This review continues my series of detailed reviews. I have tried to cover every aspect of the game and as such you may prefer to skip to the sections of most interest.
Image Courtesy of chaddyboy_2000
Summary
Game Type – Board Game
Play Time: 90-120 min
Number of Players: 2-4 (Best with 4)
Mechanics – Area Control/Influence, Card Drafting, Hidden Planning
Difficulty – Moderate (Can take 2-3 plays to fully comprehend rules and the basic strategy)
Components – Excellent ++
Designer - <PERSON> - (Colonial Diplomacy, <PERSON>, Heads of State, Triassic Terror)
Overview
Wars of the Roses is an ambitious game in that it tries to capture a tumultuous time in English history that was far more than straight forward warfare. So to be true to the period the game needs to incorporate not only military conflicts, but the political nature of the day, the importance of the church and the key role of economics.
On top of all that, it is crucial that the game also allows for intrigue and surprises to occur if it is to truly reflect the historical nature of the time and give the game that extra something.
I am happy to report that Wars of the Roses does this wonderfully well and the combination of its physical design combined with its mechanics makes it something of a Euro/Wargame hybrid.
Before I continue it has come to my attention from reading some forum pages that there may be some confusion between this title and another game called Richard III: Wars of the Roses, by Columbia Games.
The game being reviewed here by Z-Man Games is in no way connected with the game from Columbia. They are both independent titles, which interestingly enough, were released within 3 months of each other.
The Theme
Wars of the Roses is set in the period of English History dating from 1455 - 1487, which is referred to as 'The Wars of the Roses'. It was a period of time in history when two great houses were fighting for control of England and control over who sat on the throne.
Military conflicts were common but political infighting was the real 'lever of power'. The church was heavily involved and the houses were forever trying to convince powerful nobles to support their cause.
As key figures in this struggle, the players take on the roles of a key personality aligned with 1 of the 2 houses. <PERSON> (<PERSON>) and the Earl of <PERSON> (<PERSON>) represent the House of Lancaster (<PERSON>). The Earl of <PERSON> (<PERSON>) and the Duke of Gloucester (<PERSON>) represent the House of York (<PERSON>).
On a personal level I had no real understanding of this period in history before learning of the game. Whilst I am an avid student of history, both ancient and modern, this time period never did it for me.
If you are like me however, do not despair, as it will not result in you enjoying the game any less. It is very easy to play the game and remove yourself from the theme, simply playing as part of a team (at least initially) and using the mechanics to go about acquiring your assets in order to turn the screws on your opponents.
On the other hand, if you have a good knowledge of the period, or like to immerse yourself in the theme of a game, it allows you to do that too. You can amass large forces, control great Royal Castles, make a swift attack on the Midlands, control the Bishops or a region or dominate the Shipping Lanes.
I guess what I am trying to say here is that the game is fairly accessible. 299
If you have no interest in the setting of the game, it can still be enjoyed on a 'game only' level. But there is plenty here for the history buffs and theme demons. Indeed the rulebook and Planning Screens offers great detail on the background to the conflict for those that want to know more. I must admit, the game has given me a much greater understanding of the Wars of the Roses - so yay to that.
Components
A word of warning (it's a good warning) - you will need to start working out if you expect to carry the box for more than 2-3 metres. This baby is chock-o-block full of gaming component goodness. Not only is there lots of components, but they are quality components. This thing weighs more than a 12 month old baby but thankfully it isn't as messy.
The Board - The board is a big old gorgeous creation that depicts England. The country is divided into 6 regions. Each region is referred to as a county but for game purposes they really represent an amalgamation of counties. Each county has its own colour to help determine one from another easily. The colours are muted in tone and not garish (something that many a modern board has done of late). 336