Review: Atlantic Chase from GMT Games - The Players' Aid

[@kobeparidaens897]

So after a lot of consideration over the last weeks, this morning I finally ordered Versailles 1919 and Dominant Species Marine. Then I started watching this review and even paused it before the end to immediately order Atlantic Chase as well. This looks like such an amazing game!

[@Pusdenomdispo]

The best thing this game does, is to simulate how engagements are not "all or nothing" and that is what makes this game great in my opinion. If you manage to catch a task force you won't finish it immediately. You have to chase it back to port, and hopefully catch it before it completes. This, to anyone knowledgeable about actual warfare, should bring a whole bunch of vivid pictures to mind: the Bismarck making it to the Atlantic and the wild chase that followed. Its not only naval warfare though, in how many cases was a lucky/timely withdrawal after a disastrous defeat the difference in the long term? This system simulates this chase between a winning force and a losing force so well. Something that you don't really get from many wargames. Most wargames have a battle, everyone from one side dies, and it's over. Or, at the very least, if you have a retreat by one side it just automatically succeed. This game puts all of the emphasis on that post battle chase and it creates such tense moments.

[@SergioGVasco]

That's my case (no people to play with) but, i love to play solo. I'm so glad i ordered this yesterday, right after starting watching this video. Thanks so much for sharing. Great stuff as usual. By the way, i really wouldn't mind (in fact, I'd love it, appreciate it and be grateful) if one day you'd be able to share a video or two on Death In The Trenches 2nd Edition, solo. Anyway, keep up the top quality work and thanks again. Take care out there.

[@jameshenderson4876]

You guys. Two years late, but I came across a copy of this in a Belgian online store and now it is on its way to me. Y'all are costing me €€€ 😁

[@ThePlayersAid]

You won’t regret it. Ever played anything quite like it.

[@jameshenderson4876]

@@ThePlayersAid I love the topic, and your coverage sold it to me!

[@jimmarshall807]

Alexander postulates that the solo scenarios are more generic than the two player ones. That's not the case, the solo scenarios simulate specific engagements and (like the two player game) award you vps for doing things (and negative vps for doing other things like having your ships sunk...) The main difference is that your opponent's actions are determined by rolling a die against a decision table and applying scenario-specific decision priorities in a similar way to the AI in the tutorials

[@davidwarren3221]

Can't wait to play it,the rule book reminds of the one's in the conflict of Heroes series which you read and absorb some rules,play a scenario,read some more rules,play a scenario etc.etc..Great video,can't wait till you do a solo version on this.

[@georgevanwallendael3990]

You two were giddy over this game! Ordered 2 copies today! I can't wait to explore this game. Will be interesting to see where this game system goes! Thanks for a great review!

[@whitneymilam3141]

One more great wargame review from the best wargame channel on the World Wide Web. Thanks y'all for all you do.

[@t3l3phasicworksh0p]

Superb review as always. Imagine the "trajectory" mechanism applied to the WWII daylight or night bombing raids - or even the Linebacker I and II raids - awesome!

[@Charley461]

I can't wait till see your solo play-through, if you're going to do one. I would play it with another person, if there was one but my work schedule really makes that difficult.

[@rbaynosa]

unique, wide decision space, great solo and opposed, good looking board, minimal game pieces, can be as basic or as complex as you want , plays in 2 hours- this is exactly what i want in a game! didnt seem as difficult in this review as others make it out to be. kinda in the same category as wing leader - a grand tactical abstract simulation (i know oxymorons right!). but this one lends to much much wider options and decision making. also like theyre using an activation system similar to men of iron. all in all looks like really good stuff.

[@mariusferreira1297]

Awesome review, I just received the game looking forward to start playing with it. Thank you so much

[@timggoodchild]

Fantastic review as ever, really appreciate your content. This is a certain purchase for me, and looking forward to Vol 2!

[@flaviusbelisarius3240]

Whats going on with the temperature in that room? We have a tropical shirt wearer next to fall weather clothing! Enjoyed the discussion on the game. The comparison that would have been nice to make is to the old AH War at Sea game.

[@Warriorking.1963]

Great review of a game I must get. This topic is a major interest of mine, and I'm really looking forward to you solo playing it. Not related to this game, I have a question you or someone who watches this video might be able to help me with. In WW2, it's the Bismarck and Tirpitz, the Scharnhorsts, etc. that gets all the attention, but really they did very little in the battle against the Royal Navy. It's the coastal forces, up to the size of destroyers and light cruisers that really came to blows, in and around the waters of the English Channel and the English eastern coast they were at it non stop. And when you think it can't get much worse, you have to throw in the Luftwaffe who liked to send Stukas and level bombers to bomb the ships that made up the coastal convoys. Has there ever been a board game based on these actions? It would be every bit as exciting as something like Atlantic Chase, and with way more actions available.

