Em’s Games Log

[Whiterook]

As with any new game, first comes cracking ‘er open! All contents looked great on quick inspection so, I took a little time before and after dinner to first, sleeve up the cards. I chose KMC Perfect Size 64 x 89mm, a Japanese card sleeve that I buy on Amazon by the 10-pack (cheapest option by far!). These sleeves are meant to be the inner sleeve, pairing it with a reversed outer sleeve, but I use these as the primary outer sleeve… yiu can generally get a size that will fit the card like a glove without bending the card.




Next was punching counters, and then clipping them with my Oregon Laminators 2mm corner rounder.




…since these counters are so small (like the size of older Wargames), I chose a smaller corner, which was perfect, leaving factors and flags untouched. I think clipping your counters makes not only a huge difference in handling them — the little punch fizz on the corners can stick to each other when stacking — but also look much better!




Finally, as with my Pacific Tide game, I placed each sides’ counters in card cases, which make 5e, pretty easy to fumble through for counters (there aren’t a lot of counters in these games); as well as place each sides’ cards in card cases; and then bag the admin counters and dice (…I have to say, this game has some of the best dice I’ve seen come with a game… KUDOS to Compass Games!).



Next will be finishing the rules and then getting it on the table!

[Whiterook]

Escape from Stalingrad Z



Playing concurrently with the game above on a different play area, I’m planning on playing within the next few days. Once playing, the scenarios themselves (that are part of playing the game as campaigns) are all said to be fast play. There are three levels… basically, Newb, Veteran Wargamer, and Advanced Craziness.



I can’t tell you emphatically enough, how cool this game is! Granted, I just started the rulebook now, on page 14… the first 10 pages are explaining the components and dew behind the game; thirty pages the. Explain the Core Rules and how to play; then by page 41, you delve into team control, a great armory of weapons that you might use, and multiplayer options. All of this in fairly large type, with great artwork illustrations and examples, so the rules are a somewhat quick read in my early judgement.

I’m planning to just use the Character Discs and/or Cardboard Standees to get gaming now. I think for my personal tastes, I’ll need to pant the miniatures before using them? …not sure on that yet 

[Whiterook]

Oddly enough, I’ve three games going concurrently at the moment… this is a first!

• Ostkrieg took a bit to clip and sleeve, and for me, it’s at least a couple day play (or more) and I do t have the setup area available yet, but I will get it tabled soon
  
• Escape from Stalingrad Z needs punching of counters and standees and organizing, but I made it through the rules and want to start figuring it out. Games are quick setup and quick play, so no worries on cat proofing, beyond an unguarded table!
  
• Caucasus Burning: The Nagorno-Karabakh-Karabakh War, 2020, has joined the fray, with my reading the rulebook (10 pages of rules), which came in Flying Pig Games’, YAAH! #15 magazine game edition.

A clever, card-driven, hex and counter executed game, the simulation is an operational design by Greg Porter, covering the Nagorno-Karabahk War of 2020. You'll command formations of T-90 tanks, BMP-equipped mechanized infantry, drones, cruise missiles, and squadrons of attack aircraft as you simulate the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place in the fall of 2020. Units represent battalions grouped into brigades. Maneuver and attacks in the game are done via actions played from a deck of cards, and each pass through the deck represents 2 days and nights of fighting. A game of Caucasus Burning: The Nagorno-Karabahk War, 2020 will probably take a little less than 10 passes through the deck, so it will run a little faster than the actual war 




Planning to get this on the table soon!

[mikeh]

Three games at once!That is a lot going on. Sounds like fun though I must admit. I need to check out YAAH magazine.

[Whiterook]

Jul 3, 2023 13:23:55 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Three games at once!That is a lot going on. Sounds like fun though I must admit. I need to check out YAAH magazine.

Luckily, Escape from Stalingrad Z has a super small footprint, so it’s quick to setup and tear down… it’ll be an in-between game at the kitchen table, while I try to get through Ostkrieg up in Gameroom Headquarters North (old office space) mainly this upcoming weekend. Caucasus Burning is gonna get some counter and cards work tomorrow for the 4th and a see what I can play in short the end of the week, just to ge5 mechanics down.

