What's on your table right now?

bayonetbrant · April 21, 2015, 08:34:07 AM

Now you're talking!

BanzaiCat · April 21, 2015, 08:38:07 AM

Ha. If I had such a wand I'd market it, be a billionaire, and friggin' BUY Gen-Con. :)

bayonetbrant · April 21, 2015, 08:45:57 AM

you're too much of a skinflint to invent it ;)

BanzaiCat · April 21, 2015, 08:53:30 AM

Trust me, I am NOT a skinflint. If I had the means, I would be there every year.

bayonetbrant · April 21, 2015, 09:23:42 AM

sez the guy who is going on a cruise instead of Origins!

BanzaiCat · April 21, 2015, 09:46:21 AM

Yeah, some things the wife is willing to spend money on (in this case, our tax refund check). She doesn't want me going off and having a good time, and as she's about as anti-gamer as one can get, no way in hell she'd see a week at Gen Con as a fun time. :(

Cyrano · April 21, 2015, 11:51:45 AM

@Vance: The blocks are order markers -- think "Heroscape". As will shortly be revealed -- FORESHADOWING -- their scarcity is a big part of the game's strategy.

I've little use for the spook-show stuff, but the Carentan and Ste. Mere-Eglise expansions have me a bit pumped.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

Nefaro · April 21, 2015, 07:30:16 PM

Quote from: Barthheart on April 21, 2015, 08:04:55 AM
Heroes of Normandy.

I didn't know there were blocks in it though.... ???

There is a set of blocks for each side, numbered in order. You'll get a numbered amount up to your command limit value, which can be increased if you purchase leaders/units with the appropriate bonus symbol. Pretty much all the various unit values and abilities are printed on the large counters, which is quite nice and lends more individuality to different troop & vehicle types.

Back to the blocks - each player places them face down on their units in the order they want to activate them. There are also specials available that are more flexible and can trump the order during turn play. Your opponent can't see the order of the number ones, of course. Activations alternate.

I think the attractive part of the system is all of the various value and abilities for each unit being printed on the counters, a lesser amount of rules exceptions & fidgety junk, and the card play dynamic. The force purchasing is also interesting since it restricts what types of counters you can purchase for a specific unit, but still leaves some flexibility, all in a graphical color-coded frame.

It may take a little time to learn all the graphical symbols/colors by memory alone, but it seems intuitive enough to not be a problem.

Arctic Blast · April 21, 2015, 10:20:44 PM

Quote from: Banzai_Cat on April 21, 2015, 07:59:17 AM
OK, Cyrano and Nefaro...what is that game? HoN, what's that? ???

I talked about it somewhere when I first got into it...aha! http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=10758.0

I have since purchased A LOT more of it. I have enough extra material to play a 4-5 player skirmish game. It sets up the same way as a minis tabletop game, where everyone has a point total and you spend those points as you see fit to purchase units, upgrades and equipment. Set up a series of boards for your play area, load it up with terrain, trenches, hard points, bunkers and so on, create and set up your forces, and go to town.

Once you've played a game or two, the only aspect of things that you'll still need to look up are the various special ability icons.

weateallthepies · April 24, 2015, 05:56:26 PM

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

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

Nefaro · April 25, 2015, 04:30:26 AM

Quote from: weateallthepies on April 24, 2015, 05:56:26 PM
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.

Nice.

I've only punched & clipped the counters in Hoplite, but I couldn't resist picking up the new Alexander Revised and Extended version when it finally hit some stores at a better price than GMT's $100 listing.

For me, Alexander is the ideal GBoH since it has the most varied amount of troop types & abilities, and many battle scenarios featuring the quantity-vs-quality dichotomy.

I also picked up a used copy of Chariots Of Fire not long ago because I've been interested in some Bronze Age stuff and Ran. I still feel a need to pick up some more, despite being too overloaded with currently owned ones yet to be played. Like a collector's sickness. :))

I'm hoping that Cataphract and an SPQR Extended Deluxe hits P500 reprint before long. In the meantime, I can get some of the Roman/Carthaginian fix with the old PC version if need be.

weateallthepies · April 25, 2015, 06:52:47 AM

Quote from: Nefaro on April 25, 2015, 04:30:26 AM
Nice.

I've only punched & clipped the counters in Hoplite, but I couldn't resist picking up the new Alexander Revised and Extended version when it finally hit some stores at a better price than GMT's $100 listing.

For me, Alexander is the ideal GBoH since it has the most varied amount of troop types & abilities, and many battle scenarios featuring the quantity-vs-quality dichotomy.

I also picked up a used copy of Chariots Of Fire not long ago because I've been interested in some Bronze Age stuff and Ran. I still feel a need to pick up some more, despite being too overloaded with currently owned ones yet to be played. Like a collector's sickness. :))

I'm hoping that Cataphract and an SPQR Extended Deluxe hits P500 reprint before long. In the meantime, I can get some of the Roman/Carthaginian fix with the old PC version if need be.

Yeah I'd really like to get Alexander, it's just this week hit distribution in the UK, but still a little expensive for me to buy just at the moment.

I've been tempted by Chariots of Fire as I've seen it cheap a few times. It's a period that interests me, but it always seems like a step to far to create such a detailed game on an era where we have virtually no information regarding the battles. I probably just need to get over it and accept it as a game. :)

SPQR has long been on my wishlist.

bob48 · April 25, 2015, 06:59:05 AM

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

MengJiao · April 25, 2015, 07:12:40 AM

Quote from: weateallthepies on April 24, 2015, 05:56:26 PM
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.

weateallthepies · April 25, 2015, 02:19:12 PM

Quote from: bob48 on April 25, 2015, 06:59:05 AM
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.