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Board military tactical games. Board strategy games Board game world war 2

“Generals: World War II” is a historical military strategy about the great confrontation between the powers participating in the Second World War: the anti-Hitler coalition and the Berlin-Rome axis. Having taken command of the army of one of the sides, the general seeks to cut off power to the enemy, cutting off access to resources, and force the opponent to leave the occupied territory both at sea and on land.

Prestigious awards and nominations

Best Historical Simulation (Wargame) – International Gamers Award nominee (2015).

Deep military strategy for the company

The board game “Generals: World War II” involves a team battle for world domination. Rewriting history in your own way, using logic and diplomatic skills, and ruining the enemy is the main goal of the game.

Gradually occupying territories and cutting off the enemy from supplies, the player goes to a brilliant victory, but left without a fleet, equipment and supplies, the general will have to surrender and capitulate. A cooperative game requires coordination of actions and a clear distribution of tasks - to block support in all possible locations and isolate armies.

Wargame for two

The game “Generals: World War II” can be played by two players, simultaneously controlling several powers, controlling geographically scattered armies and cutting off enemy sources of resources one after another.

Each country has at its disposal several armies and a navy (its own deck of cards and discard), the location of troops is clearly visible on the playing field (wooden army and navy chips), and large-scale battles take place on land and at sea separately.

Over the course of the game (20 rounds), both sides of the confrontation score victory points for controlled sources of supply. So, whichever coalition is more influential in terms of support wins the war. The game also provides a more aggressive option for suppressing the enemy - occupy 2 home sectors of the enemy and win!

Who will like it

The board game “Generals: World War II” is, first of all, a war for resources, requiring cold-blooded calculation and strategically calibrated interaction between teams. Suitable for both cooperative competition and a duel between two military strategists. An excellent gift for all connoisseurs of the wargame genre and thoughtful historical strategies.

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

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE GAME

In Generals, each player plays for one of six countries participating in World War II, with the countries divided into two teams. Germany, Italy and Japan are in favor of the Axis. They are opposed by the “Allies” - the USSR, Britain and the USA. The game begins in the conventional year 1939 and ends in the conventional 1945. In fact, you yourself will determine the outcome of the war. Perhaps it will turn out that the German blitzkrieg will be successful, and Britain will have to recapture Moscow together with America. Or maybe everything will turn out the other way around, and already in 1942 Soviet tanks will end up in Berlin.

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

The game lasts 20 rounds, each of which can be roughly equated to 3 months. All actions in the game are performed using cards. Each country has its own deck. There are a total of 8 types of cards in the game, and not every deck contains all types. The number of cards in each country's deck is also different. Let's say Italy has the smallest deck, and 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 warfare cards that force opponents to discard cards from the deck; reaction cards, as well as statuses. Basically all cards are sent to the discard pile after being used. The exceptions are reaction cards, which are placed face down on the table and revealed at the appropriate moment, as well as status cards, which remain on the table until the end of the game and somehow change the rules specifically for the player who played them. It is important that cards that go to waste never return, and if someone’s deck runs out, you are left to play with what you have in your hands, and if these cards run out, you start skipping moves. Therefore, it is very important to use cards with a reasonable amount of economy, so as not to be left at the end of the game with nothing, which threatens, at a minimum, loss of initiative, and at maximum, defeat.

For what purposes is the war being waged? Mainly for the sake of victory points! Whoever has more of them after the 20th round has won the war. But the game may end early. If at the end of the round (after America plays) the score gap reaches 30, the leading team wins. Another option to end the game early is to capture 2 capitals of the enemy team. The most likely option is the occupation of nearby Germany and Italy by the Allied team, but the capture of Moscow and London by the Axis is also possible. In practice, victory is most often achieved by a gap of 30 points, in second place is the end of the game after the 20th round.

How are these winning points earned? They are awarded at the end of each player's turn. There are sectors on the field marked with stars. These are key territories that bring points to whoever controls them. Each player on his turn receives points for each occupied sector with a star. Another source of points is status cards. They may introduce additional conditions for scoring points, such as capturing a specific region or having fleets. Sometimes economic war cards also bring points.

