Board Games

[Jon Miller]

reccomend me some board games

I am looking for multipalyer, preferibly between 3-5 (but more is ok)

having it somewhat warbased is also good

making the pieces simple,a nd the rules simple, are also good

having pieces like A&A is good (my freinds don't like having to read the carboard pieecs to know how to use it

to let you know what they have liked (I like mroe complicated games in general)

A&A
Diplomacy
Rome (the like this a little less)
Settlers
Third Reich (5th edition or whatever, they found this hard going but were getting into it by the end)

games I have or have played which I think they would like:
History of the World
Kingmaker
Civilization (the Avalon Hill one)
some game that was called shogun or something

game that I expected them to like, but they didn't as much
A&A:Europe

please give me suggestions

Jon Miller

[Standup]

1829 and its variants - not war based but trains. Good multiplayer fun but you don't get to kill anything.

Warrior Knights - fairly simple wargame from Games Workshop. Tends to be what we end up playing. Although we all prefer 3rd Reich it can be played in a weekend.

Dune - based on the books. Lots of diplomacy and backstabbing. Actual strategic skill seems less important than the ability to manipulate your friends.

Down With the King. Intrigue at court. Not sure about this game - some were very good but depends on players and you might have to work hard to make it fun.

Blood Royale -another from Games Workshop.

[Jon Miller]

can you provide any links?

JOnM iller

[Jon Miller]

samuria swords is the other game I am thinking about that I would like to get to play

went by shogun for a while also

JOn Miller

[Jon Miller]

here is the list of A&A like games

Broadsides and Boarding Parties, Conquest of the Empire, Axis and Allies, Fortress America, Shogun

anyone know how to get any of the others?

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

A Game of Thrones
seems interesting and diplomacy like

Jon Miller

[rah]

Amoeba Wars

A cult CLASSIC

User Review Submit Your Own Review

xeno-cat (11/30/03)
Rating:8

Pros: Very social, fast moving, devious with some good old war gamer stratagy thrown in
Cons: It's out of print :-(, the games concept of a final move is a little weird

Amoeba Wars is a cult classic that is still fun to play
This is a great game for the more advanced families (Axis & Alies type folks rather than Risk) as well as a fun diversion for more advanced gamers. It's very social and alliences can come and go with even the weakest player remaining a factor through the games rather ingenious use of "Power Play" cards.

The map is itself a giant hex that is that is seven hexes wide, each hex representing a "system" within the galaxy. The 6 hexes that form the points of the map are "Home Worlds" and represent the starting positions for each "Space Lord". Some hexes on the map have numbers represnting resource points that may be used each turn by a player controling the sector. The central hex is Saestor and the surrounding hexes make up the "Central Systems". In order to attempt to capture Saestor a player must have control of at least 3 of the central systems ( in a 6 player game ).

The peices are very simple in that they have two defining factors: resource cost to build, and combat bonus. The ship resource costs and combat values are:

Scout : Cost: 1, Combat Bonus: 0
Cruiser : Cost: 2, Combat Bonus: 1
Dreadnot : Cost: 3, Combat Bonus: 2
Base Star : Cost: 4, Combat Bonus: 3
Monitor : Cost: 5, Combat Bonus: 4

Combat between ships is simply a die roll plus it's combat bonus, ties destroy both ships.

The turn sequence is broken up into a series of stages: the "Power Play", resource allocation, attacks, final movement.

Power Play

This phase consists of each player placing a card from their hand ( 3 to start, four if you control an inner system ). Cards allow players to do certain things like "Aquire a Cruiser" or "Hyper Jump" a certain amount of resource points worth of ships to any sector. Some cards are labeled "Must Use" which means that if they are played the effects must be applied, these are usually bad cards ( Amoeba Attack Campaigns, Production Strikes, etc. ). Each card has a number with the lower numbers comprising the most beneficial cards and the highest numbers generally comprising the worst cards. The player that places the highest card gets to go first, using all the cards played. After their turn, the player who played the next highest gets to play their card plus all the lower cards. The process proceeds until the person who played the lowest card has gone ( using only the card they played ). The person who placed the highest card must play their card first on the next turn and then each player plays are card proceeding clockwise from the first card player.

Resource Allocation

Basicaly, count up the number of systems you control with resource points and purchase your ships.

Movement

You may now attack systems or other players.

Final Move

Move any number of ships from one system to a connected system.

The Amoebas

The Amoebas come into play with the Amoeba Attack campaigns and when you attempt to take control of systems with Amoebas in them. During Amoeba Attack Campaigns Amoebas may attack adjoining systems destroying ships or even claiming the system if it contains fewer than 3 defending ships. The proces for managing the Amoebas is simple but can have a drastic effect on the game.

Greatest Gaming Moment:
I have a pretty decent winning average but my greatest moment was actually being torn down by an allience of other players that demonstrated a tremendus amount of stratagy and planning. The key player in the coup was somone who was barely in control of his own home system ( because I had pounded him into a box ) but had the key power play card that crippled my empire ( double amoeba attack campaign, followed by someone elses single amoeba attack campaign for a total of 4, and then a successfull ambush by an amoeba card that each of the 3 got to use, ouch).

Time Played:
100+ hours

[rah]

That's an accurate description.
We have played it for years. A great game. Lots of twists, but the rules are tight, and reasonably easy.

[Urban Ranger]

Amoeba Wars

Also British Rails or Empire Builder if you are into railway building games.

There's an old Avalon Hill game called Titan which is pretty good, but it can be very frustrating because it's very luck dependent.

Talisman is good.

Cosmic Encounter is not really a board game. It's a very light, chaotic, and social game.

[Standup]

1829 fan page

A little bit on Blood Royale but not more than an outline. Also some notes on Talisman.

Same players page for Dune

Couldn't find much useful for Warrior Knights a few notes here

[Jamski]

Talisman all the way... as long as you have enough people to make it interesting and enough expansions.

I have the first version from whenever that didn't even have colour printed "adventure" cards.

-Jam

[Boris Godunov]

Risk is the best of the simple war games. If you can get Castle Risk, even more fun.

Axis & Allies is still my standard as far as the more complex ones. Quite fun.

I recently bought Sid Meier's Civilization board game, and it looks like it would be fun, but I can't find anyone to play with.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Jamski
I have the first version from whenever that didn't even have colour printed "adventure" cards.

I had that. I gave it to the uni's gamers' club when I graduated, though.

Those master level characters are quite nasty, particularly that High Mage.

[Jamski]

My game-goal was always to become the High Mage before my brother. You only had to give them one measly magic item...

-Jam

[Grumbold]

I overdosed on Talisman before it had expansions. They might have made it more interesting but I was already sick of it by then

The new Civilisation is good fun and very different from the original.

1-2 hour games:

Euphrates & Tigris
Big City
El Grande
Mississippi

Card games:
The Great Dalmuti (best with 6+ players)
Money!
Bohnanza