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Light wargames for a short evening
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After searching through the geeklists for "light wargames" I found 9 lists. Neither one esp. with what I'm looking for.

What am I looking for? I'm looking for short, light 2-player wargames.

Light meaning less then 12 pages of rules, I guess.
Short meaning playable in a short evening.

Games I can play with people who have limited experience in wargaming and like a game that's ended by the time they go home. For instance, I do like A House Divided, Paths of Glory and A Victory Lost but for me, it's not playable in a short evening (and PoG has far to much rules to fit the 'light' criteria).

I added a few I already play, with comments.
Hope ya'all will add some good suggestions!
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Posted Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:17 am
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1. Board Game: Bonaparte at Marengo [Average Rating:7.60 Overall Rank:167]
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 Own. With 9 pages of rules (ex. title page and designer notes) and playable in a short evening, this fits the bill perfectly.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:16 am
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David Bohnenberger
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Swarthmore
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Put Napoleon's Triumph alongside this one.
Tim Benjamin
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Los Alamos
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Very non-intuitive gameplay so it didn't feel very 'light'. Lots of re-reading rules. Didn't enjoy it very much.
2. Board Game: Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage [Average Rating:7.99 Overall Rank:21]
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 I'm not certain this is less then 12 pages of rules, but it's easily explained and playable in an evening - although not always a short one.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:12 am
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Jeffrey Vaca
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I haven't had the chance to play this one yet, but it really is just We the People (see comment below) with some additional wargame-y stuff added in. Although slightly more complex, it looks to scratch the wargame itch a little harder than WtP.
3. Board Game: Squad Leader [Average Rating:7.47 Overall Rank:136]
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 Squad Leader is one of my favorite wargames. It's 80+ pages of rules and still has lots of downloadable scenarios. I added it, because the intro scenarios, which are tense and fun to play, are easily done in a short evening and although it's a thick manual, you only have to explain less then a dozen pages to get started - and get them hooked...
Needless to say: I own this one.

Edit: highlight added for all those yelling this is not a light game. It isn't. But since there are a number of short scenarios you can play with less then 12 pages of rules, I added it as an example.
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Edited Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:30 am
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Wendell A
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Newport
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But hardly a "light" game!
Bonaparte
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Good game, yes.
Great game, yes.
Light game, LOL
Jon W
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Better off with one of the Starter Kits I think.
Tim Benjamin
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Starter kits are far far from being 'light'!
Jon W
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RaffertyA wrote:
Starter kits are far far from being 'light'!


I said he would be "better off" with the Starter Kits. They are lighter than a 1 gazillion page rulebook. It's all relative. :D

Actually, in all seriousness, the ASLSK #1 with only the infantry was "lightish", IMO. Once you get comfy with the rules, you can bang one of these off in an evening without too much fuss and bother.
Edited Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:42 pm
4. Board Game: Memoir '44 [Average Rating:7.59 Overall Rank:47]
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 Own. It fits the bill.
And although I paly it's, this is not the sort of game I'm looking for: it's too short (2-6 games in an evening) and too light and luck dependent for my taste.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:11 am
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Jeffrey Vaca
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This game is really closer to Battleship and Stratego than a wargame.

I play it with my son from time to time, but it doesn't ever scratch my wargame itch at all.

Still - if you are looking for a game to be played with a non-wargamer in an evening and you want at least the trappings of a wargame...
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One Fat Pug wrote:
This game is really closer to Battleship and Stratego than a wargame.


Stratego maybe. Battleship...that is going tooo far.
5. Board Game: Target Arnhem: Across 6 Bridges [Average Rating:6.62 Overall Rank:1007]
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 2-3 pages of rules, playable in a short evening. Tense. Great for this list. Only gripe might be the replayability factor. But isn't that one reason (war)gamers buy new games?
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:09 am
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6. Board Game: Wings of War - Deluxe Set [Average Rating:7.41 Overall Rank:628]
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 Own. Does fit the bill. But this is sort-of a 'filler-wargame': after a few games this sweet spot is stroked and there's still time left.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:12 am
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chris reichl

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I agree I own Burning Drachens and its a very elegant system. :)
7. Board Game: We the People [Average Rating:7.53 Overall Rank:166]
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James Griffith
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 While I love Hannibal: RvC, I don't think it meets your criteria. This game is a similar game with a bit less chrome but it's similar enough and the play time is under 2 hours.