The capture of sectors is carried out with the help of armies - wooden chips in the form of tanks. At the start of the game, each country has an army in its home region, and later, with the help of construction cards and events, new armies can be placed on the field. It is important that the number of construction cards and army tokens is different for all countries. For example, the USSR can field 7 tanks, and Italy can only field 4. Therefore, the potential military power and ability to hold key sectors is different for all countries. In addition to land, the war will also take place at sea. And, although holding sea sectors does not bring points, the sea route is the only way to get to some regions. For example, Germany can attack London only by building a fleet in the North Sea. You can't 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 for the necessary cards in the deck and more quickly update your hand, as well as choosing a starting hand.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

“Generals” is intended for groups of two to six players. It is best to sit down with only six people, because... if there are fewer players, someone will have to play for two countries at once, or even three. This is not very easy, because you will need to navigate two decks and two sets of cards at once. In practice, it is quite possible for five of us to gather together, then one person takes control of Germany and Italy at once. It’s a little more difficult, but also possible, to play with four players, then one more player will act simultaneously for both Britain and the USA. But, three or two people is, perhaps, too few. With this lineup it’s better to play 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 conditions for placing chips on the field. It will take about 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 their home regions by army, arrange the tokens among the counters. Each player must then deal himself starting cards, look at them, and immediately discard a few of them. This is perhaps the most dramatic part of the game, because it’s usually a shame to reset everything.

The duration of the game itself depends on whether there are newcomers at the table. Taking into account the time it takes to explain the rules, you can do it in one and a half to two hours. When experienced players gather at the table, the game usually lasts an hour, a maximum of one and a half. Occasionally, early victories on points also happen in the 30th minute of the game.

COMPLEXITY

In my opinion, Generals is an easy game, albeit with a slight catch. 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; even for an absolute beginner, everything becomes clear already in the first half of the first game. However, you can play completely consciously only with several sessions behind you, you need to know the deck of each country, imagine what capabilities each player has, what dangerous combinations of cards there are that can turn the tide of the war and dramatically change the situation on the field.

Particularly worth noting is Japan, which is perceived by novice players as a difficult 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 flow of the game and the capabilities of potential opponents in order to know in advance what to defend against. Therefore, it is better not to imprison newcomers for Japan. If there is a mixed group of inexperienced and experienced people at the table, it is better to let the newcomers take the helm in 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 ordered, 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 by using the optional “Resource Redistribution” rule: if you desperately need a construction or attack card, but you don’t have one 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 that many areas with stars on the field; they are located quite close to each other, so that players quickly feel crowded. What’s nice is that interaction manifests itself not only in terms of fighting, but also in terms of supporting teammates. Almost every country has cards that allow them to do something good for one of their allies.

DYNAMICS

One of the big advantages of the Generals is their quick moves. On his turn, the player must play only 1 card, choosing it from 7 cards in his hand. Battles here also play out instantly and do not require any dice rolls or other time-consuming procedures. Play an attack card and remove an enemy piece from the field. Each player’s move is made very quickly, you don’t have to wait for your turn, and you don’t even notice it, your attention is constantly focused on the field, because the actions of each country change the game situation and affect everyone.

COMPONENTS

“Generals” is a playing field, six decks of cards and a set of wooden fleets and armies. The main thing, of course, is the cards, since the entire gameplay is built on them. They are of normal, good quality. In terms of design, there are a couple of comments about them. First, subjective, the text is a little small in places. Second, objective, poor design. It has already been noted that the game has 8 types of cards, so cards of the same type differ from each other only in text. This is not Magic: The Gathering or even Twilight Struggle, where each event has a unique illustration, the images are the same everywhere. Moreover, even the soldiers and ships on the maps of building armies and navies are the same for all countries. The only difference between the cards is the background flag.

The playing field is good and clear, but, alas, it also has disadvantages. In some places it is not entirely clear whether individual regions are adjacent to each other. The rules have a whole list of explanations like “Japan and the Far East are not considered neighbors,” but it won’t be easy to remember them the first time. It would be better if the field were drawn in such a way that such questions would not arise.

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

WHO WILL LIKE IT?

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

WHO WOULDN'T LIKE IT?

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

SUMMARY

“Generals. World War II is a great game. So beautiful that we have been playing it for over a year now. Both released additions were purchased - Air Marshal, which introduces aviation into the game, and Alternate Histories, which adds new cards with new capabilities to the deck of each country. We have already played more than 100 (!) games, and we are not going to stop there, getting great pleasure from the game every time. Moreover, what’s nice is that in almost every game some unique, previously unseen situation happens. Either the Americans will liberate Moscow, then Japan will appear in Western Europe, then the USSR will land on the Japanese islands. I highly recommend playing Generals to anyone who enjoys board games! She's awesome!

