Tag: Kingdomino

#FamilyFriday – Collecting fishy ‘shrooms in Kingdomino Origins (@BlueOrangeGames, 2021) #Boardgame #GameNight

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ Leave a comment

RockyMountainNavy T and myself had another Saturday Boardgame Night featuring Kingdomino Origins (Designer Bruno Cathala from Blue Orange Games, 2021). Whereas last week we used gameplay mode 1. Discovery Mode, this week we stepped it up to gameplay mode 2. Totem Mode. Once again, the genius design of Kingdomino Origins showed itself and contributed to another very thinky-but-enjoyable play.

In Totem Mode there are resources added to the game of Kingdomino Origins. Grasslands get Mammoths, Lakes have Fish, Jungles hide Mushrooms, and Quarries yield Flint. If a Volcano erupts and throws fire into a territory with a resource, that resource is destroyed. A very interesting game mechanism is that at the end of every turn, the player with the most of each resource gains the Totem for that item. The most Mammoths is worth 3 points, most Fish is 4 points, most Mushrooms 5 points, and most Flint is 6 points. This Totem can pass back and forth every round. At the end of the game, the player holding the Totem gains that many bonus points.

All-in-all the rules for resources in Kingdomino Origins are very simple, but once again that “simple” set of rules adds another layer of challenge into the game. Do I sacrifice a resource for that Fire? Do I try to have the most Flint? This “simple” extra layer is on top of the demand for a centered homeland in a 7×7 territory (normally 5×5 but 7×7 in a two-player game).

Compared to the last time we played Kingdomino Origins, at least this time I completed a perfect 7×7 territory. Last time that was the margin of my loss. This game I thought I was doing well with plenty of Fish and Mushrooms. When the final score was tallied, I was flabbergasted by RMN T’s score…43 points ahead of me! How did he get that many more resources?

Alas, while I had been concentrating on trying to maximize resources, RMN T never lost sight of the basic scoring mechanism in Kingdomino Origins. While I worked to collect the most Fish and Mushrooms, RMN T used very cleverly placed Fires and built a territory with two huge scoring lands at 55 and 49 points each. That focus on the basics, coupled with just enough resource competition, gave him that run away win.

Once again, Kingdomino Origins has shown that the game we are very familiar with can present a new and more challenging version without onerous additional rules. I have the feeling that Kingdomino Origins will become our two-player, go-to Kingdomino title to play. RMN T and myself already agreed that next week we will try gameplay mode 3. Tribe Mode that adds Cave People to play.

Feature image courtesy RMN

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#FamilyFriday – Fossilized in #Boardgame #GameNight by Neolithic #Kingdomino Origins fm @BlueOrangeGames (2021)

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 1 Comment

Kingdomino, designed by Bruno Cathala and published by Blue Orange Games in 2016 is a RockyMountainNavy family favorite. We use it as a gateway game to introduce others to hobby boardgaming. We have gifted it maybe a dozen times. Over the years we acquired several different versions; Queendomino (2017), Kingdomino, Age of Giants (Expansion, 2018), Dragomino (2020) and Kingdomino Origins (2021). So popular is the game that when RockyMountainNavy Jr. packed for college he took the family copy (not to worry, we have several extra on the gifting shelf).

With RMN Jr. off to college, RockyMountainNavy T and I now face off against each other on Saturday Game Nights. This last week we decided to bring out Kingdomino Origins and play a two-player game. We set up the game, and I took a quick glance at the rules for the first of the three gameplay modes in the box—Discovery Mode. There, in the very first lines of the rules, was something that I had totally missed before; “2 player game rules specifications can be found at the end of this booklet.”

Hey…I’ve got this!

Two player Kingdomino is very straightforward. Each player has two Kings and you remove 24 of the 48 tiles before play. When making a domino selection, you can choose any of the remaining tiles. Simple.

As I read, I discovered Kingdomino Origins uses, “Special two player rules – Neolithic.” There are two subtle rules changes that made a big difference in our play:

  • Use all 48 dominos to make a 7×7 territory (this is called the Mighty Duel variant in Kingdomino)
  • When choosing tiles at start, the Chief that goes first gets to choose tiles 1 and 3 OR tiles 2 and 4.

We rarely play Kingdomino with two-players (Kahuna by Gunter Cornett from Kosmos in 1998 being the usual 2-player go-to quick boardgame). The few times we played 2-player we usually don’t play the Mighty Duel variant. We also have never seen the alternate starting order as laid out in the Kingdomino Origins Neolithic gameplay mode. It was enough of a change to make this play far more challenging.

