty short post, just to show the components.

This is the first release in a four-game series called the Campaigns in Europe, all to be released in World at War magazine, which will use the maps from the old SPI War in Europe game, but with new rules (and new units and such). The four games' maps will connect with one another, but will not connect in any particular scenario, needing an expansion kit Decision games will sell in the future. Plus, it looks like there will be no way to play a full European War scenario, with the game focused on individual campaigns rather than the full war itself. Anyway, it is a pretty exciting concept, and one I am interested in seeing happen, whether or not I end up getting the additional package.

As with all magazine games, my focus is on the game itself. The articles are great and well worth the price of the magazine (they sell this without the game, after all), but today, it is the game I am talking about.

So, let's start with the cover:

Very nice cover, with the contrast between the black and white image and the colorful labels creating a very visually appealing combination.

Next, the Table of Contents:

The main article, of course, is on the topic of the game, with the background and history of the topic. The other articles are sure to be fantastic (although I admit I have not read this issue yet). Prior experience has taught me that these magazines are always really good, informative reads.

Now, let's get to the game, looking at the rulebook, first.

The rulebook is really great quality- full color, lots of clarifications, and the ruleset seems a bit more on the complex side than what I would expect out of a magazine game (which is great news). One nice thing about the Decision Games rules nowadays is that they are attached to the magazine's subscription card with a sort of tacky glue, which you can peel off, allowing you to remove the rulebook without damaging it (and the magazine). A great change that I wish other magazine publishers would do as well.

I looked through the rules a little, and they seem pretty standard to me. That is hardly a bad thing, and there is likely some depth that was not immediately obvious to me, something to discover when I actually set the game up and give it serious study.

This issue comes with a number of player aid cards, which feels different than the usual World at War release. These include scenario setup information, and charts for terrain and combat (pictured are the front and back):

Next up, we have the counters, one countersheet worth:

Quite sharp looking! Distinct colors for the different nationalities, and the factors are very clear. Nicely done sheet of counters.

Finally, the map:

As mentioned above, this is apparently a map from the old War in Europe game. Not a game I own or have seen, but the map is really nice looking, clear, and has plenty of interesting places to fight over. Not much to quibble about.

Overall, it is a great looking package, and one I cannot wait to play, whether or not the other games in the series connect to one another in any meaningful way. The components are great, the rules look perfectly fine- it is looking to be a pretty good product.

Unboxing: Bayonets & Tomahawks, 2nd Printing (GMT Games)

Something about the second (or later) printing of a game always gets me. I am not sure if it is just the knowledge that the second printing will have less errata (usually having known errata incorporated). Maybe it is the assurance that enough people bought the first printing that I have a reasonable chance to find opponents. Maybe it is the assurance that enough people bought the game that I know it's not a dud. Some combination of these three, whatever it is, makes newer printings of games almost irresistible to me. Today's topic, Bayonets & Tomahawks, 2nd Printing, from GMT Games, is just the latest in the trend of such purchases.

It is possible I would have picked this up without the new printing- the topic (French and Indian War) is interesting enough, and I have played at least one game on it and enjoyed it (A Few Acres of Snow). I don't own many games on the war (I believe the only other one is Bloody Mohawk, from Lock 'n Load Publishing). It is well-regarded, award-winning, the system looks interesting at first glance... plenty of reasons I may have grabbed this. A new printing just solidifies it.

As with all games that come into my collection, I always spend a bit looking over the components. It gives me the first feel for the game, and the table appeal is what I hope will get my friends to try it too. So, let's take a look.

As with all games, we start with the box:

Classic GMT look, which is to say it is nice, clean, with a good piece of art on the top. I think the newer boxes are more visually interesting, of course, but I don't really expect them to drastically change something as important as a cover for a new printing. And the classic GMT cover style really is quite nice as it is.

The back of the box:

As always, a lot of good information, with a sampling of components. The complexity seems lower than I'd expect (BGG gives it a 'weight' of 3.2 out of 5, but non-wargamers may find this more complex than a wargamer would), and a brief perusal of the rules indicates that the six solitaire rating comes from a solitaire-friendly set of rules, not a specific set of solitaire rules, although the playbook does have one column with some slight modifications to play, in order to make solitaire play easier.

