WW2
The Best Games Not Yet Published, 2009
With the New Year upon us it is time, once again, for our annual look at the games we are most anxiously awaiting in 2009. Our 2008 prognostications did pretty well so we thought we would keep the tradition going. As always, there is no guarantee any of these titles will be published in 2009, nor that they will be any good if they are, but we are optimistic. Read the rest of this entry »
Firestorm-Bagration Delayed
Battlefront’s new campaign game for Flames of War is going to be delayed until late February 2009. Firestorm is an interesting idea. It is sort of an Axis and Allies-looking game set on the Eastern front in WW2 during Operation Bagration (the 1944 Soviet offensive in Byelorussia). Its main purpose is to be a campaign game for FoW that will generate individual games of FoW. What is not clear is whether or not the game can be played stand-alone or not. Either way it is good news for German and Russian FoW players.
[Updated: 11JAN09]
Landmark 15mm Buildings — Review
It has been awhile since we first looked at some pre-painted 15mm building choices. Unfortunately, Battlefront has still not released any northwest European buildings in their Battlefield in a Box line. Luckily we recently discovered the 15mm buildings from Landmark. They are very nicely done resin-cast pre-painted buildings. They have a feel closer to china or ceramic as opposed to the more plastic feel of other resin buildings (I think this is due more to the crisp casting than the actual material). The castings are extremely crisp and clean and the painting is also very clean and well done. So much so that they almost look too nice on the table! They certainly give a pre-battle feel to the tabletop. Read the rest of this entry »
Close Combat – Wacht am Rhein — Now Available
The latest Close Combat computer game is now available from Matrix Games. It is a remake of the original game with updated graphics and features.
Matrix Games and Strategy 3 Tactics are proud to announce that Close Combat – Wacht am Rhein is now available for purchase. Based on the classic Close Combat – Battle of the Bulge, Wacht a Rhein brings all the classic Close Combat game elements together with a massive new grand campaign, improved art, and a variety of new features to create an experience true to the original series but much improved.
A Wave of New Naval Warfare Games
Well it has been well over a year-and-half since we did our first naval wargaming review in our A Tsunami of Naval Warfare Games article. At the time we were surprised at the number of new naval titles that had been released. Even more surprising is that the trend has continued.
A couple more card games were released. GMT Games released Pacific Typhoon, a simple card game for 3-7 players (it plays better with more players rather than less) that covers naval combat in the Pacific in World War Two. In a unique twist each player plays both the Allied and Japanese sides. This allows for lots of backstabbing as players vie for leverage to help ‘their’ side win. A new publisher, DVG Games, released Modern Naval Battles – Global Warfare. This is an update to the original 1989 game and includes the material in that game’s two expansions. MNB-GW covers naval warfare during the Cold War, Falkland Islands War, and Post-2000 era. Neither of these games are a simulation but both are interesting, fun games. Read the rest of this entry »
Check Your 6! — Video
Skirmish Campaigns released a WW2 air combat board/miniatures game, called Check Your 6!, about a year ago. I have never played the game before but they have a great intro video for the game that covers the basics of play. I wish more companies would do this sort of thing.
Panzer Command: Kharkov — Review
Panzer Command was an interesting tactical WW2 computer wargame. It was based on miniature wargame mechanics yet took advantage of the computer for fog of war. The Wargamer has a nice review of Panzer Command: Kharkov the latest game in the series.
Silent War — Review
The Armchair General has a short, but useful, review of Silent War. Silent War is Compass Games’ solitaire WW2 board wargame on Allied submarine warfare in the Pacific. The game features individual missions as well as a grand campaign. The game is very good overall and has very nice components. It is reminiscent of Avalon Hill’s classic B-17 Queen of the Skies. If you like WW2 naval games or are looking for a good solitaire game it is worth checking out.
The Wargamer has an even more in-depth review of Silent War.
Also keep a look out for Steel Wolves in 2009. Steel Wolves is the Silent War system taken to the U-Boat war in the Atlantic.
[Updated: 14AUG08]
New Tide of Iron Expansions
Fantasy Flight Games announced two new upcoming expansions for their WW2 tactical combat board wargame Tide of Iron. First is Normandy: Operation Overlord Expansion that adds the battle for the beaches to the ToI system. Second is Tide of Iron: Designer Series, which is a hardcover scenario pack that provides 20 historical scenarios including one epic scenario that requires two copies of ToI.
It is good to see FFG expand ToI more in the european theatre before taking it off to other fronts. Both expansions should be available in late 2008.
Victory at Sea — Additional Material
Mongoose Publishing has done a good job supporting its WW2 naval miniatures game Victory at Sea. Besides the initial expansion, Order of Battle, they regularly publish new material in their free PDF magazine Signs & Portents. Below are the VaS articles from the latest issues. Read the rest of this entry »
The View from the Turret 
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