Fury of Dracula

It's only appropriate- my 13th post in October is on Halloween and reviewing the 2015 release, Fury of Dracula (third edition).  For 2-5 players, it takes 2-3 hours.

Overview
Dracula is loose in Europe, intent on dominating the continent (which, here, means gaining 13 influence).  Four vampire hunters- Lord Godalming, Mina Harker, Van Helsing, and Doctor Seward- are determined to stop him.  Who will prevail?

Fury of Dracula is played over a series of days and weeks.  One player is Dracula; the others are the four hunters.  There are always four hunters [regardless of player number- some players may have additional hunters to control].  This is a one vs. many hidden movement game- Dracula's location is hidden, indicated by location cards placed face-down on a 'trail' on the side of the board.  Hunters move around the map of Europe searching for the vampire, and on each of Dracula's turns, he'll move by placing a new location facedown on the trail after sliding the existing ones down one space.  If any hunter lands on a location present on the track, Dracula must reveal it.  If a player lands on Dracula's location, a fight ensues.

the game board; image from here

The game starts on Monday, during the day [note the 'wheel of time' in the above map]. The hunters go first, each taking one action during the day (actions are described below).  The game proceeds to Monday night, where the hunters again each take an action.  Then, before Tuesday morning, Dracula gets a turn.  He chooses a new location to move to, slides his cards down the trail, and seeds an encounter card on it.  Then it's Tuesday morning, and the hunters go again.  Turns proceed in like fashion- hunters (day action), hunters (night action), Dracula- through days and weeks until Dracula wins or is killed.

Hunter actions are varied.  They can:
- move by road, rail or boat (all during the day only- no moving at night),
- supply (drawing item and event cards- only if in a large city),
- take a train ticket (to move by rail on a later action),
- rest (heal),
- trade (items with another player in the same city),
- search (if at a revealed Dracula hideaway with encounter card), or
- do a special action (each hunter has special abilities; event cards can grant special actions too)

Dracula gets points primarily through encounter cards.  If a location on the trail 'matures' by sliding off the board (the track has six spaces), and that location has an unrevealed encounter card on it, Dracula can reveal it and potentially gain influence points.  In addition, he gets points through 'biting' opponents during combat or defeating them.

a game in progress; image from here

Combat is interesting.  When it happens, a player takes three 'standard' fight cards, combines it with any item cards they've collected, and secretly chooses one.  Dracula has his own deck of cards and does the same.  Both combatants reveal their chosen card at the same time, and one or both is resolved depending on the icons present on each (it's similar to rock-paper-scissors).  Players keep choosing and revealing cards until combat ends (after six rounds, or one person dies, or one person escapes).


Review
This game is a mixed bag.  Pros: the map is beautiful, some mechanics are interesting, they capture the elusiveness of the vampire well, and it's suspenseful.  Cons: some rules are hazy or oddly presented, there are lots of things to remember, Dracula can't go back to a location until it slides off the hideaway track, and the game is looooong.  I like it in a 'once a year on a spooky night' kind of way.

Rating: B

Balkan Ghosts (Robert Kaplan)

In Balkan Ghosts, journalist Robert Kaplan delivers a 'political travelogue' of the Balkans, looking at the national problems of each country therein.  After one chapter each on Croatia, Serbia, Albania, and Macedonia, the bulk of his book (40%) looks at Romania, and the remaining 30% at Bulgaria and Greece.  I summarize each country below.
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Croatia: Catholic; hates Serbia.  One Croat leader in the WWII era was blamed for helping (or not hindering) the murder of thousands of Serbs in a concentration camp.

Serbia: Once dominant in the region, points to its loss to Ottoman Turks in 1389 as their day of tragedy.  One region- Kosovo- is autonomous and full of Albanian Muslims, which really angers the Serbs.

Albania: Largely forgotten, descendants of ancient people (older than Greeks), often invaded or desired by Serbs and Greeks.  Lots of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, and ethnic Greeks elsewhere in the land.

Macedonia: A 'mixed salad,' dominated by various factions over the centuries.  Claimed by Bulgaria and fought over by them, Serbs, Greeks, and Turks.   An occasional hotbed of violence and instability as a result.

