Burning Banners

A game of Burning Banners is a fast moving, tense, tactical and strategic experience. I was playing a game with the Fjordland faction recently, and the cities of the coast and islands nearby were not safe from my Raiders. A couple of towns fell to the Empire, but overall, it was too little to save the dying imperial influence in the region, and the Fjordlanders find themselves free! Now, the Fjorlander concerns turns to the goblin-folk in the nearby mountains…

This game has an extensive history, creating a setting like no other game like it outside of historical war games. It feels like a historical war game in a fantasy setting, which I love.

The game is lighter than many war games as well. You get full art on each unit marker, and a simple set of stats that easy to understand and translate to combat. The potential outcome of a battle is fairly easy to see, but when multiplied by all units across a Season (game turn) that can become less easy to predict and forecast. Which of course is one element that lends fun and excitement to the game.

On your turn you gather income (usually) and decide what new units to purchase or old units to rally. Then you go about moving and attacking with those units, usually with the goal of capturing neutral or opposition settlements. If you do, you loot a small amount of gold, and increase your income. Combat is a 1 v 1 (in the basic game) roll off of a number of d6s or d8s, with 5s or 6s being a success, and the difference is inflicted on the losing unit, with 1 or 2 hits being required to remove the unit. So you can lose a unit while attacking with it – and swings can be big in the luck of individual combats.

I was first attracted to the game by the art. The art style is very 80s D&D and I appreciate that. It is not ‘old’ art though, it has a fresh and utilitarian element to it and I found after 2-3 plays that the art and iconography made understanding options on a turn quick and breezy. I lot of thought and love went into the creation of the world, its inhabitants, and the maps the game is played on.

The game is designed as a social experience between two players. It can go to more than that, and I want to try a 4 or 6 player battle, but at it’s core it is a two-player game. There is no solo option (with the exception of a single article in an issue 109 of Paper Wars magazine). This is by design, by the creator, who made a deliberate choice to make a game for more than one person to enjoy together. I tried playing it two handed and it was fun. Different decisions can be played out while the narrative and game mechanisms are explored.

However, when hidden elements are introduced in the Advanced Game, I’m sure the multiplayer game will shine. You also don’t have another player coming up with ideas you might overlook. I plan to play this game with other players as often as I can.

This game is for fans of fantasy war games, or maybe to a lesser extent, war games in general. It is similar to Combat Commander or Conflict of Heroes, but simpler and fantasy themed.

I have played the game 6-7 times now and am ready to play the Advanced Version soon. But I’m really not in any rush, to be honest as I am really enjoying getting to know the Basic Game. There are dozens of Campaigns (what the game calls scenarios) to play though – I will never be ‘done’ playing this game.

I really like this game. The look, feel and experience of playing is something to look forward to.