Tag Archives: Hitler’s Reich

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Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest System Game: Extended Example of Play (Part 2 of 2)

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HitlerReichTAB_P500(RBM)Click here to read Part I of this article

Chapter Four.  Blitzkrieg & Second Success Action

Because the Axis won its first Action, it gains a Second Success Bonus Action.  The Axis choice to take the Production Center Bonus Event Action put that Success Action in jeopardy, as had the Axis failed in the Production Center Bonus Event his turn would have ended.  The Axis was successful, however, and thus play continues to its Success Bonus Action OR choose to immediately launch a Blitzkrieg Attack from newly captured Leningrad.

This is an important game decision, since by making an immediate Blitzkrieg Attack the Axis Player may continue using the Manstein, Stukas and Waffen SS Events.  Otherwise, those three Event cards would be “flipped over” and not available until the next Axis turn.

Leningrad-Novgorod-Moscow

Leningrad-Novgorod-Moscow

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Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest System Game: Extended Example of Play (Part 1 of 2)

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HitlerReichTAB_P500(RBM)During October 2014’s GMT  “Weekend at the Warehouse,” I had the pleasure of teaching many of this wonderful event’s attendees how to play Hitler’s Reich.  The games were invariably entertaining, fun to observe, and players’ responses, both during and after the event, to this marvelous Mark McLaughlin design gratifying to experience. 

Prior InsideGMT articles hopefully provide insights as to the cards of Hitler’s Reich and my gaming buddies, The Rockland Guys, inaugural experience with the game.  That article includes an image of Mark’s not so aesthetic, but completely functional, hand-drawn play-test map.

With those articles and an image of the Hitler’s Reich play-test map before you; the ensuing “Extended Example of Play” should provide another layer of understanding of the kind of gaming fun the game offers.  There are cross-references to the game’s Rule Book Sections within the article.

Be warned: as with Mark’s other GMT designs, there is “luck with the dice and luck with cards” inherent to Hitler’s Reich… but that’s what makes this game, and our hobby, so much fun, eh?

Introduction

Hitler'sReich_PlaytestMap

This extended example of play is an Axis Player Turn after a not particularly effective “Operation Barbarossa” (7.8) resolution.  It is now 1942 with a fresh Axis deck.  The Axis Player reconstituted his roster of “Schwerpunckt” (German word for a concentration of military power at the spearhead of an attack) Event Cards and is ready to give the conquest of Russia another go.

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The Rockland Gamer Guys Meet “Hitler’s Reich”

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Introduction: This provocative article title is not an ominous “Pulp Fiction” confrontation, but a quick After Action Report of my former New York gaming buddies first exposure to this latest game I’m developing with Designer Mark McLaughlin, Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest System Game (henceforth referenced “HITLER’S REICH”).

 Back when I resided in New York, prior to corporate relocations which now have me in Seattle, the four Rockland Guys and I had many happy decades of gaming together and attending numerous conventions (see below “selfie” photo: back left to right George Miksad/P.J. O’Neil… foreground left to right Steve Geisinger/Fred Schachter).  These fellows are veteran games who over the years helped Mark McLaughlin and I play test his other GMT titles.

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 A visit to New York City allowed an opportunity for us to get-together.  The ensuing AAR, when referencing the admittedly amateur hand-drawn play-test map attached (wait until the GMT graphics team gets this!); should provide a sense of how the game action flowed.  Future “InsideGMT” articles will flesh out your perceptions of the game… so consider this a “teaser” which you’ll hopefully enjoy in the friendly spirit its offered.

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HitlerReichTAB_P500(RBM)During my last visit with family to New York City, I took the metro north train to meet “The Rockland Guys” at Steve Geisinger’s home.  Rockland is a county just to the north of New York City.

What a “deja vue” experience that was!  With George helping PJ and I Steve; the first Rockland Guys HITLER’S REICH game was played.  With my being there, the rules were swiftly absorbed by these veteran gamers; although, as we observed previously, it’s one thing knowing the rules and the basic functions of the cards and quite another learning how to best apply that knowledge to achieve victory.

Being novices, PJ (Axis) and Steve (Allies) ignored the naval aspects of the game save for a bit of attention to the Sicilian Zone with FleetPlacement.  It was a “land war” all the way!  With George mentioning how at WBC he observed game after game of Italy being knocked out of the war during 1941 by the Axis ignoring the Balkans; PJ took the hint and conquered Yugoslavia and Greece.

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Hitler’s Reich – The Event Decks: Broadening the Front in Hitler’s Reich

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HitlerReichTAB_P500(RBM)Hitler’s Reich is World War Two in two+ hours – and sometimes less.   One of the reasons this game plays so fast, once players become familiar with the rules, cards and their interplay on the map, is that all conflict in Hitler’s Reich is resolved through the play of cards.   Each player has a designated War Deck of Axis or Allied cards to draw from to fill their hand (see prior “InsideGMT” Hitler’s Reich War Deck article regarding these cards).

To resolve combat on the map, each player selects one card from their hand and places it face down in front of them.  Both players then simultaneously reveal their cards and each then rolls three dice, adding the total to the value shown on the War Deck card.   Some cards allow for or prevent re-rolls of one, two or three dice, or change the value of the opponent’s card, while other cards determine which side wins ties.  There are also cards and map positioning which can add dice to the roll… to a maximum of five dice.  (No “buckets of dice” here to those familiar with my GMT “Nappy” design games: The Napoleonic Wars, Wellington, and Kutuzov.)

Mark's Hand-drawn playtest version of the Hitler's Reich map

Mark’s Hand-drawn playtest version of the Hitler’s Reich map

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Hitler’s Reich: A First Look Inside The “War” Deck

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Hitler's Reich Banner 3

Conflict in Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest System Game, henceforth referred to as Hitler’s Reich,  is resolved much like the classic card game “War” – but with dice and event cards added in.    The principal deck has four suits, but instead of Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts, the suits are Iron Crosses, Fasces, Soviet Russian Red Stars and American/British etc. White Stars.    The first two suits plus a Double Agent (the “Joker”) make up the Axis deck.  The other two suits plus a Double Agent make up the Allied deck.  The cards range in value from 1 (the “Ace”) to 13 (the “King”).   Players are dealt a number of cards from their deck equal to their economic power – which is referred to as “Hand Size.”   The Axis begin the game with Eight Cards, the Allies with Six. In addition, the Axis initial draw is “seeded” with more of the higher ranking cards to show their initial advantage at the start of the game – which begins during the Spring of 1941, just before the Axis invaded the Balkans and Rommel went to North Africa.