Romania: See themselves "as a Latin race, speaking a Latinate tongue, cast into a violent sea of Slavs and forgotten by the rest of the Latin world."  Committed many atrocities siding with the Nazis in WWII.  Kaplan spends time in its different sections- Transylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia, Bucovina - and how each suffered in ancient and modern times (being caught between three empires- Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Turkey, and Russia), focusing on communism.

Bulgaria: A powerful kingdom in Medieval Europe and birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet.  Fell under Byzantine, then Ottoman, then Russian, domination.  Suffered worst (compared to other Balkan nations) under the Ottomans due to geographic proximity.  Allied with Germany in both world wars in an attempt to conquer Macedonia (with its large ethnic Bulgarian population).  Also fell under communist rule.

Greece: Often viewed in the West as a romantic birthplace of western culture and democracy.  Has a facade of a democratic tradition, but not much different than its Balkan counterparts.  Dominated by Ottomans for centuries.  Avoided falling under Soviet rule, but suffered under poor and autocratic leadership of its own kind in the twentieth century.  Has a "historic role as the ideological battleground between East and West."

Overall, Kaplan "defines the principal illness of the Balkans: conflicting dreams of lost imperial glory.  Each nation demands that its borders revert to where they were at the exact time when its own empire had reached its zenith of ancient medieval expansion."  And, the attempts to "erect ethnically uniform states" in the twentieth century caused no end of discord, since ethnic and national boundaries seldom align.
-----------------

Writing this in 1993- soon after the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars- Kaplan quotes Shakespeare as a harbinger of the future: "So foul a sky clears not without a storm."  He summarizes the issue: "Conflicting ethnic histories, inflamed by the living death of Communism, had made the Balkan sky so foul that now, sadly, a storm was required to clear it."

This is a good book.  It delivers history through three mechanisms:
- the author's observations based on his travels and journalism work in the Balkans throughout the late Communist era
- the author's interactions with locals in each place (often people of relative prominence), getting their perspective (often ethnically/historically charged)
- bringing in outside historical data (often more objective)
It's a nice way to learn history.  You get a flavor not just for what happened but what the current people believe happened (not always the same thing).  It's well-written and informative.  The author is experienced (reporting on the region for decades and living in Greece for seven years) and appears fair in his treatment (if he has a slant, I couldn't detect it).  Though the account seems uneven (focusing more on Romania than others), it's worth your time.

Rating: A

The Art of Magic the Gathering: Ixalan

Magic the Gathering is an extremely popular card game and has been for 25 years now, with new expansions released every few months.  Expansions are typically set in a world or plane, with certain themes.  Recently, the makers of Magic have produced art books to:
- better showcase the art of a given block or expansion
- provide backstory of a world
- give insights into the design process

Today's review is of the Ixalan art book.  In a sentence, this world is "vampire conquistadors meet Aztecs with dinosaurs."  With pirates also lurking and merfolk protecting a lost city of gold, you know there will be trouble- and fun.

This book was mostly fantastic.  The art was amazing- so much work goes into each card, it's nice to see the art in more detail.  The writing was interesting and insightful, though a bit vanilla and repetitive.  It's impressive how much planning goes into a given expansion- the world-building sounds like a blast.  In all, this gave me an even greater appreciation for a game I already enjoy; I look forward to checking out other offerings in this series, and may even buy a few.

Rating: A

The Ashes of Jedha (Various)

In Rogue One, the Empire destroyed the royal city on Jedha using the Death Star.  It didn't obliterate the entire planet- just blew a chunk out of it- but it was enough to render the world unstable and send it into a slow death.  In The Ashes of Jedha, A New Hope heroes Leia, Luke, and Han travel to the world to help its survivors and prevent the Empire from strip-mining the valuable resources left in it.  They'll be tested to their limit and encounter mysterious foes; can they prevail?

Meh.  I had high hopes for this one, but the story was confusing in places and rushed throughout.  One cool thing: you get a hint of how the Rebellion managed to acquire a fleet.  That's the only reason I'd read this.

Rating: C

The Good in Games

This past weekend, I participated in my church's annual speaking event, where you can speak for 5 minutes on any topic. I chose gaming; what follows is a rough transcript, with the accompanying slides.
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Man has been playing games since the beginning. Today, we use the term ‘tabletop games’ to encompass board, card, dice, tile, or roleplaying games- anything we play around a table. Generically,

a game is a competitive activity where participants engage a closed, formal system to overcome a challenge with uncertain outcome.

