What's on your table right now?

[Rekim]

Yes, and when placing the miniatures in areas like France, Germany, Poland or Italy, you have about a 1/4" square (6.35mm) to fit everything in (for both sides).   ???

Too true. You can see this in action in the image above. The fleet of German aircraft parked around Iceland couldn't be squeezed into the postage stamp size area for Holland/Belgium where they should actually be located.

[Bison]

Put a couple of tanks on the map last night and did a few turns using the basic Panzer rules.  So far the rules are fairly straight forward, but as will all things there is some areas that really could have been expanded upon a little more for clarity sake.

[Bison]

OK.  I'm putting a game on the table today.  Just trying to decide which direction to go.  Panzer or ASLSK1, the counters are clipped and sorted, or Combat Commander, which would need to be clipped and sorted not to mention rules read and learned.  What I'm going to need to do that with Panzer and ASL too since I've forgotten what I learned.  Game rules are a perishable skills boys!

[Nefaro]

Mission Accomplished on my sticker CC:Ancients.  Holy moly that was a lot of stickers.  It sort of makes me dread picking up any expansions.

I've been wanting to pick up C&C:A for some time.  But I'm not sure if I'd find an opponent who'd be into it.  It seems very similar to AH/Hasbro's Battle Cry system albeit not an ACW setting, and the tactic card play doesn't lend itself well to solo'ing. 

[Bison]

Well ended up putting Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of Ashardalon on the table an playing with the kids.  The oldest (age 6) picked the elven paladin.   The youngest (4) moved the monsters and rolled the dice for them.  I read the rulebook and tried to keep the billon freaking pieces and cards from going everywhere.  Good times.  It's a fun game but there are a bunch of little pieces so perhaps not the best game for youngsters but not too bad.  I think Dungeon might be a better game for the older one and myself to play.  The youngest doesn't care.  She just likes to move stuff around the board and roll the dice.

Next the oldest and I are going to play Wings of Glory.  I'm training them to be gamers and hopefully groom some competition for when I'm a retiree.   8)

I do wish there was an opponent in the area for one of the more complex titles.

[Bison]

Mission Accomplished on my sticker CC:Ancients.  Holy moly that was a lot of stickers.  It sort of makes me dread picking up any expansions.

I've been wanting to pick up C&C:A for some time.  But I'm not sure if I'd find an opponent who'd be into it.  It seems very similar to AH/Hasbro's Battle Cry system albeit not an ACW setting, and the tactic card play doesn't lend itself well to solo'ing.

I haven't actually played against a real person yet, which is true for most of my games.

[Nefaro]

I have a nephew who's around 6 and regularly asks to play.  He loved playing Wings of Glory and Dungeonquest the most out of a wider selection.  The basic rules for the airplane mini stuff doesn't require heavy reading - just numbers and symbols so that worked out well and he picked up on it quick. 

The Dungeonquest matches have lots of cards but the main action every turn is deciding which room exit to take, drawing the room tile, and moving the mini into the room after placing it.  Then he draws the card, looks at the artwork, and I read it for him so he can then roll dice and resolve the event(s).  I suppose something like Talisman would be similar since it starts with moving pieces about and encountering the space they land in (although some Talisman spaces have a higher number of decisions to be made than Dungeonquest).  Despite your reading the cards, they're still involved in the majority of the turn process. 

The DQ game is probably popular with him because there aren't a huge variety of decision paths every turn.  There's not much Cause & Effect estimation required.  I've found that when the extended family gets together and we play King of Tokyo with the kids (one that is often heralded as a great family game), he tends to freeze up like a deer in headlights when it comes to deciding which dice to match up and which to reroll.  The dungeon tile/card games generally only have a couple-three move options to be made and then a card draw with a die roll along with the occasional clear cut yes/no type of easy choices.  Wings of Glory probably worked in this respect because the numerous moves available just plain had the actual move arrows shown on each card so it was pretty obvious what the outcome of each choice would be, despite having a larger number to pick from.

