Armored Brigade mod - AB1943: War in the Pacific

[al_infierno]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1089840/view/3138445976782638322

When we first tested KarlTaco's AB1943 mod back in April, it consisted of "only" the Red Army, Red Army Guards, and the Wehrmacht.

In the last nine months, it has become not only the most subscribed Armored Brigade mod, but probably the largest too, by a wide margin, reaching almost 2000 units and their variations. It first expanded to the Western Front, introducing new factions such as the Waffen-SS, the United Kingdom, and the United States Army. While they are surely as thorough as the other three factions and benefit greatly from the purchasable Ardennes map, they are a natural and, to some extent, saturated option for World War II. However, what comes as a thrilling novelty is the bold change in the theatre of war, one that pushes the limits of the engine to the limit. Now it is the turn of the Pacific, with the United States Marine Corps and Imperial Japan
(combining Imperial Army and SNLF) as newcomers.

[SirAndrewD]

Awesome.  Armored Brigade is the gift that keeps on giving.

[ArizonaTank]

Is it just a database? or are there Pacific maps as well?

[Pete Dero]

Is it just a database? or are there Pacific maps as well?

From the Mod description : ' Work continues on campaigns...'.

[al_infierno]

You can also reskin the existing maps to look like a jungle when you do a custom scenario.

[ArizonaTank]

Is it just a database? or are there Pacific maps as well?

I spent some time today with the mod. It turns out that some kind soul(s) have made maps for Saipan and Iwo Jima available... 

BTW, management of user made content is very easy with Steam. Simply "subscribe" to the content you want from the workshop tab.

So, to answer my own question...yes, there are Pacific maps  :clap:

Also, if SE Asian maps (not atolls or islands) are needed, there are also a couple of Vietnam maps...that probably stand in well for Burma.

In short...I'm a happy man... :hug:

[acctingman]

Quick question...how noob friendly is this game?  O:-)

[ArizonaTank]

Quick question...how noob friendly is this game?  O:-)

This is one of those games where the answer to your question is: "It depends."

If you have a good wargamer's working knowledge of tactics and equipment and have played modern tactical games before, I think the game is pretty easy to get into.

However, if your experience is the typical RTS game where units have "health bars", and tactics are more abstract (such as with a game like Panzer Corps), Armored Brigade will take longer to digest.

An adjunct to the question is how easy is it to set up your own scenarios...the answer is a resounding "very easy." The mission generator function is a dream (hasn't been anything as good since the original Combat Mission games IMHO).

[acctingman]

Thanks Arizona...going to grab this the next time it's on sale.

I watched a couple videos of this mod (DasTactics youtube channel) and this game reminds me of a beefed up Steel Panthers. It's a no brainer purchase for me.

[Pete Dero]

To me the hardest part in games like this and Combat Mission games is setting up your units. 

It takes a lot of time creating the perfect placements, using LOS & other tools, only to find out a few minutes after the fighting starts your perfect planning is being shot to pieces ...


But like ArizonTank said, if you have some basic knowledge about the available units (or want to invest a little time to get to know them) the game is not that difficult.

[Commander Cody]

I picked it up on my work computer and won a basic USSR vs Finland scenario during lunch. It's pretty intuitive if you've played any kind of small unit game and you know the tactics. I'll have to dust it off and play this mod, which looks fantastic.

Cheers,
CC