Title: Central Asia 1219-1221
Design: Works Zero
Published: 2008
Publisher: Kokusai Tsushin sya
Published as one of the issue games of Command Magazine Japan #79.
The main article covers the Genghis Kahn. So, this is the main game of this issue.
The magazine insisted the games on this issue is designed for novice players. But I cannot agree their insistence.
Basically, the game covers the whole campaign of Genghis against Anushtegin dynasty in central Asia.
The half map covers the whole dynasty from Samarkand to Baghdad.
This uses 81 counters covering both armies and several markers.
Briefly speaking, the game is I go You go. But, in Autumn and Winter, the Mongol has 2 operation phases.
The game doesn’t have specific combat phase. Combats are resolved during movement. And movement is conducted stack by stack. So, the attacker (basically Mongol) cannot concentrate his stacks against one hex.
Instead, the game uses very attacker friendly CRT. Adding to this, the attacker can use assault option which is sacrificing one of his units and get 2 favorable columns shift.
But this rule has 2 restrictions.
First, it cannot sacrifice half or more of the force. The stacking limit is 5 units, so only the largest stack can sacrifice 2 units (but powerful enough).
Second, the loss of Mongolian regular unit gives 3 VPs to Horasm. But recruit class unit gives no VPs.
So that, Mongolian player would like to recruit new recruit class units earlier. But, since the map is basically Horasm territory, he can recruit them by burning out the occupied cities. And this makes the VPs of the city from 2 to 1. So, Mongolian player need to evaluate the cost and the effect carefully. That is the reason why I cannot agree that this is for novice players.
Another unusual mechanics is sieging. Only Horasm can siege inside the cities. And it can start sieging during specific sieging phase. Then, the unit is flipped and now has its stronger combat strengths. Without this procedure the city has no specific defensive benefits. While sieging, it cannot move and/or attack and even doesn’t have ZOC. So, it needs another strategic view and decision.
According to my first play, due to Attacker favored CRT with assault option (even Horasm can use it), abandoning the right to counterattack by sieging sometimes serious miss the chance.
IMHO, this game is interesting.
But filled with unique ideas and need several unusual techniques this is definitely not for novice players.
If you’d like to play Mongolian campaign, I think there’s only one other choice S&T’s “Kahn” by Joe Miranda. So, this game is for you.