YAAH! magazine is super nice, actually… they highlight all kinds of games, from Wargames to Star Wars and the like, which great in-depth analysis and review. There are typically about five or so scenarios for different games, mostly Flying Pig Games and Tiny Battle Publishing, but some others as well. And of course, a full game with maps, real counters, and rules/charts/player aids in the magazine itself. There is a much cheaper version in PDF (print ‘n play, for the game)… the magazine is a decent price at $40 USD, considering yiu get a full game that would easily cost at minimum $25-50 on its own, boxed or zippie. I own the print versions of this #15, as well as #14 (with the game, “Rattenkrieg”). I asked Santa’s helper this morning to put #13 (“The Battle of Hue”, Vietnam… a sister game in The style of The Battle of Ramadi).

[Whiterook]

Been bouncing between systems, but I’ve been having a hankering for quite a bit now to jump back into Lock ‘N Load’s, tactical squad-level game (LNLT), which has been a favorite of mine for 15 years now! …I was introduced to the system by the original designer, Mark Walker, back at Origins Game Faire back around 2008, it’s been a staple of mine since, even through all its redevelopment under new company ownership.

I originally cut my teeth in platoon-level games, but once I discovered squad-level, I’ve gravitated towards those particular board Wargames as my primary interest. While a lot of serious “Grognards” of that level gaming head towards Advanced Squad Leader, that system remains just too brain draining for my tastes and interest — and though ASLs’ Starter Kit scales downward towards LNLT, it’s still way too detailed. LNLT is plenty enough intense and detailed for my gaming style, while still remaining fun and relatively fast-play. It remains a favorite!

Whereas the system has been rebranded and upgraded under the “Heroes of…” moniker series of games and expansion sets, and is currently in version 5.1 rules as of this thread, which covers the gamut of eras from WWII to 1980’s, I still prefer the version 4.1 Lock ‘N Load Tactical World War II Era 1939 - 1959 rulebook as my go-to rules… it’s stays in that pocket of WWII, and has plenty of updates from v3 and earlier rules. I’d use v5.1 for the more modern eras, but honestly, I’ve stuck primarily in WWII.



I also think LNLT looks a hell of a lot better that ASL/SK! …but like I mentioned, it’s an easier, and dare I say more elegant system. I did buy the latest Heroes of Normandy core game…



…it’s been out of print for a long time now, and I bought a new/used copy off a gaming buddy. It has some real nice upgrades to the components, with new cardstock, folded maps, of which style is now part of all their LNLT expansions and new Player Aids (PACs); the counters are pre-rounded at corners, but there are tree nips in the center of all four sides so, what was gained? …it’s actually a little more annoying to me, plus the extra punching of the die-cut process to get those rounded corners make a bevel on all the sides, of which the printed art is kinda wonky in falling off the flat earth-look, IMHO…plus, it appears lighter in ink color. I think I like the older games, which is why I’ve kept my original and 2nd edition Band of Heres copies!



…the benefits of the older games for me are:  I’ve rounded the counters myself, and the counters appear to be clearer; the maps are on solid boards (one solid piece on 1st edition and folded on 2nd edition); the PACs are just one cardstock sheet, versus big double folded ones (harder to find table space for those); and the scenarios are on separate cardstock sheets, instead of on a scenario book (…I think it’s easier to setup games with the separate sheet).

So there you have it! I’ll be taking a long comparison look at all three versions of game I mentioned and seeing what sticks best with me 

[Whiterook]

So here’s an example of the newest games’ counters from Heroes of Normandy on the top, and the 1st Edition of Band of Heroes on the bottom…



…note, you can’t really tell from my picture, but the BoH 1st Edition on the bottom are super glossy in the wrong angle! …that can get annoying under bright light at the table, and more so in photographing games in play.

I decided to dig out my 2nd Edition of Band of Heroes (bottom row), whose counters are not as crisp as the 1st Edition, but don’t have that nasty gloss. So I’ll go with those for now and see what I think. I may switch back to the 1st Editions’.



…I like the 2nd Edition BoH much better than the Heroes of Normandy game counters! …the latter are just so faded looking,



…so I started clipping the 2nd Edition counters today!



It’s sometimes a boon to have multiple editions of a game from through the years!

[mikeh]

When the Lock and Load system first came out did they put out a down loadable game for free? It was about clearing a village shortly after the D-day landings? I think I may have it somewhere amongst my papers. I will have to see if I can find it.

