Battles of Westeros

Introduction/Theme

Battles of Westeros is a medium-complex mixture of the genres wargame and boardgame. It is settled in the very popular world of “Game of Thrones”, with its Seven Kingdoms - invented by R. R. Martin. The houses “Stark” and “Lannister” are part of this core set, concentrating mainly on the military aspect of the conflict.

Components

The game is published by Heidelberger Spieleverlag and Fantasy Flight Games, so the usual fine quality of components can be found here as well. The big box contains 138 plastic miniatures, lots of cards and a pretty board map (double-sided). The rules booklet has a lot of pages, but is intuitive and easy to understand - covering almost each and every question that might arise.

Gameplay

The game is based on the very popular system invented by Richard Borg, which is used by successful games like Memoir 44, Battlelore or Commands & Colors. Although there are some changes - which influence the gameplay quite a lot. In pre-defined scenarios you have to lead your armies (and either defeat your opponent or conquer strategic spots). In opposite to Battlelore the game is not divided into three areas (important for ordering your units) and quite powertul leaders have an important impact, and can determine the outcome of a scenario. Battles are resolved by dice, including simple modifiers. This means that luck is involved, but usually equals out through a whole game.

Conclusion

I really enjoy Battle of Westeros! I love the Game of Thrones setting and the realisation of the game fits perfectly to the theme and creates an exciting atmosphere. The scenarios are prepared very well and especially the new leaders offer lots of possibilities and strategic depth. If you are looking for intense 2 player battles with quite simple rules and a great theme, you should give it a try. Lots of expansions are already available (maybe more about them here sometime soon), so you won't get bored... ;-)

 

From the manufacturer: Unfurl the banners of the Great Houses of Westeros! To secure power in the Seven Kingdoms and to ensure the survival of their lines, the Houses of Westeros each follow very different paths. Some forge strategic alliances, some create complex political intrigues, and still others use deceit and betrayal. 

But there is no more direct or lasting path to power than taking to the field of battle.In Battles of Westeros, two players recreate the military conflicts set in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, taking part in battles directly from the books... or designing their own. 

In this epic board game of battlefield tactics, players control either House Stark, the wards of Winterfell who have called their hearty allies to defend their honor and lands, or House Lannister, an aggressive force funded by Casterly Rock's endless supply of gold.

Battles of Westeros includes:
- 1 Westeros Battle Guide
- 1 rulebook
- 138 plastic figures with bases
- 1 six-panel, double-sided map board
- 8 dice
- 110 cards
- 32 map overlay pieces
- hundreds of tokens  

 

2 players, 60 min
Designer: Robert A. Kouda
Published by: Heidelberger Spieleverlag, Fantasy Flight Games  

Category: Fantasy, Fighting, Miniatures

Battles of Westeros @ boardgamegeek.com
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Napoleon - 4th Edition on Kickstarter

Columbia Games is relaunching an old wargame classic - "Napoleon", initially produced in 1974. As quite common these days, Kickstarter is used to promote a deluxe edition (mounted board, big blocks, signed and numbered color copies of the rules,...) of this fine and challenging game. Check it out here:

Napoleon on Kickstarter

>>> UPDATE 11/03/2013: 
New stretch goal has been added (markers for game effects and for terrain), as the initial goal was met incredibly fast... :-)

Napoléon is a strategy game for two or three players that simulates the Waterloo Campaign. The time is June 15th, 1815.  A French army commanded by the great Napoléon is ready to invade the Southern Nederlands (now Belgium) where two Allied armies, one Anglo-Dutch led by the Duke of Wellington, and one Prussian led by Marshal Blücher are gathering strength to invade France.  The French are concentrated and have the early advantage, but the Allies, if they can unite, are stronger.

Napoléon is an elegant simulation of one of history's greatest military campaigns.  It has always been a fun, addictive game that you will want to play over and over.  Please support a new five-star edition of this timeless classic.

Mage Wars

Introduction/Theme
"Mage Wars" makes you feel like acting as a real magician. You (as a mighty mage) use a customized spell book to fight the hostile mage in a Battle Arena - until one of the two mages is finally slain and looses the game.

Components
The game has been developed over five years, and you can see the efforts spent also when it comes to the high-quality components. The huge box is fully packed with a nice game board, a spellbook, status boards and lot of beautiful cards, markers and some dice. The great artwork adds a lot to the overall experience.

