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I'm considering doing another AAR (hopefully without to many rule fuckups this time) and want to know which one you folks would be more interested in. Mosby's Raiders or Picket Duty?
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Dec 2, 2013 16:58
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I'm interested in both, but I'd pick Mosby's Raiders since I'm a sucker for ACW.
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Dec 2, 2013 17:02
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I just started playing Ambush! after procuring a copy for $25 and jesus christ it is awesome. I'm far too lazy of a person to do an AAR, but it's got to be one of the smartest game systems I've ever seen. Replayability is low once you get through the base game's 8 missions (expansions have more) but each mission takes a good while. Solitaire squad-level WWII tactical combat and operations, wooooo. You even improve your squad's stats between missions.
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Dec 2, 2013 17:10
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Tekopo posted:I'm interested in both, but I'd pick Mosby's Raiders since I'm a sucker for ACW. I'll probably do MR. There are too many issues with the PD rules right now that need clarification from the designer.
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Dec 2, 2013 20:14
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Has anyone played Next War: Korea? For some reason it's catching my eye
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Dec 3, 2013 05:42
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Dre2Dee2 posted:Has anyone played Next War: Korea? For some reason it's catching my eye Ugggh the price point and the fact that I was just gifted squad leader/2 expansions/a bunch of other wargames and am in the middle of an Ambush! game have made me not want to invest. Any VASSAL action?
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Dec 3, 2013 06:20
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Dre2Dee2 posted:Has anyone played Next War: Korea? For some reason it's catching my eye This looks really good. drat you! -my wallet
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Dec 3, 2013 07:11
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Oldstench posted:I'll probably do MR. There are too many issues with the PD rules right now that need clarification from the designer. Seems like you have all already chosen but just in case this pushes you over the edge, I'd like to vote for MR too.
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Dec 4, 2013 19:03
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One Pigeon posted:Seems like you have all already chosen but just in case this pushes you over the edge, I'd like to vote for MR too. Yeah me too.
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Dec 4, 2013 19:10
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Red Winter So, a while back I posted about doing an AAR report for a PBEM game of Red Winter that I had going. It did not go well. Luckily, Red Winter is an awesome game, so as soon as we finished the 2 day tournament scenario, my partner and I jumped right in with a full campaign game. So, here we go! And hopefully, everyone has already read Lichtenstein's excellent efforpost on Red Winter, so I won't have to recap how the system works. Instead, I can just show you how to lose as the Finns! Assuming, of course, that this game goes as well as my last one. Setup  We opted for the historical setup, with Pajari at the bridgehead with two machine guns, one division behind him, and one on Kotisaari Island. Appropriately, my strategy is also historical - have the troops at the bridge hold out with defense in depth, to give time for reinforcements to arrive and for those units on the left with a step loss to recover. December 8th, 1939 - 10:30 AM Soviet Turn  A fairly standard beginning - rush everyone to the bridge, and try to take it with overwhelming force before the defenders can dig in. There are two things I'm worried about at this point - he's moved an MG to the Taivaljarvi shoreline, which has a clear line of sight to the bridge. Additionally, he's already moving a stack of two divisions towards the Tolvajarvi shoreline - if he takes the island, he has more tactical flexibility. The dangerous thing about Kotisaari & Okkolansaari is that, if the Soviets seize them, they no longer have to spend a turn on the ice if they want to advance to the west and make use of the road network there. As the Finnish movement advantage is a major factor in dealing with the superior numbers of the Russians, it's vital that I at least delay their eastern movement. At this point, though, combat is still focused on the bridge. My opponent commits the MG, infantry gun, and mortar to his attack, hoping to swing the odds even more in his favor. Luckily, he doesn't achieve any suppression with his support, so his attack is at 2:1 odds after shifting for Pajari & the Soviet morale bonus. While this might not seem too bad, remember that the CRT accounts for terrain in attacks, so the results are fairly heavily weighted in favor of the defender. I'm not able to have any meaningful defensive support, so we just roll - an 8. One hit to me, none to my opponent. I take the loss as a retreat - I hate to give up the intersection of the road so easily, as this will greatly increase his maneuverability. However, I'm really don't want to flip my machine guns, as they are unrecoverable, and I need all the strong defensive troops I can get. Besides, retreating allows my little group to pick up an infantry company to soak further losses. My opponent advances two companies and a MG to the vacated hex, and finishes his turn.  Finnish Turn  I'm very much on the defensive at this point, so no attacks. I bring my reinforcements as far along the road as they can go to support the bridge, which is in the process of digging in. The MG in the village moves to defend Okkolansaari, and the Kotisaari company shifts a bit to project some ZOC more efficiently. Everyone else rolls for recovery, with one company recovering. I pass, and the Soviet offensive resumes...
