Review: Bayonets & Tomahawks from GMT Games - The Players' Aid

[@kennethatherton568]

I just picked this up on a whim, and my brain started to melt as I looked at the player's aide card. Spent two hours staring at the map and trying to digest rules, and went to bed thinking, "OMG, this thing is a beast." Then I'm lying there, and my brain goes, "How do you have three distinct types of units and resolve the combat with a single type of dice?!" Finally, it starts to sink in, and I have my AHA moment. I've never played a game during this time period, so the singular brilliance of having the dice/unit types/battle outcomes all come together in a way the resolves it faithfully to the period of history it's depicting was absolutely fascinating. I appreciate you guys sharing your enthusiasm and exhaustion. It pretty much mirrors my own experience with the game.

[@ThePlayersAid]

3/10 complexity. Lol. Get out. It's a very rich game with so much to dig into.

[@kennethatherton568]

I lol’d at the 3/10, too. Played 1755 last night and, thanks to your demonstration of the battle procedure, Alex, things went surprisingly smoothly.

[@uwewalentin]

@@kennethatherton568 Great game, some unusal mechanics and I really had a hard time to digest this beauty. But once you get used to you'd rate it 3-4/10 at max. Problem is the many little details and Ithink there is no rule repeated. So every sentence has to be read carefully. Still learning, don't know yet if I share the enthusiam of others, but most likely will.

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

12:15 tee hee You sound like me & my brother Clint! And this is how I knew Grant & Alexander are worth playing games with! Love you guys!

[@mekong12]

LOVE the way you guys just jumped right in, breathlessly, talking about the game and how much it engaged you both. Looks like you went directly to shooting straightaway, without pause, which must have helped preserve and bring in the authentic energy of it all. Absolutely great content here. (Plus, I’m SO glad I pre-ordered this one, and also kind of awed that it is now being spoken of in the same breath as Atlantic Chase. GMT is on a streak, for sure.)

[@rockhopper01]

I too was just now thinking how much I like this format.

[@marcopoutre6485]

One quick note : You don't have to spend an action to blow up a Fort. If you don't get Routed in the Battle, you can destroy it before retreating. It's a bit of a gamble though as if you DO get Routed, then your opponent takes control of it. Thank you for the great review and the kind words! And YES, it was playtested to death. ;)

[@HeavyH2006]

‘Hot garbage, and you know it’ LOL my head off. An intense & insightful review. You’ve lite my fuse on getting my copy on the table and start playing. A really enthusiastic & exciting ‘work-out’. Enjoyed every minute of it. Big thanks as always!!

[@scottbeall2212]

Grant - I'm with you on the Bayonets and Tomahawks and Atlantic Chase. Both are fantastic games.

[@kurtlambert6859]

A great way to learn this game is the solo version offered by Vassal. As you can only chose from two cards each action round you avoid the 'all-knowing' you have with the solo versions of other card driven games

[@happyman050]

Currently playing this solo. Page 44 of playbook has a pointers for Solitaire play section. Also regarding Winter Quarters I'm not sure if you realised that you can leave 1 unit on a friendly fort as a garrison (including colonial brigades) and up to the space value also brigades(with any other units) on friendly controlled enemy Settled spaces. That makes adifference in the rush back to the forts in the next year you mentioned.

[@furrysharker]

I've played this face to face and then a solitaire session, but still had to reread the detailed examples of play (which are excellent) to make sure I was getting all the rules absolutely correct. However, once everything clicked it only increased my admiration for this game.

[@kirksellman1999]

Because of this video, I ordered the game, and it's already shipped. Thanks, guys.

[@packersfanforlife7903]

Stop doing reviews... everytime you do one I end up spending money! Love the reviews guys. This period and the AWI is my favourite period of history. Odd for a British man, however I love this period. Definitely one for the future this.

[@thomasbandy]

Love your review videos! Thanks for all you do!

