Top 5 Tactical Wargames - The Players' Aid

[@supark3244]

Although some viewers will "tear you apart", some of us are greatly appreciative. We don't have the time to try multiple games. This video serves as a guide to a few titles which we can listen to your points and pick the best for us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. They are appreciated more than you realize.

[@kevinalbertina136]

I'm a little late to the program here, but thank you so much for this video and really for all the videos you do. I'm older and I grew up with Avalon Hill and their small print huge rule books from the 1970's. When I was a teenager, I could devour those rule books. Now...not so much, so I was so happy that you also mentioned how easy/hard the rule books were and how easy they are to pick up. Thanks.

[@geneshaw1618]

Just finished a week of board gaming with my board gaming buddy who came up north for our twice annual game marathons. We planned for months which of the Players' Aid recommended war games (still in their plastic wrap some for over a year, as part of the fun of sharing a new game is the unwrapping) to tackle. Combat Infantry, Fire in the Sky, Race to Moscow, O.S.T., Assault Red Horizon, C.O.H., and Combat Commander were all on the list and stacked on the table...but it turns out we had become old farts over this last year...as the endurance wasn't what it once was! We opened a few and only had the energy to learn and play three scenarios or Armaggedon War, to learn and play Struggle for Europe (a fantastic and fun game with easy mechanics built around tough strategic choices) and several American versus German Up Front confrontations (Up Front being both our all-time favorite tactical WW2 game), then threw in several day long sessions of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Cases "The Promise" and "Red River Valley" (as the SHCD series is our 37 year founding gaming parent) and a few short fillers between breakfast, dinner, the NBA playoffs on TV, and unscheduled naps. October's next get-together will clear off a few more must play titles...hopefully. However, un-played games gives purpose to living a long life!

[@ErwinLau]

If you like narrative, ASL is a must try.

[@AndreaMaselli66]

Way too complex

[@ErwinLau]

Andrea Maselli Still way easier than Fields of Fire. Plus there is cheap ASLSK to try.

[@AndreaMaselli66]

Fields of Fire isn't a game. Is an unpaid job.

[@DavidChachere]

ASL's a story-generator par excellence.

[@AndreaMaselli66]

LNL Tactics is exactly the same, if not better story-generation wise

[@wastelander007]

Great info guys. I'm back into board gaming. Played Avalon Hill games a lot years ago. Your my top source for info on what to play now !! Thanks much. Will be watching in the future.

[@Caratacus1]

Fave tactical game is - Combat Commander. Love it, and the narratives that it generates are so good that the wife will even play it for the story. Glad you guys like it too. Second fave - Commands and Colors Napoleonics - the pinnacle of the C & C system IMHO.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

Of all the derision thrown at CC, mine is the absence of tanks and vehicles. No tanks in a WW2 tac game is like playing a WW1 tac game without MGs or a Napoleonic's game without cavalry! The attempt to abstract them didn't appear to work in Fall of the West (as I understand) and the whole system then came to a sputtering halt a year later with the final fantasy expansion (of all the WW2 battles, what were they thinking with Sea Lion?)

[@alexlyf888]

Another fantastic episode and I really enjoyed it! Great stuff, thank you guys!

[@100bullet95]

THANKS A LOT for all these great reviews and tops, we need more wargaming YT channels like yours !

[@chrisfenn5801]

Great video! Although I do recommend you give ASL Starter Kit a try. They have done an amazing job with it!

[@StackingLimit]

Great list that easily could have been a top ten for me. As it was I love your picks. It gave me some games to look at acquiring.

[@VonChoker]

You guys should really give ASL Starter Kit a try. MMP is about to introduce sk4 Pacific theater. It will be a stand alone so it's a great introductory into the ASL lite system and Alexander should love the PTO theme, and its cheap too. I would also genuinely recommend trying ASL starter kit 1 as it is the simplest and contains only infantry and light infantry support weapons

[@ThePlayersAid]

The worst thing is, I have ASL SK1. I've had it for at least a year now. I've even started reading the rules a few times and I have it all punched and clipped. It just keeps not hitting the table. One of these days!

[@VonChoker]

Where there's life there's hope. Well worth the effort and there's a few good youtube tutorials and a great ltp on BGG

[@derMikester]

Like this video a lot and thanks Gents. wish you'd shown a few shots of board, pieces, etc of the games you're discussing. thx!