Board game "Battleship"

For children 5-6 years old, it is worth buying the game “Battleship” with a clear, colorful design. It would be better if it was a game with large cells and voluminous ship figures, and convenient magnetic boards. On your trip, buy a travel-sized board game “Battleship”: small in size and with grooves on the playing field. So that nothing falls or scatters, even when shaking.

The Tenth Kingdom produces classic versions for schoolchildren and nostalgic adults.

Win the battle? Turn European history 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 suit their taste. Let's go through the section and sort everything by hobbies.

Fantasy worlds and battles

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

Board game "Battleship"

One of the most famous and popular strategy board games is the Battleship game.
Did you know that “Battleship” in the form in which it exists now is more than half a century old? In 1930, in the USA, the Starex company began producing notebooks designed for two players. The task was simple - to sink the enemy’s battleships and destroyers before he sinks yours. But they started playing “Battleship” with tiny ships on plastic boards only in 1967.

Since 1967, the rules of the game have remained the same. Only the design has changed. Modern board games “Battleship” are produced in large dense boxes, in suitcases with a one-sided and double-sided playing field, as well as in the format of mini travel versions.

Historical, fantasy and military strategy board games

History, biology and others like them

To plunge headlong into the world of the Middle Ages, pick up the strategy board game from the Carcassonne series. This is a classic example of a strategic-economic game in the surroundings of France of the Middle Ages. It is better to start with the basic edition and gradually master additional ones.
You can build, create and manage on a grand scale in the family games “Settlers” and “Colonizers Junior”. Also classic strategies, but “Settlers” is a little more complicated, so it’s better to buy them for family gatherings with children over 10 years old. “Colonizers” is simpler: children of primary school age can easily understand the rules.
If you cross history with biology, and all together with the theory of Charles Darwin, you get Evolution - one of the best teaching strategies. Created, by the way, by a biology teacher. By playing Evolution, you will learn to grow gills, change color, shamelessly devour your opponents, shed your tail - do everything to survive and expand your food supply.

Fantasy worlds and battles

Hobby World has the largest selection of fantasy and combat strategies. The brand has both classic military board games and popular computer and fantasy strategies in a new format. Most games in these series are designed for 2-6 players over 9 years old.
To make it easier to choose and buy a strategy board game for a specific age, use the age filter. And in the catalog you can sort out games that are interesting only to girls or only to boys, or choose a compromise option.

The Russian language does not have a well-developed and standardized terminology for designating various game genres, which is present in the West. Therefore, to begin with, let’s define what will be understood in the article by the word “military-tactical”.

Military means the action takes place in some kind of war. Tactical means that the action is carried out not at the strategic, but at the operational level. We do not conquer countries and continents, we do not plan wars and campaigns. We take part in operations (battles) that begin with a predetermined alignment of forces and require the completion of certain tasks, that is, they are only part of the war, the causes and main actions of which remain behind the scenes.

There are war games that are not tactical, for example, global wargames. There are tactical games that are not military, for example, “shooters” ( "Doom: The Board Game") or "dungeon crawlers" ( Descent: Journeys in the Dark). Therefore, both definitions are important for identifying the genre in question.

The action is carried out with the help of combat units, symbolizing detachments from several people to large military formations. The number of these units (units) is, as a rule, from 10 to 20 pieces. Troops are usually determined from the very beginning, but reinforcements are possible as the game progresses.

The playing field is usually hexagonal, that is, divided into hexagons. Hexes are much better suited for tactics than squares. The field is either modular (made up of several small fields) or standard size, but with the ability to simulate the landscape using cardboard hexes overlaid on the field with images of forests, hills, villages, rivers, etc. Why should a field be customizable? Because tactical war games are usually not simulations of one specific battle, but entire game systems with several scenarios in the base box and wide expansion possibilities.

There are a decent number of military tactical board games on the market, and it is difficult for an unprepared player to make the right choice. And the choice is important, because unlike ordinary board games, the games of which, as a rule, last an hour and a half, even the simplest tactical military board games can be played for several hours in a row. The basic kits alone may contain 6-10 scenarios, each an hour or more long, not counting add-ons. And there are usually a lot of add-ons for tactical war games.

I’ll say right away that the topic is too deep for one article, so we’ll set a certain framework for selecting games for the article. The game should be well known, popular, and not too old. The review will include games with difficulty from basic to medium and beautiful design with plastic miniatures of troops - “hardcore” people who prefer to move pieces of cardboard in games with monstrous rules, and they already know what to play.

