Tag Archives: WWII

Thunder in the East: A First-time Player’s Perspective

TITE first SPLASH1

Our guest author takes us to ConSimWorld Expo for a report on VPG’s upcoming east front mini-monster ~

Christian Snyder, 21 July 2018

I recently had the amazing opportunity to sit down with some good folks at ConsimWorld Expo’s Monster Conand play Frank Chadwick’s Thunder in the East for the first time; it was fantastic! Full disclosure: I am currently awaiting my Kickstarter copy of the game and had seen some Vassal play prior to arriving in Tempe, Arizona. Seeing the game on videos and reading the rulebook, however, are nothing compared to sitting down to play with the printer’s proof copy at the show. Since the game is not available, this is not a review, but a first impression focusing on what impressed me about seeing, playing, and meeting the development team for Frank Chadwick’s ETO Vol. I: Thunder in the East.

Frank Chadwicks ETO Vol I thunder in the east

Frank Chadwick’s ETO Vol I: Thunder in the East! Nice maps, charts and counters!

Thunder in the East is a dynamic, action packed game covering the entire Eastern Front of World War 2 in six scenarios starting with the German Operation Barbarossa and ending with the Soviet Operation Bagration. You can do each scenario singularly or start a full campaign from these points with incredible systems for morale, seasonal activities, economy and unit reorganization. My experience consisted of three playthroughs of Operation Barbarossa using the optional and campaign game rules. For each of our playthroughs, we were typically unconcerned with capturing Moscow. However, to capture Moscow, along with Stalin, would have been a scenario automatic victory.

Pavlov’s House – First Look!

Pavlov 1st SPLASH

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.

Huzzah! – Photos from the Convention

Portland, Maine has a game convention?! ~

Chris Paquette, 6 June 2018

Every May, the good folks at the MHWA set up their long weekend of HUZZAH! It started as a minis-heavy gaming convention and has expanded to other tabletop games, as well.  But lets face it, it’s the minis that look the best on the table.

click images to enlarge

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And stay tuned for more convention coverage all summer long!


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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.

 

RAF The Battle of Britain 1940 – The GrogHeads AAR, part 5 of 5

Will the climax of the AAR leave shots all over England? ~

Michael Eckenfels, 1 May 2018

 

0600 TIME SEGMENT

RAID ONE: HORNCHURCH (Airfield)

MAJOR RAID

This raid has the Decoy Raid card attached to it. I get to choose two Squadrons from the Enroute Sectors listed on the Target card and put them in the Inflight Box. I choose two of the three Spitfire Squadrons from 6/11 as we have a Major Raid coming in to take down the Radar Net at Foreness.

The two RAF Squadrons assigned by Fighter Command find that this was a Luftwaffe trick; the two Squadrons are now out of the picture for the time being, cursing their luck and good German ingenuity, no doubt.