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Spotlight Articles

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

Fight for Bühl

Spotlight Article Graphic

"The Austrian artillery is now somewhat exposed, worse - they go low on ammunition (maximum fire is one die - as per a random event ….. unlucky!)" Norm Smith, in Battlefields & Warriors, brings us a fast-paced French/Austrian Napoleonic clash, using his home brew rules. Can the Austrian gunners save themselves and the day when they "...keep up the pressure on the horsemen and eventually, the mauled French cavalry are deterred from making any further attacks..."!?!

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 4/23/2025

Breed's Hill 1775

Spotlight Article Graphic

"...given all the SNAFUs on both sides of this early battle of the American Revolution, it seems apt that this battle be named for the wrong place." See how Jeff Berry, in Obscure Battles, elegantly explains that this was "The battle that should never have happened".

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 4/16/2025

German WWII Pocket Army in 10 / 12mm

Spotlight Article Graphic

"WWII can pass across the painting table at surprising speed compared to other periods and so it makes for a good quick project to fit in between other bigger projects...". Norm Smith, in Battlefields & Warriors, discusses a new World War II Pocket Army project he has underway: "...kampfgruppe Schmidt is ready for action..."!

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

Jack Greene, 1949 – 17 March 2025

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Kevin Zucker shares some memories of his recently passed friend, designer Jack Greene.

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 3/24/2025

Wargaming Clubs of the Warring Clubs Era 1965-69

Spotlight Article Graphic

Alan Arvold has shared a fascinating article with us, meant as "...a supplement to the History of Wargaming article..., specifically to the sidebar on Wargame Clubs. It is a listing of the known clubs." Thanks Alan!

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 3/24/2025

My Top 3 Wargames designed by… John H. Butterfield!

Spotlight Article Graphic

"...focus on creations of one author, whom you can treat as a whole wargaming history in micro-scale." Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, covers his three favorite John Butterfield games. See which game has a feature that "...creates fog of war as you do not know which part of enemy forces can still act in a turn."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 3/19/2025

Wednesday War Stories ~ Iron Ships & Iron Men at the Battle of Hampton Roads

Spotlight Article Graphic

"In some ways the game was frustrating; how could it not produce a clearly superior victor?" RockyMountainNavy, in Armchair Dragoons, has an interesting discussion of the classic "Monitor versus Merrimac" clash, and how that applies to wargaming. Check out what conclusion he reaches, reinforced by the comment: "No better description of the impact of the Battle of Hampton Roads on naval warfare exists than the response of the Royal Navy upon hearing of the battle."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 3/14/2025

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.

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.

PE TANG 1900 Optional Line of Sight Table

Here is an optional table to make it a little more difficult to eliminate the Boxer artillery.

PE TANG 1900 Introductory War Game Review

My review for this great introductory war game concerning an obscure siege of a cathedral during the Boxer Rebellion. Use this game to recruit new war game players.

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

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In Memoriam

Grognards Lost

Want to Join the Grognard Team?

Do you like surfing the web to find wargame related articles? Grognard is looking for a couple of folks who would enjoy adding posts to our homepage pointing to new and interesting wargame stuff. If volunteering a couple hours a week doing this sounds like fun, let us know by emailing Admin @ Grognard.com!

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: Commands & Colors: Ancients


(c9335) 		 
 




 Publisher: GMT Games
Series: Commands and Colors Series
Game Type: Board
Designer(s): Richard Borg
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Articles

Article ID
 Pub Date
 Article Description
 Source
740
 Date: 4/18/2025
Poster: Doug Holt
 Raphia, with Commands and Colors: Ancients, epic version.