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Dec 5, 2013 09:38
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Dearest Martha, May God help me, I fear I've done something rash. I've deserted my fellows of the 6th Virginia and attached myself to Lieutenant Mosby's Rangers. [...] I'm heading north, to Snickersville, to meet up with the rest of the men at which point, we ride deep behind Union lines. Say a prayer for me. We're going to give those drat Yanks hell. -Private John Dilworth Samuelson, January 12, 1863 Mosby's Raiders is solo game simulating the guerilla tactics employed by John Mosby and his Partisan Rangers, later to be known as the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry. The game is fast, fun, and has very low complexity. The rulebook isn't amazing and requires some reading between the lines to infer how certain situations are handled, but, hopefully, I won't gently caress up too much (as I did with Navajo Wars) and give you all a rousing good AAR. The game is played over a series of 8 turns. Tension is maintained by the use of Notoriety. At the end of each turn, Mosby's Notoriety must be greater than or equal to the current turn count, or the game ends in a loss. Notoriety is gained by destroying bridges, train tracks, and depots, kidnapping members of the Union High Command, capturing couriers and supply wagons, and fighting (and hopefully defeating) Union combat units. As Notoriety increases by performing these acts, Union Awareness also increases, making Union units more likely to Activate and come after Mosby. Turns end when either the player disbands the Raiders, or they are forced to disband through a combat loss. The game can also end if Mosby takes 2 wounds. OK, that's the 10 cent tour. Let's smack some Union Generals on the rear end and get going! Turn 1 - Preparation Sequence  Mosby starts in Snickersville. His plan is to move north to Harpers Ferry and try to blow up that bridge; maybe take out some RR lines on the way as well. Union Awareness is based on Mosby's Notoriety. 1-3 Notoriety is 1 Awareness. Awareness checks are made at various times. If I roll a d6 and get a number greater than the current Union Awareness value, the Union unit does not become aware of Mosby. Next, I roll to determine Mosby's Raiders strength. Earlier turns naturally have a lower max size for Raider strength. Max for Turn 1 is 1. I roll a 5 and get 1 Raider Strength point.  Next, I pull 3 Action Cards. These are beneficial action I can take during my turn. Cards without Hold written on them have to be discarded at the end of the turn. I get 2 Gain Initiative cards, and 1 Local Information card.  Finally, I roll a d6 to determine how many Random Event card I draw. These are generally bad things that happen to Mosby and the Confederacy. I luck out and roll a 1. Unfortunately, the card sucks. I have to change a neutral space, Leesburg, into a Large Union Force space. This doesn't move Union lines, but it makes a space that can permanently poo poo out Union units if it becomes Activated.   Turn 1 - Mosby's Operations During the Operations phase, I can perform any of Mosby's 6 possible Actions: Probe, Move, Combat, Demolish, Kidnap, and Disband. I Move to Hillborough and then Probe Halltown.  Probing is how you try to determine what Union forces exist in a space on or behind Union lines. Once a Probe has been performed, a Revealed marker is placed on the space. From this point on, as long as there are no Inactive units on the space, that space doesn't need to be checked for Activation. I roll a d6 and try to get greater than the current Union Awareness. I get a 4 and succeed. A counter is pulled from the "cup": a 3 strength Union combat unit. As my Raider Strength is only 1, I decide it prudent to move away. The Unit is flipped to its Inactive side and I Move north to Morrisonville and Probe Lovettsville. I roll a 1 and fail the Probe. Because of this, I need to roll for Activation of the unit in the space. This is effectively a second chance at a Probe action. If you pass the Activation check, you get to check the unit in the space anyway. I roll a 1 and fail the Activation check. It's a 1 strength combat unit.  