This Weekend's Review: Battle of Britain

Started by bayonetbrant, March 31, 2018, 08:02:04 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

bayonetbrant

The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

mirth

#1
Having played this, I thought the quality of the plastic planes was appallingly bad and warranted a reissue. The game itself is fun, if a little too random for my personal liking.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

Cyrano

What about them didn't you like?  As I say, they're just upscale markers so they didn't bother me much.

As to the randomness, many have taken to house ruling that the Germans can pick some or all of their missions.  I don't think it needs it, but I take the point.
Sergeant at Arms of La Fraternite des Boutons Carres

One mustachioed, cigar-chomping, bespectacled deity, entirely at your service.

You didn't know? My Corps has already sailed to Berlin. We got there 3 days ago and we've been in the Tiergarten on the piss ever since. -- Marshal Soult, October 1806

mirth

#3
Quote from: Cyrano on March 31, 2018, 09:59:40 AM
What about them didn't you like?  As I say, they're just upscale markers so they didn't bother me much.

As to the randomness, many have taken to house ruling that the Germans can pick some or all of their missions.  I don't think it needs it, but I take the point.

The ones I saw weren't just slightly mis-shapen, they were badly warped. I realize there's no effect on game play, but I'm sure they were part of the "sizzle" used to promote the KS. If I had purchased the game, I would have been very disappointed. I do give them credit for reissuing them free for the backers.

I could see letting the Germans choose their missions. In the game I played, the Germans had some very bad card draws. Most of the game, the missions were all down south. The British southern sectors were severely tested, but the northern sectors were barely touched. At the end of the game, when the Germans finally got the mission cards for the north, the British were able to meet them with full strength. There was little chance the Germans were going to inflict enough damage to offset the VPs they gave up in losses.

I only played the one time, so that may have just been a fluke thing due to bad card draws. I enjoyed the game and it does present you with interesting/difficult choices. The mechanic of inflicting your own losses as well as enemy losses is pretty neat. You can hose yourself pretty badly with you own dice (something both sides did a couple times).

You were spot on in pointing out the issues with the rule book. We ran into the ambiguity and lack of clarity in places. Still, it's a fun game. My side winning may have helped my enjoyment.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

W8taminute

Subpar plastic models aside this game does look like fun.  I'm a little worried about bad card draws though that mirth mentions. 
"You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Romulan Commander to Kirk

Cyrano

Ooh, mangled plastic.

That would have displeased me mightily.  Come to think of it, I did read about folks having to bend parts back in place, but I didn't think it was anything dramatic.  There's no disputing that they tried for an "ooooh" factor on some of this and failed.  The croupier sticks magically became a 25% discount coupon for all backers.

Did you play using the larger map?  Curious how many picked it up.
Sergeant at Arms of La Fraternite des Boutons Carres

One mustachioed, cigar-chomping, bespectacled deity, entirely at your service.

You didn't know? My Corps has already sailed to Berlin. We got there 3 days ago and we've been in the Tiergarten on the piss ever since. -- Marshal Soult, October 1806

Bison

the planes look like they were snagged out of a copy of axis and allies.

mirth

Quote from: Cyrano on March 31, 2018, 08:30:38 PM
Did you play using the larger map?  Curious how many picked it up.

It was the larger map which was very nice. A buddy of mine backed the KS. He's planning on using the game as a basis for a larger BoB game he plans to run at Huzzah! in May.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

mirth

Quote from: Bison on March 31, 2018, 08:32:46 PM
the planes look like they were snagged out of a copy of axis and allies.

TBH, what you get in an A&A game are better than what I saw in BoB. That's why I thought the reissue was warranted.
"45 minutes of pooping Tribbles being juggled by a drunken Horta would be better than Season 1 of TNG." - SirAndrewD

"you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire" - Bawb

"Can't 'un' until you 'pre', son." - Gus

Cyrano

Now you've compelled me to fish out my A&A (1941 ETO and PTO) to make the comparison...

Curious to see what your crew comes up with, given the cool stuff they've played in the past.  Honestly, though, given my relatively limited interest in the subject, this would be my go-to BoB game.  I was trying to convince myself to pick up "Eagle Day" during the Matrix sale, but just couldn't pull the trigger.

Sergeant at Arms of La Fraternite des Boutons Carres

One mustachioed, cigar-chomping, bespectacled deity, entirely at your service.

You didn't know? My Corps has already sailed to Berlin. We got there 3 days ago and we've been in the Tiergarten on the piss ever since. -- Marshal Soult, October 1806

BROJD

Does this game have solo rules?

I thought it did and, if so, would have loved to have that mode of play reviewed.

JudgeDredd

Yes it does and the rules are very clear. It's a fantastic system.

There's a solo British campaign, a solo German campaign and a two player campaign and rule sets for each.
Alba gu' brath

Barthheart

That's the "other" Battle of Britain. This one has plastic planes and is much simpler.

BanzaiCat

This is like the old TSR Battle of Britain game, which I think I still have somewhere around here.

JudgeDredd

Alba gu' brath