"Cavalry numbers are equal, with Antiochus' having more oomph in the charge and Ptolemy an advantage in missiles." Prufrock, in Here's no great matter, brings us a fast-paced AAR playing the Raphia scenario. Is it all over when "Antiochus's attack causes monstrous damage. Ptolemy is dead and his centre is in pieces."? 		Web Link
739
 Date: 6/3/2022
Poster: Harvey M.
 Alexander Successors Wars – as depicted by C&C Ancients

The Boardgames Chronicle provides 2 session reports on Commands & Colors: Ancients scenarios depicting some of the Successors battles after Alexander the Great's death, Paraitacene (318 BC) – first of the grand clashes between Antigonus and Eumenes, a battle to be long remembered. Gabiene – (317 BC) – a battle which almost ended the the War of Diadochi – after which Antigonus became a true Lord of Asia and most powerful pretender to inherit the Alexander’s legacy. 		Web Link
738
 Date: 5/16/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
 Strategy Article – Breaking The Line, Holding The Line in C&C: Ancients by BrentS; Part 3

"Why one army might become the defender in the clash of arms is dependent on many things." BrentS, in The Boardgames Chronicle, concludes his series on player strategy with GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Ancients. Check out the game element that is "...yet another example of how Ancients effortlessly models history without labouring it in detail." 		Web Link
737
 Date: 5/13/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
 Strategy Article – Breaking The Line, Holding The Line in C&C: Ancients by BrentS; Part 2

"A key concept in discussion of the clash of lines is the engagement frontage." BrentS, in The Boardgames Chronicle, continues his series on player strategy with GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Ancients. Playing "...not for certainty but for best probability...", when do you decide that "...moving into this whites-of-their-eyes range may be the right decision given cards held and the stage of the battle."? 		Web Link
736
 Date: 5/11/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
 Strategy Article – Breaking The Line, Holding The Line in C&C: Ancients by BrentS; Part 1

"C&C:Ancients has a deceptively simple rule set that belies its tactical depth." BrentS, in The Boardgames Chronicle, begins a series on player strategy with GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Ancients. Check out his insights: "In many cases these advantages are minor and incremental but they matter." 		Web Link
735
 Date: 4/25/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
 Adrianople Battle (378 AD) as depicted by EPIC C&C Ancients

"Being conscious of the large enemy cavalry contingents on the wings, I immediately attacked in the center." Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, brings us a birthday replay of the Adrianople scenario in GMT Games' Commands and Colors: Ancients. How do things go for Michal's Romans? "...as you can see barbarians get some really hot dice this evening!" 		Web Link
734
 Date: 2/23/2022
Poster: Doug Holt
 Epic Commands and Colors: Ancients

"Who isn't a sucker for Successors?" Prufrock brings us a fun replay of GMT Games' Commands and Colors: Ancients, using miniatures instead of blocks, so lots of great pictures! He's playing the Paraitacene scenario, and reaches a critical point: "Eumenes, knowing this was his last chance, decided to make a bid for victory." Does the gamble succeed? 		Web Link
733
 Date: 12/24/2021
Poster: Doug Holt
 Commands & Colors Ancients 2021 Open Tournament Results

"Open Tournament is definitely the largest, longest, most session-intense organized play for CCA created." Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, brings us his results from the Open Tournament for GMT Games' Commands & Colors. Did he have a good run? "The scenarios with elephants are unpredictable and after first game I was pretty upset due to completely unbelievable and improbable turn of events." 		Web Link
732
 Date: 7/26/2021
Poster: Doug Holt
 Revisiting Commands & Colors: Ancients

"The early play was all made by the Romans. A line command and double time card got them into contact early, and they quickly went out to a 2-0 lead." Prufrock has a solo go at GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Ancients, playing the Arausio scenario. So, do the Romans win? "With two banners needed for victory Caepio and his accompanying unit took a chance…". 		Web Link
731
 Date: 7/18/2021
Poster: Mark D.
 Top 3 Ancient Rome Themed Board Games

Listing my Top 3 Ancient Rome Themed Board Games. Prepared and shared by The Boardgames Chronicle. 		Web Link
730
 Date: 6/18/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
 Gaius Marius Roman Legion reforms during Cimbrian Wars as depicted by C&C Ancients

Gaius Marius & Lucius Cornelius Sulla had a tremendous impact on the Roman army development whereby they moved from the maniple to cohort system. The Boardgames Chronicle uses expansions from Command & Color Ancient published by GMT Games to replay the battles that followed these changes. 		Web Link
729
 Date: 4/27/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
 Roman conquest of Britain using C&C Ancients – Part 2