[@mariusferreira1297]

Thank you so much for doing this list, fantastic content 👍

[@RottenJeeves]

you guys should make an updated video for this. :)

[@juvigoat2168]

I'm new to your channel. Seen a few of your videos, love the authenticity of your reviews and top lists. Thank You for making them!

[@ThePlayersAid]

Glad you found us. We're just two players with a camera!

[@horrido666]

ASL is my favorite, by far. The reason? No other game is as exciting - as tense. So many games come down to the last turn - even to the last die roll. Lots of crazy stuff is always happening, such chaos yet it goes to the wire so often. FoF is my 2nd. If I had more time I'd give Walker's stuff a better try.

[@robertmoffitt1336]

Band of Brothers by Jim Krohn & Worthington, best tactical game I've ever played, and I have all of the games in both of your lists except Columbia's Combat Infantry, Fields of Fire and LnL. I had Ranger when it first came out a million years ago, don't have it any longer regrettably. Great lists, great vid!👍👍

[@johnrogers8876]

Have you guys ever thought about doing a top10 favorite wargaming systems (ala CC, C&C, CoH, SPQR etc)?

[@flycasual2976]

Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer (and Screaming Ealges). Best tactical system known to man :)

[@anab0lic]

what makes it better than the others in your opinion?

[@BollocksUtwat]

@@anab0lic Lots of people talk about how its focused strongly on tactics representd in the decisions made on the board rather than things abstracted into numbers or die rolls to resolve combat. So it embodies the find 'em fix 'em flank 'em finish 'em ethos.

[@dantes9811]

Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles. Nice job guys. Keep on making episodes!

[@douglaspearson1647]

Have to admit I have not played any on your list. I am wondering if Ranger was made after a old Commadore 64 game by the same name (loved the game). Being an old war gamer I have been playing ASL since it came out, have all of the Avalon Hill stuff. The one problem with ASL is its a life style game. Some of the other games I like are: Landships, there is not a lot of love for this game, it has its flaws, but I like it. Basically ASL WWI, simpler. Warfighter modern warfare card game by DVG games. It reminds me of Computer Ambush. Really love this one.

[@robertmoffitt1336]

A couple other "tactical" games worth mentioning are Heroes of Normandie by Devil Pig Games, and Sergeants the Miniatures Game by Lost Battalion Games. Marco has a couple great vids on Sergeants the Miniatures Game, a game I'm just now getting into. Heroes of Normandie by DPG is moving into Heroes of Stalingrad currently. Both of these games are tremendously fun to play.

[@ThePlayersAid]

I've heard of Normandie is a fun one. I was actually looking at Sergeants at Gencon this yeah. It looks fun, but was a bit too pricey for me in the moment (late in the Con, haha). How's the gameplay etc?

[@robertmoffitt1336]

@@ThePlayersAid Yes, Sergeants is waaaay on the pricey side, but they have lowered their prices. So far, gameplay is extremely story based, and the game feels like you're playing a game of the old Combat! T.V. series with Vic Morrow. Like I said, I'm just getting into it, but it's really fun from what I've played so far.

[@sargent_d4610]

Great video. The love for the hobby definitely comes out in this one. BTW, did you have a coffee before the recording Alexander? I don't think I've seen you this excited.

[@ThePlayersAid]

No coffee, just a little exhaustion? We shot a few other videos that night and played 1754 Conquest, all whilst managing a sleepover with our kids.

[@dcal12]

Great video. Enjoyed your enthusiasm!

[@jimsmith7445]

Hey guys... I loved this video! I'm a real tactical gamer... also solo. "Combat Infantry" is always a favorite. I haven't tried "65" but I would love to play it. CoH is another system I'd love to own and try.

[@daykz69]

Hugely frustrating that Ranger is not available to buy in the UK and the company don’t ship to the UK either, love to try the game but it’s for the US region only it would appear.

[@T_U3721]

For alternate impulse and bloody combat with huge tactical depth, Advanced Tobruk System is definitely worth trying, despite its being seriously overlooked. It even sports a pretty robust AI solo system to play all the scenarios.

[@NoEnemiesHere]

Thanks, Guys! Lot's of fun.

