Cromwell 2026
Peter (NikTheRake) and myself tried this one out last night.
Aim of the game:-
This is an easy to learn wargame. The rules are straightforward and printed on two A4 double-sided pages. One of these sides is an example of play. The object is to eliminate the opposing army and take over all of Ireland. The map of Ireland is divided into four regions (depicting Ulster, Munster, Connaught and Leinster) with each region further divided into areas.
Set up:-
One player begins with control of Munster (bottom left) and the other in Ulster (top right). Connaught and Leinster form a no-mans land in between.
Players take turns placing a unit within their own area starting with the first player and continue until all units are on the board. There is a stacking limit of 5 units per area.
Reinforcements:-
The game differs from other wargames I have played in that you begin with all your units on the board, but you will receive no further reinforcements during the game. Certain areas in each region of the board give the controlling player a token during their turn. Four of these can be traded for a chip which can be placed below a unit. A chip will take a hit instead of the unit.
Action Phases
1. Jet
Can either bomb any enemy land/ water based unit 3 dice or
Battle for Air Superiority 2 dice against opposing jet – a 10 point hit track is provided and once exceeded a hit is scored2. Move Units
3. Fight (in contested areas)
4. Collect tokens
5. Purchase and Place Chips
Units:-
A simple player aid sheet gives a breakdown of unit movement, dice, any special rules and keeps track of hits on the Jets. Units are summarised (if I remember correctly) as follows:-
Unit Move Dice Special Rules
for Jet attacks see 1. above.
Jet* Once placed doesn’t move 2 Dice are for defence only. For attack see 1. above
Helicopter 6 2 Must land on a mobile Heli Base
Mobile Heli Base 1 1 If you have more helicopters than bases at the end of your move extra helicopters are destroyed
Tank 1 2
Motorised Infantry 2 1
Hover Tank 3 2 Can move on land or water
Hover Craft 3 1 Can move on land or water
Rocket Launcher 1 2 Can support an attack up to two areas awayHits:-
Any 6 rolled scores a hit
Removing Casualties:-
Each unit is also depicted on a card. A card is placed to the side for each unit involved in a battle (note if you have two tanks and a helicopter are involved in the battle then two tank cards and one helicopter card will be placed to the side). If you suffer a hit your opponent picks a card at random which takes the hit. Remember if the unit has a chip the chip is removed instead of the unit.
Overall Impression of the Game:-
I rate this game a 5 (see rating system below). It’s an enjoyable two-player game, which I would be more than happy to play again on occasion. Very easy to explain and play. The (lack of) reinforcement mechanic stops this relatively simple wargame from outstaying its welcome. The different unit capabilities ensure an element of strategy.
My Game Rating System
10 The Holy Grail of games (still waiting to give a game this score)
8-9 Very good game.
6-7 Good game. Would happily play whenever it’s brought to the table.
4-5 Reasonable game. Would play and enjoy occasionally if it is brought to the table or suitable to play with certain opponents.
2-3 Poor game, but has one or two good points, such as good quality components which can be salvaged for other games (making it worth a couple of quid from a charity shop, but not much more) or I get the feeling there’s a reasonable game hidden in there somewhere if only I could be bothered to look/ invent house rules.
1 Somebody’s had a laugh at my expense. I can’t think of anything good to say about this one (only one game has achieved this, if achieved is the right word, but it’s also the only game I have ever thrown in the bin and I can’t remember it’s name. I had received it amongst a bundle of games from ebay. It was a Power Rangers type game)
My (GeZe's) Homework About Boardgaming
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welll….
I’m going to lead my class through a workshop about making a board game.
I have to show them examples of good and bad board games.
The Good board games-
1. Chess
2. Monopoly
3. Axis and Allies of coarse!The Problem-
I don’t know any BAD board games.
If you know any please post them here!
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I’d say that Snakes/Chutes and ladders tops my list. It’s soooo bloody complicated with all that dice rolling and climbing and falling all over the show.
Sorry would be my number 2. Similarly mind numbingly tedious. Basically any game that relies on mere dice rolling pisses me off.Good games - Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, Trivial Persuit, Cranium.
nice to see you again Gezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzze
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A general problem with really bad games is too little decision making. A lot of games are simply “Roll Dice, Move Character up, Get action depending upon where character lands, do action, next turn, roll dice and move up”.
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risk
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I would say there are games for different ages:
The “game of life” wwas fun when i was say 10…. now i would feel bored.