Gameplay
You can choose a mage out of four different character classes (which - of course - have different strengths and weaknesses), available are the Wizard, the Priestess of Asyra, the Beastmaster of Straywood and the Warlock of the Assaxian Crown. You place them on the game board (= Arena), which has twelve different zones (square sections) for moving and summoning creatures. The core gameplay develops simultaneously, and is based on the different spells you chose to have in your spell book. Beside casting spells and summoning creatures, you also can attack your opponent - whereas attacks are resolved very simple and transparent with a die role and comparing some stats. The actual status is tracked on the well-arranged status board, and the game ends when one of the two mages has been defeated.

Conclusion
The truly outstanding aspect of this game (especially in comparison to a lot of deck building games) is the fact, that you have the spells you chose (yes, all of them!), available any time during play. This offers a great depth of strategical and tactical gameplay, also a lot of variety is guaranteed. You definitely need some time get deeper into all the details, but it's time well spent - because then you can experience the complex possibilities, and more and more details of the endless strategic combinations become visible. Definitely one of the highlights of the year 2012!

From the publisher: Mage Wars is the customizable strategy game of dueling mages. Players take on the role of powerful mages, stepping into the arena to battle for supremacy. Mage Wars is a unique genre-breaking concept, combining the best elements of customizable card games and tactical miniature games.
Players can play as a Wizard, Warlock, Beastmaster or Priestess; each with their own unique strategies and style of play. The game is fast-paced and exciting, with tough tactical decisions every turn.
Players build their own custom spellbook, with over 300 spells to choose from! The game is not collectible – players have equal access to the same spells. There is no random card drawing - players choose exactly which spells to cast, when they want to cast them! This allows for an unprecedented level of rich strategy and tactics.
Summon powerful creatures into the battle, hurl lightning bolts and fireballs, adorn yourself with mighty weapons and armor, or lay a network of hidden enchantments to take your foe by surprise. All of this and more awaits you in the arena of Mage Wars! With subtle strategies and diabolical surprises, the balance of power can shift each round, keeping the game exciting and victory unpredictable. 

Mage Wars highlights:

• 4 different mages, each with their own unique play style
• Fully customizable – with 322 spells
• Focus is on strategy, not random card drawing or collecting
• Simultaneous play system keeps players actively involved and engaged at all times

2 players, 90 min
Designer: Bryan & Benjamin Pope
Published by: Arcane Wonders 
Category: Card game, Fantasy, Mage, Area Control

Mage Wars @ boardgamegeek.com
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1830: Railways & Robber Barons

Introduction/Theme
"1830: Railways & Robber Barons" is a railroad operations and share trading board game, which influenced a whole industry of similar 18XX-games. 1830 is the original classic game designed by Francis Tresham and published by Avalon Hill in 1986. Lookout Games and Mayfair Games published a reprint lately, which this review is based upon.

Components
The reprint comes with a double-sided game map, shares, play money, railroad tracks and lots of cards - and all of this in awesome premium quality and with a nice style representing the age of Railroads and Robber Barons... Also the rules have been improved in terms of accessibility, but nevertheless the standard variant with the "old" rules is still available and (in the long run for experienced players) definitely recommended.

Gameplay
At the beginning the players are bidding for the railroad companies. Then it is important to balance the main aspects of the game, the railroad management itself (route building) and the stock management. You have to take care of laying tracks and of establishing rewarding good transports as well as decide for the right trains and the right companies (due to technology reasons certain trains are taken out of the game and "better" ones are introduced). Another vital part of the game (maybe the most important) is the stock management, where you should not only aim for rising the value of your own shares, but also for driving down the value of your opponents stock. ;-) When a player goes bankrupt or the bank runs out of money the game ends and the most wealthy player wins. Money can be earned by either dividends, by selling companies or by rising value of shares.

Conclusion
I was thinking for years about buying the old classic boardgame on Ebay and I am more than pleased now with this reprint. Not only the quality and graphics are outstanding and adopted to nowadays premium standards, also the accessibility has been strongly improved. There is a game variant available to learn the main mechanics, as well as a simplified base version and of course the known and loved standard version. This makes it easy for inexperienced players to get into the game and the mechanics - to finally someday enjoy the complex tactics and fabulous gameplay of this masterpiece, where no element of luck is involved.

From the publisher: It is the dawn of the "Age of Railroading" in America. You're a wealthy investor and speculator betting that the new technology will revolutionize transport. Commerce will no longer depend on rutted roads and slow canals. Instead, it will ride the rails on swift, powerful "Iron Horses." 1830™ is an acclaimed railroad investment and building game covering the years 1830 to present. You and your fellow players become the stockholders of America's first railroad corporations. Since the largest shareholder becomes president, you compete for control of the strongest firms.

As president, generate revenue by building track and buying and operating trains-regardless of shareholders' needs. Meanwhile, you pay heed to the volatile stock market. You strive to invest in flourishing companies in order to earn healthy dividends. You try to buy stock in corporations that are rising in value, collect strong, and sell before the stock values drop.

