Paths of Glory: Solo CDG Method Demo

Demonstration of Solo CDG Method using Paths of Glory, 5th Edition, originally published in 1999, by GMT Games. For a comparison of this (original version) of the Method and the newer (2017) version, click here:
• CDG SOLO METHOD: Origi...
CORRECTIONS:
(1) At 23:30, I erroneously mention that, as a result of the Allied play of the "Moltke" Event Card, activation of the Metz space will cost 2 Ops. In reality, Metz would only cost 1 Op because the increased Ops costs of the "Moltke" card only affects spaces in France and Belgium; Metz is in Germany.
(2) At 49:25, the 3 Loss Factors incurred by the Allies had to be absorbed by the BEF (see Rule 12.4.5, which requires the BEF to absorb the first step loss in any combat situation that it is involved).
(3) At 56:12, the German full-strength 3rd and 4th Armies suffered 7 loss factors. I should have eliminated one of the armies (for 6 loss factors) and then reduce the corps-sized unit that substituted the eliminated army (inflicting the 7th loss factor). In the video, I erroneously reduced both German armies (applying 6 of the 7 loss factors).
Thanks to vica8081 (at my KZbin Channel), and to LJ Shroeder and Robert Fix (at BGG) for the observations. Thanks, guys!
WARNING: Wargaming videos such as this one, are related to board games that simulate war, with all the destruction, ravages and death associated to such human conflicts. At times, the games and videos will include references to nefarious historical figures, such as, for example: Attila the Hun, Shaka Zulu, Adolf Hitler and Mao Zedong. Viewer discretion is advised.

[@uncle166]

Joe, leading the way as usual with your fantastic wargame videos. I thank you for your efforts.

[@StukaJoe]

+Kenneth Eden Thanks, Kenneth. I appreciate it.

[@AzraelSilent]

Magnificent demo. I've yet to witness a youtube wargame demo explained as clearly and extensively as Stuka Joe demonstrated herein. The oratory skills are superb. Clear spoken, methodical, and a balanced pace. I'd appreciate Stuka playing thru the rest of Churchill or PoG. Your CDG solo method is intriguing as well. Great distribution odds with the white and black die, doubles, etc. Made the game feel historically random but not deliberately out of control. I look forward to breaking out my copy and attempting your method. Thanks SJ. The work you delivered for this vid is appreciated.

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you, AzraelSilent. I appreciate your support. Glad you like the method. I hope it continues to evolve and develop.

[@spbdrummer38]

Excellent video Joe. Thank you for the effort as well as the time put into developing the CDG method. I almost exclusively play solitaire and have yet to add the subject of WW1 to my collection. I've wanted to give PoG a go, and now with this method I think I will!

[@ChitsandCats]

Well, after a long and productive working day, this is what i needed. I could honestly watch you play through the whole game. And of course you have now shown me yet another game I find interesting.... Your channel is blessing and curse at the same time. Well done, Sir!

[@StukaJoe]

+kallisto73 Thanks, Gesine. Paths of Glory is a classic. I know you're very interested in WWI. Give it a try when you can! Cheers. Joe.

[@HeavyH2006]

Stuka Joe - really appreciate your Solo CDG Methodology. I've rolled out Paths of Glory to play. I have downloaded and started to learn. Also, it's great that you have expanded to other CDG games. Much appreciated. Big thank you. PS You are the go-to #1 for board game playthroughs!!

[@michaeldavis9357]

Always clear, always insightful, always full of heart. Committed presenters like yourself are the major catalyst for the latter renaissance in wargaming. This new era is providing just astonishing amounts of quality content, all of which enhances critical thinking, an understanding of history and plain old big fun... Bravo StuJo

[@StukaJoe]

You are too kind, Mike. I believe that the video format can complement wargaming very well. There's so much that can be done to showcase these games that are so rich in historical detail as in game mechanics. Thank you.

[@BlefBlofeld]

You put so much work into this! Thank you! I've ordered PoG yesterday and hopefully it will arrive before my vacation. I'll give your CDG Solo Method a try and will play some full games. ^^

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you. I hope you enjoy the way the game plays with the Solo Method. Cheers.

