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Post by kesher on May 24, 2014 9:36:23 GMT -6
Playing my first wargame ever with coffee on Memorial Day. Fighting it out Napoleonic-style, using the excellent How to Play Wargames in Miniature by Joseph Morschauser. It's such an awesome book. It feels like you're being taught how to wargame by your favorite great-uncle Joe...
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Post by derv on May 24, 2014 15:49:17 GMT -6
Playing my first wargame ever with coffee on Memorial Day. Fighting it out Napoleonic-style, using the excellent How to Play Wargames in Miniature by Joseph Morschauser. It's such an awesome book. It feels like you're being taught how to wargame by your favorite great-uncle Joe... I took you as an old hand kesher. I can't believe it's your first war game That's awsome that you and coffee are celebrating Memorial Day, at the table having fun, simulating Napoleon's battles.
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Post by scalydemon on May 24, 2014 23:53:36 GMT -6
Playing my first wargame ever with coffee on Memorial Day. Fighting it out Napoleonic-style, using the excellent How to Play Wargames in Miniature by Joseph Morschauser. It's such an awesome book. It feels like you're being taught how to wargame by your favorite great-uncle Joe... Have fun. A good way to spend Memorial Day.. I am hoping to have a game tomorrow with a friend perhaps playing the Banzai expansion for Up Front, and/or Zero - Down in Flames
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Post by scalydemon on May 26, 2014 16:43:15 GMT -6
Got in 6 hours of gaming yesterday at a game shop called Round the Table in Lynnwood WA with a friend. Played a game of BattleLine (GMT), then a game of Up Front using the Banzai expansion (Avalon Hill), then did a read through of the rules and set up and play through for about an hour of Wellington (GMT). This game seemed pretty sweet and we will be having a proper game of it soon
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Post by derv on May 26, 2014 21:16:23 GMT -6
I came across this neat little company that makes inexpensive historical games called Minden Games.
http://minden_games.homestead.com/index.html
They have a quick little naval game called "Great War Salvo!" that's been alot of fun for me and my son. It's a WW1 Dreadnought and Battlecruiser tactical game. I plan on making a few more purchases from them in the near future.
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Post by stevemitchell on May 26, 2014 21:58:40 GMT -6
I'm a big fan of Minden's "Retro" rules. These provide an alternate, and much for streamlined, set of rules for use with Advanced Squad Leader components and scenarios.
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Post by derv on May 28, 2014 17:56:22 GMT -6
I'm a big fan of Minden's "Retro" rules. These provide an alternate, and much for streamlined, set of rules for use with Advanced Squad Leader components and scenarios. I've never played SL or ASL, but Minden's house zine Panzerschreck has an article on utilizing Retro for solitaire play. The latest issue is a free pdf download. Have you ever played Advanced Tobruk System? I hear it's practically the same game as ASL. I wouldn't know for sure because the only squad level game I've played is Valor & Victory.
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Post by stevemitchell on May 28, 2014 20:38:25 GMT -6
Hi Derv:
I have played a fair amount of Advanced Tobruk System (ATS) over the past decade and more, and in fact, my Memorial Day game was the start of White Beach One, the ATS game on the Marine invasion of Pelelieu in 1944. Still raging; I'm playing the full map, 18-turn scenario with hundreds of counters.
ATS is a complex game, but it is still more manageable than full ASL. With ASL, you have a rules book that runs to over 160 page of small type and a torrent of acronyms (add another 50 pages for fighting in the Pacific). The ATS rules book is "only" about 65 pages, which is pretty much the limit of what I want to handle. ASL and ATS share the same approximate scale, but the game systems do differ considerably.
An easier way of trying out ASL would be to get one of the three ASL Starter Kits (they are all stand-alone products).
A couple of other good squad-level systems that I can recommend are Lock n'Load from Lock n'Load games, which goes beyond just World War II to include battles from Viet Nam and the Falklands, and Conflict of Heroes from Academy Games. The latter is, relatively speaking, the easiest of the various squad-level games to play.
