Best(s) in Class: WWII Grand Strategic

[@michaeltrull5788]

I appreciate that you took the time to review the games. Few if anyone others have done that and it helped me select a game. Thanks

[@callasmar]

Thanks! That was just fantastic. I already followed your Walkthrough of History and loved it. Still, there you mostly touched the games only a little, but this is a great scale...if you forgive me my not quite fitting words :) Please do more of these!

[@curtiskitchens7179]

Excellent summary and just what was needed. Thanks.

[@rienneant7607]

I'll remain a Word in Flames unconditional but I thouroughly enjoyed your review. Some games I knew and have played, like 3R, and it was nice discovering the others.

[@calandale]

WiF vs. A3R/AWAW is a fair match. The other games aren't really playing in the same space I'd say. Which is to say I might be craving Cataclysm, or Axis Empires when it's not a choice between WiF and one of these at all - they're just such different experiences, even if it's the same scope.

[@roygrutchfield5715]

Thank you for another thoughtful clip. Back before kids, when playing Hitlers War, we compared ASW v Sub and Bomber v AntiAir for research tech levels, so removing the problem you recalled.

[@e-4airman124]

so many great points made thank you

[@falconplays82]

Did you played Axis Empires again since this video was published? And IF.. what would you say about it in the „ranking“? I own a Deluxe Edition now and are learning it currently. In comparison to AWAW (I learned that before but didn’t play a whole Campaign yet) I think AWAW is maybe played a lot more straightforward. It is fiddly because of the chrome. But straightforward nonetheless.

[@calandale]

Nope. The fact they didn't make the promised expansion, and instead released a whole new version pissed me off. Plus, deep down, I prefer the real sandboxes like AWAW or WiF to the constraints that the cards represent here.

[@romain2725]

Very enjoyable video. I don't know if you have any intention of playing The U.S. Civil War by GMT but it would be so cool to get a similar coverage of strategic American Civil War games.

[@jameycribbs]

I can't remember if I already asked you this, but have you ever thought about playing Absolute Victory? I think you would get a kick out of the events system. I'm not sure how much you would like some of the other mechanics, though.

[@calandale]

Nope. IIRC it looked like WWII operational.

[@jameycribbs]

@@calandale It's definitely strategic. If it wasn't so damn expensive and my wargame allowance so small, I'd pick up a used copy and send it to you. :) Thanks for all your videos. They have provided me with a lot of enjoyment over the years (and cost me a lot of money buying games!).

[@captainamericaxxx3874]

He must be younger then me. My copies of all Avalon Hills games had hard game board maps.Don Prado's Third Reich came out in 1974. A lot of gaming companies and their titles got bought out by Hasbro including TSR and Parker Brothers. That's probably when the cheaper paper maps were issued.

[@calandale]

A3R is one of a very few AH games to come out with paper maps. Given the size (larger hexes), it takes two full mapsheets, and AH wasn't willing to pony up for a mounted map on it. While it is derived from the original 3R (which I've owned several editions of - but luckily not the first), it is significantly different beast. Hasbro owns the AH line now, but they haven't produced any real wargames under it, AFAIK.

[@JPFalcononor]

Did you ever do a play through of Avanced Third Riech? I would enjoy seeing that one some year.....

[@calandale]

Not on vid. AWAW kinda pushed that aside, as I wanted to see the differences in the system (not that much), as well as use Gathering Storm.

[@kevinacres1699]

+JPFalcononor I 2nd that. I would love to see calandale play through ATR or Rise and Decine of the third Reich! :)

[@calandale]

AWAW is VERY close to A3R.

[@samhudson3814]

AE is in the loop but you have to re-buy it more like a TK3 than an expansion

[@calandale]

Dammit! Definitely not happening. I've been sucked into that loop with too many other games.

[@Threedog43]

Lmao now is delayed to 2023

[@worldinflamesenthusiast3841]

6:32 You ponder whether there was a political/diplomatic system added to WiF. The answer is yes. In the 2001 Millennium Annual, they published Politics in Flames which had a great system for influencing minors/neutrals. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7734/politics-flames

[@flaviusbelisarius3240]

It was interesting to hear your thoughts on the various games. I've only played Triumph and Tragedy extensively and I do love it. Off the top of my head I can think of two other games in this genre: The Supreme Commander & Europe / Asia Engulfed (which uses blocks).

[@calandale]

One thing to keep in mind - I have not played any of these extensively. Some, just once. None more than say five times.

[@flaviusbelisarius3240]

Neither have most of us! So even your initial impressions of some of these are valuable.

[@alanhejnal3112]

Watched these WWII a few times...all good. Have you an opinion on GDW Europa series?

[@calandale]

Never played any of them actually. My impression has always been they are just big operational games, without anything to make them interesting enough to make an effort for. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by Anzio, and that doesn't have anything terribly exciting about it - so, if I ever see any at a tag sale for a couple bucks....

[@greglott4977]

The galaxies tiniest UFO flies past Calandale’s door at 4:08!

[@calandale]

The planes used to sometimes look like they were just hovering out that window.

[@blueTanso]

Is that the 1992 edition of Advanced Third Reich?

[@WestVirginia002]

What's the pipe? Grabow or Stanwell or...

[@calandale]

Not sure. I think it's Savinelli because it says Hercule. It may have the appropriate stamp. www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/savinelli/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=391049 One of a couple that I bought from a cigar shop in phoenix. Too big for my tastes right now

[@WestVirginia002]

@@calandale All pipes are good but dang, those pipes are beauty.

