Commands and Colors Ancients

A fantastic light wargame. The rules are at first glance quite simple but they hide clever tricks that reward a player for manoeuvring their pieces in the manner of an ancient army - a very elegant bit of game design which impresses as much as it pleases. The armies in question are those of Carthage and Rome during the Second Punic War (with some Syracusans thrown in for good measure). These armies are represented by stained blocks of beechwood to which you stick labels to differentiate them - a little fiddly (there are a lot of them) but fun when you get going. A game can be played out in less than an hour. The only minor gripe is that the game board is a folded piece of thickish cardboard that is difficult to get to lay flat. I would recommend either placing it under a thin piece of clear acrylic or perspex (an old wargamer trick) or buying expansions 2&3 which both come with a mounted board. But the game is excellent, a real treat that will give years of enjoyment. I would recommend examining the other reviews and comments at www.boardgamegeek.com (listed by IGUK), and also the official C&C:A website - www.ccancients.net