Game: Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

Guantanamo — 2008-08-25T00:38:31+00:00

BigOtter wrote:
Sorry,

the "Printed in China" was on the box bottom, but was somehow removed in the final version. We're still not sure how that happened.

Sorry for the confusion,

Thanx,

Thanks.

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

BigOtter — 2008-08-24T23:16:09+00:00

Sorry,

the "Printed in China" was on the box bottom, but was somehow removed in the final version. We're still not sure how that happened.

Sorry for the confusion,

Thanx,

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

Guantanamo — 2008-07-07T14:58:47+00:00

dbc- wrote:
On pg. 11 it sais "Printed in China", as the very last sentence.

Thanks!

Missed it (well it's not on the box and when I went to open the rulebook, I couldn't find it)

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

dbc- — 2008-07-07T14:55:11+00:00

On pg. 11 it sais "Printed in China", as the very last sentence.

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

Guantanamo — 2008-07-07T11:14:24+00:00

Tygo wrote:
I think legally it has to say somewhere on the box for customs purposes. Unless it was on the shrink..

That's what I figured, which is why I must be missing it somewhere.

Thread: Re: Made in ...?

Tygo — 2008-07-07T03:47:33+00:00

I think legally it has to say somewhere on the box for customs purposes. Unless it was on the shrink..

Thread: Made in ...?

Guantanamo — 2008-07-07T03:11:22+00:00

So, I'm one of those freaky people that likes to smell my games. I'm working on a geeklist to see if there is a correlation between county it's made in and smell.

I've search and search on the box and in the rulebook, but I can't find where this one was printed. Am I blind? Can anyone tell me if where this was made is printed anywhere?

Thread: Re: damaged component

dbc- — 2008-07-01T06:55:18+00:00

Contact info is actually available on their site:
http://www.redjuggernaut.com/red_juggernaut.htm

I had a torn piece myself, in the base game. The replacement tile was sent immediately. So you should have no problems with customer support, I think.

Thread: damaged component

bwcook123 — 2008-07-01T03:29:08+00:00

Just got this game, and right out of the box had a city tile where part of the backing had been torn off (assuming it happened when the tiles were being cut at the printer). Normally not a big deal, although with part of the setup being the secrecy of the layout, does make it a bit awkward. Anyone have any contact info for someone at the company to request a replacement (checked there website, it's still under construction and so doesn't have much, including no contact info)?
Also, were the staples on anyone else's instruction booklet heavily oxidized? I don't think I've ever seen a typical staple rust before, unless it had been left underwater (and there was no evidence of any damage to the booklet itself). Weird.

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CovertDad — 2008-06-29T15:49:07+00:00

Tarsos Vault Promo Tile

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CovertDad — 2008-06-29T14:14:21+00:00

Library of Tarsos Promo Tile

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CovertDad — 2008-06-29T14:12:40+00:00

Slaver's Den Promo Tile

Thread: Re: Unlucky Start

BigOtter — 2008-06-24T03:26:50+00:00

If you're knocking your head against the wall, you can back off and try again.

You cannot split a horde while it is 'off board' but you can call for reinforcements and retreat. In addition, once you declare your starting point, that's your point - the tower (and to a lesser extent, the wall) are risky with bad rolls.

So, an unlucky player could try 2-4 attacks, retreat, call for reinforcements as needed, then try again, but they may only try at the declared location - they cannot chose another tile to use to enter the city. This prevents a player who enters the board 'late' from changing the entry tile, and moving in behind another player, taking their tiles.

I hope this helps,

Thanx,

Thread: Re: Unlucky Start

big__rhino — 2008-06-17T15:05:23+00:00

can't you call for reinforcements?

I'd probably just let them call for reninforcements when they got down to a number that can't win rolls anymore

or

let them move along the wall to easier locations. I've only played battue once, but wasn't there locations that had no defense?

Thread: Re: Reducing the luck factor

Subhuman — 2008-06-06T20:04:19+00:00

The problem with a three sided die is that when rolling for reinforcements there is still an equal chance between receiving 1 (33%), 2 (33%), or 3 (33%). The uneven reinforcements roll is what I liked about the 4 sided die. 1 (25%), 2 (50%), or 3(25%).

I also wondered about being able to use ANY Loot card as a combat modified on attack or defense as long as declared at appropriate time.

