Battlegroup Clash: Baltics (BC:B) is a two- to six-player platoon-level tactical combat game. It simulates a series of hypothetical near future battles in the Baltics between Blue (NATO) and Red (Russia).
The game emphasises the importance of planning and modern day combined armed techniques. Drones and tactical electronic warfare are key features of the game.
BC:B can be used to support learning and development as a PME tool. It will also appeal to commerical gamers intersted in learning more about the modern battlefield and how a NATO Battlegroup would respond and perform against equivalent sized Russian forces in the river and forest-rich terrain of the Baltics.
Battlegroup Clash: Baltics
Box size: 310x225x59mm
Weight: 1.3kg (estimate)
Ages: 14+
Player count: 2-6
Game complexity: Light (Basic mode) / Medium (Standard & Advanced mode)
Solitaire suitability: High
Game contents:
- 4x counter sheets (404 counters)
- 4x 880x600mm maps (on two double sided sheets)
- 2x sets of Player aids
- 4x Planning maps (laminated)
- 2x Sync Matrix (blank, laminated)
- 2x Scenario Bookets
- 2x Ammo cards
- 1x Rulebook
- 3x D6
- 8x Ziplock bags
Battlegroup Clash: Baltics (BC:B) has three price bands.
Pre-production pre-order: £79. This is the price to pre-order the game until approximately 31/08/2025 (when printing of the game begins).
Pre-retail pre-order: £89. This is the price to pre-order the game until approximately 31/10/2025 (when the game is estimated to be delivered to GSM for fulfilment).
Retail (MSRP): £109. This is the price of the game from approximated 01/11/2025. It is the MSRP.
All the price bands include VAT, but exclude shipping fees and an additional tariff-related fee for US-based customers.
The pricing bands are provided in GBP. You can use the currency convertor to check the price in other currencies. Use the drop down on the convertor to select the currency, and it will update the price in the chosen currency.
Note all transactions will occur in GBP, so the currency convertor value is subject to change based on FX rate changes.
At the Check-out you will be charged based on the current price band (currently 'Pre-production pre-order') plus Shipping costs (see next section below).
At any point up until the next price band is applied you can request a full refund (including Shipping). It will be provided minus any processing, FX and bank fees. After that date no refund will be possible (though see Returns policy below).
You will be charged a fee for Shipping as part of the payment transaction. There are four location-based bands for Shipping:
UK Domestic: £8.90
EU: £14.50
Canada, Australia & New Zealand: £21.90
USA* & Rest of world: £29.90
*The USA shipping charges includes an additional fee equivalent to £10 to partially cover the cost of the US tariff charge (the cost being equivalent to £22 based on the game's MSRP).
The game is scheduled to begin printing in early September. It will be printed in the Czech Republic. It is estimated that it will be delivered to our fulfilment partner (GSM) in the UK within 8-12 weeks. GSM will then begin UK and international fulfilment, which should take a few weeks.
If you are unsatisfied with the product or have received it damaged you can contact me at any point - james@sapperstudio.com - so I can address the issue, including if necesassary issuing you a replacement game or a partial or full refund.
This is your first game. How can I be sure that you will deliver if I pre-order?
This is the first game I have created specifcally as Sapper Studio product; however, I have a lot of experience in making and delivering games. As Head of Development at PHALANX, a hobby board game publisher, I developed significant expertise in all aspects of board game development and manufacture. Since establishing Sapper Studio I managed the development and production of 700 copies of Battlegroup Wargame System on behalf of Vedette Consulting for the British Army, and 1,000 copies of InfiltrAIt, a game I made for the University of Greenwich. In short, I am confident I know what I am doing.
As to why take the risk of pre-ordering, there are two reasons. The first is that you get a saving of almost 30% compared to what you will pay if you wait. The second is that, if you don’t, there is a chance the game will never be made, given the funding model (see the next question). If you want to see the game in your hands, the best thing you can do is pre-order now.
What is the funding model you are using the create the game?
The game will have three price bands: Pre-production Preorder (£79/€89/$99), Pre-retail Preorder (£99/€99/$109), and Retail (£109/€129/$145) (€/$ are an estimate; you will be charged in £).
While I have funded the game development costs from my own savings, I am reliant upon Pre-production Preorders, at least partially, to fund the cost of printing the game.
As I am committed to bringing the game to customers as soon as I can, the Pre-production Preorder period will only last until the end of August. At the point (assuming I have sufficient pre-orders to at least partially cover the print costs), the game will be sent to be printed.
Once the game has been sent to be printed, but before it has been delivered to the fulfilment company, there will be a period of 8-12 weeks, where the Pre-retail Preorder price band will be in place.
Why are you taking money straight away for the ‘Pre-production pre-order’ and Shipping? Other companies only charge at the point of manufacture or shipping.
My preference would be that the transaction only occurs at the point at which I pay to begin printing (scheduled around the start of September), and shipping only when shipping is about to occur. However, my webstore hosting platform (Wix Payments) requires that pre-payments and shipping are transacted immediately. From a customer perspective paying the Shipping now can be considered a good thing: there are no unexpected costs or higher charges down the line.
Where will you keep the money I've paid during the Pre-order period.
The money received will be kept in a separate facility in the Sapper Studio business account and only used to cover the cost of production. Up until the point, customers will be able to request a full refund should they wish to cancel their pre-order (see Refunds section).
You have a 'Retail' price - so will the game be available to order from a game store?
Probably not. Maybe in one or two very specialised retailers like Second Chance Games in the UK. The hit on margins of selling via retail (at least 50% of the MSRP) for such a low print run game make it uneconomical to sell via anything other than this website. It's another reason to Pre-order now rather than wait for the 'Retail' price band to kick in.
Where is the game being made?
I am using EFKO, a printing company based in the Czech Republic. They have lots of experience printing board games, including wargames such as those of Hexasim. Although it costs more to print in Europe than China, I do not wish to use a Chinese printing company. This is for two reasons: 1) I don’t want to send money to a country tacitly supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine. 2) I want to get the game in the hands of customers as soon as possible; without worrying about long shipping times and delays. This does have an impact on the price of the game, but in my view these two reasons are sufficient to justify this.
Who is managing the fulfilment?
Fulfilment refers to the process through which pre-orders are delivered to customers around the world by a third party. The fulfilment partner I have chosen is GSM Hobby Logistics Ltd. These are a UK-based company with significant experience is fulfilment of board games and RPGs internationally. One of their most recent global fulfilment projects was SAS Rogue Regiment, a very popular wargame.
Is there a forum to learn more about game?
Yes, the game has a Boardgamegeek page for posting rules questions, reviews and general discussions, which is here. There is also the Sapper Studio Discord server, which has a dedicated channel for Battlegroup Clash: Baltics chat. Please sign up for either or both!
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