[@houarno]

Really stellar -- I'm watching this as part of my prep to tackle PoG solo, and it not only clarified a lot of rules for me, but made all the more eager to get going with this. (Also, I appreciate your warning in the description; wargaming sometimes lapses into pretty cavalier representations of serious themes. Acknowledging what these games simulate goes a long way to respecting the serious themes games can tackle).

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you! Just in case, the CDG Solo Method shown in this video is the original 2016 version. It was much improved in 2017, which is the version adopted by GMT’s CDG Solo System. The warning in the video is always helpful, since games about war is a topic that is not for everyone. For some reason, it causes the video to not be interrupted by commercials. Cheers!

[@houarno]

@@StukaJoe Yup -- I'm diving into my new copy of the updated version that I just got from GMT. Your solo set-up was a huge factor in me taking the leap with PoG to begin with, so thanks for that!

[@houarno]

@@StukaJoe Also, just saw your location in the "about" part of your page -- keep safe!

[@StukaJoe]

@@houarno We are all right. Can’t complain. We have power back. Thank you!

[@stevendolges8372]

Very cool mechanics for solo play, much appreciated! I want to try this out with maybe Washington's War and see how well it fits. The videos I've watched of yours are high quality having good descriptions with clear and understandable audio, so keep up the good work!

[@StukaJoe]

+Steven Dolges Thank you, Steven. Please let me know if the method works with Washington's War. Thanks for your support.

[@SiTheSly]

Excellent demonstration, really enjoyed it. Fully agree with AzraelSilent's comments.

[@kirksellman1999]

I just ordered PoG. Looking forward to going through it while watching this video. Thank you for doing this.

[@im2yz4u17]

Ok. I was on the fence with this game. Your review sold me totally. I love the way this plays; there is sufficient choice and randomness combined it seems. I would also like to comment on your staccato like speaking skill. Many folks speak in a muddled fashion and with too much verbosity or superfluous words. You tell exactly what needs to be said and move on. I love all your videos because I can easily track what you are saying versus what is viewed on screen. Further the camera work is amazingly simple and effective. No severe camera movement which can make some people sick after a time; me included.

[@StukaJoe]

Glad you liked the video, Mark. This video was of the (original) CDG Solo Method (2016). In 2017, the Method was improved so that you roll a die first and choose from various options. Here's the link to a video comparing the 2017 version with the original one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TVaJqJj9p6aKc Thank you!

[@eddydelrio1303]

Beautiful video and presentation style. Enjoying this, and a very clever method to enhance solo play. Thank you!

[@StukaJoe]

+Eddy del Rio Thank you, Eddy. I just want to improve the solo game for these game, which are great when you play them face-to-face. Let's see what happens. Cheers. Joe

[@0000thommes]

56:20 question: wouldn't the German player have to lose a full army then replace with a corp then take a step lose on the corp to do all 7 points of reduction?

[@zorglub1422]

Great vid. It's enlightening so much the solo game. Thanks.

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you.

[@fabvier]

This is quite impressive Joe

[@johnsy4306]

Thanks, Joe. You are truly a gem in the wargaming community. :)

[@StukaJoe]

+John Sy Thank you, John. I appreciate your kind words. Cheers. Joe

[@johnsy4306]

It actually took me a while to understand the mechanic of the Discard Pile. Why is he discarding cards that haven't been played yet? Then I realized.... ahhhh....it's part of the uncertainty of the method. Very elegant! My compliments.

[@augustvonmackensen2102]

Thank you for this excellent video. I've been watching it to see the sequence of play because I'm new to the game. In 58.55 you've played the German Reinforcements card for it's replacements points. I think it is prohibited in August 1914. Also, I don't know if due to the same restriction, it is allowed to play the Landwehr card as an event in August 1914.

[@StukaJoe]

+Michal Senajko Thank you, Michael. The rules (9.5.3) prohibit playing a Reinforcement event card in the first (August 1914) turn. The same card, however, could be played for Replacement points in the first turn.

[@augustvonmackensen2102]

+Stuka Joe You're right Joe. I confused reinforcements with the replacements.Once again, thank you for your videos. I'd say that your channel contains the best made and the most informative videos dedicated to the board gaming.

