Game Overview: Command & Colors: Ancients
Well, this will be a relatively brief update but I knew that if I didn’t give my fan(s?) something to chew on over the weekend (where I will be in Winstead, MN at a country music festival) they would tar and feather me. So, inspired by Days of Wonder’s new computer game version of Memoir ‘44, I decided to show off one of my board games that matches the mechanics—Command & Colors: Ancients. One of my many Rome v. Carthage games. Huzzah!
This game came with literally a butt-ton of blocks and stickers. Took me a couple hours to get all the infantry, cavalry, war machine, chariot, elephant(!) and leader stickers on their respective blocks.
Close up of the bigger blocks. Yep, elephants.
Boots inspecting the goods. In addition to the board and pieces you see here, there are terrain tiles that you place on the board to set up one of the various scenarios included in the scenario booklet. Below is the Crimissos river scenario set up:
And on the north side of the river we have a close up of some of the Carthaginian infantry
And some of the Roman blocks with one of the leaders… I forget who he is supposed to be.
And a very special Carthaginian unit with some sort of special power now forgotten by me. Hey, I’m on my way out the door to hear Darius Rucker, eat carnie food and drink copious amounts of cheap beer.
Another view of the set up
So the game progresses with the play of cards which allow you to order certain kinds of units, or units on the left, center or right side of the board, or other cards that have special effects.
Close up of the red and blue cards and units:
Battle takes place by rolling a special kind of die:
With the Romans attacking, they role a green circle which matches their victim so one of the blocks is taken away:
If you manage to get enough hits that all the blocks of one unit are removed from the board…
(Bye bye!) You receive a victory banner!
Woohoo! The game is won when either side amasses enough victory banners as specified in the scenario. I was pretty terrible at Memoir 44 the first two times I played against the easy AI, so I’m hoping that someone just as clueless about war strategy will join me in chasing after the Roman and Carthaginian victory banners!
Until next time, Ludocrats, and enjoy your weekend.