That's interesting. How about taking it a little more extreme. Ignore the front side of the loot cards all together through out the game. All loot cards must be played for either +1 attack, +1 defense, or +1 VP. (probably need to tweak the attack and defense so they are equally as valuable as a VP)

The active player making a combat must first roll for combat and determine the advantage. He may then play or ask/bribe/negotiate/threaten another player to play loot card(s) in his favor. All other players are then able to play loot cards in defense of the tile whether it is controlled or not. Loot cards played in this way are discarded.

At the end of a player's turn they may discard loot cards to their treasury for a single VP. This will give them points but make their military actions more difficult.

Its pretty rough but it could be fun.

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f-p-p-m — 2008-06-06T12:58:01+00:00

Sunset over the completely revealed city

Thread: Re: Unlucky Start

Harkonnen13 — 2008-06-02T22:48:43+00:00

The same thing happened in one of our games here except a player tried to enter through one of the towers from the expansion. AFAIK there is nothing in the rules to give the unlucky player a break. We decided to let him attack a different area and he made his way in after 5 turns of trying. If your luck is bad you're going to have a rough game of Battue.

Thread: Unlucky Start

Yhiago — 2008-06-02T10:33:03+00:00

Okay we just played a game of Battue and had the case that one player attacked as first move with his 6 riders a wall section defense 4 ( this is the first move to even enter the city )

He was very unlucky an rolled a 1 or 2 every roll. the player on his left was very lucky and rolled 4 to 6

The player lost all his horde after 6 rolls and is then out of the game without even been able to play actually ??

( we gave him back his 6 riders to start anew and he then hit the wall and breached into the city witht the second roll only loosing 1 rider.

Is this correct ? Is it possible with some bad luck to not even enter the city loose all riders and as a result of have no horde being out of the game the first turn ??

Thread: Re: A little less luck...a little more strategy...

Desiderata — 2008-06-01T16:40:06+00:00

i7dealer wrote:
My house rule was to roll two dice and take the difference between the two numbers. It game you the range of 0-5, but you were most likely to get 2 or less added.

Dave,
I was just about to post to mention the similarity with Struggle of Empires, until I noticed your microbadge, and I see you are already a fan!

Thread: Re: BookShelf Games Video Review

Polydor — 2008-05-28T12:44:02+00:00

Great run through of the game in your video review. Well put together and absolutely clear- felt I could sit down and play right from opening the box. Now I've only got to decide hiw much the high luck element is an obstacle to making it worth buying. But if I do go for it, it will be on the strength of your presentation. Thanks.

Thread: Re: Solo Play

radgor — 2008-05-21T07:01:21+00:00

Thanx,much.I'll check it out(the list).Also,thanx for the info.

Later.

Thread: Re: Reducing the luck factor

chris1nd — 2008-05-20T17:17:06+00:00

I also thought that the defender of an empty province could be altered to be the player with the most loot cards and attacker's choice if a tie.

Thread: Re: Solo Play

Subhuman — 2008-05-20T12:37:28+00:00

Thanks Roger. Always good to hear someone is watching.

To send a private message (called geekmail or GM around these parts) just click the envelope icon under someone's username.

Back to the solo games. If you like wargames then Duel in the Dark has a solo variant that has gotten good reviews. I haven't tried it yet myself. Also I forgot to point out this geeklist that has a ton of solo games most of which are wargames.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/11710/page/1

Thread: Re: Solo Play

radgor — 2008-05-20T08:08:26+00:00

How are you doin',man? I just wanted to tell you that you do an excellent job at video reviews.You have personally been responsible for my purchases of Battue,Age of Gods,Prince of Chaos,and unbelievably Zooloretto.I'm pretty much a wargamer as opposed to a euro gamer.Probably 'cause of my age.Oh yeah,also Mission-Red Planet.Anyway,man,please don't stop.Also I'm sorry to all the guys and gals that thought this was going to be about the solo play.I'm kinda new and dont know how to reply personally.

Thread: Re: Solo Play

Subhuman — 2008-05-19T12:39:46+00:00

Of the games you asked about this may be the game that would play best solo but its really not meant for it. You could build an army and attack the different city districts but I don't think it would be much fun without the threat of someone stealing your more valuable city districts. Maybe with some sort of varients like rolling 2 defense die and not being able to call for reinforcements you could make a solo game of it.

The only game I play solo right now is Magic Realm. I have been meaning to try Zombie in my Pocket which is a solo game and I used to play Star Wars: Battle for Endor a while back.

Thread: Reducing the luck factor

chris1nd — 2008-05-19T12:19:32+00:00

I just finished reading the rules and tinkering with it on my own.

I am curious regarding mechanisms to reduce luck. I saw the one suggesting a 4-sided die and thought a 3-sided (d6/2) might even be better.

I also wondered about being able to use ANY Loot card as a combat modified on attack or defense as long as declared at appropriate time.

Thoughts?

Thread: Solo Play

radgor — 2008-05-19T08:22:25+00:00

Is solo play possible and if so any ideas?

Thanx

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T16:42:03+00:00

Black pieces

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T12:40:55+00:00

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T12:40:05+00:00

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T12:20:10+00:00

Flags

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T12:18:37+00:00

All armies pieces

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Toynan — 2008-04-26T12:03:17+00:00

Front of the box

Thread: Re: Sacking the City of Brass Pillars

Harkonnen13 — 2008-04-21T23:34:18+00:00

Good review for a good game. Thanks for writing it.

Thread: Sacking the City of Brass Pillars

merb101 — 2008-04-21T17:37:02+00:00

Battue: Storm of the Horselords
Players: 2-4
Ages: 8+
Time: 60 min.
Cost: $49.99
www.redjuggernaut.com

“Battue” an inventive and compelling area control game

By MICHAEL ERB
www.newsandsentinel.com
merb101@gmail.com

PARKERSBURG – The storm has arrived. The Horselords, led by their Khans, are sacking the City of Brass Pillars, searching for the Golden Throne. The one that sits upon the throne will fulfill a prophecy to unite the tribes under a single banner as the Golden Horde. To the victor go the spoils, and the city shall burn.

“Battue: Storm of the Horselords” is a board game for 2-4 players by Red Juggernaut. Each player commands an army of Horselords taking control of different areas of the City of Brass Pillars, gathering loot and searching for the Golden Throne.

The objective is to have the most victory points at the end of the game. Victory points are achieved by controlling sections of the city and through Loot Cards.

The game board represents the city itself. Each section is a separate piece, and you randomly lay out the board each time with the pieces face side down, so you don’t know which section you are entering until you try to take control. The exception is the middle piece, the Palace, which always sits in the center of the board.

Each section of the city bears a name, a Defense Value, and how much it is worth. Players who manage to take a section receive Loot Cards and additional warriors as a reward, and whoever maintains control of that section receives its victory points at the end of the game.

Players start the game with six warriors, but can call for reinforcements at the start of your turn. Certain cards and city sections also give you reinforcements, but you can have no more than 15 warriors on the board at any given time, and no more than eight in any one group. Any warriors defeated go back into your reserve, and can later be called again as reinforcements.

Combat is pretty straightforward. If entering an uncontrolled section of the city, you use its Defense Value, with the player to your left playing the city defenders. Some Loot Cards allow you to boost your attack values, so the attacking player lays down cards, adds those bonuses to the number of warriors they have in that section of the city, and rolls a six-sided die. The total is their total attack value. The defender uses the city section Defense Value, adds a die roll and lays down any loot cards with a defense bonus, if they choose.The high value wins.

If it’s the attacker, they take control of that section and receive the spoils listed on the piece, such as Loot Cards and extra warriors. If the attacker loses, they remove one of their warriors and send them to their reserves. They can continue attacking until they either take control of the city section or lose all of their warriors or retreats to an adjacent city section they control.

Combat between players works the same way, except the defending player, the one that controls that city section, adds however many warriors they have in that city section to its overall defense. The battle continues until one side loses all of their warriors or retreats.

Some city sections also have Event Cards. Event Cards can be anything from forcing all players to discard Loot Cards from their hands to drawing more cards to automatic victory points.

Cards worth victory points go into a player’s War Chest and are tallied up at the end of the game. The game ends when players control three key areas of the map – the Palace, Templum Jupiter and Universitas – or if all but one player has been eliminated from the game, meaning they are the only one with warriors on the board.

The game is gorgeous, with plastic pieces representing the Horselords, incredibly well-done tiles with different city sections, high-quality cards with cool artwork and a great feel overall. The rules are easy to learn and the game is a lot of fun to play. Four-player games tend to be a lot more confrontational than two-player games, as the city (gameboard) actually is pretty big and can take a while for two players to explore.

