I have most of these games stored in my basement. Sadly most young people have neither the desire nor the attention span to play these games. I find board war games are far more intellectually stimulating because you as the gamer had much to manage. The complexity of Squad Leader demanded your full attention. It was not a beer and pretzel game. With the mega games you could find your uncle Fred throwing a grenade in France. Those were the days. Great presentation, thanks for creating it.
@anathardayaldar3 ай бұрын
I don't know how they can compete with computer games today.
@MrTigurius3 ай бұрын
@@anathardayaldar In reality they can not. What most “gamers” value today is the flash, video effects, rapid game play and continuous stimulation. Board games comparatively are slow lack visuals and are a more intellectual endeavor. They have never had the audience that today’s video games command. But they do bring back fond memories.
@ThymeKeeper2 жыл бұрын
Oh, that PanzerBlitz cover 😍
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Oh yeah!
@plneky11712 жыл бұрын
I visited their office on Harford Road in the summer of 1966 (to the best of my memory). I insisted my parents take me there while on vacation from the west coast. There was a reporter from Parade magazine doing an article on the company and was astonished that a 13 year-old war game fan from Washington state was visiting the game company while on vacation. I ended up being referred to in the magazine article, but not by name. After visiting Avalon Hill it was off to Aberdeen Proving Grounds to look at their armor display. Great memories and vacation.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
That's awesome! If I'd known your story, I would have referenced it in the episode LOL
@michaelsommers2356 Жыл бұрын
I prevailed upon my grandfather to take me there about the same time. I bought _Guadalcanal._
@gregschmittgens1262 Жыл бұрын
Serendipity. That Parade article (came out in 1967) is what got me interested in AH games. Got my first one (Blitzkrieg) for Christmas 1967.
@GR-pv5jx Жыл бұрын
@@gregschmittgens1262 Did you ever get the SPI expansion to Blitzkrieg that came out in '69? I remember trying to mail order it in the 70s but they were always out of stock. I saw it way later at a hobby shop at the Dallas Galleria mall while I was on a business trip when I was in my early 30s but they wanted $120 for it. I passed it up due to family budget restraints. Always wondered what new things were in the expansion.
@gregschmittgens1262 Жыл бұрын
@GR I remember it but never got it. As I recall, I was satisfied with learning basic Blitzkrieg until I heard the Siren Song of other AH games.
@rabbakahn Жыл бұрын
This is quite a trip through history as well as a trip down memory lane. Living in California, I did not have the opportunity to see the company first hand. I did at one in time own pretty much every AH game made, along with some by SPI. The one odd game out was the Warlord Game. Squad Leader holds a special place in my heart, but I will never forget the anticipation of AiW and Starship Troopers. I remember pouring over the General religiously. Heading into the 80s, my collection grew to include many games from a wide variety of publishers. I still have some to this day. Upon writing this I realized that I never have thanked my older brother for introducing me and my younger brothers to the hobby about 55 years ago.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Always glad to hear about how these videos spark such great memories! I am not sure if you checked out part 1 (or any of the others) already, but here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bV7PaWaOlrl_ndk . I am putting together part 6 right now!
@richardklug8222 жыл бұрын
While attending high school in 1965, I and several friends helped play test both the Battle of the Bulge and Blitzkrieg for Tom Shaw. Instead of cash, after a testing session we each received a game as payment. I managed to accrue quite a collection of their classics in this way. The first AH title I actually purchased was Jutland.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Wow! That's an amazing way to acquire a collection! Very nice! I imagine the playtesting was super fun!
@blockmasterscott2 жыл бұрын
That’s actually better than cash.
@sonsofliberty75 Жыл бұрын
I’m I 🎉😮😢😮😮😮😅 😊u u I look mom u😅yo😊 Ohhhhhhhhhhh 😊m
@ThymeKeeper2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely loving this. I started in the late 70's with Dune, Starship Troopers, Statis Pro, and many loving perusals of the catalog :)
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
All great games! And as for the catalog, we did a video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHWveGlvqbKJaZI
@gowensbach2998Ай бұрын
I fell in love with AH games. I had a large collection despite my meager income. Fond memories
@LegendaryTacticsАй бұрын
Well, you likely got hours and hours of fun out of the expenditures. Worth it!
