The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Milton Bradley's Gamemaster Series

The Gamemaster series of games put out by Milton Bradley in the mid '80's are some of the most often played games on my shelf. The most successful and well known game of this series is of course, Axis & Allies. But there were four other games in the series, each of which focused on some period of history and in one case a (very) speculative future. In all the games save one, the scope is epic; the choices you make affect the future of the world. Very cool!

Axis & Allies covers WWII. Conquest of the Empire covers the Roman Empire in the 2nd Century. Samurai Swords (aka Shogun) deals with 16th century Japan. Broadsides and Boarding Parties takes on the 17th Century as well. Finally Fortress America looks at the "early 21st Century".

All of the games came in big gorgeous boxes, covered with equally beautiful artwork. Each game had really big colorful gameboards and 3D components, easy to read rules, and best of all, bags just full of bits! These games all came with 200+ pieces on average. As a miniature freak I really appreciated this, and the visual appeal of these games is part of the reason why I and my friends continue to play these games.

Axis & Allies is still in print. Samurai Swords was re-released a few years ago and is now OOP again. The other games are not likely to ever be resurrected. A shame really; this series had a lot of potential. A questionnaire I found in one of the boxes asked what other topics players would like to see a Gamemaster game done on. Choices included the U.S. Civil War, Napoleonic Wars, Medieval period, fantasy, and sci-fi.

My friends and I like these games so much we've even developed our own Gamemaster-style Napoleonic Wars game!

Capsule reviews and comments on each game follow. Art/Presentation covers first, the box art, then the map board, game pieces, and other components.

Axis & Allies Subject: WW2 Players: 2 - 5 Gameplay: 4 Art/Presentation: 4/4 Availability: Good Comments: Just type in Axis & Allies on your search engine and you will see just how popular this game is. Wargame enthusiasts may decry its "simplified" take on WW2 (even as they set it up to play it) but if you consider A&A a "wargame" then it is easily one of the best selling wargames of all time. Axis & Allies is interesting in that the "sides" are uneven, that is, three players (the Allies) vs. two (the Axis). The cooperation necessary to win the game for either side is what makes this game so interesting. Russia cannot hold if the UK doesn't draw off German resources; the Allies need the US player to correctly time and direct its forces to wallop the fascists; Germany and Japan both need each other to squeeze the Russians out as soon as possible. The game does seem to follow a certain pattern after a while, with each nation making certain "no-brainer" moves. But by this time, the players are already experimenting with the multitude of variants that are available for the game. Axis & Allies has stood the test of time and is a great addition to your gaming library.

Samurai Swords (Shogun) Subject: 16th Century Japan Players: 2 - 5 Gameplay: 4 Art/Presentation: 5/5 Availability: Good (but out-of-print since last year) Comments: Not only does Samurai Swords have perhaps the most stunning art of the Gamemaster series, it is an excellent game. Each player controls a host of samurai, bowmen, spearmen, and gunners in a bid to become Shogun, the military ruler of Japan. Unlike A&A, this game is every samurai for himself. Deals are only good as long as they are politically necessary and only the strong will survive. The figures for this game are astounding, as are the other components; foam trays shaped like castles, castle pieces,plastic swords, coins, even a ninja figure! Fortunes can change quickly as last turn's power broker becomes this turn's goat. Players bid money for turn order and for hiring the ninja, as well as the usual buildup of forces. Although not a very hard game to learn the depth of the game is excellent. Players have to think several turns ahead to get on top and stay there, and until the competition is taken down a few notches, it's anyone's game. The battles have a very unique feel to them that captures some of the essence of the game's setting very nicely. Games can take a long time to finish however, but the fast-play rules help somewhat. This one is a winner, no doubt.

Fortress America Subject: USA Invaded! Players: 2 - 4 Gameplay: 5 Art/Presentation: 3/4 Early editions of the game actually have Saddam Hussein of the cover! Later editions have Hussein disguised with a beard, moustache, and sunglasses! Availability: Rare; occasionally seen on the used games shelf; often sold on Ebay Comments: I like this game for its sheer anachronism; the US is invaded by a coalition of nations; the Eastern invaders (presumably all of Europe, led by the Soviet Union), the Western Invaders (a vaguely defined horde of one would assume are Asian nations), and the Southern Invader (an equally ambiguous army of Latin American nations). It was printed at the height of the Cold War (in 1984) so you can see where the politics of the time informed the game world. But, goofy premise aside, this is a really good game. This one is three against one; the foreign hordes against a lone American defender. The system starts the US player off relatively weak, but able to grow in strength each turn. Conversely, the invaders are strong to begin with but attrition will do them in if they don't win a swift victory. Initially, everyone thinks the invaders can't lose, but when the US tactics are figured out it goes the other way. Then both sides have their tactics down and Fortress America becomes a contest where even late in the game, no one is sure who is going to win. It takes a while to reach this level of understanding in the game and so, unfortunately, many stop playing before they really get into it.

