Skies above Britain First Look | World War 2 Battle of Britain Wargame Boardgame | GMT Games
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ม.ค. 2024
- We do a deep dive first look at Skies above Britain, the solo (solitaire) boardgame/wargame (historical conflict simulation) where you control a squadron of British Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain during World War 2. The game is designed by Gina Willis and Jerry White, and published by GMT games.
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This first look produced by Zilla Blitz.
Skies above Britain at Noble Knight Games: www.nobleknight.com/P/2148006...
Skies above Britain at GMT Games site: www.gmtgames.com/p-897.aspx?s...
Skies above the Reich at Noble Knight Games: www.nobleknight.com/P/2147726...
Storm above the Reich at Noble Knight Games: www.nobleknight.com/P/2147871...
Skies above the Reich at GMT Games site: www.gmtgames.com/p-897.aspx?s...
On Board Game Geek: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
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Skies above Britain First Look | World War 2 Battle of Britain Wargame Boardgame | GMT Games - เกม
I played a campaign as a two-player co-op. It worked really well and it helped having another player because there are lots of odd exceptions in the rules that are easy to miss. My main issues with the game is that there isn't much variety between each of the various patrol missions as there are a limited number of counters represent a patrols events and you use most of them in each scenario. The other issue is that fighter to fighter combat is more prevalent in this game than in Skies Above the Reich but there isn't much player choice in resolving them. A wider variety of pilot skills could help address this.
Interesting points, thanks for sharing this. I'm curious if I'll have the same thoughts. I tend to like games with a low amount of influence if the game is creating good story lines, but I also like having tense, interesting decisions too.
This one is on my "Shelf of Opportunity" (alongside 'Storm Above the Reich' that I got in GMT's recent sale) Poindexter has done an excellent series of playthroughs.
Can relate. :) I think I might do like The Player's Aid did, and list 12 must play games from their Shelf of Opportunity. Like, I can play anything else, but I must play one of those games each month during 2024.
Probably my favorite WW2 narrative air game thus far. I'm currently working through the second chapter of the full campaign and having a blast. My sessions do run about 2 hrs but I'm also taking photos and writing up sessions on BGG. The advantage cards come out to setup an engagement between fighters based on success or failure to intercept escorts or escort reaction and or ambushes. One example, if you successfully intercept an escort, you get an RAF advantage to start the dogfight, but if you fail, it's the Luftwaffe that get an advantage card. I agree about the rules, I love this system of learning. I've become a fan of Jerry White because of this. More games can learn from this style of rules.
Great to hear! I do the same thing when I'm shooting video. It takes me about 4x as long to play when I'm recording. And thanks for the clarity on the advantage cards, much appreciated. :)
Great game. I need to make time to get this back on the table.
Good to hear, have you played a campaign yet?
I got part way through a campaign and then put it aside for a while.@@ZillaBlitz
Got it. Campaigns can be long, for sure. :)
Oooh the tie in with RAF does indeed sound cool. Now I am doubly interested!
It would be a fascinating playthrough to combine those two. Two long games, for sure, and you'd have to figure out how to mesh a number of things, but it'd be such a fun experience I bet. :)
THE BEST for its subject and scale (tactical)!
Thanks for sharing! One thing that strikes me is that tactical air combat is so hard to model in a game with so many things moving at once in three dimensions, and this game looks like it accomplishes this in an accessible way.
This looks awesome! Great to be able to play the allies.
And the fighter-fighter element seems to add a whole new dimension.
Another great video! Ever since Squad Leader used the P.I. method way back in '78 I have always appreciated how well that works for scenario driven tactical games.
Thanks, and yes, I a huge fan of programmed instruction. :)
Been going through the learning scenarios and now I'm basically ready to start a campaign. Will probably break it out again this weekend.
Most excellent! Watch your six and maybe the sun always be at your back! Are you enjoying the tutorial scenarios?
They were good at introducing the game while giving you victory conditions. It's fine, but the game should be much more fun when i'm invested in each of my pilots over a long period of time.@@ZillaBlitz
Excellent game with well organized rules and game boards containing page references throughout for easy reference. A wonderful experience where you are really invested in the management and care of your individual pilots. Best possible quality product.
Oh, I missed the page references to the rules on the game boards. Thanks for pointing that out!
After hearing you explain the rules, I agree have to with what you say about the rules. Being an ASL player for years it started out as Just Squad Leader and they had the same system where you read a couple pages play the 1st senario, When you play that you read more pages with more rules then play a scenairo I though thie was briliant. When ASL came out you dished out $50 hust for the rules I will say it made going through ASL easier. So this is a great way to get people into it without scareing them off.
Yes, it's such a fantastic way to bring people into a game. ASL is a perfect place for it too. :)
I have not played the ASL starter kits.
This reminds me of that WW2 game you had on the channel a good while back which focused on contolling a single plane (I think). Really enjoyed the stories that threw up - this sounds like it might do something similar.
Yes, that was Stuka Ju87! It should be out at some point this year, and I'm quite excited for it. I want to run a full campaign. :)
The rule book is probably one of the best I’ve ever seen. Really great job on the rule book.
Totally agree, makes the learning fun. :)
Back on the wish list it goes! I got scared away when I heard it was a 40 page rule book. Knowing just a percent of that is for base mechanisms makes it much more welcoming!
I'm glad it helped! I think the biggest impression that I got was that the learning will be fun too, as you learn a little bit and then play. :)
Don't let the rulebook worry you. It's so well written and designed it's unbelievable how intuitive it is. The best rulebook I think I've ever had to learn a game.
