Board games World War II modeller. Board strategy games. History or fantasy

Best strategic board games are good because in them individual abilities and intelligence are of decisive importance, determining the outcome of a particular game. Today you can order abstract strategies that are distinguished by artificial rules and the absence of a pronounced theme, and military strategy games.

Many modern war strategy board games have clear and transparent rules. They are often more difficult than in other board games, but perhaps this is their main advantage, because as the complexity of the game process increases, the guys need to show more and more patience in an effort to bring the matter to a victorious end.

We offer to buy strategic board games for children. They are able to make children's leisure time more diverse, teach them frugality and responsibility for the team. Games are good because luck plays a minor role in them, and a lot depends on the intelligence of the participants. Therefore, strategies will become an invaluable contribution to the education of a purposeful person.

Military strategy board games

Order board strategy games about war, and they will teach your little one how to effectively plan the situation, deploy troops for a grand battle. With the help of such games, the child realizes the cost of a mistake in protecting his fortifications from enemy attacks. The kid will have to make serious efforts to become a knight and defeat all enemies.

Almost any modern military strategy board game teaches children to be bold and inventive. In addition, strategies are an excellent guide to different countries and nationalities, which also contributes to the accumulation of important information for children. Here you can order the following types of board strategies:

• "Khans of Tarkir: Booster";
• "Exlibrium";
• "Evolution. Continents".

Board game " sea ​​battle»

For children 5-6 years old, it is worth buying the Sea Battle game with a visual colorful design. It is better if it is a game with large cells and voluminous figures of ships, convenient magnetic boards. On a trip, buy a board game "Battleship" in a road format: small in size and with grooves on the playing field. So that nothing falls and does not scatter, even when shaking.

Classic options for schoolchildren and nostalgic adults releases "The Tenth Kingdom".

Win the battle? Turn the history of Europe upside down? Yes, easily! It is enough to buy a strategic board game of the desired theme. In the catalog, everyone will find a strategy to their taste. Let's go over the section and sort everything by hobbies.

To plunge headlong into the world of the Middle Ages, take the board strategy game of the Carcassonne series. This is a classic example of a strategic-economic game in the entourage of France in the Middle Ages. It's best to start with the core set and work your way through the incremental ones.

Fantasy worlds and battles

Most big choice fantasy and combat strategies hobby world. The brand has both classic military board games and popular computer and fantasy strategy games in a new format. Most of the games in these series are designed for 2-6 players over the age of 9.

To make it easier to choose and buy a strategy board game for a specific age, use the age filter. You can also sort games in the catalog that are interesting only for girls or only for boys, or choose compromise option. Dare!

Board game "Sea battle"

Since 1967, the rules of the game have remained the same. Only the design has changed. Modern board games "Sea Battle" are released in large dense boxes, in suitcases with one-sided and two-sided playing field, as well as in the format of travel mini-versions.

For children 5-6 years old, it is worth buying the Sea Battle game with a visual colorful design. It is better if it is a game with large cells and voluminous figures of ships, convenient magnetic boards. On a trip, buy a board game "Battleship" in a road format: small in size and with grooves on the playing field. So that nothing falls and does not scatter, even when shaking. Classic versions for schoolchildren and nostalgic adults are released by The Tenth Kingdom.

Historical, fantasy and military strategy board games

History, biology and others

Fantasy worlds and battles

With the coming of the Nazis to power in Germany, a comprehensive propaganda of their worldviews began. Particular emphasis was placed on the upbringing and "processing" of children. Now they became interested in military affairs, combat aircraft and ships. Even board games have become a "tool" for the training of young patriots, soldiers, anti-Semites.

Board game boards often depicted soldiers hugging their loved ones, burning villages, rounding up Jews.

The quality of materials has also deteriorated. In 1942, manufacturers began making cheap paper figures instead of metal or plastic pieces. The games seemed to be an indicator of the German economy, which was steadily heading towards defeat in the war.

And half a century before that, Russian Empire completely different fun were popular.

World War II is the largest armed conflict in human history. In our country, more attention is paid to the battle between Germany and the USSR, although there were other fronts in addition to this: the Pacific, where Japan and the United States clashed, and the Mediterranean, where the Allies fought the Germans and Italians. The battles were also fought in Africa, and, of course, on the territory of Europe itself. The game “Generals. World War II.

ABOUT THE GAME

In "Generals", each player plays for one of the six countries participating in the Second World War, and the countries are divided into two teams. The Axis is supported by Germany, Italy and Japan. They are opposed by the "Allies" - the USSR, Britain and the USA. The game begins in the conditional year 1939 and ends in the conditional year 1945. In fact, the outcome of the war is determined by you. Perhaps it will turn out that the German blitzkrieg will be successful, and Britain will have to fight off Moscow together with America. Or maybe everything will turn out the other way around, and already in 1942 soviet tanks will be in Berlin.

