I'd say the critical question to ask is how much negotiation and confrontation you like in your games. Lowenherz features negotiation on every turn and its head-to-head nature, as well as the nastiness of the gameplay, have led to hurt feelings in some groups. Domaine eliminates the negotiation and, while it's still pretty nasty, it feels less confrontational. Domaine probably looks a little nicer, but there's nothing wrong with the Lowenherz components (after all, it is a Goldsieber game). Yeah, the curved boards are unfortunate, but they really don't hurt the gameplay. I definitely prefer Lowenherz, but that's because I like the things about it that some dislike. I do feel it's a deeper game, but Domaine is a fine game as well. It's shorter and less nasty, so it's probably more accessible. I'm sure you'll be happy with either selection. Back to Table of Contents -- Game! # 7 To Game! List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by George Phillies. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com