Vijayanagara: The Deccan Empires of Medieval India, 1290-1398

The first game in the Irregular Conflict Series, GMT’s COIN spin-off that in practice speaks almost the same language, did not win me over with its theme. Medieval India here left me—and, I suspect, quite a few fellow BLTGers—rather indifferent. But as a COIN junkie, I had to try it. Thankfully, Vijayanagara had much more to say at the table than I expected from its historical wrapping.

The changes to the ICS ruleset were the first thing that drew me in. The foundation remains familiar to anyone who has played a COIN game, yet the game sets up its map and develops over the course of play in a way that gives it its own identity. I did not feel as though I was merely moving from one tactical problem to the next: here it is easier to look ahead and try to build a strategy with a longer horizon.

The game is strictly for three players, and at that count it produces something very satisfying. There is honest-to-goodness fighting, with players putting pressure on one another across the map, but also enough room to organise your plan rather than constantly putting out fires. A bonus for me is that combat is resolved with a die—yes, I completely understand why that may freak some people out, but I found it welcome.

If you are a regular group of three and the COIN family appeals to you, this is absolutely worth a look. It has honest depth, honest conflict, and an honest running time: just about two hours, even including the explanation. A very positive start for ICS.