Thanks for doing this video guys! I was the developer for this game and supporting Kirk and this design a few years ago is one of my proudest moments. It was originally submitted to VPG and I was in charge of screening some of the designs that were being sent in. I knew right away that Lamps was a simple yet brilliant design that captured the feel of WWI almost perfectly. Kirk did an amazing job throughout the process bringing this game to fruition and this second edition is even better. I'm so glad that you both enjoyed it so much.
Designer notes and extra info on card events are fantastic. My first games took much longer as I had to read every card event! Made me go out and watch some Gallipoli stuff and other things I didn’t know much about.
I got my copy of this game literally just two days ago. I've cracked the shrink, sleeved the cards and put the counters into separate baggies...and that's it. I haven't played it. Really wish I could play with you guys on some kind of regular basis.
I was at the Compass Games Expo in May, picked this title up, and played some. I'm hoping to ply against one or both of my sons next month. I'm wondering how it would look to do the minimum of the Schlieffen Plan, creating a defensive barrier in the west, and then shifting the bulk of my effort in the east with the idea of knocking out Russia early. The guys I played with felt that Russia has a hard time in this game.
FYI I messed up rules first play. I had to re-read. Attacker is spent no matter what (unless you win vs a trench). However defender is only spent if you lose the die roll. At first the combat seemed too simple, but again I think it’s VERY thematic of just throwing guys into hopeless attacks for little gains. I also appreciate East Africa and near East tracks as a little treat of something different just like naval, U-boat, and dog fight elements. This was my first big wargame and loved it. Played with my son that’s a big war history fan. Love the alternate history that comes out of it.
I love it. It’s simple to play but can be very sandboxy. You have to understand the rules are meant to be very attritional with armies. With the scale it makes sense and all the rules feel like WW1. I haven’t played POG but I’ve seen several say Lamps FEELS more like WW1 though POG is a great game.
I haven't played this is a while, but I believe that an attacking army does not become spent if it successfully attacks a trench, and is able to continue attacking until it is either unsuccessful against a trench or attacks an opposing army. Has that changed in this new edition?
Great review of my favorite WW1 game. It has such a WW1 feel. And unlike most other WW1 strategic games, it doesn't need artificial rules to make you keep on attacking and throwing your resources into the meat grinder. The game makes you naturally want to keep up offensives so as not to allow the other side to regroup. I think the whole design is genius and I would play it anytime. I won't even touch the other more well known game anymore.
Sorry for the confusion, ties normally go to the attacker, unless you have air support and artillery present, which is actually kinda niche. Then they can (on a one off) go to the defender.
I’ve played this solo and it plays very well. Highly recommended. You gave a good representation of the game. The game hits the right spot of scale, complexity, and replayability. I was thinking if a group wanted to play 4, the 2 members on each team could swap roles yearly. In other words, the two Central Powers players could have one play as Germany and one as AH/Turks in 1914 and then change roles in 1915 then back again in 1916, etc…. Think that would keep the interest level up all around.
So newish to war games, bought a few true solitaire games but ww1 interests me...how is playing solo and both sides? Like how do you keep innate bias from interfering!?
There seems to be a BIG problem with counters density on that map. Specially the centric Europe line. I think you talked little about the cards. Were they interesting enough? Did you find them too random? Were they boring?
They were fine, you just flip the card and do what it says each turn. Sometimes it's a bonus in a combat, or a free move, or some other element. Nothing crazy or anything that you have to think about or plan for.
They do interesting things historical as they are broke into years. For example, TE might pull a card that forces GB to launch an amphibian assault in Gallipoli. Which you might not want to do. It replicates political pressure. Another card: “shackled to a corpse” forces Germany to have to spend a production point to keep AH from having negative DRM due to loss of their officer Corp and reliance on Germany to have to lead their troops.
