07/11/18
Pavlov 1st SPLASH

Pavlov’s House – First Look!

Cracking open DVG’s new Stalingrad game ~

Michael Eckenfels, 11 July 2018

The Battle of Stalingrad is a good time for wargamers – at least, for me it is. I do enjoy some Eastern Front WWII battlin’, but the campaign in 1942 is of special interest to me, considering its scope and objectives. Stalingrad isn’t just a well-represented source for games, but could fill a library with all the books written just on that battle itself, let alone all of Case Blue.

ed note: we also had pre-release proof copies of this one on the table at Origins.  See what you miss when you’re not there!?

Pavlov’s House from DVG isn’t a grand-scale representation of Case Blue, though; it’s more of a microscopic view of one slice of that campaign, which makes it extremely intriguing. All I know is it not only represents the tactical battles over the apartment complex that was famously known as “Pavlov’s House,” but also the general area of that battle, as well as the Soviet Army sector in which it took place.

For reference purposes, I found a good map on the Trip Wire Interactive forums

From what I’ve seen online, it looks like a lot of folks mistake the Steam Mill (#6 in the pic above) as Pavlov’s House.

Anyway, you’re not here to read history…you want to make it, through this game. Let’s take a look at what Pavlov’s House has under the hood.

Pavlov 1st 001
Just look at the cover of this game. It just reeks of Soviet strength and determination.

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05/2/18

Iwo: Bloodbath in the Bonins – First Look!

Unbagging DG’s solitaire Fire & Movement folio ~

Michael Eckenfels, 2 May 2018

Released in 2013, this game is one of many Folio-style games that Decision Games (that’s a lot of ‘games’ in one sentence) has done. I’ve never owned one and figured it was time to check one out. While there are several at cheaper prices than this one, I picked it up for about $20 on Amazon.

It comes in a folder, within a large, clear, plastic bag.

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04/18/18

Car Wars – A Trip Down The Memory Fast Lane, (the lost) Part 9

Remember that whole series from over a year ago?  Yeah, we missed one… ~

Michael Eckenfels, 18 April 2018

click most images to enlarge

THE AADA ROAD ATLAS AND SURVIVAL GUIDE

VOLUME ONE: THE EAST COAST

The AADA Survival Guides, of which I believe there were seven, were essentially campaign game starter books that gave Car Wars-centric information for various regions of the United States. Or, at least, what was left of the United States. Further, it should be pointed out that these Guides are built to be used with the GURPS system (more specifically, the Autoduel GURPS rules).

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04/7/18

Raiders of the Deep – First Look!

Michael… ahem, “dives” into the Compass Games sub warfare box ~

Michael Eckenfels, 7 April 2018

It seems that the solitaire wargame market for submarines is picking up steam (a harr a harr) in the last few years. Silent Victory, Silent War, Target Bearing 023 Degrees, Operation Drumbeat, The Hunters…there’s plenty of options, including this title, Raiders Of The Deep from Compass Games.

Based on the same system that The Hunters and Silent Victory use, Raiders Of The Deep puts you into the role of a German submarine commander in World War I. This is a very intriguing prospect to me, being based in World War I, when submarine warfare really came into its own. Some of the German submarines at the outbreak of war were tiny things that could hold maybe 15 sailors and two torpedoes, but they evolved quickly over the following years of The Great War. Continue reading