In which we discuss Conflict of Heroes

[W8taminute]

Right now Amazon has Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear 2nd edition on sale.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H4L3MU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=80PPSEG411YX&coliid=I3D5FIEF9HE7GE


I also noticed there is a Conflict of Heroes: Storms of Steel.   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SPQMNY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=80PPSEG411YX&coliid=I2Q7HGKW7HPSW


My question is these games look very appealing to me.  The sale price of Awakening the Bear look attractive.  Is this game worth getting?  I've read that the impulse system they use is pretty straightforward and easy to learn and the game components are of extreme high quality.  I used to play a lot of PanzerBlitz, PanzerLeader, and Arab and Israeli Wars and like the scale for this kind of game. 

Just wanted to get some feedback on those that own these games before I dive in blind.

[bob48]

I have all three CoH games, although just the first ed of AtB. They really are good with first class components and a well designed system. Although they are quite comfortable being played solo, they (like a lot of games) excel in MP.

The very interactive system means that there is a lot going on with no long waiting periods - in fact, it can get very tense in MP games.

I have a few issues with the infantry / armour interface, but nothing that would stop me from recommending you getting the games, and, whilst they aint cheap, there is a lot of replay value there and they are good quality products - plus you can download a few more 'firefights' from the Academy website.

Recommended - PM me if you want to know anything else about them.

[bayonetbrant]

I know a lot of people who love the games.

I've not played them, but they are visually quite attractive.

[W8taminute]

Thanks guys for your feedback.  Bob you echoed pretty much what I read on the reviews of these games.  I'm sold and just placed my order for Awakening!   ;D

[GJK]

I have the 1st ed. of Awakening.  I don't recall where he posted it (CSW?) but Uwe Eickert had asked if anybody could make either a VASSAL or Cyberboard module for a new game that he was working on.  He was a new game designer working on his first game that was to be published.  I offered to make a ZunTzu gamebox for it and he replied that he would like that very much.  He sent me the original artwork and phoned a few times asking how things were going and if he could do anything to help.  Very nice guy.  I made the gamebox and he liked it very much.  Within a couple of weeks after the game was released, I had a copy on my doorstep that Uwe had sent as a way of saying "thanks" for going out of my way to make that ZunTzu gamebox.  That was very cool.

This has been discussed, but my edition had Uwe's original rules for the game and I played it a few times and thought "meh, not bad but won't supplant ASL".  The components were wonderfully done however; thick boards and counters that are already "clipped" and thick.  Certainly one of the better looking games that I've ever played.  Well, I haven't played it since but Uwe took in the feedback from players on some subtle changes that could be made to enhance the game play and that then produced version 2.0 with a re-work of the impulse system.  Like I said, I haven't tried that but certainly wouldn't mind doing so.  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the game 'minute once your copy comes in.

[bob48]

Thanks guys for your feedback.  Bob you echoed pretty much what I read on the reviews of these games.  I'm sold and just placed my order for Awakening!   ;D

I don't think you will regret it - its a very dynamic system which is easy to learn (and teach). After a few games you rarely need to consult the rule book.

In PoH (on which I did some play testing) there is an excellent 3 player firefight called 'Race to Lvov' which pits Russian, German and Polish forces, each with their own objectives. Two buddies and I have played this 3 times, each taking a different force in turn. They provided one of the most enjoyable gaming experience I have ever had.

Firefights (scenario's) vary in size from single map / few units, which can be played quite quickly, to 4 map monsters that can take a good few hours to play.

Whilst some scenario's can be played by up to 4 players, the rules include options to modify them for fewer players, plus there are some reasonable rules to allow for solo play.

[W8taminute]

@GJK

Uwe sounds like a great guy.  That's pretty cool what he did for you after you created the gamebox.  I'll definitely chime in once I get the game and give it a try.  I'm excited to hear that rules 2.0 have been streamlined a bit from version 1.0.


@bob48

Up to 4 can play certain scenarios?  That is very good to hear.  I've been trying to convince some of my local friends to come over for a 'boys night in' of gaming and maybe this game could attract their attention.  And thanks to GJK it sounds like a gamebox is available to use for playing over the internet with distant friends.   :)

[GJK]

Yeah, VASSAL, ZunTzu and I'm sure there's a Cyberboard module as well. 

[W8taminute]

So my copy of the game came in yesterday and I began unboxing it.  I was immediately impressed with the quality of the manual, map, cards, and status sheets. 


Soviet counter sheet



Movement and defense chart



Portion of one of the mapboards.  There are three all together.


There was only one flaw in this beautiful looking game.  One of the counter sheets, thankfully it's just the misc sheet, was printed in the Spanish language.  I'm not the only one to have run into a bad production batch like this.  Check out boardgamegeek: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/933887/spanish-counters




Others have contacted Uwe directly and he promptly sent them a replacement sheet.  I'm debating if I should go through the trouble or not.  I suppose I can live with this single sheet.  I understand enough of what the counters mean to play and the rest I can gather through the context of the rulebook. 

