Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain 1085-1086

Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain 1085-1086 has the same thematic force that made Nevsky stand out. I find this period more enticing as history too, but the first encounter was hard labour: the rulebook is awkwardly written, and getting to the bottom of some rules takes real digging. I cancelled an intended first game because I could not honestly teach it without making a mess for everyone at the table.

The heart of the game is when and how the lords enter the campaign, and it is excellent. You do not merely have forces sitting on a map; you must judge whom to bring in, when they matter, and what their presence changes for your side. That gives the conflict a pulse and a personality, rather than turning it into units marching towards a fight.

Combat, thankfully, is straightforward and comfortable, so the action does not drown in procedure once the sides meet. Supply is the thorn. In practice it pushes you towards absurd little moves with what amount to spaghetti caravans: solutions that may serve the system, but shatter the sense that you are directing a medieval campaign. Once you have seen it, you cannot quite unsee it.

With enough reading behind it, the game produced a very good medium scenario and showed both sides of itself clearly. It is not bad at all; it already has a splendid lords system and combat that moves. But it is not easy going, and until its supply system settles down, it feels like a game asking you to do a little of the designer’s work at the table.