Turn 1 - Rounds We now phase into Rounds. Each round consists of 3 sub-sequences: Determine Initiative, Union Activation Check, Round Actions. You only check for Initiative once. Either Mosby or the Union gain Initiative and keep it until Rounds end, either by there being no more active Union units on the board, or Mosby's Raiders are disbanded purposely by the player or due to combat losses. Until that happens, Union Activation Checks are done, then Round Actions (where further Activations can occur!) and back again. I play one of my Gain Initiative cards. Mosby ain't loving around with these asshats. I now have to check for Activation in the LUF in Harper's Ferry because it is adjacent to an active Union combat unit. I roll a 6, which is greater than the current Union Awareness, so no Activation occurs. We now move into the Round Actions phase. I Move into Lovettsville and begin Combat as the Attacker. The combat ratio is 1:1. I check for any drms. Since Union Awareness + Mosby Notoriety is 2, I get a +2 drm. I roll a 4 (+2 = 6) and check the CRT. I get an R1, which is Union Retreat with 1 Strength Loss. Since the Union unit is 1 strength, it is eliminated. I get 5 Performance Points for this battle; 1 for winning, 1 for the strength of the Retreating unit, and 3 for the eliminated strength point. 10 Performance Points equals 1 Notoriety Point. Union Awareness also increases by 1 due to the Combat. I now have to check for Activation in the LUF at Harpers Ferry again because a Combat just occurred in a space adjacent to it. I roll a 6, so no unit Activates there. We now phase back into Operations. Turn 1 - Operations Continued Feeling chuffed, Mosby moves into Harpers Ferry to blow the bridge. I hace to make an Activation Check due to moving into an LUF space. I roll a 1 (ed. note: gently caress!) and a 2 strength Union combat unit Activates in the space. Rounds immediately begin.  Turn 1 - Rounds: Part Deux I roll a 6 and gain the Initiative. Next, I need to check for Activation in Sandy Hook, Antietam Ford, Duffield's Depot, and Halltown. I roll 5, 5, 3, 3 - no Activations. As Mosby has the Initiative, I decide it best to GTFO. During Round Actions Mosby can move 3 spaces unless helpful Action Cards are played. Mosby hightails it to Waterford. The Union can only Move, so I roll on the Union Movement Table, get a 5 (Move 3 spaces towards Mosby by most direct route) and have to put the unit in Waterford. Combat must occur. The Union is the Attacker, so they attack at 2:1 odds. I get a +1 drm (-1 for 2:1 odds, +2 for only having 3 Notoriety + Awareness) and roll a 5 (whoop, whoop). A 6 means R1. I get 6 Performance Points (1 for winning battle + 2 for unit strength + 3 for the step loss) increasing my Notoriety to 2 with 1 PP left over, place a Retreat marker on the unit and a 1 strength marker under it, and then move it to Point of Rocks as this is where it came into my space. Union Awareness is also increased 1 to 3.  The Union unit is still active, it just has to spend one Round rallying to remove the Retreat marker. I check for Activation in Trammelstown and roll a 4 which is greater that 3. No Activation occurs. Mosby decides to move west towards Woodgrove, and then maybe NW to possibly destroy some rail lines. The Union unit rallies and removes the Retreat marker. I make an Activation check for Trammelstown again and roll a 3, Activating a Picket unit. These represent single men or a small group of men with no combat strength. They auto-Activate units when they enter a space with an inactive unit or a LUF space. Mosby moves west to Summit and I play the Local Information card to see what's in Charlestown. It's another Picket.  The Picket in Trammelstown moves first. I roll a 4 (Move 3 spaces towards nearest Union unit or LUF) and Move him into Point of Rocks where he is absorbed by the Union combat unit. The 1 str unit rolls a 1 and deactivates at Point of Rocks. As there are no more active Union units, we move back to Operations. That's all I have the stamina to write up tonight. I'll continue with Turn 1 tomorrow. Hope you enjoy the AAR. Oldstench fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Dec 6, 2013 |
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Dec 6, 2013 06:03
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Looking forward to read both more from the Red Winter and Mosby's Raiders AAR, good work!
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Dec 6, 2013 06:31
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Hey guess who ordered Guderian Blitzkrieg II and Next War: Korea on a whim? Some idiot who is in way over is head, that's who. (it's me) Then again, I'm learning ASL, so maybe I'm not completely doomed. Right? right...?