[@thynarrowroad]

I really enjoy your reviews and videos but please, please fix the audio issues. Your voices are muffled and the echo is hard to listen to for long stretches. Overall though thanks for the work and effort in supporting the board gaming community.

[@brandonleconte4922]

Where do you even find Combat Commander : Europe. Its like 160$ on amazon. The gmt p500 is at 277. Any ideas on where to find an affordable copy? lol

[@idjester]

ASL a billion times... no just kidding... OST, Lock N Load Tactical, Combat Commander are all good ones... How about some of the lesser known tactical games like Panzer Grenadier, Warstorm Series Normandy The Beginning Of The End, and the new Last Hundred Yards these are all very good as well...

[@Creshex8]

As someone trying to get some recommendations and unfamiliar with this category, it would help if you didn’t abbreviate those games because I have no idea what you are referring to.

[@idjester]

@@Creshex8 ASL Advanced Squad Leader, OST Old School Tactical... hope that helps.

[@Creshex8]

@@idjester thanks!

[@idjester]

@@Creshex8 glad to help....

[@jonlatino9964]

Outstanding guys!!!

[@supark3244]

Heroes of Normandy has interested me for awhile. Grant mentioned 5.0 rules set and x-maps. Are these included or if not, are they "needed" to enjoy the game to its fullest? Is there a separate rule set (sold separately) for solo play?

[@ThePlayersAid]

X maps are separate. They're identical to the ingame ones except bigger, so less clutter. Unnecessary, but i like the freedom. The new rules are excellent. They look daunting but its like 2 thirds pictures and examples of play. Email david heath at LnL about getting the new rules. There's a seperate solo mod that is compatible with every title in the tactical series.

[@supark3244]

Thanks Grant. I need to pick one system for solo play. I can play Euros and Ameritrash with friends and family but war games will be solo endeavors. Don't relish switching between systems. Prefer to master one ruleset and become immersed in the gameplay. The fact the LnL solo mod is compatible with every title is a huge plus.

[@mattlehnen8955]

I just bought LnL Heroes of the Nam largely on feedback from the Players aid. I’ve really enjoyed it so far but man are the 4K X-maps beautiful. Honestly just on the strength of the 4K maps I am ordering the Falklands modular today

[@derMikester]

Alexander. thx for bringing up CoH Guadalcanal. what are the "changes" that are forthcoming with the system that you allude to in the video??? thx !

[@ThePlayersAid]

The command point system was revisited, and the action economy was entirely revised. I don't want to misspeak about the details but Uwe was very proud of it based on feedback from players at QUANTACO that use CoH for training. Either way it's entirely optional. They've created an action economy where you can spend points to do things you couldn't normally so. But again, you can just use the old rules instead. He was adamant the rules could be rolled back and backwards compatible.

[@davidwarren3221]

Have you done a video on Combat Infantry yet? thanks in advance

[@ThePlayersAid]

Not yet, I think I unboxed it a while back. we've played it an there's a written review on the website, just no video yet.

[@stowcreek1999]

Love you guys too. Thanks! ... but is it me, or is the sound quality really poor?

[@ThePlayersAid]

Yeah, we're in a temporary set up whilst i fix up a studio so sound isn't great.

[@evidentside]

@@ThePlayersAid even a Blue snowball usb mic sat on table between you would work wonders to remove the cavern room effect.

[@wsclulin]

Alexander, if you haven't already, you should try Silver Bayonet (GMT, 25th anniversary edition) if you haven't already to help scratch that Vietnam itch..Steve

[@ThePlayersAid]

I have it, got it when it came out. I agree - fantastic game

[@Zman44444]

Anyone have a game similar to Kriegsspiel? The OG board game, brick units... the whole dealio? Thank you for the video! It’s been awesome to see this stuff!

[@sergeantrock1]

Great lineup. Have you tried aslsk, panzer, mbt, toi, bolt action or another miniatures game crossfire.

[@ThePlayersAid]

Have tried MBT, not my cup of tea. Haven't done Bolt Action - would love too, but I have Flames of war which we play from time to time for miniatures.

[@fenthedog]

How did ya get your face on the Heroes of Normandy set :D

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

R u guys gonna be at GenCon2019? We go every year, and I was so excited to see you this year, that I would like to repeat the experience! This year I saw you guys at the Games Unlimited booth... which I visit more than once every time I go to GenCon! Anyway, hope to see you guys next year, and would like to play a game with you'ns!