[@jvomkrieg]

Just picked up Paths of Glory, will certainly try this out for my first play through (I always play wargames solo first to learn the rules so I can teach them later)

[@StukaJoe]

I hope you enjoy it, it is truly a fine game.

[@jvomkrieg]

I ended up tweaking it a smidge for my own personal tastes. 5 cards out, Roll to play from left to right as 3,3,4,4,5, but the right one doesn't drop off, and the hand is limited to 8 cards in any turn, so you deal 3 cards face down to refresh the hand as the turn goes on. if you roll a 6, its either the next face down card, or the top one off the draw pile. If you roll for a random card in card without a slot, the "5" card gets played and everything moves right. I wanted to have the whole "limited hand = limited moves" thing as well as your mostly choice, but sometimes random element.

[@CarlosRoigBCN]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing this! I learned a lot!

[@francislecuak2252]

This is an excelent tutorial, well done!

[@StukaJoe]

Thanks, Francis. I appreciate it.

[@valdemarasjose2679]

¡Estupendo! quedo a la espera de ese video. Saludos y gracias de nuevo :)

[@Phoneyjoker]

Thanks for the great demo Joe. Just one small thing, the Guns of August card doesn't have to be in the initial hand, it is a choice by the CP. That is unless the rules have changed, or it has to be in your hand during solo play.

[@StukaJoe]

You're right, Joshua. I just assumed in the example that the Germans would choose and play the card to show how it's done under the method. Thanks for the heads up.

[@leroyjs222]

This is a very clever innovation, Joe. Well done!

[@StukaJoe]

+LeroyJS Thanks, Leroy. I'm pretty excited about it. I hope to improve upon it with some time.

[@PMMagro]

Good video for me- I want this game and to learn it. I'd suggest events playable only this round etc should always be available if they otherwise whould get discarded or it is the last action possible to use them (no roll needed).

[@markfazman3655]

What an excellent & innovative idea Joe. Perhaps this mechanism could be used to control "neutral or dummy powers" in a 3/4 player CDG. You've certainly brought something new to the table. Many thanks.

[@StukaJoe]

+mark fazman Thanks, Mark. I think that by tweaking the method, it could be applied to multiplayer games as well, who knows.

[@jimsmith7445]

OK... I've been a real fan of your videos for a long time. You impress me as a "Gamer's gamer" and whether it is a game review or whether your trying to show people how to make their own counters... it's really impressive. Today i watched your video and the "new " solo methods . First of all, like it or not I play solo more often than not... mostly not my choice but I am surrounded by eurogamers or MTG mavens. I cut my teeth decades ago, playing all day and sometimes all weekend on the old AH and SPI board games. SO... what's going on now? I'm always looking forward to better ways to institute the "Fog of war" and further solo play options... especially in games where two or more players are involved. I've tried with dice, chit pulls, and so on... only with some limited success. Recently, I've been working on positively ancient AH games... "Stalingrad" "D-day"... the coffin box games (or the $6 games as we used to know them)... new CRT options, chit pulls for impulse, and even using cannabalized dice from a miniature game. One thing I hadn't licked yet was how to translate the solo experience successfully to games like "Memoir 44", "Battle Cry" and other "Command and Colors" games by Richard Borg. ***Sometimes I just want to really play one side and construct an overall strategy, without having to second guess the opposite side. This becomes really hard in Memoir 44 and Battle Cry. Having watching your solo method, I felt refreshed and knew you had hit on something grand!!!! IF I want to play the Confederates, I now have a way of creating a limited "Fog of War" on the board, without it being all that trumped up. I'm especially interested in seeing how it will work playing the Germans in "Memoir 44"!!!!! Your method will allow me to create new scenarios, and put together some real hairy battles... like a large city fight, racked with snow, cold, rubble, and other options. I'd love to hear how your "method" is progressing and how you are adapting it further.... as always great reviews (I'm a HUGE fan of the Spanish Civil War and the Russian Civil War!!!!)... keep up the amazing work... I always look forward to anything new that comes from your channel. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

[@MrSuperphil]

Can this method be used ok with twilight struggle ?

[@marcelolopez1416]

FELICITACIONES POR TUS VIDEOS !!!! ¿ Se puede utilizar tu método SOLO CDG para los juegos Barbarrosa to Berlin, Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles y Caesar: Rome vs Gaul? Saludos desde Chile.

