Redvers' Reverse review by Kevin Grimsley
This review is based on a few plays of the game – two/three while I got the hang of the system and then three proper plays.
OVERVIEW
The situation was very novel and there have been few games on the Boer war. I knew very little of this situation and most of what I did was linked to the Kop at Liverpool. I read up before I played using a combination of internet sources and the Osprey book on the battle which I bought to give me some background.
1. GRAPHICS
I know you said that you did not particularly want comments on this but I do feel that I would like to make some. I was provided with a map that was roughly the standard 22” x 34” size and one inch counters. The map was a bit dull but fits in well with the terrain described in the sources. The counters were clear and I liked the illustrations. I don’t know if it is possible but it would help to have the markers a different size to the unit counters. The many charts provided were mostly easy to use but I did wonder if the playing surface could be made smaller and then some of the more commonly used charts could go on the map sheet. For example, the three tracks (reminder, segment and turn/status) could go on the sides while the more commonly used cards could go down the left hand side – quick play and fire cards perhaps. The status chart modifiers as they are only used once per turn could go on a card and perhaps the orders card falls into this category too.
Designer’s Note: Your feedback as regards the battlefield map and playing pieces will be taken into consideration by the artist of the new map and pieces. The Fire Card presents all rules related to the firing procedure, including three charts and three tables. The Quick Play Card presents all other rules related to the game, excluding the Fire Procedure, Events and Variants rules which are on three separate cards. One chart and three tables are included. I think it is functional having all the pertaining rules on a single card. The Status Chart presents the Confidence and Loss modifiers for the Fire Phase, Movement Phase and Status Phase. It will often be referred to throughout the game sequence.
2. RULES
I find as the years go by that I have greater difficulty picking up the rules of a game especially some of the current games which have significantly longer rules than some of the monsters I played in my youth (Wacht Am Rhein, Korsun Pocket, Highway to the Reich) and anything that makes the learning process flow helps towards my enjoyment of the game; I have to be honest there some games I have given up on just because the rules are too long and cumbersome.
I found Redvers' Reverse took a long time to grasp. The small font may have been a contributor to this although that may be my eyesight as I get older. I think an outline at the start would have helped especially as this is a solitaire game; the quick play card is very useful and was well thumbed. The sequence of the rule book works well as it mostly follows the turn sequence but on a personal note I do prefer the set up at the start of the rules along with the victory conditions so that I know what the aim of the game is.
Designer’s Note: Introduction added to the front of the rules. Also, 9.0 Game Set-Up and 10.0 Scenarios have now been moved to the front of the rules. 6.2 Victory Segment will remain where it is because this segment is part of the sequence of play.
3. MORALE LEVELS
After initial confusion (my fault) I got the hang of this but it would help to have a list of the effects of each. I assumed that morale effects are not cumulative so that a disruption on a disrupted unit does not make for suppression as it does in other games. This a key feature in so many others that perhaps it needs a section to itself.
Designer’s Note: Well spotted! 7.4 Boer Morale, second paragraph now reads: "Find the result and adjust the Morale Markers to show the new level of each unit belonging to the same group in the target area that has a better morale than the result." 8.5 British Morale, second paragraph now reads: "Find the result and adjust the Morale Markers to show the new level of each unit belonging to the same brigade in the target area that has a better morale than the result."
4. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
This has been well designed and while the wording is quite extensive it does cover all the possible fires or moves that I have come across and no strange results have occurred. Not sure if a flowchart would be better than the wording, it would need someone to produce one and then let others try it.
Designer's Note: Step Marker now added. This is used to remember which step is being resolved. Simply point the arrow at the bullet on the card.
Movement: This works easily and is appropriate when compared to the battle descriptions in the sources I read. The drift crossing is my biggest concern – the rules state that “No more than two units can enter or cross a drift area and only one may remain in it at the end of a movement segment” which” seems to make crossing them very slow. As the infantry have an allowance of 1 MP this implies that they can cross one unit at a time:
Turn x: one infantry enters
Turn x+ 1: that unit moves out and another in, etc
This means that a command that a brigade could take four moves to cross which is problematic. Or did I get it wrong?
Designer’s Note: You got it right, above procedure is correct.
5. COMBAT
Fairly straight-forward and easy to work; found I used the charts a lot to start with and need to make notes to make sure I did all the stages such as morale effects. Assault seems very bloody which I assume was intentional.
6. VICTORY
Again easy to use but there is not much slack in the losses you can take before you lose the game (only five). Is this deliberate or have I been playing it wrong? Are losses only the British losses and if so why does it start at 10?
Designer’s Note: The Status Chart shows five modifiers for the Loss Marker including a negative for Boer units eliminated.
7. GAME PLAY
This is the big one.
Very slow my first few plays as I was looking up a lot and had to go back when I had played things incorrectly.
Seems a little clunky in that you have a lot of die rolls and table look-ups and modifiers.
Game length – on average well over three hours – what length is aimed for.
Orders – very uncomfortable with having to check orders on the first turn, surely the commanders were given their orders before and you may check that they hesitate or misunderstand but their seems to be too big a chance of the plan going wrong before it starts – would love to discuss.
Designer’s Note: The game starts after the British army has deployed and Buller has planned his attack but before he sends out his initial orders.
Enjoyed playing and with a bit of smoothing would do so even more.
QUERIES
How do you know which units are in emplacements? I assumed it was all Boer units. Set up says “Place a Hidden Marker in each starting area with an emplacement.”
Designer’s Note: Terrain Effects Chart - “Only Boers may occupy.” added to Emplacements.
Some of the events are unclear of what happens, e.g. Close Order – would have helped if it listed briefly the impact.
Designer’s Note: Events Card - "They will be better in close combat and have improved morale but will be more vulnerable to Boer fire.” added to Close Order.
