It’s the end of the year so it’s that time for the inevitable “of the Year” lists. Here is my 2020 Gaming Expansion of the Year.
To be eligible for this category, the item must be an expansion to an existing boardgame or wargame that is unplayable without the base game. It must also have been released in the 2020 calendar year. For a near-complete listing of all game expansions I acquired in 2020 (including some items not eligible for this list) please see my GeekList 2020 RockyMountainNavy Gaming Acquisitions and look for entries labeled “EXPANSION”
Candidates (in alphabetical order):
- Flying Colors: 3rd Edition Update Kit, GMT Games
- Here to Slay: Dragons & Sorcerers, Unstable Games
- Here to Slay: Monster Pack, Unstable Games
- Here to Slay: Warriors & Druids, Unstable Games
- Table Battles 2nd Edition Upgrade Deck, Hollandspiele
- Root: The Clockwork Expansion, Leder Games
- Root: Exiles & Partisans Deck, Leder Games
- Root: The Underworld Expansion, Leder Games
- Root: Vagabond Pack, Leder Games
- Wing Leader: Origins 1936-42, GMT Games
…and the winner is…
Wing Leader: Origins 1936-42 from GMT Games. It continues to amaze me how the abstract model used by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood for his Wing Leader series shows the relative capabilities of different aircraft. The system really shines with early World War II aircraft. This made every play of Origins a ‘flight of discovery’ because although the reputation of many of these aircraft was poor (to put it charitably), when placed into the Wing Leader system those same poor capabilities became challenges to be dealt with. The play absolutely enhanced my understanding of aerial combat at the start of WW2 and showed the rapid advancements in aircraft performance.
Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 