It may be a bit hard to find but I would trust the upcoming Washingtons War remake to fit the same criteria.
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Jeffrey Vaca
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I finally played this one the other night and I can't recommend it enough. The rules are very accessible, even for a new-ish wargamer and the playtime is reasonable. Two clueless players (myself and my opponent, one of whom tends to play slowly) with lots of interruptions, took about 3 1/2 hours to play. I guess that would be the worst case scenario.

The one caveat would be that it's not so much of a wargame as a political game (ala Twilight Struggle), so if you are looking for lots of mayhem then this one might not be the one for you.
8. Board Game: Paratroop [Average Rating:5.82 Overall Rank:3734] [Average Rating:5.82 Overall Rank:3734]
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With this, you can play 3 games in a short evening.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:18 am
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9. Board Game: Leningrad [Average Rating:6.57 Overall Rank:1854]
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Andy Malcolm
United Kingdom
Norwich
Norfolk
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 Easy-Peasy. Not a great deal of variety in replay (I suspect, I haven only played it once), but simple rules and a short game.
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Dan Mixer
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Orrington
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I've played this solo many many times, it's a neat little system. Germans have a tough row to hoe.
Mo Caraher
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I've never seen the Germans win this one, though I hear it can be done. That said, the German player often comes so tantalizingly close to their objective they'll often say "again?".
Mark Mokszycki
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Snohomish
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To win as the Germans, have a look at the designer's notes in the DG version. The Germans need to be very precise with their attacks and pick off a very large number of units on game turn 1 to have a real shot at victory. I should think the game favors the Russians only slightly (with Germans winning maybe 2 of 5 games), assuming the German player has mastered the strategy.
10. Board Game: Hammer of the Scots [Average Rating:7.74 Overall Rank:48]
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Michael Debije
Netherlands
Eindhoven
The Netherlands
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Shorter scenarios in 2 hours.
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Jeffrey Vaca
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One of the reasons that I love this game so much is that its a wargame that can be played in an evening (sometimes twice).

I just don't have time to play the longer wargames these days, so the quicker, simpler ones are high on my list (when I can get a wargaming opponent, that is).

This one is a real winner in my book.
11. Board Game: Warriors of God [Average Rating:7.56 Overall Rank:327]
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David Bohnenberger
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 3-4 hours, great game.
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12. Board Game: Napoleon: The Waterloo Campaign, 1815 [Average Rating:7.31 Overall Rank:320]
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David Bohnenberger
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 The AH version at least takes no more than an hour or two to play and has 4 pages of rules. Similar in complexity, style and playtime are War of 1812 and Quebec 1759.
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13. Board Game: Commands & Colors: Ancients [Average Rating:7.97 Overall Rank:16]
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Mark Ernst
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Morrison
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 It's short, it's light, it's a wargame. I didn't look up the number of pages to the rules but a typical game lasts 45-60 minutes at our house. Then again, if Memoir is too "light" and "luck dependent" you might not appreciate this either.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:43 pm
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14. Board Game: Manoeuvre [Average Rating:7.50 Overall Rank:160]
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Andy Foulke
United States
Florissant
Missouri
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 I'm surprised no one's added this yet. Short and sweet.
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15. Board Game: Victory at Midway [Average Rating:7.18 Overall Rank:1583]
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Scott Muldoon (silentdibs)
United States
Astoria
New York
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 Ah, a new list. I haven't recommended this game yet this month. Now my quota has been met.
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16. Board Game: Ogre [Average Rating:6.85 Overall Rank:441]
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Gunther Schmidl
Austria
Linz
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 The original short 2-player wargame.
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Edited Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:08 pm
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Erik Latoni
United States
Chula Vista
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ABSOLUTELY FITS THE BILL
17. Board Game: Napoleon's Triumph [Average Rating:8.24 Overall Rank:70]
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Mark Buetow
United States
Du Quoin
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 Same amount of rules as Bonaparte at Marengo and is easily playable in a couple of hours or less.
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Geoff King
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Fairfax
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An excellent game, but not what I would consider light.
Scott Smith
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Venton wrote:
An excellent game, but not what I would consider light.
The rules are on about a dozen pages. I certainly wouldn't consider it a heavy game--I would say that there is a lot of depth to it.
18. Board Game: World at War: Eisenbach Gap [Average Rating:7.89 Overall Rank:300]
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Matthew Bond
United Kingdom
Norwich
Norfolk
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 Ah, this what you'll be wanting, Sir.