@yourseatatthetable Жыл бұрын
I cut my teeth on the table top war gaming front with several of their games. I still own my original copies of Panzer Leader and PanzerBlitz. Fantastic systems, both simple and yet varied with plenty of options. We took to using place cards with different town/city names, setting them over the one's marked on the boards. We also would inter mix boards from both games to expand the map size. We also found some hex sheets that were pretty close to the originals and created our own. Awesome stuff.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
That sounds great! And thanks for watching and commenting!
@yourseatatthetable Жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics I always enjoy viewing another gaming enthusiasts work.
@chrisp14 Жыл бұрын
Just happened upon this site today. Never heard of the set. D&D was the biggest, and, only campaign style game I ever knew of back then, in the early 80's. These games sure seem like a "full day" game. Or whole weekend....
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Thank you for stopping by! Yes, some of these games are quite involved, but there are many that are worth the time and effort!
@douglasstrother65842 жыл бұрын
"Blitzkrieg" was my first AH game. You really fired-up The Wayback Machine for me!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
@brianhabel2 жыл бұрын
I'm loving this series. I started with AH games in 1978 with Luftwaffe and Starship Troopers, but I am really looking forward to see what you do with Squad Leader and it's gametes. For me, Squad Leader is what made Avalon Hill king!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
So am I! Each episode takes a while to research and put together, but it's so interesting to me. Glad you are enjoying it as well
@CheckYourLeaderTV2 жыл бұрын
Jutland was one of AH best games. Brilliant
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
My colleague Flash used to own that one!
@CheckYourLeaderTV2 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics I still have my copy from the 1980’s
@kelkyentacmeko49652 жыл бұрын
I owned a hobby shop 20 years ago. Guy walks in somewhere around 2002, asks why I didn't have any AH games. "They went out of business in 1998," I said. "Why did they go out of business?" "What was the last year you bought a game from them?" "Maybe 1993." "That's why they went out of business." I know Hasbro bought them, but they only kept the assets. Used the logo for Risk! mods if I recall. I see D&D, 40k, and MTG are still going. Buy what you love.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Yes, we all need to support the games we enjoy to ensure there are more of them!
@psychohist4 ай бұрын
Hasbro originally intended to republish the most popular titles, but ended up mostly selling rights to others to republish, I think.
@delwieding92522 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I played first in about 1966. It made history come alive for me. Battle of the bulge was captivating, Later, Jutland. The physical quality of moving pieces on the board gave it a concrete quality. I am a pacifist by politic, a war history enthusiast, and most of all, a admirer of courage and passion in these events. I think it builds empathy for these heroic massive struggles. thank you all.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your kind comment, and for watching! Which of Jutland or Battle of the Bulge would you say is best?
@stephanvalkyser318611 ай бұрын
Excellent coverage of this most important game company.
@LegendaryTactics11 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! I'm just finishing up the series by the end of the year!
@Shauma_llama Жыл бұрын
Had a friend tell me about a game of Panzer Blitz (or Panzer Leader) he played against a guy who was a real artillery guy in the army. He said he scattered his arty pieces across the board in a manner he found -- puzzling. And no matter what he did, he said he was caught in cross-fires of artillery everywhere he went. 😄
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Ha ha, nice!
@davidpeterson41022 жыл бұрын
Great series! I poured over the catalogs that came in each of my AH games as a kid, and I am fascinated by all the early titles I have never heard of.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! If you would like to re-visit one of their catalogs, I did another video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHWveGlvqbKJaZI
@regiuseques63332 жыл бұрын
I own a few of their games. Second edition Blackbeard, Caesars Legions, second edition Blitzkrieg, Luftwaffe, and Panzer Armee Afrika. Maybe more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Technically 2018 50th Anniversary Axis&Allies. Edit: What makes this amusing to me is I'm Gen Z. I'm a bit young to even know about these. The diving Messerschmitt (?) on Luftwaffe got my dad into wargames and he got me into them. I'm working on getting my friends into them and I've had some success so far.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Great! We are happy to welcome anyone to the hobby, especially young people!
