Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain 1085-1086

Nevsky had impressed me precisely because its system felt so thematic. Volko knows how to build that sort of thing, even if I do not always feel that gameplay sits at the very top of his priorities. I had held off on playing Nevsky more because I had backed the next P500 installment—and, personally, Almoravid’s period drew me in more historically. So I was ready to put in the miles here. That first encounter, however, was anything but welcoming: the manual is irritatingly written and, even though I broadly remembered Nevsky, there were moments when I genuinely sweated to work out what it wanted from the player. In fact, one planned first game was cancelled because I did not feel comfortable explaining the rules. That is always a bad sign for me.

At its core, Almoravid retains the system governing when and how the lords enter play, and that part is excellent. Their arrival is not merely procedural detail: it gives pace and thematic weight to what happens on the table. In the medium scenario we played with Hida, after plenty of additional reading, the game showed that it has a very good foundation. Combat in particular worked well and comfortably, without piling on unnecessary friction.

The trouble is that supply did not convince me that it has reached the point where it needs to be. Rather than smoothly supporting the campaign and the players’ choices, it can stall the action and push you toward moves that feel ridiculous. Yes, I mean pasta caravans: solutions that may make sense within the rules, but crumple the suspension of disbelief. When a game has worked so hard on its historical and thematic setting, it is a shame to be pulled out of it precisely because you are trying to make the supply system function.

It is not a bad game—far from it; we had a very good time, and I could clearly see its strengths. But it is not easy to digest, nor would I put it on the table yet without preparation and patience. I believe that another one or two releases could turn this system into a genuinely great game. For now, though, Almoravid is a very interesting, thematic game that is worn down by its own rules. And yes, Control are whistling at me again. To be continued.