REview: Napoleon’s Imperium by Compass Games 2021

May 11, 2021 5 Minutes

There are many reasons why a boardgame might find itself on my hobby table ranging from the theme of the game, to the designers reputation, because it got great reviews or because it’s part of a series or uses a mechanic I already love. Napoleon’s Imperium however is probobly one of the most unique reasons for which I have ever bought a game before, it was because of the story behind the game, the long and intriguing road this game and its designer took over the course of decades.

Andrew Rowland’s Story about the making of Napoleon’s Imperium is not only heartwarming and inspiring, but really shows the intention of the design as a lifestyle and event based game.

I was intrigued by Andrew Rowland’s personal story to bring a game he had played and worked on for decades out of a personal labor of love and transform it after all those years into a released product. From construction of massive and very elaborate table top versions of the game for his personal use to the dedication to a life long project, its just a fantastic tale that you just want to find a way to be part of. There is a great interview with Andrew that gives you some additional insight into his story.

This interview highlights added details to the story and really shows the dedication of Compass Games to bringing games to our attention most publishers might ignore, something commendable we as game fans would love to see more out of game publishers. Kudos to Compass Games for being the hero!

Needless to say I got very excited about the prospect of playing a big, large scale Napoleonic era game by a designer who spent decades perfecting it. That sounded like something right up my alley and I took the very deep plunge into a game that cost a whopping 150 American Bucks making this one of the more expensive games on my shelf along side games like War Room and Twilight Imperium.

Overview

Final Score: (4 out 5) Great Game!

Napoleon’s Imperium can probobly be best described as a war game that wants to be more than just a game for board game night. This is a game that desires to be an event, an experience, it wants you to get excited about the history on which it’s based and the global scale which it represents. It’s a game that has as many exceptionally unique elements, some of which translate to a standard board game, while others are clearly meant for something bigger. Sometimes the game actually felt like a made for tv movie that has a story that should be on the big screen. It reaches into spheres of play not typically found in a standard historical war game. As it does many things at once it always confines the game to simple, easy to absorb mechanics so that you can lean back, imagine and think strategy rather then rules. I did find however that there is a nagging question that needs to be answered where this game is concerned, an odd one. Exactly what sort of audience is this game for?

It’s a game that is simultaneously a historical war game clearly rooted in the Napoleonic era while also being a very simple game mechanically that would easily translate to any type of pre-industrial global conflict, a sort of general war game. Is this mean it targets historical war gamers or casual war game fans?

It has fairly deep strategic potential for exceptionally complex executions of team based tactics that play out over hours of play, while being wildly random and chaotic at times suggesting its akin to classic dice chucker’s like RISK. Is that make it a casual game or a serious gamers game?

It takes real historical elements into consideration and makes it part of the game, while also being very a-historical to a point that just a cursory look at the map for example you recognize real history is compromised for game balance indiscriminately. Again, does that mean its aiming for historical accuracy, alternative history or is it just for fun?

In a sense its all over the map in terms of design approaches that might typically be fussed with a specific expected audience. Make a simple game for casual gamers, make a complex historical game for war gamers, make a shorter game for novice players, make a longer game for hardened veterans. Generally there are some rules that are followed in game design, N.I. seems to reach into all these spheres of design simultaneously throwing caution to the wind and as such, it’s a bit tough to identify its intended audience.

It takes some digging to connect the dots between the game play, design and the games development history to understand that what it was before this egg hatched as a published board game had considerable influence on the final result. This may explain why the game is so different in its approach compared to your typical historical war game released from Compass Games or a more standard design approach you would typically expect that targets a specific audience. The thing is, Napoleon’s Imperium may be a lot of things, but typical, expected or standard are not words I would use to describe this game.

I think if I were to offer my general impression of the game, I would call it, strangely good, oddly familiar with a very classic style while also being completely unique. N.I. sort of feels like two games. The game it wants to be because of its roots and the game it is, because of the conditions under which it was published.

I think I would make my case by saying that the experience of playing this game was often halted by very obvious observations about how the game could have been vastly improved from a component perspective, while at the same time surprised by the many really clever ways the mechanics were simplified to represent high level concepts in a hyper efficient way to make for an outstanding strategy war game. It’s a kind of an odd contradiction with the game that the mechanics are so efficient, while the games components often are not. A contradiction that was likely preemptively cured in its previous form as a large table top game with miniatures as many of the complaints I have about this game are directed at presentation and fluidity of using the available components, in particular the tokens. Mechanically, I think I can honestly say I’m in love!

I think in the end the quality of the game as a whole is really going to be perceived differently depending on your preferences and what it is about board games you value. For example if you pick this game up because you think its a historically accurate war game in the Napoleonic era, you are likely to be disappointed, but if you just love great war games about the Napoleonic Era, your in for a treat. If you love epic war games for their visual presentation and atmosphere for those big event days, you are not exactly going to get that here, but if you love epic war games for their high level strategies and story they tell, this game is chalk full of that sort of thing.

These kind of odd contradictions, make Napoleon’s Imperium hard to recommend, but not because it’s not good, because it really is, but because it breaks expectations in many ways and it’s hard to really pin point what category of gamer its going to appeal to, what sort of gaming group its suited for. Will historical war gamers like it? Or is this more for the casual RISK crowd? Is this an event game? A lifestyle game? or is this for a casual board game night with friends and family? Its a really tough call.

In the end my approach was just to shed expectation and judge it without trying to categorize or answer questions about it’s intended audience because I don’t have all the answers. What I know is when I’m playing a good game, I know when something feels right and works. When it comes to Napoleon’s Imperium, there is a lot to like and a lot to be excited about.

Components

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: Full color, clear and concise rulebooks makes learning the game simple and easy to reference. Very nice artwork, especially on the battle cards, gorgeous map that services gameplay well.

Cons: Average component quality is in contrast to the price of entry. This game begs to have higher production value and should have gotten it given its price and origins.

When I first got a glimpse of the price tag for Napoleon’s Imperium I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I knew from reputation that Compass Games is known for mixed component quality on many of their games. I knew with this game you were getting a couple of paper maps, some tokens and some cards which didn’t seem to be in line with the rather high price tag. At the same time I was so intrigued by the prospect of this game, and its developers story/history, I just had to play it. So… I shelled out the dough and a few weeks later it arrived at my door step. I figured worse case scenario, I just donated to a worthy cause.

Upon opening the box, I can only describe my first impression and the experience as a whole as a crushing disappointment. Unlike Andrews experience of unboxing the game which he filmed (see below), my opening wasn’t marinated by three decades of work coming together into a realized dream in a released product. I can only imagine how for him, the moment of seeing his vision turned reality in a box was life affirming, peppered by his unique perspective.

It’s always fun to see a proud designer unbox his own game, in the case of Andrew who worked on the game for decades, it’s particularly special.

Cruelly, for me this was one out of hundreds of unboxings I have done, it was something routine I do, just another weekend with a new game. Perhaps my opinion is skewed by this repetitive routine, perhaps I’m a bit jaded by years of reviewing games. I like to think rather, its because I do this all the time, that I have a firm understanding of what a gamer will expect from a game he just dropped 150 bucks on. This isn’t my first rodeo after all!

Of course I knew going into this little venture that it was going to come up a bit shy of what you might expect at this price range, I don’t buy games without researching them first, but It just seemed impossible that for 150 US dollars this was all there is in the box.

What’s In the Box?

Two fairly thin, easy to accidently rip maps that you have to handle like they were ancient relics. The quality of these maps is quite standard, which is to say like all paper maps, its generally poor. Even after the first unfolding of the maps I already had white creases and edge cuts, which again is not that unusual for paper maps, its why as gamers we prefer mounted boards. Paper maps is something we expect for “cheaper” games, mounted maps for expensive ones, this is and should have been the ladder and it should not come as a shock to the publisher as this isn’t their first rodeo either.

This map will not survive for long (especially with my gaming groups typically rough handling of games) which is disappointing for two reasons. First, because this was a 150 dollar game and second because the map has stunning art work which is both inspiring and functional. This just makes the production quality of it that much more painful to bare as you will be frustrated with trying to preserve this beautiful work of art’s condition over time.

You can say what you want about the quality of the paper the map is printed on (spoiler alert, basically a large napkin) but from an artistic viewpoint, this is a beautifully illustrated map.

The quality of the tokens I would describe as “standard” as well, which again, would have been fine for a standard price which this game does not have. I do appreciate the larger “jumbo” token size for handling during play, no tweezers needed and the art work (pictures of original miniatures from Andrews grand table) are very charming touch….however… It would later turn out that the organization and use of the tokens in this game in general hinders play. You are constantly having to make “change” as the tokens represent different quantities of units, you are routinely adding and removing them from the board by the handfuls.

Tokens were just a poor choice for this game, almost anything would have been better as the information on the tokens is really not that necessary as units stats can be found on the nation cards and a are quickly memorized. The tokens are just their to represent quantity and it would be better to use dice, cubes or disks, or dare I say it, miniatures or plastic soldiers. Anything that doesn’t require to do more than a cursory look at the board to get an accounting of “how many units their are” in a location of which type.

In your typical historical war game release, these tokens would be perfectly acceptable, at 150 bucks, not so much. Quality is not the only issue here however, functionality is as well, tokens were just the wrong choice for this game, their is too much handling of them involved, it comes off clumsy.

The battle and point card stock and nation index cards are also average quality, nothing that will blow you away, but very serviceable. I would suggest sleeves for the battle cards, from personal experience, this level of quality benefits from sleeves for long term preservation. Fortunately aside from the initial shuffle, generally, their is not much handling of the cards needed during play. The unique art work and flavor text do make these cards stand out and are a big part of how the theme is tied together (more on that later), suffice to say they are very pretty and functional.

The rulebook is probobly the only high quality component reflective of the games price in this box. Color printed with clear and concise rules that make learning to play the game a snap. Lots of illustrations and examples for clarity, and quite thorough, answering questions for even the rarest of circumstances.

I think for a typical board game release I would rate the components as “standard”, perhaps in the case of the paper maps I would say they might even be slightly “below average”, I have plenty of games with paper maps made of sturdier stock . At a 150 US dollar price point however I have to say this was a pretty disappointing production value and this is really a contrast based on the cost vs. value, not a swipe at the artwork which I think is very nice. To be frank, at 150 bucks, when I open the box I expect to have my mind blown by the production value of a game, not surprised that my 70 dollar Empire of the Sun at more then half the price blows this component quality out of the water by any metric you can think of. The boardgaming market is competitive and at this price range, you need to be ready to compete, N.I. comes up short.

Theme

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: Important naval battles, reliance on allies, shocking battle results and events, everything you expect from a Napoleonic Era game (I think!?)

Cons: This game just begs for a 3rd dimension, using tokens does not do this game justice and just doesn’t feel right.

After I got over the shock of the production value of the game and crossed into the acceptance stage of grief, I set the game up and started moving pieces around. After all, I was very excited about the prospect of the game and truth be told, I will always bitch about disappointing cost to value in particular in expensive games, in today’s board game market their is just no excuse for low balling components. Regardless of component quality, at the heart of any good game is a great theme and great mechanics, If a game pulls those off, I can learn to live with “varied” component quality, N.I. wouldn’t be the first game to fall into that category and find a permanent home on my shelf.

The question I had at the start of this review is what exactly is the “Napoleonic era” theme? I mean, this is a war game, its played on a large two piece map, there are 8 countries represented and you fight battles for dominance over territory. That is very representative of the Napoleonic era but its also representative of every other kind of war or war game.

I may be showing my historical ignorance here, but to me Napoleonic era is more about the control of the sea’s, the importance of alliances and bold surprise strategies that reflect a period in which shocking things happened all the time.

