What's on your Christmas 2011 List for Boardgames?
The Chas List
Since I mostly get my own stuff for myself, I have one Eurogame and three wargames ordered or planned for myself, etc.
1.
Hades Expansion for Cyclades (Metagot) This was shown at the recent Essen, Germany show. Should be in the USA in a month or so. A complete preview is available at
boardgamegeek. Looks great! The game is so popular they will be reprinting the basic game also. There seems to be a question about whether the Hecate tile and power is an Essen promo that won't be available here. I hate when they do that! (Edit) Okay, she is a new promo and will be available through boardgamegeek! Her power is to make any two islands land movement adjacent! They are now saying late December/early January for this one. "
Its on the boat!"
2.
Command & Colors Ancients: The Spartan Army Expansion (GMT
)Following along with my collection of all Borg games! Finally something else that is not Romans. You get 30% off when
pre-ordering directly from the company on its P500 program! Due out late Nov./early Dec. (Edit) Its in the mail! (Re-Edit) This just arrived yesterday with 28 scenarios (Wow!). The Spartans are orange, and will fight a reinforced light blue army from the Alexander the Great expansion.
3.
Command & Colors Napleonics: The Spanish Army (GMT) Same deal for purchase and release schedule. Future Napoleonic expansions were just shown in the recent company online newsletter including The Austrian, Prussian, and Russian armies, asking the customers which order they'd like them to come out! This company uses blocks rather than minis. This set will also include more French units, possibly lancers. (Edit) Its in the mail! No, its here. This game camewith the other GMT game above, and looks good, with 18 scenarios. The Spanish blocks are yellow.
(Edit)
I've just reserved all three expansions GMT has in the works; on the Napoleonic Austrians, Prussians, and Russians. These are so popular that they are all almost already at the 500 person subscription level to produce!
4
. Sekeigahara (GMT) The battle that put the Tokugawa Shogunate in power in Japan for two hundred years! Has an innovative new game system during which various factions can change sides! Got 50% off from the company's Fall Sale!
Edit Update: This game has arrived and it appears to be wonderful. I've read the rules, prepped the game, and played a few turns with a pal. Its a keeper for sure!
5
. Memoir 44 Campaign Book Volume Two (Days of Wonder) Much anticipated Pacific campaigns including Island Hopping and Singapore. it also has 1939 Poland and new Breakthrough format Normandy,and even. an Air campaign. (Edit) Got it! It looks just great, and comes with a new token sheet. The stores are also giving out a six scenario set just used at a boardgaming convention on the German Invasion of Crete! Got that too!
6
. Axis and Allies Naval Miniatures (Avalon Hill) The new
"Surface Combat" pack is just out. I have a pal who orders online for us, to avoid the "random pack" distribution and get just what we want. I collect the American, Japanese, and British fleets. A pal who orders online got what I wanted with none of the "random box contents" nonsense. (Edit): Got all my wants: started new storage boxed for the British separatly, one for naval and one for carriers and planes.)
7.
Battles of Westeros Expansions The first two,
Wardens of the North and
Wardens of the West expand the two basic factions. I've only solitaired the first scenario so far, but it you don't pick things up, they just increase in price...or go out of print!
Edit Update: I'm now going for the third and fourth expansions as well; the fifth isn't out just yet. (Edit Update) I've now got the last two first (a pal is ordering them for me from different places) plus the Banner Pack that expands the number of units you can flag! Yay.
(Edit) I've picked up the other two today. Having inventoried and checked out the first two, it appears that if you get the four expansions, you about double the number of pieces you can depoly and scenarios you can play. However, so far it seems that they expansions are staying within the two player/two house conflict rather than be able to expand to the many other noble houses in the series of books. So now see #9 below for further
Fire and Ice thoughts.
(Edit): Expansion #5
is on the boat!
(Edit) Its mine now! A bit more figure gluing and the whole series will be present and accounted for.
8. (Edit)
Star Trek Fleet Captains The guy in my local game store let me look inside the box, and its magnificent! Tom Vassel the video game reviewer said it was "one of the best games I've every played!" So even though its costs $100 and I already have Battleship: Galaxies... (Edit) The game will be on order for me soon at a discount. I just picked up the entire DVD set of ST:TNG (7 TV seasons for about a third of the original price), so I'm even more into it!
(Edit) Got it! For my many adventures with this game, see another thread in this section:
Star Trek Fleet Captains: Silk Purse From Sow's Ear? A pal also got me
Star Trek Role Playing: The Starship Guide, which gives the rest of the info you would want on most of the game ships, such as weapons, crew compliment, ship class/type, etc.
9.
A Game of Thrones: The Boardgame (brand new 2nd edition) Having concluded that the only way to get the full flavor of the multi house strategic conflict drawn in the books, I have to look at the other two versions of the story. One is the cardgame. The Living Card Game idea is great (expandible but not random) but not really my thing, although I'd play it if I had the chance. Now I played the board game when it first came out. It was not that great for me at the time, but the person teaching/owning it was just starting out, and I think not really conversant with it. Checking around I find out that the Second Edition is just coming out now (another Essen, Germany Show release), and appears to have consolidated and improved the first game and its two expansions! Pow, I'm aboard. Its got the excellent FFG production, is by Christian Petersen the Big Guy Himself, and covers most of the book (and now TV) series, if not the Dragon Power brewing overseas still developing in the lastest volume Dance of Dragons. However, you can't complain, since by then some of the major houses have been already knoced out of the box. Think I'll give it a try, as multi-player board games with lots of different ways to play are my thing! P.S. Actually picked it up today; its a beaut! (Edit: my first play is now scheduled for
New Years Day On Westeros.