Tag Archives: Hannibal’s Revenge

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A Tale of Two Sexenniums: Hannibal’s Revenge After Action Reports – Part 2 of 2

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Introduction

This article follows up Part 1 of 2, A Tale of Two Sexenniums: Hannibal’s Revenge After Action Reports – Part 1 of 2 | Inside GMT blog, with my erstwhile gaming buddies, Perry and George, continuing their foray into the fun and exciting arena of the Hannibal’s Revenge game by switching sides!

Last game’s end of the Sexennium saw Rome (George) in the Hand Size Lead with 9 versus Carthage (Perry)’s 6.  Rome only grows stronger over the passage of time, getting more resources and better available leadership from the Senate, so that game did not bode well for Carthage’s chances for ultimate victory.  Now, in Game #2, it would be George’s Carthaginians versus Perry’s Rome.  Will Carthage fare better this time around?

Before reading this AAR, for additional Hannibal’s Revenge background, please reference this InsideGMT article for a general overview of the game, albeit with utilizing an early playtest version of the gameboard lacking Mark Mahaffey’s transformative graphic talents: Meet the Leaders & Gameboard of Hannibal’s Revenge | Inside GMT blog.

Furthermore, for historical background regarding this epic conflict, perhaps this under thirteen minute video will be of interest: The Second Punic War – History of the Roman Empire – Part 4 (youtube.com).  The paths of the Carthaginian and Roman armies’ marching across this video’s maps are nicely relatable to the Hannibal’s Revenge gameboard. 

Now to Game #2’s After-Action Report.    

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A Tale of Two Sexenniums: Hannibal’s Revenge After Action Reports – Part 1 of 2

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Introduction

As shared by 9/19/24’s GMT Update (September 19 Update from GMT: New P500s, Many Game Updates, Art Samples, and More! (mailchi.mp)), Hannibal’s Revenge: A Card Conquest Series Game, received a status update and something of a “teaser”.  That teaser was a promise for an After-Action Report of Hannibal’s Revenge playing when my two buddies, George and Perry, from our youthful New York City wargaming days, arrived at my North Carolina home for an annual gaming get-together.  Ah, a happy multi-day escape from our normal routines!

Friends Reunited! “A Tale of Two Sexenniums Hannibal’s Revenge After Action Reports” participants are pictured above: Seated is game co-designer Fred Schachter, George Miksad is standing behind him to the left and Perry Silverman to the right with his NY Yankees hat. Perry, incidentally, is the designer of GMT’s Illusions of Glory.
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Herding Elephants: A Development Update on Hannibal’s Revenge

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In April I was able to take my playtest kit for Hannibal’s Revenge to the GMT Weekend at the Warehouse and play with several of the GMT Team Members in attendance, so that we could plan the next steps for development of the game. Needless to say, we had a great time playing the game and I was able to complete two playtests while I was there, in addition to several partial sessions.

One of the main goals in this test was to try out the new map from Mark Mahaffey and look for any issues with the pieces, sizes of the boxes, and coloration of the map to make sure that it was as usable as possible. The map passed with flying colors.

A playtest session in progress with Kai Jensen. None of these components should be considered final, but they sure did look nice!
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Hannibal Wonders, “Do ALL Roads REALLY Run to Rome?”: A tour of the penultimate version of the map for Hannibal’s Revenge

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It has been a long road (no pun intended) from my original kindergarten-(well, maybe 2nd grade) level playtest map to what we are soon having printed for ongoing play test and “Learn the Rules / Play the Game” demo session purposes, but it has been worth the trip. Readers can glance at the original Hannibal’s Revenge hand-drawn map I devised (should they want to start their day with a groan or a giggle, depending on their point of view) by going to this posting: Meet the Leaders & Gameboard of Hannibal’s Revenge | Inside GMT blog

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A Hannibal’s Revenge “After Action Report”: Sea Battles and the End of a Sexenium

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Introduction by Hannibal’s Revenge Co-Designer, Fred Schachter: While the GMT Team continues its efforts to make production-ready Hannibal’s Revenge, the next game of the Card Conquest System series, play testing progresses.

While this is underway, readers may find of interest this report of a Hannibal’s Revenge playtest game between Robert Baynosa and his buddy Marlon Ilagan. This is an “After Action Report” which focuses on particular aspects of the game.  It is Robert’s second InsideGMT Hannibal’s Revenge article.  For his first report see: A Play Session of Hannibal’s Revenge | Inside GMT blog.

To learn more about this currently P-500 listed game, see GMT Games – Hannibal’s Revenge.  With that, it’s time to let Robert once again take the narrative helm…

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Hannibal’s Revenge Or… If Hannibal’s good enough for Denzel Washington, who are we to say nay?

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by Mark G. McLaughlin (with Fred Schachter)

Does the gaming community need another Hannibal game?  The answer is “why not?” or, more simply an empathic “yes!”: just as it is to the question of a new Gettysburg, Pacific Theater WWII or another Waterloo game (such as Mark Herman’s latest forays into those topics) or of a new upcoming movie on the subject. (Note that Denzel Washington’s Hannibal will be on Netflix later this year.)