The playing field is a map of the world. All land and sea territories on the map are divided into separate regions, for which you will have to wage war. Some regions are marked with stars - these are key areas that are important, they will need to be captured first. There are also several tracks on the field - a victory point counter along the perimeter and a move counter on the left side. In the lower section there are reminders on the sequence of actions of the players and on the phases of the turn.

The game lasts 20 rounds, each of which can be conditionally equated to 3 months. All actions in the game are performed using cards. Each country has its own deck. In total, there are 8 types of cards in the game, and not every deck contains all types. The number of cards in the deck of each country is also different. Let's say Italy has the smallest deck, while America has the largest.

Of the 8 types of cards, half, 4 pieces, are conditionally “simple” cards: construction and attack on land and at sea. Another 4 types of cards are one-time events; economic war cards that force opponents to discard cards from the deck; reaction cards, as well as statuses. Basically, all cards go to the discard pile after being used. The exceptions are reaction cards, which are placed face down on the table and revealed at the right moment, as well as status cards, which remain on the table until the end of the game and somehow change the rules for the player who played them. It is important that the cards that have gone to waste never return, and if someone runs out of a deck, then you stay to play with what you have in your hands, and if these cards also run out, you start to skip moves. Therefore, it is very important to use cards with a reasonable share of savings so as not to be left with nothing at the end of the game, which threatens at least the loss of initiative, and at the most - defeat.

What is the purpose of the war? Mostly for the sake of victory points! Whoever has more of them after the 20th round will win the war. But the party may end ahead of schedule. If at the end of the round (after America has played) the score gap reaches 30, the leading team wins. Another option to end the game ahead of schedule is to capture 2 capitals of the opposing team. The most likely option is the occupation by the Allied team of Germany and Italy located very close, but the capture of Moscow and London by the Axis is also possible. In practice, most often victory is achieved by a gap of 30 points, in second place is the end of the game after the 20th round.

How are these victory points earned? They are awarded at the end of each player's turn. On the field there are sectors marked with stars. These are key territories that bring points to whoever controls them. Each player in his turn receives points for each occupied sector with a star. Another source of points is status cards. They can enter additional terms scoring, such as capturing a specific region or having fleets. Still sometimes points bring economic war cards.

The capture of sectors is carried out with the help of armies - wooden pieces in the form of tanks. At the beginning of the game, each country has an army in its home region, and later, new armies can be placed on the field using construction and event cards. It is important that the number of building cards and army tokens is different for all countries. For example, the USSR can put 7 tanks on the field, and Italy - only 4. Therefore, the potential military power and the ability to hold key sectors are different for all countries. In addition to land, the war will also go to the sea. And, although holding the sea sectors does not bring points, the sea route is the only way to get into some regions. For example, Germany can attack London only by building a fleet in the North Sea. You can not do without ships and island Japan.

There are a few more nuances in the game that I will not focus on - supply rules, the ability to discard cards from your hand to search required cards in the deck and faster hand renewal, as well as starting hand selection.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

"Generals" are intended for companies from two to six players. It is best to sit down for her strictly six of us, because. if there are fewer players, someone will have to play for two countries at once, or even for three. This is not very easy, because it will be necessary to navigate in two decks at once and in two sets of cards at once. In practice, it is quite possible to gather five of us, then one person takes control of Germany and Italy at once. It is a little more difficult, but also possible, to play with four players, then one more player will act immediately for both Britain and the USA. And, here, three or two people is, perhaps, too little. It is better to play with such a composition for something else.

GAME TIME

The rules of the game are quite simple. You can understand the essence of the gameplay already in the first game, which for beginners should be preceded by an explanation of the types of cards, supply rules, and the conditions for placing chips on the field. It will take 10 minutes to explain the rules.

The initial preparation takes about 5 minutes. Lay out the field, give everyone a deck and a set of chips, put them in the home regions by army, put the tokens on the counters. Then each player must deal his starting cards, look at them, and immediately put a few of them into the discard pile. This is perhaps the most dramatic part of the game, because it's usually a pity to fold everything.

The duration of the game itself depends on whether there are newcomers at the table. Taking into account the time for explaining the rules, you can meet one and a half to two hours. When they gather at the table experienced players, the party usually lasts an hour, a maximum of one and a half. Occasionally there are early wins on points and in the 30th minute of the game.

