Since it seems that Academy Games 'First Men In' game won't be published in anything like the near future, I've been looking at a couple of alternatives to satisfy my lust for a NWE game.
I've narrowed the choice down to either L'n L's Band of Heroes, although its currently out of print awaiting the new edition, and new copies don't seem to be available anywhere in the UK.
I do like the look of Worthington's 'Band of Brothers' though, and there are copies available at the moment. Has anyone got this and if so, is it a good system to play and how does it compare to BoH?
Ta.
There's lots of comments about the LnL series in this forum area. Do and search and you should find copious conversation. FWIW...LnL plays "easier" than WWII squad game stalwart Advanced Squad Leader, but some find the rules a little bit elusive (partially because the rule book suffers from average editing).
Can't comment on BoB...I think there is a good / fair review at armchairgeneral. Worthington games make a variety of game types, from in-depth studies to rollicking fun / hollywood action. You can find the updated rule book here http://www.worthingtongames.com/detailbob.html
Yours in gaming,
Jack Nastyface
Quote from: bob48 on January 29, 2014, 08:04:16 AM
Since it seems that Academy Games 'First Men In' game won't be published in anything like the near future, I've been looking at a couple of alternatives to satisfy my lust for a NWE game.
I've narrowed the choice down to either L'n L's Band of Heroes, although its currently out of print awaiting the new edition, and new copies don't seem to be available anywhere in the UK.
I do like the look of Worthington's 'Band of Brothers' though, and there are copies available at the moment. Has anyone got this and if so, is it a good system to play and how does it compare to BoH?
Ta.
I read an interview with Uwe Eickert a day or two ago indicating that the Conflict of Heroes series is about the rev up big time. They waited until solo was working how they want it, and I guess it now is. Guadalacanal is actually coming out fairly soon, and he indicated that First Men In is next up and about 90% finished.
Haha, found it! It's a good interview across the board, and he also talks about other products that Academy has on the way.
Part 1 : http://gamesontables.com/2014/01/uwe-eickert-interview-part-1/
Part 2 : http://gamesontables.com/2014/01/uwe-eickert-interview-part-2/
That's quite good news from Uwe, because by preference, I'll stick with First Men In. The slow pace of CoH games has been annoying, although you can't fault either the game or production values.
I really did not want to go the ASL route, and do have a leaning towards LnL, but on the other hand, quite like the system used in BoB - having had chance to read the rules for it, and they do seem to have a few more titles in the offing.
Thanks for the comments though chaps.
Ha - just found a retailer in the UK who sells the 'Sergeants' stuff. The base game is £72 excluding delivery - too rich for my pocket!
I have all the LnL titles, but not the "Band of Brothers" game. That being said I feel LnL titles are ok. I loved SL as a kid and have at least one copy of the (4) modules released, but I don't feel like
trying to relearn the rules.
I did get the PnP game "Valor & Victory" and love it! http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28452/valor-victory?
Down side is that you need to Print & cut the counters, but it's a great title.
I have heard a lot of great things about "Band of Brothers"
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41429/band-of-brothers-screaming-eagles
and Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer - (stand alone title) too.
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129122/band-of-brothers-ghost-panzer
I want to get either BoB or the new "First Men In" when it's released!
Good luck with whatever you pick you :)
Same here, played lots of SL and ASL in the past, but really don't want to re-learn it all. Not sure if I have the patience anymore.
First Men In will probably be a 'must buy' for me, and yep, BoB does seem to be an interesting system. I gather that when the next game comes out they will provide new BoB counters to reflect the changes to the system made in GP.
Having said all that, if it meets its pre-order target, the new LnL will also include an expansion, so that may be worth waiting for.
I'm a bit put off BoB by the slighty cartoony looking counters, but I do like the LnL ones - I'm a sucker for stuff like, and they do make ASL counters look a bit bland.
Well I'm not gonna be much help to ya Bob.
I'm a diehard LnL fanboi. Have them all love playing them and have volunteered a lot of time to the company.
I have never played the Band of Brothers series... like you the cartoony graphics turned me off... and frankly I don't need another squad system.
Don't like the mechanisms in Conflict of Heroes system.