@kirksellman19992 жыл бұрын
Great series. Glad you're doing it.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoy it!
@crhu3192 жыл бұрын
Still have Titan, Civilization, Third Reich and the entire original Squad Leader set. My non gamer friends loved board game Civ, we played it all the time. The simple mechanics of shoving people forward and population dynamics reduced the need for tactical delays in turns as in say Risk. And dealing disasters to each other in trade was a dynamic really missing from Civ computer versions.
@GrumblingGrognard2 жыл бұрын
My gaming hobby began with these games in 1971 at my local hobby/model railroad store.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
What a great start!
@kirbyculp34492 жыл бұрын
Was that on the Old Austin Highway in San Antonio?
@FishersofMen682 жыл бұрын
Thank you for going down gaming memory lane. My first Avalon Hill game was Verdict, which was given to me by my grandfather (who was an attorney) for my birthday, in 1963. There was a stationary and gift store in my neighborhood and that is where I found board games for sale. I purchased Gettysburg at that store for $4.98 and I was on my way to becoming a AH fan. I ordered Afrika Korps for their catalog and kept on ordering new games as they were released. As an amateur historian, I began to design my own war games. The map board designs using hexagons instead of squares for movement, was a game changer for me. I purchased blank sheets of hexagon maps from AH and I never looked back. By the way, I purchased a copy of Stock Market and I still play it today. It is a great hit with my friends and it does not take a long time to complete one game (only twelve rounds), very different from Monopoly. I still own all my AH games and they are in mint condition.
@jackzimmer65532 жыл бұрын
In Panzerblitz the Russian units were company sized…not battalion sized. Great presentation regardless!! Really enjoying it and waxing nostalgic!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Oops, sorry about that! Thanks for pointing it out, and for watching!
@ChrisisisB2 жыл бұрын
I owned PB and also had a study folder/designer notes/whatever. It listed the strength and weaknesses of each unit. It was pointed out that the german infantry unis weakness was not attack or defense but it’s size. I remember this because of the tongue-in-cheek writing.
@psychohist4 ай бұрын
I was about to make this comment but checked to see if someone else had first. There were charts on how to make up higher level units - battalions, regiments, brigades, even divisions - out of the individual platoons and companies, though.
@ccaudi2 жыл бұрын
My best friend and I received Midway on Christmas, 1968. It began a lifelong friendship and a dedication to wargaming, both board games, miniature gaming and attending conventions. Jutland and Richthofen's War were great favorites.
@wtrollkin2 жыл бұрын
I think another key point was when they introduced the bookshelf format (borrowed from 3M) around 69/70. It really helped transition to games to be collected on a bookshelf that targets a hobbyist.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, even to this day I appreciate the bookcase gameboxes. The old flat box style ones are much harder to store.
@blockmasterscott2 жыл бұрын
Oh that's awesome. I was born in 67 so I really did not start any pen and paper gaming until 1979 with StarFleet Battles, Car Wars, Battle Tech, and Advanced D&D. All those were in book format, well AD&D was book format of course, but you know what I mean lol.
@wtrollkin2 жыл бұрын
Thomas Shaws autobiography (Confessions of an 84-Year-Old Teenager) albeit overly brief is a good read too.
@wardragonprime2 жыл бұрын
I officially got into the hobby on December 25, 1968 via Blitzkrieg and Afrika Korps. The following year I got 1914 and a General magazine subscription and eventually joined the Sparta International, Inc. and International Federation of Wargaming game clubs. Those were the days!!!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Awesome!!
@mikesteckman15152 жыл бұрын
I had about 15 war games from Gettysburg, Battle of the Bulge to Pander Blitz
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Nice! So what would be your top 10?
