Tank Chess (reprint)

Fun Set
about 1 year ago – Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 10:31:57 AM

The Fun Set expansion keeps a special place amongst the Tank Chess expansions and add-ons. It was originally featured during the first Kickstarter campaign, where it was in great demand, it received excellent feedback afterward, and has been a success since. It regularly accompanies the base game, as around 80% of Tank Chess players have obtained it at some point.

However, the main reason we keep this expansion so close to heart is the fact that it got its final shape during the first Kickstarter campaign, thanks to our amazing community. We intended the expansion to feature far fewer tanks, and it got expanded with the help of our backers, who suggested several additions in the form of new vehicles and features.

Therefore, Fun Set, as a content expansion, encompasses an astounding variety of pieces and obstacle types that ensures not a single game you play has to feature the same pieces twice, not to mention the infinite number of custom obstacle setups. You can really put your mind and imagination to work when creating custom battlefields and that way give life to the black and white squared board with different-colored obstacles. With only a few rules regarding the positional setup, you are free to let your imagination fly and create some of the most memorable sceneries for your epic encounters.

There are 14 new types of vehicles featured within the Fun Set, that account for 44 pieces in total. These are: Super-heavy Tank, Tank Hunter, Assault Tank, Amphibian, Recon Tank, Light Mortar, Heavy Howitzer, Light Howitzer, Minesweeper Tank, Heavy Bulldozer, Bridge Tank, Recovery vehicle, Rocket Launcher, and Twin-gun Tank. Each vehicle is different from the rest, and some of them add special mechanics to the gameplay. On top of that, there are 5 new obstacle types, each with unique properties: low obstacles, hedges, water, trees, and mud. Finally, an extra level of variety is added thanks to two types of mines, that can introduce an aspect of the game not present in the base game.

All this variety is already displayed on the custom setups presented in the Fun Set brochure that comes with the rulebook. These items allow for more asymmetrical setups and scenarios compared to the base game, so you can play out almost anything that comes to mind on the Tank Chess board.

The core principles are the same as in the base game, but the possibilities with Fun Set are endless. Game on!

Tank Chess: Extended - preview
about 1 year ago – Thu, Jun 15, 2023 at 01:26:56 PM

As you know, in this reprint campaign, we are also presenting new Tank Chess content. In the Update #4, we presented the travel-friendly TC: Portable set, while this update will be dedicated to its opposite, Tank Chess: Extended.

The main features of Tank Chess: Extended are the large board and the presence of additional tank pieces, compared to the base game set.

As all the other ones, the 24x24 board is double-sided: one side contains the basic obstacle setup, while the other contains just the empty square grid, for placing the cardboard obstacles provided in the set, in order to create a custom setup from the brochure or a completely new one, according to your own ideas and preferences.

The playing area can be made smaller by using the border surfaces, also provided in the set, so you can create boards in sizes corresponding to the other Tank Chess sets.

During a game of Tank Chess, several phases can be observed. Depending on the board size, and the forces chosen, they can be manifested very differently; on bigger boards, and in games that involve more pieces, each phase, in general, consists of more turns, compared to games on smaller boards. The Extended board is the largest one there is, so the phases can even be observed as containing various subphases, depending on the particular game and strategies employed. The preparation phase, in which the pieces take up positions behind cover near the middle of the board, is made longer by the fact that the pieces are further apart and that there are more obstacles to hide behind, so the first engagement usually doesn’t happen in the first few turns (except in cases of serious carelessness). The engagement phase happens when the lines of battle are well-defined. It is usually characterized by frequent casualties, a lot of tactical maneuvering, and changes in initiative. On the Extended board, this phase is in most cases prolonged by the fact that the battles are fought all over the place, so there is a lot of regrouping and shifting the focus in search for supremacy in various areas of the board. In the endgame, usually, the number of surviving tanks is extremely reduced, and the focus is fully on the Command Tanks: either creating a pathway for their escape, or closing down on them in order to eliminate them.

In total, games on the 24x24 sq. board last longer, as they require thorough thinking and calculation at every stage. In general, taking suitable positions for your strategy in the first phase can be of crucial importance for the outcome of the game, but in this case, there is more space (and in-game time) for the pieces to regroup. More pieces to start with mean more newly-created obstacles later on, when those are destroyed, and their placement can have a deciding effect on the outcome of the game. The escape takes several turns on a board this large, so having the obstacles that benefit you instead of your opponent surely makes the ultimate task easier. Also, we advise you to dedicate more table space for Extended games, in order to play comfortably, and to allocate enough time for longer-lasting engagements with a lot of tactical outwitting.

Regarding the pieces, in addition to LTs, MTs, HTs, TDs, and HMs, that are found in the base game, as well as in the TC: Portable, the TC Expanded set also contains Super Heavy Tanks, Recon Tanks, Heavy Bulldozers, and Light Howitzers in each color. All of these pieces, except for Heavy Mortars (due to their limited shooting range), are featured on the basic 24x24 setup, and the wide piece choice makes custom games unique. The additional pieces are provided in 4 colors, so if you have the base game or just standard pieces, you can play a full 4-player game.