[@calandale]

I splurged on that one, because I was used to a really big bowel Italian Pipe that I had broken. Generally, I pick up close outs or (alas not so easy now) used ones.

[@upandawaygames]

By the way, did you ever happen to play Global War (SPI 1975)?

[@calandale]

Nah. I don't think I've even seen it played. A college friend of mine had it, and it didn't draw me in - he had a LOT of other SPI games I lusted after more though. :D

[@upandawaygames]

+calandale Yeah, I think it was SPI's attempt to respond to the popularity of Third Reich released in 1974, and it showed as there was probably too little testing and development -- big problems with fortresses on the Russian front and with too-powerful ASW. But it originated the "one more" production system that lives on in World in Flames and it's one of the few that dared to depict the war theater as a unity, including the uninteresting bits in the middle.

[@JPFalcononor]

I think I had Global War back in the day ....if that's the game where Germany was three hexes, then that is the one I tanked.....

[@upandawaygames]

+JPFalcononor thought it was five ;p

[@xman777b]

have you ever played Europe Engulfed ?

[@calandale]

Nope. I'm not a fan of block games, so I probably wouldn't be a good source for it. Unlike T&T, it looks like it takes itself a little too seriously for the flaws in a block design.

[@Protuberancio]

@@calandale Do you have any video where you explain in more detail the fundamental design flaws of blocks in your opinion? I'm interested in the topic. Thanks for all your videos as well!

[@calandale]

Not that I know of - although I definitely go off about them somewhere during T&T. My more recent Fog of War vid also touches on why they fail at most levels (but so does everything else).

[@Protuberancio]

@@calandale Thank you! I'll check them out! In EE, I like that the "important" units are marked, but the issue of strength variability is indeed tricky ;)

[@calandale]

most info about relative strength, in most cases, should be known to BOTH sides, outside of some real surprise situations, at anything above a skirmish level.

[@Heldermaior]

How do you think Cataclysm ranks with these titles?

[@calandale]

It's very different. Feels almost like what would happen if Phil Ecklund wrote a WWII game. :D Very 'what if', but the mechanisms require effort to wrap your head around.

[@Heldermaior]

@@calandale Yeah... But it is a grand strategy game in its essence and it does quite a good job at it imho. Hence I was curious about your opinion. I have WiF and almost never play it because of the time it takes but I recently got a game of it going and it is quite nice... But it doesn't do politics and political decisions that will impact the operational side of things half as well as Cataclysm imho.

[@calandale]

If you want some of that grand political, add DoD III to WiF (as I played it) or try AWAW. Still, those are both weeklong (at least) endeavors with lots and lots of details. So too with Axis Empires or Unconditional Surrender - which is still only Europe. The big choices for grand strategic with a smaller footprint are Cataclysm and Triumph & Tragedy (throw in Hitler's War for some good measure I guess). Cataclysm is the only global one (again, right now - I'm P500ed for whatever the Asian theater T&T is called). Cataclysm is probably the most difficult to wrap your head around, but I like the kind of decision making it has - even if a little hard to grasp.

[@Heldermaior]

@@calandale Yeah... I preordered Axis Empires new revised edition that was supposed to come out now but it will come out in 2021. From those grand strategy games it seems to be the one that is the closest to what I am looking for. Granted, I never tried DoD III for WiF and I am watching your playthrough right now. But there is something about WiF that just feels on rails (and AWAW even more so). The deck mechanic in Axis Empires feels more... organic? You start with a bunch of options but as you make decisions your options start to narrow and eventually you are locked down a path. Cataclysm for me is just a treat. All politics (albeit very abstracted) and decision making. I still have no clue of what's going on and I feel like the game is playing itself most of the time but slowly I am getting the hang of it. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions :)

[@calandale]

Playing itself is very much right. At least until and unless you get a lot more conversant with it than I am.

[@pm71241]

Actually DoD1 could be played as a standalone game. (never done it though). DoD1 was a great companion to WiF5 ... my understanding is that DoD2 was broken i a lot of ways which got fixed in DoD3.

[@calandale]

re DoD I: technically, yes (I've done it). No one would want to though. DoDII/III work fine. The DoD III rules are online, and (mostly) work with the 2nd edition components. I actually played a hybrid, because there were some things in II which needed some effort to fix (not all of which III handles though).

[@pm71241]

***** you're probably right... reading the DoD1 rules for standalone never made me want to try.

[@pm71241]

You are missing at least one game in this comparison: TSI: WWII ... boardgamegeek #2447 - and its Pacific companion. I played it a few times... never gave me anything WiF didn't though. It felt incomplete. ... but it was funny having the Japanese conquer Baku on the European map :)

[@calandale]

I didn't mention it right off? Thought I did. Looked it over back in the TSR reprint, and it didn't impress me much. Never played though.

[@therealwildwildwest]

Have you an opinion in The rise and decline of the third reich?

[@calandale]

Hmm...I guess. It doesn't really give me the amount of cool stuff to play with the way WiF or AWAW does. If you're just interested in the European Theater military operations, without a lot of flexibility, it's okay - but the reason I like the core of AWAW/A3R is the simpler military game works so well with all the bells and whistles; I'd probably pick WiF for the deeper dive on the purely military aspects.

[@therealwildwildwest]

@ thanks

[@janesmith699]

Ur such a cutiepie. ❤️

[@jamenta2]

Don't like World War II? Lie!!!! ;)

[@calandale]

Fair enough. It IS probably one of my least favorite topics though.