What's on your table right now?

[W8taminute]

Just so that I understand correctly and avoid making a mistake in the future.

This thread is limited to just cardboard historical games that feature non-fiction themes?  Games with little plastic pieces, e.g. Risk, Axis & Allies, etc., are not to be mentioned here.  That is why the other thread was created?

[Barthheart]

Just so that I understand correctly and avoid making a mistake in the future.

This thread is limited to just cardboard historical games that feature non-fiction themes?  Games with little plastic pieces, e.g. Risk, Axis & Allies, etc., are not to be mentioned here.  That is why the other thread was created?

Nothing so strict as that I think....

[bayonetbrant]

We shouldn't need overly-specific meticulously-detailed rules.

You guys are (generally) pretty reasonable and mature adults (and then there's Mirth bringing down the mean of both 'reasonable' and 'mature')

If we're using meeples for an area-control game, or building fantasy kingdoms with decks of cards, it probably goes to the other thread

If we're focusing on combat, whether cardboard counters, resin ships, or lead/pewter minis, it should probably be here.

[undercovergeek]

wont someone think of the dongles??

[Nefaro]

So...

The Dongle Wars would hypothetically go in this thread?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Tabletop dongles?

[bayonetbrant]

you're not helping....

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Fine, this is happening right now.

[undercovergeek]

you're not helping....

But they're war dongles

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Three of us played the 7-turn "mini" scenario for Normandy '44 today.  It took a little over 6 hours to finish with the Allies securing victory on the final turn.  I played the UK/Canadians and got trapped in the meat grinder that is Caen.  I had some terrible rolls but eventually the Guards Armoured Div along with the 50th Infantry Div were able to push the Germans back to Tilly-sur-Seulles (but couldn't push them out thanks to me rolling  three 2s and a 1) while the Canadian 2nd Inf Div took Capriquet airport.  Good game but I think 6 hours is pushing my limits these days.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

One of the guys I played Normandy '44 with today knows I'm into air combat games so he lent me his copy of Black Cross/Blue Sky to crack open and learn.  Looks pretty cool so far!

[BanzaiCat]

SDR, do you have Duel in the Dark?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Yes, I have Duel in the Dark, Duel in the Dark: Baby Blitz, Duel in the Dark: Early Nights, and Duel of the Giants.

[BanzaiCat]

I almost pulled the trigger on both Duel in the Dark and Duel of Giants. The latter was on some kind of super sale at the time. I see Noble Knight Games is selling a 'collectible' version for twelve bucks right now.

I guess that answers my question, if Duel in the Dark is any good, since you own all the expansions it seems.

Is it good for solitaire play (either of them, actually)?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Neither are good for solitaire play as they both rely on hidden movement using card decks as well as bluffing and deception rules.

I like Duel in the Dark as I'm interested in the subject matter.  The components are great and I really like the weather rules.  The game seems unbalanced though and it appears to me that it heavily favours the German player.   Unless you can completely outwit the Germans and force them to over-commit in such a way that your bomber stream somehow manages not only to avoid all the nightfighters but also somehow minimizes the damage from ground based systems, the Germans will always rack up more points from bomber kills than the RAF will be able to achieve with a successful bombing run.

Baby Blitz adds a lot to the base game.  The British get  Halifaxes as well as Lancasters and additional Mosquitoes.  They can conduct spoof raids and they can use Window to mess with German radar.  The Germans get V-1 rockets and He-177 Griffon bombers to attack England so the Brit player needs to decide if he wants to use all his Mossies to harass German night fighters and ground defences or if he should hold some back for defence.  The Germans also get additional night fighters including the He-219 Owl.  Unfortunately, the rules are a mess in the expansion and figuring out how scoring is meant to work with the new nightfighter rules is a real headache as the rulebook and the game charts completely contradict one another.  The game also seems even more unbalanced in favour of the Germans.  There are some good posts on BGG that try to make sense of the mess and to address some of the balance issues but the Brits have yet to get a win in any of the games I've played so far.


I haven't yet played Duel of the Giants (also picked it up on clearance).  It looks as though it's going to play more like a game of Statego or the old Yaquinto game, Swashbucklers than a tank vs tank wargame.  The Soviets have to try to get as many of their 8 T-34s off the German edge of the map as possible.  The Germans have to use cards to program the movement and turret facings of their two Tigers so that they can get a shot at the T-34s and they can only fire at targets directly down a hex line so it's basically a guessing game.  Might be fun for an occasional play session but I don't think it's going to be one of my go-to games.