What's on your table right now?

[weateallthepies]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

Yeah I really like the order chit pull system which I know isn't in most of the rest of the series. Looks like I picked the right jumping in point.

I have got the Simple GBoH book so I'm tempted to try that out with something else in the series. Partly just to get a few more manageable length games on the table.

[MengJiao]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

Yeah I really like the order chit pull system which I know isn't in most of the rest of the series. Looks like I picked the right jumping in point.

I have got the Simple GBoH book so I'm tempted to try that out with something else in the series. Partly just to get a few more manageable length games on the table.

I've imposed as much of the Hoplite rules as I can on the 1995 Alexander and the Tyrant and Phalanx modules.  I'm happy with the Hoplite rules so I've never seriously looked at Simple GBoH.

[Cyrano]

Rather proud of my son.  Sure, he drew two "Armored Attacks" in a row, but his Allies gave my lads a pounding in the bocage.  This is the base set "Operation: Cobra" about three full turns in.

Wound up a 5-3 beating.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Nefaro]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

I'm not terribly enamored with the treatment of non-Spartan Hoplites in some of the rules. 

I can get by as written in Hoplite since it also adds that movement randomness to the first charge, but reading the latest Alexander rules I also see them getting a different treatment.

There are extra rules that pretty much treat them as an unruly mob who can't be controlled after given the order to charge.  It also implies that the normal M.O. for Hoplites were to charge as a loose mob every battle.  As if they were all Marathon all the time.     Not only does this seem weird to me, due to the way a hoplite formation fights, but also because it could be said for all unit types of the era (if it goes for one, it should for all).  The reason given is that they were citizen soldiers; again, that would qualify for the vast majority of military units in the game, not just the Greek hoplites.  Fortunately it has an "Optional rule" designation next to it - I suppose others expressed similar views to mine.

Sometimes I think they try a little too hard, making a distinction between different titles in a series, and these extra rules are due to that mentality.

I've not read the extra rules for chariots in CoF, but it definitely points out that they're more detailed than others in the series.  Which is fine as long as it's not some unbalanced oddity.  Anyway.. my point is this:  use additional/optional rules with discretion.

[ArizonaTank]

Playing GMT's Blood & Roses, Blore Heath scenario.

The rules are somewhat similar, and also somewhat simpler than GBOH.

Blore Heath has the Yorkists in a defensive position.  An anti-cavalry trench in the rear, a wagon lager on their right, and caltrops.

In my game, the Lancs (red counters) were embarrassed early, as the Yorkist (white counters) long bows chewed up the Lanc bowmen, and stopped a mounted men-at-arms charge in its tracks.  But now the main Lancastrian battle (a group of units under a leader), with dismounted men-at-arms and infantry, gets in the fight.  The grand melee begins.

[MengJiao]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

I'm not terribly enamored with the treatment of non-Spartan Hoplites in some of the rules. 

  Sometimes you have to go with the odd charm of some slightly eccentric rules even if they do tend to over-do some aspects of what they are
supposedly simulating.

  For example, the clumsy, fragile, non-Spartan Hoplites of the Hoplite game can make you see why Marathon was so unexpected and how the Spartans kept an edge despite subscribing to the same odd adaptations that the Hoplite mode of warfare includes.

  Having looked into the period more carefully, I think in its own way Hoplite does an interesting job of representing the Greeks and Persians while the Alexander game tends to perpetuate the idea that Alexander was somehow more than just an alcoholic with a lot of luck and an army with more flexibility and shock power than a bunch of part-time Greeks in rather archaic gear.  I've looked in vain for anything worthwhile about Alexander other than a big ego and a nasty disposition who happened to show up as the Persian empire was starting to fall apart.  What came after him in the region (mercenary tyrants attacking each other) pretty much confirms the whole mess was sure to have happened in some form or other and that he didn't impose any order at all.
   Anyway, with Hoplite you can sort of confirm or return to your grade-school romanticism about the greeks, while with Alexander you end up watching the dull spectacle of yet another person's fantasies about why Alexander was so wonderful (when he was basically a cosmic jerk). 

[bob48]

I'll be playing more 'Der Weltkrieg' this weekend. Have the Galicia scenario set up atm.

I've been really tempted to grab the introductory game they just released, keep hearing great things about the system.  Would really like a WWI game I could get stuck into, I've got Grand Illusion which is good but it's a bit of a beast in terms of time needed. I heard the Eastern Front module has some shorter scenarios so would probably be worth it if I liked the system.

Well worth it - excellent game.

[Nefaro]

Sometimes you have to go with the odd charm of some slightly eccentric rules even if they do tend to over-do some aspects of what they are
supposedly simulating.

  For example, the clumsy, fragile, non-Spartan Hoplites of the Hoplite game can make you see why Marathon was so unexpected and how the Spartans kept an edge despite subscribing to the same odd adaptations that the Hoplite mode of warfare includes.

  Having looked into the period more carefully, I think in its own way Hoplite does an interesting job of representing the Greeks and Persians while the Alexander game tends to perpetuate the idea that Alexander was somehow more than just an alcoholic with a lot of luck and an army with more flexibility and shock power than a bunch of part-time Greeks in rather archaic gear.  I've looked in vain for anything worthwhile about Alexander other than a big ego and a nasty disposition who happened to show up as the Persian empire was starting to fall apart.  What came after him in the region (mercenary tyrants attacking each other) pretty much confirms the whole mess was sure to have happened in some form or other and that he didn't impose any order at all.
   Anyway, with Hoplite you can sort of confirm or return to your grade-school romanticism about the greeks, while with Alexander you end up watching the dull spectacle of yet another person's fantasies about why Alexander was so wonderful (when he was basically a cosmic jerk).

