Historical Boardgames

Origins 2001

articles and photos by Russ Lockwood


The Gamers

At right, Dean Essig of The Gamers.

The new game is Guderian's Blitzkrieg II. The usual gorgeous mapwork from Dean Essig and company improves his classic game. I saw it being played in the main area. Map scale is 5 miles to the hex, which allows for more detail than say, Europa and its 16 miles to a hex. Of course, while Europa's Scorched Earth covers the entire campaign, GDII covers a small area roughly in front of Moscow. Great looking game. I picked up a copy at the show.

At right, Guderian's Blitzkrieg II. The right side shows the attack towards Moscow (rear center of photo) via Tula while the central "tentacle" of Germans have been stopped cold by the Soviets.
Larger photo (very slow: 183K)

Clash of Arms

I played a nifty variant of Risk based on the Napoleonic Wars. It's a French version, so the rules are written in French and Clash of Arms translated it into English. I say "played" when in reality I just sat in when one of the players had to leave, but boy did I see the possibilities.

At right, Charlie Spiegel of Clash of Arms holds up Fear God and Dreadnought naval rules. In front of him on the table is the French version of Napoleonic Risk.

It is Risk just like the game you used to play with a couple of twists. Mission Cards allow you to win without killing off everyone on the map. The map is only of Europe with players for UK, France, Spain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria. You can set up using random all-over-the-place via cards like original Risk, or set up as countries. There are more crossing points between, say, UK and France than originial Risk. I was impressed enough to buy the game, especially since I heard how Ed had to go to France, buy it direct with a credit card as a person (not company), pay VAT, and bring it home. It's $56, includes Napoleonic soldiers, cavalry, and cannon, and I bought a copy. You can only buy it at a show--they cannot sell it mail order.

CoA is developing a Germantown AWI game (prototype was in play there) and a computer version of La Bataille Eylau as being playtested. That looked cool.

Sci-Fi Risk

In another Risk variant, there's a sci-fi plastic pieces and a slightly altered map of Earth with additional locations. The little battlebot pieces look cool, although I didn't like the big person pieces--they should have stuck to mechs. Didn't play it, didn't buy it, but it looks cool and is a clever way to extend the Risk franchise.

OSG Highway to the Kremlin

I had pre-ordered this months ago and bugged Kevin Zucker to send me the copy that literally he was assembling just before the show. It looks great, the map is wonderful, and the operational/strategic outlook is just what's needed for Napoleon's 1812 campaign in Russia. And Zucker has the damned cleverest rule for French victory--if the French hold three cities (I believe they're Riga, Smolensk, and Moscow, but don't quote me on that as I can't remember), Napoleon rolls on the Victory table, which can range in results from Not a Chance to Negotiated Settlement. Somewhere in there is the Moscow burning result and the Negotiations Continued result, which means roll again next turn.

At right: Kevin Zucker explains the basics of HK to an interested passerby.

In essense, you could grab all three but wait, as Napoleon did, in vain. Then you have to try to get out if everything fails! That and the forage system are damnably clever. I can just see all sorts of campaign possibilities merging this with a miniatures rules set.

Decision Games

They were showing a number of new designs in the works--these are original designs, not reprintings of SPI titles. I thought I had picked up their pamphlet, but rumaging through the post-Origins piles, I cannot find it. The WWII Pocket one looked interesting as the Soviets came on both sides of the map and the Germans were in the middle.

At right: Drs Christopher and Callie Cummins man the booth.

EuropaFest

A much slimmed-down presence had one game of War of Resistance (Japan Invades China 1937--I playtested that with designed Mark Royer five years ago), WWII Western Desert War maps laid out, and an Over the Top WWI West Front set up.

At right: War of Resistance shows tremendous Chinese resistance. The red Japanese counters hit a wall inthe advance from Manchuria (upper right side of photo).

As for WoR, the Japanese faced hard going out of Manchuria. To me, it looked as if the Chinese had erected the Great Wall of Chinese soldiers and stopped 'em cold.

As for WWI, I can't say there was much movement. If the front moved a hex or two, that is probably a lot.

At right: Over the Top and the Western Front. The front line didn't move in several days despite lots of player time. Sounds like WWI, eh?

Rob Markham

A new Trireme game was out, with a name I could barely pronounce, but had 1,000 counters and a $65 pricetag. He's continuing to develop Spanish Civil War games as well. He was in the Avalanche Press booth on the other side of the floor, though I met him as well in the boardgaming area.

Vance von Borries

I spoke a little bit with designer Vance von Borries and took a look at his new game under playtest. I'm afraid I can't remember the name, other than it sounded like a Soviet village that starts with the letter "S" in 1941. A couple of fellows were pounding at the Soviets with the 8th Panzer.

At right: von Borries instructs a couple of newbies on the fine art of posing for a photo-op. The pencil points to a pile of Panzers attacking Soviet infantry in a strongpoint.

As I recall, chits activate various formations, which are tactical in nature with a HQ, artillery, and various battalions and regiments. Victory conditions were to grab a variety of towns across a river in a corner of the map.

Vae Victus

I met a couple of the folks from VV, and even took their photo (hope it came out). VV is a tremendously glossy wargame magazine with a game in each issue. It's in French, the rules are translated into English somewhere on the web. I showed MagWeb.com to Luc, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they knew about us. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I was pleased nonetheless.

GMT

I also picked up GMT's Barbarossa trilogy of Army Group North, Army Group Center, and Army Group South. I watched some folks play the linked trio as a monster game while at the show, and every day, the front advanced. It looked so good, though I don't know if I want to give up my miniatures table to play it for a few weeks, that I ended up getting it since they were running a show special.

At right: the linked trio from Barbarossa. It's a big game at 5miles per hex.

Origins 2001

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