PROFILBARU.COM

*Battle Cry*
Publishers	Post Age Games
Years active	~1989 to unknown
Genres	fantasy wargame
Languages	English
Players	15
Playing time	Fixed
Materials required	Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil
Media type	Play-by-mail
Synonyms	Battle Cry: Lord Series

Battle Cry is a closed-ended, hand moderated, play-by-mail (PBM) fantasy wargame. It was published by Post Age Games. Players vied for control of a fantasy kingdom with victory depending on controlling a sufficiently large area for two turns. The game received mixed reviews in various gaming magazines in the late 1980s and 1990s.

History and development

Battle Cry was a fantasy wargame published by Post Age Games of San Antonio, Texas.^[1] The game was hand moderated.^[2] The hand-moderation provided flexibility similar to a role-playing game.^[2] Kris Bowling was the gamemaster.^[3]

Gameplay

Gameplay occurred on a 15×15 map.^[1] Players vied for control of a fantasy kingdom. At the outset, players started with "a wizard, a warrior knight, a dominion lord, a castle, a castle garrison, and two armies".^[3] Winning required controlling a sufficiently large region for two turns.^[3] Players controlled three character types, the indispensable Lord, Warrior Knights, and Wizards.^[3]

Reception

Stewart Wieck reviewed the game in a 1990 issue of White Wolf. He described it as "a straight-forward, no-frills fantasy wargame".^[4] Out of 5 points, he rated it 2 points for Materials and Moderation, 3 points for Strategy, 4 points for Diplomacy, and an overall score of 3 points.^[4] John Schlosser reviewed the game in the March–April 1989 issue of Paper Mayhem. He stated, "Personally, I found Battle Cry lacking in depth and a bit simplistic. I prefer games that give you more options and that involve more than simple conquest. However, I think it could prove very entertaining to someone who is looking for an inexpensive ($3/turn) uncomplicated game which isn't very time consuming. Overall an excellent game for a PBM novice."^[3] Bert Cushman reviewed the game in a 1989 issue of Flagship, stating that it was "a fairly generic hand-moderated game, with no special features that distinguish it from many other fantasy wargames." He added that it was "reasonably priced, and may appeal to role-players and fantasy wargamers who feel constrained by computer-moderated games".^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Wieck 1990. p. 20.
^ ^a ^b Cushman 1989. p. 24.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Schlosser 1989. p. 39.
^ ^a ^b Wieck 1990. p. 22.
^ Cushman 1989. p. 26.

Bibliography

Wieck, Stewart (June–July 1990). "Play-By-Mail Game Reviews: Battle Cry: Lord Series". White Wolf. No. 21. pp. 20, 22.
Schlosser, John (March–April 1989). "Battle Cry". Paper Mayhem. No. 35. p. 39.
Cushman, Bert (1989). "Battle Cry: Flexibility and Limits". Flagship. No. 24. pp. 24–25.