Sun of York
A game for 2 players designed by <PERSON>, and published by GMT Games
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of <PERSON>;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”
― Richard The Third Act 1, scene 1, 1–4
Introduction
There was a time where collectible card games were a hot new thing. Magic the Gathering is still the complete king, nay, emperor, of that domain, but it also spawned not a few card games the include either a deck building or deck construction mechanic.
I played a few of them. I tried and actually liked from Columbia, but as the ACW isn't a subject of great interest to me, it kind of came and went.
I've always liked the idea of a card based wargame without a map having the forces and terrain deployed on a table top, and then resolving the action through the play of cards. There are lots of games in this general category. There's two series by Columbia, the aforementioned Dixie and their . can arguably be included. despite not being a card game has a similar idea of an abstracted terrain.
So how does the idea of an abstracted card version of the War of the Roses translate into game play? Let's find out.
Components, Rules, and Gameplay
The game comes with two deck of cards, one for the Lancastrians and one for the Yorkists.
It also comes with some dice, counters for marking specific kinds of information, the rules, and a pair of player aid cards.
The cards are nicely done and the information on them is nice and clear and easy to read.
The game includes 20 (!!) scenarios and a set of campaign rules for those who want to keep track of their progress (or lack thereof). There is also a nice simple rule for playing random scenarios.
The players set themselves up with a virtual field of play that has a left and right flank, and in the centre are three rows battle zones split into left, centre, and right.
This lovely custom playing mat from <PERSON> showcases it nicely:
Each turn is split into four phases: morale checks, combat, movement, and a discard phase. To win the game, you need to capture the centre rear space of your opponent, or both the left and right rear positions.
The initial deployment has each player take out the leader and terrain cards specified from the scenario and into the spaces they're assigned to, and then draws 16 more cards from their remaining deck to be deployed as they see fit. 92
You then flip it all face up and have at it.
The rules are relatively straightforward and everything you need to know about moving, engaging, fighting, and flanking are all easily found and explained in the rulebook.
Conclusions
Sun of York was a game I really wanted to like, but ultimately it left me unsatisfied. The fault likes not with the game itself, but rather my likes and desires in a game. As I stated in the introduction, I like the idea of an abstracted card game of a battle, but the reality is that I really want to have a map with units and terrain.
The deck contains a random mix of units, terrain, and leaders. There are some special event cards that you can play as well. This means that no two scenarios will be alike, yes, but also means that you can get completely ahistorical results.
I may be overly picky on this point. I'm no scholar of the War of the Roses, and I'm not going to be able to point expertly at how the way combat is resolved in this game is a poor simulation of how archers behaved in this era. However, I don't get a strong sense of time and place with this game, and I could just as easily be playing a generic card game with soldiers and archers and leaders.
It's clear then that my preference for having a map and units to help me conceptualize what's going on in front of me. And that's no indictment of Sun of York, it just doesn't make it a game for me.
If you like card games like this, and you like this era, it's a solid entry in the genre.
Thank you for reading this latest installment of Roger's Reviews. I've been an avid board gamer all my life and a wargamer for over thirty years. I have a strong preference for well designed games that allow players to focus on trying to make good decisions.
Among my favorites I include , the , the , , , , , and
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