@bluesenshi2 жыл бұрын
Panzerblitz was the first wargame I ever played. I was overwhelmed by it's complexity as I had only previously played games that were simple enough to have all the rules printed on the reverse side of the box cover. Years later, after playing megacomplex games like ASL, Panzrblitz seems rather simple and easy to play.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, the hobby grew up and became more complex as time went on. I'm sure Tactics II was quite overwhelming for some people at the time of its release...
@leebiggers33582 жыл бұрын
I have an Acquire game that is from the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M) that I still play to this day.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
One of the originals!
@paulkirkland32632 жыл бұрын
I still have AH's "Flat Top " - an absolute monster of a game. Only played it once, and now it sits in a drawer, unused but still very much loved.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Time to get it back on the table! Wasn't there a solo variant for that one?
@paulkirkland3263 Жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics You could well be right, but I don't remember ever seeing a solo version of Flat Top. It required an umpire because the hidden air fleet and task force movements were plotted on large pads, which needed to be scrutinized at the end of every move. The pieces only appeared on the board itself if they came within spotting distance of an enemy unit. Even then, you had squall lines which reduced visibility. Quite some game design ! :)
@uwebech58252 жыл бұрын
Very informative and well researched video. Thanks. Nice to see some of my Tabletop Simulator mods here and there as well. :)
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for putting together the mods...you did a great job! I hope it was OK for us to use some screenshots from them...
@uwebech58252 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Glad to be of help.
@josephmitchelljr.43542 жыл бұрын
thank you for all your work
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching it! More work to do, as the series continues!
@stevecam7242 жыл бұрын
I was introduced to PanzerBlitz in the late 70s and loved it. I spent many happy hours playing this and ASL later on. Thank you Avalon Hill 👍😉
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
I wonder if they realize the great effect they've had on so many people?
@stevecam7242 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics so many people 😀 AH games were very popular with the gaming club, at the University of Western Australia, while I played there 👍😀
@johnbreymann45062 жыл бұрын
Afrika Korps started me in this hobby on Christmas Day 1968.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Basically the same for me! Afrika Korps (AH Game #2) on Christmas Day 1988!
@johnstevenson99562 жыл бұрын
Mine was "Third Reich". Endlessly fascinating. My only complaint was stacking units. Made it hard to know what you had in a given place. I ended up making a much larger board to alleviate the problem, which brought up the next problem, space! Another problem with the pieces presented itself when a grasshopper landed on the western front. When it hopped off, the western front was blown wide open.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
If only the Allies had used that tactic earlier, the war would have ended far sooner!
@johnstevenson99562 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics LOL It was a big grasshopper. About the size of Belgium.
@Kreln12212 жыл бұрын
*Can you imagine being the guy that turned down Gary Gygax's offer for Avalon Hill to publish D&D?...* 😣
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
I know...it's like they turned down the Beatles in their early days...
@tacul93332 жыл бұрын
Love Midway. Played so many hours of that game. Panzerblitz too.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Both great games! Do you have a Top 10?
@patrickmurphy6312 жыл бұрын
Is there a part 3? Midway was the first war game I actually managed to win. After that, the genre became a passion. I even ended up helping play test Advanced Third Reich.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Part 3 is in the works! I am writing it now, but, man, there were a lot of games published in the 70's and 80's! I hope to have it done for next week! I have heard of this Advanced Third Reich - what was that about?
@patrickmurphy6312 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Advanced Third Reich started out as an evolution of Third Reich. We started play testing it as 5th Edition Third Reich and it became different enough that they made it a new game. The diplomacy system was really enjoyable and dramatically increased the variations possible in the game. The Rising Sun followed and was a sort of companion game using the same system for the pacific, with additional rules for carriers and such. You could play the two together as a global war game, but in my opinion the Rising Sun part fell short of A3R.
@solicitr6662 жыл бұрын
I'm one of the minority who loves 1914. Sure, it's unplayable, but that doesn't diminish its design elegance.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
It is a landmark game in our hobby, regardless. And it is perfectly fine if you love 1914. What do you enjoy most about it?