Conquest of the Empire Subject: 2nd Century AD Roman Empire Players: 2 - 6 Gameplay: 3 Art/Presentation: 3/3 Availability: Rare; often sold on Ebay Comments: The large number of players, winner takes all victory conditions, and offense oriented game system make Conquest of the Empire one of the series most volatile titles. The players must quickly make a few important alliances and then set about conquering everyone else (until it's time to break those alliances of course). The game's big weakness is the catapults, which act somewhat like Punic panzer tanks. House rules can balance them out however. The game also features a unique and interesting mechanic; inflation. As the game progresses and the players get richer, the price of combat units (legions, cavalry, and catapults) and other improvements (cities, walls) goes up. Once certain thresh-holds are broken, things double and later triple in price. Roads allow fast movement between provinces and are a mark of civilization (if you can spare the money to build a city to connect them to...) Another thing you can do, if the enemy hordes are threatening to capture one of your cities, is to burn it down to deny it to the enemy before you are destroyed. A definitely Pyrrhic victory.

Broadsides & Boarding Parties Subject: Pirates of the Carribean! Players: 2 Gameplay: 2 Art/ Presentation: 3/4 Availability: Very rare, even on Ebay (and expensive) Comments: Broadsides & Boarding Parties is easily the most visceral and at the same time simplest of the Gamemaster series. While the other games in the series are strategic in nature, B&B is decidedly tactical. It's basically a ship to ship battle between a pirate ship and a Spanish Galleon. Players start off by maneuvering smaller ships into gunnery range (Broadsides) on the battle board. Should the two ships collide (intentionally or not) the ship-to-ship boarding action begins (Boarding Parties). The centerpiece(s) of the game are the two magnificent ship models, complete with masts, cannon, crew, and a captain (too bad there's no little plastic parrot). The ships are over a foot long and very nicely detailed, as are the other figures. On the down side the game system moves the ships around with a very simple card driven system, and the gunnery and boarding action is really a die-rolling contest. The game can get repetitive pretty quickly. House rules for wind and other factors can really improve game play. If you are lucky enough to have two sets you can even try multi-ship battles!

