Have been trying to decide between this and World at War for my strategic WW2 wargame. I think you helped me decide this is the better choice. Deciding factor being that I enjoy the ‘what ifs’ and alternate possibilities more than I would enjoy a strategic re-enactment... which is more what I’m afraid AWAW is. Looking forward to playing this sometime soon. Thanks for the insights.
A very good and informative video. Thanks for posting. It helps me decide on which "grand strategic WWll" (ETO) game I should buy. I'm thinking that if I buy this and considering that I've already got Empire of the Sun on my shelf for the PTO, I have all of WWII pretty much covered!
Thanks, I had it on P500 since last year, because those mounted boards were so enticing.. but I just couldn't wait and got it second hand on the geekmarket just after Christmas.
Also, it's good to see a fellow wargamer who doesn't have a pair of tweezers glued to their hand! Plus I'm jealous that your wife is apparently OK with you taking over the dining room table like that, for however many days it takes for you to finish a game!
If i recall correctly...during the ground combat example when you destroyed the Soviet unit you would have put a no zoc marker there to exploit the gap created by destroying the unit...(though that may only apply if you destroy a full health unit). Usually you would have had to attack the unit below the reduced unit in order to move as you were in that units ZOC.
Brian Long I have two large (cheap) poster frames from Wal-Mart. They're like $10-11 and do a nice job. The upcoming printing has the mounted map boards so you wouldn't have to worry about it, but who knows when that's going to be released.
I bought plexiglass and 1/8" Masonite from home improvement store. I cut them to 34 1/2" x 44 1/2" then slid on some plastic edging from a craft store. It's fantastic and seamless!
I know I'm nearly 4 years late to this party, but I just want to give you a shout out for the great job on the review and to ask if anyone has seen/played the USE implementation that's on boargamearena. I really want to give that a shot and see how it plays out.
You have been very helpful with your answers to my questions. Now, I have another to annoy you with, and it will probably not be the last, but maybe I'm getting there. Here is my question. Germany has just conquered Denmark and would like to court Sweden as there is no other country bordering Denmark. So does the strait between Denmark and Sweden constitute a common border? I take it that Germany cannot use a sea zone as a border as the western allies can thus would have to use the strait as a border if that is legal.
That is also correct. Germany cannot place a pro-faction marker in Sweden if Denmark is conquered. The strait is not a land border per rule 1.3.4. Germany cannot place their markers using the sea zones as the allies can. Keep asking away if necessary, I love this game and want everyone to enjoy it!
Hi Alexander, I noticed that you have wonderfully clipped counters :) Can you please share what counter clipper do you use for that? All the best, Michal
A few issues with this game: -The air support had to be decided thru the turn, for each battle. This was engaging for FTF, but made email play impossible. -The air counters added to counter piles that had to be managed on the relatively small hexes on the map. And the large piles obscured terrain/river/city size -The supply system was awkward -on the Western Front, it was impossible to recreate an armored break-thru, as (by my understanding of the supply rules) it was easy for the Western allies to cut off from supply German units.
Haven't played World in Flames, so can't compare. For pacific sims maybe Empire of the Sun? I really enjoy Pacific Victory but it's a block wargame so maybe not as hardcore a Sim.
I'm experiencing a sense of being under-whelmed by this title, and I wanted your opinion. Does the game suffer when trying to play historically? I have set up the game's 1941 scenario to play solitaire. I am stunned that the UK has only 2 combat field armies. What's the point of stockng western Europe with any units since there's no way for the UK to take any territory until more units arrive by timetable. The naval segment is really just production attrition in action. Can air and naval units ever be destroyed? I'm not seeing what apparently everyone else sees.
Air/Naval units never get destroyed, but are put out of action by accruing sorties. USE! is also more of an alternate history game anyways, there's so many variables, but you only see those if you start from pre-war and have all the politicking.
this game is not really zoomed in like others and is a bit on the light wargaming side. its for beginners mainly and not as in depth but does what it does quite well
This is one of those games that doesn't need a solo bot, you just play best possible moves, the turns are long enough and some of the outcomes change the shape of fronts so wildly that a bot would be impossible, and is also unnecessary, this is one of my favourite games to play solo.
