A new release in on the horizon from our friends at GMT which looks mighty interesting and we’re here to take a peek.
From GMT:
Navajo Wars is a solitaire game which covers one of the longest struggles waged on the North American continent. From the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1595 until Colonel Christopher “Kit” Carson’s brutal Navajo Campaign of 1863, the Diné — the Navajo — fought to preserve their way of life.
In Navajo Wars, you the player must use skillful planning and cunning against a constantly changing and aggressive enemy. Navajo Wars uses a unique mix of cards and an enemy instruction matrix to drive the actions of the enemy. More than just chart-checking and die-rolling, in Navajo Wars the player has to make lots of meaningful decisions in order to win.
Along the way, the Ute, Comanche, and Apache tribes will ally with the colonists of New Mexico against you! You’ll also face intermittent wars with the Hopi and Zuni Pueblo tribes! You’ll face off against the Spanish, Mexicans, and Americans in an epic struggle for survival.
Navajo Wars has 3 scenarios, each of which can be played in 1-2 hours, and one short scenario which can be played in 30 minutes or less:
- Los Dueños Del Mundo (“the lords of the earth”) is the Spanish period of the game in which the player must guide the Navajos to a position of strength. Historically, the Navajo reached their zenith of power during the time period of this scenario (1595-1821).
- A Broken Country is the Mexican period of the game. This enemy is more dangerous, more persistent. This period of the game is a slugging match between two powerful forces. Historically, the Navajo war with the Mexicans contributed to the success of the US Army of the West which invaded New Mexico in 1846 during the Mexican War.
- The Fearing Time is the American period of the game. Historically, the Navajo were brutally subjugated in 1864 after Kit Carson’s campaign into the Dinétah. The Navajo were subsequently removed from their land and led on a brutal forced march to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico Territory. Over 500 people died on “the Long Walk.” You, the player, must avoid this fate!
- The Devil Has Come to Canyon de Chelly is a short scenario which takes place at the very end of the American period of the game. Historically, the American Civil War impacted and was impacted by the Navajo War in the Department of New Mexico. In this scenario, the player will face off with the American Army in a final showdown.
Although Navajo Wars has been designed from the beginning as a Solitaire Game, the game does include two ways to play with TWO-Players: First, two players can play the game cooperatively, with both players discussing their options and making decisions together.
For players wanting a more competitive game, Navajo Wars includes an innovative semi-cooperative variant. In this variant, both players must work together because if the Tribe is defeated, they BOTH lose! Nevertheless, only ONE player can win! To win, each player attempts to establish his influence over the tribe. Throughout the game, players must balance what’s best for them against what’s best for the tribe as a whole. This makes for a very tense (and historically accurate) gaming experience!
Navajo Wars has made the cut with GMT’s P500 system so we should be able to look forward to what sounds like a mighty interesting game in the next few months.
Navajo wars will retail for $69.00
