Valor & Victory

Based on the board game of the same name, Valor & Victory is a game that I am very excited about. As well as video games, board games are a huge passion of mine, and the old-school version of this game is getting pretty pricy these days so having a virtual recreation of it is pretty awesome in my book. Today, we are having a little look at the game and I am giving you some info on a few of the features that make this one of the best virtual recreations of a board game in quite some time.

1944

The setting of the game is 1944, during World War II. To be exact, the “story” of the game takes place after the Normandy landings and there are 20 different scenarios. These scenarios as far as I can tell are based on actual events that took place during World War II so that is really cool.

The whole thing is based on the board game and they have made it so the game is easy to learn, but hard to master. I would wager many people would think that a strategy board game based on World War II would be a nightmare to learn, but that is not the case. Yes, there is a learning curve here, but just like the real game, each time you play it, you get more familiar with the rules and it becomes more fun.

The Five Phases Of War

Like other board games, Valor & Victory has your turn taking various stages. The first part of this is your command stage where you set the groundwork for what you hope to achieve with your army. Next up you have to attack, this is called the fire phase and here you need to make sure you are lined up properly and your weapon is good for the job at hand. Then you can move, you can move units, but only units that did not attack so you have to decide if you want a certain unit to move or attack. After this, you enter the enemy defense phase and this is where you set up your defense for your opponent's move. Advance lets you move one hex on the game board and that is your turn over.

There is a dice rolling mechanic here so there is a bit of luck involved as is the case with other board games. However, strategy can give you an edge as the placement and movement of your troops as you play can put you in a much better position to achieve your objectives. As well as single player, you can play against other people locally and online. Oh, there is also a scenario editor that lets you set up your own missions too which sounds like a lot of fun.

From Table To Screen

If there is a weak point that Valor & Victory has, I would have to say it is the visuals. Do not get me wrong, they have done a great job in recreating the board game in virtual form, and when it looks like you are on a tabletop that is really cool. The thing is, the game just does not look all that exciting.

As a result, if you have played the original physical version of this game, you will think it is cool. People who have never heard of this though may find the visual style rather boring.

Pros:

• It is very close to the original board game
• You will be surprised at how deep the strategy is
• Even though the gameplay is deep, I do not think it is overly complicated
• It is awesome that you can play with people online

Cons:

• The presentation is not exactly exciting
• If you played the real board game and did not like it, this will not win you over