Upcoming Osprey Wargames Titles

So I was looking at Osprey's upcoming wargames titles on Amazon (here) and, as well as several Bolt Action (looking forward to Campaign Sea Lion!), Frostgrave and Konflikt '47 titles, there were a few completely new games...to me, anyway...

It is 1875, and Count Dracula is President of the United States of America.

In the wake of the Civil War, with the country struggling to regain its balance, Dracula seized power. The Count's thralls assassinated President Lincoln and his entire administration in a single night and, in the ensuing chaos, their master made his move. Dominating the Senate, he declared himself President-for-Life, and now rules the Union with fear and an iron fist. His vampiric progeny, the Coven of the Red Hand, infest every strata of society, and enforce Dracula's will with ruthless efficiency.

Drawn by the shadows gathering across the nation, secretive cults and evil creatures emerge from their lairs to thrive in the darkness of the new regime. Fleeing from the oppression and menace of the East, hordes of pioneers head to the West, hoping for a new life.

Dracula's greed, however, knows no bounds, and his reach is long.

Dracula's America: Shadows of the West is a skirmish game of Gothic horror set in an alternate Old West. Secret wars rage across the country - from bustling boom-towns to the most remote wilderness - as cults and secret societies fight for power and survival. Players will throw their support behind one of these factions, and will lead a Posse of up to a dozen individual models in fast-paced, cinematic battles for dominance and survival.

In 1919, the US Government declared the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol illegal. America officially became a 'dry' land. That didn't stop people from drinking, however, and the rise of the 'speakeasy' offered huge new opportunities for organized crime. Soon, cities both large and small became battlegrounds as various crime syndicates vied for control of the underground alcohol trade. In Mad Dogs With Guns, players form their own small gangs of fedora-wearing, tommy gun-wielding gangsters and battle it out with their rivals. With numerous different gangs to choose from, including cops and G-men, a fully integrated campaign system, and rules for special situations such as car chases, the game offers a huge variety of tactical challenges. Bribe public officials, attend a gangland funeral, but always watch your back - there is always another gang waiting to poach your territory.

Whilst I'm not particularly interested in Gaslands, the first two look interesting. Osprey really are producing a lot of interesting games!

Escaped from Colditz!

The boy and I managed to get a game of Escape from Colditz in over the half-term. It has been at least 30 years since I've played the game but reading the rules brought everything back.

The boy wanted to play the Brits so I got to be the Germans. We placed the turn marker on 50 as recommended in the rules for beginners and off we went. My son played quite cautiously...slowly picking up pieces of escape equipment and taking few chances...though I did get to arrest a few of his chaps and send them to solitary.

I was beginning to think the game was mine as there were less than 10 turns left and my son hadn't even attempted an escape yet. I also knew that if he was going to go it would be from the canteen as he was trying to get as many chaps as he could in there...but I was still confident. I had a guard on the other side of the wall waiting and a couple more in the barracks ready to go if needed. I also had my trump card...a shoot-to-kill Security card...should I need it. There was no way he could get two chaps out in so few turns and win the game.

So my son finally gets a double on the dice roll and, therefore, a decent movement...he goes for it. My guard gives chase....ending up just a few spaces behind. My son then plays an opportunity card...diversion.

This sends the guard giving chase to the Commandant's office. Okay. No sweat. I send another guard after him but roll poorly so he doesn't even get over the fence. My son, on the other hand, rolls another double for another high movement. Dammit. He's getting cocky now, though, sending another chap out of the canteen, over the walls and over the fence. Big mistake, I think. I play my trump card...shoot-to-kill. I'll get one of them and so there's no way he can win (you need to get two guys out to win).

My son smiles and plays his trump card...talisman. Damn. Okay, I can still get one of his guys if I roll high enough. I don't. I roll low and miss. My son makes another couple of decent rolls over the next couple of turns, managing to keep ahead of my guard. Finally getting both of his chaps out on the same turn...and winning the game with just two turns to go.

Guess what? My son loves Escape from Colditz! And despite the loss so do I. Great fun!

Escape from Colditz is here!

My copy of Escape from Colditz arrived yesterday! The boy and I are pretty excited and hope to be able to have a game or two over the half-term holidays.

The artwork is superb and the components all of excellent quality...as I have come to expect from Osprey.

You can find out more on the Osprey page here.

Escape from Colditz!

Coming in October! Very much looking forward to this!