[@ThePlayersAid]

We plan to be there. We will have to meet up and play something.

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

We always get a Library pass... why don't you guys get one too, and we'll meet up! It will be great! E-mail me.

[@romain2725]

I wish I had the patience to learn Fields of Fire... From the video it feels like either you guys don't play anything pre-WW2 or that the video is only about WW2+Vietnam but I'm not sure which it is.

[@ThePlayersAid]

Yeah, I plead guilty to playing a lot of WWII and Vietnam games.

[@leooshea8089]

You know that the Soviet Union, and the Soviet army therefore, was not just made up of Russians but also Ukrainians, Latvians, Kazakhs (the list goes on and on). My toes curl every time I hear someone say of an eastern front game: "Germans v Russians". Historical wargames should be a pretext to learn something about history not just fantasize about war.

[@MattWhiteWargames]

Great list! Yep - Band of Brothers is good and ASL starter kit 1 too.

[@Nnomadd]

Nice, thanks

[@dcal12]

Have you guys checked out “Great War Commander”?

[@ThePlayersAid]

Haven’t yet but would love to get my hands on a copy.

[@derMikester]

please play Band of Brothers and let us know what you think. IT comes highly recommended from HAMTAG etc.

[@ThePlayersAid]

I have Ghost Panzer on my shelf. Shamefully unplayed.

[@skiddwister9143]

Fun video!

[@ReallyVirtual]

I found CoH too predictable with its combat results - very mathematical. After a while this detracted from the experience and I simply went back to ASL. Many people think it's hard to learn, but if you start off infantry only and skip some of the more advanced rules, the game is easy to grasp. ASL for me, generates the deepest narrative due to the huge range of results that can be generated. These results are also far less predictable than the mathematical precision of CoH - so make for a better solo experience. That said, I recently bought the CoH solo module - so it will be interesting to give that a go to see if it removes the inherent predictability.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

I much agree with this. CoH had some beautiful design simplicity and consistency to easily add new components (AT Guns, mines & bunkers, vehicles), but at the end of the day, it seemed just a lot of trying to roll 10s, 11s or 12s and the AP system didn't work as well as expected, though we were 'gaming' the system. I understand this has been addressed (the fatigue rules) in the newest versions (Guadalcanal and v3 of either AWtB or SoS). I am really waiting for the north African desert box to come out! I also agree with you on ASL, but I found so many new rules came with the onset of vehicles and guns. As well, each later module seemed to have to add a slew of new specific country rules and terrain types, which made me drift back to old 19977?-era SL. I understand OST was designed to be a take on SL, though I'm not sure that's accurate.

[@greymouser8659]

Audio dampening guys...please

[@greymouser8659]

Double plus...'Conflict of Heroes' Solitaire rules set. And, OST 'Stalingrad' Map (even usable with ASL) :)

[@tomj.7599]

No one can play Fields of Fire correctly! :) Also it`s the second edition and still got plenty of errors in the rulebook. But I like it too because it has so many details.

[@crushingit5128]

I like the concept of it, but the execution was just horribly done. The 2nd edition has more errors than the 1st. And there are several rules the community can't solve, because the creator developed a crappy rule book and he never goes online to help explain his game. It's like if EA got into wargaming or something

[@agrayday7816]

oh my, no Band of Brothers...

[@chickenspadge]

HAMAID! - a bit of a rip-off, but a very welcome one. Keep them coming!

[@davedogge2280]

Angola at no.1 for me

[@Avtomatik]

not tactical by any stretch of imagination

[@davedogge2280]

@@Avtomatik *spits out coffee in shock*

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

By the way... I loved the legging ad that played before the vid... some women there with very, very nice legs!

[@ThePlayersAid]

Those are taylored (heh) specifically based on your browsing history!

[@Conflict_Boardgaming]

The Players Aid Uh oh! tee hee

[@spawntobebad2085]

Helpful like a chocolate coffee cup

[@john-lenin]

Combat Commander could have been one of the great games of time if they had instituted constructed decks. As it is, though the random draw is stupid.

[@mrgreggles998]

"It focuses on the West front so it's Germans vs Americans". What?!

[@holyspiritfire8268]

Great video! Also to enhance some modern warfare solo games I have found a great company in Spectre Miniatures check them out and if you like do a review.