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Dual Gauge
by David M. H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/29/2024 11:26:28

Well, I've always loved the old 18xx games, but this is a very good updating of that system. Lot's of systems have been simplified into one. I love the Station/shares which are all represented by the same cylinders. I also like the mechanism for connecting hexes rather than the fiddly puzzles you sometimes have in 18xx games, which leaves you able to concentrate on the finance and planning. There are many subtle twists in this and all in a rulebook of esentially SIX pages, compared to the enpormous convolted rules of some 18xx games The other big plus is essentially two very different games in one box, same bassic chassis, but with slight tweeks: and all the vital tweeks are there on the map. No rules riffling to find out what exactlt triggers game end in the game you are playing. Add to that the possibility of two expansions already out, which means you can already have 6 completely different games with the same simple ruleset. All in all an excellent buy.

I do have one complaint: The low solitaire rating that you guys have given this game. I'm a solo player by force of circumstance, and as this game has only ONE SINGLE auction round at the very beginning, it is very easy to solo play this game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dual Gauge
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With It Or On It
by David M. H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/31/2023 04:32:34

I love the simple mechanisms for creating chaos on the ancient battlefied. At first it may seem a little abstract, but the idea od troop caualties is a gem. You flip your counter, but till then eeven you don't know exactly what's on the flip side. Could be a leader, they're good, could be simply exhausted, could also break immediately.. At the beginning you choose your counters blindly from the famous opaque cup, so you could get good stuff or bad. But when you position them at the beginning you are not allowed to see what goes where. So you will know how much good/medium andbad there is in a unit, but not where it is. Your opponent doesn't even know the quality of the units you draw from the cup . Good replayability too. Solo not too bad as you don't know the quality of the opponents troops.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
With It Or On It
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Charlemagne, Master of Europe
by Eugenio m. P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/20/2021 17:58:44

Finalmente riesco a giocarci, grazie per questa opportunità. Lo sto finendo di montare e non vedo l'ora di affrontare questa sfida, un solitario come pochi se ne vedono. Non sono uno storico ma rispecchia fedelmente tutto il periodo. Hollandspiele una garanzia.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Charlemagne, Master of Europe
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Wars of Marcus Aurelius
by Alexander J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/16/2020 08:04:26

Great game! I'm normally not a fan of SOS-mechanics (I find them way too restricting for tactical decisions and there is an abundance of such games) but this game manages to not feel like "another SOS-game" at all: Gameplay is very interesting and engaging, the card mechanic adds much depth, the story telling aspect is strong. A nice game and fully worth the price. I had no problems to make the game with the files myself.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Wars of Marcus Aurelius
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Wars of Marcus Aurelius
by David H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/13/2020 12:54:13

OK I have the same gripes for lack of A4 sizes that I have with all games files

However, I think Jean has a lousy printer shop too

I do the map at my copy shop on a single sheet, cost about 5 euros.

Counters fit onto A4 no problem

The cards I did "to fit" and this was no problem as they come out about 90% size which is fine by me, I do fronts and backs separately as a life of pnp gaming it's the only way to go, gluing your own backs to fronts.

Rulebook is not size dependent either, to be honest I go B/W to save cash here

The game as Jean rightly says is fantastic.

Shop around and get a quote before you do printing. I live in Sicily, hardly a metropolis in my little town, but my Copy shop does me good, and I suppose I paid about 20 euros, it was a block printing and prices get lower the more stuff you print in my experience.

But common you guys WE WANT A4!!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Wars of Marcus Aurelius
by Jean H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/25/2020 03:23:39

EDIT: TLDR + assembly recommendations .

TLDR If you are located in Europe and don't own a A3 printer, DONT BUY THIS. I didn't know it and ended up paying: 37 euros (printing of cards and map on normal A3 paper at a professionnal printer) + 11 euros (PDF files here) + 4 euros (card slayers) = 52 euros! (not even counting the money spent on my home printing).

Now, consider than the "real" game professionnally printed cost 40 dollars, and you'll get why I'm highly dissatisfied.

If you have an A3 printer, you may consider it. Print directly all the stuff on A3, full size, centered, and you should be fine. Count an afternoon to assemble the game. (was it so hard to write that down in your lame Assembly Instruction and descripton of the game, Wargame Vault?).

Original review: I'm reviewing the PnP game available here.

This review is intended at Wargame Vault and not at the creators of the game (which is great).

So, when buying this, I was ready to spend several hours cutting, glueing components. That's cool! What I was not ready for was to struggle to print the damn thing.

While the tokens were not a problem, the cards and the board... Good luck to get them printed properly with your home printer. Mine is an HP 7720. No way to get the cards aligned nor the board printed in its original size (always 5-6 mm missing on each quarter, no matter the settings I tried). The "assembly instructions", courtesy of Wargame vault, are basically useless (more or less, it says "To print the cards, open 'card.pdf' and print them").

