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Fields of Despair: France 1914-1918
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.
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.
Components:
1 Mounted Board 22" x 34"
1 Rule Book
1 Playbook of Scenarios and Examples of Play
2 Player Boards (to track Econ and Tech)
140 Blocks and Stickers
– 48 Black
– 49 Light Blue
– 30 Tan
– 10 Olive
– 3 Orange
240 Counters
– 162 5/8” Counters (+14 blanks)
– 18 1/2" Counters
– 60 1” Counters (Air, Artillery, Tanks)
74 1/4” wood cubes (Economic Points)
– 30 Blue (Allied Naval/Production)
– 30 Black (CP Naval/Production)
– 12 Red (Eastern Front)
– 2 White (Naval, no effect)
2 Bags for drawing Naval War and Eastern Front chits/cubes
Various Player Aids (Solo & 2-Player)
| Ages | 13+ |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 Players |
| Play Time | 180m – 180m |
| Designer | Kurt Keckley |
| Mechanics | Hexagon Grid, Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment |
| Theme | Wargame, World War I |
| Publisher | GMT Games |
Benoitl33
Real nice components. Rules not that clear or well-written. Gameplay is a pain with the constant blocks manipulation. Shifting SPs around, throwing dice, bluffing with artillery and air, that's about it. Killer stacks. Didn't feel like a wargame. Really disappointed although I understand that block lovers rave about it. Not for me.
gutrie_es
Primera partida escenario de 1914. Un juego con ideas frescas y que intenta simplificar y abstraer de forma original partes de la Primera Guerra Mundial mientras hacemos las operaciones militares en el oeste. Dinámico y rápido, buenas sensaciones pero con reservas: puedes mover todas tus piezas en el turno y la fase estratégica hacen que acumules el máximo de divisiones en los puntos de ataque. El tema de los aviones también me parece embrollado para el resultado. El escenario de 1914 es un Alemán Arrollador que es imparable por parte del Francés, no consiguieron llegar a París, pero el Francés no tiene fuerzas para intentar contraataques debido a la concentración de fuerzas del alemán en los puntos clave, el puede cubrir todo y el Francés como mucho mantener.
DesertWargamer
[b]Purchased on:[/b] 6/16/17 [b]Purchased from:[/b] Game Depot (Tempe, AZ) [b]Purchase price:[/b] $99.99 (- 9.99 Discount + $7.29 Tx) [b]Notes:[/b] - Purchased new [b]Weight:[/b] 3.25 (6/16/17)