[@StukaJoe]

Saludos, Marcelo. Si. Se puede. Sabes llegar a la página de BGG? El método cambió en el 2017 (para mejorar). Los materiales están en BGG. Aquí está el enlace: boardgamegeek.com/filepage/128764/cdg-solo-method-display-and-materials Saludos! José

[@justRayEvansopinion]

From the comments it is obvious this game elicits quite a lot of interest (plus of course your fine videos). WW1 in general, and the Western Front in particular, tends to put people off for lack of movement, I recall the rigours of trying to play Avalon Hill's "1914" game. However I do like this card-driven game. Possibly because of the unknown factor in the cards, not forgetting our old friend the die roll. Incidentally there is a movie of the same name, made in 1957, starring Kirk Douglas, well worth a view.

[@StukaJoe]

+Ray Evans It's an excellent game and the movie is excellent, too, Ray. Thank you.

[@guillermohermida9839]

Excellent work! Maybe one more turn in another video?

[@StukaJoe]

Thanks, Guillermo. I intend to do a video soon about some fine tuning done for the method in the last year. I will most probably use another game, maybe Festung Europa. Let's see. Glad you liked the video!

[@starhalanonim2859]

I believe, that Metz is a space in Germany, so "Moltke" should not cause Germany to pay more than on OP for atack.

[@richhutnik2477]

Interesting concept. I was thinking of developing a player queued version of the command and colors card system and having that as a battleplan. Players stack deck and draw and play them. I can see adding this system here can enable randomizing some of the ordering. It would be possible to have command order get mucked up with the randomizer like this. Cards would be played face down and revealed. I am thinking of trying it on Memoir 44.

[@earlofdoncaster5018]

In the first German attack how did you determine the French choice of an extra step loss? Since all three units of the second attack are in Germany, Moltke would not apply and the attack would cost 2CP.

[@StukaJoe]

+Chris Spray (1) Rule 12.5.3 (Ignoring Retreats) gives the defending side the option of ignoring a retreat by taking an extra step loss, if the defending units are in a Forest space, among other terrain types.(2) I erroneously mention that Metz would cost two Ops. This appears in the corrections below the title of the video.

[@earlofdoncaster5018]

+Stuka Joe Actually I meant how did you determine whether the French would retreat or take a step loss.

[@StukaJoe]

Oh! I made a judgement call for the Allies.

[@abeheron]

Joe how does it handle if you roll a black six but fail the white die. (I understand double 6 is using the event from the drawl pile, but I don't think you have covered a roll of e.g. W5, B6 on choosing the left most card. Also, can the active player always choose a CC without rolling?

[@StukaJoe]

+Erez Ben-Aharon Thank you, Erez. I think I mention that in the beginning, but just in case, here it goes:You begin by nominating a card to be played (Nominated Card) Roll the white and black dice. If you roll a white die result that is outside of the range of the Nominated Card, then you consult the black die for the Alternate Card to be played. If the black die result is 1 to 5, then you select the card associated to said result (1: Space A, 2: Space B, 3: Space C, 4: Space D and 5: Space E. If the black die is a 6, then you select any card in spaces A to E, except the Nominated Card, and play it for whatever purpose you like. I will post instructions soon on BGG's Paths of Glory page, in the Files section. Thank you.

[@craigartl1348]

Question on combat cards...if the defender is able to successfully trigger the use of a defensive combat card, does his card row get refreshed at the end of the attackers action round? If yes, is the defender required to discard the card in position E before refilling his card row? I appreciate your efforts on this system...thanks!

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you, Craig. The answer is: yes and no. At the end of the Action round when the combat took place, draw a card from the defender's Draw Pile and place it face down in the space previously occupied by the combat card that was played on defense. Now the "no". The defender's cards are not cycled, that means that the card in Space E remains in place. Only the phasing player's cards are cycled. Hope this answers your question.

[@craigartl1348]

Thanks for the response! I'm a couple turns into a game of WWII: Barbarossa to Berlin and this solo system is looking very good.

[@ChitsandCats]

I will watch this tonight. I don't know the game, but I am intrigued to see what you are doing with regard to working a CDG on your own. Maybe I can use this for EotS (not too hot on the BOT).

