Has anyone played Kingmaker?

[owaincaesarius]

Not kingmaker (though I did play it a lot way back) I rather like this simple campaign game from Vexillia for DBA rules...

http://www.library.vexillia.com/dbx/1460.pdf


Graham

[lowroller]

I used to play Kingmaker quite a bit back in the 1970's (oh, dear, really?).  It was very popular in our group at the time but I fear it is rather 'of its day'.  Little cardboard counters are old hat in board-gaming circles these days.  I just loved the heraldry, though.

We used to find it went on quite long, but had some lovely touches. Even my wife knows full well that 'Scots Raid' means 'Warden of the Northern Marches to Berwick!'

I recently tried to run a Kingmaker-based 6-player campaign, where I asked everyone to submit their moves for the turn simultaneously, then drew event cards. It was a bit chaotic, but did generate some interesting games, if players managed to find each other's forces. Overall, though, the game seemed to lack any strategic rationale other than forming the largest field army you can and trying to jump on the others.  Given the two main factions in the wars, it did tend towards 'team play', with forces ultimately being controlled by two players if I remember those old games correctly.

I still have a soft spot for it, though. tatty old box now, but I can't bring myself to part with it.

[martin goddard]

That DBA campaign looks really good.  Well put together and well judged forces.

[John Watson]

Like Lowroller I used to play it a lot in the 1970's and 1980's. First the UK edition from Ariel Games (I think) followed by the up dated Avalon Hill version. One of my favourites as the best strategies could be frustrated by the game mechanics. You'd end up being just one move away from winning the game for several turns, but finding your forces dissipated at every turn, and then some clever dick comes in from nowhere and steals victory from under your nose.

[martin goddard]

I remember playing it and finding it laborious, dull and long.........   Just my experience though. I believe many do like it.