About eight pages of rules and nice level of depth for game that you can play twice on a "School" night.
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19. Board Game: Viktory II [Average Rating:7.14 Overall Rank:737]
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Mark Buetow
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Du Quoin
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 An awesome game. Simple rules and easily played with two several times in a short evening.

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20. Board Game: Corps Command: Totensonntag [Average Rating:7.02 Overall Rank:1173]
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ian morris
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lichfield
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Very light, very enjoyable, fits your bill.
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21. Board Game: Victory in the Pacific [Average Rating:7.05 Overall Rank:426]
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ian morris
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A good, knockabout sort of a game, easily playable in an evening.
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Must be us, but we never finished this in 4hrs, so that's longer than a 'short evening'. Maybe it's also the "getting used to"-factor; haven't played it on a regular basis with same opponents, but although this is one game I really like, it's too long for my short-wargames-list
22. Board Game: Axis & Allies: Guadalcanal [Average Rating:7.05 Overall Rank:926]
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Ronster Zero
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Hacienda Heights
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 Plays in about 2 hours with about 15 min to setup this plays well in one evening or Sunday afternoon. Easy rules, not to complex in strategy and fun to play. It could use a few rules adjustments to help with more combat (IMO), but sill a nice light sea based war game with nice componenets.
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23. Board Game: Victoria Cross [Average Rating:7.26 Overall Rank:1087]
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Brian Morris
United States
Overland Park
Kansas
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 Good light wargame. Plays in about 2 hours.
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24. Board Game: Crusader Rex [Average Rating:7.41 Overall Rank:255]
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Brian Morris
United States
Overland Park
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 Good block game.
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Tim Benjamin
United States
Los Alamos
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Seems very hard for the Franks to not get roasted.......:p
25. Board Game: Price of Freedom [Average Rating:6.82 Overall Rank:1793]
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Brian Morris
United States
Overland Park
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 Haven't played it yet myself but I hear really good things about it. The artwork is fantastic.
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Mike Barlow
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This could be a very long list.


Waterloo 20 - Napoleonic
Jena 20 - Napoleonic
Albion 20 - Napoleonic
Battle of Honey Springs - ACW
Pickett's Charge: Day Three of Gettysburg - ACW
Anzio: The Fight For The Beachhead - WWII
Action Front! Watchtower -WWII
Cuban Revolution - Cold War
Chris Talbot
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What's a "short evening" to you? Two hours? Four hours?

Chris
Jeffrey Vaca
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Dang! This list is exactly what I didn't need.

More games to add to my want list! :shake:

...and I've just started trying to thin the herd...
Gregory Wong
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Does Panzerblitz count? It only has 2 pages of rules... one front, one back. :)
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ctalbot wrote:
What's a "short evening" to you? Two hours? Four hours?

Chris
Well, I mostly play something like 4hrs. But me& my opponents aren't the fastest players*) so I think you should count it as 3 hrs for an avg gamer.
Seeing, for instance, that Battle for Germany and Victory in the Pacific are added, which are longish for us...

*)either due to excessive thinking, bordering Analysis Paralysis, or due to small talk, sigarette breaks etc. Although we 'play hard', we're not very competitive and socializing is more important than ending, or winning, the game
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