Cry Havoc

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Cry Havoc
Game data
author Tony Webster , Gary Chalk (Illustrator)
publishing company Standard Games (1981)
Jeux Rexton (1984)
Publishing year 1981, 1984
Art Conflict simulation
Teammates starting at 2
Duration 2 hours and more
Age from 12 years

Cry Havoc is a tactical conflict simulation game that simulates hand-to-hand combat in the Middle Ages . The game has relatively simple rules compared to the standards of the genre and therefore allows short games of less than an hour, even if most games last considerably longer. It was the first game in a whole series of games that are based on the same or at least very similar basic rules and the theme "Fight in the Middle Ages" varied again and again. The name "Cry Havoc" (English, Cry = scream / scream , Havoc = chaos / devastation ) is said to have meant something like "no prisoners" as a war cry in England in the Middle Ages.

Cry Havoc was published in 1981 by the small English game publisher Standard Games and Publication Ltd. It was translated into French in 1984 with some minor smoothing of the rules and published by Jeux Rexton, the later Eurogames . The (English) copies distributed in Germany were accompanied by a typewritten and photocopied translation of the rules. Although Cry Havoc and the following games have only been used and available in residual copies for many years, they still have a committed fan base. This has brought out numerous unofficial additions (maps, scenarios, figures), some of which are not inferior in quality to the originals and are available free of charge on the Internet. In the meantime, the game is also often played as Play by eMail .

Game material

The game comes with two game boards in DIN A2 format, one of which shows a small village and the other shows a crossroads. The plans are covered with a hexagonal grid (the diameter of a field corresponds to 2 m) and can be used either individually or side by side as a larger playing area. Cardboard plates ( counters ), printed on both sides , which represent individual combatants, serve as playing figures . The figures available are knights , sergeants , halberdiers , spearmen, crossbowmen , short archers as well as various civilians and six mules. It is unusual that each figure has its own name printed on it and that no two figures are exactly alike. Each figure has two counters so that each figure can be displayed in four different states. In addition to the normal, healthy state, these are "wounded", "stunned" and "dead". For figures that can also be mounted, there are two more counters that show the healthy and wounded rider as well as the free running and the dead horse. The game values ​​printed on the counters (attack, defense and movement) depend on the current state of health. A ten-sided die is required for each player .

Scenarios

In addition to the actual rulebook and a small booklet with historical background information, the heart of the game is a booklet with various scenarios. In each scenario, an initial situation is briefly described, ranging from a fight between peasants to a bandit attack on a caravan to a major skirmish on the edge of a battle. It is defined which card is required and which pieces belong to which party. Finally, the starting grid and, if necessary, special victory conditions are determined. The seven scenarios in the booklet are designed for two players each, but some can also be played with several players.

The open concept of the scenarios leads to a high replay value and is certainly one of the reasons for the long-lasting success of the game. It is relatively easy to come up with new scenarios that lead to completely different game situations. There are now a large number of ready-made scenarios on the Internet.

The other games in the series

Like Cry Havoc, all the following games have been translated into French with more or less major rule changes. The equipment is similar to that of Cry Havoc with two cards, numerous counters, as well as rule and scenario books. The year in brackets indicates the year of publication of the English original edition.

  • Siege (1983) expanded the game to include sieges of castles including siege machines .
  • Samurai Blades (1984) is a transfer to feudal Japan with samurai , ninja , etc.
  • Outremer (1985) is set against the backdrop of the Crusades and includes Crusaders, Saracens and Bedouins , among others . The game differs from all other games in the series in that it also contains a strategic game variant that can be combined with the normal tactical game and expanded into large campaigns.
  • Dark Blades (1986) is a fantasy adaptation, including orcs , trolls , elves and rules for spells. The French translation has been greatly expanded and split into two games ( Dragon Noir 1 and 2). Originally even four games were planned. Dark Blades is the only game in the series that has been published in German. It was published in 1986 under the name Lichtbringer by World of Games .
  • Viking Raiders (1987) is set in the 9th to 10th centuries against the background of the conflicts between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons . Rules for ships and boats are introduced.

In addition to the aforementioned full games, Eurogames released two expansion boxes in France. They were Le Château des Templiers (The Crusader Castle) and La Cité médiévale fortifiée (The fortified medieval city). Both are primarily intended as a supplement to "Siege" (and in the case of the Kreuzritterburg for "Outremer"), but can also be used with all other games in the series. The boxes each contain several cards, the counters from “Siege” (and “Outremer”) and a small booklet with supplementary rules. However, they do not contain the full rules or additional scenarios, so they cannot be used without one of the other games.

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