[@StukaJoe]

+kallisto73 I don't know if it will work with EotS, but it can certainly be tried and tweaked with. Good luck.

[@bobbyfactor2207]

+Stuka Joe +kallisto73 Not sure if it would work with EotS either, but I believe it would work without much modification with another Raicer game, _WWII: Barbarossa to Berlin_ as well as _Pursuit of Glory_ (and maybe even _Stalin's War_). Well thought out system, Joe. I'm amazed.

[@StukaJoe]

+Bobby Factor Thanks, Bobby. I think it will work with Raicer's games as well as We The People and For the People. I am finishing a set of instructions for the method (hopefully, not more than 3 pages).

[@forzamark]

so what happens if you pick card C but roll a 6 on the white die and a 3 on the black die?

[@StukaJoe]

+Mark Mathews   If you Nominate Card C and roll a white 6 and a black 3, you still get to play Card C for any purpose. It did not get activated through the white 6, but did get activated by the alternate (black) roll of 3. In the video, it happened to the Allies: at 46:40, the Allies nominated Card E (Blockade), with a 1-3 activation range. The roll was a white 4 and a black 5. The white die is outside the range, but the card gets played by the alternate black die roll of 5.

[@forzamark]

Thank you. I found CDG flat when playing solo but I've played 5 turns so far and your system is great and I'm really enjoying it. Thank you.

[@StukaJoe]

+Mark Mathews You're welcome, Mark. I'm happy to hear that. Thanks for testing it. Cheers. Joe

[@MSBorba111]

Awesome video Joe! Have you thought about having each side choose which spaces to place the cards, instead of random? This would add an element of strategy and provide more realistic gameplay, while still providing unpredictable gameplay. Which card to place on far right space? Obviously, most desired card would be placed in middle.

[@StukaJoe]

+Miguel Borba Thank you, Miguel. I had not thought of that, but it is a very interesting suggestion. I will give it some thought. Thanks.

[@andrewpatience3886]

Joe. Great video and keep up the good work! One minor point, At 49m30s , surely the allied losses must be taken from the BEF as per rule 12.45?

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you, Andrew. Yes, that's a mistake. The BEF takes losses first. I think someone pointed this out to me previously, either here or at BGG. Thanks. Glad you liked the video!

[@KronikAlkoholik]

Regarding Calais, Ameins and Ostend. I'm thinking you might have made some mistakes there. The War status for Germans was at 4 so they are free to move there, right?

[@skiddwister9143]

Joe, your GMT release seems to be a system of playing both sides equally. Both sides use the Solo CDG method and you as the player play to the best of your ability for both sides. Is it possible to play your method using only one solo board and the other side is played normally? Meaning, you play to the fullest of your capacity with all cards in your hand? I'm asking because I wonder if I'll be able to get immersed into a game where I don't have a stake in winning.

[@StukaJoe]

You could play with one side having the display and the other played normally, for instance, in Paths of Glory, dealing the latter six cards and playing them to the best of your ability each turn. However, you will still have to make decisions for the side with the display. The purpose of the CDG Solo Method is that it create enough uncertainty to make playing the game solo (both sides) interesting, that way you get to know the cards, which is critical when you play the game opposed. Cheers!

[@skiddwister9143]

@@StukaJoe Thank you, Joe. I was hoping this was true. I've watched a few examples of play by you and other people and have only seen people play both sides via the display. I was wondering if playing one side as a human player would mess up the balance. I'm going to GMT to buy the first set. Your method helps a solo player play a CDG while maintaining uncertainty for the vs. player. Thank you, again.

[@erenkoyunoglu4978]

Great video as ever. I have a question; when you draw cards to replenish your hand is there a reason to put the first drawn card into space A and and the next one to B. If I was to play I would automaticly put the first drawn to B (if that was the last empty spot) and the second one to A. It maybe just me but I wanted to ask.

[@StukaJoe]

+Eren Koyunoğlu Thank you, Eren. There is no particular reason to fill Space B before Space A, since both new cards are placed face-down and the player doesn't know what cards they are. .

