Battlefield Blues in Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game
Follow a carrier pigeon and race to the evacuation point with another mission in Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game.
More exciting times in the campaign for Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game! As I looked ahead at the briefing, there were a lot of interesting plans. A carrier pigeon needed to be intercepted rather quickly, while the rest of the battlefield would prove to offer up its usual challenges. I was ready for it with my trusty hogs, who were always ready for more!
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
Tactical decisions make for memorable scenarios, each with its own specific criteria. Across the large map, hogs fight to survive with some puns, but plenty of strategy. From capturing objectives to destroying targets, these specialized troops have what it takes to last to the end!
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
Multiple Objectives
This mission encompassed several steps. First, that carrier pigeon had to be stopped! Once captured, it would slowly fly towards the special evacuation point in the mountains.
Once there, a plane was loaded up and deployed. Its target? The enemy’s base in the southeast corner! But it would have to get by any aerial defenses along the way.
Ground units would need to construct and hold AA guns to hold off the enemy’s planes and maintain positioning.
Although multi-faceted, there weren’t too many new concepts to digest. Off to the enormous battlefield!
Holding the Trenches
The southern trench proved to be a contentious region. My troops held it for a long time with no pressure from the enemy grunts. They had other plans in mind.
Yet there was a turning point when a deployment card swapped their behavior. It was an endless battle around the mountains! And who was it on the front lines?
Another orderly! Medics usually stuck behind, yet mine had upgrades that gave them extra abilities. Attack!
Despite some losses and endless skirmishes, the trench remained under the control of my troops to the very end.
From the Skies
Surrounded by minefields, there was no way my troops could get anywhere close to the enemy’s base. But after the carrier pigeon was captured, a plane took flight!
Loaded with a bomb, I maneuvered it through the skies. AA guns were protected from enemy control, and the trusty little engine held out as the pilot approached.
Success! After flying overhead during this final round, the bomb headed to the ground to end the mission in victory.
It was fun to see everything work out, but I was feeling a little fatigued from these missions. Lots of hard work!
Get to the Choppa!
Alright, so maybe there wasn’t a helicopter waiting for these hogs. But I did manage to move these units to the evacuation zone before the end, which was beneficial.
However, I didn’t have it in me to continue. That might sound impossibly ridiculous, yet I blame myself for not being in the mood. Not the game’s problem at all!
I’ve mentioned how campaign games can be hard for me to devote all of my attention to. Just another quirk.
There may be a day when I’ll have the focus and energy to get through this entire campaign… Yet I still had fun!
Too Much of the Same Game Or Not Enough?
I often flip back and forth between feeling like I want to experience a lot of different games, or simply focus on playing the same solo game for a long time. That might entail a campaign, or a deep analysis of various factions and strategies. It’s not easy for me to commit to most games for more than a few plays at a time… But it happens sometimes!
That’s another lesson about my personal gaming tastes. I’m all over the place, and that’s OK! This is why I hesitate to pick up larger games nowadays that require many plays to truly appreciate the game. That’s not going to be a great way to play for everyone, but that’s the beauty of the hobby: We all share a love of games, but enjoy them differently.
Campaign games aren’t ruled out, though! I have some I’m excited to play and write about, hopefully pretty soon. If there’s a new lesson here, it’s that I can stop playing a game in the middle of a campaign if I’m ready to. No problem! And that doesn’t mean the game has any issues… It’s simply my desire to keep exploring everything in my collection.
Session Overview
Play Number: 4
Expansion: Hogs of War: Team Lard
Accessory: Hogs of War: Deluxe Edition
Solo Mode: Included in Hogs of War: Team Lard
Play Details: Mission 4
Outcome: 30 (Win)
If I was going to continue on after this exciting mission, there were bonuses ahead! New upgrades would have led to a lot of fun in the final mission. Alas, I’ll have to try again in the future to see if I can last until the end. I had a great time with these 4 missions, though! Go, blue hogs!
%
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)
- Each mission is unique and adds new layers that might encompass tanks or aerial units not previously utilized.
- Strategic positioning and planning is key to winning, and understanding the full battlefield is important.
- Although the early rounds often fly by, when units clash, carefully using action points leads to fun choices.
- Upgrades allow the various units to have access to special abilities that can turn them into very unique troops.
- Rolling dice does require some luck, yet there are ways to mitigate poor rolls or upgrade dice for better odds.
- There are exciting moments during each mission when a unit unexpectedly survives or captures an objective.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The campaign has some variability with upgrades, yet always encompasses the same structure of 5 missions.
- Not all of the rules are as clear as they could be, leading to some ambiguities and ongoing questions.
- Play time can drag on a little bit when it’s clear a mission is going to end in victory or defeat in a few rounds.
- For the size of the battlefield, the components don’t always fit in the hexes or are too small to see from far away.
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
What do you think of Hogs of War: The Miniatures Game? Although I didn’t have the steam to complete the campaign this time, I’m happy to have this one in my collection! Are there any solo campaigns you’re working on? I’ll have to look at coming back one day to take my hogs through all 5 missions. For now, they’re on temporary leave for lots of rest!
I suspect it’s better for a game, or a campaign, to be too short than too long – leave people wanting more rather than getting fed up as their last impression of a play. I know if I ended up feeling that way, it can be a big psychological barrier to my getting the game out next time.
(And yet of course everyone wants more stuff in their games, and they aren’t wrong either. Look at the success of Undaunted: Stalingrad with its megacampaign.)
Very good assessment about the length of a campaign! I’m about to start posting about a much shorter game that involves a 3-game campaign that’s easy to start over, and the total time commitment is under 2 hours. That’s approachable to me at pretty much any time!
You’re also right about wanting more stuff, though… It’s like we want it all! Ha ha!