Brief Border Wars

I put Brief Border Wars from Compass on the table largely for the subject matter, with Brian Train’s name helping matters along. It is the sort of small box that looks especially appealing after a week at work: a little space on the table, a conflict with a clear outline, and every chance that the evening will not turn into a second shift.

We chose the Attila scenario rather than the Second Lebanon War, which feels like a more unusual starting point and probably benefits from some familiarity with the system. The flow of play is startlingly simple by hex-and-counter wargame standards; it has no interest in burying you under exceptions and procedure.

Yet in roughly an hour, perhaps seventy minutes, there is time for real decisions and strategy to emerge. The dice put a pleasantly dangerous edge on those choices: one result can make the whole table lean in, particularly when the group’s established unlucky player is involved.

Regular players of heavier hex-and-counter wargames may suffer a brief allergic reaction to its simplicity. But Brief Border Wars has genuine charm, and the three Greek-interest subjects in its first two sets make it a quietly excellent choice for a short military contest.