[@crokinoledk]

Uff! Enthusiasm jumps through the roof. I want something from FIW topic even more right now. I envy you, but on the fence right, liking block system, and keeping in mind the words of Bill Molyneaux (who is very competent in this topic). He claims The French and Indian war 1757-1759 is the best FIW game in his collection. But I don’t know if Bill has ever played B&T, since his opinion was from 19.11.2020 ;-)

[@horrido666]

I've got a copy here, punched and ready to go. I've just got to learn it. I think the thing that sold me was the plague blankets card. Gotta be one of the first uses of biological warfare. This game has all the right vibs for me. All it needs is the theme music from Last of the Mohicans.

[@davidaldinger3666]

You still need to do a video review for Wilderness War.

[@mikebaxter9952]

Thanks

[@crokinoledk]

Thank you for uploading this video guys! As soon I’m done with my home tasks, I’ll watch from the beginning to the end 😄👍🏻. One question: I know, that you both like the game, and are on the fence to trying to judge as a superior game between this one and “Wilderness War”. But can you say how Bayonets & Tomahawks stack up against French and Indian War 1757-1759 by Worthington Games? I’ve heard very good words BTW. All the best.

[@ThePlayersAid]

We haven't played it yet, but plan to soon in order to make a F&IW discussion video about all of them.

[@tednovy7762]

@@ThePlayersAid Great, looking forward to it. I have Wilderness War (still in Shrink-Wrap-of-Shame), but would like to invest time (and $$) in the "best" French & Indian War game.

[@crokinoledk]

@@ThePlayersAid Great!

[@ericlazure]

just discovered your channel, love your enthusiasm and I am proud that a fellow Quebecois designed a great game... btw, Louisbourg sounds so much better if you pronounce it Louie-Boor... the "s" and "g" are silent in french in this case

[@kenc9236]

Great review. I think I will get this one.

[@brianfoley1805]

Great explanation! I had to order it!

[@nyanates]

Sounds like a deep brain-burning slog. Not sure I’d enjoy it as much as you two did. Thanks for sharing your honest perspectives.

[@johnsy4306]

I'd give France 1944, the Designer Signature Edition from Compass Games, a shot. The movement and combat mechanics are way ahead of its time when it was first published by Victory Games back in the 80s..and not well received. I think it's VG's worst-selling title. It was designed by Mark Herman

[@P_E_P_1966]

Thx - great sharing :) I`m tired ...can I play now ;)

[@jeroenkoopman3368]

I wonder if they've played GMT Silver Bayonet ll yet? I'd like to see their review.

[@ThePlayersAid]

We played silver Bayonet ages ago before we had a YT channel. Love it, just haven't got back to it with the camera out yet. It's an old school style game, with some great command and control chaos. We did the p500 back in like 2014, or whenever and it's one of the best $35 I'd ever spent in wargaming.

[@jgt4862]

A Few Acres of Snow is broken by default.

[@johnsy4306]

A bit surprised you guys haven't done Imperial Struggle yet. Or have you?

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

"In a silo"- Grant Must me a mid-west saying! tee hee

[@jeroenkoopman3368]

I wonder how this compares to Wilderness War.

[@ThePlayersAid]

Type in French & Indian War into our search box and you'll find out! We made a topical video discussing all the F&IW games we've played!

[@riff2072]

Alexander and Tyrd. Grant was replaced by his 'evil' twin brother.

[@ncg4132]

I don't understand what you mean Riff?

[@texigander5]

Play tester here. 😊

[@ThePlayersAid]

Well, it's it true? Did they play test "the crap" put of it?!

[@texigander5]

@@ThePlayersAid I know the game was play tested extensively over many months and that a lot of feedback was given to Marc. I honestly was not as helpful as many of the others but it seemed like there was a great deal of feedback. And Marc took that feedback and parlayed it into the final product.

[@michelouimet7543]

…and the dedicated designer Marc Rodrigue, who put years of his life in it, got the help of a bright developer called Marco Poutré. This recipe couldn't fail in any way.

[@curtismilbourn1311]

@@michelouimet7543 Well said!

[@robertmoffitt1336]

OMG quit making me want to buy every game you review!! 😄 Lol, great video, my wallet hates you guys! 😉

[@theamazinganthony5581]

You guys are soooo bad. Bought Atlantic Chase and now Bayonets and Tomahawks because of your reviews. Stop reviewing games - my wallet can’t stand it! Great work you two. 👍🏻