What War or Boardgame are you playing?

[Parzival]

Spent the weekend at Nashcon. Ran one game, played in another biggie— my blog about it here:
parzivalsplace.blogspot.com/2022/08/what-i-did-this-summer-or-at-least-last.html

[owlorbs]

Played a few games of TravelBattle from Perry Miniatures. Pretty good although the rules needed a bit of cleaning up.

[stevemitchell]

I had not heard of TravelBattle before. It looks like an interesting compromise between a miniatures game and a board game. My game budget through September is locked by spousal decree, but after that. . . ?

[Malchor]

Twilight Struggle game in progress with my wife. Ongoing bouts of Battle Cry 1999 with kiddo and wife.

Also in an 18 player play by email 1806-1807 Napoleonics game with battles on the table.

[Parzival]

Sept 9, 2022 12:33:02 GMT -6 Malchor said:

Ongoing bouts of Battle Cry 1999 with kiddo and wife.

One of my favorite games. Shame that it’s OOP. Have you played Memoir ‘44, the WW2 version?

[Malchor]

Sept 9, 2022 19:38:32 GMT -6 Parzival said:

Sept 9, 2022 12:33:02 GMT -6 Malchor said:

Ongoing bouts of Battle Cry 1999 with kiddo and wife.

One of my favorite games. Shame that it’s OOP. Have you played Memoir ‘44, the WW2 version?

Not yet. Figured best way to get into the C&C line is at the beginning. Interest in C&C ancients.

[rsdean]

Our local miniatures con, Barrage, today…I ran a 40mm Charge! game.

[rustic313]

So a few weeks ago I played some Napoleonics with a buddy.

It was awesome, and I went down the rabbit hole.

I started with One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas and a witting 8 year old kiddo (assisted by his little brothers). I've now got a very heavily house ruled version of 1-HR WG. In a nutshell:
- Command points from DBA (1d4)
- Phasing similar to La Salle 1.0, namely I Go (React/Shoot, Close Combat, MOve) - U GO (same phases).
- Melee combat replaced with a DBA like system, but lighter.
- Attrition of 15 HP steps replaced with simpler 2 HP steps (Fine --> Shaken --> Broken/Destroyed) with chance to spend command points to rally


It plays fine, we're still within one hour and its fun. The scenarios are solid. The rules fit on one page and army lists on a second.

I've got some plastic minis of 54mm scale for ancients/dark age/medievals, some risk pieces glued to bases for horse & musket/ACW/horse and saber, and am working on some WW2 pieces now. Great fun!

[stevemitchell]

My latest wargame on the table--Brothers at War from Compass Games. This is a regimental-level game of combat in the Civil War, focusing on relatively small battles, or portions of large battles. This first volume has conflicts from 1862: Mill Springs (complete battle), Valverde (complete battle), South Mountain (the fighting at Fox's Gap), and Antietam (the morning struggle for the Cornfield, and the largest battle in the set). Very engaging to play, and not as burdensome as a couple of other ACW regimental systems I could mention. Great graphics also. One of the best new games of the year, in my opinion.

And then, after an absence of a few years, I returned to HeroClix in a big way. I played a huge 7100-point battle, pitting 64 DC heroes and villains against 81 Marvel heroes and villains--the Marvelites won. Then a smaller 1200 point battle, with 18 Marvel heroines against 19 Marvel villains. The Marvel Girls won.

[Parzival]

Gaming friends got together at my house last night after a looooooooong time without playing. Enjoyed some good BBQ and in honor of the Halloween season decided to play Horrified. (If you don’t know of it, it’s a cooperative board game with the players in the roles of heroes trying to save a village from the various classic monsters of the old Universal horror films— Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster (and his Bride), the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.) We played it twice, winning the first game (against Drac, the Creature, and the Invisible Man) by the thinnest of margins (defeated the last monster right after the last card was drawn), and losing the second (against F&B, the Mummy and the Wolfman) also by the thinnest of margins— we thought we had sufficient items in hand to solve the Mummy’s puzzle and defeat him, but when it came time to do so— again, after the very last card draw— we found we had miscalculated, and we were one Item point short!
Fun game, and quite challenging for everybody. Our second game started with a bad omen, as my Archeologist got whammied by the monsters three times in a row, ticking up the Terror Track way too soon, and limiting our ability to acquire items— and the first three card draws added no items to the board, leaving us unable to advance our objectives or effectively defend ourselves. By the time our situation improved, we were down to the wire— and since both the F&B objectives and the Mummy objectives require the yellow items, we were scrambling as to how to use these resources.

