Best hex games

But the situation is even worse for the Germans. The three stacks highlighted in red have taken a gamble by pent rating the Soviet line in a gamble to reach Kiev further to the east. However, if the Logistics chit is drawn now, then the Soviet ZOC indicated by the red Xs would block their line of supply.

The German Panzer unit to the south is still in supply since it can trace a line of supply across the river and then north the yellow hex is a German, not Soviet, ZOC.

I hope there are more games released in this system. Closer to a tactical level wargame, it is relatively easy to learn making it ideal for someone new to wargaming.

The series rulebook is just 12 pages long, although each volume comes with its own game-specific rules. But what makes this game stand out is the central role leaders and morale have in game play.

In addition to the infantry, cavalry, and artillery units each player has leader counters. The British are commanded by Lieutenant General John Burgoyne and under him are numerous subordinate commanders such as Baron Adolf von Riedesel who commanded the German mercenaries. The Americans are ostensibly under the overall command of Major General Horatio Gates, but his command is divided.

Major General Benedict Arnold commands an entire wing of the army and acts independently during much of the battle. Every leader has a close combat modifier that is added to the combat die rolls, and a leadership modifier that is used during morale checks and when rallying disrupted and shattered units.

And if it reaches zero, the Army is Demoralized and results in an immediate victory for the opponent. Doing so is the best means of achieving victory. For example, if the three American blue militia units were to attack the British red unit, they would do so at 3 to 2 odds summing up the attack values in the lower left-hand corner yields 8 attack points compared to 5 points for the British, which reduces to 3 to 2 on the Combat Results Table.

Normally this would cause the Americans to suffer -3 die roll modifier to their attack which would likely result in an adverse outcome. So instead of -3 die roll modifier, it is now only a -1 modifier. A tenth game covering the Battle of Rhode Island is about to be released.

That means there is plenty of gaming available with little or no new rules needed to be learned. Published by the French company Hexasim, Liberty Roads is my second favorite hex and counter wargame for one main reason: possibilities. This allows the Allied player to try different strategies for getting ashore and racing to the German border.

Do you land in Holland, which is much closer to Germany? Or do you land further west, say along the coast of Brittany, to capture the numerous ports there? You can even launch an invasion along the Mediterranean coast. There are pros and cons to every beach. These markers represent concrete block houses, mines, anti-aircraft batteries, anti-tank guns and other defensive measures.

The Allies must consider these factors when deciding where to invade, but also other factors. For example, some beaches are in range of Allied air cover those with the aircraft symbol. Others are not, such as those between Brest and St Nazaire. Some beaches allow you to land more troops in the initial assault wave first number below the landing craft symbol and follow-up wave second number than others.

Finally, the Allied player must consider what forces the Germans have deployed on the beaches and inland, the proximity of ports they can capture to use for supply, the need to take out U-boat pens and V1 rocket sites, and how far it is to the German border.

In addition to all the choices this game offers, it uses many innovative mechanics , such as the Support markers. Like the D-Day and Atlantikwall markers, these represent additional resources available to each side. Some are offensive in nature, such as Allied air support and German Tiger tanks.

Others are defensive, such as German panzerfausts to blunt Allied armor attacks and the Allied Nuts! The Germans have no such restriction, although they will generally receive fewer Support markers each turn. Even the combat resolution table CRT is unique. Like many other games, it is odds-based. For example, if 15 combat factors attack a hex with 4 combat factors, the odds round down to 3 to 1. The attacking player then rolls two dice, adds in any modifiers from the Support markers and determines how many losses each side takes.

But in addition to these, the CRT may list additional results for the attacker and defender, such as the ability to exploit move and attack again or retreat a certain number of hexes. Plus, the rulebook is only 16 pages in length. That is incredible given what is packed into this game.

Unfortunately, there is only one other game in the system, Victory Roads , which covers the Soviet offensive that began around the same time as the D-Day landings to the fall of Berlin — which is why it falls short of the 1 spot. This title covers the famous or should I say infamous?

I say that because it shares many of the same attributes that I have already mentioned in making this list. Comments comments. More Goodness. MCM Birmingham -Back to normal? Latest Articles See All. Fort Triumph. Phoenix Point — one year on. Doom Eternal. Latest Reviews. Lunch-A-Palooza Review. Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy.

The Matrix: Resurrections. At the Mountains of Madness — Volume 2. Latest Articles. Infinitely flexible, this game has the potential to contain all other wargames inside… a bit like Google and the internet, I guess? The fourth iteration of the series may have only offered a modest amount of improvements, but it keeps the series in place as one of the best titles for deep, operational level warfare.

Whether you have all the previous editions as I do, or you are a newcomer just starting out, this game is a must buy. Now toss in over included scenarios, online play not to mention a Jim-dandy scenario editor, and plunking down a few shekels is an even easier decision to make. Yes, I know, most film sequels are never as good as the original, so what are the odds here? This latest TOAW edition has indeed made an almost perfect classic even better, well deserving a five star rating if not an entire constellation.

Two thumbs up for a job very well done. Don't be afraid to join the fray! Be part of the conversation by heading over to our Facebook page, Discord , or forum. To stay informed on all the latest wargaming and tabletop games guides, news, and reviews, follow Wargamer on Twitter and Steam News Hub. We sometimes include relevant affiliate links in articles, from which we earn a small commission. Any stated prices are correct at the time of publication. For more information, click here.

Updated: Oct 1, Urban eenvironments require careful manoeuvring and positioning. Plausible alt-history in an old-school package. The realities of the Eastern Front make for some brutal fights. Simple, Effective and with great replay-ability, especially against other players.

Battleground 3 :Waterloo — Talonsoft Created by Talonsoft, the battleground series had a huge run going up to Age of rifles — Strategic Simulations Inc. The Operation art of war — Talonsoft The most basic looking of our top 5, with maps looking like the oldschool board games you use to play with your dad, or even, you dad played with his dad.

Comments comments. More Goodness. MCM Birmingham -Back to normal? Latest Articles See All. Fort Triumph. Phoenix Point — one year on. Doom Eternal. Latest Reviews. Lunch-A-Palooza Review.