Print runs are a fact of our beloved hobby, putting a cap on the copies of your favorite titles out there. For war games in particular, with many classics now decades old and coming from magazines or made with very limited printings, getting a chance to experience a classic means a difficult search or resorting to the easy, but far less fulfilling (for me, anyway), digital options.
Recently, however, some war gaming publishers started digging out old treasures and giving them a new sheen, few more than Decision Games and their Deluxe Editions line. In this piece we’ll look at how Decision Games’ Deluxe Editions buff classic favorites, how best to get started, and note a few other publishers who make their war games shine.
As a side note – Decision Games makes its, er, decisions on which games to get reprinted through an emailed survey, so if you’re passionate about this effort, make sure you sign up for their mailing list (on the lower left section of their website) to provide your input!
Why Deluxe Editions are Worth It
In the intro, I’ve already touched on the best reason to keep tabs on the Deluxe Editions line – there simply may not be a good copy of the original game available (though Noble Knight’s pretty good here). But going beyond keeping special titles in print, there’s more on offer here.
First and foremost is component quality – all deluxe editions receive a facelift, from counter art and design to the maps themselves. Some games, like Red Dragon / Green Crescent get mounted maps too. Full color rulebooks, larger counters, player aids, and more all get included, bringing these games to full and fresh life. While some might argue a counter is a counter is a counter, I’d suggest that getting older makes bigger numbers just a bit easier to read. Better rulebooks and things like phases on a simple player aid?
Now we’re cooking.
What’s more, updates like this help bring new players to these games. A gorgeous, or at least clear, map and counters turn a war game from a curio to a game night regular, easing prospective players into a genre they might have written off due to a preponderance of beige and bland little squares. Sit someone down to play the new version of Sixth Fleet and they’ll see full color plane counters, crisp player aids, and wonder if they’re not playing the latest from Asmodee or Awaken Realms (when they ask where the minis are, that’s when you know you’ve got them).
Beneath all the beauty, though, you get functional changes too. Most Deluxe Editions don’t make major changes to the rules, but you’ll find errata resolved along with clarity updates. All the usual fixes you’d expect. But there’s more here – new scenarios, combined games (like Axis Empires: Ultimate Edition), and refined historical analysis gives these classic systems real makeovers.
For example, take Year of the Rat: Deluxe Edition. The original SPI version came about in the middle of the war itself 54 years ago. The deluxe version captures how the war ended and the North Vietnamese campaign itself played out, while also making tweaks discovered so many years after the war ended. It’s a bit like time travel, getting to play an enduring design cleaned up for modern audiences.
Lastly, I’ll say this – the best games are the ones that get played. These versions come with solid boxes. Everything’s in one spot, not scattered over magazines, baggies, or a basement that’s been packed in with decades of clutter. For many, these deluxe editions bring back memories, ones that would take a lot of digging and luck to relive. Now the option comes in a sturdy package, ready for its place of pride on your shelf, where you can grab it whenever you like.
Of course, Decision Games understands this too – maybe they’re making these as much for themselves as anyone else – so this line has been expanding. Where, then, should a veteran war gamer, or someone wanting to round out their war gaming collection with true classics, begin?
Deluxe Editions to Start With
As ever with war gaming, the theater is king, and with Decision Games’ Deluxe Editions line, you get a sprawl. It’s not just WW2 with Axis Empires: Ultimate Edition, but World War 1 and Napoleon At War as well. Pick your era, find your game, and go have fun.
But!
The variance here is the classic nature of these games. All of these core theaters and eras are crowded with titles. So, instead, I’d look at your own collection (or your parents/grandparents) and see what’s either missing or worth an update. Tired of gathering magazine cut-outs for Midway Solitaire? Then its deluxe version is going to be a great pick-up. Taking a look at your collection and seeing what, with an update, would see play is a great way to start.
After that, consider your play group. Want to get more folks among your family and friends into war games? Then something like Drive on Stalingrad, which zips
along and covers most of Case Blue in only a few hours, can open eyes without burying them in rules. The fresh maps, beautiful counters, and straight on conflict offer lots of strategic possibilities without intimidating too many folks (at least, not those a little curious about hexes and counters).
For war gamers more interested in ancients-era conflicts, The Siege of Constantinople again takes an elder SPI game and transmutes it into something modern and beautiful, with corrected errata, new optional naval rules, and a play time for the full campaign of four hours or less. That’s an afternoon! A miracle in an age of games where face-to-face play is at such a premium. Jumping from this Richard Berg classic to, say, the States of Siege system would be a natural progression, and I’m always a fan of board game ladders where I can find them.
Still, if you have to pick one, I’d lean towards 1812: Napoleon in Russia. It’s a clean mix of large counters, a mounted map, and simpler rules that nevertheless lay foundations for many more complex games. You’ll taste the joys of supply, but the area map is less intimidating than a hex swath, and variant rules can be sprinkled in as desired to keep the game fresh. As an intro to war gaming, it’s a great choice.
Other Deluxified War Games
Decision Games isn’t the only publisher out there adding chrome long standard in euro and miniatures gaming to war games, though their focus on classic titles gives them a unique spin. If you’re looking for newer games made with high quality components, mounted boards, and the like, consider these:
Battle Commander Napoleon – Sound of Drums is a relatively new publisher on the scene, and their production quality is uniformly excellent. Thick counters, bold art, and clear designs go a long way towards making every one of their titles stand out on the table. Battle Commander is the start of a six volume set of Napoleonic battles, making the heavy system worth learning if you’re looking for a gorgeous game in the Emperor’s era.
Hannibal and Hamilcar – PHALANX, like Decision Games, sprinkles in high quality remasters with their original designs, all of which come with big upgrades. Hannibal and Hamilcar is a 90’s classic, done up here with bold figures, fresh counters, and optional expansions. Fast, furious, and fun, it’s an excellent 2-player title that’s a great war gaming intro.
Black Swan – Vento Nuovo Games puts their own spin on block war gaming with this series, throwing chunky components and mounted boards together for an immaculate package. Black Swan and its expansions take advantage of the format, leveraging fog of war for larger player counts (although, for the full campaigns, you’ll need your pals to commit to hours upon hours – just like a dungeon crawler campaign game, but hey, that’s pretty awesome). In another growing trend, you can combine Black Swan with its Orange Swan counterpart and create a truly massive experience. Just, you know, have a whole room to dedicate to it.
Atlantic Chase (and its coming sequel, Pacific Chase) – GMT Games is an interesting case, with their huge catalog covering a wide range of productions. Atlantic
Chase has wood components, a mounted board (increasingly an option with many GMT titles), and feels as modern as any other game. At the same time, they’re giving plexiglass devotees and price-sensitive players get new titles with paper maps and ‘standard’ counters. While I’d always suggest confirming what you’re getting with a war game, big publishers like GMT have such a wide range that it’s imperative.
Armageddon War – Flying Pig Games is a newer publisher, so it sorta makes sense that they’ve adopted bigger counters, artwork, and mounted boards (for the most part). Armageddon War is a snappy, near-future hex-and-counter that takes a unique view of turns, without things like phases and rounds to slow things down. It’s all turns, blasting away, maneuvering, and having a great time.
