A returning conquest for Cavatore
CONQUEST: THE LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS
Designer: Alessio Cavatore | Publisher: Para Bellum Wargames
Conquest, now with updated rules and many new minis, returns to the front line of fantasy mass battle wargames. Set in the fantasy realm of Eä, a world that is still struggling to rebuild following a great cataclysm followed by a long winter. Players will lead armies into battle from one of the four factions.
The Hundred Kingdoms, the shattered remnants of an old empire perpetually locked in war with itself; the Nords, mighty northmen leading savage and relentless raids against their southern cousins; the Spires, remnants of an old civilisation that once spanned the stars; and the Dweghom, a race of hardy, industrious and peerless craftsmen originally created by dragons. Conquest allows players to play out battles from from small raids all the way up to grand battles.
The game itself plays in a very similar way to other fantasy wargames such as Warhammer Fantasy (pre-Age of Sigmar) or Kings of War, with players commanding armies made up of mighty heroes, regiments of warriors, and huge beasts. However, Conquest offers a unique turn sequence that makes for faster, and more interesting, battles.
A lot of the mechanics are as you would expect, such as movement and how your regiments go about attacking the enemy. The turns flow quite easily with streamlined attacking rules making combat quick, preventing you from getting bogged down in long drawn out slogfests between units.
But what really makes Conquest interesting is the turn sequence – instead of using a ‘my-turn-your-turn’ system it uses alternating activation. Whilst this is by no means a new mechanic in wargaming, what sets Conquest apart is the addition of activation cards. Each card represents one regiment or character from your army and must be placed into an order chosen by the player, with the top card being revealed for each activation. What this means is that you have to decide the order in which you will activate your regiments and characters at the beginning of the turn, before rolling to decide who will be activating first.
This tactical conundrum forces players to choose wisely, lest they be completely out manoeuvred by their opponent. It leads to a kind of game of bluffs. You will find yourself quickly changing the order of your cards multiple times as you try to outwit your opponent – and after that you’ll be holding your breath as you roll off to see who activates first that turn. As always, your best laid plans being tactical genius or a series of complete blunders comes down to a dice roll, and how much you risked in your set up.
In addition to the turn sequence, Conquest also offers a selection of characters for each faction that add more to your army whether they be mighty warriors or powerful wizards. These characters offer some extra punch in combat or the ability to cast spells. What makes characters interesting in Conquest are their additional single use abilities or abilities triggered when they activate. These abilities offer various different tactical advantages that can really turn the tide of a game.
Overall Conquest offers some interesting mechanics and a new tactical challenge to players.
The focus is tactical, rather than strategic, and despite the games we played being on the bigger side, had the speed of a skirmish battle. We should also mention that it offers some really nice 35mm scale miniatures to build your armies from the rank and file infantry all the way up to the towering monsters, such as the Mountain Jotnar – a personal favourite – standing just shy of six inches. The four factions all offering different aesthetics that all look good on the tabletop. The position options are perhaps somewhat limited but there are still plenty of ways to build up your army.
BEN JOY
WE SAY
If you’re looking for a mass battle wargame that offers players streamlined play with a greater emphasis on tactics alongside an interesting activation system, then Conquest is definitely worth trying.
LINKS
Read the updated rules: para-bellum.com/rules-and-faq/
Armies used in this review: ttgami.ng/CLAKarmies
PLAY IF YOU LIKE… KINGS OF WAR
While there’s not quite the range of fantasy staples in Conquest, those who are looking for their next taste of Alessio Cavatore’s wargaming systems are sure to find something for them here.