@captcorajus2 ай бұрын
Very cool! Thanks!
@LegendaryTactics2 ай бұрын
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
@garryeckert59292 жыл бұрын
Krigspill was one of favorite game.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Cool!
@kenstradling53982 жыл бұрын
KS was my first game(Christmas) but it was not well liked. However, it piqued my interest enough to purchase Afrika Corp, starting a lifetime love of war gaming…thank KS!
@Charliecomet822 жыл бұрын
I always wondered about the "Great Koufax Desert" name...
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Tom Shaw was a true baseball fan!
@CAUSELESSREBEL2 жыл бұрын
I owned at least 15(?) or AH games. Played then clear into my 30s. I miss them. A pity they weren't brought to computers.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Where did they go?
@CAUSELESSREBEL2 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics my now ex gave them to my 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son to play with. The kids dumped them all together. Needless to say, counter boards, rule books, etc, suffered. Many just disappeared. Took one day to ruin them. I didn't blame the kids.
@brucewarren35622 жыл бұрын
Really informative and interesting!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it! Part 3 is on the way soon!
@schweinhund79662 жыл бұрын
I was quite young but really enjoyed Gettysburg. Kriegspiel was fun for true novices. Scores later, as a retired soldier I could make them significantly more realistic but they were great games for teenagers and civilian adults. Thanks for this video.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome, and thanks for watching!
@Bushwawh2 жыл бұрын
Played Panzerblitz with a friend so much that my wife shook talc powder all over the board and declared a Christmas Truce to get us to stop! Ah, the good old days!
@joeyj6808 Жыл бұрын
Gods! I remember playing Jutland in a church basement. Took the whole floor as the battle surface. And we never once came into contact with the enemy fleet LOL! I didn't even know about the Christian games or things like Squander! and Tuf (a game that I will have nightmares about now, so thanks for that) Looks like I missed out on some goose eggs!
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
You're welcome, and thanks for watching! Yes, their production was a bit uneven in those days, but perhaps that's true of every board game company?
@ThymeKeeper2 жыл бұрын
I currently have Battle of the Bulge on my table.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
That's great! Who's winning?
@ThymeKeeper2 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics No one yet :). Just got it set up.
@ThymeKeeper2 жыл бұрын
I played two turns and then realized I was doing the combat wrong. Not too late to do a reset.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
We have all been there before...!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Ah, all that sweet sweet potential....
@blockmasterscott2 жыл бұрын
This video reminds me of my Starfleet Battles games in the late 70s, early 80s. All those counters, dice, and spread sheets all over the place. And a calculator too.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
And the calculator was about as big as the map board back then!
@blockmasterscott2 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics The set up for that game was so involved that we would spend(friends and I) Friday evening setting up, and play the battle over the weekend. It could literally tale two whole days if you were fighting with a fleet of ships because each ship had a separate SSD(system ships display) thesolomeeple.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/imgp0676.jpg
@RiccardoMasiniWLOG2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for these great videos about the history of the hobby. I'll be waiting for the next episode and, as I think many other viewers will do, I am also hoping for a similar series about SPI!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I'm planning to do one, provided I can get access to enough good info about SPI. There seems to be less information in general about it, but I haven't really spent a lot of time looking yet.
@e-4airman1242 жыл бұрын
thanks again 😄
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome! Glad you're enjoying it!
@davidnemoseck90072 жыл бұрын
Hope there will be a part 3 soon!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yep, this week if I can pull it off!
@davidnemoseck90072 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Sweet! Looking forward to seeing it then!
@ModernMyth2 жыл бұрын
Awesome videos and a great look at board game history. Keep it up guys!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!!