It has been years (and I mean years) since I have not completed a perfect 5×5 or 7×7 territory (called Homo Hablis in Kingdomino Origins or Harmony in Kingdomino). I picked wrong one round (!) and ended up with an unusable tile, thus missing my perfect 7×7. The five points missed was enough to give RMN T a 2-point win.

Disappointment hasn’t felt this good in a while.

We both haven’t played a brain-burner game of Kingdomino in years. The game is usually more a fun pastime than a serious thinking challenge. Not tonight. We both wracked our brains on a simple 7×7. It was glorious.

Welcome back, Game Night. You’re off to a great start!

Feature image by self

RockyMountainNavy.com © 2007-2022 by Ian B is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

#FamilyFriday #Boardgame – New beginnings with Kingdomino: Origins (@BlueOrangeGames, 2021)

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 1 Comment

Kingdomino: Origins by Bruno Cathala from Blue Orange Games (2021) is the newest version of the Kingdomino family that breathes a welcome freshness into the design without losing the essential fun elements of the game.

Bruno Cathala’s Kingdomino (Blue Orange Games, 2016) is a RockyMountainNavy family favorite. Not only do we play the game ourselves, we have gifted maybe a dozen copies to other families over the years. It is a great gateway (foundational?) boardgame that is easy to learn and fun to play. However, while the game is often brought out when new gamers come over, the truth is the RockyMountainNavy Boys and myself are sort burned out on Kingdomino.

We own and play Queendomino (Blue Orange Games, 2017), the second member of the Kingdomino family which I have heard described as “the gamer’s Kingdomino.” We enjoy it, but it has never matched the popularity of the core Kingdomino game for us. We also have the Kingdomino: Age of Giants expansion (Blue Orange Games, 2018) but it gets played even less than Queendomino. It’s not a bad expansion; it just doesn’t really grab us.

Yet, when I first saw the box art for Kingdomino: Origins the game was an auto-buy from that moment. I didn’t even look to see what rules changed…it was a new Kingdomino game and that was enough to sell me.

Courtesy Blue Orange Games

Evolution Gaming

Kingdomino: Origins is actually three games in one. The first game, Discovery Mode, is classic Kingdomino with the addition of volcanoes that can throw fires. In Origins fires are the “crowns” of earlier versions and how you multiply your regions for scoring. Taking volcanos give you fires to throw to add bonus scoring. For long-time Kingdomino players this shook us up from our staid ways; whereas before we understood that certain tiles were lesser in number but more valuable, now a volcano can take that low-value tile and make it worth much more. A truly new level of strategy originated in this mode of play.

Totem Mode is the second game of Kingdomino: Origins. Here the game uses the volcano rules and adds resources. The player who has the most of a given resource gains a Totem which is an endgame scoring bonus. But watch out; placing those fires from the volcanos destroys resources in that space. This uncovers another level of strategy; placing fires for bonus scoring weighed against destroying a resource that can also be a bonus score. Simple rule change—deep strategic shift.

Tribe Mode in Kingdomino: Origins builds again on the previous two modes and adds tribal members as a bonus. In this mode you have volcanos and resources (but no Totems). The new rule addition is the ability to recruit a caveman by spending resources and placing the caveperson on your hunting ground. Depending on who the caveman is they score you a different bonus depending upon the surrounding tiles. The strategic challenge of the game goes up a (small) step as now you must find places to throw fires, take resources from, and place cavemen to maximize your scoring.

Origin(al) Fun

The first RockyMountainNavy family playthru of Kingdomino: Origins was actually three games; one each Discovery, Totem, and Tribe modes played back-to-back-to-back. As experienced Kingdomino players learning the new rules was easy; on the other hand discovering and implementing new strategies was challenging (in a very good way). I can easily imagine Kingdomino: Origins becoming the new “Kingdomino gateway” game for our family and friends as learning/teaching Discovery Mode is not that much more difficult than classic Kingdomino. Totem Mode is not a huge step up, and even going to Tribe Mode is an easy learning curve. Even at full-on Tribe Mode I still feel this game is easier to play than Queendomino. While learning Kingdomino: Origins is easy the new strategy challenges make it very interesting and engaging—both for veteran gamers and novices alike. As an added bonus the graphic art is tremendous fun too.

