I really enjoyed my first two playings of Combat Commander: Europe. A friend and colleague got the game just before Christmas and was eager to give it a go. played the first two scenarios. What I liked best was the storytelling aspects of this game. For example, in our second game, my opponent placed an American lieutenant deep behind my lines. Before I could roust him out, that young American officer called down a number of devastating artillery attacks. Being a former US Army artillery officer, I certainly was reminded of why artillery is called the king of battle. Lt. Blankenship certainly earned his pay that day, and he did his instructors at Fort Sill proud. So, it is obvious that I like the game, but now to the specifics.

Rules Presentation: I found the rules to be relatively short and well-written. When I had a question, it was easily answered by checking in the book. The inclusion of an index at the back of the rules made this process even easier. On the other hand, there are a few nit-picky rules, that even after our second playing, we were getting wrong. The fact that leader bonuses are cumulative if leaders occupy the same hex is one we missed. As with most tactical level games, some of the rules pertaining to spotting and line of sight were a little rough to get my mind around. In our case, this was especially true for the differences between hinderances and cover. When I was in the military, we refered to these as cover (that which prevents me from shooting or seeing a target such as a brick wall) and concealment (that which makes it more difficult to see or shoot a particular target--such as a bush or tall grass) so maybe I was just confused based on my own real life experiences.

Components: I found the components to be functional and aesthetically pleasing. I like the fact that the scenarios are played on a small map. The counters and markers are clear. The cards are also completely functional, but could certainly benefit from being inserted into card sleeves for use over the long term.

Rules Systems: I found the game to work well together as a whole. The use of cards for a lot of different game functions is a nice way to portray the less-than-total-control that military leaders have over battles. Events happen on a regular basis, but I rather enjoyed them. Especially when the event was a timely air strike that saved me from almost certain defeat in my first game! The use of dice printed on the cards means that the actual throwing of dice is superfluous and, hopefully, means that players should not point to bad dice for losing the game.

Complexity: While this game is complex, it is certainly not complicated. I have begun stressing the difference between these two terms when I describe games with more than a couple of pages of rules. Although there are lots of complex interactions between the various rules systems, I find that each rule is not complicated and is generally intuitive. This means that the game is more easily learned than its' rulebook might indicate. Again, many of the rules are special events or things that come up only from time to time and the player can look up the relevant sections of the rules easily.

Game Play: The game is exciting and moves rather quickly along. Neither player can really sit back and let the situation develop, because whether you are on the attack or on the defense, the small mapboard means that the battle is joined quickly. The action rules allow the non-phasing player to do many things to effect the opponent's turn. I might also point out, at this point, that it is really important for players to read their card entirely. The reason for this is that the cards combine orders that you can give to your troops on your turn, while also listing an action that you can play at any time. It can be kind of frustrating to find out that you had a card in your hand whose action could have changed the outcome of a battle that you lost, after you already lose the battle. I would suggest taking the time, in your first few playings of the game, to read each card as it is dealt to you. This choice of how to use the cards you are given is one of the things that make these card driven games so intellectually stimulating.

Overall Impressions and Recommendations: I would certainly recommend this game to anyone who wants a dramatic depiction of World War 2 infantry combat. I do need to mention that this game only depicts infantry and support weapons and will probably never include vehicles. It is relatively easy to pick up and play and plays quickly for a wargame. Our two learning games clocked in at about three hours each and we agreed that as we learn the system, that time will decrease. While I was learning this game, I was also studying the rules to Lock & Load: Band of Heroes from Matrix games. These games have similar topics (Tactical-level battles in the 20th Century) along with similar methods for conducting combat. Indeed, I found myself a little confused because the rules were so similar, but still different enough to cause problems. For example, in Combat Commander, support weapons which are shown on their own counters, can be used by any personnel unit. In Lock and Load, those weapons must be handled by designated weapons teams. In the final analysis, I am going to spend the time playing this game repeatedly and learning the rules completely, because I enjoyed it very much as a game.