10.2012 Commonwealth Pack (Nationals)

Publisher/Date:
Battleschool (2012)

Product Type:
Accessory

Country of Origin:
Canada

Contents:
5 1/2" (12.5mm) custom precision dice

Commentary:

Released at the same time as the Axis and Allies Pack, the Commonwealth Pack (CP) of precision dice continues what looks to be a drawn out series of nationality-themed dice (see Axis and Allies Pack write-up for more on this).

Like the two others in this series (so far; at least three more packs have been announced as of this writing), the CP contains 5 1/2″ (12.5mm) precision dice, with nationality-themed emblems where the 1-pip normally is.  As its name suggests, this pack is themed, with the dice representing “nationalities” that fought in World War II.  As was also the case with the Axis and Allies Pack, this pack contains some padding.  The combatants included are:

• The British (the die with the blue and white circles around the red dot).  Obviously, the British should be included in any series of nationality dice.  However, they should have been included in the first pack, along with the other largest combatants, rather than held until the third (which was apparently done for thematic purposes). At least they are out now.
• The Australians (the die with the kangaroo on it, mate).  In ASL, the Australians use the same counterset as the British, and that could have been the case with the dice, too.  However, given the active ASL contingent in Australia, there will be some who will want this.
• The New Zealanders (the die with the fern).  New Zealand was a very small combatant in World War II, supplying only three divisions, one of them understrength.  Also, the hobbits sat the war out.  This one is for completists (it should perhaps be noted that the South Africans supplied an equivalent force during the war but don’t have a die here).
• The Gurkhas (the die with the two crossed knives).  This is the least justifiable die in the pack, given that the Gurkhas do not even represent an independent combatant in World War II.  Gurkhas were simply Nepalese mercenaries who signed up for the British Army.  They only served, moreover, at battalion level; there weren’t Gurkha divisions or brigades.  The inclusion of this die is simply inexplicable, especially when one notes the major Commonwealth force that does NOT have a die here:  the Indian Army, which was huge and which fought in North Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Italy, Burma, and elsewhere with distinction during the Second World War.
• The Canadians (the die with the maple leaf).  Given that the producers of these dice are Canadian, this was presumably inevitable.  And the Canadians had an army’s worth of troops and appear in a number of ASL scenarios.

The dice are nice and many ASLers will like them and some even use them, but Battleschool is really asking people to shell out a lot of money for a complete set.

Back to Top