Revolution Evolution?

Fair warning: Kingdomino: Origins cannot be combined with Kingdomino or Queendomino. I have seen criticism of that game design decision. My message to those naysayers—play Kingdomino: Origins, all three modes. I think you’ll discover that there is enough game here that you don’t need to combine it with the earlier versions. Kingdomino: Origins stands on its own—you don’t need to go bigger to have an easy to learn, deep strategic game experience.

#SundaySummary – From cavemen in KINGDOMINO: ORIGINS to Tigers of Normandy during a DARK SUMMER and a new SITREP @BlueOrangeGames @BrunoCathala @gmtgames @tdraicer admiraltytrilogy.com #boardgame #wargame

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ Leave a comment

Boardgames

New Arrival – Kingdomino: Origins by Bruno Cathala from Blue Orange Games (2021). I really like the changes in this Kingdomino. Thoughts coming this week.

Wargames

It took a while, but hitting the gaming table this week is The Dark Summer: Normandy, 1944 by Ted S. Raicer from GMT Games (2021). This is the latest entry in the GMT Games Dark-series that uses a chit pull mechanic making it excellent for solo play.

For all you naval wargamers out there the latest edition of The Naval SITREP: The Journal of the Admiralty Trilogy Game System dropped this week. Available via wargamevault.com, at a mere $3 The Naval SITREP is a bargain not only for players but naval history lovers too. This issue includes a long-form article, “Combat Ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy in the 20th Century” by the ATG’s China editor Chang Lei that is a good history lesson. I also appreciate that ATG is finally breaking from deadtree publishing thinking and will be marking changes in the pdf copies of their rules in red.

Professional Wargaming

Recently been reading several article on nuclear wargaming. This has got me thinking…

Gaming Social Media

Hmm. As I put together this post I see that designer Bruno Cathala “protects” his tweets. That’s ok; he very likely has good reasons to not allow random follows. I also see that designer Ted S. Raicer blocks me. Well, fortunately for his royalty checks I don’t have to agree with a designer’s politics to play their games.

Sunday Summary – Commanding Napoleonic colors, 2 Minutes to Midnight launches, Kickstarter sputterings, & moving to the IO #wargame #boardgame @gmtgames @stuarttonge @Academy_Games @DietzFoundation @PatrickLeder @compassgamesllc

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 1 Comment

Game of the Week

My Game of the Week was Commands and Colors Napoleonics (GMT Games, 2019). I really enjoyed the game this week as I got to play both the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo on their anniversary week. Look for my extended comments on the game forthcoming in the week ahead.

Quatre Bras (left) and Waterloo (right) at set up

2 Minutes to Midnight

Stuart Tonge’s kickstarter for 2 Minutes to Midnight (Plague Island Games, forthcoming) launched this week and quickly funded. The game has already passed through several stretch goals and is still going. I was one of the previewers of this game and really like it. It’s not too late for you to check it out!

2 Minutes to Midnight (Plague Island Games)

Kickstarter

Sigh. Reality Shift from Academy Games is now mid-August delivery, several months removed from the planned May date. On the plus side, 1979: Revolution in Iran by Dan Bullock from The Dietz Foundation is moving along nicely but shipping problems may add some delay. Patrick Leder of Leder Games tweeted about that this week:

Family Boardgaming

I am very happy to see Dragomino (Blue Orange Games, 2020) win the children’s Game of the Year Kinderspiel des Jahres 2021 award. This game is a favorite of Mrs. RockyMountainNavy and her student, Miss A. I am also very pleased that after a recent play of Dragomino, Mrs. RMN asked me to teach her Kingdomino (Blue Orange Games, 2017) which was the 2017 Spiel de Jahres (Game of the Year) winner. It was a pleasant game though Mrs. RMN wracked her brain (over)thinking all the different combinations. Her Verdict—She liked it!

Dragomino (left) and Kingdomino (right)

Books

I was pleased with the (small) reception my Rocky Reads for Wargame post on Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command by Kent Masterson Brown received. I hope to do more of that style of book to wargame (maybe even boardgame or even roleplaying game) comparisons.

Alas, it looks like my exploration of the Battle of Gettysburg is not finished yet. Father’s Day also saw the arrival of Longstreet at Gettysburg: A Critical Reassessment by Cory M. Pharr (Jefferson: McFarland & Co., 2019). So now to look at a study of command on the Confederate side….

