Having played a fair amount of games on the conflict in North Africa in WW2, I find myself falling back on SPI's 'Panzerarmee Afrika' for its design, playability, and general accuracy. Perhaps this game will do something more. I do not have a copy yet, but I am tempted. Thank you for the video. And very good to see you again.
Just rechecked the victory condition rules and things aren't so bleak for the Allies after all. Crete counts as an airfield for coastal shipping modifiers but not for airfields when comparing to the victory level required. So the actual tally is about even.
It works okay with the map in the box. I couldn't find a deluxe map here in the UK so got my own vinyl map done via Vistaprint. It's a single piece and about 2/3 the price. Prefer it actually.
Yes mate …still here … I don’t foresee being anywhere else now …Rachel speaks fluent Spanish and she wanted to come back here from the start ( she worked here for 5years before we married ) how have you all been are you still in the same home ? I just picked up Nach Paris 1914 from Vuca …stunning production…just been updating rule book …but I guess this how I got a YT recommendation for you as I was looking for reviews /play throughs …Just to let you know you can contact Vuca through their WhatsApp link and they respond very quickly !
Thanks very much indeed. One takeaway from folks who have played 'Downfall' is that, despite its length, there is something of an urge to set the game back up and replay it soon after the turns are completed, to see what alternative history might yet be revealed. 'Unconditional Surrender' on the other hand, as outstanding as it is, tends to be exhausting--not because of any flaws in the mechanics or overall design, but because it is so comprehensive and the experience an excellent one, just all encompassing with somewhat less variability compared to 'Downfall'. Wondering if you would agree with any of those sentiments.
I would agree that Unconditional Surrender is more tiring overall but simply because it is longer. The actual game play itself hour by hour is no more involved or complicated. As regards variability I would say that Downfall has more local variability whereas Unconditional Surrender has more global variability. This is because of the diplomatic element of the game which is entirely absent from Downfall. A game which sees a late or no no Italian entry or one that has Turkey enter the war will have a completely different narrative. Both great games. Thanks for watching. Chris.
I think Downfall has a lot of potential but there are too many tracks and the rotating the counters to indicate strength is annoying. A high degree of vigilance is required and is distracting from game play. I also think it would have greatly enhanced play if the players could win as the Germans too. Good Luck Chris.
One thing I didn't like was that on the western front the unit density got very high and there was a lot of fiddling with counters. I didn't like the air system either, which precluded, practically, email games.
Well the one counter per hex makes the counter density much easier than in some other games. I agree that the interactive systems do not lend themselves to email play. Vassal on the other hand works very well.
Thanks for this update and your analysis. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts at some point comparing this to your experiences, including your recent game, with "Unconditional Surrender".
Very interesting as always, thank you. A largish footprint and long game play, from all one hears. I saw where another reviewer said that it was one of the few games that, upon completion, they wanted to set up and play again. Looking forward to your impressions relative to other games of the same scale, such as 'Unconditional Surrender'.
Very much enjoyed the playthrough, thank you. Any ideas about what you might embark on next? I've a copy of the first edition of the game that I still haven't unboxed--other games took priority. I wonder if I should do so and try to play with the 2nd edition/updated rules, if such a thing is possible.
I have searched the various sites such as BGG and CSW and I do not see any example of play errata. What I did see was someone claiming there was a mistake, but they were not playing correctly. Please let me know what I missed.
Combat example 16. Prussians are +4 I believe (Zeithen, town, cav support , Blucher) a roll of 3 makes 7 so the difference is 2 not 3. Combat example 18. French have Gerard not Vandamme. French cav can't charge as the defender is in a town. Doesn't explain where the +5 for the Allies comes from. Presumably town, Orange and Wellington so Wellington should be flipped to his two stars side. If these are not mistakes then please let us know. Does a supporting cav get the support drm and a battle star drm if the enemy is in a hex that can be charged?