The theme presented in N.I. I think is sufficient for what the game is trying to portray, avoiding the over reliance on forced historical accuracy, but making it historical enough to feel like it is about the Napoleonic Era. This certainly puts to question how thematic that actually makes the game, is it thematic if a game is about the Napoleonic era but doesn’t actually inject rules to force that historical accuracy to play out?

My exposure to Napoleonic Era games and history in general is soft at best, but I picked up Field Commander Napoleon recently (a fantastic game) and I immediately fell in love with the era’s mystique.

I think it’s here that Napoleon’s Imperium reveals its opinion on the subject and frankly nails it in my opinion, understanding that Napoleonic era theme can be a sensation rather then a series of forced rules. N.I. achieves this in a efficient and rather simple way so that you’re not bogged down by historically accurate result syndrome (HARS) which I find is a common problem in historical war games. I want to play a fun game in the Napoleonic era theme, not be walked through a Napoleonic era history lesson in a scripted game and N.I. gets that and delivers that. That might not fly with historical war gamers who live for historical accuracy and I get that and you have been warned, this is not that kind of game.

The sea’s are critical in this game in how they expose the coasts and make it possible to make shocking surprise attacks forming those really big plays. Keeping up big navies is expensive however and your income is fueled by the land battles and control of territories. This relationship means you can’t just go on an all out min/max strategy of building ships, nor can you ignore the sea’s and focus on land battles. There is this subtle, very careful and very calculated positioning of units as you attempt to trip up your opponent by leveraging the mobility of navies and certain land units like Cavalry. To me all of that screams Napoleon Era, but I have to admit my understanding of the period is largely based on imagery and assumption rather then historical fact, I may not be the best person to ask for an assessment.

Everything you need to know about the nation your running is on these beautifully designed nation index cards and its worth noting that nations are asymmetrical. One key element on these cards to pay attention to is the different cost, movement and strength values of the navies which are of critical importance in the game.

The game is also heavily reliant on alliances, this is not a “I run nation X” game for the win, you cannot win without your allies and coordination between allies above all other strategies is paramount. I can understand why Andrew used this game as a corporate team building game, as cooperation and team play is a founding requirement for a winning strategy. This too I found to be very thematic and era appropriate as wars in the Napoleonic era were very much a team sport, with lots of wheeling and dealing involving multiple countries with recognizable historical figures at the head represented by commanders in the game. Again I may be wrong about this, but it just felt right to me but it is highly abstracted, more a concept then anything governed by rules.

The end result is a game that is at least sufficiently thematic, though I would argue in my ignorance of the historical period that its even more than that. It has it’s own flavor and take on history of course and while I’m not entirely sure that it mimics the history of the Napoleonic war to a degree that historians or historical war gamers would nod their heads in approval, it does so sufficiently to get you into the spirit of things thematically which I think was its target. The general aesthetics and the little historical touches and tid-bits you get from the battle cards add to that flavor and I would argue the historical pressure points are all represented here at least on a superficial level that you won’t have any trouble believing this is a game about the Napoleonic Wars.

The battle cards make great use of art, historical context and bring it together with game effects to add to the theme. I’m not sure historical war gamers will feel this is a sufficient influx of history into the game, but it works for me.

For example Prussia and Austria being located in the center of the map, are clearly in desperate need of support from allies. France and Britain are going to be battling it out for control of the seas, while countries like the Nordics and Spain, can either be great supporters or liabilities in the war. Finally you have Russia and The Ottomon Empire that are basically fighting an entirely separate war, while occasionally throwing their two cents in support of allies. Those elements I do believe are historically accurate to some degree. The map itself, specifically the national divisions of the map might not be entirely historically correct, but their is enough familiar ground here that it delivers the Napoleonic Era wars in a absorbable way without making you feel stupid about the historical realities of such a war. This is a game that advocates fun over realism which I appreciate, but admittedly may not be in the wheelhouse for hardened historical war game purists.

That said I’m not entirely sure that an 8 hour team game with this level of strategic complexity is necessarily an entry level war game either, which speaks again to that nagging question, who is the target of this game? My answer would be, anyone who loves really well designed board games, but I think the design here may be a bit ambiguous in this regard.

I found that it was the components once again that got my negative attention, or perhaps better to say the lack of components played its part in detracting from the “fun” aspect of the experience. I fully understand why the designer spent years collecting miniatures and building large elaborate tables to enhance the visual experience of this game, I do believe it really needs it to convey this theme, as the gameplay itself does history in a fairly abstract way.

Napoleon’s Imperium is at the base of it all a very simple game rules wise but you do spend a great deal of time staring at the board (this is a long game, potentially multiple 8+ hour sessions) because the strategy can be quite deep. You will be planning, calculating and trying to predict your opponents plans in an effort to one up them in a very elaborate cat and mouse war game. You’re hunched over this huge map for hours at a time and what is missing is that visual wow factor you want a game like this to have to remind you that these tokens represent something important about the games theme.

You want to feel like a commander looking at a battle map, sending invasion troops and fleets of ships across the board, ordering soldiers into battle, watching as nations rise and fall. Doing that by carefully fingering about with some cardboard token stacks is just not going to do the trick here even if you have a very vivid imagination. The game lacks that deep history to mechanics connection you normally get with historical war games that help with the illusion. It does this intentionally to keep the game simple and absorbable which I applaud, but the result is that much of its theme is reliant on the presentation of the abstraction. Without that strong visual connection, the game lacks an element of the experience you sort of need to buy into its premise as a game about historical events, about Napoleonic War, about the role you play as a commander of a great nation in history. With tokens for armies, the game comes off a bit like a generic war game that could just be about anything.

It doesn’t help that tokens aren’t particularly functional as a game component here either. The setup of the tokens being used as quantity counters with different denomination defined by different borders on the tokens actually makes getting a good accounting of what you’re actually looking at difficult. There is a lot of stack peeking, making change, counting and re-counting. That sort of thing pulls you out of the experience. The administration here should be made a lot easier, a lot faster.

If there was ever a game that begs to be represented visually in the 3rd dimension with miniatures or plastic pieces, it’s this one, not just for the visuals to sell the theme, but for practical gameplay reasons. Coming off a pretty long stint of playing Larry Harris’s War Room perhaps I’m spoiled, but I can say conclusively that having that visual eye candy in a long but light global epic war game like this, it is just needed to make the experience feel complete. It’s what you want, it’s what it begs to be, while at the same time their are practical “usability” reasons to use pieces as opposed to cardboard tokens in this game in particular.

Gameplay

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: Smooth play logic, fantastic high level strategies supported by great yet simple mechanics, awesome battle card mechanic for historical edge and fun but not frustrating randomness.

Cons: Fairly long play time with significant downtimes.

Napoleon’s Imperium is a game that has rules that can be described quite simply, but strategies deep enough to trigger some analysis paralysis. There is a lot going on in this game but most of it is very subtle, often almost to a point where you might miss it and it is for this reason I find speaking about the gameplay rather difficult.

I found strategies discussed among allies were more general then specific, you will agree to do things like “Invade France”, rather then “move these two Calvary here and that Cannon there”. Hopefully it makes sense what I mean here, this game is played in broad strokes and while the details matter, their is a certain amount of gambling involved when it comes to strategies, you’re not going to be able to calculate your way to victory and if someone tried, this game goes from being slow, to coming to a proverbial halt.

On the surface, the game boils down to players taking turns buying, moving and attacking with units. You chuck some dice for the battles in what is a very simple and straightforward combat system (roll your units strength or defense on a d10) and the team that does this most successfully over 18 turns wins (or whatever length you determine for the game). It really is that simple mechanically speaking and it is here that I think Napoleon’s Imperium will often be compared and likened to RISK, the classic game of war on a map. I would argue rightfully so, on the surface, this is exactly what Napoleon’s Imperium is, a more evolved version of RISK. Luck plays its role in the game and the dice gods can be cruel. This however is the grand deception of Napoleon’s Imperium, it might look like a duck and quack like a duck, but its not a duck.

Comparing N.I. to RISK I think is fair on the surface, but hardly appropriate. None the less, RISK pieces may actually work as a good replacement for the cardboard tokens.

The opinion that this game is “like RISK” would require you to really ignore some of the foundations of this games design that are both far more complex strategically in application then they appear and the rules suggest and far more important to a winning strategy then you may realize in your first game in particular. There are subtle overtures in this game that aren’t immediately apparent, but are made of solid gold.

The first most notable thing about winning a game of Napoleon’s Imperium is that while the game can potentially be won via a capital victory (capturing three out of four capitals of opposing nations), this is so unlikely to happen that it almost feels like it could be omitted as a rule. In the end this is a game about victory points (the player with the most wins) and you don’t need to have a commanding lead in board presence to find yourself taking the lead point wise in the game for the win.

With careful planning, well timed and coordinated attacks (with allies) and clever defense strategies you can slowly and effectively score points in a wide range of ways from winning sea battles, capturing commanders and well orchestrated attacks and defenses while denying them to your opponents. I was quite shocked at the results of my first game where I discovered countries who seemingly had limited effect on the board presence, had scored shockingly high amounts of points. Hence unlike RISK, this is not a game that is strictly about a land grab, but rather it’s more about a well planned strategy of winning battles when it counts, scoring on the oversights and mistakes of your opponents and leveraging the turn order to make responding to your moves and counters moves in coordination with your allies difficult for your opponent(s).

This is not something you will “get” immediately (unless you’re much more clever than I), you sort of catch on after a few turns of playing this game like RISK and failing miserably. You will come to realize that you don’t need to crush Prussia or conquer France to win the game, you can score points in many ways and the path of least resistance is sometimes preferable, while at the same time their will be moments when those big risky battles just have to happen. This game has timing, pacing and planning that go far beyond what the scope of the rules suggest and in this their is subtle beauty.

Much of N.I.’s strategy is driven by the mobility of the games units, in particular and thematically appropriate the naval units. The sea is absolutely critical in this game and creates a dynamic where you can’t just think about your immediate plans, but anticipate where the weak spots of your opponents are, not only because winning sea battles is a great way to score points, but because it’s so difficult to predict where this mobility of navel units will be applied on the map on any given nations turn. They are far reaching and they can bring forces to bare in unexpected ways. No coast is safe and their is always risk in leaving any location an unprotected scoring opportunity for the enemy.

The second thing is that owning territories gives you money, money gets you units and units get you more territories. This rather old school style of war game economic progression is very reminiscent of RISK, but unlike RISK the units you build always appear in your capital city at the end of your turn. This is a key rule and a core fundamental principle of the game that really separates and differentiates itself from games like RISK where supply of fresh units isn’t a simple matter of placing them on the game board when they become available.

Capitals are generally fairly distant from the core fighting (hopefully) which means that reinforcements don’t just arrive in the battle fronts where you need them. This requires extremely careful planning and consideration of defenses of claimed territories, good control over seas as this is your best way to get fresh units where they need to be and of course some foresight and coordination with allies as you will not be able to plug all the weak spots of your empire on your own. Sure you can make a big RISK infused push on your turn and claim some territory, but before you get your next turn, all of the enemy nations will get their turns and you can quickly find yourself overwhelmed on the front lines losing all you gained in a single round, not to mention giving easy to grab victory points to your opponents.

As such victories have to be decisive in light of the whole game round and your defenses coordinated with your allies to ensure the territory you take, you keep for the long haul.

There is also a subtle advantage to losing your capital thanks to the “In Exile” rule. While losing your capital means you will only get half of your income, units you do purchase will appear in any of your allies capitals. Fewer units in a better position can often be far more effective then lots of units at a distance. This rule results in suddenly two nations producing units out of one capital, a dangerous situation for opponents. This can create huge power shifts in localized areas and taking control of one capital makes it that much harder to take the next one. This is in part why capital victories I think will be very rare in this game and you also have to consider how wise it is to stretch your forces just to take one.

