Columbia Games have published a range of historical board war games all using wooden blocks as the game pieces or units. The unit’s type and strength are printed on one side of the block, so that when it stands upright, the opponent cannot see this information. Somewhat like the classic game Stratego, but with the added feature that the units can have up to 4 values, depending on which side of the block is upward. The periods covered are the ACW (Bobby Lee and Sam Grant), WW2 (the Front series, Rommel in the Desert and Pacific Victory) and a few earlier ones (Quebec 1759, The War of 1812 and Napoleon).
They are good games in themselves and the use of the blocks makes them interesting for soloing. It means that you can only see ‘your own’ units when you plan your moves. Of course you have seen the other side’s units earlier, but now you can only see the blank backs of them. And as someone put it: “A lot of blocks lined up against you, look very threatening. Even if you know that most of them are only weak one-point units, it is not easy to keep that in mind”. At other times you might not remember the precise value or type of a unit. Or at least become unsure about it. So you might find yourself reacting to perceived threats or imagined strengths as well as overlooking gaps.
I have only come across a few problems when playing the games solo, and they have been confined to the pre-WW2 games. But the problems are really no different from what you see in other games and have not kept me from enjoying the games.
Two of the games (Quebec 1759 and The War of 1812) use simultaneous moves, but they are both reasonably simple games, so I just decide the moves for one side, before I plan the moves for the other side. I let a die roll determine which side is planned first. Sometimes I just move one unit at a time alternating between the two sides.
All the games are operational or strategic in their scope. But the Napoleon game and the two ACW games resolve combat at a more tactical level. It is resolved on a separate battle board where the units are deployed in one of three columns (left, centre or right) or in the reserves. Units can only move between the columns by way of the reserves and reinforcements enter there too. The information on the blocks is not revealed until they engage an enemy unit or are engaged. (The system works very well and has been expanded in Columbia’s card games like Dixie).
Though you lose some of the tactical surprise when soloing this combat system, it still gives you interesting and tense battles. Much depends on the individual fights (die rolls) and how you react to the results. Should you hold back or commit your reserves etc.
Rommel in the Desert uses another ‘grand tactical’ combat system where the different classes of units (armor, AT, artillery and infantry) have mandatory targets and the defender gets to fire first. I have been thinking about converting this system to the ACW games, but have not gotten around to it yet.
The ACW and the WW2 Front series uses headquarter activation to represent the commitment of resources to the different campaigns. Combined with the simple production system this simulates the resource allocation and the ditto problems very nicely. In the Front series the sequence is predetermined. But in the ACW games you bid HQ activation points to win the initiative. I usually do a quick estimate of the number of HQ points available and how much each side wants or needs the initiative. This results in one to three bids for each side and I roll a die to determine which bid is used.
The use of the blocks adds an extra dimension to these already great operational games and helps create some of that uncertainty that I always enjoy when playing games solo.
On a final note, Columbia also publishes Victory. A series of more ‘generic WW2-style’ block games and modules, meant for do-it-yourself type of scenarios. I assume that they can be played solo too, but I have never studied them. These games are not to be confused with Pacific Victory, their game about the WW2 PTO, which is a more historical war game. But be sure to get the latest version of the rules from Columbia’s website. Here you can also see the rules for the ACW game Sam Grant.
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