[@Texscripter]

Wow, this is great, Stuka Joe. I'm late to the party here, and while I've been intrigued by PoG, I never considered it. But now with this video, you have me wanting to order this game and try your method. So is this method of yours something you also use in other GMT games, or other card-driven games? I really like how effortless and simple this procedure is and wish other companies might extrapolate such a procedure. In any case, thank you for your time in developing this.

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you, Tex! I revamped the CDG Solo Method in 2017 and did a video showing its improvements over the original method (which is shown in the video). Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TVaJqJj9p6aKc

[@seangreathouse1850]

How in the heck do you get your attack and move chits to float? Amazing.

[@StukaJoe]

Thanks, Sean. I use a magnetic board beneath the map. The "floating counters" are made of metal and they stick to small magnetic cilinders, which in turn stick to the map, creating the appearance that they are floating. I like to use these to distinguish markers from unit counters and also whenever showing air units which are airborne, to distinguish them from air units that have landed (e.g. the Crete video series). Thanks for asking. Cheers. Joe

[@aleksanderdanecki]

Great

[@valdemarasjose2679]

¡Muy buen video! me ha parecido un sistema para jugar en solitario muy interesante. ¿Crees que podría utilizarse también con el Cruzada y Revolución? Me gusta mucho que hables en el video de forma tan pausada ya que hace que me entere más o menos bien :) Pero eso no quita para que siga esperando ese video/s en castellano :) Saludos y muchas gracias por tus videos

[@StukaJoe]

+Valdemaras Jose Gracias, Jose. Creo que trabajaría muy bien con Cruzada y Revolución. Haré un video pronto sobre el método solitario. Lo más probable utilize a Cruzada y Revolución para demostrarlo, jugando un turno o dos. Saludos. José

[@mrmzchf1776]

Hey Joe, what did you use to mount your map? It looks like a great solution for protecting paper maps.

[@StukaJoe]

I used a magnetic dry-erase board, that measures 36" x 24". It fits mounted and paper maps measuring 33" x 22". The magnetic board allows me to use magnets underneath the attack/move markers, as well as under the loss factor chits, giving them the appearance that they are floating. Thank you.

[@vica8081]

I think there was a mistake in min 56 combat damage should be an army lost plus one reduction of corps (7 lost step total) instead flipping both armies (only 6 steps) Great variant by the way

[@vica8081]

+Stuka Joe No I refer to rule 12.4.3. If there is a way to assign exactly the damage done, you must do this way instead another way that asssign less damage (as you did)

[@vica8081]

+vica8081 Edit: In fact rule 12.4.4.2 refer to a particular case where due no having more corps you could think that there are no way to assign the 7 steps loss and go the other way (losing only 6 steps) and the rule tell us that we should go the 7 steps way even if there are no corps avaliable

[@StukaJoe]

Ah! I get it now! I had to eliminate one of the two full-strength armies (6 loss factors) and then flip the corps that substituted for the destroyed army (7th loss point). Oops! Thanks for the observation. I will post a correction note. Cheers, Joe

[@kylecisco1863]

did you make the mats that the cards are placed on or did they come with the game I don't have paths of glory yet but I wanted to see if this system would work for other cdg's

[@bobbyfactor2207]

+Kyle Cisco +StukaJoe did, indeed, make those mats. He's made the PDFs available at BoardGameGeek (boardgamegeek.com/filepage/128764/cdg-solo-method-display). Do note that they need to be printed on 11x17 paper. I'm currently experimenting with Joe's CDG method and _Washington's War_.

[@kylecisco1863]

awesome thanks I appreciate it

[@kryspintrych2872]

Great video!!! i've just found it. Please do similar with For the People.

[@StukaJoe]

Thank you, Kryspin. I have plans for a one or two-turn demo video of For The People using the Solo CDG Method. I just have to get out some videos I have in the queue first.

[@kryspintrych2872]

Stuka Joe please do it. There is no good review about For the People.

[@iant3368]

Hey Joe, this looks really cool - I'm guessing you came up with this? Are there any plans for a written set of instructions for how to run this solo method?

[@StukaJoe]

+Ian T Thanks, Ian. Yep, I came up with this. I will soon publish a set of instructions for this in BGG's Paths of Glory File page.

[@russellginns6203]

Thanks