Opponents Wanted

Find Gaming Opponents!

Another new feature for Grognard.com, "Opponents Wanted" provides a quick and easy way to locate gaming opponents with similar gaming preferences. Requires site registration. Grognard.com Opponents Wanted



Spotlight Articles

Outstanding articles that are not necessarily linked to one particular game, but may have broad appeal to gamers.

Epic Revolution (AWI)

Spotlight Article Graphic

"Another instalment in Warlord Games’ Epic series has just been released..."! Norm Smith, in Battlefields & Warriors, checks out the latest figures/ruleset package in this series. "... a lot of work has gone into this rule set to make it AWI specific - well done that team."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/30/2025


War reaches northern Italy, 215 BC

Spotlight Article Graphic

"Hannibal has come over the Alps..."! Prufrock and his friend Ian P bring us an intense Punic War clash that doesn't look too promising for the Romans, when they "...win the first move and mostly freeze."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/26/2025


Interview with Robert Phaneuf Designer of Secession 1861: The American Civil War and The Armada from Fortress Games Currently on Kickstarter

Spotlight Article Graphic

"...there are few more fertile areas for educational, simulation-ai gaming." Grant Kleinhenz, in The Players' Aid, interviews designer Bob Phaneuf about his two upcoming games. See why he thinks that "...Secession 1861 will mature as a classic solitaire nail-biter."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/18/2025


Battles of Heraclea Lyncestis, 219 BC and Emporiae, 218 BC (Med Campaign 9)

Spotlight Article Graphic

"Reports are in of a battle in northern Macedon between the invading Illyrians and a force scrambled together to meet them...". Prufrock continues with two more nicely photographed AARs in the ongoing Med Campaign! "...in Nearer Spain, Proconsul Aaronius Dubius Scipio Calvus, having landed a force near Emporiae, was engaged by an alliance of indomitable Iberian tribes...".

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/9/2025


My pre-orders analysis – what is new and coming!

Spotlight Article Graphic

Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, covers his current game preorders, and why he is anxiously awaiting them. See which game has him commenting that "...we are getting so many new elements – from graphical representation, to add-ons and optional rules – that this it will be a great, refreshing comeback to fantastic classic!"

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/6/2025


My Top Solitaire Wargames: New Designs and All-Time Classics

Spotlight Article Graphic

Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, reveals his favorite recent and all time solitaire classics. Check out the game he describes as "...probably the best small units combat simulation ever created, which has fantastic planning phase and unfolds completely differently each time.", and the one that challenges you to "...harness a brilliant mind, titanic energies, and a sometimes terrifying charisma to leave your mark on history?"

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/4/2025


Soviet 12mm WWII Pocket Army

Spotlight Article Graphic

"My second WWII Pocket Army is now complete..."! Norm Smith, in Battlefields & Warriors, brings us a Pocket Army update pictorial.

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 5/26/2025


More Spotlight articles...


Gaming Conventions

Gaming Conventions

Another new feature for Grognard.com, the Gaming Convention calendar will make it a snap to keep up with all the latest gaming conventions in your area. But we need your gaming convention information, so please contribute.



Grognard News

Grognard Challenge - Expanded Room for Comments! (6/25/2023)

The Comments entry area has been resized to 512 characters.

Grognard Originals

In addition to our links to great content all around the internet, expect to see more Grognard.com "originals" in the future.

Malaya (v2.5) War Game Review

Pat La Pella reviews this post-card sized game and its computer editions. Can the UK Commonwealth prevent the Japanese from occupying Singapore in 1941?

Malaya Player Aid (pdf)

Pat La Pella created this player aid to clarify special movement rules for the Japanese player for Amphibious Movement and Reinforcement beach landing hexes. Computer versions of the game show eligible hexes automatically when the Japanese player selects a unit for movement.

PE TANG 1900 Q&A with Marco Campari

Some Q & A between myself and Marco Campari, designer of Pe Tang 1900 from Lumaca Games.

PE TANG 1900 Strategy Tips

This is the strategy I developed after playing Pe Tang 1900 from Lumaca Games.

More Grognard Originals...


Grognard Challenge

Latest Challenge

Have a look at the graphics for the latest Challenge and see past solutions and contest winners.

Recommended (archives)

Wargaming - General Info

Board Wargames

Miniatures Wargames

Computer Wargames

Academic Gaming

Board Games

Internet Based/PBEM Games

Individual Wargamer Blogs

Wargaming Magazines

Asst Software/Player Aides

In Memoriam

Grognards Lost


A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z '-9

Game: Command & Colors: Samurai Battles



(c10098)
 
 




Publisher: GMT Games
Series: Command & Colors
Game Type: Board
Designer(s): Richard Borg
Search for this and related games with Noble Knight


Description:


The Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles game rules allow players to portray important engagements of Japanese history. The battles, included in the scenario booklet, focus on the historical deployment of forces and important terrain features in scale with the game system. The scale of the game is flexible and varies from battle to battle. For some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire clan of soldiers, while in other scenarios a unit may represent just a few brave warriors.