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Dec 6, 2013 14:31
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What have you done trynant 
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Dec 6, 2013 14:33
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ASL's base mechanics are buried in a lot of chrome, but there's a playable game in there. It's a good game to get into, there are a ton of grognards dying fir more opponents. For solitaire games, my collection includes: RAF from WEG. It's the campaign day by day, from the RAF perspective. You allocate squadrons throughout the day as German raids come in. Both sides suffer from pilot fatigue and damage taking units out of action. Carrier and Tokyo Express are both from Victory Games. Carrier has you managing a couple of USN carrier task forces in historical or random scenarios. Tokyo Express covers night surface actions in the Solomons. Both are excellent games with some real insight in their rules. I used to own Patton's Best. That did for the tank crew what Ambush did for the infantry squad. It was a little more gritty and less cinematic than Ambush. All fo them are good, but I think my favorites are Tokyo Express and RAF.
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Dec 7, 2013 23:11
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My uncle just gifted me Pre-asl Squad Leader with Cross of Iron and Crescendo of Doom. This is going to be a crazy ride. Anyone play this on VASSAL?
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Dec 7, 2013 23:28
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I'm not sure if anybody here's interested, but Tevery Best is currently running a game of No Retreat! The Russian Front in the Let's Play forum. It's right here. Everybody gather around and watch me lose half of Army Group Center! (It's my first time playing any of these boardgame wargames, ever, be gentle  )
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Dec 8, 2013 03:23
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Turn 1 - Operations cont. I move into Charlestown to get rid of that Picket. An Activation check is made. I roll a 5 which is below Union Awareness, so the unit stays inactive. The Picket is eliminated without a Combat occurring, so no further activation checks are made. I receive no Performance Points for eliminating the Picket. Next, I Probe Kearneysville. I roll a 2, which is a failure, and then roll another 2 for the Activation check, which Activates another Picket.  Turn 1 - Yet more Rounds I roll for Initiative and fail with a 1. No further Activation checks are necessary as the Picket isn't an active Combat unit. I roll for Union Movement and get a 4. The Picket moves 3 spaces towards the nearest LUF, the one stationed in Martinsburg. As soon as the Picket enters the LUF, it's absorbed and a new counter is activated: a Courier.  Mosby Moves into Kearneysville and stops. The Courier rolls on the Union Movement Table and gets a 6, moving it 3 spaces towards the nearest Union unit or LUF. Since it's already in an LUF space, it's simply absorbed. Rounds end and we phase back into Operations. Turn 1 - Operations cont. I Probe Duffield's Depot, roll a 5, and expose a Sutler's Wagon unit.  I Move into Duffield's Depot and roll for Activation on the Wagon. 6; no Activation. I eliminate it, and gain a PP. Although Mosby's next to a LUF and 1 unrevealed space (Antietam Ford), I decide to use Demolition on the rail line in Duffield's Depot. Demolition just happens; there is no check. After the action, an Activation check has to be made in any adjacent unrevealed or LUF occupied space, as well as revealed spaces with inactive Union units. The railroad is Demolished and I gain 3 PP and Union Awareness bumps up to 4. They're getting pissed at our antics! I check for Activation in Antietam Ford and roll a 1. A 6 str combat unit comes out ready to raise hell! I pass the Activation check at Harper's Ferry with a 5.  Turn 1 - Rounds I play the Gain Initiative card - no way I'm letting that 6 str unit eat my lunch. I need to check for Activation in all unrevealed spaced adjacent to the combat unit. Shepherdstown (5) and Sharpsburg (6) pass, but Sandy Hook (2) and Harper's Ferry (3) gain a 3 str combat unit and a 1 str combat unit, respectively.  I hightail it south, using all 3 movement to go to Pleasant Valley Mill. I check Union Movement. The 1 str rolls a 1, deactivating him in place. The 3 str rolls a 4. moving him 3 space towards Mosby, taking him to Charlestown. The 6 str, by some small miracle, rolls a 1, deactivating him as well! Next, I check for Activation in Leetown. I get a 6, so nothing happens. I ride to Niniveh [sic] and then roll for the Union. I get a 6(!) which moves the Union unit 4 spaces towards Mosby. Uh oh. This puts him right next to me in Double Toll-gate.  Now, I have a problem. Crossing the Potomac requires two full Move actions during Rounds unless crossing via a pike. You have to stop in the town on Mosby's current side regardless of how many movement points he has left, and then move to the other side the next Round. There is nowhere I can go that won't leave me within 3 spaces of the Union force. This means I have a 67% chance of getting into Combat at 3:1 odds against me. I choose to Disband. The Turn simply ends at this point. All active Union units flip to their Inactive side, all non-Hold Action cards are discarded, and the Mosby counter is removed from the board. Since I have 2 Notoriety points and it is currently Turn 1, the game continues. Let's see what trouble Mosby can stir up next turn.
