How Block Games Get the Balance Right

Pictured: Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games

The English Oxford Dictionary defines a game as “an activity that one engages in for amusement or fun; a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules.”

While often depicting epic battles and legendary military campaigns, block wargames do so without foregoing this basic tenet of gaming: it should be fun. But since block games are also great representations of historic conflicts, there is still a necessary level of complexity inherent in any simulation of war. 

From the challenge of maintaining supply lines, to the unpredictability of combat and unit cohesion, to the difficulty of terrain factors upon troop movement, realism is a key component of any solid war game design. However, a good block war game effectively incorporates these various challenges without foregoing ease of play. After all, it is still a game first and foremost. As Columbia Games notes at their website:

Columbia block games are fast-playing, easy to learn, and designed to be played and played and played, with mounting interest every time...elegant designs provides fog of war and step-reduction with no muss or fuss.

Simply put, block wargames get the balance right.

There are some who have historically sought to differentiate between combat simulations and war games. Providing a solid rebuttal to this argument within a BoardGameGeek forum ten years ago, veteran game designer Richard Berg explained:    

ALL games that purport to show history are simulations. Simulations - which are a common and key tool in many industries - allow the players to recreate what happened by providing as many of the factors that were present as possible (or as the designers desire) and, even more important, what COULD have happened, given different uses of those factors. 

In designing games that are simulations, the key is the FOCUS . . .what the Designer wants the players to concentrate on and use. If that designer wants the players to focus on how to "win" without giving him a great deal of detail, then you tend to have what...folks call "games"... 

From playing cards used for move and supply points, to dice rolls for combat resolution, block games (both by their components and design) give players the basic feel of a classic boardgame. Add to this the wood blocks themselves, particularly the larger 24mm wooden blocks found in games such as Julius Caesar and Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games, and you have a solid game with popular appeal, often even crossover appeal.  

Pictured: Julius Caesar by Columbia Games

    

Pictured: Cards from Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games

While some games may be asymmetrical in how they play, a good balanced game should still provide both opponents an opportunity to win, even when the odds are stacked against one because of the actual historical limitations. However, this nod to realism by no means sacrifices enjoyment. Rather, the disadvantaged player must simply rely upon strategy and tactics, and some good dice rolls hopefully, in order to achieve victory! 

Wooden blocks. Dice and cards. Low complexity rules explained in less than ten pages. Games which clock in at only 2-3 hours total. It is this emphasis on fast-play and fun components which best illustrates how block games get the balance right. After all, these combat simulations are ultimately games meant to be played and enjoyed.

Photo credit: Brian Williams 

3 Things to Look for in a Good Introductory Block War Game

Pictured: Julius Caesar by Columbia Games (2010)

On several occasions of late the question has been asked, which block war game is the best introduction to the genre? While opinions abound and answers inevitably vary depending upon who you ask, I would argue that there are three important things to look for in a good introductory block game. 

Low Block Count

While veteran gamers may enjoy the challenge presented by a game which spans an entire continent and utilizes a high number of blocks (several hundred in some cases), for the purpose of introducing someone to block war games, remember the old axiom: less is more. 

Fewer blocks (25-30 per player) means fewer decisions and quicker turns, resulting in less time invested overall, and therefore a greater opportunity to appreciate the mechanics and flow of the game itself. Don’t be fooled, however; strategy and tactics are not compromised with less blocks. On the contrary, every decision made is of greater importance as the loss of one battle (and a few blocks) could change the momentum of the entire war. 

Ease of Movement 

Nothing can slow a game down like the movement restrictions caused by terrain on a mapboard. While veterans of block games may appreciate the strategic challenges faced with such terrain effects as rivers, hills, woods, and marshes, the new player may find it all a bit daunting. Great introductory games find ways to introduce movement restrictions without slowing down play or requiring constant trips back to the rules book.  

Point to point games, such as Julius Caesar by Columbia Games, simulate movement restrictions by limiting the maximum number of blocks that can move on a road. In the case of Caesar, a maximum of 4 blocks can travel along a major road (denoted by a solid line), or 2 blocks by minor road (dotted lines). Through this simple game mechanic the need for strategic planning is maintained without forgoing ease of play, which is vital for an introductory game. Similar variants of this can also be found in other Columbia games such as their classic War of 1812, and Shenandoah: Jackson’s Valley Campaign.

An Appealing Theme

Last but not least, a game is supposed to be fun! In historical wargames, find a theme that not only sounds interesting, but that also appeals to you. When introducing someone to block wargames, look for an epic battle, a classic campaign, or a legendary leader to stoke interest in the hobby. Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon to kick off the Roman Civil War; “Braveheart” William Wallace leading the Scots in their War for Independence from England; this is (literally) the stuff great movies are made of! A compelling theme can help persuade a friend to sit down and give these wooden blocks a shot. 

No doubt there are many other things which help to make a good introductory game great. These three are not meant to be an exhaustive list but rather a simple guidepost for those fans who are looking to introduce others to the wonderful world of block war games.

Photo credit: Brian Williams 

Crossing the Rubicon with Columbia’s Julius Caesar

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49BC following his victory in the Gallic Wars, the act was treasonous and his intentions clear. Standing between Caesar and empire, however, was Pompey the Great. The two men, along with Crassus, had formed the first triumvirate ten years earlier. But now it would be war.  

The Roman Civil War (49-45BC) is brilliantly immortalized by the block wargame Julius Caesar from Columbia Games. Released back in 2010, the game is still considered by many to be Columbia’s best introductory block game. A perennial favorite, it firmly resides in the top 50 for war games at BoardGameGeek.com. 

The game benefits immensely from its utilization of Columbia Games’ standard block mechanics for representing fog of war and step reduction. The quality of components, both blocks and board, are immediately evident upon opening. Contents include: 

• 63 large wooden blocks (31 brown for Caesar, 31 green for Pompey, 1 blue for Cleopatra)
• Mapboard (17 x 33 inches)     
• 8 page rules book   
• 27 Cards      
• 4 dice 

Julius Caesar has both a simplicity and elegance when played. As I have written about before, however, that shouldn’t lead you to think that the game is easy. Strategic decisions abound, as players seek to earn a minimum of 10 Victory Points. With only 13 VPs on the board (Rome & Alexandria are worth 2 each, Syracuse, Antioch, & Athens 1 each, etc.), this is no small feat. Enemy leaders killed in battle are also worth 1 VP each.   

The game recreates the war through five campaign years, each featuring five turns. The action begins immediately with Caesar’s  battle tested legions amassed to the North, in some instances only one city removed from Pompey’s. Movement in the game is city to city with limitations based on road type (4 blocks over major roads, 2 over minor).   

Julius Caesar is indeed a great block game. The theme is dramatic and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. 

Following a recent game against a friend brand new to block wargames, a game in which my forces (Pompey) defeated his legions (Caesar), the conversation immediately turned to his first impressions. He was surprised by how easy the game was, and yet equally surprised by how much strategic depth it had. He started revisiting all of the tactical mistakes he had made, the bad dice rolls which cost him valuable forces, and the failure to press the action when needed. He concluded his assessment by saying how much he looked forward to playing it again and beating me in the rematch! 

And that is the very definition of a great game.  

Photo credit: Brian Williams 

What Makes These Little Wooden Blocks So Special?

In a previous post I explained what defines a block wargame, beginning first and foremost with the blocks themselves. Recently I came across an excellent explanation of the central game mechanic of block wargames written nearly twenty years ago by game designer Steffan O’Sullivan. 

So what makes these little wooden blocks so special? As O’Sullivan explains:

“The wooden blocks are roughly 1" by 1" by 0.5" - like half a domino that can stand on end a little easier...Only one face has unit information on it. Normally, that side is kept towards the owner of the piece. This means that you can see all of your units, and what they are, and how strong they are, but you can only see the backs of your opponent's pieces. You can tell where he has units, but not what they are nor how strong they are.”

This is what’s known as fog of war and it’s key to capturing the realism and confusion historically found in war. It also means that you do not know the strength of your opponent until you actually engage them in battle. O’Sullivan continues:

“There are numbers around the edges of the side facing you. The number on top represents the current strength of the unit. As the unit takes a hit in combat, it is rotated to the next lower number, one step per hit until eliminated. In combat, you roll a number of six-sided dice equal to the current strength...” 

The brilliance of this system, pioneered and perfected by Columbia Games, permits players to record step reduction with minimal effort. In the above picture, featuring a Roman legion from the game Julius Caesar, we see a block which initially plays at a four dice strength, which then decreases (rotating counter clockwise) with each hit taken in battle. 

“These two factors - easy fog of war and step reduction - mean that a wooden block game can achieve very sophisticated simulation with a minimum of strain on the gamer...consequently, even the most complicated wooden block game is still on the low side of moderate complexity by wargame standards.”

Don’t be fooled, however: strategic depth and satisfaction of play are not sacrificed for this simplicity. And that, in the end, is the brilliance of the block system. 

If you haven’t done so yet, check it out for yourself!