In past InsideGMT articles, we looked at the gameplay in Bear Trap and provided a simple combat example. Part of the asymmetry in Bear Trap emerges from the way the cards work. And so, in this InsideGMT article, I’ll explain how the how the different cards work as well as look at the force pools […]
Cards in Bear Trap (Part I of II): Card Types, Force Pools, & Deck Composition Read Post »
Designer BlogsHistorical Introduction If there was a lull during the first day at Shiloh, it occurred between 11 AM and noon. The Army of Mississippi, led by Albert Sidney Johnston and Pierre Beauregard, had dislodged the Army of the Tennessee’s three forward divisions that morning, seizing their camps and sending thousands of blue-clads running for the safety
The fall of Cortona has put the Guelphs on top, putting the ball in Siena’s court in this closing episode of Volko’s test replay of Levy & Campaign Volume III. All art shown here is playtest only, and game rules featured remain provisional. Siena’s army stood by, a short march off at Asinalunga, as the Guelphs
Cavallata per Cortona – INFERNO Scenario Replay, Part 6 Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayBy Ed Ostermeyer, Master Engineer (Grade 2) Good day to you, young Inventor. You are to be congratulated. You hold in your hand the Inventor’s Vade Mecum, a handbook for you to use whatever, wherever, whenever and, most important of all, why-ever you have questions or need assistance in your chosen field of endeavor. Your
Infernal Machine: The Inventor’s Vade Mecum (Nautica ed.) – Part 1: Where Do I Start? Read Post »
Designer BlogsLine of Sight rules are always a challenge for any designer. They have to be accurate, but also be easy to understand and fast to resolve. For the Rifle & Spade games (“Mons 1914, The Mad Minute” and “Gallipoli 1915, Churchill’s Greatest Gamble”) I did not want to use “rise over run” calculations because they can slow a game down. So I opted
Line of Sight Decision Tree in Mons 1914 & Gallipoli 1915 Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn Baltic Empires players can enhance their capabilities by having up to 5 Dramatis Personae cards attached to their Power’s Court. There are nearly 50 of these cards in the game, and each of them is named and inspired by a notable historical figure of the period who in one way or another left a
Dramatis Personae Cards in Baltic Empires Read Post »
Designer BlogsAs the Ghibellines manuever and ravage, the Guelph army finds itself in a tight spot beneath the walls of stubborn Cortona.Volko’s test replay of Levy & Campaign Volume III proceeds. Neither art nor game rules featured here are final. …
Cavallata per Cortona – INFERNO Scenario Replay, Part 5 Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Examples of PlayIt was a United States $20 gold piece that started it all. A badly dented $20 gold coin, minted by the U.S. Treasury in 1860. A gift from a young lady named Queenie to her beau, Lieutenant George E. Dixon, formerly attached to the 21st Alabama Regular Infantry, Confederate Army of Mississippi. The coin got
Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare — Setting the Stage Read Post »
Designer BlogsIntroduction by Hiter’s Reich Co-Designer Fred Schachter: One of the fun aspects of our beloved hobby is the ability to “tinker” with a game to suit our perception of history or to simply introduce a new fun element into play. Here’s such an alternative for Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest Series Game from Rich Kimmel. Having
A Hitler’s Reich Axis Bot Variant for a More Historical Balkans’ Experience Read Post »
Scenarios/Variants, Solitaire SystemsTwilight Struggle (TS) and Imperial Struggle (IS) are two great creations of the Ananda Gupta & Jason Matthews duet. We waited a long 15 years between the publication of the first (2005) and latter one (2020). Both titles prove to be deep, immersing, and very replayable designs thus no wonder that they have pretty broad pool of fans.
Twilight Struggle vs Imperial Struggle – Comparison Read Post »
Hobby General Interest