Fellow gamer and blog buddy Chris and I have recently played a couple of games of Combat Commander-Europe, using the Random Scenario Generator to pick map, forces, and objectives. We aren’t playing face to face since we are in different cities and states but instead we are using modern online gaming tools like Vassal and Discord. I no longer keep track of my game plays, but I’m certain that games in the Combat Commander universe are my most played board games, with well over 100 plays.
The publisher, GMT games, is releasing a 20th Anniversary Edition which collects scenarios and forces from the original series of games. Various Battle packs are available separately. Lots of gaming time here!
What Is Combat Commander?
Combat Commander-Europe is a tactical level military type game that features infantry operations. There are scenarios covering a wide level of smaller engagements, which might include forces from the USA, Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Italy, or even Partisans. Each unit on the board models a small unit type (squad, half squad, or team), types of weapons, and leaders of differing effectiveness. Each player has a hand of cards that govern which actions they can take on their turn.
There is a related game called Combat Commander-Pacific, and also a soon to be released game called Combat Commander-Vietnam.
An interesting feature is that the end of the game is uncertain. Near the end of each turn a dice roll is made, starting on Turn 7. If the dice roll is less than the next Turn number, the game is over. Somehow we made it to the statistically unlikely end of Turn 9/Start of Turn 10. This was good news for the British because they were often behind in the earlier turns.
What Happened In Our Game?
The game that Chris and I played centered around securing a bridge. The British start off in defensive positions to help protect entry to the bridge. The Axis starts on the right, needing to cover some open ground to get to the bridge.
Below is the end state of the game. After 10 tense turns, featuring celebrations, disappointments, and the occasional swear word, the British eke out a 1 point victory. You can see at the top that the Axis has 2 points, but in the lower right the British had a hidden objective that gave them 3 points. Net 1 point victory.
Ouch!