Category Archives: Strategy Articles

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Space Empires Close Encounters: More Encounters

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One of the (many!) best parts of the Space Empires: Close Encounters (CE) expansion was the addition of the empire advantages deck. If you are not familiar with the expansion, this deck gives players variable starting powers by having them play unique alien races—an aspect of modern sci-fi board games that seems to be almost a necessity for some. But while you are zooming through space as the House of Speed, making peace with deep-space aliens as the Amazing Diplomats, or bringing major hurt as the Star Wolves, you can bring even more close encounters into the game with a simple rules tweak, outlined below.

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Commands & Colors: Medieval vs Ancients Comparison Part 1: Major Changes

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Below is another fantastic article from The Boardgames Chronicle this time discussing the similarities/differences between Commands & Colors: Ancients and Commands & Colors: Medieval. Enjoy! -Rachel

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Weak Arms, Deep Pockets, and Big Mountains: British/Piedmont Play in Clash of Sovereigns

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Like his Prussian/Spanish player foe, the British/Piedmont player has a multi-faceted and sometimes schizophrenic role in COS. But unlike the Prussian/Spanish, the British player has growing roles and goals through the campaign. Unfortunately, the same similarities can’t be said for the Prus and Brit armies 🙂 ; the British and “Pieds” vie for having the weakest armies (by numbers) throughout the entire game. Much of the time, the British are holding on and serving as the high quality lion’s share of mixed Pragmatic armies in Flanders. The Piedmontese are usually only a secondary ally to the Austrians in the battle for Italy. Yet in late game, both these forces can make incisive gains on a weakened Bourbon foe. The British player may be nipping at the edges on map, but looms gargantuanly large in overall Pragmatic alliance success.   

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Secrets of the South Pacific – Part 2

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Strategies for South Pacific: Breaking the Bismarck Barrier Scenario in Empire of the Sun

Welcome back to the 2nd half of this strategic study of the South Pacific Scenario from C3i Magazine #30. For those who haven’t read Part 1, it can be found here on Inside GMT. Remember, I’ll be discussing South Pacific strategy as it is played at a tournament. Meaning, all draw conditions are considered a Japanese victory.

As previously promised, I will start off this article with a look at another, guaranteed-to-succeed, opening move that the Allies can do using #13: Operation Watchtower. It’s called:

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The Enfant Terrible, and that Proud, Annoying In-Law: Prussia/Spanish Strategy in Clash of Sovereigns

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The Prussian/Spanish player has a spikey role in COS, filled with dichotomy, exultation, and frustration. On one hand, you control the Enfant Terrible Frederick the Great (thirty-something version) and a potent Prussian army facing little threat, eyeing up multiple targets (Silesia, Prag, and Hannover city…). But the Prussians are politically naïve, set up to be diplomatically tricked out of the game twice, and, to the Prussian player’s chagrin, probably one campaign season and a tantalizing VP or two short of Decisive victory!

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The Significance of Dice Rolling Probability in Hitler’s Reich

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After having played about ten games of Hitler’s Reich, I still find it difficult to really categorize this game into a particular niche. I cannot state if it’s a card driven game, for it is a game which has lots of cards to it; but does not fall into the tradition of most CDG’s. I can state that it is a game where many dice are thrown, for it is, in fact, the game during which I have thrown the most dice in my life (and that is saying something!).

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Secrets of the South Pacific – Part 1

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Strategies for South Pacific: Breaking the Bismark Barrier Scenario in Empire of the Sun

The South Pacific Scenario was initially released in C3i Magazine #30 in late 2016. It was also integrated into the 2nd Edition/2nd printing (or 3rd Printing) of the Empire of the Sun base game that was released in Feb 2019. At the World Boardgaming Championships last year (2018), it was added into the Empire of the Sun tournament event and was very well received. The attendance for the event more than doubled from the previous year and many attendees took the time to discuss the scenario at length after playing it for the first time.

It’s getting a lot of attention and play time for a couple of key reasons. One, this scenario uses the base game rules without modification, so experienced Empire of the Sun players can get a quick fix of the game in less than 3 hours. And two, the scenario significantly lowers the barrier to entry for new players by presenting a relatively simple and focused scenario for Empire of the Sun.

With all this table time, strategies have started to emerge that highlight the fact that although the scenario focuses only on small section of the base game map, it still fully carries its depth. The next (or first) time you sit down with this game, these strategy secrets should help propel you to success.

Each section will open with a brief discussion on the objectives that both sides will be looking to accomplish during that turn followed by some detailed tips to help highlight advantage. Note also that I’ll be discussing South Pacific strategy as it is played at a tournament. Meaning, all draw conditions are considered a Japanese victory.

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Welcome to Centerville – Strategy Tips from ElusiveMeeple

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Today’s Welcome to Centerville Strategy Tips article is from Robert Crowter-Jones, the writer behind ElusiveMeeple, a wonderful and useful site that provides both reviews and strategy tips for a wide variety of boardgames. Robert has reviewed Welcome to Centerville in some depth and written strategy tips for the game on his blog (see the ElusiveMeeple site). For strategy tips on Triumph and Tragedy, 1960: The Making of the President, Time of Crisis, Churchill, Fire in the Lake, Here I Stand (2-Player), and Thunder Alley, see his InsideGMT articles here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

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King Louis, Prince Conti, Marshal De Saxe (or, “Neurosis, Petulance, Brilliance and Debauche”): Running the Biggest Dog on the Continent – French Strategy in Clash of Sovereigns

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Here is a first collection of thoughts on French strategy in COS. I hope to write at least one article on strategy for each Power, and may get to a second if I just skip sleeping for the next year. Er, so, don’t hold your breath on that….

To start with a one-line look over the shoulder at Clash of Monarchs (COM) before we move on: The French are fun to play in COS; I repeat, for the benefit of all COM players [lifting megaphone] THE FRENCH ARE FUNNNNNNN TO PLAYYYYYY IN COSSSSSSSS. Who’da thunk it? A mere ten years later, the French are falling all over themselves in the Seven Years War, as a running comedy (Clermont as your CIC, anybody? :)).  In COS, the French are RUNNING THE GAME. Yeah, baby – francophiles rejoice! The French have got big teeth, and the French are the THREAT.

How so? Let us count the ways…