Longstreet at Gettysburg

Up Next

Indian Ocean: South China Sea Vol. II (Compass Games, 2020) moves from the Shelf of Shame to the Game of the Week.

IOR: SCS vII

Let me tell you a tale of longships and woe – A #boardgame story from 878: Vikings – Invasions of England (@Academy_Games, 2017)

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ Leave a comment

The ships. I remember the ships.

The first sign of the Invasion was when the longships filled with helmeted warriors sailed up to Winchester. After they came ashore it was barbaric as they pillaged the land. It was not long before most of the south of Wessex, including Exeter and Canterbury were to fall to the invading hordes.

We English tried to fight. We struck back where able. Led by Housecarl and stiffened by the Thegn we fought – and died. Many a Fryd-man suffered but it didn’t turn back the Norsemand tide.

London and Thetford and most of the Kingdom of Guthrie fell. There were few rebellions; most were brutally put down. Even attempts to turn the Vikings warriors from their pagan beliefs failed. Then another wave arrived and Manchester fell. Only English and Danish Merica held.

Desperately seeking a new leader, we raised an army for King Alfred. He fought well, but not well enough. When he fell in battle, it was clear to all that the Treaty of Wedmore was the only answer.

This past Saturday Night Game Night in the RockyMountainHouse saw a return of an old friend and the joining of a newer one. The new friend was Gavin, best buddy of RockyMountainNavy Jr., who joined us for Game Night. The old friend was 878: Vikings – Invasions of England, the very family-friendly, area control, team lite wargame from Academy Games (2017).

Being bestest buds, RMN Jr. and Gavin took the Norseman and Berserkers, respectively. RockyMountainNavy T and myself took the English with T playing Housecarl and myself playing Thegn.

Teaching 878 or any of the Birth of America/Europe series games is easy. The fact that a new player plays on a team makes it even easier with experienced teammates. Gavin had no problem learning the rules and the few questions he had during gameplay mostly related to understanding Event Cards and their unique effects. That, and the fact the Vikings started out with a very aggressive move that cost the English dearly from the beginning didn’t hurt them either.

The aggressive move was to play Card 12 – Viking Ships (Norseman) on the first turn. The card reads:

The Norsemen may play this Event during their Movement Phase to move an Army from one Coastal Shire to any other Shire located on the same sea coast if they have a Unit participating in the move. This sea move costs the Army or Leader one Move, the same as if it had moved into an adjacent Shire. The Army may continue moving if it has any moves remaining.

Norseman Card 12 – Viking Ships

Normally, the first Viking invaders must enter from the North Sea. RMN Jr. landed at Canterbury and then pointed to the fact the shire adjoins both the North Sea and English Channel. After easily defeating the defenders of Canterbury in the first Battle Round, the Viking proceeded to Winchester as their second move using the Viking Ships card. We debated the interpretation of the card but in an attempt not not derail the game out of the gate we ended up allowing it. The result was a very uphill game for the English who lost their best reinforcement cities right out of the gate. This made massing of forces difficult for defense of the realm.

[The next day I searched the BGG forums for any comments and noted a very similar move was played at the 2018 WBC tournament – so it appears legal.]

The Vikings actually played both Treaty of Wedmore cards in Round IV but we had to play through Round V and the arrival of King Alfred before the game end. Going into Round V the Vikings held 12 Shires (three more than necessary for the win). After back-to-back activations of Norseman and Berserkers to start Round V they held 14 Shires. The English used the arrival of King Alfred to take back two shires but it was not enough and he fell in the last battle of the game. With 12 shires held at the Treaty the Vikings won.

This was Gavin’s first “wargame” that he has played (“other than Risk“). He liked it and was curious about the other titles in the Birth of America series. As much as we want to play more wargames with him, RockyMountainNavy Jr. also realizes Gavin is more of a mass-market gamer. That said, he does have experience in some hobby games like Ticket to Ride (Days of Wonder, 2004), Kingdomino (Blue Orange Games, 2016) and Here to Slay (Unstable Games, 2020). With that thought in mind, Jr. asked that we consider other games, like maybe starting with the deck-builder Trains (AEG, 2012) for another game night.

Most importantly, we also reaffirmed in the RMN Home that Weekend Games Nights are ESSENTIAL. In the past six weeks we have let Game Night slide in a combination of apathy and depression from the social situations surrounding COVID-19. We all enjoyed Game Night and we realized it is an essential part of our mental happiness. We agreed that we MUST get back to regular play – and we will!