[Whiterook]

Aug 9, 2023 12:28:12 GMT -5 mikeh said:

When the Lock and Load system first came out did they put out a down loadable game for free? It was about clearing a village shortly after the D-day landings? I think I may have it somewhere amongst my papers. I will have to see if I can find it.

Yes, they did! I still have my cobbled-together one that I’ve used several times for vacation and business trips! …it is, indeed, one scenario and map, with just the amount of counters needed play that scenario. The good news is, it’s enough counters where you can do some DIY scenarios, and print extra counters off.

…the original was offered for free from their forum. I emailed you another copy just now 😊

Since then, they came out with the Lock ‘n Load Tactical Starter Kit v5.1 (available Here) which gives you a chance to play two scenarios from our World War 2 Heroes of Normandy game and two scenarios from our Heroes of the Nam game….so, a lot more, but it’s gonna cost ‘ya $25! Now the good news of going that route is that, yiu don’t have to print ‘n play build it yourself, as I ncluded in the LnLT Starter Kit are one full color 11.0 x 17.0 double-sided map, one counter sheet with 130 rounded counters 2 mm thick, an 11 x 17 player aid card and links to download your preferred game manual. The only things you will need to provide is a set of 1d6 dice and print off a copy of the rulebook (available for free download or purchase).

Me being me, I keep a copy of a print ‘n play v4.1 pdf (and here’s a link to it), which also includes the rulebook. Yeah, it’s not v5.1, but that version covers all eras, whereas v4.1 is just WWII and all yiu really need!

[mikeh]

Thanks for the copy, will have my sis in law print it off for me.

[Whiterook]

Aug 20, 2023 22:06:25 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Thanks for the copy, will have my sis in law print it off for me.

My pleasure! I printed the counters on SMEAD pressboard folder cardstock (see here) and they hold up super well! I’ve thought about spraying them with a gloss or semi-gloss varnish so the printer ink holds up better under repeated use/wear… I’ll do that at some point and do a tutorial in the War College.

[Whiterook]

I needed uo clipping the 1st edition of Band of Heroes and plan to use those first and see how I like the counters. Will use the maps from the 2nd edition, as they are far better than the 1st, which had halos around the hex sides and center dots, which is annoying as hell!

After some scenarios played, maybe I’ll switch up to one of the other versions’ counters… but in the end, whichever counters I feel I like to use best, I’ll use the new Heroes of Normandy games’ maps and scenario book; I may or may not use the gigindo HoN Player Aid Charts (…they’re so friggin’ BIG!)

[Whiterook]

Reengaging with Lock ‘N Load Tactical has been a nice reentry… there’s still quite a bit I need to learn on armor (I’ve no clue, currently), but the other mechanics have come back fair enough; I’m sure there’s stuff I’m doing wrong, but I’ve figured out that until you play a LOT of scenarios to flesh it all out, you're just gonna make mistakes.

My intent was to stick with Lock ‘N Load Tactical (LNLT) as my main gaming focus for a bit, with other games (war and non-wargames) supplementing; I want to get a variety in play! But if fell into one of the traps that keeps snaring me… Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit! 



…a gamer friend of mine, who hosts a monthly Gaming Garage (GG) gig in is huge dual garage layout (it’s like the size of a small buddy shop!), also hosts an annual event called, the Garage Bararge, where Advanced Squad Leader is played exclusively (unlike the monthly GG, which is any game, though ASL is typically a staple). I’ve needed to get up to his place, which is over an hour away drive, to pick up a couple used games I bought from him, as well as some models another gamer is shuttling my way… so I invited my friend, Brian (who lives about an hour away west of me) to some Starter Kit action… interestingly enough, he’s been focusing on LNLT with a friend in his area and has been wanting to restart ASLSK, so it all kinda fell into place. I’ll be reviewing Starter Kit 1 over the weekend and maybe get a scenario or three up and played. ….this system just won’t fall off my interest list!

[McCoy]

The ASL bug will never let you rest as it's biting you again as soon as you begin to forget it...

[Whiterook]

Sept 4, 2023 10:42:00 GMT -5 McCoy said:

The ASL bug will never let you rest as it's biting you again as soon as you begin to forget it...

Yes indeed, that is unfortunately (or fortunately, as I clearly can’t decide) true! It’s *that* system that offers enough fun to merit it’s staying in the collection, but annoying enough that it makes your teeth cringe.