The rulebook is the first thing you encounter when opening the box:

Full color, very nice quality. GMT hosts a digital version of this here. One picture to show the inside of the book:

I have briefly read through the rules, and the game is much different than I expected. In my head, I was anticipating more of a traditional CDG, but this seems more... card-paced, than card driven. I am not sure what the term would be. You draw a card, and your options are limited by the action provided by the card, but you do have a single reserve card you can use to replace the drawn card, once per year. It feels more like what COIN games do than a CDG, but even that is a very poor comparison. Either way, the rules are nicely laid out- this will be an easy one to put on the table.

Next up is the playbook:

Again, given to us online by GMT here. Again, full color, and great quality:

The playbook's focus is on examples of play (with several detailed examples of various parts of the game), some strategy advice, and historical background on the various cards/events in the game. As a wargamer, the playbook is frequently the part of the game I spend the most time with- yeah, I need to read the rules to play, but seeing how the designer tied mechanics to the history, as well as learning about said history is something I will read for pleasure in my free time.

Next up are the countersheets. The game comes with three such sheets:

I honestly tried to take pictures in better light than usual, but that seems to have made almost no difference in picture quality. Anyway, the counters are very nice, up to GMT's typical standards. The triangle counters are light units, and I am certain their non-standard shape will annoy me at some point. Do light units not stack with the other unit types (there are circle and square units)? Well, again, this game justified a second printing. How about I play it before I worry about how awkward it will be.

Next up we have scenario set up cards:

Every scenario uses the Indian setup card, and there are separate British and French cards to allow the setup of the any of the game's four scenarios (there are also variant scenarios presented in the playbook). The printing of a particular scenario's setup across two different cards is very handy- nothing slows a game down more than both players needing to pass setup information back and forth. Smart choice!

Two identical player aid cards are included:

A lot of information is on these cards, and presumably once you are familiar with the game, these will be all you need.

The game comes with custom dice:

These dice are excellent! Custom cut, painted, and really high quality. The sides show what units get a hit (matching the shapes of the counters), and the others deal with a Battle Victory marker, or potential leader loss... well, that is pretty cool. The battle rules look to be more involved than I would have expected- very exciting.

The game comes with a beautiful, mounted map:

GMT is also kind enough to provide a much better digital version to see the details here. I quite like the map, and the actual physical quality is very impressive. Of course, this is GMT, they have some of the best component quality in the business.

Next up is a fabric bag:

This is used for reinforcement draws, where counters called 'Vagaries of War' will be added to provide additional uncertainty in the schedule and arrival of reinforcements.

Finally, we have a number of cards, with three different card backs. The French cards have a blue back:

Here are some other pictures of these cards, with a bit more going on:

The cards have events, limits as to what sort of units you can activate on your turn, an initiative value (the die on the bottom). You will have the choice of using this card or your reserve card each turn, but you will definitely be at the mercy of these cards throughout the game. I imagine if I played it more than once, some time analyzing the spread of activations would be really helpful.

There are also British and Indian cards (the latter drawn by the French player):

And some more interesting examples:

And there you have it. The game looks incredible, as everyone has come to expect from GMT. My brief read through the rules made me very excited for this game- it is not what I expected at all. If anything, it seems much meatier than I was anticipating, which is a very pleasant surprise. My friend Bob has expressed interest in playing this (I think he has a copy), so I am going to sort and sleeve this one in the next month, on the off chance it gets on the table soon.

Unboxing: Here I Stand 500th Anniversary Reprint Edition, 2nd Printing (GMT Games)

I recently received three games I had ordered on GMT’s P500: Washington’s War (third printing), For the People (fourth printing), and Here I Stand 500th Anniversary Reprint Edition (second printing). All new printings of classic, well-known, and loved wargames. I have been buying wargames for quite some time, but I had never managed to have money, interest, and opportunity align well enough for me to procure any of these. Well, until now, of course. I could not wait to get inside the boxes, and look at what I had, so I figured I would write a little, so anyone interested could see as well.