I would highly recommend this game to anyone. It is a very fun, engaging, and beautiful game with an incredible back story and a unique feel.

For more information on “Battue” or other Red Juggernaut products, visit www.redjuggernaut.com. For more game reviews and discussion, visit my blog at http://merb101.livejournal.com.

Thread: Re: Scrye Promo Tile - Slaver's Den

Subhuman — 2008-04-20T14:37:12+00:00

#119 May 2008. There is a picture of a Barbarian on the cover.

Thread: Re: Scrye Promo Tile - Slaver's Den

mark_biggar — 2008-04-20T06:03:27+00:00

Exactly which issue is this in?

Thread: Re: Scrye Promo Tile - Slaver's Den

Subhuman — 2008-03-13T23:53:34+00:00

gm sent

Thread: Re: Scrye Promo Tile - Slaver's Den

gschmidl — 2008-03-13T13:15:19+00:00

Is there anywhere one can order single issues outside the US? I'm not willing to shell out $110 for an international subscription, especially given the US sub price is $30.

Thread: Scrye Promo Tile - Slaver's Den

Subhuman — 2008-03-12T17:34:32+00:00

There is a promo tile for Battue in this month's scrye. I just picked it up. It is the Slaver's den.
3 square corner piece
2 Defense
1 Loot
-1 Horseman
2 VP

Thread: Re: BookShelf Games Video Review

StephenAvery — 2008-02-29T00:27:00+00:00

Pulled this off the prize table on a fluke amidst a sea of Euros and SCORE! its just my kind of game.

Great video. Thanks for the good info.

Thread: Re: BookShelf Games Video Review

BrenoK — 2008-02-22T00:28:41+00:00

The game has nice production values, but doesn`t look like something I`d enjoy...

Thread: Re: BookShelf Games Video Review

kevtor — 2008-02-12T03:53:51+00:00

Very nicely done! You obviously put a good amount of time into planning your presentation and it showed. Very smooth. Good work!

Thread: BookShelf Games Video Review

Subhuman — 2008-02-12T00:35:57+00:00

Video Review for Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords.

This video is about 13 mins long and covers the basic gameplay.

Vimeo Video

http://www.archive.org/download/BookshelfGamesBSG25Battue/BS...

(link opens straight to media or right click and hit Save Target as...to download.)

Thread: Re: Good but clunky

Subhuman — 2008-02-11T21:57:50+00:00

I was thinking maybe something as simple as a 4 sided die to reduce the luck a bit.

Recruitment:
1 = 1 recruit
2-3 = 2 recruits
4 = 3 recruits

and battles would be a little more dependent on your base values with the added die roll of 1-4 instead 1-6.

Thread: Re: Good but clunky

Tompy — 2008-02-10T22:26:14+00:00

What about the end of the game?

It seems like between 4 experienced players, the game could go on forever as each is trying to hamper or help the game to end.

I would assume 1 guy is trying to end the game while the other three are trying to stop him, and this would continue, possibly creating a chaotic ending where the winner just happens to be the guy at the end with a chance to take the last tile.

What would you think about creating some timing mechanic to end the game in place of or in addition to the current game ending trigger?

Thread: Re: Too many Loot Cards

2ndPlace — 2008-02-08T02:56:47+00:00

I agree as in the game I played today. Most of the time was spent while a player was figuring out what all the loot cards did, which one to put in the chest, which ones to save and which to discard. This added about 30 percent to the game play.

The flags fall over all the time. They should of had either wider bases or were less top heavy. The only fix I could see is glueing a small plastic poker chip to the base of each flag. The flags blend in with the horsemen.

I did like the game.

Thread: Good but clunky

The Warp — 2008-02-04T17:17:28+00:00

This last weekend we were introduced to Battue. This is a pretty easy game to learn. The components are very nice, although the flag pieces tend to fall down a lot.

Premise

Players are groups of looting horse lords, sort of akin to Mongol raiders. They are looting the city building by building, accumulating loot and/or victory points.

Mechanics

Each player has a certain number of horsemen they move into a space. The space will have a defensive value. The player rolls a die, adding the number of horsemen he has there. Someone else rolls for the space, adding the defensive value. If the player rolls higher, he wins, and takes whatever loot is available (planting his flag in the space to claim the point value of the space). If the space rolls higher, the player loses a piece and can either retreat or keep rolling.

