Liberty

Excellent AWI Block Game

Reviewed by Charles Vasey

Tom Dalgliesh and Mark Kwasny for Columbia Games

Liberty is a block game in the grand Columbia tradition, but borrowing from the successful Hammer of the Scots, covering the American War of Independence. If Hammer of the Scots represented that rare creature – a playable history game with “Play Me” written on it – then Liberty is much the same. In my case it is more of the same as it is set in a period and at a scale where (I think) one can optimise history and game. However, like many games that have changed in the course of development I suspect that Liberty may have a few balance problems over its life. It may also have a problem with a few gamers who will find its need for thinking causes them to lose, but of course this must be Columbia’s fault!

It is also, I think, very much more than its designer (Kwasny) appears to think as you will read below. I attribute this to the benign influence of the Columbia team (The Feudin’ Dalgleish Boys) who have helped made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. None of this is going to stop you enjoying this colourful quick but involving game more times than you play most other games.

Let’s start with the map. It is the usual; Columbia four-panel job, but with the panels in a single column from Canada to Savannah. This long thin map immediately gives you one problem that the British had – it’s a big country. Of course it is not a big map, but with most units moving one hex (two with attrition) maximum you’ll soon identify that crossing the map is a big job. I don’t think my British and Hessians have often left the coastal hexes in play. Sending troops south is sending them to a different country. As usual with Columbia the hexes usually have a little tweak or piece of detail. The main furniture of the map is forest. Any hex with at least two forest hexsides is wilderness, and this stretches further than you might think. Wilderness not only has lower hexside entry limits but limits one to a move of one hex a turn (except for Indians and bateaux). The rivers can speed up movement and lift hex-edge limits.

Also covering the map are towns (marked as British, Indian or American). Some of these are supply towns and vital for wintering and for victory. The central states block has four such hexes (Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Brunswick and New York) worth 13 VPs (out of a target of 30 for the British). The loyalty of towns is very important because if left unoccupied by the end of each turn they will revert to their original loyalty. Since retreat routes are very important in this game and units are scarce you will swiftly see that long and wide penetrations into enemy territory, especially by the British, are likely to be difficult and fatal. There are also marshes, ports and notes of where battles were fought. The different feel of each of the theatres is well caught with the woods and waterways from Canada to Albany, the central mass with its rivers that can be interdicted and the wide open south up to the forest line and the Indians. There are also two abstract areas for the French and British Windies. Bright, simple but full of interest this is a very good map – it plays as well as it looks.

The British and French also have an Atlantic box into which their new units are placed (thus neatly encapsulating the problems of shipping over troops, rather than raising a new militia force in the Americas) and where naval invasions go to before landing.

The blocks are in fetching bright red and blue. They all use the “turn to record losses” convention most being four strength points (but not all). The counters are rated by class (A to C) with Class A firing before B, and B before C. In addition each has a number which (if not exceeded) will cause an enemy step loss. The British Army is mostly 4 step C2 units, but there is a 3 step C4 Guards unit (a very important British counter) and 2 3 Step B2 counters (Simcoe and Fraser) representing the light screening forces. Leaders are not like HQ units in Bobby Lee but simply better armed forces – artillery etc that rate as C3s. The British have Carleton, Howe and Cornwallis. The leaders can also boost supply levels (representing staffs and depots). The British are supported by 3 B1 Indian tribes who haunt the back country. There are five Tory units: two B2 units (Butler and Tarleton) and three C1 Loyalist militias. The German mercenaries provide three C2 line units and a B2 jaeger unit. Finally three Royal Navy squadrons provide sea transport and A2 combat support.

The Americans start the war with masses of C1 militia. There are eight units plus the small but slippery B2 Swamp Fox. Until the French line arrives the American player is always short of good infantry. There are four C2 Continental units and a B2 Dragoon unit. Two C3 leaders (Gates and Washington) and Morgan’s Rifles (a very effective B2) complete the American forces. The French provide (once they have entered) three squadrons (a2 again), three C2 line units, a B2 Lauzun’s Legion and one C3 leader – Rochambeau.

The counters are bright, attractive and give an excellent caricature of the units involved. The elite force of the Guards, the importance of light and dragoon forces, the limitations of major offensives (leaders) and the effect of the rifles are all effortlessly locked within the game. But being blocks they are not exactly numerous and Liberty has an important element of prioritisation in it, especially for the Americans before the arrival of the French. I am not sure how historical this is, but it was certainly effective. [Mark Kwasny’s view on the counters is given at the end of this review].

The rules, to be frank, are not too hot. You should go to the Columbia Games website and download the latest version. Though not long these rules are full of meat and you need to give them a careful read through since everything is there for a reason.

