Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

Latest Blogs...

K
kishanrg
March 27, 2024

Popular Real Money Blackjack Games Online

Designer and Publisher Blogs
K
kishanrg
March 20, 2024

What Is The Cost Of Developing A Rummy Game?

Designer and Publisher Blogs
K
kishanrg
March 18, 2024

Satta Matka Game API Providers in India

Designer and Publisher Blogs
J
jesshopes
March 01, 2024
S
Sagrilarus
September 22, 2023
S
shubhbr
June 02, 2023
Hot
S
Sagrilarus
May 08, 2023
J
Jexik
March 19, 2023
M
mark32
December 19, 2022

Anagram Intrigue

Member Blogs
S
Sagrilarus
November 20, 2022
J
Jexik
November 14, 2022

Lose and Learn

Member Blogs
D
darknesssweety
September 27, 2022

Viking Saga

Designer and Publisher Blogs
N
ninehertz
August 03, 2022

How to Create Game Characters?

Designer and Publisher Blogs
M
MVM
June 27, 2022
W
WilliamSmith
June 09, 2022

F:AT Thursday - Conflict of Heroes Storms of Steel!

Hot
R Updated
F:AT Thursday - Conflict of Heroes Storms of Steel!
There Will Be Games

In the seeming endless plains of the steppe, men in ragged and torn uniforms of brown slowly move into line. They have their orders. Another village must be taken. The fascists must once again be driven back and expelled from Holy Mother Russia. The steely gaze of the Political Commissar ranges back and forth over the grimy faces of the men. His sneer a mute reminder of the costs of disloyalty or failure. The whistle to signal the advance is quickly followed by the stuttering sound of the German machine guns opening up. Two men do not march stoically into a hail of bullets. They have no wish for death. They are here for board games. It's F:AT Thursday on a Monday.

In a shocking display of misplaced priorities, we decided that Thanksgiving should take precedence over board gaming this week. Yes, "Family First" is a crazy way to go through life. So then Josh and I got together on Monday instead. (Uba and Al still being unavailable)

Josh suggested we revisit the Conflict of Heroes game system of tactical WW2 combat. I had purchased the original Waking the Bear game when it was first released. I found the production qualities to be fantastic. The boards and the counters are really over the top great for a war game. However, the game really left me somewhat cold.

There were certain "gamey" things about it that broke the spell that a good war game can cast. Specifically drawing damage tokens when a unit is hit bothered me. The logic that if two guys are pinned, the next guy to take damage is less likely to be pinned but more likely to be auto-killed just jars me. Also, it suffered greatly from the "wait until your opponent is out of actions and then you can run your remaining guys anywhere you like without being shot" that appears in many tactical games to one degree or another.

Josh informed me that there were some rule changes between my set and the second set "Storms of Steel" so I said what the heck. The rules changes, specifically alternating after each action rather than after each unit completes ALL it's actions was a good one and increased the tension a lot.

In the first scenario, I as the Germans was assigned the task of retrieving some secret documents from the Russians in a village. At first things seemed to be going well as I rushed into the center of town to the stone building where the papers were supposed to be. The problem with that strategy is this: If you take the center of a village held by Russians you find that you are now surrounded by Russians. In a moment of weakness, my Germans were liquidated.

For the second scenario, I, as the Russians this time, was assigned the unenviable task of ejecting the Germans from a different village. The main problem here being that I had to advance across about 1000 yards of wheat field to get there and the Germans, being notorious spoil sports, had set up their two machine guns to cover said wheat field. It turns out that sheaves of grain are a less than optimal at deflecting a shit storm of bullets from rapid fire MG34s.

My Russians never got close.

I was happier with the new rules but still a bit less than enthusiastic. I want to LOVE this game/system but there is something I cannot put my finger on that prevents me.

To exact my vengeance, once again it was Mage Wars. A rematch of last week with Warlock vs. Priestess. Josh attempted the usual 3 turns of prep spells. The Priestess was having none of it. She was all over him like a drunken floozy  at a dive bar who suspects you were looking at her man. The She-bitch Blitz took Josh completely by surprise and his Warlock was down for the count in under a half hour. This game is still fantastic.

 

 

 

 

There Will Be Games
Log in to comment