I played it many times with my friend and we had a lot of different outcomes. There was everything from German decisive victory up to Allied decisive victory. I have to look for our old reports. (We are germans and write down everything 🙈) But in our opinion the dice roll at some points in the game are crucial. Landing in Normandië If the Allied player is a bit unlucky and can't breakthrough the rough area in Normandië and take le Havre and Cherbourg in the first 2-2,5 month it will be difficult in the long time. Brittany Well the landing is usually easier and without substantial losses. Under all costs you have to get the bigger ports for a bigger push into Normandy and use the British army to go south for Gascoigne and the ports in Poitou. Combine it with the minor assault and push to Provence. 😎 But the Germans have a lot of time to prepare a good defensive position at the Saine river. Picardy If the landing goes well it is a nice spot to gain territory quickly. As soon as you are in supply the allied armoured forces have a big advantage in that area. And it will be very cost full for the Germans to defend near the landing zones. If the German player is a bit lucky with reinforcements he can fill up the Provence box with cheap unmotorized infantry and take out the Panzergrenadier units. I would even go that far as the German player to withdraw from Provence and fight it out on the main map because the terrain is on the defenders side. ( Fortresses, mountain and rough terrain) yes it is a lot of VP's but you can easily pin the allies down in the south and force him to split his resources and supplies. And it will take the allied player a turn more and a supplied HQ to get a conus unit operational on the map. But in general for the Allies disband the 2 British infantry units and keep pushing forward your troops 'will' come back. As for the German player avoid bigger counterattacks. Pin them down with the CD units and use the kampfgruppe option with the cheap infantry units. Replacements are for tanks, PG and FJ units.
Well done -and many thanks for your always insightful perspectives. You've made me realize how much I miss playing this great game that hits all the sweet spots I look for. I've been on a Russian Besieged binge for the last several months and too many of my old loves have become victim to the charms of my current amour. Time to return to the path of the straight and narrow and remedy that. Many thanks for the link to the new Weather Chart; eager to road-test it.
They're on Consimworld. talk.consimworld.com/WebX/.1dd4495a/5972 The playaid on the GMT website still has the original playaid weather. Any problem send me your email and I'll send you the jpeg that I cropped out of the pdf of the playaid. You need the 2022 version.
I think GMT asked the designer to keep the “Dark” titles for the games they publish. The Deadly Woods was published by someone else, not GMT. I agree with your opinion on this one. I enjoyed it a lot and while, maybe, Normandy 44 has more detail and chrome I think this one is better overall. Primarily because it is much easier to get on the table and play, as you said.
Thank you for the video and it's very good to see you Sir. As you asked for other similar sorts of work on the same topic, another game on this same set of events is the reprint and upgrade of Mark Herman's original design, France 1944 from Compass Games, originally from Victory Games. The original Cobra game by SPI seems to me at least to be a better game than the follow-up in 'World at War' magazine. The latter is laden with chrome and other added weight and rule adjustments and exceptions. The recently released version from Decision Games in boxed format apparently contains an invasion scenario--something unavailable in any of the preceding editions--but I wonder if it carries its weight when it comes to providing a better overall sense of the campaign from beaches through bocage and then beyond. I have heard the odd complaint about abstracting out the Cherbourg peninsula. It is interesting to hear you say that you did not find it unhelpful.
Another interesting video thanks Chris. This has inspired me to play rather than sell my copy. IMO the Deadly Woods, once you get past the first couple of scripted turns, is a really good one-map bulge game and great value too.
thanks for the vid. These Normandy games seem to always have a big weather effect -- if it kicks in. Normandy 44 is another example where weather plays a huge roll for the outcome. cheers.
i heard Butterfield was some kind of game guru. This is a very flawed game. The list of accuracy failures is legion and the rules are the worst I have ever seen. The charts are cluttered and difficult to decipher. The movement rules are complex and stupid. The combat rules are much too complicated and unrealistic. Motorized infantry are magic being able to traverse forest and swamp while retaining the ability to drive endless distances on a road. XXXcorps is also magic being able to completely ignore being out of supply. !st airborne can just ignore Arnhem and move entirely into the South with no loss of Victory Status, in fact they can be completely wiped out and an allied strategic victory is still assured. With the V.C.s provided there is really no way to avoid an allied strategic victory. In short Butterfield is clearly an idiot and all games designed by him ought to be shunned.
