This Little Pig Went to War in Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game
Ham it up on the front lines with all sorts of war-time pigs in the first mission of Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game.
With most of my new solo games, I know exactly why I picked them up… Which could just be based on a whim! Although I knew Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game was arriving, only a vague notion of wanting a lighthearted war game crossed my mind. No worries: That meant this was going to be a fun sort of time with a bunch of fighting pigs!
Game Overview
Game Name: Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game
Publication Year: 2022
Designers: Paul D. Allen and James Faulkner
Artists: James Churchill and Raben White
Publisher: Stone Sword Games
Solo Mode: Included in Hogs of War: Team Lard
Over the course of a 5-mission campaign, battles rage on between the pigs! Terrain and deployables provide effects, while crates can be collected for special bonuses. Time is limited, though, and the objectives are tricky… Nothing shaking a little bacon can’t accomplish, though!
First Play
December 31, 2022
Complexity
3
Latest Play
January 19, 2023
Expansions
2
Setup Time
15 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
1 Hour & 10 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
46" x 32"
Low Score
N/A
Major Battling
There are a lot of components to account for! This isn’t particularly compact, but the solo mode doesn’t use base building or aerial zones… Better than it might be!
I think I played the original PS1 game this is based on, very briefly, so I wasn’t necessarily tied to the pig humor.
Yet it was pretty funny! The miniatures had a lot more detail than I expected, and the card artwork was charming in its own way. Definitely felt like a lighthearted war game.
Serious war games and simulations are excellent, but I sometimes want a conflict that doesn’t feel too heavy.
Units in the Reserve
There weren’t piles and piles of units to deal with, but rather 5 grunts, 2 of each specialist class, and an assortment of vehicles. My team was ready to go!
Additional factions used different colors, but seemed to be basically identical. Not that I was complaining: I can be terrible at war games, so I needed less choices to start.
It wasn’t going to be easy, yet there were also upgrades I could eventually add to different units. Interesting!
Every unit could perform 2 actions each turn, including some unique options like healing or changing dice results.
Another Hog Faction?
I’m on a roll with matching Calico Critters families with my games! Well… It’s a streak that now extends to a whopping 2 games. But I’m succeeding in style. Ha!
This wonderful pig family showed up to examine all of the components. The planes and air ship were the highlights!
There was a little grumbling when I let the tiny triplets know this battlefield was no place for them to run around. Maybe they got the message? They were here to watch.
And again, this is why I often prefer lighthearted games… This was about battling, but the pigs made it a bit silly.
Starting with P-Day
Solo play centers around an ongoing campaign, beginning with the first mission at O Ham-Ha Beach. The campaign booklet was easy enough to understand what to do.
However, I forgot how many rules these war games often have. There was a lot of reading, and I appreciated the large text present throughout the rulebook!
There were subtle hints, too, like how I should try to pick up the crates. They were way behind enemy lines…
Still, I didn’t feel too overwhelmed. This wasn’t too complex, and it seemed like the fun was in simply playing!
Making War Games Easier to Approach
I don’t have too many war games based on real battles, yet the ones I do tend to be approached with a very different mindset. Those plays are about a simulation that surrounds people who lived and died, or at least their theoretical counterparts. I get attached, feel the losses on a grander scale, and try to quietly appreciate the subject matter.
Part of the reason why this one appealed to me were the pigs. First, I love animals! But second, and more importantly, was the fact that this was only vaguely based on real battles. Faction names, locations, and the battles themselves were littered with silly remarks not meant to disrespect anything, but to add a little humor into the fray.
Looked at another way, this was still all about battling, but no actual pigs ever fought in wars like this. At least, I hope not! For me, that makes any death feel entirely simulated, like the same pigs simply get knocked out of the game and return. In this way, war gaming can be more approachable with a less-than-serious subject.
Again, none of this is to disrespect real life battles or games based on them. It’s more a matter of how I feel when I get ready to play. One is inherently more somber, and rightfully doesn’t come with laughter. Maybe I’m not the target audience for most war games either, so this is my way of circling the genre and at least trying out some battle tactics.
A Slight Flag Problem
With added deployable miniatures, I figured it would be very easy to mark which faction controlled these. Flag counters were fine enough… But not at all perfect.
I managed to master the art of balancing! But these could really only be seen from above. In the solo mode, it was pretty easy to find them all. This just felt odd, though.
Part of me imagined spots to stick flags into. That would have been awesome! Alas, I made do with the counters.
There was no time to gripe, though… P-Day was about to start! I had no idea what I would do with my pigs, though.
Random Solo Orders
I liked how the solo opponent operated! Each unit had clear orders, while the behavior cards designated them as either aggressive or defensive. Matching icons: Easy!
This mission called for the grunts to use a set of special defensive rules, laid out in the campaign booklet to provide unique situations for certain missions.
Recruitment cards added more units each round, but might also flip cards from defensive to aggressive, or back.
It was pretty straightforward, especially since units had a set initiative pattern from 1 to 6. Watch out for the tank!
