From: Roberto Chiavini <mumaye@libero.it>
Subject: A couple reviews

Last Crusade (BSO Games)

Richard Berg did it another time: even this recreation of the battle of
Nicopolis, 1396 AD, is a very good game, based on his notorious system,
adopted in most of his BSO designs. Good graphics come with a fast and
furious struggle for the Ottoman camp (defended by pikes that force the
European units to fight dismounted) with victory often in the balance,
as the Franco Burgundians are forced to attack and attack by almost
suicidal historical rules (but I've won a game this way) without waiting
for allies, while the Ottomans must sacrifice their worst units and
charge the disordered Franks with their heavy cavalry. 

The system uses the now classical continuation of activation rule: i.e.
you activate a leader, then try to activate another – not the same one
in two consecutive activations – rolling a die, if you fail the other
player may activate a leader of his choice and then game proceeds
without turns and without interruption. A simple, intriguing way to
reproduce the chaotich aspects of a medieval battle. A system, however,
not for all tastes and not always enjoyable. This time it works
perfectly, thanks to low to medium activation values for the leaders. 

Other rules take in account facing, fire and melee combat, with a
plethora of differentials – the combat rules are very good and makes for
interesting situations to develop in the battlefiel – and leader demises
– they may die in combat and there are also replacements for them. 

Victory is based on routing the enemy army and you obtain that through
elimination of units and leaders. 

All in all a very good system (for a more precise analysis of the system
you may read my other reviews of BSO games here on Grognard) and a
battle that is worth refighting. 

I rate the game 7 in a 1-10 scale