The Seven Days Battles -- Unboxing

[@robertmoffitt1336]

I love the intro and the music!

[@theoakenknight1748]

Thank you

[@michaelclarke8507]

Like the way you point out the map and counters which looks great went back too number 1 too see play, thanks

[@theoakenknight1748]

Thanks Michael. I always like hearing kind words! - Paul

[@richardfoust1801]

Well it is pre-Christmas 2024 and Worthington put a ton of games on sale (found out from Zila blitz). I grabbed the Seven Days Battle, Shiloh and Antietam for $25 each. was $75 each... looked yesterday at their site and not many left of each of these. Right now all they need to do is drop the price of Gettysburg from $120 to around 80-85 dollars and it's all mine.. Always hoping... Just dropped each games counters into Aegis 2x5 trays 10 compartments. They are basically half trays. I used 3 per game.. These are my 1st civil wargames since pea ridge back in the 70's... Will be laying these out on my war room pool table (still working on my buildout table, over the pool table), after I finish up France 1940. I really enjoy your videos on all the various games you do...

[@theoakenknight1748]

Hi Richard. Sounds like you made the “good” list this year. At $25 each these games are a steal. I am hoping that they do Chickamauga next so I can replace my old Phoenix Enterprises game with something new. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas! 🎄 - Paul

[@Tombonzo]

This looks great! I’m tempted to get all 3!

[@theoakenknight1748]

Hi Tom. I don’t think that you would regret getting all 3. I especially like games on Shiloh, which is a really interesting battle from a gamers point of view. And this is a living series; I heard somewhere that the next will be Gettysburg. Maybe yes maybe no, but a modernisation of “Gettysburg: High Tide of the Confederacy” would be welcome. Could “Chickamauga: River of Death” be that far behind? FYI: The photo of me with the canon is atop Snodgrass Hill. Very cool battlefield park! - Paul

[@Tombonzo]

@@theoakenknight1748 - Awesome Paul, thank you!

[@everymanesh2132]

War is important.

[@theoakenknight1748]

And it is well that it is so terrible….

[@mikem668]

I don't mean to be unappreciative, so please think of this an attempt at constructive feedback. Of course you know your audience better than I do. Time is valuable. Great guitar intro, nice images, but unnecessary. Most viewers - wargamers? - have a priority list IMO. Strictly speaking an efficient unboxing presents the material in that priority order. Most important by far are the maps and counters. You did the maps last and didn't show both of them. Otherwise the map and counter presentation was good. As was the video quality. Except for not seeing the whole map. The rulebook, scenarios, and aids was mixed. Ideally you start with the box, then lay these aside to show the map(s) and counters. But while the maps and counter are mostly about showing, the rest is more about telling, because we can't really read what you're showing. A summary works better. If we see the maps first there is no need to point out that the scenario book details the number of maps and configurations. Of course it does. Number of pages, quality of paper, ease of reading are all appreciated. Plus any comment you want to make that highlight the uniqueness of the system, complexity, solitaire suitability, etc. Which you did nicely with the back of the box. I found the intro, while we were looking at the box cover, way too long and easily shortened. Won't many (most?) wargamers already know the basics about the battle. Some will also know that Johnston was wounded and relieved by Lee before the Seven Days. Few, including me until a few days ago, will know that Hill was in command temporarily between the two, but it was a mess. Historians even argue about what battles to include in the Seven Days. My point here is that some of this would be informative to most of us. Yet we know the basics. That's why we're here. I understand some of your subscribers won't. That said, I'm pretty sure they'll figure it out quickly. A good example is to think of a game as a movie. What is it about? "The Seven Days is a game about a series of battles between McClellan and Lee during the American Civil War. In 1862 McClellan landed on the Peninsula in an attempt capture Richmond and end the war early. Lee's defense is often considered his masterpiece." This does assume your viewers have a minimal knowledge of history. I'd assume that's a safe assumption. Good luck.

[@theoakenknight1748]

Hi Mike. Thank you for your highly considered input. I try to cover most of the points you raise, but maybe I was not comprehensive in this particular video. I'll do better next time. In general, I try to keep videos (except for play-throughs) to about 20 minutes in length. So I do not get into the historical background too much, and there are many other sources to get that information. But I do try to make my videos as "information dense" as I can, so you get as much game information as I can pack per minute of footage. At least that's the goal. Thanks again for our viewership and your comments. -- Paul

[@mikem668]

@@theoakenknight1748 Your video definitely sold a copy of the game. Haven't opened it yet. I've been reading a book on the battles and it's not easy to find great maps. If you're exploring various systems, I find the components matter most in an Unboxing video, especially if the system is new or the unboxer hasn't played it. So the fact that you had played an earlier game in the system was helpful. I did watch some of your Shiloh video. Shiloh isn't my favorite Civil War battle. Can't remember if that's the game that didn't have a day 2 scenario. Any way, I decided to try GMT's Into the Woods instead, to explore an updated version of that system. Nice price and some small maps. Have you explored the Blind Swords system? Thanks.