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Author Topic: Rebel Raiders on the High Seas (GMT)  (Read 4622 times)

BanzaiCat

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on: August 24, 2020, 11:58:00 AM
This is an enjoyable game that I've had on my table for a few days now. I bought it during GMT's sale last year and am trying to do better during the quarantine to get more unplayed games to the table.

This game is a very high level sim of the Civil War with a focus of operations at sea. The Confederate player aims to earn VPs by getting their Blockade Runners to neutral/European ports to load up on cargo to unload in the CSA, and send Raiders out to attack shipping lanes. They also want to keep the North from overrunning their forts and cities, whereby the CSA loses VPs. The land portion is handled in a slightly more high level way with offensives to take cities limited to a few a turn at first, but the Union's war economy soon means they can take more offensives on land.

The Union player is also concerned with getting more ships built so they can blockade/interdict CSA shipping, which is really where this game shines. In the early stages of the war, CSA Blockade Runners and Raiders pretty much have run of the seas, but as time passes and more Union ships are brought to the fore, the CSA's luck will slowly begin to run out. This coupled with successful Union attacks to capture ports and inland cities (especially along the rivers, including the Mississippi) means the CSA will have a hell of a time winning this game. They have to focus on earning as much VP as they can as early as they can and then hang on against ever-increasing Union numbers and power. That's not to say the CSA can't win - their odds just get worse as time passes. It's in the Union's best interest to build swarms of ships and blockade every port they can while capturing the ones they cannot.

The CSA's offensive power is very limited on land, and it costs them a lot of resources to undertake.

The land offensive side is somewhat vague, though the sea portion is as well, but I like this because it makes the game very approachable and playable, and quickly, too. As it is a GMT game, card play enters into the process, though it's limited to events on the cards to enhance or open up opportunities for play on the map. I've yet to finish my first game but it's enjoyable enough I think to be a keeper and get to the table again in the future.

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-238-rebel-raiders-on-the-high-seas.aspx

I might try to do a full-on review in the near future. Just wanted to put my experience with it thus far out there.

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