Just picked up 2nd edition Bismarck (early North Atlantic) version not long ago after not having played the series in about 20+ years. I think the grids are just reminiscent of grid locations used for some naval planning back in the day. As for the rules, they're a nice manageable area between operations and combat detail without getting too much into the weeds. As for solo'ing, it's not great but you can implement dummy fleet counters and somewhat random task force make-ups for a little extra fog of war. The back of the ship counters have generic outlines regarding capital/light ship designations, and likewise for hidden number on TF markers.
Its a great system. I have almost all the SWWAS sets. South Pacific and Midway are beautiful. There's a gamer who goes by Original Grognard who has some playthroughs of SWWAS games just look him up. I also have an unpunched copy of Flat Top 2nd edition from 1981 my other copy was well played.
Yeah, give it a try for the channel. There are only a few videos on TH-cam about this. I own the game but I've never played it. It was one of the first games I bought and I was put off by what I saw as too much complexity, but that was 4 years ago and perhaps I was wrong.
Hey thanks for the unboxing! I also have that one plus their Tropic of Capricorn, which is setting their alternate World War II, but I’ve not yet started learning it, so a playthrough series would be very appreciated. I agree with you that the operational map looks weird, and I personally dislike the use of the bricks instead of hexes, but that won’t probably be much of an issue. The graphic design on anything other than the counters is also hideous, to my mind, and sometimes gets in the way of readability. Other things I dislike about these “playbook” versions of theirs is not separating rules from scenario books, which make it so much harder to play when you have to flip between scenario and rules you need to find. Also not coming in boxes for me is a bit of an issue, as it forces me to get a storing solution for either the game or a series. I’m planning on learning the battle rules over the next couple of months, though, and the scenarios look to be interesting. Thanks again!
Even with an updated SWWaS System Rules re-write that was done years ago, some of the rules remain cloudy. To this day, people at Consim do not agree on how the Air Searches work, despite the rule being clarified years ago by then series developer, Doug McNair. Rather than doing it the correct way, which involves perhaps LEAVING OUT some of your planes that are on search missions from various bases (you find and add your search planes within search range of the target force and then use the LONGEST range of ANY base to the target, which is why you'll want to leave out a base with 1 air point that's a shitload of hexes away), some players just insist on picking a friendly air base, and then target ONE enemy Task Force per searching air base. There have been some people I played with that simply REFUSED to understand the actual rule, but in their defense, however, those opponents had just finished smoking about a half-ounce of weed. The rules algorithm for the time it takes for transports unloading cargo (men and material) at a destination are excessively long. The time it takes for a Merchant ship to unload its entire cargo points (representing most of the time, amphibious landings) leaves Japanese Transports during the early war too vulnerable to immediate Allied air response. That's not to say that I don't like the games. I do own all the historical ones, and many of the "Case" games.
This is one of those systems I've been on the fence about (for years). Have you looked at VUCA's Task Force Carrier Battles? Has a mix of solitaire and 2+ player scenarios and a scenario generator. Fun game. I also have Flat Top on the shelf. I'd play it again tomorrow if I could get an opponent but they both want to play OCS (nice prob to have, but...) 🙄
Thanks for the unboxing. This system is one that would be really up my alley with pretty straightforward naval ruleset and plenty of counters. Unfortunately, the company is very adverse to vassal module and without a local opponent/gaming group I alternate between solo play at home and opposed play online. I have re-purchased Jutland recently to tinker with it but overall I had to give both GWAS and SWWAS a hard pass 😐
Thank you for the unboxing. I found the games in these series to be delightful to look at, well-sourced (in terms of background information) and well-intentioned. But they also struck me as very dice-heavy, and not a lot of differentiation in design across the situations depicted. The nuance of naval combat that's presented in many other games--actual simulations of planning and command and engagement--is muted at best in this series. Perhaps your experience will be otherwise, and I hope you will share that here at some point.
Played this a number of years ago and a few scenarios from some of the other games in the series. Simple rules that did need a little tidying up, some incomplete editing? Pre-ordered some more in the series back in 2014 and that’s when my experience with Avalanche took a serious nose dive. The games weren’t published that December, as advertised, in fact at least one still hasn’t been published…Zero customer support, would not answer my emails. Several years later, I kid you not, I was still trying to get a refund for my pre-order. We’re talking close to $500 so not a trivial amount. Eventually shamed them into refunding my order by publishing a copy of the receipt and a demand for a refund on CSW. I no longer own any avalanche games and needless to say never will. Lack of VASSAL support will also limit appeal for some prospective buyers.
I don't mind paper maps, but I dislike GLOSSY paper maps.
I would be very much interested to see some play through. I didn't see the rule book on the website so I'd like to see more of how this plays.
Play Through would be cool. I just bought this as well.