Old time Squad Leader and all expansions. Loved the game. When ASL came out I tried it but just could not be bothered to try to relearn it all again with MORE detail.
LnL hits the sweet spot of easy rules, fun to play, narrative movie like game play and believable results.
Looking more like I will wait for the new BoH and V4 rules - as noted elsewhere, it seems unlikely that it won't get into print.
Quote from: bob48 on January 30, 2014, 03:38:12 PM
Looking more like I will wait for the new BoH and V4 rules - as noted elsewhere, it seems unlikely that it won't get into print.
I asked about that on their site and they said it will definitely get printed. 8)
Yum!
I would pre-order, but the shipping costs are terrible, its cheaper for me to wait until I can get it from a UK retailer. I do have Stalin's Triumph on pre-order and I'm dreading the shipping on that, mainly due to the extra cost the dear old post office stick on. I had to pay an extra £15 on DH (have you managed to play any of that yet?)
Haven't played any DH yet..... need more hours in the day..... and a weekend off would be nice too... too much travel fer work lately.
You know Bob - if you come to Origins, you'll get plenty of LnL time with the guys :)
:( Yes I know. If only money was not an issue.........
The other thing out there is "Retro: Tactical WWII Wargame Variant Rules".
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15081/retro-tactical-wwii-wargame-variant-rules
I have them and messed around with them awhile back with my SL titles, but work got in the way.
PS: Nice thing about BoH is that you can always warp to the 80's and play "Heroes of th Gap" ;D
I don't own it (yet :)), but what about "Combat Commander: Europe"? I heard it's a good system too.
It looks OK, and I have copy of the rules, and me and a pal was thinking of doing it on vassal, but have not tried it yet. I also have the ATS base game, but that also goes into more detail than I want these days.
You're quite right about BoH though, and I like the ability to go for other periods using the same system.
I like the Combat Commander system the best of any WWII tactical boardgame system besides ASL. ASL was great until that 400+ page rule book showed up.
Good Hunting.
MR
^I may well start going through the rules then, as I really have not done more than skim through them up till now.
Finally pulled the trigger on HotB - I'm really quite stoked up for this now :)
Quote from: bob48 on February 05, 2014, 09:44:29 AM
Finally pulled the trigger on HotB - I'm really quite stoked up for this now :)
Welcome to the cult... err... club Bob. 8)
I'm really looking forwards to playing it - no doubt I'll be adding IDD as soon as I can.
Quote from: bob48 on January 31, 2014, 09:35:15 AM
^I may well start going through the rules then, as I really have not done more than skim through them up till now.
I trust Steve from his CMx1 days and just picked up CC: Europe 2nd ed. used/ never played/ punched for $40 and now I can't wait too get it!
Good luck Bob with BoH. I think you will enjoy it :)
Thanks Richie. And there is such a lot of enjoyment in the un-boxing process.
I love the smell of a new game in the morning ;D
Quote from: bob48 on February 05, 2014, 01:42:28 PM
Thanks Richie. And there is such a lot of enjoyment in the un-boxing process.
I love the smell of a new game in the morning ;D
LOL! I hear you brother! ;D Plus you can never have too many! :)
Your wife knows the answer., BoB.
Quote from: Keunert on February 05, 2014, 02:21:00 PM
Your wife knows the answer., BoB.
....Gloiiinnnggg?.......
Quote from: Richie61 on February 05, 2014, 12:01:12 PM
Quote from: bob48 on January 31, 2014, 09:35:15 AM
^I may well start going through the rules then, as I really have not done more than skim through them up till now.
I trust Steve from his CMx1 days and just picked up CC: Europe 2nd ed. used/ never played/ punched for $40 and now I can't wait too get it!
Good luck Bob with BoH. I think you will enjoy it :)
If you want to try a game of CC on Vassal I am free most days. Days or evenings makes little difference. I can't do Monday evenings. That's about the only time I couldn't slot in a game.
Good Hunting.
MR
That sound like a good idea, and I'll certainly let you know once I feel a bit more confident with the rules. To be honest, I suspect I'll be deep into Heroes of the Blitzkrieg for a while, but I would definitely like to try CC as well.
