Pyramid Review
War! Age of Imperialism
Published by Eagle Games
Designed by Glen Drover
Boxed wargame; $49.99
War! Age of Imperialism is a game of Grand Strategy set during the Colonial Expansion period of the 19th century. It is very much in the spirit of the old Gamemaster series by Milton Bradley (Axis & Allies, Shogun, etc.) much loved for its ease of play as well as the little plastic pieces that have coaxed many a non-gaming friend into playing. Fans of that series should definitely check out this game.
The box itself is well-illustrated and the box's contents live up to its promise. The board is large with ample room for the pieces (no crowded piles of little men here) and is as much a work of art as it is a functional playing board. The rules and all supporting documentation are nicely printed on good quality paper and card stock. There are over 800 pieces, including European infantry (modeled after Zulu War British), cavalry, and artillery, tribal infantry (Zulus) and cavalry (Middle Eastern) as well as leaders, explorers, ships, and engineers. It also includes buildings such as ports, cities, schools, factories, and forts. The military units are in 1/72 scale to enable easy supplementation with other miniatures.
The rules themselves are broken into basic, standard, and advanced games. Games with graduated levels of complexity are not uncommon; however, in this case the more advanced rules are not simply additions to the basic rules. . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: February 22, 2002
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