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Dec 8, 2013 03:24
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Tekopo posted:What have you done trynant I just have a strong love for the super-complicated, what can I say?
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Dec 8, 2013 13:38
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Oldstench, does the game reproduce the effects of battles/army movements/confederate forces?
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Dec 8, 2013 13:57
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Played about a year of TK again, after a long break. It was a lot of fun. France is probably going to hold out the whole game, and i've begun my first amphibious invasion in Norway, though progress will be slow until I get more British 3-step units available. The USSR is about to re-enter the war and I now have air supremacy so I can make offensives myself even in France.
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Dec 9, 2013 00:05
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Tekopo posted:Oldstench, does the game reproduce the effects of battles/army movements/confederate forces? Very abstractly. There are Random Event cards that will cause Union lines to move into neutral areas or potentially destroy parts of Mosby's Confederacy disallowing him from entering the turn on those spaces. Additionally, some spaces will get taken over by Large Union Force markers permanently.
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Dec 9, 2013 05:57
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Turn 2 - Preparation Mosby's Notoriety is 2, so the Union get reinforcements.  A 6 str, 5 str, 3 str, 4 str, 1 str, and blank 2 are added. Mosby's Notoriety of 2 requires me to set the Union Awareness back to 1.  I place Mosby in Mountsville and then roll a die to determine where Union units outside Union lines move. Each road has a road or pike with a small circled 1 next to it. You count roads clockwise starting from that one to determine which direction they move randomly. I roll a 4 for the 1 str unit at Point of Rocks and count to 4 starting at the road to Waterford and move him to Noland's Ferry.  I do the same for the unit at Double Toll-gate and roll a 4 also. He moves to White Post.  Next, I roll on the Recruit table for Raider Strength, get a 4, and put a 2 str counter in place.  Next, I draw 3 Action cards and get another Gain Initiative, an Ambush!, and a Local Guide card.  Finally, I roll for Random Events. I get a 5. Dang. First card, Troop Recall. This sucks. My 2 str Raider cadre is now dropped to 1.  Second card, Restore Mosby's Confederacy. As there are no Devastation markers on any MC spaces, this doesn't do anything but get discarded.  Third, Extend Front.  I roll on the Extend Union Lines table and get a 5. Gainsville, Greenwich, Warrenton, and Sulphur Springs are now all part of the Union lines. They each get an unrevealed token placed on them and will behave exactly like a normal Union line space.  Fourth card is General Stoughton.  His marker goes into the Fairfax Court House space. Basically, there are two of these cards in the deck. The first one places the marker, the second one removes it. While he's on the board, he's a Kidnap action target. If you successfully get him and bring him outside of Union lines, the marker is removed and Mosby gets 1 Notoriety.  The final card is another Extend Front. I roll a 3 and extend Union lines to Seneca Ford, Woolington, Frankville, Farmwell Station, Farmwell, and Leesburg.  Preparation is now over. The next post will detail the Operations phase.
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Dec 9, 2013 23:21
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I think I can get a copy of Ambush! on Ebay relatively cheap (compared to the 90 euros it would cost me to import it from the UK or USA, at least), fist chance I've had of purchasing it in my country during the year or so I've been tracking it. BoardgameGeek gives good reviews, but there are a couple of mentions about the scenarios becoming kinda repetitive after a while. Buying the Move Out! expansion on the cheap from the same seller after I become the sole owner of the original game in the entire country may be an option. Otherwise it's another 50 euros. Thoughts?