My experience, playing with the young and attention span challenged anyway.  ;)

[Bison]

The biggest issue with Wrath honestly is just the number of pieces and cards.  The rules aren't too terribly difficult to understand and once we got the HP, AC and how the spell cards worked the combat parts were easy.  It was watching for flying pieces following an excited out burst of hitting and killing a kobald that sort of put a damper on my excitement.  The dog was prowling looking for whatever flew off of the table.

[TheCommandTent]

Mission Accomplished on my sticker CC:Ancients.  Holy moly that was a lot of stickers.  It sort of makes me dread picking up any expansions.

I've been wanting to pick up C&C:A for some time.  But I'm not sure if I'd find an opponent who'd be into it.  It seems very similar to AH/Hasbro's Battle Cry system albeit not an ACW setting, and the tactic card play doesn't lend itself well to solo'ing.

I haven't actually played against a real person yet, which is true for most of my games.

It is designed by the same guy who did Battle Cry, so their mechanics are similar. (Also the same guy who did Memoir '44)  I've got a friend who I have had the chance to play against a couple time and he picked it up quickly.  However, I don't think it makes for very good solo play.

[Toonces]

Dungeon! has a much lower piece density than the D&D games, but it's competitive.  My 6 year old hasn't yet learned how to lose graciously, so despite the mess you might be better off with the D&D coop play.  I haven't tried D&D with a 4 year old...I'm guessing that makes things a bit tougher (plus the dog factor).

Anyway, I actually have Foxbat and Phantom on the table right now.  Pieces sorted and rules out.  I doubt I'll get around to playing it today, though....getting kind of late to both learn and play a game.

[Bison]

The co-op is fun.  Tomorrow is Panzers I think or I might muddle through some Combat Commander.

[Nefaro]

Anyway, I actually have Foxbat and Phantom on the table right now.  Pieces sorted and rules out.  I doubt I'll get around to playing it today, though....getting kind of late to both learn and play a game.

I recall picking a used copy of that up in a tiny store back in the 90s.  But after having played other jet combat games (Air Superiority/Speed Of Heat series.. even Flight Leader which is probably a closer comparison), the mechanics just didn't stand the test of time in comparison.  After getting a short distance into the rules, I packed it off and it disappeared over time.  ???   

I'm surprised someone still plays Foxbat & Phantom.  My recollection is of a really archaic system.  Am I way out of line for thinking so?

[Jack Nastyface]

^^^^Battlelore (and all of it's expansions and add-ons) also plays similar to CC:A, as does Samurai Battles by Zveda (company that makes 1/72 scale soldiers).  I believe Sam. Battles also comes with an alternate set of rules Art of Tactic so game can be played two ways.
I believe Battle of Westeros and newly released Abbadon (sci-fi) have some elements that are similar to CC, etc.
FWIW...I played a rousing game of CC:Ancients at Bottoscon in November and had a great time.  This isn't the kind of game I think I would like (ancients, large formations) but it was easy to learn and fun to play.

[Toonces]

Anyway, I actually have Foxbat and Phantom on the table right now.  Pieces sorted and rules out.  I doubt I'll get around to playing it today, though....getting kind of late to both learn and play a game.

I recall picking a used copy of that up in a tiny store back in the 90s.  But after having played other jet combat games (Air Superiority/Speed Of Heat series.. even Flight Leader which is probably a closer comparison), the mechanics just didn't stand the test of time in comparison.  After getting a short distance into the rules, I packed it off and it disappeared over time.  ???   

I'm surprised someone still plays Foxbat & Phantom.  My recollection is of a really archaic system.  Am I way out of line for thinking so?

No.  It seems that is the general consensus re: F&P, at least from what I've read on BBG.  But I already own it and haven't played it, so I figure I might as well give it a try.  I have Speed of Heat in storage that still hasn't been played, as well.

[ArizonaTank]

Just came back from MMP's Winter Offensive in Bowie, MD...got a few great games of ASL in. 

They had a "damaged" merchandise table and I picked up a copy of The Battle Above the Clouds for half price.  Just a dent on the box, otherwise in great shape.

Also recently started a handful of Vassal games:

The Russian Campaign (4th ed), two games
The Guns of August (4th ed)
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (4th ed)