Interestingly, I had picked this game up on a deep discount whim at our local Target as a light time-filler, and it’s become one of our favorites. I even picked up the sequel, which features monsters from North American culture legends— Bigfoot, Mothman, Chupacabra, the New Jersey Devil and more— with an X-Files kinda vibe to it. I find it a bit harder, but both versions are great.

[Malchor]

Oct 15, 2022 9:56:53 GMT -6 Parzival said:

Gaming friends got together at my house last night after a looooooooong time without playing. Enjoyed some good BBQ and in honor of the Halloween season decided to play Horrified. (If you don’t know of it, it’s a cooperative board game with the players in the roles of heroes trying to save a village from the various classic monsters of the old Universal horror films— Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster (and his Bride), the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.) We played it twice, winning the first game (against Drac, the Creature, and the Invisible Man) by the thinnest of margins (defeated the last monster right after the last card was drawn), and losing the second (against F&B, the Mummy and the Wolfman) also by the thinnest of margins— we thought we had sufficient items in hand to solve the Mummy’s puzzle and defeat him, but when it came time to do so— again, after the very last card draw— we found we had miscalculated, and we were one Item point short!

Love Horrified. We have family game night coming up and Horrified, Rein of Cthulhu and Betrayal at the House on the Hill are all possibles.

[stevemitchell]

A Greater Victory from Revolution Games. This is the latest entry in the "Blind Swords" series of regimental-level battles from the Civil War. It covers the battle of South Mountain in 1862. A close fight, but the Rebs were able to take the win. A really nice series and game.

[stevemitchell]

Back to the Civil War--I played GMT's For the People, which cover the whole conflict at the strategic level. The Union won on the very last turn, but it was pretty close.

[owlorbs]

I got in a couple of plays of Stalingrad (1963) and Bleeding Kansas (2019).

[Malchor]

1989 and Twilight Struggle: Red Sea.

[Parzival]

Based on Horrified, I took a chance on a deeply discounted copy of Alien: The Fate of the Nostromo, a co-op game of the original Alien movie. It’s also by Ravensburger, which I decided was a good sign (I normally don’t go for pop-culture board games, as they frequent put the look and name over game quality).
In some ways this is similar to Horrified— the players control the crew and travel through the ship fulfilling various missions to thwart the Alien and escape. Meanwhile, the Alien stalks the crew (and sometimes the crew inadvertently discovers the Alien in an unexpected location). A morale track acts as a timer and a defeat marker; if it hits zero, the crew is so demoralized that the Alien can eat them all, one by one.
I haven’t played it yet, and there are elements which are very different from Horrified, while still reminiscent. I expect it will be a good one.

Also picked up 13 Dead End Drive, a somewhat more tongue-in-cheek game where the players control a bunch of (less than savory) potential beneficiaries of rich, dearly departed Aunt Agatha’s will. The players are secretly assigned a few heirs as “theirs,” but can move all 12 heirs around the board, attempting to off the ones which are not theirs by putting them in the peril of some nasty traps and potential accidents (apparently Aunt Agatha’s mansion decor is a tad on the deadly side…) Looks like it could be a light, short time filler.

[stevemitchell]

French and Indian War from Worthington. The British really clobbered the French in this one.