Tank Chess: Extended is available at a promotional price of $46 during the campaign, while later in retail it will be priced at $55. Don’t miss it!

Another stretch goal reached! But, it's a TIE?! Next one: REFERENCE CARDS at $26000!
about 1 year ago – Tue, Jun 13, 2023 at 06:10:00 AM

Hi, everyone!

With your help, we have reached the stretch goal limit of $20000! Thank you so much once again for believing in us and supporting this game!

However, after multiple recounts, we’ve established that your voting for the next piece that will enter the Fun Set Plus has resulted in a TIE! So, we have decided to prolong the voting period for 24 hours, until June 14th, 15:00 CET. Only the backers who still haven’t voted for this stretch goal have the right to vote, and in case of another tie, the first vote that arrives after the deadline will decide the winner. So, please, continue voting in comments on the UPDATE #3 to help your favorite.

Now, it is time to announce the next stretch goal. We will take a break from voting and new pieces, but for a good reason.

You probably know that all sets come with reference tables that contain all values of all the tanks in the set, for a quick comparison. Now, however, with the addition of many new tanks in the Fun Set Plus and the Airborne expansions, you have, basically, infinite possibilities for creating custom matchups, so one reference table might not be the most useful in case you want a quick reminder of a particular tank’s characteristics.

Because of that, and thanks to our awesome community who come to us with many great suggestions, we have decided to introduce individual reference cards for all vehicles. Each set will contain cards for the vehicles represented within, one per color, and below are the examples of cards for the base game pieces. The new stretch goal is set at $26000. Let's make this one happen too!

Tank Chess: Portable - preview
about 1 year ago – Fri, Jun 09, 2023 at 04:28:27 AM

As you probably already know, Tank Chess can be played on a variety of boards of different sizes, with different, unique, obstacle setups, and with a different number and types of pieces involved. All this makes the game extremely versatile in terms of gameplay, as games on the smallest board, with fewer pieces, tend to have a ‘blitz’ nature, while on the other end of the spectrum, the games on the largest of boards, require a much more elaborate approach to strategy, due to many different engagements in the battle phase that all need to be handled properly in order to emerge as winner.

The smallest board, 12 x 12 squares, is the board featured in Tank Chess: Portable. 

Tank Chess: Portable is a standalone expansion that offers a more dynamic Tank Chess experience and also comes in a travel-friendly box, which means you can carry it around and squeeze a game in whenever you have 15 to 20 minutes at your disposal. The original TC backers would know we’ve always wanted to make this game suitable for travel, and TC: Portable is the answer.

As you can see in the pictures, the box is much smaller than the one for the base game, as it measures just 15.5 x 15.5 x 4 cm. 

The board measures 29 x 29 cm, and it features a square grid of 12 x 12 squares. The basic obstacle setup printed on one side allows for a game that only features Medium and Heavy Tanks; however, in the set, you’re provided with all the piece types (Light Tanks, Medium Tanks, Heavy Tanks, Tank Destroyers, and Heavy Mortars) in the same quantities as in the base game set. That means you can customize your battle any way you want by using different tanks and the obstacles from the set on the other side of the board. Take a look at the basic setup and also at some custom setups that feature different tanks, in different numbers:

Note there are custom setups intended for 4 players (the additional distinction between the teams is made by using the flags provided), since even the smallest of boards is sufficient for a blitz 4-player gameplay.

Whichever setup you choose, the games will be tense right from the start, as every single decision matters. You can expect casualties from turn two, as the players will fight immediately for the outposts, in order to help the push of their own Command Tank through the battlefield, or to restrain and eliminate the opponent’s main piece.

Another important thing about Tank Chess is that there is a notation system that helps you write down the moves as you play, in order to analyze the game after. Analysis helps with building up tactical awareness and pattern recognition, and it is another fun way to engage with the game, even if you don’t have an opponent at your disposal at a certain time. Since the games on the smallest board are shorter and usually less complex in tactical terms, TC: Portable is extremely suited for learning how to properly notate and analyze games.

Here is an example of a notated game between the two authors, with the analysis in comments (you can find many more on BGG).

So, to sum it up, you’re looking for shorter games, filled with tactics, that play out in 15 minutes, and can be played, basically, anywhere, look no further - Tank Chess: Portable is the thing you need. Don’t miss the chance to grab it for only $16 on Kickstarter ($25 in future retail)!

P.S. If you have TC: Portable but you’d like to play a longer game, on a bigger board, from time to time, since you have all the pieces for it, you can easily make a DIY 16 x 16, or even a 20 x 20 board, like the one in the pictures:

The third stretch goal has been reached! Thank you! Now get ready for another vote: next stretch goal at $20000
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jun 01, 2023 at 11:33:55 PM

Hi, all!

Thank you for helping us reach the third stretch goal! As a result of your vote, the Amphibian Howitzer has made it into the Fun Set Plus set!

The next stretch goal is set at $20000 and, again, it is you who decide which piece can become a part of the Fun Set Plus. So, vote in comments for one of the two:

There will be one piece of each color added to the set.

May the most popular vehicle win!