Shot and Chaser: Gruntz
Enjoy the experience of commanding an army across a battlefield, but don’t have the time to commit to dense rulebooks? Gruntz delivers tactical warfare in a sleek, fast-paced grid-based duel that sees players compete in a tense, tactical contest in about 30 minutes. (Note: we earn a small commission from affiliate links at no additional cost to you).
Magnetic attachments? This is SO much better than chess! Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
Gruntz is delightfully tactile as players get to snap magnetic cannons, anti-aircraft guns, or cargo holds onto their vehicles, instantly customizing trucks and tanks to counter whatever their opponent deploys. While heavy tanks and soaring aircraft sweep the board, it is your slow-moving infantry—the Gruntz themselves—who carry the true burden of victory by capturing the central objective points of the grid.
The real magic of Gruntz comes fromits rock-paper-scissors-meets-chess ruleset that strips away traditional luck-based combat like dice rolls, and makes the tactical depth of your choices immediately intuitive. Combined with a vibrant and eye-catching art style reminiscent of comic-strips, Gruntz is an excellent introduction to the genre for the wargame-sceptic, while remaining engaging and fun for the experienced hand.
Gruntz borrows quite a bit from chess, and it too is a game that benefits from thinking a few moves ahead. What better to pair with it than an iconic bottle from America’s oldest, continuously running whiskey brand, who’ve made a few daring moves of their own? Buffalo Trace, formerly George T. Stagg Distillery, has been making Kentucky straight bourbon for 200 years, surviving Prohibition by producing legally exempt medicinal whiskey. This pivot, which is celebrated in their Prohibition Collection, not only kept the business around, but also proved a strategic move that’s paid off by making Buffalo Trace an instantly recognizable American label. Each bottle is full of sweet, classic flavors like toffee, brown sugar, and baking spices- perfect for the early autumn.