The first representative of the genre is . A very popular game, largely due to its simplicity. Released in 2004 by Days Of Wonder, by Richard Borg. The theme of the game is World War II. System based Command & Colors, which served as the basis for a total of five games. Features of the system are ease of rules, a field of 9 x 13 hexes, divided into left flank, center and right flank. Orders are given by selecting one of the cards in your hand. In most cases, cards provide the opportunity to attack one or more units of a certain sector.

Units are divided into infantry, tanks and artillery. To increase entertainment, as well as for convenient calculation of the “lives” of units, the figures are placed in groups. 4 figures for infantry, 3 for tanks, and 2 for artillery. The unit is removed from the field when the last figure is killed, but the attack power of the unit does not decrease as the number decreases.

The advantages of the game are its beautiful (albeit slightly caramel) design and accessibility to everyone. You can even explain the rules to a preschool child, if he knows even a little math. At the same time, many add-ons have been released for the game, which significantly complicate the gameplay. Even in the basic set there are as many as 16 scenarios.

Flaws. Too much randomness (cards multiplied by cubes) does not make it possible to make clear plans several moves ahead. The goals of most scenarios are simply to score points by knocking units off the field. Even where there are additional tasks in the form of capturing certain hexes, it is easier to shoot enemy troops on an advantageous part of the front. Since a turn consists of playing one card, a player with a numerical advantage cannot really capitalize on it. In a word, everything is done so that the child has a chance to defeat his parents.

But overall the game is very successful. What is important, with a large selection of equally successful additions, the number of which has long exceeded all reasonable limits. , probably the most popular among the games in this review. But let's move on.

The game has an interesting fate. Released in 2006 by the company Days Of Wonder as a fantasy option "Memoirs", the game was later purchased by the company Fantasy Flight Games. But the new owner, for various economic reasons, was unable to re-release the base version of the game in the required quantities and is flooding the market with additions in conditions when the base is practically unavailable.

Two years have passed since Fantasy Flight Games acquired full rights to the military tactical game. Over the previous year, many small expansions were released, but the long-awaited return of the game's base set never materialized. Chapter FFG Christian Petersen explained that with the same composition, the new basic set will become more expensive. Since you can't get new players without it, FFG decided to take a desperate step: put English-language maps and reminders into unsold French copies of the game, and release them on the market. Such French sets will be equipped with a special sticker. The French edition of the base set, repackaged for further sales to English-speaking players, will be joined by several rare game expansions today: Goblin Skirmishers, Goblin Marauders, Dwarven Battalion, Scottish Wars And The Hundred Years' War. As with the base game, some of the expansion materials will be posted on the official website FFG in electronic form, and the boxes themselves will go on sale with a sticker reminding you of this.

Based on the same system Command & Colors, but slightly complicated. Since the action takes place in a fairy-tale world, hand-to-hand combat took the place of shootings. The types of units, and therefore the variety of plastic figures, have become noticeably larger. Heroes and hard-to-kill mythical creatures appeared. As if to compensate for the decreased randomness, additional optional magic rules have been introduced into the game. For those who don’t like it when a firestorm suddenly appears and suddenly mows down half of the army, it’s better to play without using it. Overall, if you're happy with simplicity "Memoirs", but tired of World War II, this is what you need. Of course, if you can find the game in stores...

What if you’re not tired of the Second World War, but you’re tired of the primitiveness and abstraction? Then, if you are not afraid of complicated rules and long games, you should take a closer look at Tide Of Iron.

2007 release, publishing house FFG(the same one that bought). The founder himself worked on the game FFG, Christian Petersen, together with the company's best designers. The essence of the game is to convey the tactics of World War II as realistically as possible, without overcomplicating it, and to lure players with magnificent miniatures of military equipment.

Overall, everything worked out. The game's third major expansion will be released this winter, and ToI will boast a rich supply of Russian troops - in addition to the Americans, British and Germans. There are already more than a dozen types of German tanks alone! And then there are jeeps, trucks, artillery, heavy machine gunners... The equipment differs not only in appearance, but also in characteristics.

How does all this play out? The game field is modular, up to 12 parts, larger than in "Memoirs". The tactics and planning in the game are deeper. You have to move all your units during a turn - a fundamental difference from Battelore. The infantry still consists of squads of 4 figures, but the equipment is represented by individual miniatures. The detail of battles can be assessed, for example, if it is possible not only to knock out, but also to damage an enemy tank, which will affect its combat effectiveness and maneuverability.

