Battle Cry (game)
Encyclopedia
Battle Cry is a board wargame
based on the American Civil War
, designed by Richard Borg
and published by Avalon Hill
in 2000
.
While superficially similar to conventional board wargames, it borrows from miniatures wargaming with its use of plastic figures and its simplified rules.
The map is initially composed of blank hexes, although additional cardboard hexes can be placed to alter the printed terrain and recreate a wide variety of battles, as per scenario instructions. The game manual includes fifteen official scenarios (battles) and Avalon Hill published three extra scenarios, called The Jackson Campaign, for the Origins 2000 and Gen Con
2000 conventions.
Players command a variety of units: infantry
, cavalry
, and artillery
. Each unit is composed of a varying number of plastic figures. During each turn, players alternate playing cards from their hands. There are Order and Special Order cards Order cards allow a player to activate a number of units on a specified section -left flank, center, or right flank. Special Order cards provide specific unique manipulations of game mechanics that are detailed on the card. Attacks are made by rolling a number of dice
, depending on the attacking unit and any defensive terrain. Each six-sided die is labeled with each unit symbol; if the rolled symbol matches the target's unit type, a single figure is removed. A flag roll on the die forces the unit to retreat one square.
For each opponent's unit entirely removed from the board a player receives one victory point. The player who scores the required number of victory points, as determined by the scenario instructions, is the winner.
In November of 2008, a licensed online version of the game was released by GameTable Online. The online version can be played live against other online players or against a computer opponent. The game includes all of the scenarios of the original tabletop board game but lacks the ability to create unique scenarios. This version of the game is free to play.
The same game mechanic
s were later used in Memoir '44
, published by Days of Wonder
, Commands & Colors: Ancients
, published by GMT Games
, and Battle Lore, published by Fantasy Flight Games
.
According to reviewer J.C. Connors "Battle Crys simplicity means that grognards who cut their teeth on past Avalon Hill games ... will probably find themselves unsatisfied. It's not a historical simulation ... a particular strategy that worked in real life might not be possible. But Battle Cry isn't meant to reflect those things -- it's meant to be a fast battle game with a historical flavor."
Battle Cry won the 2001 International Gamers Award
for General Strategy, 2-Player category.
Civil War
board game produced by the Milton Bradley Company
as part of their popular American Heritage
series, which was reprinted in the 1970s.
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
based on the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, designed by Richard Borg
Richard Borg
Richard Borg is a game designer.Games Richard has designed or co-designed include:*2000 Battle Cry *2001 Wyatt Earp...
and published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
in 2000
2000 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 2000. For video and console games, see 2000 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events in 2000:...
.
While superficially similar to conventional board wargames, it borrows from miniatures wargaming with its use of plastic figures and its simplified rules.
The map is initially composed of blank hexes, although additional cardboard hexes can be placed to alter the printed terrain and recreate a wide variety of battles, as per scenario instructions. The game manual includes fifteen official scenarios (battles) and Avalon Hill published three extra scenarios, called The Jackson Campaign, for the Origins 2000 and Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
2000 conventions.
Players command a variety of units: infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. Each unit is composed of a varying number of plastic figures. During each turn, players alternate playing cards from their hands. There are Order and Special Order cards Order cards allow a player to activate a number of units on a specified section -left flank, center, or right flank. Special Order cards provide specific unique manipulations of game mechanics that are detailed on the card. Attacks are made by rolling a number of dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, depending on the attacking unit and any defensive terrain. Each six-sided die is labeled with each unit symbol; if the rolled symbol matches the target's unit type, a single figure is removed. A flag roll on the die forces the unit to retreat one square.
For each opponent's unit entirely removed from the board a player receives one victory point. The player who scores the required number of victory points, as determined by the scenario instructions, is the winner.
In November of 2008, a licensed online version of the game was released by GameTable Online. The online version can be played live against other online players or against a computer opponent. The game includes all of the scenarios of the original tabletop board game but lacks the ability to create unique scenarios. This version of the game is free to play.
The same game mechanic
Game mechanic
Game mechanics are constructs of rules intended to produce an enjoyable game or gameplay. All games use mechanics; however, theories and styles differ as to their ultimate importance to the game...
s were later used in Memoir '44
Memoir '44
Memoir '44 is a light wargame, or war-themed strategy board game, created by Richard Borg, for two players. The game can also be played with up to six players if played in teams and up to eight players in the "Overlord" scenarios that require two copies of the game...
, published by Days of Wonder
Days of Wonder
Days of Wonder is a board game publisher based in the United States and France. Founded in 2002, Days of Wonder distributes its games to 25 countries. It specialises in German-style board games and have branched out to include some online games. Days of Wonder has published games in English,...
, Commands & Colors: Ancients
Commands & Colors: Ancients
Commands & Colors: Ancients is a board wargame designed by Richard Borg, Pat Kurivial, and Roy Grider, and published by GMT Games in 2006. It is based on Borg's Command & Colors system using some elements similar to his other games such as Memoir '44 and Battle Cry designed to simulate the "fog of...
, published by GMT Games
GMT Games
GMT Games, probably the most prolific of the wargame companies in the 1990s and 2000s, was founded in 1990. The current management and creative team includes Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Mark Simonitch, and Andy Lewis...
, and Battle Lore, published by Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games is a Roseville, Minnesota-based game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. Fantasy Flight Publishing was founded in 1995 by its CEO, Christian T. Petersen. Since the release of its first game product in 1997, the company has been doing...
.
According to reviewer J.C. Connors "Battle Crys simplicity means that grognards who cut their teeth on past Avalon Hill games ... will probably find themselves unsatisfied. It's not a historical simulation ... a particular strategy that worked in real life might not be possible. But Battle Cry isn't meant to reflect those things -- it's meant to be a fast battle game with a historical flavor."
Battle Cry won the 2001 International Gamers Award
International Gamers Award
The International Gamers Awards is an award for strategy board games and historical simulation games.- Past winners :2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000- 2010 :- 2009 :- 2008 :- 2007 :- 2006 :- 2005 :- 2004 :...
for General Strategy, 2-Player category.
Milton Bradley game
The title, Battle Cry, was also used for a 19611960s in games
This page lists board games, card games, and wargames published in the 1960s.-Significant games-related events in the 1960s:* Parker Brothers is bought by General Mills ....
Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
board game produced by the Milton Bradley Company
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
as part of their popular American Heritage
American Heritage (magazine)
American Heritage is a quarterly magazine dedicated to covering the history of the United States for a mainstream readership. Until 2007, the magazine was published by Forbes. Since that time, Edwin S...
series, which was reprinted in the 1970s.
External links
from Wizards of the Coast- The Jackson Campaign at BoardGameGeekBoardGameGeekBoardGameGeek is a website that was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko as a resource for the board gaming hobby. The database holds reviews, articles, and session reports for over 45,000 different games, expansions, and designers. BoardGameGeek includes German-style board games,...
- Battle Cry website
- Battle Cry reviews at grognard.com
- Play Battle Cry online at GameTable OnlineGameTable OnlineGameTable Online is a popular web game portal that specializes in online adaptations of board, card, and dice games. Their game platform offers both head-to-head play against other players or computer opponents for single player mode. As of September 2010 GameTable Online offers 28 games...