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I thought I would take some time to write a quick review of the Fantasy Flight game Wings of War. I’ve been picking up various components of the game for the past couple of weeks and it has really started to grow on me. I’ll do my best to capture the spirit of the game. Enjoy.

Before talking about the game components it is important to mention that the Wings of War series of games has a variety of expansions that can be bought and used with the original base game (note: some of the expansions are even able to be used independent of the original game). The base game was a WWI game called Famous aces and was followed up with expansions called Burning Drachens and Watch your Back! These games have also been supported by a series of airplane miniatures with more due to be released over the course of the coming year.

Also produced by Fantasy Flight was a WOW set entitled The Dawn of War. This set is similar to Famous Aces but is set in WWll. I expect that this set will be further supported in the future.

Game Bits

For the purposes of this review I will briefly talk about the master and expansion sets before commenting on the miniatures:

The WOW base sets have three major components that are used in game play and all are well produced. The first two are individual player boards and a gun range finder. Both are made of the same excellent cardboard stock and are attractive and functional. These components are needed to make use of the miniatures. The third major component of the game is cards which are used to determine plane movement and to assess damage after a plane gets hit by gunfire. The cards are small but this is not a problem as game play requires the cards to be on the small side (planes are able to move the length of a card). The only problem I have with the cards is that those which are used to represent models of planes are less than impressive. It seems that Fantasy Flight had little interest in including high quality planes and instead decided to use this mediocre component in order to encourage their customers to purchase WOW miniatures. Overall, I think that people who pick up this game will be satisfied with what they get in the box with the possible exception of the plane cards. I would suggest that anyone who is truly interested in WWl  or in this game will want to consider picking up some of the compatible miniatures.

The last component of the game that I need to touch on is the miniatures which are used in conjunction with the base set and expansions.  Fantasy Flight made a decision to sell these miniatures individually (although you can pick up a box with four miniatures and a base set) and they can be somewhat costly as a result. On average they will run you around $10-$12 which may not seem like much but should you decide to pick up five or six the price can quickly escalate (when you consider the cost already invested in the base sets). However, I will say that the when you look at what you get for your $10 the planes are well worth the money. They meet Fantasy Flights very high standards and are both attractive and very functional. Each plane also comes with a manoeuvre deck which is unique to that particular type of aircraft and pilot. These cards are of the same quality of those found in the base sets.  I would go so far as to say that if you are interested in WOW you really should plan on investing in at least two of these planes.

Game Play

I won’t go into great depth about the details of game play but will instead attempt to offer a brief picture of how the game is played. At its core WOW is a miniatures game that uses cards in order to drive movement and combat. The system is simple and intuitive but there are enough elements that can be added to in order to give the game the feel of a realistic WWl dogfight . The process of game play is rather simply in that each player/pilot chooses three cards from their manoeuvre deck and reveals them one at a time moving their plane as directed by cards. When a plane gets another plane in range and in its line of sight they are considered to have hit that plane and they draw a damage card. Each plane can take a certain amount of damage before it is destroyed and a winner is declared. It is important to point out that the game does have several rules which allow players to consider factors such as altitude, being on your opponent’s tail, rules which allow planes to fire backwards and also to play objective based games. It should be noted that to take advantage of all these rules some of the expansion sets will be required.

Overall

At the end of the day this is nothing less than a great game for people who want to capture the spirit of the airplane dogfight. Playable with two people, the game only improves as you add others into the mix. My local game store has a Top Ace day where lots of people bring in their planes so that everyone can have large scale air battles and fight as squadrons rather than as individuals. I highly recommend this game for anyone who wants a light table top wargame without much muss or fuss!

I just wanted to write a quick post about a new games forum that has been started by a brick and mortar store that has opened in Hamilton, Ontario.  The store has been in operation for a little while now and it is a very nice store with a lot space for gaming and good selection of games as well.  The website for the store is blackknightgames.ca and you can get to the forum via the main page.  I'm hoping that this store and its game forum will continue to grow into thriving gaming community.  So if you are in the southern Ontario area come and check out the store....if your further away have a look at the website. The store is located at:

Black Knight Games
868 Mohawk Rd East
Hamilton, ON
L8T 2R5

and you can reach them by phone at (905)296-3401

later,

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

After viewing a demo of Wings of War at my local game store I decided this was a game that I had to have as a part of my collection. I started out by picking up Wings of War:famous Aces in a board game trade and then started to buy some of the miniatures so that my whole family could join in the fun. I'm planning to write up a full review later this week but let me say that if you are looking for a light game that allows for some good competition....you will not be disappointed!

