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- Kampf der Gladiatoren (Clash of the Gladiators)
Reiner Knizia's game of gladiatorial teams in Ancient Rome is really an
American-style game by this German designer. Players attack whomever they
like, prey on the weak, knocking players out before it's over and it's all
resolved by simple dice rolling. But the diverse ways that this German fish
swims in foreign waters throws the differences into sharp relief. Missing are
a long solo phase in which teams are designed, typical stodgy rules controlling
movement and inter-team positionioning as well as complicated weapon interactions.
Present is a nice team drafting phase and the use of fighting animals to keep the
player involved and in chance of victory even if eliminated. Also present of
course is the typical high quality German physical design including plastic
platforms to hold the team chits and specialized dice that make resolution
much easier. The creative mind will enjoy deciding what makes for the best teams,
especially considering that they need to work well first against their neighbors
and then in the overall. But as the vagaries of dice rolling tend to outweigh
these considerations, players wanting a mostly fair contest will want to stay
away. Normally this type of situation makes for a good vehicle for adult-child
play, but this time the gory topic gives pause.
- Kill Dr. Lucky
Simple board game
takes up where Cluedo
left off, featuring a mansion-full
of players not trying to detect a crime, but to kill the owner!
This darkly amusing stuff is best for a fairly large group and definitely
requires cooperation as murder will occur unless players are willing to
expend their Failure cards. What tends to happen is that the player to the
right of the murderer gets blackmailed into doing it, but beware as this player
may not actually have the cards necessary for the job, in which case everyone
else loses. For this reason, probably does not get as many repeat plays as it
otherwise might. Reportedly, versions featuring human pawns are very popular
at Origins. Appears to be the most popular entry from this publisher, at least as
of June 2000. Later efforts include
Kill Doctor Lucky: Craigdarroch which is the same game in a new mansion
and Save Doctor Lucky.
- King of Kings
Multi-player wargame has a fascinating set of scenarios, but disappoints
in strategy, rules and flavor.
[more]
- Kingmaker
Early multi-player wargame with rather unique card mechanics and point of view.
Topic is War of the Roses, but instead of the contending heirs
controlling supporters, power brokers squabble over heirs, try
to put their favorite on the throne and kill the competitors.
Not bad, although sometimes can go rather long.
The rules need close reading and ambiguities in both them and
the board will need house rules before play begins.
Suggest avoiding the advanced combat rules, instead use the faster dice tables
to see which nobles fall in combat.
Using the optional parliament rules should speed up matters.
Improved by expansion cards later published by Avalon Hill, which among
other things addressed the problem of players sitting out at sea
or in foreign climes indefinitely with impunity.
Strategically, the key trick is probably positioning oneself to take
advantage of a sudden vulnerability of the opponent.
Recommended for fans of multi-player conflict with unusual mechanics
and those having the ability to play a waiting game.
[summary]
[analysis]
[designer commentary]
- Kings and Castles
Wargame on England and her conquests for up to four by the inventors of
History of the World.
As in that game players control a number of different
sides throughout, represented by the individual kings, but here
entirely decided by draft before play even begins. Kings vary by the amount
of extra force they add and in their primary spheres of activity.
Play itself is diceless (and thus reminiscent of
Vinci),
the core of the combat system being a rather strange and unique form
of arithmetic. The active player's forces must defeat the inactive
defenders by the minimum possible amount – pieces are rated at value
1, 2 or 3 – but then only the strongest of these invaders remains.
The other unusual mechanic is that over the entire course only twenty-five
percent of one's forces are guaranteed to be one's own. The rest are drawn
from a bag and may be one's own, but are also often the forces of other
players, rebellious indigenous groups or mercenaries usable with any of the
above. (There are also three levels of fortification.) The need for a player
to clear out his force pool for the next set of forces means that the
player often goes through unusual gymnastics. For example, he may use other player
forces to conquer rebels, then use rebels to conquer them back and finally
use his own forces to conquer the rebels. The other unusual feature is
that in a four-player game, each player has only six turns and only on
half of them may he declare scoring (which occurs for all players).
Although not at the classic level of its predecessor and
initially unintuitive it becomes more interesting as understanding dawns
and finally turns out to be a rather novel challenge that most fans
of lighter wargames will want to try. Some concerns may be luck of the
draw and possibly long downtime if players indulge too much in analysis.
And although most play is tactical, players should
find an interesting challenge in trying to design the perfect initial
draft of kings. It seems that one should try to pick at least one early king
so as to get on the board and counted during others' early scoring rounds
and because of the double scoring round at the end, a late king as well.
Beyond that it is difficult to say definitively, but possibilities include
picking kings which offer more extra forces as well as trying to program
around the activities of others. If possible, choosing the last two kings
who operate in France appears a sound idea as these points may be relatively
undisturbed until the end.
Just as in their previous game, the board
is no board at all, but printed on a folded cloth. The monotone counter
silhouettes are the same for each player, but
the colors black, dark blue, light blue, pink and orange often appear
annoyingly similar.
[Ragnar Brothers]
- Kreml (Kremlin)
Struggling for power in the old Soviet Union, players bid on humorously-named
(and biographied) politicians much as in
The Sigma File
(except that bids are not adjustable), attempt to control the Party Chief
and keep him healthy enough to wave three times at May Day parades. It is possible to
put people on trial, condemn them to Siberia and other juicy activities.
The trouble is that all activities start aging the politician
in question, and then they take ill.
First-time players should beware a quick win by a player who places all
influence on the members currently at the top of the pyramid. An
expansion, Revolution, added new, historically-accurate
politician cards from the Russian Revolution period, as well as more
event cards.
[summary]
- Kung Fu 2100
Originally a magazine game in a science fiction cum kung fu setting.
In a dystopia, a cloning expert
bent on personal perpetuity has set up a lab defended by
guards and martial artists. Meanwhile three fanatical kung fu
experts are determined to break in and destroy the lab. Combat is largely
deterministic, being mostly resolved by play of known combat chits.
Flows well and makes for a nicely-balanced contest.
Mainly a two-player situation, but can be reasonably expanded to four
by having a team of three each play one of the kung fu masters.
Main limitation is in the eventual repetition of the possible situations
which may develop.
[analysis]
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