Hannibal featuring Victor Mature

Just as Denzel Washington is taking on a role made famous by screen legend Victor Mature and (more recently) by Star Trek’s Alexander Siddiq, among others, so did we also make the decision to cross the Alps into Ancient Italy to confront the power of Rome.

Hannibal featuring Alexander Siddig

We are big fans of previous Hannibal games, including that designed by our mutual friend and GMT colleague Mark Simonitch.  This is a game recently updated as Hannibal and Hamilcar. By the way, Simonitch’s game is the basis for a miniatures’ campaign Mark McLaughlin is involved with.  Battles among the group are resolved using several different sets of miniatures rules – most recently “To the Strongest.” Incidentally, Mark is not Hannibal in this game but has the role of his younger brother, Hasdrubal, and he lost – if barely –in his first outing on the field).

But we digress…

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A Play Session of Hannibal’s Revenge

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Introduction by Hannibal’s Revenge: A Card Conquest System Game Co-Designer,  Fred Schachter: To begin, readers have hopefully, by now, checked out the tantalizing glimpse of this game’s graphics created by the talent-extremis Mark Mahaffey.  His fine initial work, with assistance of Co-Developer Jason Carr, of Hannibal Revenge game components can be viewed via this link or above: January 18, 2024 Update from GMT: New P500s, Art Samples, Production Update, a Free Download, and More!! (mailchi.mp).

What a difference these are from the Mark McLaughlin hand-drafted Hannibal’s Revenge play test version shared by this article.

But now, onto the main event!

Robert Baynosa and I met, virtually that is, through his being an enthusiastic fan of the first game of the Card Conquest System, Hitler’s Reich.  Robert so enjoyed playing Hitler’s Reich that he was inspired to create a solitaire version variant for it which was shared through an InsideGMT article: Playing Hitler’s Reich Solo: A Suggested Variant | Inside GMT blog .

 When Robert learned of Designer Mark McLaughlin and I working on the next game of the series, Hannibal’s Revenge GMT Games – Hannibal’s Revenge, he enthusiastically volunteered to help play-test it.  To that end, I emailed him the necessary files to print-out and build his own physical copy of the game which is referenced and shown within this article.  As the photos show, Robert created an attractive and functional copy of Hannibal’s Revenge… well done!

To provide readers an idea of how Hannibal’s Revenge plays, by describing but a portion of an overall 90 minute game between himself and his gaming buddy EC Baltazar, here’s Robert’s illustrated report.  If unfamiliar with the Card Conquest System, it may be helpful reviewing GMT’s Hitler’s Reich site’s contents , – GMT Games – Hitler’s Reich; as it contains the latest rules and a host of related material.  With that, Robert, take it away! 

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A Roman, a Carthaginian, a Gaul and a Latin Ally Walk Into a Bar…and Tear it Apart — The Conflict and Event Cards of Hannibal’s Revenge

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Introduction by Hannibal’s Revenge Game Developer, Fred Schachter: To those who placed P500 orders for the game and/or InsideGMT readers curious regarding the all too long hiatus in communications regarding it, Mark and I, after tragic periods in our personal lives (we both lost our beloved wives within a single year), are pleased to resume Hannibal’s Revenge progress with our wonderful publisher, GMT Games’, support. The first game of the “Card Conquest System” series is Hitler’s Reich.  This game, although using a similar “engine” for resolving conflict, modifies the system to depict a fascinating and legendary historical struggle. Now to Mark for his update of this next “Card Conquest” Series game.

Introduction by Game Designer, Mark McLaughlin: Hannibal’s Revenge is not your typical game about the titular scourge of Rome.  Nor is it your typical wargame. It does cover the Second Punic War, as have so many games which have come and gone before (with a tip of the helmet to Mark Simonitch for his classic Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage | Board Game | BoardGameGeek  – both the original and the glorious remake with chess-like model soldiers), but in a unique manner. As to my design regarding this topic…

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Meet the Leaders & Gameboard of Hannibal’s Revenge

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Introduction by Game Developer Fred Schachter: Hannibal’s Revenge builds upon the Card Conquest Game System pioneered by Hitler’s Reich GMT Games – Hitler’s Reich to allow one or two players (or teams of up to two players each) to refight the 2nd Punic War. (The rules are organized along the remastered rules model created by Kai Jensen for the 2nd edition of Hitler’s Reich.) 

Unique to Hannibal’s Revenge is the introduction of up to two Carthaginian and two Roman Field Armies, each depicted by a wooden cylinder. These are commanded by Leaders. They are maneuvered on the gameboard by expending a friendly Conflict Card’s point value and these armies can engage in battles or sieges. This is in addition to the Hitler’s Reich game mechanic of declaring an attack from an adjacent friendly-controlled area. There is also a single Macedonian Army which can be brought into the fray through winning its Event Card. If the preceding piques your interest; be assured there’s more to come with future InsideGMT articles. As to the map, with apologies for the hand-assembled appearance, here it is: