Battlecards

World Conflict

Battlecards is, obviously, a card wargame, which may seem strange to the traditional figure gamers. But the concept of strategy and tactical balance are well reflected in such games. I first came across this approach to gaming with Dixie, which follows an American Civil War format, and I found it a very enjoyable way of spending time when limited space is available, such as on train journeys.

 In World Conflict, the setting is World War II, the Western European Theatre of operations. The objective of the game is to amass victory points, or to defeat your opponent and capture his homeland. This is done by the cunning and devious deployment of your range of Arsenal cards.

 Naval, air and ground units are included in the game, and it is the combination of these that brings the strategic element to the game. Having deployed the initial forces players draw a Battlecard and follow the instructions contained. Some of these may allow a battle to be fought and the conditions for this are described on the card including the attacking and defending player. The aggressor decides whether to initiate combat.

 Where a battle is declared, and the units required in the scenario have been deployed by the players, both sides reveal their deployed cards and engage in a series of battle phases. Players may choose to withdraw from the action, or continue to the bitter end.

 The starter pack consists of 2 sets of 47 Arsenal cards (British and German), and 50 Conflict cards, all contained in a small box, which can be easily carried in a shoulder bag or coat pocket. The cards themselves are the size of normal playing cards and made of a brightly coloured plastic coated material.

 I have played this game a number of times with my son, 8 years old going on 20, and we both enjoyed it. Equally I have taken the game down to the pub, and having evicted the cribbage players from their corner, have introduced some of the chaps to the concept! Again they enjoyed it, the only problem being the lack of variety of card types after a large number of games. Don’t get me wrong, the play is still good, but wargamers are always looking for an edge.

 Of course DGA games have thought of this and expansion modules are available, as are card sets covering our theatres of operations. Details can be obtained from www.dgagames.com or by writing to DG Associates, 1428 Weatherly Rd, Huntsville, Alabama, 35803, U.S.A.

 All in all I enjoyed playing World Conflict, and am sure that experienced card gamers will find it well worth acquiring, while those new to this approach will find it quick to pick up, and fun to play.

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