I have recently become interested in getting into War Games. I have never played one before, but they look like a lot of fun. I was directed here by a post on FB. I would love to get involved and get into some gaming, but have no idea how it all works.
1- how does it all work? I assume that I need to download the Vassal engine for starters.
2- What would be a good game for a beginner to start with?
3- whatever game I end up playing, I assume I need to own a physical copy of that game?
any help or suggestions and recommendations that can help me get started will be greatly appreciated.
Yep. Then you would go to the module section to download any modules you wish to play. If you have any troubles or need details, the Docs area has a manual or just asking here will usually get a response.
I don’t play war games as much as I did back in the 70’s and 80’s but I cut my teeth on Panzer Leader and Panzerblitz. Many consider those two games as pretty much setting the standard for war games and still a favorite of mine if I do play a war game. Modules for both are here.
Not particularly. Most games here are fully complete as they are distributed by permission of the authors or original creations. There are some games that have restrictions …like, for example, cards may no have descriptions as the original authors what you to have the original game to use the Vassal module version. If a module does not include rules, you can almost always get a PDF copy from boardgamegeek.com.
I really like Russian Campaign. It’s not overly complex, and I don’t mind playing with a new player. Also i can help you learn to vlog (record) your turn so your opponent can replay it move for move and battle to battle.
I also like Hitlers War, which is pretty awesome, and I have a pdf copy of the rules for the European campaigns to go with the vassal modules.
Panzerblitz (except that combat rolls are at the beginning so it’s easy to just re-roll till you get perfect dice). Post movement combat is better for PBEM with vlog recording.
So who’s up for a game? I play either side in Russian Campaign, and can give you high quality play. If you’re new, optional rules can be introduced for balance. Most optional rules favor one side or the other. I don’t like it when a player quits. Unless the player is new and is getting destroyed. Then we can call it a learning game.
Like I said in a previous post, Russian Campaign is very good for PBEM, as a player turn is completed without the need for opponent input.
Battle of the bulge comes to mind as another good game for PBEM. Not sure if there’s a module have to check. Similar to Russian Campaign in that one side starts on the offensive and then the other side has a counteroffensive.
That’s why I get tweaked by players quitting. There are offensive and defensive phases for both players in campaign games, but if one quits early…the other guy gets burned. As the Soviet, as soon as I start counterattacking my German opponents have a tendency to quit. IT’S NOT SOLITAIRE lol…
I’m playing a game as the Germans with a Sov player I had to plead with to keep from quitting during 1943. It’s now 1944 and I’m on a desperate defensive. My southern forces were forced to route (run away) or be destroyed, and my northern front is trying to GTFO but is going to sustain heavy attacks and I may not have an army group north or center (south is already too weak to hold a line) when I get my opponents current turn.
So never quit. Make your opponent get a sudden death victory. Go down fighting!
+1 on Russian campaign, it’s the one I started with, and if I got a hold of it, then it means everyone with an ounce of interest can learn how to master it!
And yes, it’s one hell of a pain to find people willing to play for a while if they start losing. I thought I’d avoid that by stopping playing the Wargame trilogy (well, mostly Red Dragon), but man, how I was wrong. I guess it’s just a normal thing
Badger Let’s play! I’ll do russians or germans, but like to play full campaign games. I’m a bit miffed because my Soviet opponent just surrendered Mar/Apr 44. Doesn’t think Berlin is within reach by end of game. I would keep going as the Sovs, because I think it is within reach. But to 44 is a pretty full game, so I accepted surrender.
There seems to be a certain mentality with many players of this game that says only the first six months of the game are fun - that is, when the Germans are running amok. That’s the part they all want to play. If and when the Russians start getting strong, let alone get the upper hand, then all of a sudden it’s no longer fun.
Along with that goes the notion that if the Germans don’t win by late '41 or early '42, that they can no longer win and the game will likely result in a draw. That’s more bullshit, simply because in order to win that early, Stalin would have had to remain in Moscow and be eliminated, which any half-assed Russian player will easily avoid by railing Stalin to Archangel or some other city. That alone will prolong the game well into 1942, at least, and in all likelihood 1943. But, of course, none of that is any “fun”.
I’ve also solo’ed games where the German side captured Moscow, sans Stalin, and went on to lose.
Anyone who says that they’ve ever won a game as the Germans in late '41 or early '42 is either lying, used a house rule which did not require Stalin to be eliminated, or played against a completely clueless Russian player who neglected to rail Stalin away from Moscow. But in a normal game, such an early victory simply cannot happen.
Russian Campaign: In 4th edition there are sudden death victory conditions. Just a list of cities that you win if you control them at the time of victory determination. It’s still very unlikely to get a sudden death, but it is possible.
Sure, the game can end early if sudden death victory conditions are used, but none of the people who always claim that the German has to win by late '41 or early '42 ever mention sudden death victory conditions. Capturing Moscow always seems to be the only goal.
By the way, the third edition also has sudden death victory conditions.
My goals as the German aren’t usually fixed geographical locations. I’m after Russian production. Taking Moscow is great because you knock 3 production points off the board permanently. I’m playing the long game whichever side I’m playing. Interestingly enough, Moscow is much easier to defend from the western side than the eastern side. Once you take Moscow, you’re kind of stuck with it, due to the river line you can establish against attacks from the east. Abandoning it weakens your defensive options once you own it.
Of course winters suck though for river defenses. But the long game for the Germans is all about knocking out Russian production. It’s a long way to Berlin, and taking out Soviet Production early will give the german a good chance for a win.