[Parzival]

Sittin’ around with not much to do (well, that I really wanted to do), and I pulled out my Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game (Mattel, 1980) and gave it two goes.
If you remember this old game, it was possibly the first commercially sold “computer” version of D&D. Only it’s not computer software, nor is it any kind of video game. Instead, it’s an electronic board game consisting of an 8 x 8 grid of membrane-covered pressure pad “buttons”, with some pressure pad control buttons along one side. The players (either two or solo) are thieves, ahem, “warriors,” who are exploring a maze in search of a fabulous treasure. Of course, there also happens to be a dragon sleeping on the treasure, and whenever a warrior moves close to his lair (three squares in any direction), the dragon wakes and flies over the maze, seeking out those fools who would dare disturb it. Whichever warrior can find the treasure and return it to his starting space, without being slain by the dragon, wins the game.

The whole thing is done by audio sound effects only— as you move your metal warrior figure from square to square you trigger the pressure pad. This gives either a beep (indicating an open passage, or a rapid staccato buzzing, indicating you’ve walked into a wall. The game has little plastic “parapet” walls to set between the grid squares as you play, to build your path. When moving, if you approach the dragon’s lair— the “Treasure Room” you hear the sound of the dragon waking up. (Uh oh).

Each warrior begins able to move 8 squares, moving only orthogonally. The dragon (once it wakes) moves just one square towards the warrior who carries the treasure, or the closest warrior if no one has it. The dragon can cross diagonals and is not blocked by walls. The game helpfully provides a tone to let you know the dragon is flying and thus after you. If the dragon lands on a warrior, that warrior is automatically injured and permanently loses two moves, first going from 8 to 6, then from 6 to 4. If he’s down to 4 moves, or is carrying the treasure, he’s automatically slain— if he has the treasure, it drops where he falls. Once he picks up the treasure, the warrior is reduced to 4 moves because of its weight.

It’s quite a clever little game for the technology of the time, and looks nice as well. The game is molded like a castle with towers and parapet walls, and includes a storage drawer for the parts— multiple red plastic walls (it comes with plenty), two shiny metal warrior figures, three plastic markers for designating starting squares and the Treasure Room (once you find it), and a shiny metal figure of an overflowing treasure chest (to place when a warrior dies and drops it), and a shiny metal dragon figure for you to place where you guess the dragon must be. (It’s almost impossible to know for certain until it lands on you, but you can make some decent guesses, so the figure can be helpful in reminding you that you definitely need to go the other direction…) The art on the membranes is quite evocative— stylized images of chalices, snakes, monsters, wizards, helmeted warrior heads, spiders, potions, princesses, the Sun, the Moon— though these have nothing to do with actual play.

I gave it two goes on solo play. On the first, my warrior fell swiftly to the dragon, having approached his secret chamber location so early that I had no idea of any safe paths to follow to get away. There’s nothing worse than running into a wall when you know the dragon is on your tail! On the second I was able to lure the dragon away from the treasure room, as I had a decent wall pattern discovered and laid out, and could dash back to seize the treasure and lug it home. I was not certain I knew exactly where the dragon was, but my guess was close enough to save my hide and give me the win.

One of the neat twists is that though in a two-player game the players are at odds, they can work together to lead the dragon on a merry chase back and forth between the two, which can help draw the dragon far away from the treasure— then its a race to pick it up and hopefully make it home. Note that the two warriors, while they cannot attack the dragon, can attack each other (they’re competitors, not allies), and the computer decides the winner.

If a warrior is on his starting square, he is safe; the dragon cannot land on him or attack him. If both warriors (or just the one in the solo game) are on their starting squares (sans treasure, of course), then the dragon moves back towards its lair, one square at a time.

At the time the game was reviewed poorly in gaming magazines, but unlike its inspiration, it’s not meant as a game for adult players, especially those looking for a wargaming experience. But as a game for kids (and their parents), it’s fun. It’s got a nice bit of pressure going on once the dragon wakes up, and guessing where it is and luring it around the board without getting attacked is an interesting challenge.

I did not pick this up new— it was far too expensive back in the day. But I did find it a few decades ago at a used comic shop for $10– which I consider a bargain. Today it pops up on eBay for about $70-$90.