The Game is divided into turns (in which players each play a card, consult the weather dice, move one after the other and then both fight) and then into years where you get new cards and a winter turn. This is rather poorly explained with the cards being mentioned in the turn section. The 1775 turn has only three card plays, but all other years have five. Although you can tool around relatively freely in the turns other than the one before winter (where supply is judged) the retreat rules make it pretty clear that we are not campaigning in Belgium or the Po valley.

The cards include ops cards (one to three values) which activate that many “groups” of units (basically hexes) or allow you to draw that many units from your replacement pile. One can mix moves and replacements but moves always come before replacements to prevent Instant Army Syndrome. The other card type is Supplies which allow you to add combat strength to units in the field.

Each Turn consists of a play of cards but opens with a weather roll that can knock out the North or the South of the map due to storms. I am assuming this covers everything from snow in the north to heat in the south. One can still move but not attack. The practical effect of this is to weaken perfect plans and encourage one to build in a bit of redundancy.

Movement is by groups, a group being all the units in one hex. They activate but do not move as a group, being allowed to whiz off in many directions. Movement is usually one or two hexes but you can add another hex by force marching with a 50% chance of a step loss. As with many Columbia games there is a hexside limit for entry and retreat (four for clear and two for forest marsh), the existence of a river will boost the latter to three. Rivers also allow a two hex movement providing they are the same river. This allows a most satisfying bateaux convoy out of Canada until the portage near Ticonderoga. Movement out of a hex is possible but the other side’s units (from the first moving player) pin the same number of the second player’s units.

Order of play is very important as the first player cannot react to his enemy and must make his offensive movements knowing his opponent can select his response. He does of course pin where he attacks so moving first can have a pre-emptive value. The order is decided by revealing that turn’s card, the highest value taking first position. The British win any ties – leaving them with the telling problem or having to do something about the rebellion.

Movement is linked to hex control and this is very important. Hexes are Friendly, Neutral or Enemy. A hex occupied by one side is friendly to that side, and empty hex goes the way of its town or is neutral where no town exists. You establish control at turn end not by moving through the hex. Since a retreat cannot be made into an enemy hex you are either going to operate near a friendly base (raiding New Brunswick from New York) or advance one hex a turn to ensure you control your exit hex. This simple rule (inspired doubtless by Gentleman Johnny’s activities) has a very profound effect is slowing down to 18th Century speed levels.

Sea movement (including sea attacks) originate from the Atlantic. One moves out one turn and lands in another turn (avoid getting your units left at sea in winter – you will have to disband them). This means that the Americans cannot suffer from Dinassault tactics of coast hopping. They will see the Brits go to sea (leaving an unprotected port possibly) and then have the pleasure of waiting to see where the thunderbolt falls.

The interaction of map and movement rules gives a strong historical feel. One really does think carefully about attacking out of (or into) Canada. The problem of unravelling the central position with a number of rivers susceptible to being nipped off is also a ‘nice’ one, and the sheer size of the South really comes home.

Replacements include reinforcements. New units or disbanded units are brought into/returned to play by this rule. The units return at full strength so one will often disband weak units and aim to return them as replacements. European units appear in the Atlantic, American based units in any friendly town (one block per hex) but Continentals only in blue friendly towns. The war whoops appear in their own towns. The use of the Atlantic means that the British will consume more movement points getting units into action than the Americans. However, where the units are intended for friendly ports the result is pretty much unnoticed and the British can (with warship support) use the Atlantic for a sea attack. Replacements cannot appear in a Battle Hex so no recruiting your militia in the face of the lobsters.

Battles follow the block tradition. There are three rounds of combat after which unless victorious the attacker must retreat. Who is the attacker is determined by who entered whose hex first. In each combat round on a class by class basis (A-B-C) the defenders and then attackers get the chance to dice, one dice per strength point and killing one strength point per hit (as noted above).

The one-to-hit system gives quite a range of results, resulting a strong narrative quality. The class system (which approximates to range of engagement) also means that a B class attacker will fire before a C class defender. (Morgan’s flaming Rifles again)! Hits are allocated to the biggest unit first. A key point here (and well hidden in the rules) is that a unit wiped out in battle is a prisoner, it does not go to the Bene Tleilaxu tanks. This also applies to force marching and winter attrition. You can only get them back by prisoner exchange (though I never exchange). As attacker’s must retreat to the hex from which they entered there can be quite horrid effects from a force-marching attack ‘into the blue’. Instead of fighting in a Round one can withdraw one’s units (remembering those pesky hex limits). Many battles therefore consist of the British bullies arriving and the Americans decamping (which is as it should be). However, the advantage given to the defender does not seem completely on all fours with the reality of the period. There was some advantage of course (the fire while crossing the intervening ground) but it can be a little excessive in some cases. [Perhaps those boxes from Herr Krupp have been opened?].

After victory the victor gets a free regroup move to friendly areas – often important where one has called in units from different hexes. Where units do come in from different hexes they only join the combat in Round Two.