The next very subtle but critically important element of the game are the battle cards. What a fantastic mechanic this is. The battle cards effectively represent some historical events, but what they really are, is a mechanic which can punish or help the loser of a battle. These cards are drawn by the loser of a land battle and they can and often do create shifts in resources, positions and conditions of the war. What is great is that after a few games with the same nation, you get to know the battle cards and their is a bit of card counting involved. You will know what cards have been played and what cards are left in your deck. This I think will make a difference as you gain experience, as battle cards can have some very significant effects and anticipating them will make a difference.

For example in my most recent game I scored a critical victory against the British at an important moment that had them on the ropes. It was one of those moments where a plan came together, it was absolutely crushing to the enemy and me and my allies saw our path to victory. However to our surprise the British player drew “The Spanish Treasure Squadron” giving them +10 Income on their next purchase. This turned out to be devastating as they were able to get just enough recovery to prevent defeat and not only reclaim the critical territory but eventually swing the tides of the whole war. I won’t forget about that card anytime soon.

It was a fantastic (albeit soul crushing) and memorable moment in the game, it told a story and thanks to the thematic aspect of the cards felt like a piece of history was infused into the game. This is what these battle cards were meant to do and they deliver on that promise splendidly.

Not all cards are going to have this big impact on the game, Hoodwinked is an example of a minor drawback. Still, every unit makes a difference, 1 infantry and 1 cavalry is equal in income to the value of a capital city.

Finally I have to say that the game is beautifully balanced. This is not a game where one really smart or lucky player will just dominate the board, or where events unfold in a lop sided fashion even in the face of the randomness of the dice and cards. There are no nations with an advantage or any issues with the starting conditions, though both are asymmetrical. Every game of Napoleon’s Imperium, in fact, every round of N.I. was nail bitingly close. The game has that maddening back and forth of plays and counter plays. It just feels like the game has this perfect equilibrium where at any given moment it’s not entirely clear who is actually winning. Everyone always has a weak spot somewhere that can be exposed, shocking shit happens all the time and anytime I think someone is winning, something happens and the whole thing falls back into a scrappy war of attrition until the final moments of the game.

I love a good balanced game, especially one that is as long as Napoleon’s Imperium is. While player elimination does take place, their are rules that offer ways out of this as well (Rebellion Rule) which I absolutely adore! and because it’s a team game, even if your nation is getting crushed, typically you are as invested in your allies strategies and plans as you are in your own, so you never really feel out of the game. I saw this effect in Larry Harris’s War Room as well and this team based approach is quickly becoming my new favorite way to handle long 8+ hour event games like this one.

From an angle like this you really see how pretty the map can be, but put a hundred tokens on the map and it becomes chaotic very quickly.

The game suffers from some fairly significant downtimes and while I would argue on it’s behalf that this is what you get when you play long epic war games, in N.I. its particularly problematic when playing with uneven player counts. In a 5 player game for example you have three players running two nations and two players running one nation. This results in those single nation players having to wait out 7 turns (typically 35-45 minutes before they get to do anything). Now obviously as a team game everyone is invested, but because each player takes their complete turn before anyone else has anything to do (short of defending an attack), it can be kind of boring to sit their for that long while you wait, in particular if you nation fairs poorly in the war.

I don’t want to harp on the use of tokens in this game more than I have already and I’m sure I will sound spoiled when I say this, but as a whole the game is not exactly a visual treat to look at. Waiting for your turn while staring at a bunch of cardboard tokens, watching people count, recount and make change all the time. Let’s just say some of the excitement will exit the room.

Just as a comparison this is what a game that holds a 120 dollar value looks like. I know its not fair to compare the productions of an established company like FFG to a small historical war game publisher like Compass Games, but capitalism isn’t meant to be fair and you didn’t win your paycheck in a lottery.

Is this a huge problem or even a negative aspect of the game? I would argue no, to me a long game is a long game, you know what your getting into with games of this weight and size and you shouldn’t play games like this if downtime bothers you, it comes with the territory. I think its fair to mention it in a review, but unfair to judge a game based on it. Judging a game that is intentionally long for being too long is like going to see a Star Wars movie and complaining about their being too many Stormtroopers.

Replayability and Longevity

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: Great dynamics make this game very replayable and its simple mechanics makes it easy to pull out with just about anyone, no major rules overhead to exclude less experienced gamers adding to its appeal. Very solo friendly.

Cons: It’s a game that may struggle to define it’s place in your gaming group, when do you pull this out?

It’s always tricky to talk about replayability and longevity of a game that takes 8+ hours to play. I mean realistically, I will likely play this game once or twice a year at absolute best if I’m lucky even if my entire gaming group loves it. It has nothing to do with the games replayability and everything to do with normal schedules of people, we just don’t have the kind of time a game like this demands with any regularity, desire plays no part in that. For this reason this game goes into either the lifestyle category or event category of games, for me it would be the ladder.

I guess the question here is more about whether or not this game could be a lifestyle game for a gaming group and/or if it hits that event game status. Whether it’s good enough as a game for players to put together that monthly game, build events around it and/or play it for years and years. Such games are rare, because they have some pretty high standards to meet that go above and beyond your standard board game for board game night. The competition for such table slots is quite fierce.

In a way Andrew Roland the designer of Napoleon’s Imperium kind of answers that question with a resounding yes. He’s been playing this game for decades, but the catch is, he hasn’t been using the Compass Games version of the game. He has been building elaborate tables and investing in expanding components to raise this games event worthiness as a game. It became a lifestyle and event game for his gaming group through that act of elaborating on the visuals, bringing the game into the 3rd dimension, giving it that gorgeous presentation. To me this is a precedent set by the designer for this game and I agree with that precedent, this is really what a game needs to be to hit that lifestyle/event game status.

For me it’s certainly tempting to try and recreate something like that. N.I. has that “casual gamer” quality to it, which means that this is a game you can teach to effectively anyone, non-gamers (with interest) included. It’s not difficult and their is something charming about having a game setup in a hobby room that you play over many sessions at random intervals as part of a close nit group of friends who share an interest. The game certainly tells great stories with big impactful events and it has a kind of renaissance charm to it.

I can totally imagine how with a beautiful looking hobby table filled with gorgeous miniatures on a huge map, this game can definitely fit that lifestyle/event game category. I don’t really see any problems with it mechanically for this to be true.

This is not however what you get with the Compass Games version of the game of course. With Napoleon’s Imperium the board game their is an absence of this visual appeal substituted with rather clumsy tokens that do little to inspire that visual experience. The map is big and beautiful, so there is that, but I would say if you are going to make this an event game, you would need to do as Andrew did and pimp out the components to give this game that satisfying visual appeal. Event games need to have a high level of presentation, games like Twilight Imperium or War Room come to mind as examples. If these games didn’t have that visual component, they would not qualify for that lifestyle category either, it really is a part of it, at least for me and my friends.

I think mechanically the game certainly has infinite replayability, I see no issue in which things would become predictable and repetitive. This game has plenty of dynamic elements, every experience with this game will be unique. In terms of longevity, I don’t see any issue either, you aren’t going to play this game all the time simply because it’s so long, but because the rules are easy to learn, you can safely setup events with players who have never played before, teach them what they need to know on the spot and have a great event. This is a very charming feature of the game and actually rather rare for a game like this especially among big event games. I love my War Room and Twilight Imperium, but these are complex games that take time to learn. N.I. does not have that problem. That approachability gives this game a real edge in this regard.

It’s also a very solo friendly game, there is no hidden information, its very straightforward with everything on the table exposed. This is a make your best move scenario which is perfect for solo play, something I think historical war game fans will appreciate.

My only concern about this game as a day(s) event is that I think at least in my gaming group, the visuals aren’t strong enough to make the event feel substantial as N.I. comes packaged in this release. Our big gaming events are about getting into the spirit of the moment, creating an atmosphere, collectively we want to make things memorable. It isn’t just about gameplay, its about the experience.

An epic board game night isn’t just some guys getting together to play a game, it’s an event, we are going to be staring at this game for hours/days, it should look so good our eyes want to jump out of their sockets!

The board game version of N.I. really lacks that event game spunk that is needed. I think my conclusion in this regard is, yes, the game has great replayability, great longevity, no issues their, but no, it doesn’t tick all the required boxes to make this a lifestyle or big event game, this release is missing one of the key components (aka the visual component) to really nail that side of it firmly.

Conclusion

My journey with Napoleon’s Imperium, in particular this review, was a bit turbulent at times and it’s because I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my ability to review it impartially was significantly compromised. Andrew’s story and the history of the making of this game is something that warms the heart and makes you a believer. This game is a guy’s decades long dream come true and as I reviewed this game, that always weighed heavily on my mind. I chose my words extra carefully, I struggled to be purely objective and sufficiently removed. On the one hand is my need for pure honesty and integrity as I review a game, on the other, I want to give this game a hug and hope Andrew feels it.

If I were to make this short and sweet, this is a really amazing game that services a really cool niche in my collection. A big, elaborate war game that I can teach to anyone very easily, that is both fun to play, stirs the imagination and has enough depth that my notably simpleton historical war gaming spidey senses tingle. Its a good time in a box, its very solo- able which is always a big plus for me and if I find this game sticks the landing with my group, I will pimp the living shit out of it because I already believe it to be … pimp worthy. It has everything but the visuals to make the grade as a truly wonderful game for those big board gaming event weekends.

In contrast however this is a really expensive game, at $120-150 US, what you get in the box, and perhaps partially what you don’t, I can only describe as average and a bit disappointing, less then what you might expect at this price. It’s a pretty game artistically speaking but the included components, not only makes this feel like a poor value at this price point, but the fact that this really is an event level game in its soul means its lack of pizazz and visual appeal really detracts from the potential experience of that big get together.

This is a game that competes for table time with other very visual games like Twilight Imperium, War Room, Axis & Allies and many other “event” or “lifestyle” games of similar caliber, at least it will in my gaming group. Its going to be struggle to get this on the table on big board gaming weekends in my group considering it’s competition and again, it’s far too long of a game for those midweek board game nights.

For me it’s rather heartbreaking to be in a situation where I can’t recommend a game I consider truly great outright because of a cost to value problem. I want to tell you that this is an amazing game, your supporting a great cause and just bloody buy it. All those things are true and I look back on my purchase regret free.

Considering the cost of the game however, I think it’s important to ask yourself the two important questions before you whip out that credit card. When will you play this monster and who will you play it with?

I gave Napoleon’s Imperium a strong score because I believe it’s a great game and I think it has a bright future. I wish Andrew Roland all the luck in the world and I hope that at some point, a publisher will recognize the far greater potential of this game and give it the mega publication with all the bells and whistles it deserves. For now, as the game is today, all I can say is that it’s a pricey investment for what you get in the box. If you got the cash, a willing gaming group and a heart, you won’t be disappointed. Besides supporting a game and designer like this is what our gaming community is all about, Compass Games did their part, so your contribution would go to a great cause.

Was this review compromised, was I objective enough? I plead the 5th!

Gaming Articles, Role-Player Game Reviews

TOp 10 D&D Publications & Works for DM’s

April 29, 2021 5 Minutes

When it comes to RPG material, the quality of the various publications and writing can vary dramatically. Back in 2017 I did a Top 10 RPG Modules list of all time which was both one of the most popular articles on this blog, but also the one I doubt I will need to update anytime in the next decade.

In this list we broaden the scope a bit to talk about various RPG publications which go beyond adventure models. These are books and books series I think are not only a core part of D&D history, but very much applicable material that any good DM should own and read. This is material that will advise you, inspire you and make you a better DM.