More Odin's Ravens from Osprey Games

Back in February I mentioned that my pre-order copy of Odin's Ravens from Osprey Games had arrived. And, boy...has it seen a lot of play since then. It helps that a game only takes around twenty minutes...although this really is one of those 'just one more' type games so I don't actually think we've ever just played one.

I can't recommend this game enough if you are a fan of fast-paced, two-player games with a bit of strategy. The boy and I love it. A lot.

Here's an Osprey video explaining the rules...

...and here's another showing a full play-through...

You can find more reviews and play-throughs on BoardGameGeek. It can also be picked up pretty cheaply if you look around. 

Odin's Ravens from Osprey Games

My copy of Odin's Ravens from Osprey Games arrived today. The production values are excellent as to be expected from Osprey....the wooden ravens are superb and the cards are made from good quality cardstock and are beautifully illustrated. A really great looking game!

I haven't had a chance to play the game yet but as it is a two player game that can be played in half an hour, I know it will see a lot of play....with young kids in the house, these are the sort of games that get played most often!

There is a video 'sneak peek' here and a review here, for those that are interested.

Escape from Colditz 75th Anniversary Edition

Just heard the news that Osprey will be releasing a 75th Anniversary Edition of Escape from Colditz in October 2016! I loved this game as a kid and have often thought about getting a copy on eBay. Now I won't have to!

The press release is here:

The King is Dead from Osprey Games

Not strictly wargaming but yesterday my copy of The King is Dead, the new boardgame from Osprey, arrived. And very pretty it is, too.

The blurb:

"The King is Dead is a board game of politics and power struggles in dark Arthurian Britain for 2 to 4 players.

King Arthur is dead. The nation is divided. The Saxons are coming.

Now, more than ever, Britain needs a ruler who can unite the kingdom, but who will take the crown? Players work behind the scenes, marshalling their limited resources to give power to competing factions and gain influence within their ranks. Players owe loyalty only to themselves, however, and are free to shift their allegiances as they see fit. Whoever has the most influence over the most powerful faction will rule Britain from the shadows. But be careful - too much infighting will give the Saxons an opening and put the entire nation at risk."

Game time is from 30 to 45 mins and it is for 2 to 4 players. You can download the rule book here.

This is the first boardgame from Osprey but more are planned with They Come Unseen, a game of submarines and subterfuge during the Cold War, due out in October, Odin's Ravens due out in February 2016 and Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space due out in May 2016.

Osprey have really branched out over the last year or two with both Osprey Adventures and Osprey Games. And both seem to be doing well if the upcoming production schedule is anything to go by. I'm a big fan of what they're doing...reasonably priced games and books with high production values and, in the case of wargames, a low cost buy-in in terms of figures. In fact, it was their release of In Her Majesty's Name a few years ago and the realisation that I only needed a couple of dozen figures to actually play that got me into wargames in the first place.

So long may their success continue!

Broken Legions

This looks interesting! Osprey Games posted this pic up on their Facebook page. No info as yet but I'm certainly intrigued!

[edit: added some more info below]

The author has just posted up some more details on his blog here which I've copied and pasted below:

Next up, we have two games published by Osprey, due to hit the shelves in 2016 (announcement here). The first, and the one in the best shape currently, is Broken Legions, a game of fantastical skirmishes in the Roman Empire. The idea behind the game is that the Roman Empire teeters on a gladius-edge, and has sent out hard-bitten bands of legionnaires under the watchful eye of the Frumentarii (Roman secret service) to retrieve occult artefacts of great power. This, they believe, will stop ancient, foreign gods from threatening the supremacy of Rome, and secure Roman rule for a thousand years. Of course, the servants of those ancient gods aren’t best pleased, and so everyone from Egyptian cultists to druidic warbands are out to stop the Romans. There are even secret cults within Rome who believe that dabbling in the affairs of gods is unwise, and so they too oppose the legion.

This is a fantasy skirmish game, which has at its heart a granular D10 system, with a campaign play mode reminiscent of my old Legends of the Old West game. The faction-building rules are pretty freeing, drawing upon a wide range of ancients and fantasy ranges, and it occupies an ‘alternate history’ space, allowing you to field werewolves in your band of Germanic barbarians, and khopesh-wielding mummies with your Settites. Oh, and in some scenarios, you might encounter wandering monsters controlled by a simple ‘AI’ – anything from Minotaurs to flocks of Harpies.

Sounds very much along the lines I was hoping for!