That’s what they are; here’s why they matter. [next]

History

Games are among the oldest forms of social interaction.

- Senet, an ancient Egyptian game, was played from at least 3000 BC. Game boards were found in Tutankhamen's burial chamber and depicted in paintings in Nefertari's tomb.

- Herodotus claims that dice games were invented in the ancient kingdom of Lydia as a remedy against famine; the king ordered his subjects to eat one day and play games the next to keep their minds off hunger- a pattern they would follow for 18 years.

- An early version of Backgammon was popular in ancient Greece and Rome (Claudius "had a board affixed to his chariot to he could play on the move").

Games are an integral part of every human culture and mirror a society’s values. Our hearts are revealed in what we play.

- The Game of Life started in the 1860s "as a highly moral game . . . that encourages children to lead exemplary lives." In today’s iteration, the person with the most money wins.

- Monopoly was first envisioned, in the 1880s, as a cautionary game showing the evils of monopolistic landlords of the age. The game ultimately became popular, though, because players desired to be the cutthroat king of property. Thankfully, some good would come of it: modified Monopoly boards, concealing hidden silk maps and small tools, were given to American POWs in Europe during WWII to aid their escape. And speaking of war . . .

We even use games for that.

- The Japanese ran game simulations before Pearl Harbor, using their conclusions to refine the attack plan. But they were far from the first-

- Germans started in the 1550s to tinker with the concept, and by the 1850s "Kriegsspiel” was a central tool in Prussian military training. A century later (1950s), Risk would burst on the scene and bring war gaming into the home. [next]

Modern Times

Germany is the world leader in tabletop games. After World War II, as West Germany rebuilt, "board games became associated with togetherness and wholeness."

In the mid-90s, a new wave in German games changed the landscape. These games emphasized decision making, proper planning, and interaction, keeping all players involved and engaged until the end. The Settlers of Catan is a good example of this, and largely credited with making games more popular and accessible. Today, many games “are sociable, engaging and easy to learn, but also cerebral, intriguing and difficult to master”- and the hobby is exploding in popularity.

In the US, game sales have increased fourfold in ten years, hitting $1.5B in 2017. Over 4000 games have been funded on Kickstarter, with 100 new games coming per month. And board game conventions and cafes are a fun and increasingly popular phenomenon. [next]

Why do we play?
[Word cloud: escape, achieve, interact, compete, explore, connect, learn, practice, pretend, create, help, entertain, teach, empathize, train, think, plan, laugh, teamwork, challenge, imagine, discover, story, friendship, adventure]

There are many reasons we play, but here are two:
- to learn: Games teach on many levels. They help develop basic life skills like math, reading, decision making, and teamwork. On a higher level, they can refine views on the world through interactive and experiential learning- and grant empathy by encouraging players to step into another's shoes. And they reflect culture. In America, for example, "dog-eat-dog"-style games are common. In “Eurogames,” on the other hand, players focus on efficient resource management rather than wiping out others. We play to have the most money, most prestige, or be the last one standing. Think on this.

- to connect: games grant us 'safe' environments, separate from the real world, helping us open up and interact with others in ways we normally avoid. They help lower our defenses and develop relationships. This was driven home to me after a game night years ago, when a dad pulled me aside and said “that was the best interaction I’ve had with my son in years.” Some of my best times with my own kids have been around the gaming table. [next]

Resources
Boardgamegeek is your best reference for tabletop games for reviews, rankings, pictures, and more. Watch it played is a great way to learn new games, and coolstuffinc has great prices and customer service. Need some suggestions? These 10 games are some of the most popular in the modern era.

It is not good for us to be alone- we’re created to be together. Games bring us together, face-to-face in an increasingly digital and isolating age. Through games, we learn and connect in fun and surprisingly meaningful ways. That’s why, in 2018, I’ve played 54 unique games 225 times on 93 different days . . . not that it’s a competition.