I think it would be impossible for me to rank these so, I simply decided not to. Enjoy the list.

1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide

There have been many Dungeon Masters Guide for the game of D&D, not to mention countless supplemental and advice books for running games, but to me the original works of Gary Gygax are the equivalent to what I would consider the bible for Dungeons and Dragons.

The 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Guide was reprinted in a glorious leather-bound book a few years back along with the rest of the core books, selling out instantly, proving that these books are every bit as important today as the day they were printed.

The book is written in a style that speaks directly to the DM in a commanding voice offering you advice that though can sometimes be tough to swallow in the light of modernization of the game is as true, as factual and as indisputable today as the day it was written. It’s a bit like a self help book written by your dad who doesn’t try to spare your feelings and rather focuses on preparing you for real life.

While the book is chalk full of advice, don’t be so arrogant as to assume the rules are “out dated”. The book is a literal gold mind of supplemental rules that can be universally applied to any edition of the game, quick resolutions using rules that are well suited for the abstracted concepts on which Dungeons and Dragons is founded. More than that you will find a treasure trove of magical items and an endless array of tables for quick randomized information. There are rules that cover concepts like henchmen and hirelings, magic item creation, world building concepts and a wide variations of approaches to campaign styles that are all universally applicable.

I have never run a game of D&D without this books influence regardless of edition, it is a must read and a must have for any serious DM.

The Mystara Gazetteer’s

There are many settings created for the game of D&D, but you would be hard pressed to find a setting that does a more thorough of job creating a diverse, living, breathing world in which to set your game that are directly applicable to game sessions. The Gazatteer’s were written over 16 books that detail every culture and every region of the world, but the focus of the books is to give you material you can use and it is here where most settings kind of fail for me.

The amount of inspired writing, unique story hooks and NPC characters in excessive detail makes this one of the most usable campaign settings ever written in my humble opinion.

More than that however is the fact that Mystara is a truly unique setting, not reliant on the endlessly repeating clichés found the many settings written for Dungeons and Dragons in the following years. It breaks the mold before there ever was one to base your setting off of. Since Mystara settings have been largely variations on the same concepts and it can be tough to distinguish the difference between the Forgotten Realms and point of light.

Thanks to RPG Drive Thru and print on demand, getting access to these books is relatively easy, a well worth investment for any aspiring DM looking for a place to create their adventures.

Pathfinder 2nd edition Core Rulebook

While as a DM I generally prefer simpler and more classically driven systems for my D&D like B/X or BECMI, when it comes to modern renditions of the modern game of D&D, Pathfinder 2nd edition is without question the gold standard.

It makes quick work out of complex rules while serving to provide highly involved and exciting game session. This is a game so fine tuned, so well thought out, streamlined and brilliantly diverse, that it works not just as a D&D clone but a universal fantasy system.

Paizo has shown that fantasy role-playing can be stretched in a variety of creative and interesting ways, with Pathfinder 2nd edition they have effectively created a new sub-genre of Dungeons and Dragons.

Pathfinder ensures that players have maximum creativity and options in their hand, while ensuring the DM can manage it all, keeping it straight for the table without having to do constant rules look ups. Pathfinder 2nd edition does everything right, including correcting the many things D&D has done wrong for 40+ years like its core action management systems.

If you are looking for a modern D&D system, before you consider 5e, consider Pathfinder 2nd edition. It is the definitive modern version of the game that is superior to everything that is out there today.

The Reavers of Harkenwold

I think the saddest part of the Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition as a game is that despite a really terrible mechanical focus, it had some of most inspired adventure and setting writing, with some of the best writers in the business providing the material. Guys like Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek were at the helm of some of this material which included The Dark Sun Campaign book, Kyhber’s Harvest for the Eberron setting and one of my absolute favorite adventures, the two parter, Reavers of Harkenwood (The Iron Circle & The Die is Cast).

Reavers of Harkenwold was released as part of the Essentials Line for 4th edition as a two part introductory set, but the love that was put into this book shows just how fantastic of a content creator Richard Baker is.

What I love about Reavers of Harkenwold is that its one of those rare instances where an setting for the adventure is so well written you can run it as written and its absolutely brilliant. That is really rare in adventure writing, I can only think of a small handful of adventures that pull that off.

Reavers of Harkenwold however is more than just an adventure, in fact that is not why its on this list, what this is really is a very well thought out mini campaign and its written in a style that really makes it system agnostic which is also something that is really rare in adventure writing. Its a setting, its an open world, it has a great villains and above all else it tests the morality of an adventuring group. By the time your troupe is done playing through this adventure, they will know who their characters are, but they will also care about a place, become involved in the setting and establish themselves as part of it. That is really what makes Reavers of Harkenwold so great as a publication.

Reavers of Harkenwold didn’t make my top 10 modules of all time list but the truth is that I have never viewed this as an adventure module, to me its a mini campaign as what makes it great is less the story and more the setting it presents.

The Rules Cyclopedia

The Dungeons and Dragons Rules Cyclopedia to me is the most definitive work ever done for Dungeons and Dragons. It combines all of the original 1st edition Dungeons and Dragons core rules under one roof before the game diverged into the “advanced rules” concept which arguably could be construed as a good or a bad thing.

This very thick book is the absolute definitive collection of rules for the 1st edition D&D system and its very accessible today via RPG drivethru using their print on demand service.

To me personally the Basic and Expert Dungeons and Dragons sets combined to form THE best version of Dungeons and Dragons as a game system. To me, once the advanced rules came along with concepts like the race and class split is where most of the problems in Dungeons and Dragons started. Balance issues, rules complexity issues and all of the minutia that comes with that complexity that have driven decades of arguments what about D&D should and shouldn’t be. The B/X set never suffered under the weight of rules complexity, it was a system that was designed to be played and to this day it is the most commonly used system as a base for D&D variant. Their are more fantasy games based on B/X rules then all other D&D systems in existence times a hundred.

The rules cyclopedia is a compilation of the Basic and Expert rules, but it also includes the companion, master and immortal supplements which bring in concepts like kingdom management, high level play and topping it off with the ascension of characters as gods. Using the rules Cyclopedia is the only way a group of D&D fans can play the same D&D game for decades and never run into the balance issues of high level play. It is the most complete, all in one rule set for running D&D and its the first and last book you will ever need to run D&D forever.

Its a masterpiece in my eyes and though I prefer to run only the B/X rules myself, its great to have all the added support in the event a campaign stretches into those higher levels.

1st edition Forgotten Realms Box Set

Not to suggest that 1st is always better, but the 1st edition Forgotten Realms Box set to me is the unquestionable definitive work for this setting and everything that followed played second fiddle to it. Not only as a description and definition of the setting, but in how it was written and what it focused on.

The Forgotten Realms is a iconic D&D setting, but never in its history was in as good a shape as it was in its original box set release, if you love the realms, these are the books you should be using.

This box set was designed to be used at the table, offering the GM key information about events in this place, events that would lead to modules linked to the original setting material. Strangely this approach was largely abandoned after this box set, transitioning to the way settings are written today where the material is “general information” about the world with an assumption that creating a story in the setting is up to the GM. I prefer the way it was done in this book as it ties key stories and events of the setting to the player characters with other fantastic material like The Pool of Radiance, The Curse of Azure Bonds and other classic stories like Expedition to Undermountain and City of the Spider Queen.

It was also before anyone started fiddling with the history of the setting to try to fit it into modern editions of the game that constantly expanded the races and classes of the game, breaking a lot of the nuances of the setting, those subtle elements that would take the setting from a believable real place to an obvious attempt to fit the latest players handbook into it.

The 1st edition Forgotten Realms setting was the only version of the setting that did not take the rules of the game into consideration, focusing on the lore and history of the world, directing its events based on the story, rather then the latest rules.

When it comes to the Forgotten Realms, this is the box set to own.

The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting

Born from the remnants of the White Wolf writers, The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting is styled after the story first concept so much of the amazing writing that was done for the world of darkness. The Scarred Lands is perhaps one of the most unique settings that exists for Dungeons and Dragons, originally published for 3rd edition D&D.

The Scarred Lands, like Mystara, had incredible detail among countless books released for the setting, each effectively its own mini campaign setting, but because it was written by former White Wolf writers, it has that dark and almost disturbing twist blended into its pages.

It’s a setting that defines in absolute perfect detail some of the most unique places ever inked for a Dungeon and Dragons world. Whether your talking about Calastia: The Throne of the Black Dragon that brings one of the most amazing political villains ever written into your world, The City of Hollowfaust, essentially a city run by necromancers and the undead or awesome books like The Wise and The Wicked that describe the many unique people of the world both villain and hero alike, The Scarred Lands is just chalk full of exquisite detail.

The Scarred Lands setting to me is one of the few out there written for D&D that completely breaks expectation, discards the cliques and gives the players a place to explore that will truly surprise them and again, it does this on a level so detailed that every single book written for the Scarred Lands becomes a campaign setting in of itself.

So good, it hurts.

Old School Essentials

One of the issues many modern gamers have with old school systems like 1st edition Basic D&D and Advanced D&D is that the rules are considered incoherent, hard to grasp, inconsistent and difficult to run. It has always been a problem for modern gamers to even try out old school systems to see the differences, to see what they are missing, to understand that piece of history and why their are so many fans of these old school systems. Its an unfortunate situation, one old school GM’s like me contend with all the time because frankly its all true. Old school systems are indeed written in a style that makes them really difficult to implement at the table.

In comes Old School Essentials, essentially a true down to the last detail replication of Basic/Expert rules but with modern organization to make the game as comprehensible, as easy to understand and use as the original rules desired to be. It took 4 decades for someone to unravel the mess of the original works and create a book that makes the whole thing comprehensible and not only has Old School Essentials done this successfully, but it did it better then what we see even in modern rule books.

Old School Essentials brings all the fun, excitement and glory of the old days in a easy to understand and absorb way proving that not only are the original B/X rules amazing, but it is everything modern gamers want modern D&D to be, but simply never quite gets their.

One of the best books written this decade, oddly enough using rules made 4 decades early. A masterpiece resurrected for the modern day.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker & Ultimate Campaign Guide

The 1st edition of Pathfinder was really just a spruced up version of D&D 3rd edition, but because of the timing of its release, being after 3.5 which was an extremely long running edition of the game and during the 4th edition of D&D which was one of the least popular editions of the game in the D&D franchise, 1st edition Pathfinder was the edition I actually played the most next to Basic/Expert rules.

Pathfinder Kingmaker was updated for 2nd edition in a single book for the entire adventure path. To me this was an instant classic that deserves mention in any conversation about Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

In the course of its run, I found most of the material released for the game to be quite suitable, but it was the adventure path Kingmaker and its related source book, The Ultimate Campaign Guide that really brought the game to a whole new level.

Pathfinder takes an old D&D concept, Empire/Kingdom building found in classic D&D modules like Test of the Warlords and campaign settings like Birthright and makes it comprehensible. While the rules for domains were covered reasonably well in the BECMI system, the word comprehensible would not be how I would have described it their either for all the love I have for the system.

Kingmaker made domain running for D&D a pure joy and because the module had a great story and setup for players to take throne, it ended up being one of the most popular adventure path in Paizo’s history, so much so that they made a video game out of it.

Ultimate Campaign uses the same core system for kingdom management as Kingmaker, but expands on it and other campaign running features that allow you to create your own kingdom building stories.

Of all the stuff that came out of Pathfinder, I count Kingmaker and Ultimate Campaign Guide as the absolute best of the best and what is really great with the Ultimate Campaign Guide is that it is mostly system agnostic so you can apply the rules of kingdom management to your favorite D&D system not to mention that Kingmaker itself as an adventure path has been converted to both Pathfinder 2nd edition rules and 5th edition D&D rules making it that much easier.