Articles


Article ID
Pub Date
Article Description
Source
9
Date: 6/5/2024
Poster: Doug Holt
Samurai Battles session reports – playing individual battles

"In essence, Richard Borg at his best!" Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, brings us a couple of scenario replays from this Commands & Colors installment. Check out the pictures and fun, to include when "My counterattack resulted in one of the most hilarious rolls I made..."!
Web Link
8
Date: 6/13/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
Samurai Battles session reports – Second Kondonai 1564 AD

"In essence, Richard Borg at his best!" Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, brings us a replay of the Second Kondonai 1564 AD scenario in GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles. Check in on the action: "What a bloody turn it was! First, the deadly Mounted Charge by Lukasz but then also my Ambush!"
Web Link
7
Date: 9/19/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
Samurai Battles session reports – Sekigahara 1600 AD

Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles, published by GMT Games, allows players to re-play important engagements of Japanese history mainly regarding the XVI century. The battles, included in huge scenario booklet, focus on the historical deployment of forces and important terrain features in level with the game system. The scale of the game is flexible and varies from battle to battle. The Boardgames Chronicle gives us a session replay on the scenario covering the battle of.Sekigahara 1600 AD, fought around the small village of Sekigahara, astride one of Japan’s key feudal-era roads. It was here that Ishida Mitsunari and his western allies planned to meet and stop the advance of Tokugawa Ieyasu and his eastern allies. Using the wooded hills between two mountains, the western army had a strong defensive position. Although Ieyasu had granted Fukushima Masanori the honor of opening the battle, it was Il Naomase’s mounted “Red Devils” that charged forward first. Masanori quickly followed and charged into the center of Mitsunari position. So the most famous Samurai Battle started!
Web Link
6
Date: 8/4/2021
Poster: Doug Holt
Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles Session Report – Azukizaka 1542 & 1548 AD

"In essence, Richard Borg at his best!" Michal brings us a fun AAR playing the first and second battles of Azukizaka in GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles. Check out lots of action and pictures: "My impetuous Samurai Cavalry moved forward to finish the enemy… but was counter attacked…"!
Web Link
5
Date: 7/26/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
Samurai Battles session reports – Fourth Kawanakajima 1561 AD (Phase 3,4&5)

The Boardgames Chronicles continues its series of replays with GMT's Command & Colors: Samurai Battles. The Battle of Fourth Kawanakajima 1561 AD was a long and multi-step engagement with incredible twists and turns of fate. The Samurai Battles game depicts it in 5 scenario mini-campaign,. The Uesugi troops had pushed forward and were in sight of Takeda Shingen’s command tent. Shingen, unaware the enemy was so close, had been directing the battle when his headquarters and bodyguard were attacked. Not having time to draw his sword Shingen defended himself with his war-fan. Samurai rushed to aid Shingen and the assault on the Takeda command tent was repulsed. Elsewhere, the Takeda battle line managed to hold against the fierce rotating attacks of the Uesugi army. The cost, however, was great as many brave Samurai leaders would fall in an effort to maintain the line.
Web Link
4
Date: 7/17/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
Samurai Battles session reports – Fourth Kawanakajima 1561 AD (Phase 1&2)

The Boardgames Chronicle reports of several plays of their current favorite game, Command & Colors: Samurai Battles this time covering Fourth Kawanakajima 1561 AD.where the famous Japanese warlords Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen fight to become the master of Japan.
Web Link
3
Date: 7/4/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
Video How to Play – C&C Samurai Battles – Part 2

This is part 2 in a video series by the Boardgames Chronicle that teaches you how to play Command & Colors: Samurai Battles published by GMT Games. This video utilizes one of the more interesting scenarios in the box, describing pivotal events in Japanese history: 012 Okehazama 1560 AD (Dengakuhazama Gorge).
Web Link
2
Date: 6/21/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
[REVIEW] Commands & Colors Samurai Battles

GMTs Commands & Colors Samurai Battles is a great re-implementation of this classic title from Zvezda company. The game allow players to portray important engagements of Japanese history – mainly 15th century AD. The Boardgames Chronicle states, "What I really like is grouping some of the scenarios into the linked, chronological and logically connected sets."
Web Link
1
Date: 4/11/2021
Samurai Battles session reports – Arita Castle 1517 AD

The Command and Colors system is a very devoted following and has been adapted to many different eras from ancient times to the Napoleonic era. Now GMT Games has released another game in the series, Command and Colors: Samurai Battles. The Boardgames Chronicle provides a replay of the Arita Castle 1517 AD scenario.
Web Link