Alexander was certainly an angry spoiled alcoholic, but reading some of the detailed accounts of his lesser known political (& other) decisions makes me believe he had a good understanding of how to manipulate other people & political entities (when he was sober).  The guy obviously had a good thinker on his shoulders when he used it.  I don't think his massive success was just due to a massive streak of luck, either in the political or military arena.  ;D  It didn't take any time for all that to come crashing down once he was dead, so that's another indicator.

As for the non-Spartan Hoplite rules, they seemed to be overly harsh.  Perhaps for more balanced gameplay, I dunno, but the excuse that they were "Citizen Soldiers" just doesn't hold up because every army of the day consisted almost entirely of levies.  Experience was related to how often they fought.  That's why Alexander's army was so good - it fought constantly for a long stretch of time.  The Persian troops, on the other hand, hadn't needed to in such numbers very often at that point.  Regarding being "Citizen Soldiers", most of the units in all those armies were originally that or levies, called up only in times of war, so there's no need to single any one of them out for special negative treatment on those grounds unless it's a blanket modification for all of them.  That's why I don't plan on using the optional one in Alexander, at least. 

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I gave 1775 a whirl over the weekend and found it to be a very enjoyable light wargame.  My only complaint about the title is that the random turn order draw can really make the end game unbalanced.  I played in a a four player game as the British regulars.  On the final turn, my loyalist allies and I were up 9-3 in controlled regions but then the turn order pull gave the final two rounds to the continental army and the patriot militia and they were able to game the rules and eke out a 6-5 win. 

[MengJiao]

I gave 1775 a whirl over the weekend and found it to be a very enjoyable light wargame.  My only complaint about the title is that the random turn order draw can really make the end game unbalanced.  I played in a a four player game as the British regulars.  On the final turn, my loyalist allies and I were up 9-3 in controlled regions but then the turn order pull gave the final two rounds to the continental army and the patriot militia and they were able to game the rules and eke out a 6-5 win.

  Sounds very much like the actual war.

[MengJiao]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

Yeah I really like the order chit pull system which I know isn't in most of the rest of the series. Looks like I picked the right jumping in point.

I have got the Simple GBoH book so I'm tempted to try that out with something else in the series. Partly just to get a few more manageable length games on the table.

Say!  I have some GBoH games (Hoplite, SPQR (and barbarian module), Alex (lastest version with old version of Tyrant, but Phalanx and Diadochi built in)) -- I've played them off and on for decades but never with an opponent.  If you are interested we could set up a Vassal game with any of those -- PBEM style since our time zones differ.

[weateallthepies]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

Yeah I really like the order chit pull system which I know isn't in most of the rest of the series. Looks like I picked the right jumping in point.

I have got the Simple GBoH book so I'm tempted to try that out with something else in the series. Partly just to get a few more manageable length games on the table.

Say!  I have some GBoH games (Hoplite, SPQR (and barbarian module), Alex (lastest version with old version of Tyrant, but Phalanx and Diadochi built in)) -- I've played them off and on for decades but never with an opponent.  If you are interested we could set up a Vassal game with any of those -- PBEM style since our time zones differ.

Yeah I'd be up for that. I quite like PBEM anyway as I can fit it around life a little easier.

Still working through the rules so I'll try and get up to speed a little more, but you'd still probably have to answer the odd question and correct me if I make any mistakes but an opponent would be good.

[MengJiao]

Just set up Tanagra scenario of Hoplite and started pushing counters around whilst learning the rules.

What didn't I get into Great Battles of History sooner? Really enjoying the system.

I never really liked the system until I played Hoplite.  Hoplite is the most fun and elegant of the GBoH's incarnations, I think.  Chariots of fire is similar, but I didn't really like it as much as Hoplite or even the Tyrant module for Alexander -- which I play with Hoplite-like rules.

Yeah I really like the order chit pull system which I know isn't in most of the rest of the series. Looks like I picked the right jumping in point.

I have got the Simple GBoH book so I'm tempted to try that out with something else in the series. Partly just to get a few more manageable length games on the table.

Say!  I have some GBoH games (Hoplite, SPQR (and barbarian module), Alex (lastest version with old version of Tyrant, but Phalanx and Diadochi built in)) -- I've played them off and on for decades but never with an opponent.  If you are interested we could set up a Vassal game with any of those -- PBEM style since our time zones differ.

Yeah I'd be up for that. I quite like PBEM anyway as I can fit it around life a little easier.

Still working through the rules so I'll try and get up to speed a little more, but you'd still probably have to answer the odd question and correct me if I make any mistakes but an opponent would be good.

I sent a personal message to you with my email.  On to Vassal!!!!!

[Cyrano]

If one allows for the fact that the players wind up very upset at a successful mastermind -- murderously upset -- Tragedy Looper should count as a war game...

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Playing Twilight Struggle.
I'm not generally a fan of card-driven games but I think this one does a great job of giving off a real sense of history.