Swords and Strongholds: Review

Do not be fooled. This game is evil.

Don't let the simple-ish components, which feel really good to touch and play with, fool you. This is a knock-down, drag-out brawl.

The board is too freaking small and it's on purpose. Magnificent bastards.


 So the set-up of the game is kinda like checkers or chess, but with cards. There are four pawns a side, black and grey, and they move on the intersections of the board, as opposed to the squares. You must move a pawn one intersection a turn. You may play a card. There are three types: swords (which let you move in an L shape and pushes other pawns, including your own), strongholds (you settle into a square and lock up all intersections adjacent) and diplomacies (either switch spots with the closest enemy pawn OR pull the nearest enemy stronghold out of said stronghold).

You are either trying to put a stronghold in one of the opponent's back corners or take all his pieces.

Both are a pain in the ass.

Play is deceptive. It looks like a simple game... until your opponent swaps positions with you and you realize you're very close to losing. Or until you've got half of your pieces in stronghold and realize that you've completely locked the board up, but you're afraid to come out of the stronghold, as that might allow your opponent to win... but you need those pieces. Damnit. There's a push and a pull and some unbearable tension you just have to accept if you're going to play this game. And if you don't want choices that are genuinely hard to endure then I really can't recommend the game. There are no real good answers, just a tight board, not enough pieces, and a game that goes on precisely as long as you're afraid of screwing up.

This is not a game for the feint of heart. If you don't like direct confrontation and want ways to weasel out of conflict I cannot recommend it. But if you're OK with charging head-forward, ready for a mousey brawl, then I think you'll have a great time. I like that style of play, and find that this game serves that taste quite well.

For everyone else I'd be snarky and recommend chess, but chess can be pretty cut-throat too!