![]() ![]() Moves can be made illegal if the destination is too far to be reached, or if something has happened in a previous player’s movement to alter the board situation. When a unit is given an order and it comes time to move it, it can only make the journey if the move is legal. Units pin enemy units of the same size in place, preventing their movement. When it comes to figuring out turn order and moving, the order system again demonstrates its excellence. The overall reduction in player downtime is something that dramatically elevates War Room above its closest kin, Axis and Allies. But this also hits upon one of War Room’s greatest features: with the exception of movement and combat resolution, every phase can be taken simultaneously. Crafty opponents will quickly figure out where they can feint and mislead, as there are never enough orders to allow every unit to end up where it needs to be. Each Nation is limited to nine orders a turn (six for Italy and China), and this restriction forces players to plan their attacks carefully. Here allies are free to discuss their plans, their Oil bids, and their overall objectives. When everyone is finished, their orders are revealed and checked by an opponent, turn order is established, and armies start moving.Ī great deal of the strategy of War Room shines in the order phase. Then each player simultaneously and secretly writes the orders for their units in the booklet and bids Oil for turn order. On each turn, players will look at the cards they control, or the territories on the board themselves, and assess how many of the three principal resources-Oil, Iron, and OSR (Other Strategic Resources)-they will have that turn. The massive game board starts with many armies, air groups, and fleets already in place, and each player is given their nation’s orders booklet, extra command tokens, resource tracker, and territory cards. The Allies will secure victory by controlling Germany and Japan, while the Axis will win if they can control the capitals of two of three Allied nations, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, or the United States. Japan is grinding down the stubborn resistance of the Republic of China, while the United States hurries to assist its allies, defend its island possessions, and prepare for a knockout across the Pacific. Italy struggles to exert control over the Mediterranean and North Africa while Great Britain and her many colonies parry attacks in Egypt, the Atlantic, and in Southeast Asia. Nazi Germany has captured most of continental Europe and are locked in a titanic struggle with The Soviet Union. The year appears to be 1942, and things are looking bad all over. War Room starts players off with seven principal nations engaged in the hard fighting of the Second World War. It’s not a perfect experience, but the joy of getting to play a full game of War Room with a group of interested players is well worth any hiccups. Taking ample inspiration from Axis and Allies as well as Diplomacy, then mixing in some innovations in player engagement and a massive board chock full of components, War Room succeeds in blowing most of its similarly-sized competitors out of the proverbial chilly Atlantic Waters. War Room, from the legendary designer of Axis and Allies, Larry Harris, is a grand strategic game of WWII combat for two to six players. It’s not the most strategic game of the Second World War that I’ve played, but it may be one of the grandest, the flashiest, and the most entertaining things I’ve managed to cram onto my table in a long, long time. It’s rolling buckets of dice and laughing at the absurd outcomes. It’s buying pizza for lunch, takeout wings for dinner, and having snacks on hand all day. It’s plotting and planning with friends and acquaintances, poring over maps and comparing orders. It’s a board game yes, but as a package it is so much more. ![]()
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