by Mike Colello, 28 November 2024
Tattered Flags: Into the Whirlpool (2024) is Hermann Luttman’s latest design (I’ve lost count of how many there are!) and is, according to the publisher, a hybrid historical miniatures / board game design that simulates tactical American Civil War combat. Into the Whirlpool is the first volume in what is called the Tattered Flag series. The game includes a unique battlefield map that, instead of hexes, contains a grid of octagrams. The counters, intended to take the place of miniatures, are 1” x ½” and printed on Blue Panther’s thick, wooden-like stock.
Also included are a rulebook and a scenario book, both printed on matte paper and, of course, in full color. Both books are printed with large fonts and include several high-quality illustrations and tables.
The Scenario Book contains five historical scenarios and one fictional “free-for-all” battle that can be as big or as small as the player chooses. For each of the five historical scenarios, large, double-sided, full color 11” x 17” setup maps are included. The maps are printed on heavy stock paper.
The game also includes a four-page player’s aid card, two d10 dice, 40 battle cards, a 17” x 22” canvas map, and two and a half full counter sheets.
At first glance, the battlefield map appears a bit odd looking to those of us more familiar with the standard hex type. My fear was that the octagrams on the map would be difficult to see and make it a challenge to position the counters. Fortunately, these concerns were short lived. When moving your units it is easy to see the octagrams and place the units in the correct orientation and when looking at the whole map the octagrams seem to fade away and you see just the counters and terrain. The design choice here was brilliant as the map with the counters deployed on it do give you a feel that you are a couple of steps closer to the miniatures world. The map looks like an illustration you might see in a history book.
And finally, the two (and a half) counter sheets. As stated earlier, the counters are large and look great when placed on the map (following the rules for Formation Integrity, of course).
So, does Into the Whirlpool succeed in being a replacement for miniatures wargaming? I’m not a miniatures wargamer but I suspect the answer is a resounding “no.” If you enjoy painting minis and creating 3D terrain battle maps, this game will not convince you to give that up. Why would you? There are many types of wargamers and we should be supportive of them all. But if you are like me and, as the box says, “do not have the time, funds, or eyesight to paint armies of miniature figurines” then this game should be close enough.
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Very close to a miniatures game though! Impressive!