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Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653
- 1 player
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- Complexity 2.8/5
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This War Without an Enemy
2020
Rules assistance for This War Without an Enemy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 60–240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for This War Without an Enemy
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
This War Without an Enemy is a board game released in 2020 for 2 players, 60–240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Scott H. Moore and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Description from the publisher: "This War Without an Enemy" is a 2-player strategic block wargame. The game centres on the First English Civil War, when the Royalist forces fighting for King Charles I were opposed by the English Parliamentarian troops and their Scottish allies, the Covenanters, in a struggle for political, economic and religious control of England. The game engine will be familiar to anyone who has played a card-driven block wargame, but it adds a number of innovations in order to faithfully simulate both the warfare of the mid-17th century and the unique nature of this conflict that engulfed not only England but also Scotland and Ireland. The game features individual cards deck for each side, two thirds of which contain events. The card decks are adjusted from year to year to reflect the historical progression of the war. The regional nature of much of the conflict is recreated using a system of Leader and Regional blocks as well as rules for regionally-based recruitment. The usual block game mechanics for field battles have been modified with special rules for artillery, cavalry and infantry, while a completely new system has been designed for storming and sieges. The object of the game is to acquire Victory Points through the capture of cities held by the opponent. In addition, the Parliamentarians can move closer to victory by capturing the King, represented by his own block. Five scenarios are included: The Full War: up to 26 turns. The Early War: an introductory scenario of 8 turns. The Mid-to-Late War: up to 18 turns. The Mid War: an introductory scenario of 6 turns. Prelude to War: up to 27 turns.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Nuts! Publishing
Questions and answers
This War Without an Enemy supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for This War Without an Enemy is 60–240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists This War Without an Enemy for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
This War Without an Enemy has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
This War Without an Enemy belongs to these categories: Wargame, Civil War, and Pike and Shot. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of This War Without an Enemy are: Scott H. Moore. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists This War Without an Enemy as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.