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Introduction
Field Commander Alexander is a primarily strategic wargame depicting Alexander of Macedon's quests for land and glory. You manouvre armies, aquire gold, spend gold, choose battle plans, negotiate, counter enemy operations, conquer territories, raze cities, found cities, fulfil prophecies, forage for food, build temples, choose advisors...need I go on!? There really is a lot to do! Field Commander Alexander follows four historical campaigns; Granicus, Issus, Tyre and Gaugamela. You can play each standalone or link them up to play the life of Alexander.
Historical Background
'Alexander the Great' inherrited Macedon's throne in 336BC, from his father, Phillip II who died in suspicious circumstances. Nobody living really knows what happened. Some accounts suggest a personal dispute with a fellow noble leading to assassination, some speculate Phillip II's untimely demise was the work of Alexander's mother, Olympias, who saw her son's future open up to him if her husband was disposed of. Either way, the 20 year old Alexander, educated by Aristotle, was the change the face of history.
Alexander campaigned in the Balkans, consolidating power over Thrace and parts of Illyria before marching on Thebes. He then assumed leadership over Greece and turned it's gaze toward Persia, an ancient enemy, with a score to settle due to previous invasions. In 334BC, he invaded Persia and campaigned for ten years. Alexander conquered Asia Minor and overthrew Darius III. The persian empire had fallen. Astonishingly, this did not quench Alexander's thirst for conquest and he pressed on to India. Encountering elephants and strange, darker-skinned, painted warriors, he triumphed over Porus, an ancient Indian king at the battle of the Hydaspes. Take a look at a world map and you realise just how far Alexander campaigned. It's absolutely incredible this multi-talented man kept his army going for so long, feeding, supplying and recruiting it over such large distances, including a southward push into Egypt. Eventually though, his troops grew homesick prompting him to turn back at the Beas River, dying shortly after in Babylon, 323BC, at the age of 32.
Anyway...back to the game
So yeah...command an army, make a variety of decisions and conquer loads of the big players in the ancient world. Piece of cake.
How are the battles fought?
Strategic decisions are made on the mounted map board however when a battle occurs, counters are placed off-board for combat. One criticism I have of Field Commander Alexander is no 'battle board' is included, though one is easily found on Board Game Geek. Still though, it really should be part of the game in my opinion. The battles are fought with die rolls, the scores of which are modified by various factors so it's not all based on the luck of the dice, but that does play a part.
What's the objective?
Each campaign's objective is specified on the game board and rulebook, though it's usually to capture a specific city or win a historical battle. The challenge is working toward the objective and not taking intolerable losses (easier said than done). There's a little bit of money management too, supplying your troops for the long haul or making a quick desperate dash. As mentioned earlier, you can also found and raze cities, affecting your income.
Can it be played two-player?
No. I guess you could split decisions and make it work coop, but it's not designed for this.
How is the AI controlled then?
Through a very clever and innovative rule system. The AI randomly draws 'operation' chits determining their course of action. This combined with die rolls and 'advisors' selected at the start, enabling varied AI behaviour to keep you coming back for more games. It's actually pretty simple, and it works!
Final Thoughts
As far as a strategic war board games goes, they don't come much better than this. If you're after a tactical experience with a real focus on detail though, you will be disappointed. There's not a huge scope for micromanagement (see that as a good or bad thing) and focuses on key strategic decisions and pivotal battles. Don't expect loads of small, micro-battles, instead expect building up to a major showdown. Artwork is fabulous and components decent quality. I would highly recommend this game and related titles such as Field Commander Rommel, and Field Commander Napoleon.
