Midnight's review sums this board up quite nicely. This is a completely different game that just happens to use some of the same mechanics as a traditional Risk game. All in all, this is a fantastic job.

I'm docking a star because I'm not very good at it. ;-) Plus, I noticed that nobody's rated it a 9 yet, so I've got that going for me, too.

awesomeness.

One of the smartest games on wargear. I say games and not maps because Alpha and Mongrel have turned the standard concept of the games on this site on its head.

The goal of the game is, yes, to get to 23 territories. But much more than that it is a game of positioning and blocking. Seven has introduced a chess-like "check" system. It occurs when a player (we'll call him player 1) has reached the goal of 23 territories, player 2 must use his turn to take away one. "Checkmate" - to follow the chess theme - then occurs when player 1 has achieved his 23 and player 2 is left unable to retaliate. Due to this, the gameplay becomes one of establishing position such that each player strives to contain behind what is essentially his blockade enough of his opponents randomly selected territories so that his ability to "get out of check" is greater than that of his opponent.

But this is only one aspect of the game. Any player, given the fortunate territory selection, may opt to play a more aggressive game. If player 2, for example, is able to break the chain of his opponent's territories, he can essentially cripple his opponents ability to establish enough ground to win. This is due to the fortify within component rule. Where a chain of territories is disrupted by an opponent's owned territory, the ability to execute a strong advance by the disrupted player is greatly hindered, as he can no longer (until and unless he is able to reestablish his chain via a new route) continue to fortify from his base to the front lines of his attack.

It is of real importance to understand that attacking an occupied territory is futile as zero-sided dice are in play. Only attacking a territory occupied by 0 troops will prove fruitful.

There is a bit of a learning curve for this game, due to its innovative play. Furthermore, there will be some bad beats. Random territory selection can lead to some one-sided matches. However, the function of having randomly assigned territories leads to seemingly infinite possibilities and Seven has a high replay value as a result. Even in the event of a short-sided territory selection, the game will most often yield a close match, and mistakes and poor play can quickly turn even the most biased of advantages.

As it turns out, the above serves only a brief overview of strategy for playing Seven. The rest is on the players to determine. But play smart! One wrong move often results in a win or a loss.