Tides of War: 1944

In Tides of War: 1944, two to four players command their soldiers over a shifting battlefield, strategically adapting to evolving terrain and reinforcements of troops. At the start of the game players choose how to arrange the board and objective, but over the next 60 to 90 minutes, explosions and flames will alter the landscape and leave the terrain different than how it started. Along with the variety of Troops, Terrain, and Victory Conditions, Tides of War also offers a unique set of rules that remains simple, yet entirely different from more generic mechanics, offering many more possibilities which allow for a unique game experience each time.

The Game

Although the mechanics of Tides of War: 1944 are straightforward and easy to learn, the game is fundamentally fun and offers high replay value through unique gameplay and elements of chance.

There are no scenarios, but instead the player creates a distinctive battlefield each time. Choice ranges from Hedgerows and Wheat to Barns and Houses, allowing players to build up the European landscape of 1944. Additionally, choice stretches out to Ruins, Rubble, and Fire, displaying the aftereffects of war.

The terrain featured adds more to the uniqueness to this game. Ranging from simple houses to dense hedgerows and each with their own statistics, the present sceneries are always changing from each playthrough to the next.

Many forms of chance are included in this game to lend to the fog of war. The dice are used to track combat and the spread of fire, buildings can collapse into rubble or just a wall will be blown out, and a tank can attempt to ram through structures or provide cover for friendly troops.

The board consists of a 12x12 grid, where the placement of tiles and movement of troops occurs. Over the course of the game, continual troop reinforcements will offer players new opportunities to achieve victory through controlling the board, capturing objectives, or neutralizing enemies.

Gameplay

In this game, four quadrants comprise the board, in which players' troops will compete for dominance. Players begin the game with a limited number of troops that can be used to take control of a quadrant by having the majority of troops in it. At the end of every round players will receive one additional troop reinforcement for every quadrant they control, potentially replenishing lost troops up to the troop limit.

Each round of gameplay begins in the first quadrant, then moves to the second, then the third, and finally the fourth, completing that round. As each quadrant comes into play - or becomes activated - players’ troops within that quadrant will take turns performing actions, either attacking or moving orthogonally. The player’s troops who control the activated quadrant will take their actions first.

Individual troops can be Infantry, Snipers, Officers, Supports, Medics, Heavies, or Pyros. Each type of troop has a unique attack, and some have special abilities. For example, Snipers can target an enemy up to 6 spaces away as well as canceling their cover in some instances. Medics only can target an enemy up to 4 spaces away but they have an ability to heal wounded troops.

Additional Details

Five game modes are included, but players are encouraged to create more. The five modes are: Domination: A simple scenario where you have to have more troops throughout the quadrants than the enemy. Control: Use your troops to capture all the objectives before the other player. Recon: A shorter version of Control, but more troops arrive as you capture more objectives. Wipeout: A classic fight to the last man. Outlast: Defeat more troops than the opponent first. Tank Advance: A scenario that combines the Wipeout gamemode with tanks.

Components

This game includes one 16x16 inch board, 1 Rule Book, and 1 Reference Booklet, 62 tiles, 101 Tokens, 1d6, 1d8.

More specifically, tiles and tokens include: 42 troop tokens (21 for each team: Americans and Germans), 3 Large Fire Tokens, 12 Small Fire Tokens, 18 Terrain Tokens, 6 Anti-Tank Rocket Tokens, 20 Point Tokens, 54 terrain tiles, and 8 Tank Tiles.

Note

The rulebooks shown in the below photos are prototypes, and not the final copies you will recieve.