2-6 players, 180-360min
Designer: Francis Tresham
Published by: Lookout (German), Mayfair (English)
Category: Auction, Stock Management, Route buildung, Strategy

1830 @ boardgamegeek.com
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Planet Dinosaur

Planet Dinosaur is another stunning BBC documentation about the impressive giants of the past - the dinosaurs. This time with even better 3D graphics and models than ever seen before, especially in Bluray quality this experience is definitely not to be missed. Based on the latest fossil evidence the deadliest heavy-weights are portrayed, exciting fights are shown and also new feathered dinosaurs are featured, which have been discovered just recently. If you are only somehow interested in this amazing creatures, you should check this documentation out!

From the producer: Palaeontologists now know that dinosaurs spread to every part of the globe, and evolved in ways so monstrous, horrific and bizarre they make T Rex look very tame indeed. Planet Dinosaur is a completely immersive visual experience studded with curious facts and jaw-dropping action as well as charismatic monsters. Presenting a brand-new global perspective on the prehistoric era, the series re-creates the creatures, their habitats and how they lived, from analysing their bones to watching them fight to the death.


Studio: Polyband / BBC
Producer: Nigel Paterson,  Andrew Cohen
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Merchants & Marauders

Introduction/Theme

Merchants & Marauders is a gem in the area of pirate board games. A fact which I really appreciate - as a lot of games exist in this field, but not many cover all aspects of piracy. Merchants & Marauders features most actions you can dream of in this setting and allows you to focus on either trading or pirating or both... ;-)

Components

The content of the quite huge box leaves nothing to be desired. The artwork is colorful and coherent, the map (shows the Carribean split into sea zones) is made of thick cardboard and there is a lot of stuff included. Especially I want to mention the beautiful plastic miniatures representing the ships as well as your Captain cards, defining your figures abilities (which can be improved during the game by the way).

Gameplay

The main goal of the game is to score 10 glory points - the first player reaching this level wins. Glory can be gained in lots of different ways, e.g. in combat, trading, by completing missions and so on. At the beginning each player is dealt a captain card and then can decide each turn to either use the action "Move", "Search" or "Port". Whereas "Port" offers again lots of different possibilities to choose from (recruiting, missions, buy/sell goods, upgrade ship,...) After each players turn an event card is dealt which brings some random effects into the game which have to be worked with.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of rules (which are structured very well ), it's easy to get into the mechanics - especially after your first full game. The downtime is usually quite low and the atmosphere matches the theme pretty well and is convincing. Merchants & Marauders offers a lot of different possibilities and you can follow different strategies to win. It's up to you if rely completely on capturing ships or if you focus only on trading or if you choose something in between. It's possible to win with each strategy and this variety makes the game really outstanding.

 

From the publisher: Merchants & Marauders lets you live the life of an influential merchant or a dreaded pirate in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. Seek your fortune through trade, rumor hunting, missions, and of course, plundering.

The game features a unique trade system and a thematic combat system, allowing for critical decisions and intense excitement. Modify your ship, buy impressive vessels, load deadly special ammunitions and hire specialist crew members.

Will your captain gain eternal glory and immense wealth or find his wet grave under the stormy surface of the Caribbean Sea?

 

 

2-4 players, 150 min
author: christian marcussen & kasper aagaard
published by: pegasus spiele (german), z-man games (english)
category: adventure, pirates, area movement

merchants & marauders @ boardgamegeek.com
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Spider-Man: Blue

"It's about remembering someone so important to me I was going to spend the rest of my life with her."

Spider-Man Blue is a great comic book done by the Eisner Award winning team Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It concentrates on the the love story of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, his true love. And sadly also covers her death, caused by the Green Goblin. The story is good, the artwork is outstanding! Great tragic romance story about one of our favorite superheroes!

 

From the publisher: What Peter Parker didn't know was that meant Gwen Stacy would only get to spend the rest of her life with him. This is the story of how they fell in love. Or more appropriately, how they almost didn't fall in love. Welcome to Spider-Man's life. Bad before good. It's kind of amazing. So to get the girl of his dreams, he'll have to run the gauntlet of the Green Goblin, the Rhino, two Vultures and a mysterious man in the shadows controlling it all.

Join the Eisner Award-winning team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Superman for All Seasons, Batman: The Long Halloween, DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, HULK: GRAY) in the story about Peter Parker's first love, Gwen Stacy. Highlighted by the introduction of Mary Jane Watson, it is a critical moment in Spider-Man's life when everything was just coming together - only to fall apart.

publisher: marvel (english), panini comics (german)
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