Daredevil: Season 1

Daredevil is a Netflix original series, produced by Marvel and the first of several that would follow individual superheroes in New York City (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Punisher are the others).  In season one, we meet the characters and get the foundation.  Matthew Murdock is the son of a murdered boxer; blinded in a chemical accident as a child, he developed 'super senses' and learned to fight.  A lawyer by day (with partner Foggy Nelson), he prowls the streets by night as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, bringing justice in a way the law cannot.  When Nelson & Murdock take on their first case- involving Karen Page, who would become their secretary- they find themselves sucked into a web of intrigue and murder, all spearheaded by Wilson Fisk.  Are they up to the task?

This show came out in 2015, and I've wanted to watch it since then.  The 13 episodes of season one were excellent on the whole.  I liked the characters, development, plot twists, and near-constant suspense.  I didn't care for the occasional graphic violence (this show is rated 'mature' for this reason), but I'm looking forward to season two and three (the latter comes out next week).

Rating: A-

The Biggest Story (Kevin DeYoung)

Kevin DeYoung summarizes the Bible in The Biggest Story, starting at the garden of Eden and culminating in the Cross.  Geared towards children, he summarizes the main themes and players, putting the focus always on Jesus.  It's similar to (but shorter than) The Jesus Storybook Bible. 

example page

The focus (and art) are quite good.  I prefer The Jesus Storybook Bible because it's longer and covers more Biblical stories, but this is a good option as well.

Rating: A

Lando

Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and their band of thieves have stolen a pleasure yacht filled with priceless artifacts.  Their celebration quickly turns to horror when they realize they made off with Emperor Palpatine's personal craft . . . with Imperials and an assassin on their tail, can they possibly survive?

Of the newer Star Wars comics, this is one of the better ones.  We get to see Lando in his various personas- charmer, swindler, leader- and it's done pretty well.  You don't need any backstory (outside of the movies), either, so this can appeal to casual fans as well.

Rating: A-

Vader Down

Vader Down is a 'crossover' story, connecting the events in two Marvel Star Wars series (Star Wars and Darth Vader).  Here, Vader's search for young Skywalker (this is set after Episode IV) takes him to a Rebel-held planet.  He crashes and fights his way out as his associates (Dr. Aphra and bloodthirsty droids Triple-zero and Beetee) look to assist him.  Before they can, though, another menace arrives- Commander Karbin with Imperial forces loyal to him, intent on destroying the Dark Lord.  Can Vader possibly survive?

Again,* I need to read these from the beginning.  The characters are granted no introduction, meaning they must have shown up in earlier issues.  This work was definitely better than the Shu-Torun War,* but it still felt lacking.  Perhaps due to lightning pace and character unoriginality (is that a word?).  Aphra's droids are dark-side versions of C-3P0 and R2-D2; Commander Karbin is a mash-up of Admiral Ackbar's head and General Grievous' cyborg body (complete with 4 separating arms and lightsabers).  I didn't know why Karbin was against Vader or had access to Imperial forces, or how Dr. Aphra was helping Vader.  But it's a decent tale, for a Star Wars comic.

Rating: B

*see yesterday's post

Darth Vader: The Shu-Torun War

Darth Vader is sent to the key ore world of Shu-Torun to put down a local rebellion.  He installs a new ruler and supports them in the ensuing civil war.  Other stuff happens that's really confusing.

Sometimes, you need to be in or out- follow something fully or not at all.  Once Disney acquired the Star Wars universe and re-booted the canon, I fell away and stopped consistent reading.  Seeing this at my local library, I checked it out . . . and was rather confused (to the point of suspecting there were pages missing).  This is the third graphic novel in the Darth Vader series, and I haven't read the others, so perhaps the fault lies with me.  But the portions I did understand were rushed and uninteresting.

Rating: C

Magic: The Gathering Formats and Variants

I've blogged about Magic: The Gathering more than any other game with good reason- I play it more, enjoy it more, and explore it more than any other offering.  (For those interested in past posts, I review the game, provide resources, look at staple cards, discuss how to build a deck, and lament a deck-building failure.)  Today's post reflects on and enjoys the game's flexibility, as demonstrated through its various formats and variants.

Formats
When initially envisioned, Magic had one format: build a 60-card deck, start with 20 life, and the first to reduce their opponent to 0 life won.  A deck could contain no more than 4 copies of any given card (that wasn't a basic land).  As they released expansions and the game matured, however, some problems arose:
- new players felt daunted by the sheer number of cards, and at a disadvantage because they didn't have access to older releases (which were, and still are, incredibly expensive to obtain)
- many players had a slew of cards with only 1 copy.  It was expensive to get more, and often playing only 1 wasn't conducive to effective deck construction; in effect, they were useless cards.

