Best Intro Wargame

[Martok]

I think I read somewhere that Ogre was delayed. Again. He's been talking about this game for years now, so you have to wonder if maybe he's getting cold feet about actually producing it.

I think it's a race between the Ogre reprint, and the Up Front reprint, for the Duke Nukem vaporware award of games-that-are-never-coming-out.

Surely World in Flames has got to be on that list as well. 

[son_of_montfort]

I think I read somewhere that Ogre was delayed. Again. He's been talking about this game for years now, so you have to wonder if maybe he's getting cold feet about actually producing it trying to sell it for an MSRP of $100.

Fixed that for you.

[Arctic Blast]

I think I read somewhere that Ogre was delayed. Again. He's been talking about this game for years now, so you have to wonder if maybe he's getting cold feet about actually producing it.

I think it's a race between the Ogre reprint, and the Up Front reprint, for the Duke Nukem vaporware award of games-that-are-never-coming-out.

How many times has Up Front been promised now? How long has that been going on? 5 years? Longer?

Surely World in Flames has got to be on that list as well.

Nah, the WiF board game actually exists.   :D

[bayonetbrant]

I think I read somewhere that Ogre was delayed. Again. He's been talking about this game for years now, so you have to wonder if maybe he's getting cold feet about actually producing it.

I think it's a race between the Ogre reprint, and the Up Front reprint, for the Duke Nukem vaporware award of games-that-are-never-coming-out.

How many times has Up Front been promised now? How long has that been going on? 5 years? Longer?

11 that I know of.  Might be more before that.

[besilarius]

Well, it's totally old school, but Tactics II.  Not too complicated, simple rules.  At the time, a gamer could sell it to his friends as a tie in with The Longest Day movie.
That actually did a lot to get some on hte fence folks to give wargaming a try.

[wierbear]

I have had good success with Lock N Load's World at War series. Simple and intuitive rules. I taught my 15-year-old nephew to play. The hook was something along the lines of: "Let's play a game about what I did when I was in the army."

[bayonetbrant]

The hook was something along the lines of: "Let's play a game about what I did when I was in the army."

I think that's a perfect hook to use.  Anyone else had success with it?

[0kult13]

I would go with something from game workshop, why, well yes the cost but they are fairly easy to play but more importantly they are better to engage the imagination due to the massive wealth of background in books and computer games. Also, although i have not played it dust is ment to be a very good "light" wargame, sci-fi ww2ish tank walkers, zombies etc whats not to like.

[Arctic Blast]

Found another good choice for a beginner board gamer :

1812 : Invasion of Canada by Academy Games (the Conflict of Heroes guys). Can be played by FIVE people (British Regulars, Canadian Militia and Natives on one side, American Regulars & Militia on the other). Each faction gets a deck of 12 cards, 8 for movement and 4 special cards. Once you use one, it's done. You can move the forces of allies with yours as armies when you advance/attack.

Each faction also gets it's own set of combat dice, with differing numbers of faces of the 3 types (flee, hit and tactical retreat option). 5 faction cubes go in to a cloth bag at the start of each turn, and the order drawn determines the order in which factions get to act. Simple reinforcement rules.

At most, the game lasts 8 turns. But one of the most powerful movement cards for each faction is also a Truce card. If, at any point from Turn 3 on, every member of one of the two sides has played their Truce card, the war ends right then and there. Try to take more cities belonging to your opponent than they take of yours before the game ends.

I've also got another Academy game for up to 4 that is supposed to be simple, though a little deeper than this, called Strike of the Eagle. Haven't gotten to play it yet, but I'll mention it if it fits the bill for a nice intro wargame as well.

[Sigma One]

My first real strategy game was Sierra's Civil War General 1 & 2, which then graduated into the Panzer General Series, then to Close Combat, then to to Steel Panthers, Panzer General Forever, then to my current stock. I bounced around a bit.

Actually a good Wargame-Lite which is great for kids is Advance Wars, I'm sure it'll get the itch started into wargaming, albeit a digital one.

[Shad]

I'm wondeering if maybe that Airborne game by Avalanche Press might work ( I haven't had the time to get into the Panzer Grenadier system -but have read their one page rule blurb that they used to (might still for all I know) include with their games. 

This is a very poor choice of starter game. There is only one map and the hedgerow rules are convoluted at best. If the scale of PG is appealing starting with a desert game would be better: terrain is easier to grasp, AFVs can move very freely, LOS is simple. The system excels in the desert.

The one page rules blurb is marketing horseshit, btw.  ::) You'll need far more than that to grasp the game's mechanics.

[MengJiao]

I'm wondeering if maybe that Airborne game by Avalanche Press might work ( I haven't had the time to get into the Panzer Grenadier system -but have read their one page rule blurb that they used to (might still for all I know) include with their games. 

Although, I started, back in the day with AH's War at Sea and Tactics II.

When I was a kid, I started other kids out on Panzerblitz.  Panzer Grenadier might work fine.

However, now that I'm old, I may try starting people out on Agincourt: small map, easy system, big counters and I can say, "Let's play a game about what I did in the 100-years war."  And Then I can recite Henry V.s band-of-brothers we happy few...and you know there really aren't many of us 100-year-war veteran's left.  And why worry?  I'll be the French.

[ArizonaTank]

I concur with the Command and Colors suggestion. I believe there is even an iOS version of the Ancients one that would be a cheaper and quicker learning tool.

LB, I think the reprint of Ogre is a limited run, so they probably don't care about or want reviews. I may just take the plunge, depending on the price.

+1 on Command and Colors Ancients.  Strangely, the game is rated as medium complexity by GMT, but I think it is easier to learn than that.

[GJK]

I hear so much about CC:A that I've thought of getting a copy to see what the hype is all about but then I ask myself "if I think Memoir '44 is a cute little intro wargame that only sees the table when introducing someone to the hobby, am I going to really like CC:A?". So I ask you CC:A players the same question- would I?

[Rekim]

I hear so much about CC:A that I've thought of getting a copy to see what the hype is all about but then I ask myself "if I think Memoir '44 is a cute little intro wargame that only sees the table when introducing someone to the hobby, am I going to really like CC:A?". So I ask you CC:A players the same question- would I?

CC:A and M'44 are the same game with different dressing...same goes for Battlelore. I enjoyed playing all three equally. Based on my experience I'd suggest that you're likely to find the same with CC:A vs. M'44.

I haven't tried any of the expansions. Also, CC Napoleonics appears to have more meat on its bones.