Gamers have waited for a new Alesia for years, and now it's here.
Bigger, better, more detailed . . . and more Fun than before.
The GBoH series takes a new turn with one of gamedom's favorite
situations, Caesar's siege of Alesia. A new turn, because this famous
engagement, somewhat like Caesar in Alexandria, has little to do
with the linear style of warfare that the series highlights. There are no
lines of legionaires, no orderly formations, no set-piece battles.
What Alesia is is a massive siege, with Caesar besieging
Vercingetorix's Gauls, and the Gallic relief force besieging Caesar. It
is massive assaults on the ramparts of Caesar's fortifications, and it is
a tense game between both sides as they try to guess what the other
will do and then try to outlast the ferocity of the attack and defense. It
is also nicely balanced between Roman desparation and Gallic
steadfastness, or lack thereof. To simulate this, Alesia changes some
of the GBoH base system, mostly because it is not linear warfare.
Taking some pages from Simple GBoH, there are no turns, and play
simply passes back and forth between the two sides, possibly
interrupted by the abilities of the opposing commanders. The combat
system is also quite different, much simpler, much more direct. And
we've come up with a nice mechanic for reducing the counter clutter
all those Gauls could induce.
Another highlight is the detailed fortification terrain effects, from the
25 miles of double walled ramparts, to the accurate placement of
redoubts, to the extensive traps and pits with which Caesar circled
both walls, the game's "Gardens of Deaths." There is no separate
Simple GBoH version, because Alesia is fairly simple, accessible,
and fast-playing in and of itself. It uses the Simple versions'
Command, Play Sequence, and Shock systems.
Best of all, for all types of players, there are three scenarios of
varying intensity and length. From the Final Assault, which can be
played in 3 or 4 hours, to the one map historical siege, to the big
two-map, What-If game, which allows for more maneuver, more
flexibility, and more surprises.
Developed by Alan Ray
Components
• 2 maps
• 4 countersheets (1120 counters)
• Play Aid Charts
By Richard Berg
and Mark Herman
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webmaster@paizo.com.
