Recently I decided it was time to introduce Liam (age 7) to commercial war games. Sure, we have played a few home designed miniature rules systems and some of the more kiddie type war-like games, but we’ve never played a commercially published game…

I wanted a simple game – no complicated rules mechanisms or the like. I started by pulling out some of the older Avalon Hill games I have in my collection, but all were more than I wanted for a beginners game. Then I remembered Nieuchess…

NIEUCHESS: AN ADULT STRATEGY GAME – published by Avalon Hill, 1961

A quick review of the rules and I knew that this was the game to start with, a traditional Avalon Hill game, hexes and a combat results table revolving around a 3:1 CRT table. The game board is 25 x 36 hexes and each player commands 20 pawns (pieces). Movement is simple as pie – each pawn can move 5 spaces, we have invasions and a red line (the line is like a railroad, unlimited movement along the line). Combat results are pretty straight forward too – figure odds, role die and apply result (not complicated, and a quick review of the CRT will inform when and how to attack – Liam figured out very quickly). The game ultimately boils down to a battle of attrition – what war game isn’t about attrition at some level.

All in all, a really good introductory game – even after 47 years…