Larry Harris, the designer behind Axis & Allies and War Room, has begun shipping Imperial Borders, his post-Napoleonic grand strategy game from one-person publisher Nightingale Games. Backers are getting their hands on the Congress of Vienna in a box right now, and the retail price tag of $300 makes this one of the heaviest single-purchase wargames you can put in front of six people this year.
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Find events near youThe setup is alternate history with proper teeth. After Napoleon's 1815 abdication, the great powers gather in Vienna to redraw the borders of Europe. Players take a major nation each and decide where the lines fall. It's pitched as more ambitious than Axis & Allies but not necessarily more rules-heavy, an evening that wants a clear table and a long block on the calendar.
The component count is the headline though. The box weighs around 22 pounds and packs a 44-inch neoprene map, dry-erase planning maps, battle boards, miniature cannons, cavalry, infantry and ships, plus tokens, medals and dice. Nightingale Games has temporarily paused new sales while the team prioritises backer fulfilment, with retail availability flagged for June. UK and EU buyers get DDP shipping with VAT prepaid, but the boxes are mailed from China and run an extra $95 in postage.
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Start organising for freeHarris has been at this for forty years. His first year at Milton Bradley back in 1984 saw 13 of his designs hit the catalogue, including the original Gamemaster trilogy of Axis & Allies, Conquest of the Empire, and Broadsides and Boarding Parties. Imperial Borders is the kind of game built for groups who already host big strategy nights. If your club has the table space and the patience for it, find one near you on Backseat Gamer and book a Saturday.
Sources: Nightingale Games Shop | BoardGameWire | VentureBeat
