Osprey Wargames - 21 - Kobolds & Cobblestones: Fantasy Gang Rumbles (SC)

Ordinsport was a backwater on the vast Ordin River before the Council of Wizards chose it as the site of their grand experiment. After a near-catastrophic war that saw orcs, elves, dwarves, and many other traditional enemies fighting alongside each other as uneasy allies, the Council intended Ordinsport to symbolize the new peace as a shining example of old enemies living and thriving together in a new era of hope and prosperity.

While the treaty has held, Odinsport itself has fallen some way short of these lofty aims. With so many races living side-by-side, and the potential for smuggling presented by the great river itself, Ordinsport has become home to an immense black market, with an underworld dominated by a vast array of criminal syndicates, all vying for territory and influence. Crime bosses have their pick of mercenaries, and hire ruthless gangs of goblin grunts, human thugs, dwarf barbarians, and lumbering trolls. Orcs and dwarves still may not get along, but it's amazing what a cunning crime boss can achieve by greasing a few palms with a few gold coins.

Kobolds & Cobblestones is a skirmish wargame for rumbles between gangs in Ordinsport's seedy underbelly. Players hire gangs of criminals, thugs, and enforcers from a number of classic Fantasy races, and attempt to take control of the underworld and establish themselves as the city's kingpins. Playing card-based mechanics and a cunning bribery element keep players on their toes, as a one-sided battle can turn around in a flash.