Fantastic content worth getting even if you don’t use the 1st edition Pathfinder system.

1st edition Oriental Adventures

The offensively named book is to me one of the best supplements ever written for 1st edition Advanced Dungeon and Dragons and that is saying a lot as their have been quite a few that competed for a space like this.

Oriental adventures was effectively an alternative version of 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, a self contained alternative for fans of Asian lore. No one has done as amazing of a job bringing this style of play to the table as this Gygax did with this book.

I’m a huge fan of Japanese and Chinese lore. What Oriental Adventures does is D&D’affy it, creating not only a fantastic sub-system for Dungeons and Dragons with all new races and classes with mechanical constructs way ahead of its time like Ancestry and Honor, new spells, new equipment, but a great setting. It effectively refreshed Dungeons and Dragons using the endless well of Asian lore, doing so not only respectfully but with a fantastic fun twist.

I adore Oriental Adventures and because it’s written by Gygax, it has that commanding voice legibility to it, making it not only a fun, applicable book for the table, but a great night stand read.

There was a 3rd edition of this book and of course their are entire systems dedicated to this setting like the amazing Legend of the Five Rings, but if you already love D&D and you want an Asian twist, this is the book to get.

That concludes our list, hope you enjoyed it!

Board Game Reviews, Gaming Articles

Preview: War Room by Larry Harris

April 22, 2021 5 Minutes

FULL REVIEW BY GAMERSDUNGEON HERE

In the world of board gaming there are some games that almost transcend the hobby and reach out to popular culture to a point where a game can become a house hold name, something even your parents will likely recognize, something you can find on the bookshelf of your average joe. Games like RISK, Monopoly, Battleship and Stratego are some examples that spring to mind.

For people in the hobby of board gaming however there are other titles that have similar sentimentalities and are almost synonymous with board gaming history. These games might not transcend the hobby but they inspire the word “classic” and find common ground into conversations of your typical hobbyist. You would be hard pressed to find a board gamer out there who would not refer to the world war II grand strategy game of Axis and Allies as such a classic. The most popular of the Milton Bradly masters series games, Axis and Allies is for a great many old school board gamers one of their first experiences that broke them out of what is generally the accepted mass market board game lists. Most people have likely played RISK at some point in their life, but Axis and Allies was the cross over game for many that almost defined a persons transition from someone who sometimes plays board games to someone who is a board gamer.

You would be hard pressed to meet anyone in the world who hasn’t at least heard of RISK the board game, it’s almost on the same level as Chess or Poker, its embedded in global culture.

The guy we have to thank for Axis and Allies is Larry Harris Jr., a board game designer who unlike so many designers out there spent nearly a lifetime trying to perfect one game. Sure he designed a few others (not trying to sound dismissive here), but over the last 30+ years Larry Harris has tinkered with Axis and Allies almost exclusively, creating variations on the game and trying to perfect the original version. It is very clearly a labor of love and In interviews when he talks about Axis and Allies he doesn’t speak as a person who made a game for others to buy, but a guy who made what he viewed as the perfect world war II game that he wants to play himself. He designed Axis and Allies for him and his friends and as a gesture of good will let everyone else get a copy as well.

Axis and Allies has had many versions, variations (both official and fan made). In the war game hobby, it’s largely considered both a beloved classic and a design triumph.

It’s important to understand this aspect of Larry Harris because it is very rare for him to design and release something other then Axis and Allies. In fact designers of his caliber and attitude towards perfection are quite rare. When Larry Harris announced that he was making a new version of Axis and Allies, aka his dream project of an even larger and more epic version of the game, well, lets just say for us old school gronards and Axis and Allies fans this was the news of the century.

That game was finally kickstarted back in 2019 and found its way to table tops in 2020. That game is called War Room and today I’m going to talk a bit about why this game is so special and why anyone who loves the old classics like Axis and Allies should be paying attention.

War Room is a massive game in size and scale, but is in large part much easier to learn to play then Axis and Allies thanks largely to some very clever handling of certain elements like stress and production. It’s also a highly engaged game where most phases of the game are executed by all players simultaneously with teams cooperating.

Why Axis and Allies was so popular

Before we can talk about why we should be excited about War Room we need to talk about Larry’s first love, Axis and Allies and why it was such a popular game.

The thing you have to understand about the early days of the hobby is that their was a very clean divide in board gaming both as a hobby as as a design between games that were for the masses like Battleship, RISK or Monopoly and then there were games for gamers, things you probobly have never heard of like Rise and Decline of the Third Reich, or Ambush. Essentially the world of board gaming was divided between people who were making games they thought they could sell and people who made games for “gronards”, those beard scratching old fogies’ who believe games needed to be simulations of something and historically accurate. Games with 100 page rulebooks that complicated the shit to a point no reasonable human being could ever be expected to understand how to play and required a masters degree in English comprehension.

Axis and Allies among a few other games that should but won’t be mentioned changed all that. It was one of the first games that was released that had a manageable amount of rules that you could reasonably expect anyone to understand, while at the same time having that deep strategy and historical relevance of a game that old gronards would appreciate it. Larry broke the barrier between popular culture gamers and simulationist/historical war gamers. He gave us a crossover game that went beyond the simplicity of a dice chucker like risk and included the high level play of games like Third Reich which were the exclusive stomping grounds of veteran historical war gamers to that point.

“Chit” games are a style of game where many of the units and properties of the game are tracked via cardboard chits. These games tend to have a reputation for both being complex and fiddly, while not being particularly visually appealing.

Is the “Chit” game reputation well deserved? Perhaps. Games like Empire of the Sun laid out on the table certainly does not have the same visual sexapeal as modern games populated by miniatures and the complexity of the game is quite extreme.

For many, myself included, Axis and Allies invited you into a whole new branch of board gaming without making you feel stupid and that was both an achievement of design but also of production. Larry Harris understood the secret of games like RISK. It wasn’t that they were simple, it was that they looked amazing on the table top. Truth is that generally speaking, people are smart enough to figure out complex games but most gamers really don’t want to stair at ugly game boards and chits for 10 hours when playing one. Being a good game was simply not good enough, it needed some sex appeal.

Presentation was important, he understood that games were also toys and that people played games for the experience, not just for the deep strategy. He understood that war games in particular were about inspiring the imagination, giving players a sense that they commanded armies, that they were in charge of a grand strategy. He understood that games needed to inspire a feeling and a lot of that came from visuals.

More importantly however Larry Harris understood how far you could go with the rules before it was too far, too complicated, while at the same time, what within those rules would inspire conversation about strategy. Ask any Axis and Allies player how one wins the game with the Axis powers and you will discover that no two players will ever fully agree despite 40+ years of gaming analysis. The game wasn’t perfectly balanced by any stretch of the imagination, but what it was, was a game that said “hey, you can’t win as the Axis powers, I dare you to try”. It posed a challenge to players and this with its visual appeal has driven the success of the game for so many years.

The Problems With Axis and Allies

Suffice to say Axis and Allies despite being a stone cold classic to board gamers around the world for 40+ years, it had one key issue that most would generally agree on. A problem that actually most war games have, the hidden information problem.

The problem most war games have is that in an actual war, commanders and generals had no idea what the enemy was going to do. They would build strategies trying to predict their enemy and execute those strategies hoping they guessed right. This is a core premise that is very difficult to translate to board games and always had, commonly known as the fog of war.

Typically what happens in a board game is that one player makes a move, the other player see’s the move and then responds with a strategy accordingly. A strategy not based on the state of the game at the start of the turn, but at the end of his opponents turn. This is how it worked in most board games about war (and still does for the most part), especially Axis and Allies where a player would complete their entire turn before an opponent would act, resulting in full information disclosure about the activities on the board.. This however is never how actual wars take place, the kind of information you get from watching an opponent “make a move” would never actually be available to you in a real combat situation. You would have to give orders to your troops and put a plan in motion long before you ever got to see what your enemy was planning and you would be committed to that plan (too late to change your mind). This is what often made wars so messy, fog of war is a real thing.

War Room addresses this and I have to believe Larry Harris understood that this “information problem” was one of the key design issues with Axis and Allies that would result in the game being kind of predictable at times. Players could try different strategies, but those strategies would be revealed before opponents had to commit to any decisions in response. Hence like chess, you make your move based on the information of the opponents last move.

At the core of the War Room design, the game addresses this issue by using a method that strangely enough has been around for decades in another popular stone cold classic game called Diplomacy. The concept of hidden orders that are written down and submitted simultaneously by all participants, then executed in a turn order defined by a bidding process. This brilliant albeit very well known little design is one of the key elements to War Rooms core mechanic, notably addressing one of the key issues with Axis and Allies and in my humble opinion, one of the best evolutions of Axis and Allies.

Hidden movement/orders appears in quite a few modern games as well, many of which have broken my top 10 lists so I’m clearly a fan. Games like Game of Thrones the board game for example make excellent use of hidden simultaneous orders as just one example.

The Things That Make War Room Awesome

Ok so now that we have laid the foundation of the conversation we can talk about the game itself and there is a lot to cover here so enjoy the wall of text.

War Room as a game hangs on five core concepts.

Team Game

One of the big issues with games that have a 6+ hour timeline, in particular grand strategy games is that it’s very possible, in fact likely that some players will be eliminated from contention for the win half way through the game or perhaps even very early in the game. Those players are then forced to sit through hours of play with really nothing to drive them to care. They are going to lose and they will know that for 6 to 8+ hours.

This is one of the biggest issues with big board game classics like Twilight Imperium or Advanced Civilization for example. Long games you can effectively be eliminated from hours before the game will end.

War Room tackles this issue in a very simple and meaningful way. Its a team game. Axis vs. Allies. Your nation might be doing poorly and your contribution in the war may be limited, but you are part of a team trying to win the game together and hence, participating in creating the strategy that will hopefully help your team win.

This keeps everyone involved regardless of the situation of any given player. Its a very simple but very clever approach to solving this issue.

Hidden Action Sequence

In its most simplest form, each player for each nation they control, writes down the orders he wishes to execute for his units. Each player has a limited amount of orders they can give, hence they must choose wisely. Its important to understand that going into this sequence not being 100% certain of the turn order can be very troublesome to any planning. Part of creating the orders is bidding on the turn order with the very precious oil resources, one of the most important resources in the game.

In War Room you will execute more than just your movement/attack orders, your production choices are also hidden, another great addition to the fog of war effect.

This key design is what drives gameplay and I think is one of the more ingenious ways of handling what can often be a part of the game that creates a lot of downtime. Here all players simultaneously create their orders, teams working together on their strategy also creates a level of collaboration. In a sense it creates a great atmosphere at the table and I believe it to be one of the things that makes this game truly distinct from many other world war II games.

The Stress System

Another rather ingenious approach to design here, one of the key issues with area control war games is that often it really just boils down to who wins in key moments, or who has the most units on the board. It can be difficult in games like this to make an impact on an enemy who is clearly already winning the war. The stress system is how War Room attacks this problem.

It’s a very simple system. Anytime you lose a territory with a strategic value (which is most of them) or take a loss in units, you gain stress and as your stress reaches certain threshold you begin taking penalties to your resources and your ability to wage war.

The stress mechanic has a number of effects on the game, but the main one is that it drives the end game. Nations become worn down and eventually lose their will to fight leading to a natural conclusion of the game.

What this means in the scope of the game is that your can’t simply make a B-line for the victory conditions of the game focusing your entire army in one place, you must consider the world map as a whole and defend your positions or suffer under the weight of mini snipe attacks and watch your nation become worn down by stress even out of a winning position. The game doesn’t become about that one key battle or key strategic area, but the many battles around the world, each a potential stress point that can lead to the slow degraded performance of the whole nation.

