by Come on, we need to clear the table… actually, no, first we play ! What would normally earn you a stern telling-off can turn into a surprisingly fun battle between the soup tureen and a bottle of cheap table wine.
Present… Arms !
Fancy smashing plastic soldiers but with rules that feel like a proper miniature game ? Movement, order tokens, attacks, and special actions ? Veteran gamers will feel right at home. Petits Soldats ticks all three boxes of the “3 S’s” : simple, sweet, and surprisingly deep. A game is played over three rounds, with the goal of bringing the flag back to your camp while eliminating enemy toys. The best part ? You can play right between the soup tureen, the caramel dessert, and the leftover fish.
Hold Your Positions!
Chief ! Yes, Chief !
Each player clears a little space on their side to place their two soldier cards and the general card, along with the order tokens. Besides the mandatory Infantryman, you can choose either a Sniper, a Grenadier, or a “Walkie-Talkie” specialist. Each of these four specialists comes with a unique ability. Our fighting force therefore consists of only two miniatures, while the General simply issues orders. Next, players place four deployment points on the battlefield, allowing the little soldiers to appear randomly… sometimes even face to face. And yes, I say “little soldiers”, but there are also female soldiers. Unlike the toy soldiers from my childhood, I thought it was nice to see gender balance respected.
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” – Apocalypse Now
GO ! GO ! GO !
Little Soldiers uses a colorful way to handle movement : the yellow shoelace ! This little accessory is also used to measure the area of effect of grenades and mortar fire. The approach to attack range is simple : you can always hit your target, BUT if it is within red shoelace range, you may reroll as many attack dice as you wish.
Secondary attacks are activated using the order tokens distributed by the General. These tokens stay with the soldier but are removed from the game if that soldier is eliminated. As a result, in the next round, the General will have one fewer order available, probably speeding up the defeat of his army.
Take That Hill or Die Trying
Let’s talk objectives ! A flag placed on the two cards representing each camp moves according to losses suffered on the battlefield toward the victory space. Every time a soldier is “broken” (the game’s official term) during an attack, the flag advances on that player’s card. As soon as the victory space is reached, the game ends, crowning the General of the Toy Chest.
OORAH!
While the Sniper deals more damage and the Infantryman reduces his enemies’ resilience, the Walkie-Talkie and the Grenadier are every bit as stylish and fun. Unlike most strategy games that rely solely on dice rolls or clever manoeuvres, here you can directly influence events.
The Walkie-Talkie specialist can direct a mortar strike onto the battlefield. It’s represented by a small wooden catapult loaded with an “area of effect” token that lets you fire at your enemies. Aim, then launch the device by hand! It’s absolutely brilliant.
“The catapult is one of the most famous projectile weapons in siege warfare, and if you don’t know what that means, then too bad for you!” – Arthur, Kaamelott (S03E95: The Student)
The Grenadier is no less spectacular. Place the die beside her, then flick your grenade toward its targets. Determine the blast area and remove the smoking remains of your opponent’s troops. WARNING ! In both cases, your own little soldiers might end up in the blast zone too.
It’s Not My War!
From the Introduction Booklet, we move on to the Modules Booklet. This guide adds six expansions to the base rules. More versatile soldiers, items, and reinforcements immediately make the game more appealing to miniature gaming enthusiasts. One of the modules even allows four-player games. The addition of Tactical Cards transforms the experience by allowing players to, and I quote, “cheat bend the rules and surprise your opponent.”
Think you’ve exhausted all the possibilities ? Then it’s time for the final booklet : the Mission Booklet ! Four scenarios add another layer of fun and significantly extend the game’s replay value. A “there can be only one” mode even lets you play with up to six players. To be honest, I haven’t had the chance to try everything yet. A second box combined with the Reinforcements module would take this game to a whole new level. One can even dream of an expansion for Little Soldiers.
Don’t expect to clear the table in under half an hour… and probably longer with strategy enthusiasts around.
The Publisher
Founded in 2004, IELLO is a French company now recognised across all five continents. They describe their DNA in three words : passion, high standards, and boldness. Strong replayability is one of the key ingredients in every one of their games, and that’s a real quality.
Why I Play Little Soldiers
Simple to explain, fun to play, and incredibly quick to set up. On top of that, the tokens, cards, and miniatures are particularly “premium”, as my son would say. That’s what I’d answer if put on the spot. I appreciate that no two games ever feel the same, which makes players want to come back for more. I also love that Petits Soldats is accessible to all ages and may even inspire younger players to try “bigger” games such as Konflikt’47, Gaslands or Marvel Crisis Protocol. You can play it anywhere, especially by turning everyday objects into scenery. On the other hand, veteran gamers will probably want to use all the modules to avoid frustration because three rounds are, as Cyrano would say, “a little short, young man.”
You can discover the game on IELLO’s website, where all three rulebooks are available as free downloads.
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