The team behind Combat Mission: Black Sea knew exactly what they wanted to make, and made exactly that product. The result is a wargaming module that appeals greatly to people who like this exact kind of game, but doesn’t do much to lure in or be kind to people who might want to dip their toe into wargaming. It is, in essence, grognard game design distilled. If you’re new to the genre and want to pick up Black Sea after reading this, I recommend being patient and keeping an open mind. It’s a different beast to mainstream games, but is immensely rewarding with time. If you are a wargamer interested in modern combat, I recommend Black Sea heartily.