In response to these and other factors, different formats arose.  Some were officially created by Wizards of the Coast (Magic's producer); others started as home-grown efforts until they became so popular that Wizards sanctioned them and made those official, too.  Over the years, so many variants arose- and have evolved over time- that I won't cover them exhaustively here; I'll pick the most common or my personal favorites to summarize.  In a nutshell, variants are based on card pool restrictions and deck construction methods.

Card Pool Restrictions
The easiest way to make Magic accessible is by limiting the card pool.  Regardless of pool, some cards have become so powerful that over the years they were banned outright or restricted (to one copy); in most cases, however, the card pool is limited by expansion.  Here are a few:

- standard: this is probably the most common format.  In standard, the card pool is limited to the most recent expansions.  Once a year, older sets rotate out of standard based on a known and published schedule (this article explains that more and gives examples); this welcomes new players and keeps existing ones excited by changing the possibilities.
- modern: in 2003 (when Magic was 10 years old), they changed the card frame.  Any cards with the new frame are legal for modern decks (unless the card has been banned).
- block:  Magic expansions are (or were) released in blocks, meaning 2-3 sets that had similar themes, mechanics, and flavor would be released in a row.  The Innistrad block, for example, had three sets with a gothic horror theme; the Lorwyn block had two with a fairy tale focus.  If you limit card pool by block, you're focusing on specific releases with a given theme.
- casual: as the name implies, this format is 'anything goes'- any card, any expansion, etc.  It's my most-played format at home.
- pauper: this format restricts card rarity- only common cards are allowed.  This gives players the chance to build competitive decks on a tight budget.

Deck Construction Methods
You can build a Magic deck one of three ways:

- constructed: you build a 60-card deck before you arrive at a competition, using cards legal for the format.
- sealed: you arrive at the competition with no cards, buy six packs, and build a 40-card deck out of those cards.
- draft: you arrive at the competition with no cards and buy three packs.  You then do a draft- open your first pack and pick a card, passing the remainder to the opponent on your right (and you receive cards from the player on your left).  You pick a card out of the ones you just received, and pass the remainder.  That continues until all cards are distributed; you then each open a new pack, choose a card, and pass left.  Once drafting is done, build a 40-card deck out of those cards.

Note that you can play any of the 'card pool' formats above using these methods by restricting (or allowing) packs of cards from certain sets.

Variants
Over the years, Wizards of the Coast has developed even more ways to play Magic.  Here are several:

Commander
In 'normal' Magic, you can have up to 4 copies of a given card in your deck (outside of basic lands- those are unlimited).  Two formats allow only 1 copy and add this concept called a 'commander.'

A commander is a legendary creature who sits to the side and can be played any time you have sufficient mana for it.  If it should die, it doesn't go to the graveyard- it goes back to the side and can be played again.  Commanders dictate the colors of cards you can put in your deck (all cards must align with the commander's "color identity"- the color(s) of mana used to play your commander.  If, for example, your commander is green and white, your deck's cards must be green, white, or the combination).  And, if you choose wisely, commanders benefit you significantly- after all, you should be able to play them at least once (since they're not randomly drawn, you're assured of getting it, if you have enough mana).

In Commander, you start with a 100-card deck and 40 life.  One of those cards is your commander.  This format has become so popular, Wizards now releases pre-constructed commander decks annually (see below).

Commander decks

Playing with only one copy of any card really changes up the game, and gives a 'home' to many cards you like but don't fit in a constructed deck.

