Crusade Rex
From: Columbia Games Inc.
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Crusade Rex is a new War Game from Columbia Games Inc.
Crusade Rex is yet another one of the war-game-meets-Stratego style block games by Columbia Games. It takes place during the Crusades, specifically during the year 1187 during the 3rd Crusade, in the Holy Land. One player controls the Christian Franks and the other controls the Muslim Saracens. The board depicts the Middle East from Antioch in the north to Egypt in the south. The objective of the game is to control important victory cities such as Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus, and Antioch.
From page # 1:
“Surprise is an exciting aspect of ‘Crusader Rex.”
Of course, the key difference in Crusader Rex from games like it is the blocks. Each block represents an army. The player places those armies in such a way that the enemy does not see what they are, creating a sense of mystery and surprise to the game – a fog of war. This is a concept common through all the Columbia Games block games and an aspect that holds their games above many others within the genre. Blocks for the Franks represent feudal lords, Templar knights and Hospitallers, Syrian mercenaries, and Christian pilgrim warriors. For the Saracens, the blocks represent Emirs (Muslim lords), and nomadic warriors. There is also a special block for assassins. Every block has a combat rating, a movement rating and strength.
The game also includes two sets of cards – Move and Event cards. There are 21 Move cards and 4 Event cards. Move cards allow players to do one, two or three group moves and at the beginning of each year, 6 cards are dealt to each player. Event cards allow for special actions within a turn and are played before Moves.
The game play is divided up into years, starting in 1187, and each year is divided up into 6 game turns. A game turn has four phases: Card, Move, Battle, and Draw. Card play determines who goes first and how many moves he can make. Movement occurs from town to town along roads and not along hexes or squares, simplifying the game but adding a different kind of strategy to it. There are a lot of towns and cities.
Blocks are placed in cities that are their seat. Not all blocks are placed and those that are left over are for the players draw pool where he gets his re-enforcements.
From page #2:
“The Templars and Hospitallers were the military elite of Christendom.”
Battles are fought one by one after all movement is done. Battles are fought for a maximum of 4 rounds, and the attacker must retreat on the fourth if there are enemies left on the field. So the attacker has three rounds to make his point, or he must pull out. Attacks from multiple groups can happen, but one group is considered the main attack group while the others are designated reserves. The reserves do not attack and are not revealed until the second round of combat.
Every block has a combat value and a combat strength. The player rolls a number of dice which determine a number of hits. The hits are applied to the strongest target, and if their is a tie the defender decides. Some blocks have special attacks. Knights and crusaders have knight’s charge and the Saracen blocks have harrying (attack at a lessened combat value and retreat). Once eliminated, most blocks return to the draw pool, except those that suffer permanent elimination.
Sieges occur when the defending characters in a city retreat back to the fortress or castle of the city. If this option is taken, the attacker can siege or storm. There is a limit to the number of units that can fall back and a limited number of units that can storm. This creates a rather nasty and brutal phase of combat that really captures the feel of the crusades.
Players draw from their draw poll starting on the second year. Drawn blocks have their own special rules and basically come out very slowly.
In conclusion, this is without a doubt one of the better block games of the series that I have reviewed. I will admit that I have not reviewed all of them, but I truly like this one a lot. Not only am I happy with it, those that played it at MACE 2005 were quite enthusiastic about it. It is not a game that overwhelms you with standard strategy mechanics (hexes, facings, disrupted troops, etc.). It is a game that plays more like a board game rather than one of those strategy-chit games you see in war game circles. I like this game a lot.
For more details on Columbia Games Inc. and their new War Game “Crusade Rex” check them out at their website http://www.columbiagames.com and at all of your local game stores.
Crusade Rex
From: Columbia Games Inc.
Type of Game: War Game
Game Design by: Jerry Taylor, Tom Dalgliesh
Developed by: Grant Dalgliesh
Cover Art by: Chris Collingwood, Cranson Fine Arts.
Additional Art by: Martin Scott, Tom Dalgliesh
Number of Pages: 8
Game Components Included: 8-page rulebook, Mapboard, 25 cards, 4 dice, several orange and green blocks for units, stiuckers for unit blocks.
Retail Price: $ $59.99 (US)
Number of Players: 3
Player Ages: 12+
Play Time: 2-3 hours
Item Number: 3226
Website: www.columbiagames.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung