Thunder at the Crossroads - The Battle of Gettysburg
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- An introduction, and brief play through, of the board wargame "Thunder at the Crossroads" the Battle of Gettysburg. This is a look at the second edition by "The Gamers" in 1993.
Thank you for this series on Gettysburg games, Gilbert!!
Thunder takes a goodly amount of time, but I don't think it is quite at the same level as the regimental 'big boys'. It manages to give much of the feeling without quite the same heavy investment (and the map footprint is smaller). For me, the compromise is that I get pretty close to the same level of detail, without having to set aside quite so much time or space - and that ends up being a huge advantage; essentially, Thunder made the regimental games pretty much obsolete for me.
I have this series. Started buying The Gamers when they first came out in the late 1980's. Long wanted to play these games.
Simply put; it's a monster game that fits on your table.
I don't think it was said anywhere, but I've always felt like Essig tried to play Advanced GBurg 77 and designed the Brigade Series in response - this is what AG77 was trying to be.
l got my copy of Thunder at the Crossroads back on 1994 at a wargaming convention here in San Jose and got a good deal as it was a display copy of one of the vendors and he wanted to sell it before the end of the convention, and enjoy it to this day.
Well done Gilbert. Your video generated some nice comments. Comments I might add that are obviously from people who know the game, and games from this genre, that put me in my place. I once viewed the movie, "Gettysburg", made in 1993 I believe. A movie far too long for me. I ran out of popcorn and had to take a couple of comfort breaks. But I digress. This game isn't for me, but I accept it is for a lot of guys. Horses for courses, I guess.
thanks again on the series on Gettysburg. I am also very interested in Waterloo
Whoah...you're looking at some bigger games lately!
Still my favorite brigade level rendition of GBurg. I forget which one is the regimental scale version of this system - as the Terrible Swift Sword system's been updated as well - but you're right that that is exponentially larger in detail, size, and time required.
TatC is no slouch when it comes to your investment in playing a game - but when you get used to it it moves nicely and it's easy to get engrossed in.
That said, I am a Civil War reenactor and live in the general region, so there's an emotional tie to keep me interested as well. :)
"Three Days of Gettysburg" (aka 3Dog) by GMT is a huge regimental level game. "3Dog" is a great game but really bogs down on the 2cd day when you have literally as many as 100 chits per turn if playing the campaign game.
What I never can understand is how Heth/Hill and Ewell get around the "don't bring on a major engagement" order when you're supposed to "in good faith" follow your orders.
The map looks a little too brown. Anyone who has been to Gettysburg in July will tell you that the field is predominantly green. They could have used shades of green to denote elevations, but I'm guessing the artist was red/green colorblind; hence the overuse of brown.
keep up the good work!
Very interesting. This game system is very similar to "Last Chance for Victory". Makes me wonder if it was a precursor? Nice map, but I love Last Chance's map ... all the detail. Thx for sharing the vid.
Dante Edmundo Same designer, Dean Essig.
Absolutely. LCfV is part of the Line of Battle series, which was an update from the Regimental Sub System of CWB. The RSS used CWBs rules, with extensions and modifications in order to handle the regimental scale.
LoB streamlined the RSS' play significantly. It is my hope that Dean revisits the CWB designs with that same eye. The payoff may be low though - as many already own CWB titles, and may not wish to buy whole new games, when they probably can just be retrofitted.
Great game
Someone is going to design a board game based on this iconic battle in which the unfinished railroad to the west of the town of the same name is actually finished. What I guess I'm trying to say is there are so many games of this battle. How do you design something different? A variation on a theme, if you will. Which game bests portrays the battle? Are there any games that instead of playing through the entire conflict, concentrate on one part, say Picket's Charge, as an example? There is a danger here of not seeing the wood for the trees. Which game to buy. Spoiled for choice. Some would say that is a nice problem to have. I wonder if that is so? Answers on a postcard, folk.
"How do you design something different? "
The beauty in the CWB (and decedents) is the command rules. They qualify as 'something different'. Enough that though I had (and loved) TSS and other earlier GBACW titles, this game completely won me over to the system.
"re there any games that instead of playing through the entire conflict, concentrate on one part, say Picket's Charge, as an example?"
Yes. AH's Little Round Top and Yaquinto's Pickett's Charge come to mind.
I think some of the rules are a bit of a mess. I'd check MMP's website for updated rules or email the designer who is on BGG
Interesting watching these games. but I have one question? Is it possible in any of these various games board or miniature can a commanding officer be killed or wounded? and would that carry over in a multi day battle?
Many Civil War Battle games have officer casualties and replacement officers.
the union 1 corps did not go through the town during their advance. they left the emmittsburg pike at the codori house.
Correct, but the XI Corps did and not all I Corps units left the Codori house vicinity.
Hello..I have watched a lot of your videos. I have a spare room that I want to turn into a game room. I see you have a table. Did you have a sheet of plexiglass cut to fit your table. I have a bad back so I am thinking I will need a table at a height I can navigate around in a computer chair..lol..Love your videos!..thank you!
Hello Robert, glad you like the videos. My table is from Ikea furniture but for the plexiglass I got various sizes. Usually the size of the standard game boards. That way I can cover the game and sometimes charts etc...
Hey Gilbert, have you played and reviewed Clash of Giants: Second Bull Run and Gettysburg by GMT? - Was wondering what you thought of it? Thank you
No, I don't own those two titles and I have never played them.
My charts are 3.0. All the blank spaces are 'D' results.
So there are apparently no Gettysburg games that portray cavalry historically.
How do you "trim" the corners of the game counters??
I simply use nail cutters re are companies out there that offer counter cutters for a reasonable price. With these you can cut several counters at one time rather than clipping one counter at a time with the nail cutter.
+Gilbert Collins Thank you sir. Happy gaming. Hope one day we can ftf in a cardboard battlefield.
Think we have all bought many games over the years. How many of those games could be played without recourse to the rule book, or errata sheet, or scratching of the head as to what the designer intended? Not many I would suggest. So what to do? We design "something different" or rather interpret what we hope the designer intended. (Especially if the game emerged from a magazine.) As for Picket's Charge. Mmm make interesting game. The "high point" of the battle and the entire Civil War for the Confederates. Apparently Picket wasn't overjoyed to have his name attached to the famous charge. Even Longstreet thought the plan futile. .
O_____________________________O WOW!
Map is awful.