[@Hobiecat181]

I would only play with the advanced combat rules it makes the combat system so good.

[@jeffa6841]

How well represented is the Royal Canadian Navy? Heavily, I would hope, since Canada was in the war long Battle of the Atlantic from the beginning.

[@jameshenderson4876]

Two years late, but: considerable as the contribution of the Canadian Navy was in the Battle of the Atlantic, their contribution was not really related to the subject of this game...German surface raiders 1939-42. Considerable as anti-submarine escorts, and four modern destroyers were delivered at the very end of 1942 - but rather out of the scope of this game unfortunately.

[@69AfroThunder]

Alexander, let Grant win next time so he'll focus more on the game and not his terrible luck. :D

[@j_atkinson]

My first exposure to this style of learning a game was Jerry White's Skies Above Britain. I"m a big fan of this kind of learning for complex games. I'm looking at getting more of his stuff. BTW, hot take, Pushing Cardboard interviewed Jerry White a while back while he was working on Pacific Chase :) Hopefully, it will get the greenlight from GMT.

[@ThePlayersAid]

Based on how well this sold it’s surely a done deal.

[@ilqrd.6608]

Seeing that rulebook and player aid reminded in the worst way of my try to learn Skies of the Reich. I was so so frustrated by it and felt it really did a poor job of explaining the basic ideas of the game and left some very basic beginner questions unanswered. Hope this one is better!

[@melbeasley9762]

Ordered it today.

[@ThePlayersAid]

You will not regret.

[@casca6664]

well my guess if I may be so bold as to the second title will be in the Solomon Islands and let's call it "Solomon's showdown"

[@NefariousKoel]

I was similarly guessing Solomons as number two. Hoping, even.

[@aisthpaoitht]

Is there a way to play this or at least do it partially on PC?

[@ThePlayersAid]

maybe TTS, but not sure.

[@hesy8049]

There is a great tts and vassal module

[@Ireton]

I ordered Atlantic Chase and now kinda of regretting it watching an unboxing the ship stats are historically way out of whack. Looks like in the Atlantic Chase the Germans (and powerful French Navy) will be hunting down RN and USN ships and not trying to avoid them.

[@aisthpaoitht]

What stats in particular?

[@Ireton]

@@aisthpaoitht Practically them all the German stats are almost fanboy overrated. Scharnhorst with same gunpower as Nelson and Washington is questionable, Superior to Hood, Warspite, Renown. Like I said Atlantic chase will be the Kriegsmarine hunting the RN and USN down.

[@aisthpaoitht]

@@Ireton Interesting, thanks. Seems like you could easily modify the numbers on your own though?

[@Ireton]

A guy over at board gamer geek has done a simple armour gunpower/armour modifier table that is virtually seamless and gets Tom back chasing Jerry instead of the other way around

[@shadowblaster124]

@@Ireton Could you provide link to it? There's a lot of posts on Boardgamegeek, especially now that a year has passed.

[@pipos193]

Nice review, but I would like you to present the game mechanics a bit before diving into details. I had trouble following you.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

Has anyone compared this to 1805? The mechanics are obviously different, but what the games attempt to simulate seem very similar. Maybe even Sovereign of the Seas?1805 doesn't have 200 pages of text however(!)

[@ScipioAfricanusI]

Smoke.is.a.result.of.mixing.the.amount.of.oxygen.is.added.to.the,combustion.in.yourboilers.Less.oxygene,more.smoke.from.your.stacks.

[@epone3488]

Guys maybe don't make a review after ten hours of deep thinking LOL. @Alexander your "you want to keep the asset" portion of the video is speaking directly to the theory of "Force Projection" as espoused by Mahan and others. Essentially simply establishing you do indeed have the capacity to operate your asset in the near region or globally is enough, without even moving the hard assets themselves, and is related to the theories of soft power projection.

[@varovaro1967]

Complexity? Honestly?

[@ThePlayersAid]

If you don't use the advanced battle rules (I basically never would) then it's really not that bad, especially with the tutorial. It's no more complex than any other wargame. It just may seem complex because it's so different.

[@casca6664]

@@ThePlayersAid This is why I have been playing and collecting war games especially board games.To see people put into motion in their minds eye the algorithm(s) of their perception of war/history creativity etc...great video.

[@BrianMarcus-nz7cs]

😂. ⚓. 🌊. 🌎. 🧭🤔. 😃🫖👍