It’s roll the dice and do exactly one decision :)…And another reason why we don’t know that many “bad” games… is that they are bad and therefore not played and known :)…
If you go on borad-gaming, you could go into “gaming theory” a bit as well, depending on the age of the audience… then suddenly chess becomes “trivial” and pretty boring :) (as there is always a “best move”, alweays a “best strategy”, and the moves of your opponent are not hidden, it is “full of information”).
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Hey! Why did you move this?
This is about my homework! Not anothor game!
Thanks For All The Replies!
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I’ve heard that Fortress America is a very one sided game. Apparently it is almost impossible for America to loose. This may be a part of the reason why the game out of print. That and the politically incorrect artwork on the front of the box. Like a picture of Sadam Hussein and the two towers on fire. Ouch.
Even with that having been said just you try to buy that game on eBay for less than $75 for a set in good condition.
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heaven forbid^_^ it was made by the americans :wink:
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I’ll throw in my 2 cents about good/bad board games I’ve played.
Good
Win, Place, Show Horse Racing (great atmosphere and some good strategy needed)
Cranium (all out fun across many genres)(these aren’t really board games, but close enough!)
Boggle (time tester, vocabulary builder, and makes people analyze data quick)
Wordthief (a fun game combining Scrabble and Rummy)Bad
Trivial Pursuit (more boring than watching paint dry)
Stock Ticker (zero skill needed. A 2 year old can beat anyone)Borderline Call
Scrabble (too much luck in getting the right letters and learning cheesey Scrabble Dictionary words ruins all the fun. WOW! The words “xi”, “xu” and “ka” are words. You don’t have a scrabble dictionary? Too bad! I do! Those words count!
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Bad?
MOUSETRAP
yes we do have an old mousetrap game kickin’ around somewhere.
SORRY is a little bit worse than borderlineGood
Settlers of Catan
–-Cities and Knights of Catan (expansion)
—Seafarers of Catan (expansion)
Sequence is okayAll these are in addition to those already mentioned
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bad? hmmm…my vote would go to the little cardboard games u get on cereal boxes that u have to cut out :x
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This is intriguing, GeZe – will you be repeating such a session with a class in the future?
I find it fascinating how different people are attuned to different types of game play. For example, mat picks “Sorry” as a lousy game. And when I read his post, I flashed on some amazing interplay with Sorry as a young kid – tons of reversals of fortune, quick pace, etc., almost as much fast action as shooting craps. A group adrenaline rush disguised as a board game.
Now, I realize by the reaction of mat – this is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, how do you determine what goes into a “good” boardgame, besides its success at lasting over time and generations of players – and perhaps its ability to morph into a family of games?
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No we will not be reapeting it and it went kinda bad. they wouldent listen to me etc.
I think that most people that like axis and allies like games where you have to think, strategize and dont envolve tons of luck as axis and allies is
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Well, there are two different schools of boardgaming:
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Luck based. Roll a die, move a piece, pick up a card, rinse repeat. No decisions to be made really.
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Decision based. Strategy games. Much more complex, more fun. Takes some thinking to play.
Axis and Allies is a decision based game which relies quite a bit on luck. A hybrid so to speak, most good board games are hybrids.
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Surprised monopoly’s only been mentioned once (at the top). I love monopoly! 'cept last game I played against my brother, we attacked each other like 15 times over hotel payments and stuff. Long story short, I forget who won.
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@ctm:
Surprised monopoly’s only been mentioned once (at the top). I love monopoly! 'cept last game I played against my brother, we attacked each other like 15 times over hotel payments and stuff. Long story short, I forget who won.
Wow I thought I was the only one that thought monopoly should have a millitary element added.
“you landed on park place, I have a hotel that will be $xxx!”
“I call my millitia to storm your hotel and take it over!”
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Hmm. Monopoly as military game.
Howabout: Baghdad or Broke.
The value of Water Works & Electric Company would have to be increased tenfold – and Park Place and Boardwalk remain the most expensive properties, but are renamed Halliburton Place and Fort Bechtel.The element of luck is emphasized through the cards you pick up at Community Chest & Chance, which are rebranded Cheney’s Bunker & France. And the role of Uncle Moneybucks will be lovingly portrayed by Uncle Rummyguns.
House rule fanatics can argue over whether you get extra moolah for landing on Free Parking, or if it’s simply a place to rest – and get your American butt shot at by martyrs on motorbikes.
And one true-to-life option is replicating square #4 (Income Tax) so that it is placed in every other square around all four sides of the board!
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yahtzee!!!
Parcheesi!!!I’d rather eat a whole ant colony then play those two!!!
they just don’t make sense and that is why I have against them
they leave the players feeling like they’ve done nothing
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