Samurai Battles (aka Battle Lore Does Japan)

[chas]

King Zombie,

If I hadn't purchased already, I'd just wait for the new version-- which will probably be more user friendly. Having painfully assembled and "trim painted" all the figures I did, I'll probably never go back to blocks if they become available (unless perhaps I'm travelling with the game).

[kolakoski]

Well met!

A long time ago, in a Borough far, far away, I met chas as I was seeking opponents for Battlelore while nursing an injury. I lost interest fairly quickly, around the same time as chas just happened to leave up a 'Scape map, . . .

Now, however, at least for the nonce, a reversal is in progress, and I am rejoining that party I left so early, having realized that what started out as a pretty predictable pastime has evolved into a must-go-to event.

At our long promised, long delayed, lunch/game day (actually arrived Friday morning, to give us plenty of game time before I had to leave, to meet my step-so and go to a miserably cold Citifield to watch the first nine innings (couldn't bear the cold for more) of a game the Mets would go on to lose 4-3 in 11), we played Samurai Swords (as planned). For two players, it turned out to be pretty bland. After lunch, we had a little time left, and chas suggested that we play Battle Cry (chas crushed me), as it was easy to set up and similar to Battlelore, and (I think) in anticipation of playing Samurai Battles. Whatever we were thinking, I decided to study the rules for it. The more I perused them (and the BGG Forum on the game), the more impressed I became. Most of you are familiar with my early aversion to firearms in 'Scape (see The Valhalla Society). So no surprise that I especially appreciate how Samurai Bowmen, while empirically less powerful than Yari Arquebusers, are tangibly advantaged, not merely by their Status, but by the gaining of Honor while using the bow.

chas will be on his way to Japan tomorrow, on a two week tour (not on the Minnow, thank your Deity of choice), and, upon his return, we will be playing extensively during the two weeks after May 11 when I will be recuperating from some minor surgery. Sherman Davies and Taeblewalker will, of course, be invited in at some point. As all three of them have played Samurai Battles a plethora of times, I expect quite a few of my Leaders will be committing Seppuku early on. Fortunately, I am a quick study . . .

[Hahma]

I wanted to try to make the jungle terrain more tabletop friendly, so doing a little experimenting. Want to make something that isn't permanent, something that I can drop the bushes and trees into and take them out as needed.

[chas]

I imagine K. is talking about the Commands & Colors progression of games, which has years later resulted in many variations on the theme: C&C Ancients, Battle Lore (First Edition), Samurai Battles, C&C Napoleonics, Battle Cry, The Great War, and Memoir 44. It has certainly been a pleasure for me, owning all 7 C&C Games (to be 9 by the end of the year with the addition of Medieval and Tricorne: American Revolution) and all of their expansions, to see how Richard Borg has added special aspects to each game, but also more depth to all of the ones that have been developed. Examples of common threads are each gaming have two decks of cards, and scenarios which are connected to the same historical battle or campaign.

Photo Notes:
(I don't do photos, so some commentary of that posted by K.)
Imagine the above figures painted on their base sides with their level colors (Red, Blue, or Green for Heavy, Medium, or Light), with their unit banners painted the same.
I've added other bits of color such as yellow for the conical peasant hats. The red or yellow individual figure banners on their backs identify their army.

Note also that the hills in this game are actually three dimensional (with tan sides).

A greater magnification would show how nicely detailed the figures are.

***

No word yet on the GMT redo of Samurai Battles. They are putting out C&C Medieval supposedly Fourth Quarter 2017, which is actually set in the late Byzantine Era, including Belisarius, the last great Byzantine General. They usually only do one C&C game per year, so we'll see.