The Boardgames Chronicle presents part 2 of their series on Command & Colors Ancients published by GMT Games. In this scenario Rome is trying to conquer Britain but is being opposed by the "sassy" Queen Boudica. 		Web Link
728
 Date: 3/24/2021
Poster: Mark D.
 C&C: Ancients - Game Replay - Part #1

Yet one more exciting campaign with "C&C Ancients" - this time Roman Conquest of Britain. Enjoy detailed maps, historical background and game session reports for first three battles! Shared by The Boardgames Chronicle. 		Web Link
727
 Date: 3/24/2021
Poster: Mark D.
 Variant from Vae Victis #123 (PDF)

Variant for "Commands & Colors: Ancients", from Vae Victis magazine issue #123. Shared by David Smith. 		Grognard Hosted
726
 Date: 3/3/2021
Poster: Harvey M.
 Gothic invasion of Roman Empire using C&C Ancients & Vae Victis Scenarios

Vae Victis is an excellent wargame magazine published in French. Most game rules published have a English translation. The authors pretty often reach to the publishers and game designers form across the Atlantic. In issue number 123 The Boardgames Chronicle had a chance to familiarize ourselves with official mini-campaign (3 scenarios) for Commands and Colors Ancients. The topic – 4th century AD Gothic invasion of Roman Empire. Two initial battles / skirmishes (Marcianopolis & Battle of Salices) with culminating battle of Adrianople – one of the most crushing defeats of Romans in ancient history. 		Web Link
706
 Date: 11/24/2020
Poster: Mark D.
 C&C Net - Commands & Colors Enthusiast Site

C&C Net is a central repository for all things "Commands & Colors". News, articles, maps, downloads, etc. Hosted and powered by Alessandro Crespi. 		Web Link
725
 Date: 10/19/2020
Poster: Doug Holt
 Second Punic War in Spain

"...a lot was happening in the Carthage backyard, i.e. Spain...". Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, brings us three Second Punic War scenario replays from GMT Games' Commands & Colors: Ancients. Michal and his friend Marcin have a good time going at it, with Michal concluding: "I love to play CCA scenarios which have a lot of terrain features, allowing for tactical maneuvering." 		Web Link
724
 Date: 10/2/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 Alexander Successors in action – C&C Ancients – Paraitacene (317 BC)

Alexander the Great may have been a great military leader, but not such a good planner when he left his empire, "to the strongest." thus setting up an era of constant infighting among his Successors. The Boardgames Chronicle, using Commands & Colors: Ancients from GMT Games by offering this replay of one of the Epic battles scenarios when Antigonus, and Eumenes met in battle at Paraitacene in 317 BC. 		Web Link
723
 Date: 8/30/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 Commands & Colors Ancients solitaire challenge

For those of you who love a challenge, The Boardgames Chronicle has issued a solitaire gaming puzzle utilizing GMT Games 'Command & Colors: Ancients. Why not take a crack at this challenge? 		Web Link
722
 Date: 7/27/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 Review: Command & Colors Ancients

The Boardgames Chronicle gives us a brief review of Command & Colors Ancients published by GMT Games. 		Web Link
721
 Date: 7/12/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 Commands and Colors games – my 3 favorite

The Boardgames Chronicle looks at the popular GMT Games' series and tells us their three favorite games In the Command & Colors lineage. 		Web Link
720
 Date: 7/7/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 [STRATEGIES] How to defend in Commands Colors Ancients?

In physics," what goes up must come down", but in wargaming, the adage "if you're going to attack you better know how to defend" is comparable. With this article, The Boardgames Chronicle has taught us to do both in GMT's popular Command & Colors: Ancients. 		Web Link
719
 Date: 7/6/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 Saturday Night Fights! C&C Ancients – Cannae!