The greater scale and detail affected the length of the scenarios - up to three hours for each. Unfortunately, there are only 6 scenarios in the basic set, and not all are well balanced. In the add-ons, the scenarios are more thought out, and a number can also be downloaded from the official website of the game. To summarize, we can say that it is the best combination of spectacular appearance and sophisticated tactics of the Second World War.

It remains to mention two new products this year from Fantasy Flight Games- And .

Replaces itself as the flagship of tactical war games in a fantasy world. Note on the box "A Battlelore Game" many were misled that the game was based on the system Command & Colors, but that's not true. The game has a different developer, Robert Koba, and completely different mechanics, more similar in complexity to than to.

The plot of the game is based on the works of writer George R.R. Martin from the series "Song of Ice and Fire". Late Middle Ages in a fictional world where magic is present in strictly homeopathic doses (which is actually a good thing, considering the unbalanced magic from ). Variety of infantry and cavalry units, mostly melee combat, non-modular 11 x 15 hex map, 10 scenarios. In general, the equipment is poorer than that of , but two additions have already been announced with new figures, tokens, and more. But the miniatures themselves are more detailed. Unfortunately, the figures must be glued to the stands themselves, which greatly increases the time required to start the first game.

So far there are only two opposing armies in the game, the Starks and the Lannisters. But surely new warring parties will appear in the future. The ability to start fires and the presence of Heroes in the form of independent squads with team abilities are interesting.

Bridging the gap between the hand-to-hand combat of medieval battles and the mechanized battles of the 20th century. There is close combat involving infantry and cavalry, but there are also skirmishes and artillery salvos. The game is made by Italian company developers Nexus Games, but it is released in English FFG. The advantage of the game is the wonderful 1:72 scale miniatures produced by the famous Italeri. Unfortunately, as in all other games, it is advisable to paint them for real entertainment of the gameplay. Well, at least you don’t need to glue them to the stands. But the guns will still have to be glued together from parts before the first game.

The game has everything that is expected from Napoleonics - formations in ranks and squares, famous commanders of that era, exact historical correspondence in the units presented on the battlefield and their uniforms, and much more. All this is played on a modular map: there are only 4 parts of the map, but the dimensions are already quite impressive. And they promise to become even more impressive with the release of additions (we are waiting for the Russian army with Kutuzov and Bagration). There are 10 scenarios in the basic set. Some of them are combined into 2 campaigns. They play, perhaps, longer than in, approximately at the level.

Final word

Thus, it turns out that each of the games described above has its own distinct advantages. It all depends on preferences in the theme (who prefers volleys of tank guns, and who prefers furious sword battles) and the complexity of the rules. But in general, all these games can bring a lot of fun and brighten up long autumn and winter evenings.

You can finish with words that complete the description of each scenario from the games in the series Command & Colors:

The battlefield is in front of you, the offensive paths are drawn, and you are in charge. The rest is history.

This article uses promotional illustrations from the official websites of Fantasy Flight Games and Days of Wonder. Article writtenMaxim Simonov (ColdFire)especially for Tesera.

With the Nazis coming to power in Germany, 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 “guide” for training young patriots, soldiers, and anti-Semites.

During World War II, children's board games became one of the methods of propaganda. These visual objects were used for spiritual teaching, military training, and public education. The Nazis raised children's enthusiasm, introduced them to military affairs, taught them how to behave during bombings, and instilled ansemitism and a sense of racial superiority.

Since the early 1930s, members of the Hitler Youth, the “Hitler Youth,” competed while playing. They rolled dice and “conquered” territories and “expelled the Jews.”

With the onset of World War II, war games became popular. Children began to “surround” Great Britain using airplanes and submarines. Symbols of anti-Semitism and death were also widely used. Even if there was no immediate incitement to violence, children and adolescents assumed it was around them.

The topics were very different. In one of the games you had to salute Hitler, in others you had to shoot down Allied planes with an anti-aircraft gun, pave the way for a German paratrooper behind enemy positions, and block enemy radio transmissions on the air. Thus, as the instructions say, “the deeper meaning of the game lies in the constant vigil of the mind and the defense of the Motherland.”

Board game boards often depicted soldiers hugging their lovers, burning villages, and rounding up Jews.

As the war dragged on, signs of paranoia and pessimism began to appear increasingly on German game boards. They warned about the appearance of spies and the danger of aerial bombing. Games related to everyday life taught how to behave during and after air raids, put out fires, remove rubble and rebuild houses. And all this could have been done while waiting out the bombing in the basements.

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

And half a century before that, completely different entertainments were popular in the Russian Empire.

15.06.2024

Burkozel

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