Ares GamesWW2 Quartermaster General - Strategy Board Game - English Version (Single Piece, Multi-Colour)

Many war games are bloated by intricate turn phases or encumbered by administrative overhead, however, Quartermaster General tends to bypass these issues by possessing a seemless yet tactical gameplay formula of playing one card per turn to drastically alter the tides of war. Some cards let you place new units on the board, some let you destroy enemy units, some let you lay traps to be sprung once triggered, some can produce one-time events, and others can permanently enhance your abilities on the battlefield. In concert with the asymmetrical nature of the six separate factions that form the two teams of the game with one representing the Allied Nations and the other being those of the Axies Nations, this game produces a dramatic diversity amongst the players that hints at the possibility of their impact on the war, but is ever fluid and changing depending on the actions of each other player that can be calculated to a certain degree with familiarity with each factions cards and the turn order of each game round. Another key element of the game is the idea of the supply chain, which is integral to all military success. One weak link in your chain can cause your whole military strategy to crumble in a spectacular heap of disappointment that most games only simulate through die rolls, but Quartermaster General accomplishes this by laying more agency on the players in terms of the outcomes of their actions. The only randomness in this game is the hand of cards you draw and from each hand is the choices that lay before you in order to shape your battle plan. In general, there is a wealth of words that can be written about the elegant simplicity of this war game, but one of the best elements is the team based structure of the game that allows for two teams of three to face off and rewrite the history of the second World War. If you like war games, this game will not disappoint. And if you want a war game that non-gamers can play, this is a great introduction to the war game genre as well.

Wonderful

I waited to write this review until my 11-year-old son and I had played the game a few times. I'm glad I did wait because I would have given it a 1-star review after our first try. Now, after playing it five or six times, I like it, with some parameters. To set a little background, my son loves WWII and games, so I searched and read a lot of reviews before purchasing this. I wanted a game with some strategy that would not be over-whelming or lose its novelty. On both of those notes, this game wins. Because of how the game is played (with cards), you never really know what card you are going to draw or what your opponent will draw. I think the game will be different each time we play, which makes it fun. However, it is a bear to learn how to play. The directions that come with the game are well written, but they don't explain key points about the cards. The first time we played, I had to stop after 15 minutes because I had so many questions. I recommend finding some you tube videos that offer reviews of the game and explanations of how to play. I also found some blogs that clarified questions I have, although I still have questions. I jot them down on a post-it and put them with the directions. Sometimes, we just agree to interpret the rules one specific way and I write "our rule" on the directions so we remember when we play again. We also have not played with victory points yet. To keep things in check, we set a timer for 30 or 45 minutes and play until the timer goes off. I know that victory points are important to the game, but I really feel you need to understand the basic use of cards (status, response, event, build, battle) before you can even begin to score points. We have also only ever played with two players. I think it would be harder to play with more people - with only two players one person is the axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) while the other player is the allies (US, UK, Russia). In playing for three countries, you know which cards the other countries have and can make strategic decisions based on those cards. It would be harder to know what cards to play if you didn't know what your teammate had and could possibly play.Overall, it's a good game. If you are patient, take the time to seek better explanations of the rules and want a WWII game, I'd recommend it.

Fast to learn and play

This is a card driven game that represents WW2 very well. Easy to play and great replay ability make this a must buy for the WW2 fan or anyone who likes battle games.

An exciting and strategic game with some flaws. After a 2-hour play, everyone wanted to play again.