Loot comes in the form of cards, most of which have special abilities (helping with attack or defense, hindering other players, or building up your horde). There are also event cards that occur when a space is revealed- most are beneficial.

Many of the cards have a LOT of text on them, and when you are drawing several cards at once, you spend time reading them while others wait to see if your turn is over or not.

What I liked best

The different spaces fill out the city in a random way, so you don't know what defensive and point values a space will have until you attack it.

The mechanics are very simple, so it's easy to teach, and non-hardcore-gamers can get into it quickly.

What I didn't like

The biggest issue most gamers would have with this game is the luck factor. There's a lot of dice rolling, so any battle could go either way. It's easy enough to fill your ranks back up (you forgo a normal turn and recruit by rolling a die for 1-3 more horsemen), but once again your rolling the die.

My biggest issue was trying to flip over the city pieces. It got a little tiresome trying to get to them, flip them over, and fit them back into place (without knocking over all your pieces already on the board). This certainly isn't a deal breaker, but it got me thinking about different ways to play the game (see below).

The game is set up by placing the different sized pieces face down on the board. There are a few larger pieces that trigger the end of the game, but it isn't hard to figure out where they are. Unless you REALLY know the odds of what the smaller spaces might have on them, there isn't much to the placement of the other spaces, and it seems like a waste of time taking turns putting those down (especially when you have some latitude about where you enter the board).

We went through the Loot deck a couple times. You can accumulate a LOT of cards in short order, and many went without being played at all. Most of these were for player vs player attacks, which only really happened once in the game (and this was a 4 player game at that).

Bottom Line

This is an easy game, and good for warming a group up before getting into someone more complex. It has nice components- the kind you see in a much better game. I think it's worth exploring alternate methods of play.

Suggestions to try out

The luck factor could be curtailed by sacrificing Victory points. If a player wants to really ensure a win, he gives up one or more of his Victory point cards, adding them to his total before rolling. In some cases, he can guarantee a win, and no rolling is necessary. This would probably hold true for combat against another player.

It might be worth trying the game out with the spaces already revealed. There would be more strategy in where you placed them during setup- and you wouldn't have to worry about the awkward flipping mechanic.

Alternatively, you might try building the city as you go. Either drawing at random or having another player draw a piece. Or just picking whatever face-down piece you want next and revealing it as you place it (not counting the end-trigger spaces, which WOULD be set up at the start of the game.

I wish there were more Loot cards, and that the additional ones were just Victory points (so you could use them for the above suggestion.

Thread: Tarsos Vault Promo Tile from Bgg Con 07 and GenCon 07

Komodo — 2008-01-31T22:41:46+00:00

Does anyone that attended BGG Con 07 or GenCon 07 have one of these tiles that they wouldn't mind parting with? I would really like to get a hold of one. Thanks!

Chuck

Thread: Re: HORDE SIZE

BigOtter — 2008-01-23T00:26:47+00:00

Correct - the largest horde one player can have in a tile is 8.

Thanx,

Thread: Re: Lacking customer service

skeletodoc — 2008-01-17T22:59:55+00:00

Me too!.................in less than a week I got 3 replacement tiles and a promo tile from Jim. That's REAL SERVICE!

Thread: Re: HORDE SIZE

holywolfman — 2008-01-14T19:13:50+00:00

I only played this once... I believe, the Horde size is always observed! meaning, you CAN NOT merge two 8 Hordes together for a battle, otherwise taking the Palace (middle tile) would be way too easy!!!

You can have Only (1)size 8 Horde in any given area/tile area at one time!

Thread: HORDE SIZE

skeletodoc — 2008-01-14T19:00:41+00:00

If you merge two 8 sized hordes for an attack as on the center palace piece, do you have to remove half after the battle [given a win], to get back to the limit of 8, or is 8 the most that can assemble for a battle?

Thread: [Review] Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords

TomVasel — 2008-01-11T10:49:26+00:00

I first saw an early copy of Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords (Red Juggernaut, 2007 – Jim Long) at Origins, 2007. The game was imposing and incredible looking with beautiful bits and an intriguing layout. I didn't get a chance to play it and forgot all about it until it showed up in a large box several weeks back. Upon opening the box, the game was as good looking as the one I had seen earlier, and a quick reading of the rules confirmed that this was a two to four player wargame. I use that term very loosely, because Battue is a very light wargame, and I figured that it would be too much of a dice fest for me to enjoy much.

