The Second World War in Spades

The Second World War is fertile ground for wargame designers. Between a scope that witnessed conflict on a global scale, stakes that amounted to the end of fascist and totalitarian regimes in Europe, and weapons, tactics, and strategy that translate easily into almost any game medium (PC, board, miniatures, etc.), it is little wonder that the conflict continues to inspire new games. Battlecards is a recently released addition to the World War II genre. Employing no board or dice, it is a game based entirely on cards. The cards are used to represent combat units in the game, and they cover a wide range of ground, air and sea units. Also included are a number of cards which represent the Conflict Deck. These cards include descriptions and prerequisites for fighting a total of 14 battles, as well as a number of events that allow the player to increase the number of cards in his hand or even employ special cards that allow the player to thwart or diminish his opponent's attack, and even to spy on the cards his opponent holds. The game I played was the Western European Theatre, involving only British and German forces, though other game decks will soon be available, something which I will discuss later in this review.

Good Things In Small Packages

The mood set by Battlecards is fast-paced and fun. The battles are abstract, and while the game attempts to make each conflict adhere loosely to history by restricting the types of units employable (e.g. only air and ground units may be used in the Invasion of Luxembourg & The Netherlands) the composition of those forces is restricted to those drawn by the player in the course of gameplay, and will only coincidentally represent those actually used in the battle itself. Players take turns targeting their opponent's cards and attempt to destroy them, while limiting their own casualties. The conflicts, therefore, are abstract as fighters, battleships and artillery units are targeted for destruction. Game time passes quickly enough so that once the basic mechanics are learned, an act that takes only a few minutes, the level of enjoyment quickly moves into full gear.

The DG Associates website recommends Battlecards to gamers between 8 and 80 years of age. I would agree with that recommendation, and though I don't know if Battlecards will ever supplant Pictionary as the family game of choice after Thanksgiving turkey, its abstract level of violence and simple rules may find a good fit in those families who are fortunate enough to have a group who likes to play wargamers at least on the level of Risk. However, for readers like me who cut their teeth on Avalon Hill games, the appeal of Battlecards is a bit more sublime.

Arriving in a box about 8 inches long, 3½ inches wide, and about an inch deep, Battlecards proves that a lot of fun can come in a small package. While it will not even come close to sating the appetite of a game-hungry, hard-boiled player of Advanced Squad Leader, the casual wargamer (or well-fed grognard) may find Battlecards a refreshing alternative.

The splashy colors on the box set the tone for the cards inside.

I initially underestimated the game length of Battlecards. Opening the box, a single, tri-fold 8½ by 11 inch sheet of paper greeted me. On both sides were printed all of the rules, with the last half of the reverse side taken up by a graphic to assist players in understanding how the various cards and decks are supposed to be laid out. Quickly glancing over the rules, I made the mistake of assuming that just a few rules would equate to quick playing time, perhaps finishing in as little as 30 minutes or so. Three hours later, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a single game of Battlecards could fill an entire evening.