Really enjoyed playing this. I’ve played several Columbia block war games. You can check my profile, I would describe myself as a really big fan but I gotta say this definitely is for more seasoned gamers that know what they are doing. This game is quite complex when compared to Liberty or Julius Caesar or Athens and Sparta. If you want a more approachable napoleonic war Block war game from Columbia games with simpler rules go with Napoleon the Waterloo campaign. If you want a more complex and detailed game go with this. I really look forward to playing this again.

It is a very good game will a lot of small nuances that lets the system work very well for the situation being gamed.

A slugfest, as it should be. I like the game victory awarded based on unit elimination in this one rather than VP’s from objectives. That puts the focus on strategic maneuvering to maximize your damage on the enemy while minimizing your own. French VP’s are worth more than Russian ones for eliminated units which can yield a close margin on victory for either side, but also the historic Pyrrhic victory that it was for the French.

Very interesting, full of decisions and great replayability. An interesting implementation of Columbia Games block system.

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What is Borodino?

Borodino 1812 is a two-player Napoleonic wargame from Columbia Games that recreates the climactic Battle of Borodino during Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia. One player commands Napoleon’s Grande Armée while the other leads the Imperial Russian Army under Kutuzov.

Using the Columbia Block System, Borodino combines hidden unit information, fog of war, step reduction, and fast-paced area movement and combat. The French player must choose where to concentrate the attack while the Russian player anticipates those moves and defends the battlefield’s critical positions.

The game emphasizes the interaction between infantry, cavalry, and artillery, including cavalry charges, infantry squares, bombardments, and the famous Russian redoubts. With 103 wooden blocks and a playing time of approximately 3–4 hours for the main battle, Borodino recreates a major Napoleonic engagement in a single gaming session.

Game at a Glance

Players: 2
Playing Time: 3–4 hours
Period: Napoleonic Wars, 1812
Sides: French Grande Armée vs. Imperial Russian Army
Complexity: Medium
Designers: Tom Dalgliesh & Carl Willner
System: Columbia Block System

7.3

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