Carroll Burns the Bridge: A Narrative-Style AAR for Death Valley’s Variant Cross Keys Scenario

Introduction

Wargamers often praise a rules system for the “narrative” it provides during play. I assume what they mean is, if we were to describe in detail the course of the game as we played it, the result would sound very much like a historical account. If so, I would agree that the “narrative” is one of the most satisfying aspects of our hobby.

Plains Indian Wars Turn by Turn: Fourth Draw Round

Welcome back to our ongoing game of Plains Indian Wars. This is the fourth round of a 10-12 round game. This round the U.S. player looked to make great gains only to be beaten back in the end. The faction discs are back in the bag and we’re ready to be drawn for Round #4.

Hunt for Blackbeard: Action on the Map

We carry on our examination of gameplay in Hunt for Blackbeard where our previous article left off. We had surveyed the state of each player’s hidden area at a moment of play within the third of four possible turns. Now we look at the action on the shared main map board—especially, combat. Like the career of an 18th-Century pirate, the Hunt for Blackbeard can ever come to a sudden end. Below we again seek to recreate the actual circumstances of Blackbeard’s final stand, 300 years ago. (All art and rules are playtest only, not final.)

Wild Blue Yonder: Tips for Beginners

If you are trying to get into Wild Blue Yonder and you’ve never played a Down in Flames game before, the amount of material in the box can seem daunting. But it is being touted as a logical place for beginners and veterans of the system alike to dig into, so below you’ll find a (somewhat random) collection of hints and tips that hopefully make learning and playing the game easier. For now, we’ll leave the campaigns out of it, though once you are familiar with dogfighting you will probably want to check them out as well.