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Dec 10, 2013 14:32
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Turn 2 - Operations I have no idea how long that General is going to be available, and with a moderately clear path to him, as well as the Local Guide card, I decide to go kidnap him. I Move to Gum Spring and Probe Chantilly. Unfortunately, I roll a 1, so I check for Activation. I roll a 2. No unit is Activated, so I get to look at it anyway. It's a Blank.  I move into Chantilly, remove the Blank, and play Local Guide to move into the LUF at Fairfax Court House undetected. Here is a situation where, as far as I can find, the rules don't explicitly spell out what I'm to do. The Local Guide card instruction in the rulebook says that I'm to draw a unit from the container, look at it, and place it on the space with the inactive side up. However, it also states that I'm to put a Revealed counter on the space which you never do with an LUF space. My interpretation is that I'm to just pull the unit anyway. I do so, and reveal a 5 str Combat unit.  He gets flipped, and I Kidnap the General! Union Awareness is immediately increased 1 to 3 and I make an Activation check for the inactive 5 str unit and the LUF space itself. Quite luckily, I roll 5's for both checks, so my Kidnap action goes off without any response. Historically, Mosby and some of his men snuck into Fairfax Court House where Brigadier General Stoughton was sleeping after hosting a party for his visiting mother and sister. Mosby roused Stoughton by pulling his covers down and smacking him on the rear end. An unpopular officer, Stoughton wasn't missed. Even Lincoln, upon hearing of his capture, is reported to have said that "he did not so much mind the loss of a brigadier general, for he could make another in five minutes; 'but those horses cost $125 apiece!'" Stoughton was held for 2 months in the Libby Prison in Richmond, was exchanged, and then never reappointed. He died 7 years later at age 30. Anyway, Mosby hightails it out of Fairfax Court House down the Little River Turnpike and ends the Kidnap action in Gum Spring. The Stoughton counter is removed, and Mosby gains 10 Performance Points, which is equivalent to 1 Notoriety. This increases my Notoriety to 3.  Feeling invincible, Mosby decides to Demolish the bridge in Farmwell Station to the NW. I Probe Farmwell, roll a 5 (success), and reveal a Sutler's Wagon counter.  I Move into Farmwell and check for Activation. A 6 is rolled, so the Wagon doesn't Activate. I use a Combat action which eliminates the wagon without actually starting a combat round, so I don't have to check for Activation in adjacent spaces. I gain another PP (6) and then Probe Farmwell Station. I roll another 6 and reveal a Courier.  Moving into Farmwell Station, I roll for Activation and get a 5. The Courier stays inactive, and I eliminate it, gaining another PP (7) and causing no Activation check. The Raiders plant dynamite around the bridge and blow it to high hell. This increases my PP by 5, giving me 4 Notoriety and 1 PP, but also increases Union Awareness by 1, pushing it to 4. I also need to check for Activations for the Leesburg LUF and the unrevealed Frankville space. I roll a 1 and then a 5. Leesburg Activates a 1 str combat unit while Frankville remains quiet.  Turn 2 - Rounds I roll for Initiative. With Union Awareness at 4, I need a 4-6 to gain. Luckily I roll a 5 and gain the Initiative. Next, I roll for Activation in Frankville again because it is adjacent to an active combat unit. Another 5 comes up, so Frankville again does nothing. Mosby gallops off to Aldie which is 2 spaces south of the 1 str unit. I roll for Union movement and get a 4. He moves 3 spaces towards Mosby, so there is a combat. I decide to play the Ambush! card, which gives me a +2 drm for this combat because I'm defending. Both the 1:1 combat odds and the Notoriety + Awareness of 8 give me 0 drm, so all I have is the card to help. I roll a 4, giving me a total of 6 which results in an R1 - a Union Retreat and 1 str point reduction. This eliminates the unit. I receive 5 PP (1 for winning the battle, 1 for the unit strength, and 3 for strength point loss) increasing my total to 6. Union Awareness is again increased 1 to the max of 5. Things are going to get very difficult from now on. No further Activation checks are necessary as Aldie isn't adjacent to any Union spaces or inactive units. This ends the Rounds phase and moves us back into Operations. I'll stop here and write up the rest of this, so far, incredibly lucky and daring Turn later.
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Dec 10, 2013 17:47
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Fat Samurai posted:I think I can get a copy of Ambush! on Ebay relatively cheap (compared to the 90 euros it would cost me to import it from the UK or USA, at least), fist chance I've had of purchasing it in my country during the year or so I've been tracking it. BoardgameGeek gives good reviews, but there are a couple of mentions about the scenarios becoming kinda repetitive after a while. Get it. It's a good solitaire wargame that's out of print and you're getting a decent deal. That's enough for a buy.
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Dec 10, 2013 22:44
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For sure. I did the first mission solo and it was a crazy learning experience. I coop-ed the second mission with a buddy splitting up fireteams and we got super lucky and had 0 casualties.
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Dec 12, 2013 03:09
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Just ordered No Retreat: The North African Front, can't wait for it to come sometime next week!