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Post by scalydemon on May 28, 2014 20:44:06 GMT -6
Playing my first wargame ever with coffee on Memorial Day. Fighting it out Napoleonic-style, using the excellent How to Play Wargames in Miniature by Joseph Morschauser. It's such an awesome book. It feels like you're being taught how to wargame by your favorite great-uncle Joe... So, did this game ever go off? Just curious
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Post by kesher on May 28, 2014 21:13:24 GMT -6
It certainly did! coffee kicked my butt, which was not a surprise, but it was a blast. The whole game, from setting up the table to my plastic humiliation, took about two hours; very manageable. My biggest lesson: always have troops in reserve. OH, and also, don't accidentally let two companies of cavalry and light foot stray within range of three cannon batteries...
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Post by coffee on May 29, 2014 7:49:29 GMT -6
We definitely had a blast! I may have had a better deployment, and a reserve, but mostly it was the luck of the dice. If kesher had rolled better (or I worse), it would have been a much different outcome. I still need to sort through the pictures I took and see which ones are decent enough to post. So you'll get to see part of my basement and my lovely unpainted plastic figures!
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Post by kesher on May 29, 2014 7:59:48 GMT -6
True, I was rolling like crap... And they'll get to see your awesome table!
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Post by scalydemon on Jun 6, 2014 22:05:15 GMT -6
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Post by makofan on Jun 9, 2014 6:58:28 GMT -6
I played many games of this on hexwar.com. I have a .500 record with the French, and a .500 record with the Allies, so it is a well-balanced game. Here's my review of it
OVERVIEW Napoleon at War was SPI's free introductory wargame, designed to teach the basis of IGO-UGO, Zones of Control (ZOC), combat ratios and how to effectively attack (CRT), and the effects of terrain (TEC). The rules are simple and clear, the pieces and board uncluttered, the game plays quickly, and both sides have a reasonable chance to win - it is a surprisingly excellent (but not flawless) game. Let's delve into the details
PHYSICAL COMPONENTS The map is a representation of the area in Belgium south of Brussels, at a scale of about 400 metres per hex. The terrain is basically clear, woods (impassable) and towns (doubled defense). The map is about half the size of a normal SPI game. The counters have 3 colours: blue (French) red (English) and Dark Blue (Prussians), and contain a unit symbol (cavalry, infantry or artillery), a combat strength, and a movement allowance.
THE FORCES AND THE SITUATION Napoleon has 21 cavalry/infantry units to the British 14, and 13 artillery factors to the British 8, so it looks like a 3:2 advantage in manpower and forces. Unfortunately, Napoleon's infantry/cavalry forces only add up to 10 more factors than the British, so their average unit strength is lower. Add this to the fact that the British are getting reinforcements on turn 2, and that the French have to attack, and Napoleon's life is hard. The French player has to use his unit quantity advantage to pin down the English and maneuver with his free units, to get flank attacks and combat surround situations. The drawback with this approach is that the pinning troops are then quite vulnerable.
If the Allies eliminate 40 factors of French troops before they lose the same, they win. For the French to win, they must demoralize the Allies by eliminating 40 strength points (before they lose 40) AND then exit 7 units off the north map edge, all in only 10 turns. Achieving the first goal, and not the second, is a draw.
HOW IT PLAYS Casualties are usually forced by surrounding an enemy with ZOC's and then forcing a retreat. A 2:1 attack has a 5/6 chance of achieving this result, while a 3:1 will always work. A 1:1 is 50/50 Attacker/Defender retreats, so you don't want to rely on them. Since all adjacent units must attack, frequently you use a 1-point cavalry unit to attack 12 points of enemy infantry, so that you can achieve local superiority in the neighbouring combat, and hopefully kill off a higher-factored unit. What complicates this is when you get above 1:1 you can sometimes get an inopportune Exchange result, where you both lose.