COMPLEXITY

In my opinion, "Generals" - easy game, albeit with a slight twist. This is manifested in the fact that the rules of the game are quite simple and it does not take much time to master them, everything becomes clear even to an absolute beginner in the first half of the first game. However, you can play consciously only with several sessions behind you, you need to know the deck of each country, imagine what opportunities each player has, what dangerous combinations of cards are that can turn the tide of the war and dramatically change the situation on the field.

Japan is especially worth noting, which is perceived by novice players as a complex and boring country. She has a lot of reaction cards in her deck, and in order to play them thoughtfully, you need to imagine the course of the game and the possibilities of potential opponents in order to know in advance what to defend against. Therefore, it is better not to plant newcomers for Japan. If a mixed composition of inexperienced and experienced has gathered at the table, it is better for newcomers to steer Italy or Britain for the first time, for a beginner these are the friendliest countries.

RANDOM FACTOR

The main source of randomness in the game is the deck. Theoretically, two extreme situations are possible: when the strongest cards come as if by order, and when the hand is completely useless and there is nothing to play. In practice, even the strongest combinations of cards do not always mean an automatic victory, and bad luck can be overcome using the optional “Redistribution of resources” rule: if you desperately need a construction or attack card, but you don’t have it in your hand, you can discard 4 cards and find something in the deck , what is necessary. Therefore, in my opinion, the randomness factor in the game fluctuates at a normal level, although sometimes it can deviate a little from it.

INTERACTION BETWEEN PLAYERS

There is more than enough interaction in the game - all players have to fight for control of key sectors and fight with each other. There are not so many territories with stars on the field, they are located quite close to each other, so that the players get crowded very quickly. What is nice, the interaction is manifested not only in terms of fighting, but also in terms of supporting teammates. Almost every country has cards that allow you to do something good for one of the allies.

DYNAMICS

One of the big pluses of "Generals" is fast moves. On his turn, the player must play only 1 card, choosing one from the 7 cards in his hand. Battles here are also played out instantly and do not require any dice rolls or other time-consuming procedures. Played an attack card - you remove an enemy chip from the field. The move of each player is done very quickly, you don’t have to wait for your turn, and you don’t even notice it, attention is constantly riveted to the field, because. each country's actions change game situation and touch everyone.

COMPONENTS

"Generals" is a playing field, six decks of cards and a set of wooden pieces of fleets and armies. The main thing, of course, is maps, since the whole game process. The quality is normal, good. In terms of design, there are a couple of comments to them. The first, subjective, is sometimes small text. The second, objective, poor design. It has already been noted that the game has 8 types of cards, and so, cards of the same type differ from each other only in text. This is not Magic: The Gathering and not even Twilight Struggle, where each event has a unique illustration, the images are the same everywhere. Moreover, even the soldiers and ships on the construction maps of armies and fleets are the same for all countries. The cards differ only in the background flag.

The playing field is good, visual, but, alas, it also has disadvantages. In some places, it is not entirely clear whether individual regions adjoin each other. The rules have a whole list of explanations like “Japan and the Far East are not considered neighboring”, but it will not be possible to remember them the first time. It would be better if the field would be drawn so that such questions do not arise.

I like wooden counters and ships. They look a little abstract, but on the field they look very good, clearly. The rules booklet is also good, everything is clear, with examples and explanations.

WHO WILL LIKE?

• World War II fans
• For fans of asymmetrical games
• People who would like to play Axis & Allies in 2 hours

WHO DOESN'T LIKE?

• For lovers of combat with a bunch of dice
• People who cannot gather at least 5 people at one table
• To people who can't stand war games that Germany can win

SUMMARY

"Generals. World War II - good game. So beautiful that we've been playing it for over a year now. Purchased both released expansions - Air Marshal, which introduces aviation into the game, and Alternate Histories, which adds new cards with new abilities to the deck of each country. There are already more than 100 (!) games behind us, and we are not going to stop there, each time getting great pleasure from the game. And, which is nice, in almost every game there is some kind of unique, previously unseen situation. Either the Americans will liberate Moscow, or Japan will appear in Western Europe, or the USSR will land on the Japanese islands. I highly recommend playing Generals to anyone who enjoys board games! She is awesome!

Desktop tactical games about World War II - a motley company. At one extreme is the Memoir 44 series with elementary principles and fast games. On the other, there are numerous wargames, which, when unfolded, resemble, first of all, a headquarters map of hostilities. Somewhere in the middle - Tide of Iron with deep rules, dramatic fights and quality miniatures. It is with this recognized authority that the domestic development competes: the Art of Tactic rules system, of which Summer 1941 is a private brainchild.