Tactics Matter

One aspect of grand strategy games is that they zoom out very far to handle the scope of the game, which often results in the battle resolution systems being rather watered down abstractions, leaving you with a feeling that battle resolution is just pure luck of the die. Its a strange contradiction, where you play a 8+ hour game about a grand strategy but the actual individual battles boil down to a single roll of a D10 for example (I’m looking at you Empire of the Sun).

In War Room tactics actually matter. What units you bring to bare in a fight and how you decide to position them on the battlefield can turn a battle you might have lost into one you may win.

The battle board does slow the pacing of the game down as each battle on the board must be resolved individually but this creates an atmosphere that makes the game feel like a genuine war. Each battle becomes a mini event and though the game can still hinge on wild die results, you can do quite a bit with your tactical positioning to control the results of a battle.

The tactics board adds an element of focus to the game where battles become a feature rather then after thought of the grand strategy game. This is arguably the most controversial addition to the game as it does slow down the overall experience and is likely what leads the game into that 8+ rather then 5+ playtime.

If your more aggressive you may take bigger loses but you will also cause more casualties. You may know that a battle is lost, but may then focus on shooting down planes of your enemies to hurt their ability to project power in the future. Just a couple of ways where tactics and grand strategy come together in War Room.

Vulnerable Industry/Resources

War is about resources and one of the keys to any grand strategy game is the ability to attack your enemies supply lines, blow up their industrial centers to hurt their production and shutdown their transportation systems to hurt their mobility.

All of this is considered in War Room and all players must deal with the fact that they have vulnerabilities all over the map where they produce units and the method by which they transport them. Your factories can be bombed, your convoys transporting precious resources can be attacked, your rail lines can be bombed destroying your ability to move troops in your own territory.

This key addition helps the game become about something more then just taking territory, edging the generally simple gameplay into more complex strategies. To win, you want to crush your enemies ability to produce units and so attacking their resources is not only a viable strategy, it’s often the key to victory from a weaker position.

General Insight

To me War Room appears to be a game that tries to be both a war game for the deep strategist, while a fun event game for the enthusiasts without underwhelming one, while overwhelming the other. I think mileage may vary here, but as a fan of games like Empire of the Sun and Paths of Glory, I don’t find the rules and strategies of this game to be underwhelming and given my local groups play games like Game of Thrones and even Twilight Imperium on occasion, I don’t see why they would struggle with the rules of War Room.

It remains to be seen however if an 8 hour war game about World War II is captivating enough for my gaming group to keep their attention. I know that with my gaming group, if they love a game 8+ hours is not a problem. We play RPG’s like Vampire: The Masquerade and miniature games like Songs of Ice and Fire that extend well past that play time on a regular basis and I don’t hear anyone complaining.

For me personally I see War Room as less a game in the strictest terms and more of a fun event that can be run a couple of times a year. To me, event games like Advanced Civilization, Twilight Imperium and Game of Thrones the Board Game are always the most memorable games in my gaming history. I don’t play them often, in fact, some I don’t play for years at a time, but when we do, its amazing and I hope War Room will be yet another addition to that glorious history of gaming events.

From a presentation angle War Room is absolutely gorgeous on the table. It screams play me, being huge, bright and exciting to be around. I love games that inspire the imagination and give you a sense of time and place, a game that gives you a role to play and makes you feel like the whole thing is part of a larger experience that extends beyond the game. I believe War Room to be such a game.

Finally I would argue that the game manages to be huge in size, epic in scale and visually appealing while not being fiddly. To me this is a big deal when it comes to selling the concept to my fellow gamers. Realistically speaking in our group we have a lot of games competing for our table time and shelf space, so we get quite picky about what we are willing to invest in. This is particularly true when we are talking about the big event games as we already have quite a few very established favorites. War Rooms sexy size and visual component combined with its epic scale and simultaneous action phases I think will all contribute to my groups adoption as a new member of this rather exclusive club, but that initial play experience is going to be critical to its long term success. Games like this typically only get one shot to impress, but I do believe War Room has the nuts and bolts to pull it off.

Board Game Reviews, Gaming Articles

Paths of Glory by GMT Games

March 17, 2021 5 Minutes

When I made my top 10 war games list last year I had just acquired Paths of Glory, played it once and though I was instantly in love with the concept, it was a game that I was yet to truly explore. Since then I have put quite a few games under my belt thanks to an amazing online community supporting the game and I’m at a point now where I think its time to give this one a proper review.

Paths of Glory falls into the CDG (Card Driven Games) category of war games which is a very specific albeit popular style of design in the spirit of giants like Twilight Struggle, Washington’s War and Empire of The Sun. All amazing games in their own right, but Paths of Glory even among this list of exceptional games has its own take on the concept and more importantly it covers a subject (World War I) with such class and elegance that it will take you from a person who neither knows or cares about World War I history to an absolute WWI history buff.

I think on a high level, Paths of Glory is broken down into three very distinct core game elements. The card driven mechanic which is the coveted link to the historical events of World War I and a key driver to the game. The tactical war on the main map which is a point to point system in which players jockey for position and fight for domination in the WWI theatre. Finally you have management of war resources abstracted in a wide variety of ways that give the game that tight, attrition feel WWI is so famous for.

Put them together and what you have is a game that is all about tension, attrition, and players trying to squeeze out every inch of blood, sweat and tears to get that breakthrough moment where one side collapses. Yet its also a game of massive comebacks where a single event can trigger huge swings in the war and this really leads the game to being a game about a story of the game. It gives it that re-writing history feeling and this is something you really notice when you have played several games and can make a comparison between different experiences with it.

The question that remains is do I like it and probobly from that very high level overview you may rightfully conclude that I do, however I think it has its own character and the real question is whether or not this is a game for you.

Overview

Final Score: (3.7) Great Game!

Paths of Glory is a two player game that will quite easily take about 6 to 8 hours to play. This is a long, heavy and fairly complex game with considerable amount of rules in its 34 page rulebook that comes with a fair amount of special cases and exception rules that will take quite a while for you to get your head around. You will spend several games learning how to play before you get it right and its going to take ten times as many games to learn to play the game well.

Players pick one of two sides of the war (Central Powers or Allied Powers) and starting in August of 1914 with the historical event known as “The Guns of August” the war kicks off with something of a slow burn.

The system tries to be historically accurate about the war and in that regard World War I wasn’t some big bang event, its something that continued to escalate over time slowly as more and more resources are dedicated towards the imperialistic efforts of key nations triggering more more countries to join the fight.

There are also mechanics that deal with the politics of the war, shining through in the card play but also key mechanics like mandated offensives which helps to illustrate that the war was not just run by generals making strategic decisions on the battlefield, but by global powers who even when being on the same side had political frictions and infighting. It’s a game about maneuvering events as much as it is about actual tactical warfare.

War itself is also quite difficult to predict, battles that seem like easy wins, stall, battles you thought would be attritions go surprisingly well. Their is a cadence here that feels like luck, but is more about being consistent with your planning. You can’t count on winning any one battle, but its about wearing down your opponent, tapping their resources and constantly pushing on them until something breaks.

Running the war in Paths of Glory, much as it must have been historically was about maneuvering around the many events that pushed the war in a direction that favors your plans, but because the game is a back and forth (You take a turn I take a turn), your plans are often spoiled by the action of your opponent to which you must urgently respond. While the war isn’t going to be won by the results of a single battle, every battle that does take place creates opportunities or emergencies that need to be dealt with quickly.

The whole game although its a slow, attrition, has a constant sense of urgency. You have a feeling that on your turn, with that one action and limited resources you have, you need to do a dozen things but end up only being able to do one. The feeling of having an endless stream of vulnerabilities all over the map creates a kind of stress and pressure, creating tension that climaxes slowly over time. At the same time you can create these emergencies for your opponent which forces them to be distracted by your activities elsewhere in the world.

There are these moments of recovery where the players have an unspoken agreement that the fighting has been too intense, neither side feeling comfortable enough to push forward resulting in a sort of recovery period and then there are moments when the fighting is so intense its almost like to wild barbarians swinging at each other with no regard to the possible consequences.

The map is big and busy, there is a lot of stuff going on here and the truth is that you can’t ignore any of it. Quite literarily every inch of this map see’s use in every game, there is no wasted space here.

It’s a fantastic representation of the historical period and works to create a great table atmosphere that only a rich and deep war game like this can provide.

The fun can and does come to sudden stop however and this is one of my complaints about the game in that their are so many exceptions and sub-rules to rules that it seems almost impossible to play the game correctly. Its easy to forget rules like if the central powers reach Limited War on the war status track, Turkey enters the war or that on turns 1 and 2 of the game you get a -2 to attacking forts. These sort of exceptions and special rules require both players to be very well versed on the rules and be vigilant about their execution because ignoring such a rule can really unbalance the game. These rules exist for both historical accuracy and perhaps more importantly to maintain a good balance between the two asymmetrical sides.

Paths of Glory is a deep strategic experience, its a game that tells a story, but that experience and that story comes as a result of the well thought out and complex rules system that drives this game. It’s a strange setup because without these rules, these special cases and exceptions, it would probobly not be as good of a game. You might be tempted to think that if they just made this game simpler, it would be better but this is not the case. It’s specifically the attention to detail that brings this game to life and it would be a lesser game without those details.

Components

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: High quality components that are almost standard from GMT these days.

Cons: Chit tokens are tiny and handling them is a pain in the ass.

Paths of Glory has several different versions that have been printed over the years, the version I’m reviewing here today is the Deluxe 6th edition, the latest one available as of this writing.

This Deluxe edition comes with a two sided mounted gameboard that has on one side the classic original version of the map and on the other an updated more modernized version. Both are actually quite functional, but the updated version color codes the countries making it easier to quickly identify which locations on the map belong to which countries.

The quality of this mounted board is effectively the best possible, I don’t see any way to improve it. It’s sturdy, beautifully illustrated, easy to read with clear iconography. Though the map is extremely busy because so much information is on it, including all the various tracking and status boxes it can be a bit overwhelming, but everything has a purpose and it becomes second nature after a couple of plays to find everything you need.

GMT is quite famous for its card stock and quality, Paths of Glory gets the same treatment with quality so high that I’m certain it will last a lifetime of plays without wear and tear. Glossy, stiff cards that are easy to shuffle and really require no sleeves, they are that well made. The illustrations on the card depict the event of the card to such a degree that after playing the game a few times you know what the card does by looking at the picture. You really can’t ask much more of a game card then that.

The cardboard chits that make up the units of the game on the map are of great quality with legible font, they are very functional in that regard. They are chits however and are a pain in the ass to handle due to their size and the fact that you stack them on the board. Its a constant thing to have to peek under stacks and because the map is quite tight and the chits quite small, its a nuisance to handle them. This is almost universally true about all chit based war games but its particularly troublesome in Paths of Glory as its not a hex but point to point map so the chits must be placed in specific boxes that are exactly the size of the chits. One good bump can misalign all of the units and can easily ruin a game.

The chits are tiny, hard to handle and must be stacked during gameplay. I know this is a war game tradition, but yeah, I feel like a giant trying to pick up a piece of rice when playing this game. Tweezers come highly recommended.

I personally would like see these chit games use bigger maps and bigger chits because even though that may take more space and increase the cost, these games are lifetime hobby games, I don’t think players are going to mind shelling out a few extra bucks for a bigger, easier to manipulate game.

One complaint I also have about all chit games is that the chits are all very specific. For example their is a 1st army for Russia, that chit represents a specific unit in the game, linked to a specific card in the game. Lose that chit and you have a real problem and there are absolutely no spare parts in the game. You have to be really careful not to lose even a single piece in a game that has hundreds of tiny pieces the size of a finger nail. It seems almost inevitable that you will eventually loses pieces and replacing them is going to be a real pain in the ass.