@michaelgustar72902 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed this trip down memory lane recalling many hours playing Panzerblitz and of all things, 1914! The WWI game was very counter heavy true (I solo gamed it, hard to find fellow aficionados back then), but the map was GORGEOUS! (IMHO). As a 'confirmed hippie' in that period, I do remember some inner conflict at playing 'wargames'. But I survived. 🤕🤒 In my mid-seventies now, I'm still at it, albeit, more with miniatures (Napoleonics) now. Man, its been over fifty years!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Wow! That's so great! Lots of memories over that time!
@69AfroThunder2 жыл бұрын
Pile on! Fantastic series and I can't wait for more. This is the "Better Call Saul" of KZbin for me. Even though I know it ends badly, the journey is fascinating.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Next episode coming soon!
@davidc51912 жыл бұрын
My first AH game in 1969 was Waterloo, which you don't mention.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
This is part 2, and covers Avalon Hill from 1964-70. Waterloo was covered in part one, and here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bV7PaWaOlrl_ndk
@codebasher12 жыл бұрын
I purchased all the originals back in the day and eventually lost them. Then during the early 2000's I obtained and still have all my old favorites (Panzerblitz, Panzer Leader, Israel vs Arabs and the 1939-1940 P-Leader add-on) today. I had truly wonderful times playing these with my son during the 2010's. My only wish is If only computer game versions of these were were made.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, that would be great! There are digital versions through Tabletop Simulator and Vassal, but not a dedicated app.
@rotwang20002 жыл бұрын
The local model shop started to have board games in the late 1970's and was doing quite all right up until 1990 when they reverted to kits and models. They had a good range of Avalon Hill games, got quite a few of them, Tac Air, Air Force, Dragonhunt, Wizard's Quest, Red Barricades (a friend had the rules, so I bought a set to play with), Anzio, D-Day, Third Reich, Powers and Perils (sold that to a friend who liked it a lot more than i did) Fun days !
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Do you have a top 10 list? Or at least a favorite?
@rotwang20002 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics D-Day, Anzio and Third Reich were firm favorites. Later I bought Advanced Third Reich, but by then my gaming group started to narrow and most later players were either miniature wargamers or RPG players. If all I think I had the most fun with Anzio because any mistake could have devastating consequences. Third Reich was great fun too. Also played some Eastern Front, Advanced Civilisation, Republic of Rome, Empires in Arms, Jutland. Jutland is on my "get if convenient" list.
@SundborgModelRailway2 жыл бұрын
Keep up the good work!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! We always do our best!
@kipallen71612 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. I'd love to see a similar take on SPI. I was a developer there from '73-'76. I met or knew a number of the persona you mentioned.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
I would love to do something similar on SPI, but there isn't a lot of information that I can find, other than the descriptions of the games themselves. There isn't much in terms of company history. If you know of a good source, let me know!
@richmcgee4342 жыл бұрын
This is the patch where AH designs really started to catch my interest, although I don't think I owned any for myself until 1972 or 73. I was still very young and it was hard buying their games on chore money back then. Jutland was particular important for me, being the closest thing to a naval miniatures rules set I owned for years. Dunnigan's involvement in founding SPI was big chunk of what drew me to them, and undoubtedly cost AH quite a lot of money (both mine and others') over the years. Maybe Tom Shaw should've kept his mouth shut.
@oneoldcurmudgeon4032 жыл бұрын
My brother and I spent endless hours playing all these games. One in particular I remember; I do not recall when it was released, was Ceasar at Alesia. We only played it once. As I was Ceasar, my brother looked at me and said, "I hope you know we are never playing this game again". Ceasar got to reroll any result he didn't care for; I believe up to twice.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Haha, I didn't know that. That would be frustrating for sure!
@EricAlainDufresne2 жыл бұрын
I loved Jutland!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, that was an early one for us too!
@aarongong60802 жыл бұрын
can't wait for you to get to the Jedko games and victory games part...thank you for making these videos
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I've been trying to think through how to cover that - perhaps the history of Victory Games (at least) needs a video of its own??
@aarongong60802 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Yes, but somehow at some point of time, I think VG will be owned by AH... they have good titles like the Fleet series and Ambush... Also interesting will be towards the end, one of their games Bitter Woods came with map sheets instead of mounted maps... and the 2nd edition came packaged with MMP rules
@NoEnemiesHere2 жыл бұрын
Fantastic!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your kind words!
