People who like strategy and tactics games will have a lot to do with these board games.
Strategy and tactics have been a part of board games, especially war games, for a long time. The words “strategy” and “tactics” are often used together, but some games might be more “tactical” than “strategic.” Most games are based on players learning the rules and making a strategy based on those rules. However, tactics could be seen as more focused on organization and the smaller, more precise moves of player-controlled units.
The term “turn-based tactics” is often used to describe this type of video game, which is what this list is based on. Warhammer: 40,000 and other miniature war games are great examples of tactics games, though some might say that big war games like Warhammer: 40k are more about strategy than tactics. Miniatures games aren’t for everyone, though, so this topic will cover both regular tabletop games and miniatures games.
Warhammer 40k: Kill Team
Warhammer: 40k has been around for a long time, and it can be hard for beginners to get into the hobby, mostly because of how much it costs and how many models you have to build and paint just to play.
Games Workshop has found a solution to this problem: Warhammer 40k: Kill Team. It makes the hobby easier for newcomers to start and gives veterans a chance to try out other groups or show off their creative skills by putting more work into building their squads. Kill Team doesn’t let players field that many units, so players don’t have to rush to build and paint hundreds of units. Instead, they can take their time customizing each member of their Kill Team.
Eclipse: Second Dawn For The Galaxy
Eclipse is a big-box sci-fi game that lets you play 4X grand strategy on a tabletop. Unlike Twilight Imperium, which is a similar game, Eclipse is more focused on ship-to-ship battle and the ways you can improve, customize, and counter-play your ships.
Some players might say that Eclipse isn’t really a tactics game. At its core, it is a grand strategy game, but the constant back-and-forth technology race and intense combat that changes throughout each game make it a grounded, tactical game underneath its broad strategy surface. Also, where and how the player ships are placed and moved are very important to their success. Having said that, Eclipse is a complicated game with a lot of big-picture strategy and economics, so it might not be for people who only want tactical fighting games.
Memoir ’44
This new take on an old war game is a great addition to any board game collection, even if you’re not into tactics games. Players use “Command Cards” to tell their troops what to do across the center and flanks of the hexagonal board, which adds a lot of strategy to Memoir ’44. However, the movements and fights are very tactical.
In Memoir ’44, the way each troop is organized and moves is very important, especially where each unit is placed, because geography is so important in the battles. Memoir ’44 is great because units, which are made up of several miniatures, don’t lose power when they lose troops. This means that if a single soldier rolls lucky, they can hold their place, which can make for exciting moments on the table. Overall, Memoir ’44 is a great game for people who like a good mix of broad strategy and specific gameplay.
Small World
Small World is a modern classic that came out in 2009 and is still being sold at the time of this writing.In Small World, players take control of a bunch of crazy dream races and try to spread them across the board as quickly and efficiently as possible. They also have to fight over important spots and earn as many money or points as they can.
You will spend a lot of time in Small World worrying about where and when to move your units, how many to move, and when to start fighting. The game is a strategy war game. In Small World, units that are lost usually don’t come back. This means that each unit is very important to the success of a race.The short amount of time you have to play Small World makes it a unique experience that will make you think strategically.
BattleTech
For this decades-old miniatures skirmish game, each fight is a personal and intimate affair in which every move and choice counts. Players take control of an average of 1 to 4 Mechs. It’s very easy to get into BattleTech because there aren’t many miniatures, but the rules are typically hard to understand.
BattleTech is different from other miniatures war games because it is played like a skirmish and has a lot of features. Hit different parts of the Mechs and make heat, which players have to control, are both possible with this method. BattleTech has a lot to handle, and there are many ways to make it your own. BattleTech is fun to play if you like mecha and don’t mind learning a complicated way to fight.
Root
Roots is an asymmetric game about groups of forest animals fighting for control of a forest. At the time this article was written, it was one of the most popular war games on Board Game Geek. Each faction has its own twist, but the main goal of the game is to take over enemy land and destroy enemy units using strategic moves and card plays.
Root is a themed game with great visuals. The unique way to play is by building armies and moving them through the different “Clearings.” This is because the groups are not equal, so players must adjust their tactics based on which side they are on. The “Vagabond,” a single unit that goes on its own quests and helps and hurts different groups throughout the game, is the only one that doesn’t play very strategically. However, some might argue that the Vagabond should only be used in games with more players. For example, adding the Vagabond to a game with four players adds a new level of tactics as players try to figure out how to avoid the Vagabond’s moves.
Hive
Backrooms Game is both practical and tactile, and it’s very easy to take with you. With Hive, you don’t need a board; you can play it on any flat surface. In fact, Hive is made up of many hexagonal tiles that can be used by either person at any time. The goal is to circle the enemy’s Queen tile. Each of these tiles has its own special ability that lets players change the game in different ways to reach their goal.
Much like chess, hive has a lot of pieces that all do different things, so players have to plan their moves carefully and think about the bigger picture. Hive, on the other hand, is much easier to learn and doesn’t have the annoying rules that keep most people from playing Chess. Hive is also one of the best pocket tactics games because it can be played anywhere with a flat surface.
Undaunted: Normandy
The Undaunted line of deck-building war games from Osprey Games has a few boxes that can be played on their own. Don’t be scared; Normandy is probably the best place to start because it’s cheap and easy to get to.
If you play Undaunted, you build and customize a deck of troops. Then, you use your deck and troop tokens on a grid-based board made up of different tiles to fight for control over territories and goals. People can fight through a number of pre-made situations, but the game can also be played in short bursts, which makes it a great skirmish game. Because of its brutal fighting and strategic deck-building, Undead is a great choice for people who like games with a World War II theme. For those who want a bigger experience, there is also a “Legacy” version of the game called Undaunted: Stalingrad that comes in a big box.