The Diplomacy rules seem somewhat vague in how to get pro faction markers in the game. If someone who doesn't mind some typing would help me, please I would be grateful. I get that Germany gets to place one in the cup as well as place one in a country with a border shared with Poland. I think, after that, you place them with a political success marker (and sometimes with a political failure) but other than that how do diplomacy counters not called for in scenario setup get into the diplomacy cup and/or diplomacy marker holding box; in other words, how do they get into the game? Also, when they are used and the country joins that faction, or the enemy faction removes the marker, where does it go: off to the side, in the marker holding box, or into the diplomacy cup? I can't find an answer that is clear on this, at least for me. Have I explained my confusion adequately so that someone can help me here? In the meantime I'll try to slug my way through as best as I can with what understanding I have, but would be more fun if I knew I was doing it right.
Germany can Place one pro-faction marker anytime they conquer another country; the marker is placed in the capital of a country adjacent to the one that was conquered. They ALSO place a pro-faction marker in the diplomacy cup as well. Whenever a pro-faction marker is pulled from the diplomacy cup it is either placed onto the board i.e. the capital of the country you wish to influence, or if the desired country already has one in it's capital the marker is simply put back in the box and the country activates as friendly. If an opposing faction pulls your pro-faction marker it is simply removed from the game.
This was helpful and seems to take me where I was headed in my own thinking. However, I still have another point I'm not clear on. If a pro-faction marker can be played via political success, does that marker have to be placed on a country with a common border or sea zone? Seems that if the answer is yes that severely limits the western allies' possible converts.
Yes you are correct, and that does limit their possible converts early on, however you then get a cascade effect if you can convert a country of two. Just understand that the Western Allies don't convert many people, they have fewer opportunities to gain the pro-faction markers. They'll typically spend time making pro-German countries neutral again. Historically a lot of Europe was either neutral, or were betrayed by the allies and left to fend for themselves.
A turn can be anywhere from 30-60 mins depending on how much you think, how new you are, and whereabouts int he war you are. So it's significant. The shorter campaigns can be done in a single sitting, although the East Front one is obviously the longest.
Sir, My question is not about this game. My wife's great, great, great uncle was shot and captured by the Confederates at the Battle of the Wilderness 1864. Is their a game you can recommend on the Battle of the Wilderness U.S. Civil War?
I am sorry to say that I haven't played a game on the Wilderness campaign so really cant comment much. I did a quick look on BGG and found the following games that you can check out: The Wilderness Campaign: Lee vs. Grant from SPI and Huzzah 2: Dark Woods (the Wilderness Campaign) from One Small Step Games. Good luck!
I don't understand how this works as a solitaire game. Are you just alternately taking sides? How can you avoid each side knowing all the other sides' strategies?
In this game I just play both (or all three) sides, yes. How do you stop knowing what's happening? Well, before I perform a turn by a given faction, I typically decide how the other factions are playing (defensively, aggresively, reactively etc). sometimes I roll a dice to decide. Then conduct turns and the opposition would then react as best they can within the parameters of their overall strategy. If that makes sense. Just gotta try and suspend that disbelief.
Another really nice review- thank you so much for these!
Have been trying to decide between this and World at War for my strategic WW2 wargame. I think you helped me decide this is the better choice. Deciding factor being that I enjoy the ‘what ifs’ and alternate possibilities more than I would enjoy a strategic re-enactment... which is more what I’m afraid AWAW is. Looking forward to playing this sometime soon. Thanks for the insights.
wif combined with days of decision? or Cataclysm for a more abstract take. triumph and tragedy too
Thank you very much! Very helpful! Got the game today! It was intimidating but less so now...
A very good and informative video. Thanks for posting. It helps me decide on which "grand strategic WWll" (ETO) game I should buy.
I'm thinking that if I buy this and considering that I've already got Empire of the Sun on my shelf for the PTO, I have all of WWII pretty much covered!
Great video! I must admit that this game kind of scared me but after watching your review I think it'll be on my X-mas wish list:)
Is this a map or board?
This is my "go-to" ETO game, and I've weeded out other ETO games from my collection - I think THAT highly of US! Great review!
Greg S whole heartedly agree, although I'm looking forward to Fall of the Third Reich from Compass Games.
ETO?
swfancas
European Theatre of Operations
@@ThePlayersAid Is this a map or board?
Really nice review. Thank you.
great review, i will definitely pick this up at some point.
Great video. Can't wait for this to move up the P500 list!
Thanks, I had it on P500 since last year, because those mounted boards were so enticing.. but I just couldn't wait and got it second hand on the geekmarket just after Christmas.
They are supposedly shipping now. WooT!
Ordered another from the recent second printing. Got it last week.
@@ThePlayersAid where did you get the mounted boards?
Also, it's good to see a fellow wargamer who doesn't have a pair of tweezers glued to their hand!