South Mountain Troop
Things started out a little slowly, with no action. I couldn’t dawdle forever, but I wondered if I was doing well in planning out positioning or just setting up for disaster.
After everyone started moving toward each other, though, things really started to take off! The main area was in the south, where enemy tanks threatened to attack.
Now, had they maneuvered north, they would have taken over the central area and cut off my troops. However…
This brave contingent distracted the tanks. It was a valiant effort with almost no survivors, but it worked nicely!
Taking the Bunkers
All I had to do was secure both bunkers… Easy, right? Not with those enemy guns and troops all over the place!
Moving in from the north, the rest of my troops were able to surprise the enemy pigs and take the first objective. Then, things got a little more interesting and tricky.
The final objective wasn’t too far off for a trio that was well behind enemy lines. Grunts were racing to reclaim the first bunker, so there was a rare opening to run through.
Unmanned guns also made it easy to advance, but for how long?! They needed to hold out just a little longer.
Troublemaker Time
Just as the action was getting interesting, I looked away and some of the Calico Critters decided it was time to rush onto the battlefield! I should have known. Triplets. Ha!
One decided to wear some terrain obstacles as a hat. Fine. No one needed that and it wasn’t at all a hindrance!
But then there was an awkward moment when this little one in yellow decided to shake the hand of an enemy orderly. Oh, my! That’s not proper battlefield etiquette!
Their older brother raced in to clear the scene of errant pigs, and then it was right back to the action for my units.
Mountain Order
I wasn’t able to stop all of the tanks, unfortunately. A pair got through and rumbled towards the rest of the troops after wiping out nearly all of the South Mountain Troop.
Yet a lonely orderly did not give up! He hung around in the mountains, always just out of reach of this last tank.
Such a bother, but it worked! The tank constantly turned, moved, and maneuvered without actually attacking. I probably could have planned better before…
Alas, there was no time to waste! With tanks approaching and newly recruited enemies, the last bunker loomed.
A Bunker Converted
Rather surprisingly, it was another orderly who raced into danger to claim the final objective! It was a dangerous area with plenty of enemy units ready to pounce. But I won!
The nearby crate was very tempting, yet had we delayed, I think this would have been a guaranteed loss. Instead, Team Lard retreated amidst my great leadership.
Campaign performance is tracked with hogtags, and I ended with enough to call myself a General. I took it!
Legendary status was out of my reach, of course, yet I was happy to continue on with this rousing success.
Final Dice Rolls
All of my attack rolls came from the dice, but most of these were done with minimal damage. Infantry required 2 or 3 hits to be knocked out, and a single die helped.
But those tanks hovered, and I managed to pull off some ability combinations for the sniper and bombardier!
I traded in dice for the better versions with action points, and then they rolled… What luck! These attacks against a single tank provided plenty of damage to slow it down.
Granted, this was right near the end, but it was still nice to be able to see my infantry units could damage a huge tank!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Expansion: Hogs of War: Team Lard
Accessory: Hogs of War: Deluxe Edition
Solo Mode: Included in Hogs of War: Team Lard
Play Details: Mission 1
Outcome: 34 (Win)
Victory was mine! There were many times when I had to check things in the rulebook, yet everything started to flow just when the battle really took off. This was a lot of fun, and I now need to keep my pigs rolling into the next missions. I’m excited to work through this campaign!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
4
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
7
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Units are easy to tell apart with different poses and very detailed miniatures that fit on the battlefield hexes.
- Although base building isn’t included with the solo mode, this allows battles to begin quickly for more action.
- The solo opponent is easy to run with clear orders and actions, yet these can change with recruitment cards.
- Plenty of strategic options exist with the way terrain can provide cover or minefields can cut off certain areas.
- Most of the rulebook is laid out well with clear instructions so that gameplay comes naturally pretty quickly.
- Rather than earning victory points, this track counts down to act as a timer and encourage progress via attacks.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The control flag counters don’t work well with the deployables and are hard to see from far away.
- Not all of the important rules are summarized, which can result in a lot of time flipping around the rulebook.
- Setup takes a lot of time and is a little tedious with the small size of the mission maps in the campaign booklet.
- Solo omits some components, and for the price, this might not be the best investment for only playing solo.
Victory Conditions
Complete the Mission
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete mission 1.
Complete mission 2.
Complete mission 3.
Complete mission 4.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game? I assume there is more of an audience out there for those who played the original PS1 version. Are there there some solo games based on video games you never played? This one was put together nicely, and I’m still loving all of the pig-related humor! Mustn’t stop to roll in the mud, though: Onward!
Fascinating! I think I’d have trouble with the dissonance of a real war vs amusing comedy animals, but I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Happy new year!
Thanks, Roger, and Happy New Year to you, too! Good point about how this sort of war game might be just the opposite in terms of approachability. That’s what makes board games so great: There’s something for everyone, even if we’re all playing something a little different for various reasons. I hope the rest of this campaign goes well, too!