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Dec 14, 2013 17:31
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 So, the TK game is near its end, it's pretty much over for the Germans. Narvik(off the map) is going to be taken during the spring and with that, Allied Crusade 1 happens. As long as V-E day hits with Allied Crusade 1, the Allies win unless the No Retreat marker is on the VP track at a spot above AC0, or I choose the card "Operation Galvanic" which trades a victory point for some useful fleet assets. I managed to spring the Balkans open by using Operation Torch to activate Turkey. A fortunate roll got them as an ally and allowed me to activate Bulgaria as an axis country. With that, the Germans are totally overstretched. Tekopo is also making slow progress in the East.
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Dec 15, 2013 15:47
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Wow, I'm investigating one of the monster games I purchased recently, Next War: Korea, and it really intrigues me. The only wargames I've dealt with anywhere near a modern time period are the COIN games, Andean Abyss and A Distant Plain; so I'm excited at the prospect of a heavy game on a strategy level using actually deployment and movement of military troops in a modern setting. And you know what? The rules aren't much heavier than those of Virgin Queen; so hey, here's to looking forward to a future attempt at a mini-monster game. Guderian's Blitzkrieg II still scares the poo poo out of me though. I love that feeling. Wargaming...what's wrong with us? EDIT: Speaking of COIN, I got to play A Distant Plain last weekend, but I hosed up the rule for Coalition victory points in their favor (I thought it was just pieces not in casualty track instead of pieces in their Available boxes). This more or less broke the game, but even so it's a very exciting title. I'm getting it played the beginning of January, properly this time! Trynant fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Dec 16, 2013 01:17
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I also played a game of A Distant plain last Sunday and we did the Main (medium sized) scenario with 5 prop cards. After 5 and a half hours we got to the 4th prop card but by the end we had speeded up a lot: the only issue in the game seems to be that you need to read every card out loud every time, which slows things down. Everyone enjoyed it and I played the government and did rather well (had around 20 patronage by the end), although the coalition managed to win since we called it at the end of the 4th prop card. Will post up pics when I can.
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Dec 17, 2013 12:06
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Tekopo posted:the only issue in the game seems to be that you need to read every card out loud every time, which slows things down. Well, all the COIN games more or less suffer from that though. It's just a pain to squint over from across the table to see the tiny event text. I still haven't figured out an ideal solution to this. It was definitely a point of contention at my table.
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Dec 17, 2013 18:12
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I'm really interested in picking up the revised Conflict of Heroes Awakening the Bear. I've not played any board hex wargames before (but have played other tabletop games). Is this a good place to start? The setting (eastern front) appeals to me and it looks complex enough that I could really dive into it. Unless there is another series anyone would recommend instead.
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Dec 17, 2013 18:50
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It's a fine choice. Alternatively, you might want to take a look at Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer.
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Dec 17, 2013 18:56
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Yeah, CoH is a good place to start. The programmatic instruction is pretty good, you won't get swamped with complexity in the first few scenarios, but there's enough depth there that there's satisfaction in getting better at the system. Storms of Steel is a similar package and is more armor-focused than AtB, I think, if you prefer tanks.
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Dec 17, 2013 19:01
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If you want East Front fun, there's also No Retreat (which is currently being run in the LP forum!). It's kind of fiddly and there are some strange rules/exceptions but the game itself is very eaxy to play. It is an operational level game with a lot of abstraction though, due to the low number of counters it uses. Either that or Red Winter (reviewed earlier in the thread), which is tactical but company-level and is based on the Winter War.
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Dec 18, 2013 12:10
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I've just received my very own copy of No Retreat: The North Africa Front! The contents are absolutely lovely, the mounted maps are amazing and the Crete expansion looks intriguing (especially since it promises to recreate paratrooper operations). I can't wait to go home and bag it all up! ...wait, what have I become?
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Dec 19, 2013 15:46
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Well, I got it on the cheap. Now I regret not bidding for the expansion when I had the chance 
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Dec 19, 2013 19:11
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Fat Samurai posted:Well, I got it on the cheap. Haha, was it my recommendation that sold you? If you have any rules questions hit me up at 20eyes@gmail.com and if you want to coop on vassal sometime let me know.
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Dec 22, 2013 06:10
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BrainGlitch posted:Haha, was it my recommendation that sold you? If you have any rules questions hit me up at 20eyes@gmail.com and if you want to coop on vassal sometime let me know. Thanks for the offer. I've been busy and only had time for a quick read of the manual, and it seems quite convoluted. Hopefully I'll have some free time during the holidays to get my little cardboard mans horribly killed.
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Dec 22, 2013 22:31
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