Just picked up 2nd edition Bismarck (early North Atlantic) version not long ago after not having played the series in about 20+ years. I think the grids are just reminiscent of grid locations used for some naval planning back in the day. As for the rules, they're a nice manageable area between operations and combat detail without getting too much into the weeds. As for solo'ing, it's not great but you can implement dummy fleet counters and somewhat random task force make-ups for a little extra fog of war. The back of the ship counters have generic outlines regarding capital/light ship designations, and likewise for hidden number on TF markers.
Leander was a New Zealand ship.
🎉I’m a big fan of there panzer grenadier games. Recently ordered Bismarck
🎉you can solitaire the battles
Very cool. Good to know.
Its a great system. I have almost all the SWWAS sets. South Pacific and Midway are beautiful. There's a gamer who goes by Original Grognard who has some playthroughs of SWWAS games just look him up. I also have an unpunched copy of Flat Top 2nd edition from 1981 my other copy was well played.
Thank you for your solo thoughts
Yeah, give it a try for the channel. There are only a few videos on TH-cam about this. I own the game but I've never played it. It was one of the first games I bought and I was put off by what I saw as too much complexity, but that was 4 years ago and perhaps I was wrong.
Hey thanks for the unboxing! I also have that one plus their Tropic of Capricorn, which is setting their alternate World War II, but I’ve not yet started learning it, so a playthrough series would be very appreciated.
I agree with you that the operational map looks weird, and I personally dislike the use of the bricks instead of hexes, but that won’t probably be much of an issue. The graphic design on anything other than the counters is also hideous, to my mind, and sometimes gets in the way of readability.
Other things I dislike about these “playbook” versions of theirs is not separating rules from scenario books, which make it so much harder to play when you have to flip between scenario and rules you need to find. Also not coming in boxes for me is a bit of an issue, as it forces me to get a storing solution for either the game or a series.
I’m planning on learning the battle rules over the next couple of months, though, and the scenarios look to be interesting.
Thanks again!
Even with an updated SWWaS System Rules re-write that was done years ago, some of the rules remain cloudy. To this day, people at Consim do not agree on how the Air Searches work, despite the rule being clarified years ago by then series developer, Doug McNair.
Rather than doing it the correct way, which involves perhaps LEAVING OUT some of your planes that are on search missions from various bases (you find and add your search planes within search range of the target force and then use the LONGEST range of ANY base to the target, which is why you'll want to leave out a base with 1 air point that's a shitload of hexes away), some players just insist on picking a friendly air base, and then target ONE enemy Task Force per searching air base. There have been some people I played with that simply REFUSED to understand the actual rule, but in their defense, however, those opponents had just finished smoking about a half-ounce of weed.
The rules algorithm for the time it takes for transports unloading cargo (men and material) at a destination are excessively long. The time it takes for a Merchant ship to unload its entire cargo points (representing most of the time, amphibious landings) leaves Japanese Transports during the early war too vulnerable to immediate Allied air response.
That's not to say that I don't like the games. I do own all the historical ones, and many of the "Case" games.
Looks good. No/low solo ability probably means not for me though.
Yeah. Center nibs. Hassle.
Thanks for the video.
This is one of those systems I've been on the fence about (for years). Have you looked at VUCA's Task Force Carrier Battles? Has a mix of solitaire and 2+ player scenarios and a scenario generator. Fun game. I also have Flat Top on the shelf. I'd play it again tomorrow if I could get an opponent but they both want to play OCS (nice prob to have, but...) 🙄
Thanks for the unboxing. This system is one that would be really up my alley with pretty straightforward naval ruleset and plenty of counters. Unfortunately, the company is very adverse to vassal module and without a local opponent/gaming group I alternate between solo play at home and opposed play online. I have re-purchased Jutland recently to tinker with it but overall I had to give both GWAS and SWWAS a hard pass 😐
You would like PBEM with this system it uses an Excel spreadsheet.
Thank you for the unboxing. I found the games in these series to be delightful to look at, well-sourced (in terms of background information) and well-intentioned. But they also struck me as very dice-heavy, and not a lot of differentiation in design across the situations depicted. The nuance of naval combat that's presented in many other games--actual simulations of planning and command and engagement--is muted at best in this series. Perhaps your experience will be otherwise, and I hope you will share that here at some point.
Played this a number of years ago and a few scenarios from some of the other games in the series. Simple rules that did need a little tidying up, some incomplete editing? Pre-ordered some more in the series back in 2014 and that’s when my experience with Avalanche took a serious nose dive. The games weren’t published that December, as advertised, in fact at least one still hasn’t been published…Zero customer support, would not answer my emails. Several years later, I kid you not, I was still trying to get a refund for my pre-order. We’re talking close to $500 so not a trivial amount. Eventually shamed them into refunding my order by publishing a copy of the receipt and a demand for a refund on CSW.
I no longer own any avalanche games and needless to say never will.
Lack of VASSAL support will also limit appeal for some prospective buyers.