Brawl
Brawl is a new format, introduced with the Dominaria expansion.  It's the same as Commander, except:
- you start with a 60-card deck and 25 or 30 life (25 if playing two-player; 30 if playing three or more)
- your card pool is restricted to standard

Planechase
In addition to your 60-card deck, you choose 10 oversized 'planar' cards that are shuffled and placed off to the side.  There's a die rolled each turn, and when a certain face is seen, a new planar card is put on the battlefield.  Planar cards give all players certain benefits (or drawbacks) when active.

one Planechase deck, released in 2012

Explorers of Ixalan
This is Magic's venture into the board game-like space.  You still play with 60-card Magic decks, but there's a modular hex grid to 'explore.'  I haven't played it yet (just picked up a copy), but plan to soon.  It looks like you focus on certain grid tiles to explore, and turning them over reveals something good or bad.  Ultimately, you're seraching for one specific tile.

contents of Explorers of Ixalan

Final Thoughts
Game theory books will tell you that tweaking one rule in a game will change it significantly; they're correct.  I *love* how flexible and variable Magic can be.  Cards that are poor in one format can be excellent in another; sample the different formats and see what I mean.  Personally, I find restricting the card pool to be a great way to focus on specific mechanics and explore the game without getting overwhelmed.  A more complete list of formats can be found here.

In summary, here are some Magic formats and variants:

The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism (Dennis Hupchick)

The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism is a survey history of the region during the stated time period (it ends in 1991).

Summary
Hupchick begins with an introduction to the land, people, and culture, after which he breaks the history down into several eras:

Era of Byzantine Hegemony (600-1355)
"By the opening of the seventh century, the eastern half of the classical Roman Empire had nearly completed its evolution into the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire."  This empire was powerful and exerted considerable control over and influence in the Balkans.  But Byzantine control was neither total nor constant; during this era, various peoples at various times would have preeminence in the region.  The Bulgarian Empire would dominate the ninth century; Serbia the mid-fourteenth.  In between, Normans would hold portions of territory, and Crusaders passing through the land left their mark (largely negative), and ultimately weaken the Byzantine Empire beyond repair (the fourth Crusade, in the thirteenth century, would target their fellow Christians and lead to a temporarily Latin-ruled Byzantium).

Era of Ottoman Domination (1355-1804)
Though Constantinople wouldn't fall until 1453 and signal the official demise of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Turk's conquest of the Balkans started a century earlier (temporarily halting their advance only while menaced by the Mongols).  By the 1520s, Ottoman hold on the Balkans would be complete and go so far as to threaten Habsburg Vienna (the heart of Central Europe).  Conquered Christians were second-class citizens in this Islamic theocratic society, yet enjoyed "a certain measure of religious toleration, administrative autonomy, and economic well-being that was exceptional for nonaristocratic society in the rest of Europe."  It wouldn't last long; "Western European technological developments and global exploration began to inflict consistent military defeats and economic hardships on the Turks, resulting in the destabilization of Ottoman society and a progressive worsening in the overall situation of the Ottomans' non-Muslim subjects that continued through the eighteenth century."

Era of Romantic Nationalsim (1804-1878)
"By the first half of the nineteenth century the Western European concept of Romantic nationalism appeared among the non-Muslim Balkan peoples.  As a sense of ethnic group awareness, based on recognition of a common language and shared history, grew and spread among the various Balkan populations, so too did the idea of group self-governance."  Predictably, this idea would lead to rebellions and autonomous regions (like Greece and Serbia).  The Ottomans would make reforms in an effort to keep things together, but their changes, coupled with nationalist movements, "became pawns in the imperialist policies of the Western European Great Powers and Russia. . . The Congress of Berlin (1878) imposed the Western European concepts of nation-state on the small states of Serbia, Greece, Romania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria carved from a reduced Ottoman Empire; brought Habsburg Austria-Hungary deeper into the Balkans; and sowed the seeds of future nationalist conflicts among them all."

Era of Nation-State Nationalism (1878-1945)
"Romantic nationalism turned to nation-state nationalism" in several Balkan states after the Congress of Berlin- Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria.  "Each structured domestic affairs in support of nationalist territorial expansion at the expense of the contracting Ottoman Empire, often in mutually exclusive competition with one another."  In essence, "in validating the creation of Balkan nation-states but then obstructing their implementation in practice through the [Berlin] treaty's territorial terms, the Great Powers virtually assured future national unrest and conflict in the Balkans."  Domestically, problems were worsened by imposing constitutions (and in some cases rulers) from the Great Powers, clashing with regional political traditions.  Ultimately, unrest would trigger war; "with the Sarajevo assassination of 1914, Serbian nationalism ignited World War I, and the Balkan states aligned themselves in the struggle so as to advance their nationalist goals."  "During the interwar years, national and economic problems in the Balkan states ultimately led to Nazi domination during World War II and, except for Greece, the Communist takeover of them all by war's end."