Typical games see a lot of shifting forces around, throwing pieces willy-nilly trying to get an advantage. The results are bloody, and the game is often determined by the 4th turn. I play it on Hexwars, and I lost my first five games as I learned the system and the strategy, but since then I am batting .500 - 3 wins, 3 losses and a draw as the French, 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw as the Allies. You can't ask for fairer than that
HISTORY Is it historical? Cannons in melee, no line-of-sight problems, no differentiation between infantry and cavalry roles, no command control, swift flank maneuvers, no supply concerns or a need to keep a battle line, no square, column or line decisions - probably not. But, like Napoleon historically did, you can attack piecemeal, then do a frontal assault, then see the Prussians coming and throw in the Guards, and then see you army demoralize and run away, and achieve a historical outcome - a French loss. I think if Napoleon had know about Blucher earlier, he would have fought the battle differently. We know about Blucher, so WE can make different choices. It's historical enough for me.
SUMMARY This is a quick game, with chances for both sides, that abstracts almost every detail, while still somewhat resembling Waterloo. Unless you have three days and a lot of space to play Wellington's Victory, it would be hard to find a game on the battle that works any better.
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Post by scalydemon on Jun 9, 2014 8:09:34 GMT -6
Yes, I agree with your assessment. From what I have read on BGG a lot of grognards originally cut their teeth on this game when it came out in the early 70's and I can see why. It was balanced and fun and if it was your 1st war game would leave you definitely wanting more.
We may hit the table with this again and try one of the variants.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2014 8:57:09 GMT -6
Played the first scenario of Legends of Andor this weekend. Neat little card driven co-op game. It doesn't really have a rulebook but the cards kinda teach you the game as you play it. So you never even know the victory conditions until near the end of the game.
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Post by derv on Aug 2, 2014 17:13:52 GMT -6
Okay, I'm veering off topic just a little here. I thought this was a suitable thread to share in.
Wife and kids just got back from visiting family in the Mid West this past week. The wife brought home the following books that she scored at a used book store out there. All in hard cover.
The Art of Wargaming. Peter Perla (1990) Air War Games. Donald Featherstone (1966) War Games. Donald Featherstone (1968) Battle Notes for Wargamers. Donald Featherstone (1974) Napoleonic Wargaming For Fun. Paddy Griffith (1980) Sea Battles In Miniature. Paul Hague (1980)
She also picked me up a couple of Patrick O'Brian's historical novels that I didn't have.
So, I'm a happy boy that the families home safe and sound and I have some good reading material too.
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Post by owlorbs on Aug 14, 2014 11:26:00 GMT -6
Okay, I'm veering off topic just a little here. I thought this was a suitable thread to share in. Wife and kids just got back from visiting family in the Mid West this past week. The wife brought home the following books that she scored at a used book store out there. All in hard cover. The Art of Wargaming. Peter Perla (1990) Air War Games. Donald Featherstone (1966) War Games. Donald Featherstone (1968) Battle Notes for Wargamers. Donald Featherstone (1974) Napoleonic Wargaming For Fun. Paddy Griffith (1980) Sea Battles In Miniature. Paul Hague (1980) She also picked me up a couple of Patrick O'Brian's historical novels that I didn't have. So, I'm a happy boy that the families home safe and sound and I have some good reading material too. Wow! Great score.
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Post by tkdco2 on Aug 16, 2014 16:01:02 GMT -6
Most of my war games have been for my science fiction campaign. For ground combat, I've used both FUBAR and the Force on Force Quick Start Rules. For space combat I usually use Starmada. I have the NOVA edition, but I much prefer the Compendium. I have also played Full Thrust Light and Star Trek Starship Tactical Combat Simulator. I recently tried the Man to man rules. Maybe I'll run a Chainmail game set in Carcosa. If nothing else, I'll have a reason to paint my Romans purple.