To get a half decent result, you'll probably have to go, like me, to a professional printing house. And it will cost you. For a result that is still way poorer than the original game. And after paying those PDF files 12 **** dollars

Maybe my printer is to blame? Or maybe it's because I'm located in Europe and the files are made for US Standards? To be honest, I don't care. I would have expected some kind of instructions/warning/disclaimer from Wargame Vault, and I didn't get it. Their added value is 0 and that's what my review sanctions.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Horse & Musket: Dawn of an Era
by David H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/02/2019 12:41:58

This is basically Command and Colors on very intellligent steroids! No cards either. The command is given to the armies each turn in points which they can use for the various actions (Move, Fire, Rally, Charge etc) at differing costs per action and often according to the type of unit. Lord dumbo will get less, and can save few, whereas Duc de Smarty will get a lot and can save tons per turn too. (To a maximum of his command value) (Values from 0-3 for minor commanders, 1-4 for C-in-C's) This is the first of a series and concentrates on battles from the late 1600,s to the early 1700's, including Blenheim, and at 3 different scales permitting smaller battles, such as those of the various Jacobit rebellions to be refought as well as giant engagments. The simple rules are then fleshed out with a whole bundle of optional rules which can be added to taste, here you will find rules for "facing" units which permit the indication of formation with further permutation on combat results. Combat is a simple d10 roll to hit according to a large table, including ranged and close combat with diffent roles needed for different units in different situations. Add on to this the delicious National optional rules and you have a game which, never being simple in its Basic rules, becomes very nuanced with all the rest thrown in. A d6 is used for morale, and is rolled against the only number on the unit counter, this will gradually decrease as when a unit is hit it will be flipped to show a lower number

I liked the game a lot. The usual whinge from us poor Europeans is the fact that the sheets are Letter sized and not A4. This is not usually a hassle, but here with terrain tiles that must fit the map hexes, take care..... I didn't. I did all the terrain tiles then discovered the map sections wouldn't fit A4..... The only way round this was to print each letter page onto an A3 cardboard sheet. The units did't matter, as only the title of each unit page got sliced off.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Horse & Musket: Dawn of an Era
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Optimates et Populares
by Alexander J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/21/2018 10:14:39

Optimates et Populares features a really interesting and engaging gameplay concept that manages to capture the feeling and ideas of late Roman republican politics quite well. Both players try to outmatch each other in their influence in the senate, in the election into high political offices, in their relation to the plebs, the legions and the merchants. Bribery, murder, spectacles for the masses, legislative actions, the possibility of "vetoing" the opponent's political efforts and much more generate a very interesting, multi-facetted experience. Every single decision has its consequences. I especially like the fact that the game works almost completely without the luck factor (there are only two instances where luck is important), almost the whole game works like a very intricate balancing of powers, every step is risky, every plan can fail. While the Optimates-player (the old, corrupt nobility) tries to keep as much of the "status quo" as possible by hindering reforms, the Populares-player tries to use his initial popularity with the masses to get political offices and push reforms. Both sides play different and there is still much room for experimentation. I play the game only solitaire, but it works surprisingly good, even almost without random gameplay elements it feels very dramatic. The presentation is well done as well - the manual is very readable and without ambiguities, the general art of the game is pleasant and unique. I can wholeheartedly recommend this game for everyone interested in the political concepts of the late Roman Republic - but also to everyone interested in politics generally. Even if you are not interested in politics, the gameplay is so intricate and at the same time highly elegant that I would also recommend it to everybody interested in unique gameplay concepts.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Optimates et Populares
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Table Battles
by David H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/08/2018 12:10:55

Really enjoyed the experience. Very unusual game that merits being given a run. Plays well solitaire too.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Table Battles
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Agricola, Master of Britain
by [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/08/2018 11:05:09

A4 paper format could have been handy but still it is very easy to make a copy.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Agricola, Master of Britain
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Optimates et Populares
by Stuart T. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/19/2017 16:12:59

This is a great little game with a lot of theme, though you'll need to be interested enough in the history (but why else would you be reading?..) The map could do with a little streamlining, the rules with an example of play.

It is well worth your hard-earned to check this one out.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Optimates et Populares
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Agricola, Master of Britain
by Adam W. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/12/2017 13:48:49

Excellent light solo wargame. Simple and straightforward with plenty of decisions and dice rolling. The Battle system and hidden unit loyalty system are new and interesting. I would recomend this game to anyone interested solo conflict sims.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Agricola, Master of Britain
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Agricola, Master of Britain
by David H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/24/2017 12:39:02

A great little game. The mechanisms are simple but leave an aweful lot of hard decision making to be made. I still have to win a good victory. Ther AI is not dumb, it has it's own logic, and a very clever system of opaque containers to hide who is actually on your side a nd who isn't



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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