Fields of Despair
Fields of Despair: France 1914-1918 is a 2-player hex-based
strategic level block war game set on the Western Front of the First
World War. Players take control of the Allies or Central Powers fighting
the war on land, at sea, and in the air all the while making tough
economic and technological decisions at home.
Fields of Despair has a unique block system designed to maintain
the fog of war throughout the entire game. In most games, block combat
values range from one to four. In Fields of Despair the range is zero to
twenty.
The range in values makes Fields of Despair a very deceptive game. Players can build up a large force with a single block instead of giving away their strategy with a stack of blocks.
Movement is simple and free flowing. Players are allowed to “make
change” during the movement phase. Thus a block with a combat value of
16 could be broken in two blocks of 8 before moving, or conversely two
blocks could be combined into one. Zero-value blocks known as
“Deception” blocks could also be part of the exchange. Thus after every
movement phase you never really know the strength of your enemy.
A unique phase called Strategic Reorganization, allow players to make the large build ups of the First World War in secret.
The fog of war isn’t lost after first contact with the enemy.
Blocks remain hidden even when enemies occupy the same hex and stay
hidden until one player decides to allocate an air squadron for
reconnaissance or sends his men across no man’s land.
Combat is fought in singular rounds and involves the allocation of
limited artillery resources across the front. Unlike many games, the
active player is not obligated to fight a round of infantry combat. If
he wants to sit in his trench and fight an attritional artillery battle
that is his prerogative. However, if he does choose to send his men
“over the top” all blocks are revealed and one round of combat is
fought. After loses are taken all blocks are stood back up as armies
retreat back to their trenches.
In Fields of Despair, Allied and Central economies are in a
constant state of decline. Therefore, at the start of each turn, the
ability to supply troops, keep planes in the air and artillery full of
shells, decreases.
Players are given a limited number of Economic Points (EP’s) each
turn and must make several tough choices. EP’s must be allocated among
war the war efforts of supply capacity, logistics, and artillery or
aircraft production and maintenance.
EP’s may also be used to help fight the war at sea and in the East
as well as advance technologies of the day including: aircraft
improvements (the Fokker tri-planes didn’t invent themselves), chlorine
and mustard gas as well as the gas-masks to counter them and tanks.
The wars at sea and in the East are abstracted through simple
streamlined systems that affect both the Western Front and the economies
of each power.
Fields of Despair includes a 10-turn 1914-1918 historical campaign
as well as historical scenarios for the early, mid and late war. Free
set up scenarios for all 4 periods are also included which allow for
alternate history play. What happens if the Germans never attack
Belgium? What if France struck first?
Components:
1 Rule Book
1 Playbook of Scenarios and Examples of Play
2 Player Boards ( to track Econ and Tech)
140 Blocks and Stickers
117 5/8” Counters
54 1” Counters (Air, Artillery, Tanks)
92 1/4” wood cubes (to track economies, naval war and Eastern front)
2 Bags for drawing Naval War and Eastern Front chits/cubes
Various Player Aids
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