It requires a 9-volt battery, but also has a plug in port for an AC wall adapter (it is NOT a headphone port, though it looks like one). However, it does not come with an adapter, and I don’t know what milli-amperage it requires, so I go with the battery.

[stevemitchell]

Wilderness Empires from Worthington. This is Worthington's other game on the French & Indian War. The British won again, but it was't the walkover the earlier game was.

[owlorbs]

Playing some Bulge '65 with my regular opponent. I love the CRT in this one as it departed from the standard Avalon Hill CRT of prior games.

[skars]

Playing Clash of Giants Civil War by GMT and clipping Carrier Battle Philippine sea with Die Festung Hamburg by thin Red Line on deck next

[stevemitchell]

Skars, I'd be interested in your thoughts on Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea when you get a chance to play that.

[skars]

Feb 8, 2023 23:23:20 GMT -6 stevemitchell said:

Skars, I'd be interested in your thoughts on Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea when you get a chance to play that.

Sure thing, it's the same designer from VG Carrier and I'm looking forward to it

[Parzival]

Just finished a round of HeroQuest with a college-age family friend. I have the new version, but it turns out they have a copy of the original!
Fortunately, my opponent did not recall the structure of the first quest, so we were able to start from scratch. I set up my board and figs and we played over Discord. I fulfilled the role of Zargon.
We had to stop early; Zargon’s forces have been severely depleted, but the final great battle is yet to come, while the heroes are suffering from many wounds. However, only three of their spells have been cast, and they’ve found some very useful potions which they are saving for the last fight. We shall see what happens when we return to the dungeon again…. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[hamurai]

Just two days ago a friend and I started playing the new HeroQuest with the app, so we could both be players. The app works, but it slows down things a lot. In the end, we played the last map with me looking at the quest book but covering most of the map with a sheet and trying hard to only look at the next room. Like we did as kids, in fact. I works just fine and is a lot faster than using the app.

I definitely know (again), why this game had such a huge impact on my gaming. I still enjoy it very much, despite and because of its simplicity.

I have both the old and the new HeroQuest. I just had to get the new one, too. Especially for all the ultra rare expansions which never made it to our little town in Germany back in the day. Which do I prefer? I like both a lot. The old one has its very special charm, but I do like the new mini sculpts. The quality of some of the minis and the furniture was a let-down, though. Especially the Chaos Warriors (they'll always have their old name for us) were bent in a way they would hardly stand on the board.
I've started painting them and they're looking great. The Contrast Paint really helps bringing out all the little details which were hidden before. Sadly, also some of the faults. Those are removed if possible, or painted over.

[Parzival]

I use the app myself so I can solo play the adventures before I run them.

I find the app fun, if a bit weak tactically. It should be able to track more than it does, but then they want to sell the board game, not the app (which is free).

My full review of the app on my blog: parzivalsplace.blogspot.com/2021/12/appy-adventuring-return-of-heroquest.html

(Click around a bit and you can read more about the new edition of the game itself.)

[Parzival]

Forgot to say that I did a recent solo run in the Kellar’s Keep expansion and the wizard was crushed to death on turn two— and I hadn’t even entered a room yet!
I think the app did not allow me to cast a healing spell, though it said I could do so— but the only button choices removed the PC from the board.
I’m thinking a “do-over” is warranted.

[hamurai]

Maybe I have to re-read the rules, but as far as I remember, you should always be able to use a healing potion, but healing spells still take your action?

[Parzival]

You are correct; the app blew the rules. My wizard had both a potion and a spell, and had taken no action but movement, and thus should have been able to avoid death (and even if his action was blown, he could always drink the potion). Further, the app apparently sprung a loose ceiling trap on him, which he should have been allowed a roll to avoid. (Oddly, I had conducted multiple trap searches in the corridor and none had been revealed— though the loose ceiling trap was around a corner (basically an alcove). It’s possible I had failed to search in a position to find that trap. But even so, it gave no roll to avoid. So either the programmer messed up, or there was some unique provision in that particular quest— but it hardly seems a fair one!

I’m going to try it again from the start, and see what happens.

[hamurai]

Better luck on the next run!