[bob48]

The new maps in 2nd edition are superb - unfortunately, I can't afford to replace my 1st ed copy with the new one.

Hope you get as much pleasure out of it as I have with mine.

[W8taminute]

^Thanks bob, I'm definitely digging this game a lot.  Partially played the first firefight this afternoon.  W8taminutette2 was interested in what my fuss was all about and asked if she could play too.  Of course I said yes!!

Before I dive in on what happened during our session let me make a couple of first impression statements.  I've only read the first 4 pages of the rulebook and played two rounds of the first firefight (scenario).  But I've already formed my opinions of this elegant game.

First off the rules are not over the top complex.  They're fairly straightforward and easy to comprehend.  Basically each side takes turns activating units, one at a time, until you either run out of units or run out of command points or both.  When a unit is activated it can perform one and only one action.  Move, fire, rally, etc. and that is it.  Turn then switches to the other player.  Once both sides have exhausted all of their actions the round ends and a new round begins.  Really straightforward and turns pass by quickly.  You're never really bored waiting for your next turn because the game is constantly flowing.  I like this system.  One doesn't have to wait for decades whilst the opposing players ponders how he's going to move millions of counters across the board like other games are.  The action here is fast and furious, perfect for when game time is limited.

The decisions one must make and how to  execute his plans however are not simple.  You can really get creative with managing your command points, card actions (I haven't tried these yet), and individual unit action points.  It's a careful juggling act deciding when and where to fire or move and then how to go about performing those actions.  Do I use my command points to influence the die roll or save them for helping a unit along further before it exhausts all of it's action points? 

Speaking of die rolls, combat involves no CRTs.  You simply use 2d6 and terrain modifications and compare the numbers of the units involved in the exchange.  My 9 year old daughter had no trouble learning the combat mechanics.  In fact she administered a fairly good thrashing against me but more on that in a bit. 

The game is not overly complex but it still manages to satiate that wargaming itch we all get.  If this game was a course served during a meal I would put it at somewhere between appetizer and main meal. 

Now on to our gaming session.  The first firefight in the scenario booklet is a fairly small affair.  Two small forces of infantry units clash over a victory location in the middle of the map.  The Soviets are waiting in ambush and the Germans are attempting to locate them.  My daughter chose to play as the Germans because their units looked pretty.  She has no idea of what WW2 is or who the Germans or Russians are.  She just didn't like the light brown color scheme of the Russian units preferring instead the light blueish grey of the Germans.  Near the end of the first round here is what the situation looked like:



As you can see she had an MG34 LMG exchanging fire with my Maxim MMG.  The pink double arrow shows those two units as being spent (i.e. no more actions for them this round).  She hit me once but I managed to rally the unit back to action thus preventing it from dying if it were to receive a second hit.  I had to use a total of 10 action points to get them back though and some of that was spent with precious command points. 

Meanwhile near the victory location indicated by the red star counter she used an unorthodox tactic of advancing with her other LMG unit whilst her riflemen sat back.  Remember she's only 9 and what does she know about small unit actions and the art of bounding overwatch?   ;)

This second LMG exchanged fire with one of my rifle squads with both sides not being able to hit the broadside of a barn despite being so close to each other. 

By the end of round one the Germans had boldly moved a rifle and a pioneer squad into the victory hex thus getting 1VP for the round, denying me any points.  The Russians had units in the area as well and round two began with a very heated exchange of fire.  In the end the Germans scored a killing blow against one of the Russian rifle squads eliminating it.  The die roll and the results are shown below:



The battle came to an abrupt end when the commander of the German forces began a boredom induced silly dance and left the battlefield.  I hung my head low realizing that I, a veteran wargamer, had just had his ass handed to him by a 9 year old girl!  Before leaving however, w8taminutette asked if we could play another firefight only one on a map that involved city fighting.  Let's see what happens tomorrow!!   8)

[GJK]

Excellent AAR, W8 - good stuff! 

Those graphics really do look great for CoH.  I too have the first edition (as mentioned) and I don't think that they looked quite that good.  Very good looking game. 

How do you feel the "real world" tactics work in this game with the new command points system?  With the original rules, I really didn't feel that cover or suppression fire tactics really connected well in the game.  Do you think that it works well with the game now (though you probably don't have the 1st edition to compare it to)?

[bob48]

One of the aspects of the system that I like, and adds a lot of tension, is that when an enemy unit receives a hit chit, you are never quite sure what effect it has on that unit. It may or may not be still capable of firing back at you.

Also, the fact that a unit which is flipped to its 'used' side may still be able to fire or move using CAP's or an action card, again raises the uncertainty level and adds tension to the game, and means that you can never discount an enemy unit as being a threat (unless your opponent has not CAP's or cards left).

[GJK]

That's interesting to know because, as I recall, in the original version of the game when a unit spent its CAP wad, it was done and you could march on by it willy-nilly without a care in the world. That single change would make it a whole different game from when I played it.

[bob48]

That's still the case as far as CAP's are concerned, but you can still activate a 'spent' unit with an action card if you have any.