@stevec29402 жыл бұрын
Played them all but my all time favorite was Panzer Blitz.
@charlesharris99652 жыл бұрын
The Avalon Hill Game Company created the greatest boardgame ever in Advanced Squad Leader. Still going strong after 45 years.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Yes, I would like to try it! So far I've only experienced the Squad Leader system, as ASL was so intimidating for me
@charlesharris9965 Жыл бұрын
@LegendaryTactics ASL is actually a simplification of the original Squad Leader. Once you get the basics down the rest is just covering special situations.
@paulprecour36362 жыл бұрын
And some great designers that worked hand in hand with some alphabet Government Think Tanks in the 1970s and 1980s game out of this as well; Joseph Miranda, Don Greenwood, Larry Bond, James Dunnigan.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
I hear Joe Miranda just passed James Dunnigan as having the most game designs published of all time!
@paulprecour36362 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics I have his book, 'The Complete Wargames Handbook'. His website is STILL actively pursued by most of us still involved with DoD/SAC/ISA.
@paulprecour36362 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Sad to here Miranda died. His contributions to S&T were legendary.
@greyone402 жыл бұрын
@@paulprecour3636 I think you misread his comment. He overtook Jim Dunnigan. When I saw "passed," the first thing I thought was he died, but it appears to be wrong (thankful for that).
@paulprecour36362 жыл бұрын
@@greyone40 Yikes! I completely misread that! Thanks for the correction.
@kenspencer98952 жыл бұрын
I owned and played a lot of the AH WW2 games . . . don't have any of them now.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Oh no! My condolences for your loss...
@richardbenjamin83412 жыл бұрын
Got a closet full of vintage AH!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Hopefully it gets played from time to time!
@richardbenjamin83412 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTacticsThe paper and ink are fragile. Midway, Bulge and Jutland date back to the mid 60’s. They have served there time in Hell.
@Ebergerud2 жыл бұрын
Played that game a dozen times - I was the only one to win as Rommel - once. Realistic in its way.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, they originally pretty good in the realism department. But more importantly, they were fun to play!
@PatGilliland2 жыл бұрын
My wargaming started when my dad brought home Panzer Blitz haven't stopped since.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
And may you never stop!
@phookadude2 жыл бұрын
When did AH acquire (lol) the 3M games line and info on 3M and their games division might be interesting.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
I am covering that in the next video in the series. The short answer is 1977. And I like your little pun there :)
@zanzibart32 жыл бұрын
What happened next? The suspense is killing me!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Part 3 is coming out as soon as I can finish it, in the next few days!
@zanzibart32 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Ah thanks. I have several of these games in boxes. My ex used to love thrift-shopping. The only things to control my boredom at such places were the books and the games. Every so often an interesting game would show up.
@thomasgregg7527 Жыл бұрын
Still got most of thoe games still.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
That's great! Hopefully they still hit the table sometimes?
@thomasgregg7527 Жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics rare. I was counting parts for squad leader. I still got the rest of the boxes to check. I forgot how many there are in all the box sets. I remember last big match we had every map board out and we did battle of the bulge. Our own scenario. 13 hour play threw.
@davidburroughs22442 жыл бұрын
PanserBlitz was my brother's first AH game and I continued playing them with him through Starship Troopers Don't remember which manufacturer it was, but I did meet a customer whose son had an entire western European ww2 map that was markers, dice and rules and measured about 5' x 5' but I do not remember its name. It did involve dozens of die cut markers for each side, and I do not recall if it was AH or not. That was about 1982, iirc.
@allanfifield82562 жыл бұрын
I have a similar memory. A game with a thousand counters and huge map. Rumor (or marketing) had it the best played with 4 to 6 commanders on a side. Never actually saw it. I wonder if it was a one-off somewhere.
@gkrockover2 жыл бұрын
What?? Part III isn't out yet! This is like waiting for "Return of the Jedi"....