Battue is a game that is extremely light, and luck plays a large role in the game – I find it good, but in a mildly amusing way. However, my personal opinions aside, this game has become a smash hit amongst everyone I've introduced it to – from teens to soldiers. Gamers will not be tremendously pleased, because there are wild swings of luck – but it's a great casual game, if only because it plays in about an hour and has some of the nicest pieces I've seen in a game. Elimination is possible but is mitigated by the fact that it's very rare and the game only lasts an hour.

The board is a fourteen by fourteen grid of squares that make up a city. The outer squares have wall sections printed on them, and a palace piece is placed in twelve of the middle squares, but the rest of the squares have buildings of various shapes and sizes mixed up and placed face down on them by the players in an almost Tetris-like fashion. Players receive fifteen warrior tokens and 10 flags of their color and place six warriors (called a horde) next to one of the wall sections on the board. Two decks of cards (Loot and Event) are shuffled and placed near the board, and one player is chosen to go first.

On a player's turn, they first decide if they want reinforcements. If so, they roll a six-sided die, and for each horde they are increasing (hordes can have a maximum of eight warriors). On a "1" or "2", they add one warrior, two warriors on a "3" or "4", and three warriors on a "5" or "6". Players are limited to the fifteen total warriors that they have.

Then, the player may move hordes to any adjacent tile (the first turn, they will move onto the wall section they are facing). Hordes can be split into two or more hordes when moving but cannot move if they were reinforced this turn. When a horde moves to a new tile, it is flipped face up and revealed. The hordes then fight on new tiles (whether they be city or a wall section) that they move to. The tile is examined. If it shows an event card symbol, the player must draw the top event card and immediately resolve it. Then, the player determines their attack value by rolling a six-sided die and adding it to the number of warriors in the attacking horde. The defense is then calculated by adding a six-sided die to the defensive number on the tile plus any defending warriors (if any). If the defender total is equal to or higher the attacker's, then one attacking warrior is killed. The same thing for the defender, if they lose. Both players then have the option to retreat. If the warriors on either side are eliminated, then the other side wins – the attacker gaining the tile, if it is them.

When capturing a previously uncontrolled territory, the player gets the rewards indicated on the tile. This includes loot cards and possibly some extra warriors for their horde. Players place a flag in the tile to show that it is there, taking it from another tile if they are out of flags in their reserve. The next player then takes their turn, after all battles are complete.

Loot cards do a variety of things:
- Some help the defender in a battle.
- Others help the attacker.
- A few allow players to scout undiscovered tiles.
- Some give reinforcements to hordes.
- Many cards are victory point cards and are placed face up in front of a player in their "War Chest".

When a player's turn is over, then the next player takes their turn. Players can attack city sections that other players have captured, and the game continues until three specific sections have been captured (Palace, Templum, Jupiter, and Universitas.) When this happens, all players calculate their victory points by adding the cards in their war chest plus the value of all tiles that they have flags on. The player with the most points is the winner! (An elimination victory is also possible, but doubtful.)

Some comments on the game...

1.) Components: There is no question that the game is stunning to see. The board is quite large, and the artwork on the walls and tiles is great, looking like a beautiful ancient city from the top down. The tiles are thick and laminated, although they do seem to chip at the edges a bit. The plastic pieces are well designed, although the flags tip over a little easily. I especially like the colors (black, olive green, red, and tan), as this is quite a difference from the bright colors in most games like this. The cards themselves are well designed, albeit with mediocre artwork, and are very clear on when they can be played. Everything fits inside a very large square box with an almost shoddy cardboard insert, but it's very sturdy and looks pretty good on the shelf.

2.) Rules: The rulebook is twelve pages that clearly explain the game with lots of diagrams and pictures – we found it exceedingly easy to navigate. The game is simple enough that players, who had not read the rulebook and only played the game once, were able to clearly explain the game to others with no problems. The cards are clearly defined, and the tiles have symbols, which make them quite easy to understand. The game is on the low end of the complexity scale, although it looks and feels a bit heavier just because of the tremendous artwork.

