Month: February 2016

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland, the new hexagonal game about the war from 1978-1979 between Uganda and Tanzania. Not that this is a particularly complex game, and is very long. It runs about 90 minutes, enough to change sides and play again.

The board shows a map of Uganda under the rule of Idi Amin Dada, with one player on each side of the conflict. For eight months, the two countries fought a war that eventually led to the flight from the country of Idi Amin. Each turn represents one month of real time. Other nations such as Libya and Mozambique to join one side or the other, the new recruits come on board. Tanzanians come across a narrow strip of territory on the southern tip, and have a need to capture a couple of key to winning cities. Uganda has to endure long enough to keep Tanzania invaded by them. Supplies are a constant factor for both parties, but in his country Ugandans are rarely excasos resources. Tanzanians have the numerical advantage, however, not have the resources to feed themselves through territory and take quickly.

The Last King of Scotland, map
The Last King of Scotland, map

Although this is clearly a war game hexagonal counter, a couple of good design choices make everything more efficient. First, the variety of units is rather low. The differences are expressed exclusively in numbers over the counter, so it is easy to evaluate the troop strength. Large units such as armor and artillery special dice roll hit on a lower number. It’s all very clear and quick to learn. Another good measure is that the units are either on the board or killed. The only condition to worry about is whether a unit is out of the game or not, meaning that this supply route is interrupted and the unit will be severely hobbled if struggle. It is a long way to go to make the game less intimidating.

This is not a game for those who do not like the dice. I pitched battles in some 11-12 of them to determine the outcome. Even stronger is the initiative roll each turn. That is a particularly strong swing, but I’m fine with that because I like dice games.

The Last King of Scotland, components
The Last King of Scotland, components

The Last King of Scotland is a compelling game, cleverly designed. Despite my almost total lack of experience in war games, he was quickly brought into the conflict. I struggled to learn to use the land and my units. The map shows some points that were a delight to discover. My biggest concern was that it would get in the game and setirme totally lost, but I did not have to worry.

And apart from developing an understanding of tactics, I met a lot of fun too. This is due in part to the rhythm that the clips along very well. Tanzanians feel they have to race against time and the Ugandans are just outnumbered. There is good stress and pressure on each side, and while you might find that pressure a bit strenuous in a party of four hours, in a 90-minute experience fast-paced as it works very well.

The simplicity and the fast pace means that fits my personality and style of play too. And I just had a good time, which is perhaps what impresses me.

The Last King of Scotland, tabs
The Last King of Scotland, tabs

The mounted board fits like a puzzle, and it feels great. Graphically the game is just great, clean and easy to read. It is not at all difficult to handle the cards, as they are thick and rounded. My biggest complaint in the production goes to the rules, a particular bugaboo I have with VPG. This time, the problem is compounded by the fact that this is the first in a series of games in African wars. That means that the first half is rules for the entire series, the second half is specific rules for this iteration. That makes it look anything up to a kind of headache, although it’ll be nice to future installments.

If you’ve always been a little curious about trying wargames, The Last King of Scotland is a great game to start. It’s intuitive, clean and fast and looks good, better than most war games. It is also relatively cheap at around 35 €. And perhaps most interesting, now I have a fascinating historical insight into a little known war. It can never become a dedicated wargamer, but this game shows me the appeal of piles of counters on a small map.

Features
Game Type Wargame
Recommended Age +13 years
Language English
Players 1 – 2 Players
Game Time 90 minutes
Difficulty Hight
Boardgamegeek www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/94615/

Epic Spell Wars

It is a game unpretentious where the fun is simply to annoy other means that those who do not like the games to annoy and / or seek something that has to plan a minimal strategy and can move from reading the rest.

Components

Epic Spell Wars, componets
Epic Spell Wars, componets

The game comes in a not very large box in a space similar to the Hulk Death Angel size but a little wider.

Includes 4 dice 6, 8 large poster boards with the characters you can carry (are all the same, the only difference is that the illustration), a few meters of cardboard, a Skullfire mountain (which has no function in the game, is purely decorative) and a lot of letters from a little thin these “magic” size.

Special mention the pictures that apparently have no middle ground, either you love or hate. One of the people who played the game commented that it looked like fun, but could not stand the drawings.

Gameplay

Epic Spell Wars, cards
Epic Spell Wars, cards

Simpler than the mechanism of a jug.

You start with a hand of 8 cards, and grace is to create a spell that can have up to 3 components: Source (source), quality (quality of the spell) and delivery (say that the ultimate goal of the spell).
With your 8 cards you can do a spell of 1, 2 or 3 components with the only condition that can only be a source, quality and delivery, it can not be repeated any element.

After everyone finds reveal built its spell, spells act first single component 1, then 2 bigger and 3 (which are the maximum). In case of a tie in the number of components there are a number of initiative in the letters delivery that determines the order, from highest to lowest.

Each card has an effect and are resolved in order, first the source, then the quality and then the delivery, basically removing the effects are life rivals.

For instance:

Source: Ago Three damage to each enemy who has already acted.

Quality: Strips 2 dice, then each of the other wizards roll a die and a result equal to pull one of the two dice you threw those eating damage.

Delivery: Strips a given, every enemy who has more points than your removed: if you take 1 to 4-1 damage damage March 5 to 9 and 10 or + 4 damage

Each card is in your spell has a glyph indicating down to magic school belongs (fire, darkness, primary ..) so that if a letter you have to roll a die (xej the delivery above) matches the glyph with another card from your strips spell a given but for each match (if you have 2 equal glyphs would 2d6 and 3d6 if you have 3).

So magicians are eliminated until only one remains, this earns a token of the last wizard standing. Then it start another game and get two tokens that last wizard standing wins.

When you are killed for every round you play where you do not participate xq you are dead draw a card from the deck dead magician, who is giving you advantages, so that if you die very early next’ll have a lot of help starting. They are usually the type you start with 5 points more of life, or even a treasure no one tells you, you’re dead, you learn to live with it (and of course does not give you anything at all).

Some spells get treasure letters that make squirm a bit different rules in different ways, x eg. It gives you a +2 dice rolls, or if someone plays a card that you have in hand is eaten 2 damage and 2 and you heal your stuff.

Basically that’s it.

Opinion

Epic Spell Wars, box
Epic Spell Wars, box

A quick game without many pretensions to have a good time and a laugh, the combination of the names of the spells out very funny and things that make you hit one laughs (yes, in English). It is a game that can play up to 6 players and is not slow, yesterday paste several games in a row to 3 and 5 players and duration did not suffer to be a player but as having a spell but turn it into much more damage could almost say that more players the game is faster.

Pros:

  • A Fun game for to aggrieve and laughter
  • Duration Short, more or less half an hour per game
  • The Illustrations (if you’ll such drawings) are very horny

Cons:

  • Look no strategy, play your cards and often the wizard that you hurt is random, and it tells you the strongest and when you reach the turn to do the spell the strongest is no longer the same as when you designed the spell . PURE CHAOS. (Although for some this is not a defect).
  • The illustrations, if you do not like hate.
Features
Game Type Party Games, Thematic Games, Fantasy, Fighting, Humor
Recommended Age +12 years
Language English
Players 2 – 6 Players
Game Time 20-40 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Boardgamegeek www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/112686/