Plus I'm jealous that your wife is apparently OK with you taking over the dining room table like that, for however many days it takes for you to finish a game!
"wargamer"
If i recall correctly...during the ground combat example when you destroyed the Soviet unit you would have put a no zoc marker there to exploit the gap created by destroying the unit...(though that may only apply if you destroy a full health unit). Usually you would have had to attack the unit below the reduced unit in order to move as you were in that units ZOC.
What size is that picture frame? I've been looking for one that would fit a double-map game like that
Nice video, thanks! Really starting to want this game. What do you have laying on top of the map?
Brian Long I have two large (cheap) poster frames from Wal-Mart. They're like $10-11 and do a nice job. The upcoming printing has the mounted map boards so you wouldn't have to worry about it, but who knows when that's going to be released.
Brian Long.. mounted map released prob in August 2017
So did you have to cut them in half and fit them together? Or are they really big enough to fit 2 22x34 mapsheets?
SoCal9705 I had to buy two of them, one covers one 22 x 34 map sheet with a ~4" boarder to spare.
I bought plexiglass and 1/8" Masonite from home improvement store. I cut them to 34 1/2" x 44 1/2" then slid on some plastic edging from a craft store. It's fantastic and seamless!
I know I'm nearly 4 years late to this party, but I just want to give you a shout out for the great job on the review and to ask if anyone has seen/played the USE implementation that's on boargamearena. I really want to give that a shot and see how it plays out.
You have been very helpful with your answers to my questions. Now, I have another to annoy you with, and it will probably not be the last, but maybe I'm getting there. Here is my question. Germany has just conquered Denmark and would like to court Sweden as there is no other country bordering Denmark. So does the strait between Denmark and Sweden constitute a common border? I take it that Germany cannot use a sea zone as a border as the western allies can thus would have to use the strait as a border if that is legal.
That is also correct. Germany cannot place a pro-faction marker in Sweden if Denmark is conquered. The strait is not a land border per rule 1.3.4. Germany cannot place their markers using the sea zones as the allies can. Keep asking away if necessary, I love this game and want everyone to enjoy it!
Hi Alexander, I noticed that you have wonderfully clipped counters :) Can you please share what counter clipper do you use for that? All the best, Michal
I use what's called the Oregon Laminations 2mm Deluxe Corner Rounder. It's pricey, and they have some other options, but it's excellent quality.
@@ThePlayersAid Thanks so much!
can't wait till this is reprinted i missed the last printing, but i feel the system is really good.
Nice video. How do You solve problem with keeping game for another playday?
Try to ban my children from going in that room!
A few issues with this game:
-The air support had to be decided thru the turn, for each battle. This was engaging for FTF, but made email play impossible.
-The air counters added to counter piles that had to be managed on the relatively small hexes on the map.
And the large piles obscured terrain/river/city size
-The supply system was awkward -on the Western Front, it was impossible to recreate an armored break-thru, as (by my understanding of the supply rules) it was easy for the Western allies to cut off from supply German units.
Nice Review. How is it possible, that your counters have round edges? I bought US some days ago and mine are all "normal" square Counters.
I bought an 'Oregon Laminations corner rounder' from Amazon. It's an exhaustive process but I like the look of doing it.
Did you used the 2.5mm or 3mm corner cutter for this game?
I use the 2 mm corner rounder
@@ThePlayersAid does the clipping keep them from fraying? Does it kinda merge the edges? Can you link the clipper?
Mine is in the post :-)
NIce game with a map to big for my table.
Hi, how does this compare with World in Flames? Would you reccommend US over WiF? And, is there any good simulation for the Pacific theater? Thanks.
Haven't played World in Flames, so can't compare. For pacific sims maybe Empire of the Sun? I really enjoy Pacific Victory but it's a block wargame so maybe not as hardcore a Sim.
Would this be a good game to get back into war-gaming? I played Avalon Hill's Third Reich and Squad leader back in the day.
It could be, it's big and long, so take that for what you will. But with that said this probably my Desert Island Wargame.
@@ThePlayersAid Giggity.
I'm experiencing a sense of being under-whelmed by this title, and I wanted your opinion. Does the game suffer when trying to play historically? I have set up the game's 1941 scenario to play solitaire. I am stunned that the UK has only 2 combat field armies. What's the point of stockng western Europe with any units since there's no way for the UK to take any territory until more units arrive by timetable. The naval segment is really just production attrition in action. Can air and naval units ever be destroyed? I'm not seeing what apparently everyone else sees.
