5 Reasons to play Battleground Fantasy

Game Overview

I cannot think of another mass combat miniatures game where you can carry seven complete armies in a shoe box, but that is easily possible with Battleground Fantasy Warfare (BGFW) by Your Move Games.

BGFW is unique in the miniatures gaming world in that it does not actually use miniatures. Instead, you use a set of cards which provide you with a top down view of the different units in your army. The cards are also used to measure distances and keep track of the stats for each unit.

The game is heavily governed by your ability to manage your troops through the command and control phase. If you do a better job of managing your troops, and get them into position to attack, flank, and pinch your opponents you will be in good position to win.

The game is not a collectible game. Each army has two things you can purchase, the basic deck and the expansion deck. The basic deck includes a set of core troops, plenty of variety to play the game, as well as a set of command cards for your army. The expansion gives you more copies of the same cards from the basic deck in addition to a few new units. You can buy both decks for an army for about 30.00 at full retail, and around 20 on discount online.

The Five Reasons

Ok here are the five reasons I think that you should pick up this game if you have not already.

Unique, Balanced Game Play - I have to mention this one first, because really it is the only reason to play a game. BGFW is simply a good game, with a very unique set of game mechanics. Setting aside the fact that the game is played with cards, the game still offers a unique take on command and control and manages to maintain a good balance between all the armies. You can download a copy of the rules and try them out before you buy.
Inexpensive - I already mentioned the cost, and you really cannot compare the value of this game. In the Men of Hawkshold army for example you get 11 different units if you buy both decks, adding up to over 60 different unit cards. You can make a huge army with all of these cards.
Table Size - This is a huge deal for me. I hate playing games on 4′ x 6′ tables, because standard tables for your home are not that big. BGFW plays on a table sized 3′ x 2.6′. I use a piece of brown felt I have cut to that size. I can carry the “board” with me anywhere and play a game on pretty much any table.
Ultraportable - I have a lot of games, and having games that are just the right size for what they are is good. Even better though is a miniatures game that fits in a box, along with the board, all the terrain you need…everything. The box I am using right now is actually too big, but I wanted some room for extra terrain as I have chance to make it.
Amazing Support - The Your Move Games team is constantly working on this game. Work does not just mean creating new things for gamers to buy though. It means spending a lot of time on the forums and BGG answering questions and drumming up interest in and support for the game.
**BONUS** - You can play this game for free by downloading issue #28 of Harbinger Magazine. This issue includes not only a BGFW scenario, but also printable cards to play the scenario. You can actually try out this game for the price of a little ink.

sean.blog