Feature image courtesy ancientpages.com

New Young King of the #Boardgame Dragons – Dragomino (@BlueOrangeGames, 2020)

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 1 Comment

LIKE MANY GAMERS, I too felt the cancellation of this seasons gaming conventions was a bit disheartening. Not that I attend many gaming conventions; instead I look forward to all the new titles. Fortunately, Gen Con Online had a special storefront offering new titles. It was there that I picked up Dragomino (Blue Orange Games, 2020). This title has quickly become a favorite amongst the younger gamers associated with the RockyMountainNavy family. Just as importantly, Dragomino earned the highest approval of Mrs. RMN herself.

Dragomino bills itself as, “My First Kingdomino.” Kingdomino (Blue Orange Games, 2017) is a true RMN Family favorite. That easy to play, easy to teach, and just-the-right-challenge game proudly sits on our shelf. As a family have gifted around 10 copies of the game by now as it is the perfect gift for a family just starting hobby gaming, and especially if they have younger (elementary school-age) kids. Which made me a bit dubious; Kingdomino is already very playable by younger gamers. What could you do to make a “My First Kingdomino” game?

Dragonimo answers that question with a game that keeps the very traditional domino-tile terrain of Kingdomino but changes up the rules. Instead of a starting single-space territory, Dragomino players start with a two-space domino. The usual ‘draw four tiles and place them face-up’ stays, but the numbered backs are gone. Now, turn order is determined by who hold the “Mother Dragon.” Players take turns selecting one of the face-up tiles and adding it to their territory. Every edge that connects alike territories allows the player to draw an egg of that territory’s color. On the back of the egg is either a baby dragon or a cracked egg. Baby dragons are worth points at the end of the game; a cracked egg means you get the “Mother Dragon” and will be first player in the next turn.

That’s it.

Well, there is a bit more. Sharp-eyed parents will note that some territories have more eggs. The rules tell you that each color has seven baby dragons. The odds of finding a dragon are much better with the few red Lava tiles than with the numerous yellow Desert tiles. But that’s about as complex the hidden strategy gets.

We introduced Dragomino to Mrs. RMN’s students. They are all girls and range in age from 6 to 10 years old. The youngest liked the baby dragons and had to see each one drawn. Of the three, she had the hardest time to ‘grok’ the game but she is a good jigsaw puzzler and quickly caught on. The other two likewise loved the artwork and both also enjoyed the quick-play nature of the game which allows for multiple plays. Indeed, we couldn’t get the 8 year old to stop playing! Even RockyMountainNavy Jr. (a junior in High School and ‘King’ of Kingdomino in our house) expressed his pleasure from playing the game.

Most important though are the thoughts of Mrs. RMN. As an educator, she believes in the power of gaming for social growth in children. As a mother she has also seen good, and some not-so-good, games. Dragomino hits a real sweet spot for her needs; the artwork and theme draws the kids in, the rules are easy to teach, and gameplay is quick and simple. There is no reading required and end-game scoring calls for simple math (counting to less than 10 and easy use of “more than” or “less than” concepts). After a day filled with multiple Dragonimo games, I went to rate it on BoardGameGeek. I asked Mrs. RMN what she thought. Without hesitation she wanted to give it the highest rating. She strongly believes that there are actually few games out there really suitable for younger games, and Dragonimo is one of the best of those few. She added that, like RMN Jr., this is a game that adults will not tire of when playing with their kids.

So this weekend I had to order several additional copies of Dragonimo so Mrs. RMN can add them to her gaming gift kitty. I have a feeling that Dragonimo, like Kingdomino, is going to become a gaming gift staple for a good while to come.

#Boardgame Vacation 2020 featuring @BlueOrangeGames @days_of_wonder @UnstbleUnicrns & @LederGames

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 4 Comments

My family was fortunate enough to escape away for a bit. We went to a location a long days drive from home. As an added bonus, Gavin, the best friend of RockyMountainNavy Jr., and his family also vacationed in the same area. Our two families got together quite a bit and a good deal of boardgame play ensued.

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Courtesy Blue Orange Games

Gavin’s family plays boardgames, but they are much more familiar with the mass market segment of the gaming market. That said, earlier this year RMN Jr. introduced Kingdomino (Blue Orange Games, 2017) to them* and they added it to their game collection. Ticket to Ride (Days of Wonder, 2004) was already part of their gaming shelf along with Qwirkle (Mindware, 2006). 

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Courtesy Blue Orange Games

Since they already played Kingdomino, we introduced them to Queendomino (Blue Orange Games, 2017). It was a restrained hit; they really like the speed and simplicity of Kingdomino and the added ‘gamer’ elements of Queendomino did not totally attract their attention.

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Courtesy Unstable Unicorns

The next game we introduced them to was Here to Slay (Unstable Unicorns, 2020). This title was THE HIT of our 2020 vacation gaming! The RMN Boys and brothers Gavin & Skyler played my Kickstarter Exclusive Edition of this game too many times for me to keep track of. Skyler in particular was taken with game and is seeking a retail copy as soon as it is available.

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Photo by RMN

The RMN Boys also took along Ticket to Ride: New York (Days of Wonder, 2018). Given that all the boys were already familiar with Ticket to Ride learning the ‘new’ game was easy. Once again, it was Skyler who was the most excited; he likes Ticket to Ride but feels that sometimes the game is too long. The quick-play Ticket to Ride: New York fits his need for a simple, quick game that friends can play once as a filler or as a short series. 

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Photo by RMN

The newly released game Fort by Leder Games arrived the day before we traveled and made the trip. The RMN Boys and myself played the game twice. The initial play was a bit slow as we all learned the iconography. Our second play was much better as now, understanding the iconography, we could start developing strategies for play. Thematically the game is pitch-perfect and will surely regularly find a place on our gaming table.

It was also very fun to talk to Gavin’s family about the hobby boardgame segment of the boardgame market. They had a bit of some insight, but really have had only a peek. We resolved to invite Gavin on occasion over to play with us in our Saturday Family Game Night which will make us an even four-players; thus opening up many more titles to play beyond our usual (and sometimes a bit awkward) three-players. It’s a bit unfortunate (but ultimately for the best) that Skyler is leaving for tech school shortly for he is the more ‘gamer’ of the two brothers. Nonetheless, I am sure the RMN Boys and Gavin & Skyler will be gaming buddies for a long time to come.

Which brings me to a moment of sadness, and joy. Sadness because the RMN Boys have found a gaming group that does not include me. Joy because I passed along to them a love of gaming that they are spreading to their friends.

Is that not what we play games for?

*RMN Jr. considers himself some kind of a superior Kingdomino player as he is usually the winner in our house. It drives him crazy that Gavin’s mom not only regularly beats him, but beats him handily!

Feature photo by RMN

#GenCon2020 Weekend #Wargame #Boardgame After Action Report featuring @stonemaiergames, @gmtgames, @UnstbleUnicrns, @BlueOrangeGames, & @PSCGamesUK

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 1 Comment

I’LL BE HONEST, I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO GENCON THIS YEAR ANYWAY. Moving to a new position made taking an extra non-family vacation dicey so I passed. Of course, it doesn’t matter now since COVID-19 changed everything. As a result, GenCon 2020 was held online and in homes this year. The RockyMountainNavy household did our part.

Plays

Here are the games played this GenCon 2020:

  • Scythe (Stonemaier Games, 2016): Friday night we picked up on our Scythe: The Rise of Fenris (2018) campaign playing Episode 4. We used the Scythe: Invaders from Afar (2018) and Scythe: Encounters (2018) expansions. Sunday night we continued with Episode 5, which unveiled [REDACTED]. I continue to be impressed how The Rise of Fenris campaign introduces new modular expansions that will be playable in any game going forward. Rather than just “open a box of options” the campaign introduces them gradually and provides a ‘reason’ for the new options to exist in the game universe. Brilliant marketing technique!
  • Here to Slay (Unstable Unicorns, 2020): This game already is officially the most-played game this year in the RockyMountainNavy hacienda and it shows no signs of slowing down. We are so familiar with the rules and speedy that the game takes no more than 20 minutes to play – a great filler before dinner or while waiting for something.
  • Wing Leader: Origins 1936-1942 (GMT Games, 2020): Played solo through Scenario O05 “Operation Zet” which depicts Nationalist Chinese flying I-16s’, I-15’s and Hawk III’s defending against a Japanese raid of G3M2 bombers escorted by A5M4 fighters. Takes place over Wuhan, China. Somewhat fitting in these days of coronavirus….(Note: I actually played it three times with the third play forming the basis for a long AAR).
  • Rhode Island (GMT Games, 2020): New arrival this weekend. Spent some time sorting and trimming the counters before pushing the cardboard around. I really enjoy the Battles of the American Revolution Series and this one doesn’t disappoint delivering insight into a lesser known (Battle of Rhode Island) and even a hypothetical one (Battle of Newport).

