While extremely competitive as a two-player game, Ostkrieg can be enjoyed again and again in solitaire play format with its unique, “personality” driven bot system.
Despite the strategic level of the game, there are operational and even tactical nuances including Axis Minor Restrictions, as players must decide when and how to commit their ground and air forces. The card-based combat/build system is a different take on the "normal" event/operations points driven systems. Separate card decks are provided for the Axis and Russian player. Each year, the players receive that year's cards for free…but must use build points to repurchase older cards. This will cause the player a few agonizing moments, as he typically cannot afford to re-buy every card he needs (or thinks he needs). Players must also decide which aspect of cards to use – many have multiple but exclusive uses (such as, "Do A or do B") and these uses sometimes give very different results based on operational or strategic needs at the time. To help ensure a tense and dynamic game, the system forces players to make many choices and decisions throughout play.
As a bonus for solo players, Ostkrieg features a solitaire assistant – commonly known as a "bot" – which gives guidance to the player for either side during solitaire play. The assistant acts differently based on the "personality" it's been given...aggressive, defensive, or balanced. All game cards have a rating which the assistants will prioritize differently for play. While extremely competitive as a two-player game, Ostkrieg can be enjoyed again and again in solitaire play format with its unique, “personality” driven bot system.
Product Information:
- Complexity: 3 out of 10
- Solitaire Suitability: 8 out of 10 (solitaire bot system)
- Time Scale: Single Year Turns with alternating, multiple cards plays per player
- Map Scale: Area map
- Unit Scale: army-level infantry, armor, air groups, and partisans
- Players: one to two, best with two
- Playing Time: two to four hours
Components:
- One map (17" x 22" map size)
- One Countersheet of 9/16” unit-counters
- 53 Game Cards
- Rules booklet
- 2 Player Aid cards
- 16 Six-sided Dice
- Box and Lid
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