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Axis&Allies, Samurai Swords, Conquest of the Empire, Fortress America, Broadsides&Boarding Parties
Author: Not credited Category: Mass Market Boardgame Series Company/Publisher: Milton Bradley Line: Gamemaster Series Page count: n/a Capsule Review by Mike Montesa on 02/20/00. Genre tags: Science_fiction Historical Post-apocalypse Asian/Far_East	Milton Bradley's Gamemaster Series The Gamemaster series of games put out by Milton Bradley in the mid '80's are some of the most often played games on my shelf. The most successful and well known game of this series is of course, Axis & Allies. But there were four other games in the series, each of which focused on some period of history and in one case a (very) speculative future. In all the games save one, the scope is epic; the choices you make affect the future of the world. Very cool! Axis & Allies covers WWII. Conquest of the Empire covers the Roman Empire in the 2nd Century. Samurai Swords (aka Shogun) deals with 16th century Japan. Broadsides and Boarding Parties takes on the 17th Century as well. Finally Fortress America looks at the "early 21st Century". All of the games came in big gorgeous boxes, covered with equally beautiful artwork. Each game had really big colorful gameboards and 3D components, easy to read rules, and best of all, bags just full of bits! These games all came with 200+ pieces on average. As a miniature freak I really appreciated this, and the visual appeal of these games is part of the reason why I and my friends continue to play these games. Axis & Allies is still in print. Samurai Swords was re-released a few years ago and is now OOP again. The other games are not likely to ever be resurrected. A shame really; this series had a lot of potential. A questionnaire I found in one of the boxes asked what other topics players would like to see a Gamemaster game done on. Choices included the U.S. Civil War, Napoleonic Wars, Medieval period, fantasy, and sci-fi. My friends and I like these games so much we've even developed our own Gamemaster-style Napoleonic Wars game! Capsule reviews and comments on each game follow. Art/Presentation covers first, the box art, then the map board, game pieces, and other components. Axis & Allies Subject: WW2 Players: 2 - 5 Gameplay: 4 Art/Presentation: 4/4 Availability: Good Comments: Just type in Axis & Allies on your search engine and you will see just how popular this game is. Wargame enthusiasts may decry its "simplified" take on WW2 (even as they set it up to play it) but if you consider A&A a "wargame" then it is easily one of the best selling wargames of all time. Axis & Allies is interesting in that the "sides" are uneven, that is, three players (the Allies) vs. two (the Axis). The cooperation necessary to win the game for either side is what makes this game so interesting. Russia cannot hold if the UK doesn't draw off German resources; the Allies need the US player to correctly time and direct its forces to wallop the fascists; Germany and Japan both need each other to squeeze the Russians out as soon as possible. The game does seem to follow a certain pattern after a while, with each nation making certain "no-brainer" moves. But by this time, the players are already experimenting with the multitude of variants that are available for the game. Axis & Allies has stood the test of time and is a great addition to your gaming library. Samurai Swords (Shogun) Subject: 16th Century Japan Players: 2 - 5 Gameplay: 4 Art/Presentation: 5/5 Availability: Good (but out-of-print since last year) Comments: Not only does Samurai Swords have perhaps the most stunning art of the Gamemaster series, it is an excellent game. Each player controls a host of samurai, bowmen, spearmen, and gunners in a bid to become Shogun, the military ruler of Japan. Unlike A&A, this game is every samurai for himself. Deals are only good as long as they are politically necessary and only the strong will survive. The figures for this game are astounding, as are the other components; foam trays shaped like castles, castle pieces,plastic swords, coins, even a ninja figure! Fortunes can change quickly as last turn's power broker becomes this turn's goat. Players bid money for turn order and for hiring the ninja, as well as the usual buildup of forces. Although not a very hard game to learn the depth of the game is excellent. Players have to think several turns ahead to get on top and stay there, and until the competition is taken down a few notches, it's anyone's game. The battles have a very unique feel to them that captures some of the essence of the game's setting very nicely. Games can take a long time to finish however, but the fast-play rules help somewhat. This one is a winner, no doubt. Fortress America Subject: USA Invaded! Players: 2 - 4 Gameplay: 5 Art/Presentation: 3/4 Early editions of the game actually have Saddam Hussein of the cover! Later editions have Hussein disguised with a beard, moustache, and sunglasses! Availability: Rare; occasionally seen on the used games shelf; often sold on Ebay Comments: I like this game for its sheer anachronism; the US is invaded by a coalition of nations; the Eastern invaders (presumably all of Europe, led by the Soviet Union), the Western Invaders (a vaguely defined horde of one would assume are Asian nations), and the Southern Invader (an equally ambiguous army of Latin American nations). It was printed at the height of the Cold War (in 1984) so you can see where the politics of the time informed the game world. But, goofy premise aside, this is a really good game. This one is three against one; the foreign hordes against a lone American defender. The system starts the US player off relatively weak, but able to grow in strength each turn. Conversely, the invaders are strong to begin with but attrition will do them in if they don't win a swift victory. Initially, everyone thinks the invaders can't lose, but when the US tactics are figured out it goes the other way. Then both sides have their tactics down and Fortress America becomes a contest where even late in the game, no one is sure who is going to win. It takes a while to reach this level of understanding in the game and so, unfortunately, many stop playing before they really get into it. Conquest of the Empire Subject: 2nd Century AD Roman Empire Players: 2 - 6 Gameplay: 3 Art/Presentation: 3/3 Availability: Rare; often sold on Ebay Comments: The large number of players, winner takes all victory conditions, and offense oriented game system make Conquest of the Empire one of the series most volatile titles. The players must quickly make a few important alliances and then set about conquering everyone else (until it's time to break those alliances of course). The game's big weakness is the catapults, which act somewhat like Punic panzer tanks. House rules can balance them out however. The game also features a unique and interesting mechanic; inflation. As the game progresses and the players get richer, the price of combat units (legions, cavalry, and catapults) and other improvements (cities, walls) goes up. Once certain thresh-holds are broken, things double and later triple in price. Roads allow fast movement between provinces and are a mark of civilization (if you can spare the money to build a city to connect them to...) Another thing you can do, if the enemy hordes are threatening to capture one of your cities, is to burn it down to deny it to the enemy before you are destroyed. A definitely Pyrrhic victory. Broadsides & Boarding Parties Subject: Pirates of the Carribean! Players: 2 Gameplay: 2 Art/ Presentation: 3/4 Availability: Very rare, even on Ebay (and expensive) Comments: Broadsides & Boarding Parties is easily the most visceral and at the same time simplest of the Gamemaster series. While the other games in the series are strategic in nature, B&B is decidedly tactical. It's basically a ship to ship battle between a pirate ship and a Spanish Galleon. Players start off by maneuvering smaller ships into gunnery range (Broadsides) on the battle board. Should the two ships collide (intentionally or not) the ship-to-ship boarding action begins (Boarding Parties). The centerpiece(s) of the game are the two magnificent ship models, complete with masts, cannon, crew, and a captain (too bad there's no little plastic parrot). The ships are over a foot long and very nicely detailed, as are the other figures. On the down side the game system moves the ships around with a very simple card driven system, and the gunnery and boarding action is really a die-rolling contest. The game can get repetitive pretty quickly. House rules for wind and other factors can really improve game play. If you are lucky enough to have two sets you can even try multi-ship battles! Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Axis&Allies, Samurai Swords, Conquest of the Empire, Fortress America, Broadsides&Boarding Parties