Below you will find another fantastic article from Clio’s Board Games, this time discussing Winston Churchill through the lens of GMT’s Churchill. You can also find this article on Clio’s blog. Enjoy! -Rachel
In previous installments, I have described the “main characters†in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast†of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The previous articles in this “supporting cast†series can be found here.
Ashikaga Yoshimasa unexpectedly became shogun at a young age, after his older brother Yoshikatsu died under possibly suspicious circumstances, and it is clear that he never really wanted the responsibility that came with the position. He was more interested in artistic and spiritual pursuits, and is known today not only for his mismanagement of the Ōnin War, but also for his patronage of the artistic traditions that developed into (now) classical Higashiyama culture. These traditions draw on Zen Buddhism and the concept of wabi-sabi (imperfection and impermanence), and include the tea ceremony, flower arranging, Noh theatre, ink painting, and certain forms of poetry. Before the outbreak of the Ōnin War, Yoshimasa ordered the construction of a new villa that he planned to (and eventually did) retire to, now called the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji), in contrast with the older and more ornate Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) commissioned by his grandfather Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The understated and sometimes sorrowful nature of Higashiyama culture gains an extra poignancy upon learning of its origins in the bloody, and ultimately futile, Ōnin War.
The Pure Land depicts the decade-long Ōnin War in 15th century Japan, a civil war for control of the Muromachi Bakufu set against a backdrop of peasant unrest and religious militancy. This conflict precipitated the Sengoku (or Warring States) period that would continue into the 16th century, and was the beginning of the slow decline of the established order. In future articles I will go into more detail about the factions involved in the war and how I have chosen to depict them, but first I will set the scene with a short historical overview of this era.
Below you will find another fantastic article from Clio’s Board Games, this time discussing Robert Walpole through the lens of GMT’s Imperial Struggle. You can also find this article on Clio’s blog. Enjoy! -Rachel
In previous installments, I have described the “main characters” in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast” of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The previous articles in this “supporting cast” series can be found here.
Hubris – Twilight of the Hellenistic World takes one to three players twenty-two centuries back in time to the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean. This period is often little known, obscured by the great epopees of Alexander the Great (that preceded it), Hannibal (that took place simultaneously) or Julius Caesar (that followed it). It was nonetheless pivotal to world history.
Let’s explore it a little bit…
In previous installments, I have described the “main characters†in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast†of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The previous articles in this “supporting cast†series can be found here.
In previous installments, I have described the “main characters” in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast” of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The previous articles in this “supporting cast” series can be found here.
In previous installments, I have described the “main characters” in Banish the Snakes: the historic people that players represent in their attempts to convert Ireland. But now I’m moving on to the “supporting cast” of historic characters, people who were notable in the history of the time and show up in the game on Event cards. The first article in this “supporting cast” series can be found here.
