Wargame SITREP 231231 N1 Admin ~ RockyMountainNavy 2023 Wargame of the Year

In years past I usually break this category out into three broad divisions: Expansion of the Year, New to Me in 2X (those not published in the current year), and Wargame of the Year (current year candidates). This year I feel that division of my wargaming it too simple so you are going to see several new categories this time.

Candidate wargames are those acquired by me between December 25, 2022 and December 24, 2023 as found in my 2023 RockyMountainNavy’s Wargame/Boardgame GeekList of Acquisitions Geeklist on BoardGameGeek.

Wargame Expansion of the Year

• Battle Card 4: Edelweiss (Postmark Games) *Solo* / Expansion
• Five Parsecs From Home: Freelancer’s Handbook (Modiphius, 2023)
• Five Parsecs From Home: Trailblazer’s Toolkit (Modiphius, 2021)
• Next War: Series Supplement #3 (GMT Games, 2022)
• Solo Assistant: Nations at War / World at War 85 (Lock ‘n Load Publishing, 2019)
• Tattletail: An Introductory Scenario for Harpoon (ATG, 2023)
• World at War ’85: Storming the Gap – Expansion Pack (Lock n’ Load Publishing, 2019)

2023 RMN Wargame Expansion of the Year: World at War ’85: Storming the Gap – Expansion Pack (Lock n’ Load Publishing, 2019). There is just too much goodness in this HUGE box to not be great. More units, more (lots more) maps, more cards, more FUN!

New to Me Wargames Not Published in 2023

These are wargames I took in during 2023 (technically Dec 25, 2022 to Dec 24, 2023) that were NOT published in 2023.

• Advanced Squad Leader: Starter Kit #2 (MMP, 2005)
• Advanced Squad Leader: Starter Kit #3 (MMP, 2007)
• Advanced Squad Leader: Starter Kit #4 – Pacific Theater of Operations (MMP, 2019)
• Cold War 3: Rules for Modern Warfare, 1960-1990: 4th Edition (Rooksdwon Games, 2021)
• Fighter Duel Light (Phil Sabin, self-published)
• King Philip’s War (MMP, 2010)
• A Most Dangerous Time: Japan in Chaos, 1570-1584 (MMP, 2009)
• Naval Command: Modern Naval Wargame Rules (Rory Crabb, 2021)
• Salerno: The 1943 Allied Invasion of Italy (MMP, 2015)
• Tractics (TSR, 1975)
• Undaunted: Normandy (Osprey Games, 2019)

Another somewhat eclectic collection of wargames ranging from miniatures (Cold War 3, Naval Command, Tractics) to classic hex & counter (ASL Starter Kits, Salerno) to more euro-inspired titles (King Phillip’s War, A Most Dangerous Time, Undaunted).

2023 RMN Wargame of Yesteryear Winner: Naval Command: Modern Naval Wargame Rules (Rory Crabb, 2021). While all three Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits are awesome, and Tractics is a sentimental favorite against Undaunted: Normandy which is a popular wargame for family play, ultimately I come back to my love of the Harpoon series of miniatures rules. Naval Command is in many ways a streamlined, easier to play version of Harpoon—and I really like what it does.

New To Me Wargames Published in 2023

The 23 wargames that were published in 2023 just cry out for some subcategories. But how? By era (Pre-WW2 / WW2 / Modern)? By format (Solitaire, Postcard, etc.)? Not really sure but here goes!

Wargames published in 2023

• 2040: An American Insurgency (Compass Games)
• Archies War: The Battle for Guadalcanal (Worthington Games)
• Atlantic Chase: 2nd Edition (GMT Games, 2nd Edition, 2023)
• Battle Card: Series 1 (Postmark Games)
• Blackhorse (Tiny Battles Publishing)
• The Boer War (Canvas Temple Publishing)
• Campaign: Fall Blau (Catastrophe Games)
• Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea (Compass Games)
• Conquering the Valley: Cross Keys/Port Republic (Tiny Battle Publishing)
• Desert Storm: The Hundred Hour War (Accurate Simulations)
• Desert Victory: North Africa, 1940-1942 (RBM Studio)
• Fly, Fight, Win: Afterburner (OTMgames)
• Goose Green (Multi-Man Publishing)
• Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific (The Dietz Foundation)
• Panzers Along the Terdek: Operation Ordzhonikidze, November 1942 (Banzai Nr. 19, Bonsai Games, 2023
• Rule the Waves, Britannia! (Catastrophe Games)
• SCOPE Panzer (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE Stalingrad (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE U-boot (Draco Ideas)
• Sparring Dragons: A Postcard Taiwan Conflict (Norsehound)
• Undaunted: Battle of Britain (Osprey Games)
• Under the Southern Cross: The South American Republics in the Age of the Fighting Sail (GMT Games) *Sometimes called an Expansion but a fully independent game*
• Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific (Vuca Simulations)

Card wargames

• Campaign: Fall Blau (Catastrophe Games)
• Rule the Waves, Britannia! (Catastrophe Games)
• SCOPE Panzer (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE Stalingrad (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE U-boot (Draco Ideas)

Family/Lite Wargames

• Archies War: The Battle for Guadalcanal (Worthington Games)
• SCOPE Panzer (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE Stalingrad (Draco Ideas)
• SCOPE U-boot (Draco Ideas)
• Undaunted: Battle of Britain (Osprey Games)

Reprints

These are wargames that are were “published” in 2023 but technically are reprints / redevelopments / updates to games published earlier.

• Atlantic Chase: 2nd Edition (GMT Games, 2023) *2nd Edition*
• Panzers Along the Terdek: Operation Ordzhonikidze, November 1942 (Banzai Nr. 19, Bonsai Games, 2023) *Japanese-language reprint*
• Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific (Vuca Simulations, 2023) *Updated reprint*

Solo

• Battle Card: Series 1 (Postmark Games)
• Campaign: Fall Blau (Catastrophe Games)
• Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea (Compass Games)
• Rule the Waves, Britannia! (Catastrophe Games)

Honorable Mentions

RMN Best “New to Me in ’23” Family Wargame: Winner – SCOPE: Panzer (Draco Ideas). The SCOPE series are wargames that are usually easy to teach and learn that often can be played in a short evening (2 hours or less with multiple rounds possible).

RMN Best “New to Me in ’23” Reprint Wargame: Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific (Vuca Simulations). A worthy successor to Flat Top (Battleline, 1977) for playing out naval confrontations in the first months of World War II in the Pacific.

RMN Best “New to Me in ’23” Solitaire Wargame: Campaign: Fall Blau (Catastrophe Games). I usually hate solitaire games as they are often way too procedural. Somehow Campaign: Fall Blau seems to avoid that feeling while still being easy to play.

2023 RockyMountainNavy Wargame of the Year Winner

Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific (Sebastian Bae for The Dietz Foundation).

What can I say? This is not only a wargame for hobbyists but for wargame practitioners too. As a hobbyist wargamer I can play solo, head to head, or in teams. As a wargame practitioner there is so much to explore and experiment with. Mechanically the game is interesting in the innovative placement of ‘High Tech’ in the cards, not units. Oh yeah, don’t forget your cyber defenses!

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Feature image courtesy RMN

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