Thursday 7 June 2012

Games I'd Forgotten: Cry Havoc

I was looking through some posts on TMP when I came across one asking about a board game called 'Cry Havoc'.


For some reason I followed a link that had been suggested and I ended up at a site all about the game. It was there I recognised some of the counters which prompted me to explore further. Sure enough it started to come back to me. I remembered playing the game and enjoying it. I think I must have bought it back in 1981 when the game first came out as I seem to remember it coming in a large ziplock bag rather than a box. I think it must have been at a wargame show in Preston. In fact the more I think about I'm sure I can even remember what the stand looked like! Even though it was over 30 years ago.

The game was a recreation of medieval combat at, iirc, skirmish level and was designed to be a fun game that was quick and easy to play. One of the reasons for it's success was the counters, they looked gorgeous, colourful and were all different. The system of decreasing values that the game used was a true innovation back in 1981.

Sir Conrad, a brave knight (or a baron)
 looks superb and is ready to fight.
Here he is a victim of his own passion and
gets wounded (note the broken lance and the torn garments).

Over the years they added expansions and new maps and scenarios which I don't think I ever bought although the expansion called Outremer does seem familiar.

The Village map

The maps were fairly simple but gave you interesting tactical problems to solve, and for some reason they were yellow! Why they didn't use green I guess I'll never know.

If you want to know more about this game or its expansions check out the Cry Havoc Fan site. Here you can find out more about the game, download things like the rules and even buy new counter sheets and maps to use with the game. Who knows I may even see if I can find a copy on eBay some time.

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