The front is a cage, and the one who got into it,
I have to strain my nerves to wait for what will happen to him next.
We are sitting behind bars, the bars of which are the trajectories of shells;
we live in tense expectation of the unknown.
We are given over to chance.
Erich-Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Before us is almost an independent desktop. Why only almost? And it's very simple - the wealth of opportunities is a bit cramped within the framework of one set. Often in scenarios that offer to recruit an army at the player's request, the indicated number of points is so high that all the units that are in the box go into battle.

The benefit of new recruits is easy to recruit. If players want to move from small skirmishes involving two dozen squads to large-scale battles, additional sets are at their service. So far, they are limited to small and budget boxes with individual squads, mostly already found in the original selection. But if the game continues to develop, new participants and even parties to the conflict are not far off.

The first time you start a game, it is important to be patient. Models, for all their external charms, are prefabricated and sometimes include very small details. In addition, learning the rules takes quite an impressive amount of time. But in the end, the game is worth the candle: the system is quite clear, and most importantly - deep. There is where to turn around and show your tactical genius.

Something, but leaving the cubes during the game will be more than once. The attack takes into account four main indicators.

Effectiveness depends on who is attacking whom. One and the same unit is a scourge for someone, and for someone - like a pellet for an elephant. So, mortars for a tank are an empty phrase, and ordinary infantry is dangerous only if they get close.

The power of the attack, that is, the number of dice rolled, depends on the type of unit and its size. They suffered losses - the platoon began to fight worse. This is especially noticeable in the case of the infantry: when one half is killed, the second becomes almost helpless.

The distance to the target affects accuracy. It is easier to hit up close, and therefore many throw results are considered successful. At the maximum distance, only the ones rolled are always considered successes.

After the damage is dealt, the unit's defense indicator is subtracted from them, reflecting its training and armor thickness. After that, one unit of strength for each hit is finally crossed off the card and a morale check is made.

And all this - not counting the abundance of possible modifiers, special conditions and the influence of morale! But it is important to understand that already in the second game, many pieces add up to a single picture and thinking moves from the level of cubes to the realities of war. The mechanics are logical and therefore quickly assimilated.

Creating Art of Tactic, the developers first of all set themselves the goal of achieving simultaneous moves, and they succeeded. As a result, we have a rather cumbersome, but unparalleled system. Each unit on the field corresponds to a characteristic card. On the front side, it shows all the indicators of the detachment. The back one serves to assign tasks to the move.

All squads are assigned numbers that are written on their cards with a marker, of which there are two included with the game. During the ordering phase, the opponents secretly note what their subordinates will do this time. When both are finished, the players begin to act in turn, opening unit after unit. At the end of the turn, the marks are easily erased, and new orders can be given.

Even the simplest units, like an infantry unit, have a dozen possible orders. What can we say about sappers, magicians of all trades? At first, it's time to get confused, especially because of the abundance of icons. But in fact, everything is intuitive: just think about what such a detachment could do in reality. Rest assured, he will be able to do this in the game, and within the framework of the mechanics, any decision will be significant. If you want, the unit will quietly wait in ambush for the approaching enemy. If you want, it will go to the tank with grenades. If, of course, the soldiers have enough spirit.

In addition to the set of rules, players are also provided with a script book. Of course, you can play the usual skirmishes, agreeing on their scale and introducing, for example, checkpoints. But the battles composed by the developers definitely deserve attention.

The eight scenarios included in the starter set play on the most common military plots. Here is the defense of the bridge with a gradual approach of reinforcements, and the battle for a strategic height, and the battle for the city. There are a dozen approaches to each battle. There is only one catch: some plots are clearly designed to expand the base armies.

When the book is played, replayed, the official website of the game is at your service. Previous collectible miniatures, in particular the fantasy Ring of Rule, did not receive proper support from Zvezda and died out over time. Fortunately, in the case of Art of Tactic, the future looks brighter. A successfully launched project lives, develops and is already looking towards Europe.

Fascination 3
dignity that short, that long parts are worth a different film about the war
limitations basic set not enough to unlock the full potential of the game
Interaction 3
dignity simultaneous moves, all the possibilities for a sharp confrontation
limitations with a single order card, things would go even faster
Study 2
dignity tactical depth without heaviness and congestion
limitations not all scenarios are brought to mind, there are a lot of rough edges in the rules
Atmosphere 2
dignity the system is conducive to memorable games
limitations detachments are faceless, scenarios are conditional
Quality 3
dignity outstanding miniatures, budget
limitations the box is not suitable for storing models, assembly time

Verdict: It is still a rare case when domestic developer managed to create an international project. Many of the finds are really fresh, and the system as a whole, although it requires a number of patches, allows the tactical skills of the players to unfold.