Era of Communist Domination (1945-1991)
After World War II, the Soviet Union installed Stalinist governments in every Balkan state except Greece (they beat them back with Western assistance).  But even in Greece, "authoritarianism [also] triumphed.  Assorted cold war-era Soviet sociopolitical models were followed scrupulously," though Tito's Yugoslavia would break with Stalin (in 1948) and Hoxha's Albania would follow suit (in 1960).  Even so, "all Balkan Communist states officially adhered to socialist precepts of authoritarian government, planned economies, and controlled sociocultural expression.  Prewar nationalist issues" persisted and would simmer below the surface until "the collapse of Soviet communism opened the door to a similar result in the Balkans, after which pressurized national issues once again exploded."

Review
This is a good- and detailed- read.  It took me a long time to get through the first 100 pages.  Being overwhelmed by the information presented, I decided to skim/spot-read the rest to get the gist.  Hupchick is a good author- he writes well, appears fair to differing viewpoints, and is relatively succinct.  The account is informative but not overly compelling- more suited as a reference than to be read through (in my opinion).  Basically, the history of the region (like many across the world) comes down to various factions struggling for dominance over the land and its people.  And in the Balkans, there are many factions, many struggles, and much to detail. 

Rating: A-

Legends of Andor

Today's review is of the 2012 release, Legends of Andor.  For 2-4 players, it takes 60-90 minutes.

Overview
You and your band of heroes (this is a cooperative game) are the stuff of legend.  In this game, you'll undertake one of five unique legends (each with a deck of cards which contain events that unfold as you progress).  A narrator token advances on the legend track (right side of the board) with each new day AND whenever a monster is defeated.  Some letters on the track (as indicated by your chosen legend deck) trigger additional legend deck cards to be played (they generally add objectives or monsters to the challenge).  Complete your legend before the narrator reaches "N" to win!

Each legend is played over a series of days.  Each day, your heroes will take turns taking one of two actions: move or fight.  Each has an 'hour' cost based on the situation (example: if you move 5 spaces as your action, you advance your marker 5 hours).  Each day has 7 hour's worth of actions, plus 3 more hours if you're willing to take a hit in willpower (willpower is like your total hit points).  Fighting monsters advances 1 hour per round of combat.  When all heroes have used their 7 (or more) hours of actions, they rest.  An event card is drawn (giving something good or bad), all monsters on the map advance one space (arrows on the board indicate direction), the narrator token advances, and the next day begins.

game in progress; image from here

legend cards; image from here

There are several free actions (they don't cost you hours) that can help- you can buy things on marketplace squares, trade with other players, uncover fog tokens (which may help you- or not).

Your legend will invariably involve fighting monsters.  Fighting involves rolling dice (quantity depends on your character and willpower level), and adding only the highest-value die to your strength (which you can increase through a variety of mechanisms).  Another player rolls two monster dice, and adds the higher-value to the monster's strength (which varies based on monster- an included table reveals everything).  Whoever has the lower of the two values loses willpower equal to the difference.  Whenever one participant reaches a willpower of 0, they are defeated (in the monster's case, they're removed from the board, and the narrator token is advanced one space).

Will you become stuff of legend?

Review
This is a mixed bag.  The art and storytelling are great, I really like some mechanics or concepts (like the legend track and hours concept), it's definitely tense and engaging, and the combat is okay.  But:
- It's more of a puzzle (with one real solution) than a game.  There doesn't appear to be multiple paths to victory (at least in the intro scenario); it's more like "figure out the only way this can work and execute it."  That limits exploration and overall enjoyment.
- It has poor replayability.  Once you've done a legend once or twice, you'll probably get bored, as you'll have solved the puzzle (or not- even the intro legend was quite difficult).  Monsters move on printed and known paths, limiting the variability and challenge.
- Defeating monster can hurt you (by advancing the narrator).  Perhaps that's part of the tension or challenge, but it results in the rather unsatisfying reality that you:
   - may have to leave monsters on the board and ignore them to complete objectives in time
   - won't have time to explore the map- every move counts

Overall, it is a decent game, but deficient in enough areas that it probably won't see my table often.

Rating: B