March On The Drina By Vukašin Nišavić, Game Review

War has been declared by The Austro-Hungarian Empire on The Kingdom of Serbia. The generals have taken to the field of battle. It is now your responsibility to defend what has been spoken. Troops are on the move toward the river that marks the border between the two kingdoms. The march on the Drina is now underfoot.

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March on the Drina is a strategy game of The Great War: World War I. It takes it from the perspective of the start as troops between the nations of Serbia (and Montenegro), and Austro-Hungary, Germany, and Bulgaria. I was sent an electronic copy of the prototype by the developer for review purposes.

This is a 1 versus 1, 2, or 3 other player game. Serbia is played by 1 player and the opposing side is divided between the remaining players. This might seem a little lopsided as everyone is ganging up on Serbia. That is how the war started. However, game balance is maintained as there are a number of options and some historical context provided.

Players choose which general or generals they want to put into play at the beginning of the game. Generals by themselves aren't combat units. They can defend when they need to. Their strength comes in their sphere of influence on the board with the troops that are close enough to them to gain the advantage. The advantage a general can provide can sway the battle in your favor. There are several generals to choose from, so the choice of who you want in the field depends on the strategy you are working on.

Another part of starting the game is you don't know where the opposing armies are located. Both sides determine the starting location of their troops secretly. The locations are disclosed at the same time and pieces are placed on the board. This aspect of play gives a nice start and takes me back to playing Feudal (wikipedia page) back in the 1970s.

Troops can't combine their strength. If you have 2 troop units, they can't be combined. Each troop has a starting value on the marker, additional tokens are added to show the full value of the troop strength. If you have 2 infantry troops, each with a value of 3, you cannot make an infantry with a value of 6 by combining them. There is a way of building stronger troops when you can recruit, and if you have the financial strength to do so.

You can win March on the Drina by controlling a number of cities or by having more cities under your control when the calendar runs out in 14 rounds. Removing your enemy is a multiple round action. Like the real war, this game is designed to be a war of attrition.

Battles are decided by overpowering your opponent and a little bit of luck (or developing strategy to counter the possible luck). Each battle is a 1-on-1 affair between 1 attacking force and 1 defending force. You can have more than 1 force attack in a round, but each battle happens separately, so remember to shoot your guns first. The strength of the attacking force is compared to the strength of the defending force. Conditions identified from the calendar are added, then a luck card is drawn. Luck grants a bonus of +0 to +3, and the value of the cards is weighted so they play less of a factor in the outcome of the battle than more. If at that point the values are tied, you check the general's influence to see if the outcome is changed.

No matter how many you win by, only 1 troop token is removed. Multi-round strategy is important if you are attempting to take units completely off of the game board. You can also route troops, which can take them out of play for a period of time or for the rest of the game. We found the goal isn't so much of cleaning the board of your opponent, but the control of the cities, which have another benefit.

Each city provides the player with Military Capacity. Military Capacity is your financial ability to recruit more troops. The control of the cities has a greater influence on the game as 1 side creates an imbalance of wealth, and thus power. Balance is still maintained with Serbia versus the multi-national attack as the other 3 nations can't combine their wealth.

Overall

March on the Drina is a strategy game for players who like planning ahead through multiple turns. There are constant moves and countermoves. You can create intricate levels of attack along with setting traps. The rules are straight forward and easy to learn. The complexity comes out in the strategy play on the board. It begins with who you choose and where your troops start. You have the option of playing aggressively or defensively. Each has its advantages. As the game progresses you have watch and alter your strategy to take respond to the changing conditions presented in the field of battle.

March on the Drina is designed by Vukašin Nišavić and is self-published by for 2–4 players of ages 14+. A game is designed to last 2–3 hours. At the time of this writing it preparing for a Kickstarter Campaign.

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The war has been waging for years. As you eat dinner, you look around at the faces you are sharing the meal with. There are few who started this war with you. Fewer have names you know than when the thrill of battle first arose. And many will be a part of you for the rest of your life.

 

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