 

Just wanted to let you all know that my game bits arrived from Rio Grande Games.  I just want to say a quick thanks to Jay.  I'll be doing a larger post this weekend.

 Canadian Gamer (Jason)

I recently picked up a copy of the newly re-released game Cash n Guns by Asmodee Editions.  This game can be played in less than half an hour and is for 4-6 players (ages 10+).  I recently broke it out with a group of players who I usually don't play with and it was a great success.  So for your consideration......

Game Bits

When you crack open this box you will find a number of great components.  The first thing you will want to have a look at is the wonderful rulebook that comes with game.  Although it's not much to look at the rules do a wonderful job explaining game play.  After only a couple minutes you will find yourself ready to play the game.  The best components in the game are sets of very well illustrated cards that are used to drive the game play.  The images are designed in a cartoonish fashion that really contributes to keeping the atmosphere of the game fun and light. 

Of course, I'm sure you are waiting for me to get to the real point!  What do the Cash and Guns look like?  The truth is that they are quite good.  The bills are printed on very solid cardboard that is very durable and should hold up for the long haul.  The guns are made of a solid foam stock that feels pretty good in your hand.  Some people have replaced these guns with hard plastic toys but I think I prefer the foam.  Part of the fun of the game is being able to jam your gun into another players temple when you're in the mood!  The biggest problem with the guns (and for some people it is a big one) is that they are a bright orange.  In the original printing the guns were black but today's politically correct climate the publisher thought it wise to make guns that clearly resemble toys. 

Game Play

As usual I won't go into a detailed explanation of turn by turn play (for that see BGG).  I am more interested in imparting the feel of the game play.  If I had to compare this to any other game it would be poker.   It is a game of bluffing and calling with a little bit of calculating built in. 

Each turn everyone decides whether to load their gun with a bullet or a blank (their is a little more to it but that is the basic idea).  Everyone then chooses who to target and then each player is given an opportunity to lay down their gun if they think they are being aimed at by a live bullet.  It is at this point that everyone shows their cards (literally) and you see who is alive and who is dead.  After this each player who is still standing divides the loot.  This is done 8 times in total.  At the end of the game the player who has the most money (and is still alive) wins the game.

The game play is actually very good and leads to an energetic atmosphere.  It is obviously faster and lighter than poker and has the advantage of being very inclusive. 

Final Thoughts 

This game is a lot of fun but it has a very different feel depending on what optional rules you decide to use.

Basic Game: This is the game that you can play 5 minutes after opening the box.  It is the best way to teach people the game and will leave you wanting to play a more advanced version.  It is a great game for breaking the ice with a gaming group.

Basic game + power cards: This is probably the best version of the game.  In this version each player gets one card that gives them a special ability.  It is just enough variety to keep the game interesting and you will find that it only improves the atmosphere created by the game.

Basic game + power cards + cop and robbers: The truth is that I thought this was the worst version of the game.  When I played it with my group I found that it just resulted in everyone holding on to their bullets until the last two rounds of the game.  The other issue is that arose was that on one occasion the police officer was unable to call for re-inforcements which ends up leading to a bit of a let down.  It seems to me that this version of the game builds in more tension but at the cost of some of the fun.

Overall I give this game a 8/10 for what it is.  It's a great ice breaking game that can be played in half an hour or less and it can really bring people together.

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

Just wanted to let you know that I am planning to write a review of the newly released Cash and Guns (Ca$h'n Gun$) this Saturday.  I was able to get my hands on a copy the other day and am looking forward to telling you about it.  Sadly, I probably won't get a chance until the weekend.

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

P.S. I just finished a math trade....I got Hoity Toity and Winner's Circle for Bottleggers and Carcassone.  For those of you who don't know what a math trade is I will write up a post to fill you in early next week.