Here I  Stand: Wars of the Reformation 1517-1555 is the first game in over 25 years to cover the political and religious conflicts of early 16th Century Europe. Few realize that the greatest feats of Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, Ignatius Loyola, Henry VIII, Charles V, Francis I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando Cortes, and Nicolaus Copernicus all fall within this narrow 40-year period of history. This game covers all the action of the period using a unique card-driven game system that models both the political and religious conflicts of the period on a single point-to-point map.

There are six main powers in the game, each with a unique path to victory.

Here I Stand was due for a reprint in 2017, but with October 31, 2017 being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses, Ed Beach and his team of Here I Stand enthusiasts have put together a series of enhancements to the original game that transform this reprint into a deluxe 500th anniversary treatment.
500th Anniversary Edition Enhancements include:

6 brand new cards added to the deck, including Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Rough Wooing, and Imperial Coronation

Revisions to over 15 existing cards including Copernicus, Master of Italy, and Machiavelli to allow for more exciting in-game play and additional possibilities for diplomatic deals.

A new Chateau construction table is now used to resolve France’s Patron of the Arts home card plays.

Several Virgin Queen rule updates are incorporated back into Here I Stand, affecting minor power activation, piracy, spice trading, and foreign wars.

Game Components:

• Four and a half full-color counter sheets
• 116 Strategy Cards
• One 22″x34″ Mounted Mapsheet
• Player Aid Cards (11″x17″ & 8.5″x11″)
• Rules/Scenario Book
• One ten-sided die

Here I Stand Rules 2023 Download 

From the designers of the War of the Ring board game comes the thematic strategy board game Dune: War for Arrakis. Centered around the Desert War events from the acclaimed Dune novel by Frank Herbert, this universe and its iconic characters are brought to life for the first time with a myriad of amazing miniatures. The devious House Harkonnen, with the backing of imperial House Corrino, must battle the remnants of House Atreides, who are allied with the desert Fremen, for control of Arrakis and its most precious resource: the spice melange.

As war rages on, House Harkonnen must dominate Arrakis and keep the spice flowing, lest they lose the support of the great powers of the Imperium. Meanwhile, the young Atreides leader-turned-messiah, Paul-Muad’Dib, must wrestle with his prescient visions and find his path between the fate of Arrakis, the inexorable jihad, and the destiny of the Kwisatz Haderach.

We did a learning game with Lee (Harkonnen), Richard (Corinne), Brian and Steve (Atreides) and a Jim (GM). The result was the Harkonens and The Emperor severely schooled the Atreidesband sent Brian packing back to kindergarten

Dune: War for Arrakis Rulebook Download

A Gest of Robin Hood is the second game in the Irregular Conflicts Series, further adapting the COIN system to depict peasant revolts, feudal tax collection, and outlaw activities in late 12th century medieval England. Transposing one of GMT’s most popular systems into a simpler format and a more approachable setting makes A Gest of Robin Hood perfect for newcomers to wargaming. At the same time, it also offers a tight challenge for more experienced wargamers who can enjoy a tense asymmetric duel in under an hour.

Highlights:

• An ideal entry point to the COIN system and the ICS series: a two player, relatively low complexity game with a family friendly theme that plays in one hour and introduces all of the key concepts found in the COIN series.
• A new hidden movement mechanic: The Sheriff will chase Robin Hood across Nottinghamshire to prevent him from organizing peasant revolts, but Robin can sneak away and hide amongst his Merry Men.
• A second new hidden movement mechanic: Carriages serve as a simple twist on Lines of Communication, transferring wealth back to Nottingham while providing a target for robbery by the Merry Men—but some of them might be a trap, containing concealed Henchmen!
• Random encounters with rich travelers: Robin Hood draws from the Travelers Deck when conducting a Rob action, then decides whether to play it safe or demand a larger ‘donation’ with potentially negative consequences.
• A streamlined sequence of play: Further developing the two-player sequence of play first found in Colonial Twilight, this new sequence of play is easy to understand while still presenting difficult tactical decisions.