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
I promise it won't take THAT long - I am already beginning the research for Part III! Hang in there!
@ChrisisisB2 жыл бұрын
Great! Will there be more parts?
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I am hoping to have part 3 done this week! Stay tuned!
@crapphone77442 жыл бұрын
Must be something wrong with me. 1914 is one of my favorite board games to this day. I also loved Anzio despite it's slope progress and counter mix/density. Of course I also loved Panzerblitz too, so maybe not.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
There were lots of fans of 1914 - as I discovered, it was selling well when it was discontinued. Have you tried GMT's No Retreat Italy? It is an update/homage to Anzio!
@patrickbateman7832 жыл бұрын
Subbed 😎👍
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Really appreciate it!
@keithdubose21502 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed Guadalcanal... though it took a while
@schreckpmc2 жыл бұрын
I owned blitzkreig
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Nice!
@zxccxz1642 жыл бұрын
Why oh why can't that make a TUF a computer game? What a GREAT idea....Scrabble with numbers.....any game that can you smarter is WINNER!
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
It is a neat idea - but I could see how it might be intimidating to some players with PTSD from math class
@markhatton71262 жыл бұрын
Are any of these games available as computer games? I bought Panzer Blitz years ago, and have seldom played it because most people I know don't want to learn the rules. I always felt these games would be ideal computer games, but I have never seen them as such.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
A lot of these games can be found on apps like Tabletop Simulator. Here is a link to a video we did on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWO7Z6meoq2qp5o
@khyronkravshera7774 Жыл бұрын
I am enjoying your videos but I'm seriously perplexed by how you pronounce some of these game names.
@LegendaryTactics Жыл бұрын
Having grown up in an area where I was one of only a few Avalon Hill game players, I had no one to correct me! :) It's like I have my own little AH dialect.
@khyronkravshera7774 Жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics I am really enjoying your channel and I didn't mean to come across overly pedantic. I grew up with a speech impediment and parents with strong but different accents. So I should be the last person to criticize how people speak.
@zxccxz1642 жыл бұрын
i don't understand who is making the digital adaption of their games....
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
We filmed a lot of these on Tabletop Simulator. We did a video about it, check it out if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWO7Z6meoq2qp5o
@calessel31392 жыл бұрын
I would also add another major flaw of Panzer Blitz (and later Panzer Leader) was the ahistorical grossly overpowered indirect artillery, particularly the Wespe and Hummel units which could easily wipe out stacks of even the most powerful enemies. For the last game of the series, Arab-Israeli Wars, the problem was corrected. In that game, the designers notes describe the various flaws of the previous two games (the other major inaccuracy being the fact that vehicular movement was based on road speed instead of cross-country speeds).
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Interesting - I hadn't read anything about that flaw elsewhere.
@calessel31392 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics The indirect fire problem isn't anything that ruins the game, it just creates a game play imbalance.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
Ah, ok - still, I'm glad they addressed it in Arab-Israeli Wars. I think you can use that ruleset for Panzerblitz and Panzer Leader?
@calessel31392 жыл бұрын
@@LegendaryTactics Pretty much. The only problem is that they have a lot of new types of units that weren't around in WW2 - like helicopters and guided missiles. But if you know how to play PB or PL, you won't have a problem. In Arab-Israeli Wars they fine tune rules and other things. You could think of it as a kind of "advanced" Panzer Blitz (like ASL is to SL).
@orbitalair21032 жыл бұрын
@@calessel3139 Lots of the online, underground stuff for PB/PL have corrected the movement values, and gathered all the fine tuned rules. Plus dozens of maps, and units for nearly all WW2 combatants, and the Maginot Line to boot.
@erniemiller19532 жыл бұрын
I thought Anzio was about the commies taking over Latin America, so i never did anything beyond looking at it long enough to move on to the next.
@LegendaryTactics2 жыл бұрын
No, I don't recall any Avalon Hill games that specifically focused on Latin America, at least none that come to mind