This review is based on a few plays of the game – two/three while I got the hang of the system and then three proper plays.
OVERVIEW
The situation was very novel and there have been few games on the Boer war. I knew very little of this situation and most of what I did was linked to the Kop at Liverpool. I read up before I played using a combination of internet sources and the Osprey book on the battle which I bought to give me some background.
1. GRAPHICS
I know you said that you did not particularly want comments on this but I do feel that I would like to make some. I was provided with a map that was roughly the standard 22” x 34” size and one inch counters. The map was a bit dull but fits in well with the terrain described in the sources. The counters were clear and I liked the illustrations. I don’t know if it is possible but it would help to have the markers a different size to the unit counters. The many charts provided were mostly easy to use but I did wonder if the playing surface could be made smaller and then some of the more commonly used charts could go on the map sheet. For example, the three tracks (reminder, segment and turn/status) could go on the sides while the more commonly used cards could go down the left hand side – quick play and fire cards perhaps. The status chart modifiers as they are only used once per turn could go on a card and perhaps the orders card falls into this category too.
Designer’s Note: Your feedback as regards the battlefield map and playing pieces will be taken into consideration by the artist of the new map and pieces. The Fire Card presents all rules related to the firing procedure, including three charts and three tables. The Quick Play Card presents all other rules related to the game, excluding the Fire Procedure, Events and Variants rules which are on three separate cards. One chart and three tables are included. I think it is functional having all the pertaining rules on a single card. The Status Chart presents the Confidence and Loss modifiers for the Fire Phase, Movement Phase and Status Phase. It will often be referred to throughout the game sequence.
2. RULES
I find as the years go by that I have greater difficulty picking up the rules of a game especially some of the current games which have significantly longer rules than some of the monsters I played in my youth (Wacht Am Rhein, Korsun Pocket, Highway to the Reich) and anything that makes the learning process flow helps towards my enjoyment of the game; I have to be honest there some games I have given up on just because the rules are too long and cumbersome.
I found Redvers' Reverse took a long time to grasp. The small font may have been a contributor to this although that may be my eyesight as I get older. I think an outline at the start would have helped especially as this is a solitaire game; the quick play card is very useful and was well thumbed. The sequence of the rule book works well as it mostly follows the turn sequence but on a personal note I do prefer the set up at the start of the rules along with the victory conditions so that I know what the aim of the game is.
Designer’s Note: Introduction added to the front of the rules. Also, 9.0 Game Set-Up and 10.0 Scenarios have now been moved to the front of the rules. 6.2 Victory Segment will remain where it is because this segment is part of the sequence of play.
3. MORALE LEVELS
After initial confusion (my fault) I got the hang of this but it would help to have a list of the effects of each. I assumed that morale effects are not cumulative so that a disruption on a disrupted unit does not make for suppression as it does in other games. This a key feature in so many others that perhaps it needs a section to itself.
Designer’s Note: Well spotted! 7.4 Boer Morale, second paragraph now reads: "Find the result and adjust the Morale Markers to show the new level of each unit belonging to the same group in the target area that has a better morale than the result." 8.5 British Morale, second paragraph now reads: "Find the result and adjust the Morale Markers to show the new level of each unit belonging to the same brigade in the target area that has a better morale than the result."
4. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
This has been well designed and while the wording is quite extensive it does cover all the possible fires or moves that I have come across and no strange results have occurred. Not sure if a flowchart would be better than the wording, it would need someone to produce one and then let others try it.
Designer's Note: Step Marker now added. This is used to remember which step is being resolved. Simply point the arrow at the bullet on the card.
Movement: This works easily and is appropriate when compared to the battle descriptions in the sources I read. The drift crossing is my biggest concern – the rules state that “No more than two units can enter or cross a drift area and only one may remain in it at the end of a movement segment” which” seems to make crossing them very slow. As the infantry have an allowance of 1 MP this implies that they can cross one unit at a time:
Turn x: one infantry enters
Turn x+ 1: that unit moves out and another in, etc
This means that a command that a brigade could take four moves to cross which is problematic. Or did I get it wrong?
Designer’s Note: You got it right, above procedure is correct.
5. COMBAT
Fairly straight-forward and easy to work; found I used the charts a lot to start with and need to make notes to make sure I did all the stages such as morale effects. Assault seems very bloody which I assume was intentional.
6. VICTORY
Again easy to use but there is not much slack in the losses you can take before you lose the game (only five). Is this deliberate or have I been playing it wrong? Are losses only the British losses and if so why does it start at 10?
Designer’s Note: The Status Chart shows five modifiers for the Loss Marker including a negative for Boer units eliminated.
7. GAME PLAY
This is the big one.
Very slow my first few plays as I was looking up a lot and had to go back when I had played things incorrectly.
Seems a little clunky in that you have a lot of die rolls and table look-ups and modifiers.
Game length – on average well over three hours – what length is aimed for.
Orders – very uncomfortable with having to check orders on the first turn, surely the commanders were given their orders before and you may check that they hesitate or misunderstand but their seems to be too big a chance of the plan going wrong before it starts – would love to discuss.
Designer’s Note: The game starts after the British army has deployed and Buller has planned his attack but before he sends out his initial orders.
Enjoyed playing and with a bit of smoothing would do so even more.
QUERIES
How do you know which units are in emplacements? I assumed it was all Boer units. Set up says “Place a Hidden Marker in each starting area with an emplacement.”
Designer’s Note: Terrain Effects Chart - “Only Boers may occupy.” added to Emplacements.
Some of the events are unclear of what happens, e.g. Close Order – would have helped if it listed briefly the impact.
Designer’s Note: Events Card - "They will be better in close combat and have improved morale but will be more vulnerable to Boer fire.” added to Close Order.