Air/Naval units never get destroyed, but are put out of action by accruing sorties. USE! is also more of an alternate history game anyways, there's so many variables, but you only see those if you start from pre-war and have all the politicking.
this game is not really zoomed in like others and is a bit on the light wargaming side. its for beginners mainly and not as in depth but does what it does quite well
if only this game had a solo bot :) Sal, I know you’re busy with WW1 version and then a Pacific version, but find us a solo bot somehow please :)
This is one of those games that doesn't need a solo bot, you just play best possible moves, the turns are long enough and some of the outcomes change the shape of fronts so wildly that a bot would be impossible, and is also unnecessary, this is one of my favourite games to play solo.
It looks like you have some type of cover over the map. What do you use?
I use the clear plastic from two cheap poster frames from Walmart. They were like $12 each.
The Diplomacy rules seem somewhat vague in how to get pro faction markers in the game. If someone who doesn't mind some typing would help me, please I would be grateful. I get that Germany gets to place one in the cup as well as place one in a country with a border shared with Poland. I think, after that, you place them with a political success marker (and sometimes with a political failure) but other than that how do diplomacy counters not called for in scenario setup get into the diplomacy cup and/or diplomacy marker holding box; in other words, how do they get into the game? Also, when they are used and the country joins that faction, or the enemy faction removes the marker, where does it go: off to the side, in the marker holding box, or into the diplomacy cup? I can't find an answer that is clear on this, at least for me. Have I explained my confusion adequately so that someone can help me here? In the meantime I'll try to slug my way through as best as I can with what understanding I have, but would be more fun if I knew I was doing it right.
Germany can Place one pro-faction marker anytime they conquer another country; the marker is placed in the capital of a country adjacent to the one that was conquered. They ALSO place a pro-faction marker in the diplomacy cup as well. Whenever a pro-faction marker is pulled from the diplomacy cup it is either placed onto the board i.e. the capital of the country you wish to influence, or if the desired country already has one in it's capital the marker is simply put back in the box and the country activates as friendly. If an opposing faction pulls your pro-faction marker it is simply removed from the game.
This was helpful and seems to take me where I was headed in my own thinking. However, I still have another point I'm not clear on. If a pro-faction marker can be played via political success, does that marker have to be placed on a country with a common border or sea zone? Seems that if the answer is yes that severely limits the western allies' possible converts.
Yes you are correct, and that does limit their possible converts early on, however you then get a cascade effect if you can convert a country of two. Just understand that the Western Allies don't convert many people, they have fewer opportunities to gain the pro-faction markers. They'll typically spend time making pro-German countries neutral again. Historically a lot of Europe was either neutral, or were betrayed by the allies and left to fend for themselves.
Got to,ask, how many hours to play entire war? It sounds like you can play smaller campaigns, if so, how many hours for those?
A turn can be anywhere from 30-60 mins depending on how much you think, how new you are, and whereabouts int he war you are. So it's significant. The shorter campaigns can be done in a single sitting, although the East Front one is obviously the longest.
The Players Aid - Any chance you’ve tried GMT’S US Civil War Solitaire? I’m wondering how well it works as a solitaire game.
@@thgenral I have not. Grant owns it and played a little two player with a friend, but I haven't had a chance to solo with it yet.
So young looking! ;)
Best ww2 game you say? Hearts of iron 4 you say? UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!
Sir, My question is not about this game. My wife's great, great, great uncle was shot and captured by the Confederates at the Battle of the Wilderness 1864. Is their a game you can recommend on the Battle of the Wilderness U.S. Civil War?
I am sorry to say that I haven't played a game on the Wilderness campaign so really cant comment much. I did a quick look on BGG and found the following games that you can check out: The Wilderness Campaign: Lee vs. Grant from SPI and Huzzah 2: Dark Woods (the Wilderness Campaign) from One Small Step Games. Good luck!
thank you
thank you sir.
There is almost no need to read rulebook after watching it.
Is this a map or board?
I don't understand how this works as a solitaire game. Are you just alternately taking sides? How can you avoid each side knowing all the other sides' strategies?
In this game I just play both (or all three) sides, yes. How do you stop knowing what's happening? Well, before I perform a turn by a given faction, I typically decide how the other factions are playing (defensively, aggresively, reactively etc). sometimes I roll a dice to decide. Then conduct turns and the opposition would then react as best they can within the parameters of their overall strategy. If that makes sense. Just gotta try and suspend that disbelief.
This is more of a session report that a review
The player said what?
BUY not sell.
this or third reich for opposed play? 3r is supposed to be under 20h this 50+????