Hi Bob,
I saw this as I was surfing the net and figured you might like it.
http://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/lock-n-load-tiger-trials-1942.html
and
Heroes of the Blitzkrieg - World War II tactical system by Lock 'n' Load
http://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/heroes-of-blitzkrieg.html
Great reads :)
Thanks, Ed. As it happens, I've caught a couple of those on BGG by Norman Smith and they are really quite helpful.
I'm now working through the infantry rules to pick up the basics, and it does seem like a nice game system, although I have to say, some of the rules are a bit ambiguous or maybe not as clear as they could be. No doubt It'll all fall into place eventually.
Bob,
I am not an expert of BoH, but I used version 3 of the rules when I last played.
http://files.meetup.com/186931/LnLV3Rules.pdf
Yup, I have V3 rules as well.
.....Oh bugger............I've got the BoB bug again. I do like the LnL system, but the BoB system intrigues me...........
Just pulled the trigger on BoB :)
Quote from: bob48 on May 21, 2014, 12:59:05 PM
Just pulled the trigger on BoB :)
I see this as a diary entry for Mrs Bob one day
She actually told me to stop dithering and order it.
That's because you were prancing and been all Jon Inman about ordering it
She can deny me nothing. Plus it means she can play WoW without me distracting her.
LnL:HoS and the computer version of Conflict of Heroes pushed my 20+ years dormant "YOU MUST PLAY REAL WARGAMES" button. I'd love to get a copy of just about any of the Lock N Load games but it doesn't look like hardly any of them are available right now. I gave serious consideration to Avalanche Press' Panzergrenadier, but lack of VASSAL support is a non-starter.
Combat Commander: Europe looks pretty good, and I'm pretty tempted given Steve's endorsement. Hoping to maybe try it out at Origins before dropping $80 on it.
I don't remember it being this hard to buy wargames back in the 80's and 90's!
Individual sellers on BGG and the "Marketplace" folder on CSW are two places to look for copies of games that are OOP or hard to find.
Quote from: GJK on May 21, 2014, 10:10:10 PM
Individual sellers on BGG and the "Marketplace" folder on CSW are two places to look for copies of games that are OOP or hard to find.
Thanks, I'll check those out!
Have not played LnL so can't comment on it.
Have played BoB and love it. The 2.0 Ghost Panzer rules really speed up play and reduce the number dice rolls. I've played with a former Danish officer and he seems to feel it's mechanic simulates combat pretty well. It's about suppression and breaking the other guys morale. Texas Arrow should be coming out in the near future and the word is it will have the replacement counters for Screaming Eagles to update it to Ghost Panzer rules.
My copy of BoB arrived today, so I'm sitting here going through scenario 1 now.
Quote from: bob48 on May 23, 2014, 02:50:13 PM
My copy of BoB arrived today, so I'm sitting here going through scenario 1 now.
Sorry if this was already cover, which one GP or SE?
Sorry, SE.
I know GP has the newer rules, but I really wanted a Western Front game. Based on what I've seen so far, I can imagine adding GP at some point, plus I gather that the next title in the series, 'Texas Arrows' will include replacement counters for those in SE to conform to the newer rules.
You might find this useful. It's a proficiency conversion chart. Allows you to use the GP rules with SE counters.
http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/98220/chost-panzer-values-for-proficiency
^Excellent. Thanks for that. Norm Smith does some good stuff over at BGG, and here;
http://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/tiger-vs-t-34-analysis-in-band-of.html#more
Oh yes, I really do like this system........ :smitten:
...are you listening, Bart? ;)
Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala :buck2:
Quote from: panzerde on May 21, 2014, 06:40:28 PM
I don't remember it being this hard to buy wargames back in the 80's and 90's!
Indeed.
I was lamenting this in a previous rant about print runs selling out quickly, not getting reprintings, and having to resort to resellers so much.
If anyone is up for a VASSAL game of BoB please drop me a line.
^I may well do so once I have played it a bit more, and I've yet to d/l the Vassal mod.
Just played scenario 4 from SE, and boy, its a big one, and the first one with tanks. Very intensive. What a great game system it is.
Just learning BoB myself, but may be up for a game later this week.
Very impressed with it so far!
:) Nice, innit!
BoBoBoBoBoBoBoBoBoB :uglystupid2: