Tag Archives: Tactical
A(nother) Review of Cruel Morning: Shiloh 1862
Another look at Tiny Battle’s ACW game ~
Jim Werbaneth, 27 July 2018
Cruel Morning Cover
The Battle of Shiloh was a harbinger of the bloodbath to come in the Civil War. It also marked a turning point in the leadership of both sides. Albert Sidney Johnston, one of the most highly-regarded Confederate generals at the start of the conflict, was mortally wounded, rendering him a “what if” in a theater characterized by rebel generals who were mediocre at best; how could the war have progressed had Johnston remained alive and in charge, in place of Braxton Bragg, Leonidas Polk, John Bell Hood or Joseph Johnston? On the Union side, Ulysses S. Grant prepared poorly, and was caught off guard by the Confederate onslaught. However, he recovered, and his Army of the Tennessee did not just survive, but with the aid of Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio, went on the offensive on the second day of battle. Despite heavy criticism of the early stages of the battle, a temporary sidelining afterward, Grant and his career survived, and he went on to become the premier, even definitive, military leader of the Civil War.
Cruel Morning is a brigade-scale treatment of Shiloh, on a time scale of daily turns. The footprint is small, with an eleven by seventeen-inch unmounted map. From its small size and relatively low unit count, one would expect it to be a fast-playing, easily-accessible game. However, the final project ends up as something different.
click images to enlarge
SEAL Team Flix – First Look!
Who gives a flick about what’s in the box?! ~
Vance Strickland, 25 July 2018
Here’s an unboxing my latest game arrival, Seal Team Flix.
Big heavy box.
Here’s why it’s heavy. Lots and lots of cardboard and bits.
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.
Just look at the cover of this game. It just reeks of Soviet strength and determination.
GrogHeads Reviews Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition
Can the update & enhancement bring the game up to modern standards? ~
Avery Abernethy, 30 June 2018
Baldur’s Gate was originally released in December 1998. It was a tremendous financial success selling more than a million copies worldwide. It was also a critical success earning a GameRankings score of 92%. I bought the game when it was first released and later the expansion Tales of the Sword Coast. I ended up replaying the game many times.
Minsc also has many memorable dialogue options including “Butt-Kicking for Goodness.”
An Enhanced Edition of Baldur’s Gate was released in January of 2013 on Steam and www.gog.com. The Original edition of Baldur’s Gate was removed from the market. Baldur’s Gate has one of the most memorable characters in computer RPG history, Minsc the Ranger with his companion Boo the hamster. Minsc obtained Boo after a severe head injury, thinks Boo talks to him, and that Boo is a “space hamster.” Minsc also has many memorable dialogue options including “Butt-Kicking for Goodness.”
Armageddon War – First Look!
Armageddon War, and Burning Lands have both arrived ~
Vance Strickland, 24 June 2018
Just received my KS package for Armageddon War and here are some shrink-ripping pics!
Kickstarter basic package. Too cheap for solo expansion.
