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You’re staring at a map of Europe that looks like a tangled web of railway lines and fortresses. Your hand is sweating. You’ve got the "Tsar Takes Command" card in your hand, and you know—you just know—that if you play it, the Russian army is going to crumble, but it might also trigger the very revolution that ends the war before you’re ready. This is the Paths of Glory game. It isn't just a board game. It’s a grueling, 10-hour lesson in why World War I was such a monumental disaster for everyone involved.
Designed by Ted Raicer and first published by GMT Games in 1999, this thing is a titan. Most people see the box and think "Oh, another hex-and-counter wargame." Nope. It’s a Card Driven Game (CDG). That distinction matters because it means you aren't just moving little cardboard squares around a map; you’re wrestling with political upheaval, technological breakthroughs, and the simple fact that your soldiers are starving in a trench outside Verdun. It’s brilliant. It’s also incredibly mean.
What Most People Get Wrong About Paths of Glory
New players often dive in thinking they can win a quick, decisive victory. They try to play it like Risk. They think, "I'll just take Paris in 1914 and go home for lunch."
The game says no.
The reality of the Paths of Glory game is that it’s a game of inches and attrition. You have to understand the "War Status" track. This isn't just a score; it’s a thermometer for how close the world is to total collapse. You start in "Mobilization," move to "Limited War," and eventually hit "Total War." If you try to play your big "Total War" cards too early, the game literally won't let you. It forces you to feel the slow, painful escalation of the actual conflict.
One big misconception is that the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) are the "aggressors" who have it easy. Honestly? Playing the Central Powers is like trying to hold back a flood with a piece of plywood. You’re surrounded. You have the "Internal Lines" advantage, meaning you can zip troops across Germany quickly, but the moment the British Navy starts its blockade, your economy—and your ability to replace lost units—starts to wither.
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The Card System is the Real Boss
Each card in your hand has multiple uses. You can use it for Operations Points (moving troops), Strategic Redeployment, Replacement Points (fixing your battered units), or as a historical Event. This is where the agony lives.
Do you use the "Lusinatia" card to get some quick movement points? Or do you hold it, knowing that if the Allied player plays it as an event, it brings the United States closer to joining the war? Every single turn is a series of "I really need to do A, but if I don't do B, I’m dead."
The event cards aren't just flavor text. They are the engine of history. Take the "Sud-Armee" card or "The Zimmermann Telegram." These aren't just bonuses; they change the geography of the board. When the Russian Revolution hits—triggered by specific card plays—an entire front of the war can just... vanish. One minute you're fighting for your life in the East, the next, the Russian player is packing up their pieces, and you have a bunch of German divisions with nothing to do but head for the Western Front.
Why the Map Geometry is a Nightmare (In a Good Way)
The map uses a point-to-point movement system. It’s not a grid. It’s a network of cities like Sedan, Liege, and Warsaw connected by lines. This creates "chokepoints."
If you’ve ever played a game and felt like you were hitting a brick wall, try attacking a "Large Fortress" in this game. Taking a space like Verdun or Przemysl requires actual planning. You can’t just roll dice and hope. You have to coordinate your attacks, bring in the right number of corps, and hope your opponent doesn't have a "Combat Card" like "Stosstruppen" to ruin your day.
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The "Near East" map—covering Turkey, Palestine, and the Caucasus—is often where the game is won or lost. While everyone is looking at the bloody mess in France, a savvy Allied player might be sneaking through the Sinai to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the game. It’s a distraction that works because the Central Powers player is usually too busy worrying about the Russian "Steamroller" to care about a few British units in the desert. Until it's too late.
Complexity and the Learning Curve
Let’s be real. This isn't a game you learn in twenty minutes over a beer. The rulebook is a dense 40-page document of GMT’s classic "lawyer-speak" (Rule 12.4.2, anyone?). You’re going to get things wrong your first five times.
- Supply Lines: You will forget them. You will push a massive army into the mountains of Serbia, only to realize you’ve been cut off and your entire force is now out of supply and destined to be removed from the board.
- Replacements: You have to spend cards to "buy" replacement points. If you spend all your time moving and none of your time replacing, your army will eventually just evaporate.
- Mandatory Offensives: This is the most "World War I" mechanic ever. Sometimes, your government demands you attack, even if it's a suicidal idea. If you don't, you lose Victory Points. It perfectly captures the disconnect between the generals in the chateaus and the men in the mud.
The Brutal Truth About the End Game
Most games of Paths of Glory don't end with a glorious march into a capital city. They end in a "War Weariness" tie or a narrow points victory. It’s a game about managed decline. You aren't winning; you’re just losing slower than the other guy.
There’s a reason this game has stayed in the top tier of BoardGameGeek’s rankings for decades. It feels heavy. When the U.S. finally enters the war in the late stages, the Allied player gets these fresh, massive "A" strength units. For the German player, it’s terrifying. You’ve been fighting with the same battered divisions for years, and suddenly these Americans show up with full strength and better tech. It’s a race against the clock.
Actionable Steps for Your First Session
If you’re actually going to sit down and play the Paths of Glory game, don't just wing it. You’ll hate yourself by hour three.
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1. Use a VASSAL or Tabletop Simulator mod first.
Setting up the physical board is a chore. The digital versions handle some of the bookkeeping for you, which lets you focus on the strategy rather than counting how many "trench" markers you have left.
2. Focus on the "Replacement" phase.
The biggest mistake rookies make is ignoring replacements. In the first few turns, it feels like you have plenty of troops. You don't. By Turn 6, if you haven't been banking replacement points, your front line will have holes big enough to drive a truck through. Spend at least one high-value card on replacements every other turn.
3. Watch the "Italian Entry."
Italy usually enters the war around Turn 4 or 5. If the Central Powers player isn't prepared, the Italians can walk right into Austria. Keep at least two Austro-Hungarian units near the border just in case. Don't say I didn't warn you.
4. Read the "Designer's Notes."
Ted Raicer put a lot of history into the cards. Knowing why the "Ypres" card exists helps you understand when to play it. This isn't just about math; it's about the flow of 1914-1918.
5. Accept that the "Great Retreat" is coming.
If you're playing the Russians, you’re going to lose ground. A lot of it. Don't panic. The Russian goal isn't to hold every city; it's to stay alive long enough for the Western Allies to break the German army. If you try to hold every inch of Poland, you'll lose your whole army and the game will end in 1916.
The Paths of Glory game is a commitment. It’s an investment of time and mental energy. But when you finally pull off a perfectly timed offensive or survive a desperate siege at the eleventh hour, there is absolutely nothing else in the gaming world that feels quite like it. Get a copy, find a patient friend, and clear your Saturday. You're going to need it.