I don’t know what the solution here is, but I think the best your going to do is make them bigger so your less likely to misplace them.

As a whole this is a game that looks beautiful on the table but that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I sometimes send screenshots of games in progress to my friends who roll their eyes at the tiny chits on a massive map, I don’t think they see the appeal but of course these are people who play games like Blood Rage filled with beautiful miniatures so I can understand a game with card board chits might not be as visually appealing to them.

For me personally there is nothing more gorgeous than a huge map of Europe filled with chits representing armies of thousands. Its a personal taste thing I suppose, but I think its beautiful and inspiring.

Theme

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: Captures the World War I theme well… I think.

Cons: World War I is not an easy theme to sell, its a quirky piece of history.

World War I is, well lets just say that in contemporary culture it’s something of a mystery. It’s rather strange because you can find a lot of World War II historical buffs, Napoleon Era Buffs, really almost any other historical period of conflicts will have sort of fanatics that know and are deeply engrossed by its history.

World War I for some reason is the one period in history very few people know about and when you look around the historical war game scene, their is not much out there that covers the subject.

World War I however just like any historical conflict has tremendous amount of subtle and interesting facts and events which can spark the imagination and the history nerd in all of us and Paths of Glory really tries hard to help players make that breakthrough.

It is a tough sell though and this is because a lot of the history is hard to contextualize in our modern understanding of world politics. People thought very differently during this period and the historical events really reflect that as you wonder, WHY? Like why the hell did they do this, what was the political or historical reason for it and Paths of Glory is not really trying to give you an answer, it assumes to a degree that if your interested you can look it up. Though its worth pointing out that in the rules book each card in the game has a historical factoid that explains the event in a more historical context, but you don’t really get this during gameplay.

There is a movie with a relatively young Kirk Douglass called Paths of Glory about World War I you can check out. Might help with the history a bit, but, no I have not seen it.

The end result is that it might be difficult for players to relate to the history and hence the game. Still, from what I can tell and I’m no World War I historian, this game does a fantastic job of bringing that history to life.

I found that after playing it several times I would say stuff like “man I need to get Romania into this fight” where prior to playing this game I’m not sure I could tell you much about Romania or find it on the map (I’m embarrassed to say).

You sort of get into it and its thanks to the games focus on trying to represent the WWI conflict in a less esoteric way. In a way the game tries to simplify the history a bit, not necessarly making it less about real history but more about being a game about creating your own history using real history. This is in big part because every card in the game represents a historical event, but you are not going to execute those cards in a historically accurate timing so you are creating your own version of WWI history. In this way the games subject matter becomes a bit more personalized, its not World War I, its your version of it.

None of this really distracts from the game but I do believe knowing a bit about world war I history would probobly help you to play this game better. Like knowing that Romania while being a small country with limited troops played a pivotal role in history and you get a sense of that after you played a few times. Their position on the map, is quite critical and take could very well swing the war if they enter at the right moment. Just an example but its not something that is intuitively understood just by reading of the rules.

I think I could see this game being ported to other themes and being just as interesting, perhaps even more so, however as it stands as a world war I game I think the theme works quite well even if I don’t really have a real grasp on the historical period.

Gameplay

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: A deep, rich experience with heavy tension and massive scope that gives you everything you want from a historical war game.

Cons: The heavy rules weight and typical 8 hour play time makes this an experience not everyone will appreciate.

Paths of Glory is a complex game, to explain the gameplay in a review article would probobly take as many pages as the actual rulebook and I doubt I could do as good of a job as the actual rulebook does.

I think I will stick to my standard policy of assuming that since this is a very deep, strategic game that part of your research into this game will include familiarizing yourself with the rules and I will instead focus on my opinion about the gameplay to hopefully illustrate what I like and don’t like about the game helping you to make a decision about whether or not to invest.

Its worth noting however that playing Paths of Glory is more than just an financial investment in the game, its a considerable time investment and I think I would put this game into the lifestyle category of games for that reason. Its not something you can just pull off the shelf, explain the rules to a friend and go. This is a game to which two people must dedicate considerable amount of time before they play to understand and learn the game, then ten times that much time to learn to play it well, not to mention the typical 6 to 8 hours it takes to actually play. There is no quick fix for that when it comes to Paths of Glory, that is what it takes and you must embrace that or you probobly should skip it.

Fortunately there is a great online community that supports this game and there are a number of youtube tutorials that can give you a pretty solid start, Harsh Rules is a really good one. In the end however their is no substitute for reading the 34 page rulebook and both you and your opponent should read it cover to cover before playing. Not the most exciting thing you’ll ever do, but it is the path, I don’t think is avoidable if you want to play this game.

Paths of Glory is a multi tier game, meaning their are several core concepts working independently, but the entire thing comes down to a relatively simple back and forth action system. Each round players will take 6 actions, going back and forth and on your turn you will play a card.

That card can be used in several ways to take several different types of actions each with its own purpose and this is where the nuts and bolts of the game center on.

Each card represents an event and these events run the gambit from being political events, reinforcement events, special combat events and more. Each is representative of a piece of history and in this lays much of the games nuanced storytelling. You execute cards representing things that actually happened in history but because your doing it in your own order of play things aren’t going to play out like they did in real history. Paths of Glory is about writing your own history of World War I and this is really the fun of the game, seeing how your version of World War I actually differs from what actually happened.

The cards are the key to the game, but they can get a bit wordy. It takes an understanding of the game to understand what the cards represent, just one more thing that adds to what is a fairly steep learning curve for the game.

Maybe in your game the Allies go on the offensive and become the aggressor, perhaps Italy joins the war much later in your version of history, or perhaps the Americans never join the war. What is the impact, how does that change history, that is where the joy of that story your creating with your opponent comes from. There is all sorts of stuff that can happen, some of it you can control, some of it you can’t.

The main thing about the event cards is trying to figure out when is the best time to execute them and in this we could have endless debates about almost every single card. This is deepened even further by the fact that each of the two asymmetrical decks (central powers and allied powers) is split into three separate periods of play, divided into Mobilization, Limited War and Total War. When these periods execute and when you gain access to those cards depend on your sides war status which is something that is driven by how you play your cards so you have some control over when these cards come into play.

Werther its a good strategy to push war status or not is a subject for debate, but it suffices to say there is a great deal of decision depth here that will have your historical war game senses tingling. I love this aspect of the game and really it stems from my general love of card driven war games, after all, Washington’s War, Twilight Struggle and Empire of the Sun are among my favorite war games and they all use a very similar mechanic.

Instead of the events on the card you can use cards for their operational value, a number typically between 1 to 5 which is a reference to the card events general impact and value. The higher the operations value the more mobility and attacks you can get on the board so sacrificing an important event with a high operations value allows you to have a big impact in the tactical war on the board. This trade off is among the toughest decisions you have to make, but it goes even further then that.

Each card also has a reinforcement point value for each nation and can be used to resurrect and heal wounded armies. This is yet another use for the cards and another point of decison.

This balancing act of choosing what cards to use, when and for what purpose is really where the core of the games strategic gameplay and player decisions comes from. Its at the heart of the game and while there are plenty of other mechanics and gameplay elements I could talk about, this is the bread butter, this is the mechanic that makes Paths of Glory the award winning game it is.

These are tough decisions you make throughout the game and for the historical war game buff, the fun of the game. You these make this decision six times per round and there are potentially 20 rounds in the game if it does not end early which means that you are making a ton of decisions all the time in this game.

What is wonderful about this game is that it’s so painful, every time, round after round, action after action, you are forced to make a call about which card to play and what to use that card for. Its a pain of joy, it gives you the feeling of command over the war and when the game is over you can trace your victory or your defeat to how you played these cards and when you played them. That “I should have played X for Y” discussion after the game will have your head spinning and looking forward to the next time you play so you can do things differently.

There is a simple battle system here that I’m not going to get too much into because it is indeed quite simple. There is of course tremendous strategy in understanding positions, your odds, controlling supply lines and various maneuvers that you can make on the map that are quite important, but these fall into what I would call standard fare for a war game. The system is point to point rather then a hex grid, so there is a sense of tightness on the map where you have to pay close attention to how different areas are connected and this can be quite tricky as it really is a maze. This however adds to rather then takes away from the strategic depth, though it does add to the complexity of the games learning curve.

To me the game is the CDG mechanic and its executed brilliantly here making for a game of tough decisions, inside of a historical layer that comes through at every turn. The game captures the attrition warfare of World War I perfectly, while making sure that the game feels tight and tense so that players are always interested in what is happening. When its done, after 8 hours of play you look back on your experience and speak of it in terms of a story about your version of World War I. Its something that’s difficult to describe, but surely is a wonderful thing.

I certainly have my beefs with the game, there are a few cards I think could be better balanced, a few rules I think dive a little deeper then the game needed it to be, there is the quirkiness of the Near East Map and a few other things. To me none of these spoil the game, in fact I would be hard pressed to point out specific things and as you play the game more and more, coming to a higher understanding of its more subtle elements you also learn to appreciate some of the things that might otherwise come off as complaints.

For example while the Near East may seem like a pointless place where nothing happens in your first few games, as you become better at the game you start to see its potential and suddenly it can be as much of a hot spot as the Eastern or Western fronts. So the learning curve doesn’t really stop with learning to play, there is a tremendous amount of depth to explore in this game and as such, the more you play the more you learn to appreciate its various quirks.

The first couple of games you might wonder what the hell the Near East Map is for, it seems irrelevant to the game, but with some experience you eventually come to realize just how critical the efforts here can be to strategies on both sides.

I think the gameplay here is executed extremely well, this is a game that clearly had a design goal that it achieved. Its educational about its historical elements, it has a deep, thinky strategy, it puts players to constant and difficult decisions and the game has an almost exhaustive tension. Its just fantastic.

Replay-ability and Longevity

Score:
Tilt:

Pros: No two games will ever be alike, rich dynamics give this game infinite replay-ability.

Cons: You need a dedicate opponent ready to play repeated games to get the most out of this game which can be tough in any gaming circle.

I will make this short and sweet because I don’t think there is much to say here. This game has infinite replayability, there are so many dynamic elements here that even though the game setup is static, the resolution of the game is anything but. Its a card driven game, what cards you draw are going to define your actions and in my experience once you get past the first round, there is no way history is going to ever repeat itself.

As far longevity, I think a lot of that comes down to your personal preferences and whether or not you can find an opponent with a matching dedication. For me, this game is on my hobby table fairly often as I play it against online opponents, but finding another player with the same interest and dedication in real life has not been easy. Its a very niche thing and I think for most people this will be something of a dust collector just because of the nature of its complexity and general difficulty to get to the table.

You need to find a like minded war gamer with the same interest and I think that goes for all games in this category.

Conclusion

Paths of Glory is a deeply rich and rewarding experience, but its also a very demanding one. This is a difficult game to learn to play and its even more difficult to learn to play well. It’s certainly not a pick up and play type of game, it requires two dedicated players ready to invest the time to learn to play and that road is long and can be a bit frustrating as the game has a tremendous amount of rules weight and is filled with special case exceptions.

If you can get past that with a buddy however this is an absolute and unquestionable king of historical war gaming. For me its right up there with some of the stone cold classics like Empire of the Sun. It’s not just a game, its an experience.

You have to understand and embrace what your getting yourself into but for those of you out there who are looking for that next historical war game addiction I can’t recommend Paths of Glory enough. It’s amazing!