3.) Luck: Let this be perfectly clear – Battue is based on a ton of luck. From the wildly effective and powerful event cards to the random and quite different Loot cards to the rolling of the dice, the game is almost enough to be called a "luck fest". You might try your hardest and be rewarded with only a few reinforcements each turn while your opponents get more. You might get pathetic loot cards and weak, profitless city tiles while your opponents plunder and pillage. You might seem to lose every battle you enter, and this can be discouraging to people who want to carefully plan their ways. Luck does not necessarily determine the victor of the game, but it certainly plays a key role.

4.) Maps: This may sound strange, but one of the most fun parts of the game is building and discovering the map. For one, it really does look like a city map, but it's also interesting to take the different shapes and put them together in the large square. This also leads to a sense of discovery. The shapes for two of the final buildings are obvious, but there are two other buildings with the same shape; so one never knows exactly where they are. Also, the size of a building means nothing; a few small buildings are full of loot, while others are dirty hovels worth nothing. This adventure aspect of the game is my favorite part.

5.) Strategy: There are some strategic elements to the game, despite the heavy luck. A player must determine how and when to split their forces, and when to reinforce and when to simply move. Players can pull out of tough battles and save their Loot cards for when they are most needed. Players can even determine the time for the end of the game by refusing to capture some of the key areas. The game is certainly tilted to the defenders of a property, although Loot cards can overcome a lot of the obstacles. Battue is a game filled with luck, but it offers enough decisions to keep it interesting.

6.) Time and Players: The game plays well with two, three, or four players. The city is large enough for everyone, yet small enough that players will likely come in contact with each other; and the temptations are high when it comes to victory points. The game seems to take about forty-five minutes on average, a little longer, when players are more cautious, and faster, when they move recklessly and speedily through the city. I haven't seen a game won by elimination yet; and I haven't in fact seen anyone eliminated, although I have seen people beat down badly enough that they might as well have been eliminated. I've played the game with my seven year old daughter; and while she had some trouble understanding all the strategy, she handled the game well and was able to move and attack easily. The game may be at its best with kids.

7.) Fun Factor: Strangely, no one seems to mind when they get crushed in the game, simply because it was fast and fun. Loot cards add flair to the game, but much of the fun comes from turning over and capturing city tiles. This discovery aspect of the game, along with the shifting board, keeps every game different. Combat is simple and quick, and the game moves at a fast clip. I can see that this game would drive wargamers nuts, but most folks will like the light feel of it.

I think I could list a dozen light war games that I would prefer to play before Battue. Yet I keep bringing it to functions, to my game club, and more. That's because it has a high appeal to folks, and it's easy to teach and play. It might be one of the few games that I would classify as a "family war game", because that's exactly what it is. My daughter isn't going to be interested in a hearty game of Axis and Allies. But she'll play Battue, and I'm glad for that. Besides, it lets me build the board one more time.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.thedicetower.com

Thread: Re: Lacking customer service

Rompcat — 2007-12-29T09:29:00+00:00

Jim sent me some pieces that were missing/damaged the other day, and he even included a free promo tile! Thanks, Jim!

KJ

Thread: Re: Rules Qestions

gf_ripper — 2007-12-19T17:42:01+00:00

thanks.

Thread: Re: Rules Qestions

BigOtter — 2007-12-19T16:34:56+00:00

Rik nailed these answers. I could not have put it better myself.

Thanx,

Thread: Re: A little less luck...a little more strategy...

Hendal — 2007-12-19T13:54:22+00:00

great thread - so I take it some of you don't see the replayability of the game, as some one thinking of buying it, that is good to know. Nice to see people are already making up custom rules to improve it!

I like luck based games that also have strategy, so I am still looking into this one!

Thread: Re: Lacking customer service

Hendal — 2007-12-19T13:46:32+00:00

Nice to see Jim stepping up and helping out! No one wants a game they can't use.

I am so thinking of getting this one, waiting for a few people to post session reports 1st!

Thread: Re: Review of Battue: Storm of the Horselords

Hendal — 2007-12-19T13:36:01+00:00

great review - I think it was done very well, and very helpful for someone wanting to buy it! Just wondering if they have the tile thing fixed on the games they are selling now?

I really like the idea of a tile game with dice, it really interests me, I just may be picking this one up

Sounds like it does have some replayability.

Thanks