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joseph
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 142
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Post by joseph on Aug 27, 2014 8:33:47 GMT -6
I played some Ogre Pocket Edition a week ago and had a blast. That little game has a fun strategy to it. Also picked up Commands and Colors Ancients recently and am pretty anxious to play it.
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Post by tkdco2 on Aug 27, 2014 17:36:31 GMT -6
I would play to do some historical wargames, but I don't know anyone who enjoys them. Some folks I know may play Vietnam War or WWII scenarios, but no ancient or Napoleonic-era games.
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Post by coffee on Aug 28, 2014 8:00:28 GMT -6
I would play to do some historical wargames, but I don't know anyone who enjoys them. Some folks I know may play Vietnam War or WWII scenarios, but no ancient or Napoleonic-era games. The time honored way to get them playing is to invite them over and have two armies waiting. At the worst, they won't like it and you'll have to find another opponent. But at best, you have an opponent for life. And for them: At worst, they played a game and found they didn't like it. But at best, they have a whole new period to explore!
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Post by tkdco2 on Aug 28, 2014 14:44:42 GMT -6
Good idea, coffee. Thanks. I'll try that.
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Post by desertscrb on Aug 29, 2014 20:51:20 GMT -6
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Post by scalydemon on Nov 22, 2014 0:33:05 GMT -6
I have played some of this lately with some friends. It is a medieval themed card game specifically designed for 3 people. One person plays the thieves, Merchants and City watch. All compete for control of the city of Trieste. It is quick hitting takes about 25 or 30 mins on avg to play. It is fun to switch off who you are playing and play 3 games in a row. www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148291/triesteVideo review if you have an interest
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Post by Merctime on Nov 22, 2014 23:56:26 GMT -6
I'm seriously considering this: www.victorypointgames.com/ancient-battles-deluxe.htmlNote, I'm almost totally green at wargaming in general, with only a single loss to my name! (A fellow on these boards is graciously teaching me on Hexwar.net) His advice for a starter was this, too... www.victorypointgames.com/battle-for-moscow.htmlI'm keen on getting it I think. I prefer more D&D-ish stuff, but that is probably hard to find that isn't made for children in hex-and-chit type stuff, isn't it? Might be fun to get into this kind of wargaming
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Post by derv on Nov 23, 2014 7:53:26 GMT -6
I'm seriously considering this: www.victorypointgames.com/ancient-battles-deluxe.htmlNote, I'm almost totally green at wargaming in general, with only a single loss to my name! (A fellow on these boards is graciously teaching me on Hexwar.net) His advice for a starter was this, too... www.victorypointgames.com/battle-for-moscow.htmlI'm keen on getting it I think. I prefer more D&D-ish stuff, but that is probably hard to find that isn't made for children in hex-and-chit type stuff, isn't it? Might be fun to get into this kind of wargaming Battle For Moscow is a great introductory board wargame. It teaches many of the basic concepts and stategy. But before you plunk your money down for it, if you have a printer, check this out first and give it a spin. grognard.com/bfm/game.htmlI'm not trying to discourage you from buying from Victory Point though. I think they're a great little company worth supporting
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Post by coffee on Nov 23, 2014 9:44:26 GMT -6
Beat me to it, Derv. I had just looked up that exact same link to pass along!
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Post by makofan on Nov 23, 2014 10:25:19 GMT -6
SPI's Swords & Sorcery is still one of my favourites. TSR's Divine Right is also good hex fun. SPI's War of the Ring is hard to resist. There is not much tactical fantasy out there. Avalon Hill's Titan is a good slugfest.
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Post by Merctime on Nov 23, 2014 10:30:42 GMT -6
Thanks, everyone! I have much to look into now. I'm hoping to rope my brother-in-law into this with me. This sort of thing will be great for winter; Hot cocoa, blankets, and the agonizing sounds of a defeated enemy! What more could a guy want? I'll have to look into SPI's Swords & Sorcery. I'm guessing it's out of print, but maybe I can find something out about it.
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