A Big Game can take weeks to play or even months. It’s awfully exciting though, when everyone is struggling in the beginning and we will play every spare moment. In our dreams we imagine alliances and strategies to bring our enemies to their knees. Everything is possible.

Poor Rome suffered a large loss against York. Even though the Romans won the battle their big army of points was cut down to a small army, and they withdrew to regroup. York had more points on the way and the Romans were running scared.

And then the expected but nasty happened. The gnolls, who had been Roman vassals, revolted. They’d been sending a measly twenty points in tribute to the Romans and were allowed to build up points and armies as long as they used those armies to Rome’s advantage. They met an Arken army, but instead of attacking agreed to a truce and war on Rome.

The main gnoll army, around six hundred points, was far from the gnoll capital, and it took...

There’s a big river that runs down the center of our Big Game square grid map. You could say it divides that small world in two. On the right hand side at the top are the Romans and all of their roads. Roads cost points but they speed movement by 3. Usually an army can move 1 square per turn, but on the road, they travel 3. It helps Rome to move is armies and points around quickly.

Underneath Rome on the right are the gnolls. Defeated by Rome but not annihilated, they now serve Rome and send it tribute. A large gnoll army has gathered and set off to cross the river to threaten the Kingdom of Arc.

At the top of the map on the left is York. We keep our points secret until two armies meet, so Rome has no clue how many points York has. They had a slower start, but they haven’t fought any big battles. I know that Rome is in for a nasty surprise up there.

Below York on the left is the struggling kingdom of Arc. Their expensive cavalry,...

We haven’t played a Big Game in a while and I was getting an itch for it.

It’s not just a big ‘scape game- it’s historical in proportion. Our figures have been divided into factions (about thirty at last count) and so we chose which factions will be in the game. We draw up a grid map, add rivers and lakes, sometimes with mountains and other biomes. Then we assign each faction a capitol that generates fifty points per turn. We add outposts all over the map. You have to conquer them- they’re considered independent and their points are 10 X 20d. If you capture an outpost it generates twenty points per turn.

For this game my middle son chose Romans. He’s a big fan of the Roman army and we have a well stocked Roman faction with ballistas, war elephants, light and heavy cavalry and some Gaulish troops as well as the standard Legionaries and archers.

It was just the two of us playing and we decided to just be two factions each. He chose...

I won't say that I’m bad at chess.

Even though that's what I really want to say. I have always said that. It's not a game I enjoy. Only my eldest son plays at my house, and he's a minor chess champion. I have only beat him three times in ten years.

I don't idle well. I like games that move quickly. I like dynamic things. ADHD is my life philosophy. Chess always seemed to take too long, to drag on and ultimately I didn't care that much. It wasn't that interesting.

Well my son and I have been playing again. I always agree when he suggests it because to be honest I feel like I could improve a great deal. I hate being sucky. I am always hoping to learn something.

He'd say “do you want to play chess?”

and I would answer “sure, but I’m going to lose.” or “sure, if you don't mind beating me yet again.” or “sure but you're going to thwamp me.”

one day my son turned to me and said “why do you always say that?”...

Our figures are divided into themed drawers because we simply had too many minis for the canon generals. Currently I’m all excited about the three newest drawers: Drow, Gnoll and Prima Don.

My gnoll force took to the field for the first time last night. I’ve got about 1000 points total, mostly furry squads but there’s a few heroes. I am coveting the gnoll general and gnoll spell caster from the Dungeons Deep booster but they’re crazy expensive. I just can’t spend $20 Canadian for a single figure. I suppose I could make one- that’s what I should do.

I try to make each drawer complete as an army. The gnolls have light archers and spearmen – small weak figures with good move to get places first, steal heights and make targeted killings. I have used mage knight figures for these.

Reaper Bones have some nice big well armed gnolls and these are my heavy and medium infantry. I have a selection of D and D and pathfinder gnoll figures that round...