The Armchair Dragoons hosts a Saturday night gaming session using Table Top Simulator and this Saturday they continue a session of Command & Colors Ancients from GMT games. Tune in to see if Hannibal can pull off another double envelopment at Cannae! 		Web Link
718
 Date: 6/29/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 [STRATEGIES] How to attack in Commands Colors Ancients?

The Command & Colors series is very popular with gamers. It is also popular with The Boardgames Chronicle who now gives us the benefit of their experience on how to attack garnered from over 600 plays of Command & Colors: Ancients published by GMT Games. 		Web Link
717
 Date: 6/20/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 C&C Ancients – most balanced scenarios – Alexander successors in Action!

Lying on his deathbed, the legend goes, Alexander the Great was asked to whom he would leave his empire. He supposedly responded, "To the strongest!". Those words set off a titanic struggle between his "Successors" that spanned the breadth of the known world. Although many gamers may not be familiar with this period of warfare, it is rich in pageantry as Macedonian phalanx, cavalry, archers, and even elephants clashed to achieve hegemony. The Boardgames Chronicle uses Command & Color Ancients from GMT Games to reconstruct some of the battles of the time. 		Web Link
716
 Date: 5/25/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 C&C Ancients – playing EPICs during the lockdown, part 2

The Boardgames Chronicle continues their series of replays of Command and Color Ancients published by GMT Games with the epic battles of Adrianople (378 AD) and Argentoratum (357 AD). 		Web Link
715
 Date: 4/30/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 C&C Ancients – Civil Wars of Tetrarchy

Let’s go back to ancient history and join the Boardgames Chronicle’s replay of GMT Games’ very popular Command & Colors Ancients mini campaign Civil Wars of Tetrarchy. Emperor Diocletian’s “Tetrarchy” system of shared power maintained calm for 20 years, eventually rivalries took over again. In 306 Maxentius proclaimed himself emperor, setting off another confused civil war. In 312, Constantine decided to resolve the dispute with Maxentius (his brother-in-law!) for control of the Western Roman Empire. With an army drawn from his western provinces of Britain, Gaul, and the Rhine, Constantine invaded Italy. He defeated Maxentius at Taurinorum, and expected Maxentius to hold out in Rome but instead he made a stand less than ten miles from Rome, in front of the Milvian Bridge crossing the Tiber River. 		Web Link
714
 Date: 4/18/2020
Poster: Harvey M.
 C&C Ancients – playing EPICs during the lockdown

The Boardgames Chronicle bring us another replay wrought by social distancing. This time they tackle Commands & Colors: Ancients playing the EPIC scenarios. 		Web Link
713
 Date: 5/27/2019
Poster: Mark D.
 CCA – Playing EPIC Cannae and Raphia Scenarios

There is really no better way to spend Saturday evening - for an ancient history and wargames fan - then EPIC CCA games! Cannae and Raphia - short session report in above link! Video produced by the folks Board Games Chronicle. 		Web Link
712
 Date: 9/28/2015
Poster: Mark D.
 Here's No Great Matter: Replay Using Miniatures

Prufrock, from the "Here's No Great Matter" blog, takes us through a game of Commands and Colors: Ancients using miniatures. Part 1 of a 2 Part article. Cool... 		Web Link
689
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 website

 Web Link
690
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 extra stickers problem

 Grognard Hosted
691
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Grognard Hosted
692
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
693
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
694
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 2nd ed. rules

 Archive.org
695
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 scenarios

 Archive.org
696
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 Truceless War scenarios (PDF files)

 Web Link
697
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
698
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
699
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
700
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review of Greeks and Eastern Kingdoms expansion

 Grognard Hosted
701
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
702
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review

 Web Link
703
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review of Roman Civil Wars expansion

 Web Link
704
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review of Roman Civil Wars/Rome vs. The Barbarians expansions

 Grognard Hosted
705
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 website for replays

 Web Link
707
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 review of Imperial Rome Expansion Pack

 Web Link
708
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 Colline Gate replay

 Web Link
709
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 video review

 Web Link
710
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 video review of Expansion #6

 Web Link
711
 Date: 1/1/1900
Poster: Mark D.
 video review

 Web Link