The naval section has been subjected to an extensive tidy up in the new rules. Warships are not only very effective combat units (though watch the losses from snipers) but must be present to support Sea Attacks (from French and British units). Sea Attacks cannot combine with others (so that’s the Armada shot) and are the only way to use sea movement into an enemy hex.

Clearly the Americans with no fleet and few Line units (some of which may be prisoners) need or at the very least benefit from French help. It is not impossible to win as the American without the French, but you need British help or Mighty Dice to do so. This ‘problem’ is the one that most exercises commentators. Identifying the naughty behaviour of gamers the designers have elected not to release France on a set of events (which can be avoided) but also not to assume the arrival is certain. Instead one must score 8+ on 2d6 in any winter turn except 1775. Once the French are released they can be drawn as replacements by the Americans. My appalling dice rolling means that my experience of the French is limited, but they certainly do change things. Their fleets and armies provide a powerful punch for the Americans. I am bound to say that they seem to me too numerous, though one might rationalise some of them as French financed American troops rather than les crapauds. The designer has suggested they should perhaps disband each winter turn (as they did) rather than hang around the US. This will of course have a considerable effect on balance – always assuming things are balanced now which I doubt. The arrival of the French also opens some scary fighting down in the West Indies.

The importance of the French is a historical problem for this topic and also I think the most important problem for the game qua game. As I enjoy a narrative flow I can live with it.

The war-whoops are not numerous or strong, but their speed in the wilderness, B class, and B2 value defending hearth and home makes them hard to kill and annoying in combat. If you devote your American units to a full campaign you can capture the Indian town and eliminate the tribe BUT do not start something that you cannot finish. Indians are also not subject to Winter Attrition which is very annoying indeed (the little blighters). This treatment of Indians strikes me as off the mark a bit – they are rather more Viet Minh than Cherokee.

The Winter Turn allows a lot of tidying up. You first check for victory. If the Brits have 30 or more Supply points in controlled towns the game is over in British victory, but if they hit less than 12 the game ends immediately. If things get to the 1783 winter then the rebels have won. One checks for French entry and then disbands units. Disbanding can be done to allow units to be reformed or (in some cases) to avoid wintering losses but it is limited for the French and British blocks which need to be on or adjacent to a friendly port (or in the Atlantic). Other units just need to be in a town. Winter Attrition is then applied - all units over Supply Point limits are lost (as prisoners). Leaders may support units equal to their combat value so Washington should survive quite handsomely at Valley Forge. Units will need to have scampered back to major towns unless supported by leaders.

Finally there is a (bogus) prisoner exchange involving negotiations for units eliminated in combat, force-marching or winter attrition. However, it is my experience that no-one I play against will exchange anything since we all prefer to have the other rogue weakened. The designers clearly have not tested this game with a team of stuffers. However, serendipitously the effect of the non-exchanges is not to assume that America was brimming with loyal militias ready to human-wave the lobsters, if you lose units in battle (even in winning) you will have reduced your military base. This makes for careful judgements as to where one commits to battle and for how long (withdrawal may be wise). I survived one battle at Philadelphia with four one-strength blocks, had that battle lasted one round longer I could have lost a major slice of my army. This rule has a most historical effect to it, though it manifestly was not the intention of the designers. Shit happens and so does silk.

The rules of Liberty cannot be described as long or difficult (certainly as the version 1.01 appears) but there is a lot in them. Will play ultimately devolve to a few tried strategies? Probably but not for a number of plays, and this is a game that completes in two to three hours! Certainly the British have severe problems in where they can go and what with. The Americans as a balance really lack powerful forces in the early game. It has been suggested that the advantage of firing first means that two large stacks would not fight. Therefore the Americans can form large stacks to hunt lone British units (Tories in the south for example) but the Brits dare not confront them. The British can however attack lone American units in the same way. In both cases the advantage will lie in being able to retreat from battle before the big stack, and here the fact that the hinterland is basically pro-American will favour them. However, this will not win the central or New England towns.

Liberty seems to me a flavourful game which is quick in play but intense in concentration. It exposes a strong narrative and analytical side without losing those ludic features which the competitive gamer seeks. It has some historical flavour though not at the operational level and this can channel strategy (We The People is more open here) but not to the detriment of play. It is remarkably effective at simulating key features of the general period without very long rules. One can certainly see it as a good introduction for the neo-gamer (perhaps a figure or euro gamer). I think it may be the best of the Columbia line. Columbia has a policy of putting one of their number of the design credits which policy has annoyed some. However, the way that they wring history out of what was clearly a longer game before they got it indicates there is real value here. As in Hammer of the Scots we may be seeing a near optimal mixture of playability and history and I think we should recognise the importance of Tom Dalgliesh here.

[Alan Emrich has put together some useful aids and a very good set of FAQs on his website (the address of which eludes me but was found via Google.]

Liberty Review and Analysis

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