Purchases

There were more than a few deals online for games so I took advantage of a few:

What was your GenCon 2020 experience?

Feature image courtesy gencon.com

#Coronapocalypse #wargame #boardgame Update – or – #StayHome & #SupportLocalBusinesses

~ RockyMountainNavy ~ 2 Comments

In my local area social distancing has been in force for about a week now.

Schools are closed thru mid-April.

Mass transit is “essential travel only.”

Office is teleworking to maximize social distancing.

The nature of my job does not lend itself well to social distancing as in-person ‘collaboration’ is a vital part of the business. The nature of our product is not also conducive to working from home. So my coworkers and I have to make do.

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Courtesy GMT Games

Luckily for me, gaming crosses both work and family. The past week I conducted ‘deep analysis’ of a conflict simulation involving the Korean Peninsula. Here I used Next War: Korea 2nd Ed (GMT Games, 2019) along with Next War: Series Supplement #1 (although I didn’t use the Cyber Warfare rules) and Next War: Series Supplement #2 to go in depth. I played two scenarios; a Standard Scenario to familiarize myself with the basics of the Next War game system and an Advanced Scenario to go more in depth. I didn’t really keep up on Victory Conditions as I mostly used the game to explore the order-of-battle and relative combat potential of the major combatants. I noted some professional qualms with a few rules; I will dig into those deeper at a later time. All in all a good ‘deep dive’ into the military situation on the Korean Peninsula. I also ordered a Next War: Korea poster from C3i Ops Center. I’m not sure it will arrive anytime soon as it looks like I just missed getting it shipped before the Coronavirus shutdown order in California started.

6HSa418vRrKP6Dyy%qokEgOn a more personal note, RockyMountainNavy T and I restarted our playthrough of all the scenarios in Hold the Line: The American Civil War (Worthington Publishing, 2019). We played two scenarios; Little Round Top and Chickamauga. This time RockyMountainNavy T took the Confederates while I took the Union. Didn’t matter; he still soundly trounced me at Little Round Top (0-7) and although I did better at Chickamauga (3-7) he continued his unbeaten streak. The game mechanics in the Hold the Line series definitely seem to favor the defender – in each game he has not only tenaciously defended his lines but also rolled quite well for Bonus Action Points and when attacking or making a Morale Roll. Myself on the other hand….

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Courtesy Worthington

One evening, the oldest Boy, Big A, joined us for a rare 4-player session of Enemies of Rome (Worthington Publishing, 2017). [EoR is on sale for $37.50…a real steal for a great family lite-waro] If there was one negative it was that Big A is not aware of our usual no cellphones at the table rule. He rarely plays a boardgame with us so rather than make it an issue I let it slide. After the game the other RMN Boys mentioned how distracted he was, missing changes in the game state and not thinking much about his moves. No wonder he placed last. We agreed that family boardgames are supposed to be for family togetherness and cellphones just distract.

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Courtesy Next Move Games

I ordered Azul: Summer Pavilion (Next Move Games, 2019) from Miniatures Market for a family-friendly abstract boardgame. Mrs. RMN is occasionally helping take care of a few kids when their parents have to work. One of them, a fifth grader named Miss Courtney, is anxious to play boardgames. She is an only child but really enjoys sitting down at a table to play games. I think can tell she really craves the social interaction. She is also a great artist so a game like Azul should capture her imagination (much like Kingdomino from Blue Orange Games has already).

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Courtesy Folded Space

I also tried to help local retailers a bit this week. I visited our FLGS, Huzzah Hobbies, and picked up the Terraforming Mars: Folded Space Insert v2 (Folded Space, 2019). The RMN Boys also used the trip to stock up on paints and other supplies for their plastic model building hobby (looks like they have LOTS of time to work off a few projects – as I should too). I encourage everyone to do what you can for small local businesses during this challenging situation. For ourselves, when getting to-go food we are bypassing the chains and making a dedicated effort to use local Mom & Pop restaurants instead. Not only is the food better but you can also see how much they really appreciate your business. Further, the entire community will be better if they are around in the future!