Best of List, Gaming Articles

GM Theory: OSR Games You Should Be Playing

March 17, 2021 5 Minutes

I love role-playing games, if there was such a thing as “my thing”, it would definitely be that. It should not however be a secret that I’m a card carrying member of the OSR (Old School Revival). For those in the know, the OSR is essentially a sort of loosely defined idea that in some shape or another, old school RPG’s were better then I suppose you could say new school RPG’s. Not entirely sure that is a reasonable explanation of the OSR, but I’m not here to explain what it is, I’m here to talk about some of the games that are released in the spirit of the OSR or games that proclaim themselves to be OSR games.

I do want to say that the presumption that I don’t like contemporary games or I’m some sort of Gronard because I like OSR games is far from the truth, though a common sentiment among contemporary RPG fans about the OSR. It’s a kind of strange stereotyping that takes place that if you like old school games, it means you hate new school games. This is nonsense of course, I love all sorts of role-playing games, I just happen to have my beefs with one of them which happens to be the most popular one in the world, modern, contemporary 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. One of these days I will get to writing an article about why that is, but if you follow my blog I don’t think I hide my general distaste for the 5e ruleset. That does not however mean that I don’t like modern RPG’s, I do, my bookshelf is full of them.

In any case today we are not here to talk about what I don’t like but rather what I do like. In today’s article we are going to look at several OSR games, what makes them great and why you should be playing them! Hope you enjoy the article, release the cracken!

Old School Essentials: Classic Fantasy

Old School Essentials is effectively the 1st edition B/X rules cleaned up with a few extras. Its sort of like taking a famous painting and restoring it, its as simple as that.

I put this here first and I will be brief, mainly because all that Old School Essentials is, is 1st edition B/X rules largely unchanged. This is B/X 1st edition, but organized as a rules reference to perfection. If you run B/X D&D, the Rules Tome for OSE is all you will ever need and its definitely far superior to the original printings. Everything is indexed, categorized and laid out with a single extremely well defined purpose, playability.

Now Necrotic Games also put out The Advanced Genre Rules book and this supplement is amazing, it compiles a lot of classic early edition races and classes, adds some rules for integrating race and class, instead of the traditional just class structure. They work together so you no longer have to make a decision one way or the other, you can pretty much let your players choose, they are balanced to work in the same game. Great addition.

Now as far as how good of a game is B/X 1st edition, well that is an article in its own right but the short and sweet of it is that as far as I’m concerned this is THE BEST version of the D&D and I say that without reservation. To me, B/X and BECMI rules are D&D, accept no substitute!

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Dungeon Crawl Classics is a kind of combination of old school lethality, mixed in with the simplicity of the basic 3rd edition rules strip down to its birthday suit and with a layer of Gonzo style magic systems that give Rollmaster tables a run for its money. The game also uses some wacky dice to give it some unique flavor though this is largely just a gimmicky thing for funzzies.

Dungeon Crawl Classics falls into the beer and pretzel RPG category for me. The game starts out with players making 4 0 level characters each (yes a typical game starts with 15-20 characters). These nobodies get basic NPC like classes from the peasant side of the fantasy universe like candle makers, cooks, farmers etc… and these would be heroes are thrust into an adventure called a funnel where they must effectively try to get to the bottom of the adventures evil plot while being armed with pitchforks and candle sticks.

With little chance of surviving at all, players must use narrative cleverness to get through it and though most characters are likely to die horrifically tragic deaths, those that do survive the funnel become full blown first level heroes getting a choice from all of the classic D&D fantasy classes.

The funnel to me is just an absolutely fantastic concept, it effectively allows players to write their origin stories and though its clearly meant as a kind of silly one shot adventure, the system is actually quite robust once you get into hero level characters and you can turn this into a full blow fantasy adventure game.

Certainly the Gonzo style writing of the official modules, which are absolutely brilliant, does suggest that the game is meant to be taken with a great deal of humor and because the deadliness of the game remains relatively steady throughout, there is a level of old school anxiety and fear built into the game that makes this an undeniable OSR game.

Really unique concept with a great, easy to learn mechanic but one with a bit of robustness and flavor that keeps itself interesting. Great fun addition to the OSR line up of amazing games.

Forbidden Lands

A game designed from the ground up for a sandbox campaign in what can only be described as the first truly unique campaign setting I have seen in a while that breaks the typical D&D fantasy world mold.

This OSR game keeps with the spirit of the classic D&D game, but has a couple of unique twists that really separate it from the field.

It leans more towards the survivor story, where characters exist in a desolate almost post apocalyptic fantasy world where the frontier is a complete unknown. They must explore it in hopes of finding their fortune in the classic D&D tradition, but the game puts a lot of weight on the concept of survival. Food and water are scarce, supplies and weapons are not easy to come by, their are almost not towns to shop at and the result is a game where you not only need to survive the adventure, but you need to survive the elements, starvation, dehydration and the general absence of the necessities of life.

This is also a sandbox hex crawl and as players explore the frontier the DM rolls to determine what they find in the various areas which leads the players to player driven goals which I think is the key feature of the game. There aren’t large narrative stories here, the players are meant to go out into the world and make something of themselves and what that ends up being is largely driven by the opportunities the frontier presents to them.

On a high level this is a sandbox game and it can very much be run as a western marshes style campaign where you can have a large group of friends who call upon your GM services whenever they like to contribute to an ongoing story about this frontier. Much of the game is randomly generated, what happens, what the story of the game is, is going to be as much a surprise to the GM as it is to the players. Yet there is a lot of content here that will inspire GM’s that love to write and you can definitely find yourself unintentionally world building. It’s almost as if its a game designed to not only produce an adventure for your players, but a new campaign setting for you as the GM.

While there are some hiccups in the system that will require a bit of GM intervention, they are minor and easily fixed. In my book this is another great entry into the OSR must play list.

Five Torches Deep

This is old school done with new school rules which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the OSR isn’t just about old Gronards playing their coveted 1st edition D&D.

Five Torches Deep is a very clever attempt to bring 5th edition D&D fans into the OSR fold and it does it with style, proving that not only is classic D&D not about classic rules, but somewhere buried beneath the nonsense of 5th edition D&D rules is actually a salvageable system.

Five Torches Deep is a game that is clearly inspired by the Dungeon Crawls of old and systems like B/X with those old school sentimentality. The goal of the game, much as it was it the golden age of D&D is to go into dungeons, fight monsters and steal their stuff!

This game however is dangerous as hell and leans heavily on player centricity with a pretty heavy handed dose of narrative flexibility. There is not much to the mechanic, its very much driven by the player-gm conversation style of role-playing, what I like to call… normal role-playing.

It uses a clever durability system and time tracking system to give the game an earthy, realistic tone reminiscent of B/X rules, while simultaneously it is very much a fantasy adventure where players are going to be kicking ass and taking names.

I don’t want to necessarily quantify this one as a beer and pretzel game, but I think its a bit too deadly and a bit to linear in its approach to stretch into the more serious campaign, though the rules are so flexible and modular here that you can easily pull from other sources to make it a bit more robust. In fact I think you can very easily inject B/X classes into this game with minimal effort or expand by creating your own. The classes available act almost as design templates to show you how its done. I think most players however will find the game a bit too limited as written and much like B/X rules that is fun for the first few levels, it needs more after a while much the same way B/X does. Eventually you will want more classes, more options and a bit wider range.

Still its just so well made, straight to the point, easy to get to the table. This is one of those games where you can bring friends over like its board game night, pull it out, make characters and be playing D&D in no time flat and that in my book is a game worth having on the shelf.

Blades In The Dark

I fell in love with Blades In The Dark after just three pages of reading and though I’m yet to run it, from the stand point of a GM who needs inspiration, this game, this setting and really just the entire concept is a fucking revelation. This book gives you the feeling you might remember when you got your first D&D book, that first read through, that first day of deciding you are going to play, the excitement of not knowing what’s going to happen. This book has that kind of magic.

This is a game that is narratively focused on a very specific concept. You and your friends take on the roles of effectively criminals in a early-industrial fantasy world, with only one goal. Pull off “Jobs”, aka, commit crimes in the city and try to get away with it. From heists, to burglaries and everything in-between this is the oceans eleven of fantasy RPG’s.

The system itself is superbly designed with every conceivable issue running a game in this style might present perfectly laid out for you with simple and applicable rules that make sense the first time you read them. This book is so well written, the concept so well thought out that I can see how this game practically runs itself.

More than that though the concept is just so amazing, who hasn’t thought of running a D&D game where everyone plays a thief and you indulge in your criminal fantasies. Clearly John Harper has.

There are plenty of variations on the thief class for everyone to find something to play, the setting itself is just the perfectly executed dark fantasy and their are turns and twists ready made for you to throw into your game that there is absolutely no way your players are going to expect.

Without a doubt one of the best RPG’s I have read in the last decade, this is the new gold standard to beat for OSR games.

Stars Without Numbers

Not since TSR’s take on sci-fi, Alternity have I found an RPG that does science-fiction with the respect and a sense of completeness. Stars Without Number is to me the modern take on running science-fiction, while clearly being a throwback to running the game in the classic OSR style.

Stars without numbers proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the OSR is alive and well and its not just about fantasy. Inspired by classic B/X rules and the classic RPG Trinity, Stars Without Numbers is a science-fiction sandbox for players to explore, yet the universe/setting is not some pre-generated science-fiction writing. This is a dynamically created world where even the GM doesn’t know what is going to be in his game until it starts. In a sense, much like Forbidden Stars, the result of playing this game is going to be dynamic world building.

This is a game that will put your improv skills to the test as a GM and though the system itself is simple, running this game I think is really the ultimate challenge for a DM. This game has every conceivable science-fiction trope that has ever existed in what I can only describe as a setting with infinite possibilities. Though its clearly inspired by Trinity, I can help but get an Alternity vibe from it, which notably is one of my all time favorite science-fiction RPG’s.

Really well written, easy to get into, its just the most perfect system for a science-fiction GM looking to create that perfect sci-fi game for his players.

Love this one, a must buy for any serious sci-fi fan.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that the OSR produces a lot of games, to create an article that covers all the good ones would take pages upon pages. I honestly could do this for days, but an article needs to end sometime.

The games I’ve chosen here are games I have either ran, played in or read, but there are many more I’m certain deserve to be on this list.

The important part here however is to present the OSR for what it is, a diverse sea of interesting games that make great alternatives to the tried and true, but sometimes rather stale accepted alternatives like Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder and the like.

These are some great games and I think as an RPG fan it’s everyone’s duty to explore games, to dig deeper and approach the entire hobby with an open mind. I find contemporary gamers who often claim inclusivity and tolerance in an attempt to appear politically modern are secretly some of the most judgmental and ruthlessly closed minded gamers out there refusing to touch anything without a Wizards of the Coast logo and casting a wide net of judgement against anything with the OSR label. Get out there and explore these amazing games, its nothing short of a tragedy to miss out on these experiences.

Overview

Components

Theme

Gameplay

Replayability and Longevity

Conclusion

Share this:

1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide

The Mystara Gazetteer’s

Pathfinder 2nd edition Core Rulebook

The Reavers of Harkenwold

The Rules Cyclopedia

1st edition Forgotten Realms Box Set

The Scarred Lands Campaign Setting

Old School Essentials

Pathfinder: Kingmaker & Ultimate Campaign Guide

1st edition Oriental Adventures

Share this:

Why Axis and Allies was so popular

The Problems With Axis and Allies

The Things That Make War Room Awesome

Team Game

Hidden Action Sequence

The Stress System

Tactics Matter

Vulnerable Industry/Resources

General Insight

Share this:

Overview

Components

Theme

Gameplay

Replay-ability and Longevity

Conclusion

Share this:

Old School Essentials: Classic Fantasy

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Forbidden Lands

Five Torches Deep

Blades In The Dark

Stars Without Numbers

Conclusion

Share this:

Dedicated To All Things Gaming