All three of these games interested me, but I started by looking at Here I Stand. It is a game that combines military, political, and religious conflict, all in a Card Driven Game (CDG) package, but apparently is only a ‘good’ game with either exactly three or six players (although a quick check of the rules shows that a two-player variant exists). Something like this seems like a great fit for our yearly gaming get together (assuming my friends were interested), although I do not think that is going to be my goal game this year.
Anyway, let’s look and see what we have.

First the box:

Well, right there on the cover, the game includes a two-player variant. The 500th anniversary edition is an upgraded edition of the game, including six new cards, some card revisions, and some rule changes ported over from Virgin Queen. I have no reference to how extensive the changes are, but if you were going to buy the game, why wouldn’t you get the new one?

Back of the box:

The game is given a two for solitaire suitability, which feels generous, with six player factions and hidden information (the cards in hand). A complexity of six, to me, implies that the game is more complex than your average CDG, which I completely believe.

Next up, we have a couple of books, starting with the scenario book:

I am sure they will update the version they have on their home page, but you can see the previous version of this book here.

Three scenarios are included, and the book mentions that the longest of these should take around eight hours, if everyone is familiar with the rules. It also provides a map of where players should sit, around the board (depending on the power they are playing).

Full color, with a lot of information (this image is from the extended example of play).

Next up, we have the rule book:

You can find the previous edition of the rules here. They will almost certainly post the newest version of the rules on their page at some point, of course. It reads quite clear, and honestly seems like a game that would be straightforward to get on the table.

One power card for each power in the game:

Each power has actions they can perform that may differ from the other powers, and a variety of different rules that apply to them. These will provide an effective way to keep track of what you can do, and how you are progressing towards your victory.

On the back of each card are setup details for the 1532 scenario:

A simpler alternative to setting it up from the scenario book, I guess.

Next, we have two identical Sequence of Play cards:

On one side is the information for the normal game, and on the other side is the information for the two-player game, as shown in the picture. Seeing which cards are added at the start of any given turn will be handy, too.

Next, a set of identical Reference Cards:

The action summary will help a player figure out what they can do on their turn, and the reverse side gives a summary of the distinct types of combat, and the modifiers for each type. Really helpful looking. Maybe one would have to make copies when playing though, one for each player? I admit, I do not know, but if I manage to play this, I will have to think about it, just as a precaution.

Next is the Religious Struggle Card:

Religious conflict is a core part of this game, and conversion of spaces to Protestantism is a way for the Protestant player to win an automatic victory. The debate area is a way to convert spaces and score VPs, and it seems to be tied to language zones in the game, which is a very intriguing rule inclusion that I do not believe I have seen elsewhere. The Reformation, and rules related to the religious struggle, take up six pages of the rulebook, so this is a major component of the game. Very interesting looking.

Five countersheets are included.

There are counters for various military units, markers to show control of spaces, game effect reminder markers, debaters, game track markers, leader counters, and standee punch-outs to go in their holders:

A beautiful, mounted map:

Included are ten dice in two colors:

Used for resolving conflicts, both military and religious.

The core mechanic of the game revolves around these cards:

The rules state there are 110 such cards, including Home Cards (available to their respective power every turn), mandatory event cards (effects that have to go off when they make it into your hand), response cards (allowing you to do something during an opponent’s turn), combat cards (providing some effect in combat), and event cards. Cards are easy to read and seem pretty self-explanatory in their effects. Pretty standard CDG fare, and perfectly good at their job.

Next up is a Diplomacy Deck, which is used in the two-player game to simulate the actions of the non-player powers.

And that is all the components. This seems like an incredible game, impressive in its scope, and honestly a little unbelievable, to me, that they manage to fit so many different facets of conflict into an eight-hour experience.

It also looks like the next printing of Virgin Queen is going to ship in July or so, meaning I will have a second title to impress me the same way. I am quite looking forward to it.