Now that's a good endorsement. :)
@ZillaBlitz As someone who's still fairly new to wargames(wargaming since August 2023), the rulebook for wargaming can be a deterrent to playing. So when I encounter a rulebook as well done as Skies, I sing it's praise. I just received Atlantic Chase, and the first thing that I noticed is the rulebook rivals Skies in how well done it is. Makes me even more excited to learn the game
I think wargames would have a much broader base if all rulebooks were done as well, for sure. I'm a huge fan of well done learning experiences. @@chrismcdaniel6706
Whoa…your comment about the optional guidelines to tie back to RAF, did not know that and now I need to get both on the table. Great vid!
If you give it a shot with both games I'd love to hear how it goes!
Of course I have both right next to each other, comfortably in their shrink-wrapped coats. So no valid excuse, it is a question of will. @@ZillaBlitz
Very good game. Have played part of one campaign.
Good to hear! Good luck the rest of the way. :)
Excellent overview of the game, but you left out one factor. “Tally-Ho Tally-Ho Red Sectors, we’ll take the rear Starboard, yellow you take the Port”. You’ve got the Battle of Britain theme running in the background. The immersion is wonderfull.
Haha! True confessions... I've not watched that movie yet. Shame on me!
I have the game but have not got it to the table yet. Seen good and not so good reviews, but will reserve judgement until I have played the game. Excellent points and un boxing. Many thanks
The comments seem to go that way too, with some people really loving it and others having bounced off it. I'm curious to see how I'll like it.
I'm not sure I would say this is a 5 complexity. The BGG rating of 3.6 is probably about right. Sure it's got a lot of tables and steps, but it's all pretty streamlined. There are definitely more tactical choices than a game like Target for Today or even The Hunters but it's nothing like a game such as Empire of the Sun or it's ilk where if you don't already know a lot about the history of the conflict and how it was fought you would be totally lost. What I did find amusing is that I did a quick check and Star Wars Rebellion has a higher weight rating on BGG but I would definitely rate SoB higher. Goes to show that your average casual board gamer has a completely different definition of "weight" than a historical war gamer.
Thanks for sharing. Wouldn't my 5 out of 10 complexity be less than BGG's 3.6 out of 5 (an equivalent of 7.2/10)? And yeah, that's pretty funny with Rebellion, I've noticed that as well. Spirit Island has a complexity of 4.06 so I thought I'd be learning it for days, but it took about a hour to learn the game. :)
ah ok, i thought you were going on a 5 out of 5. My mistake@@ZillaBlitz That is a completely appropriate rating
No worries at all, I wondered if that were the case. :) Thanks for stopping in and sharing your thoughts.@@lakingsgeek
Love this game (and reviewed it!). Haven't played it since the Fall, so I want to get it out again. I forgot to write down my log of Mission 1 and that's been kind of keeping me from doing my AARs, but I should do that at some point.
The return of Green Guy!
@@ZillaBlitz There are a couple who need your guidance!
Ha! Green Guy British version. :)
Got this recently but haven't played it through yet. The rules are very well-written and organized and he components are first-rate.
Definitely a quality production, totally agree. :)
Interesting looking game. You reminded me that I have a very nice 1/48 Heinkel bomber to build. Any chance you will do a series on Target for Today? Well I am going to head to the gaming table and continue Into The Woods: Battle of Shiloh.
Good luck with your Heinkel! I've got 9 games in the queue for video gameplay content at the moment, and once I get down to about 3 I'm going to start thinking about what might be next. Target for Today would definitely be a fun one to do. Good luck in the woods! :)
I've had it a few years now and should get it built. Its one of the excellent ICM 1/48 Heinkels. I volunteer to be a crew member of the bomber. Thanks I am about to head to the game table now! @@ZillaBlitz
GREAT game and the best rulebook I have ever used
Good to hear, thanks!
@zillablitz any good game ideas (solitaire) around strategic bombing during WW2? Wanted to see if you had any ideas, both board game or PC. Thanks!
Happy to help!
I assume you're talking about operational level, right? Not tactical level?
If so, the ones I'll be looking at next are these two:
th-cam.com/video/4B2wDs3SD1A/w-d-xo.html
Also, RAF from Decision games is an incredible operational level game about the Battle of Britain.
Oh perfect! Thanks!@@ZillaBlitz
The other one that might interest you, that I'm doing a First Look video on today, is B-17 Flying Fortress Leader, although it doesn't have a full campaign game. (The campaigns are all operation level things.)
Tie back to RAF. I'm in. Wonderful job.
I think it'd be a fairly big project, as you'd be playing both games at the same time. But wow, would it be fun. :)
@@ZillaBlitzMy copy arrived today. This looks great.
I was really excited when I got this game but sadly bounced right off it. For me there is simply too much fiddly stuff to keep track off and player charts to flip through all the time.
I usually enjoy long and complex games and the production and theme in this is 5/5 but with so little time and so many games I had to let this one go.
No shame at all, sometimes we like something, sometimes we don't. Good to realize it and move on. :)
I don't know why I can't pull the trigger on this game...
Your guns have jammed? ;)
The trigger on an RAF fighter is a button on the circular joystick handle. So maybe you just haven't spotted it?
@jameshenderson4876 The first game in the series just didn't impress me. But I do like the subject matter dealing with the Battle of Britain. I'll eventually buy this, but I have to work through my pile of shame first, lol. I have about 20 solitaire wargames to try from my collection, plus about 40 or 45 card and dice baseball sims. I'm in the middle of a replay of the 1966 MLB season...I'll never get caught up 😅
I just want to apologize if this comment isnt in the right place or made in the right way first off im very new to wargaming just began to dive a couple weeks through tabletop simulator and I've overwhelmed myself blindly jumping into it with no guide no list of games to start or nothing granted i had yours but most of those games arent on that platform now in a week im getting ready to buy some solitaire games and im running into the same overwhelming confusion again and the first issues arent resolved yet either i kinda need some help and would greatly appreciate being pointed in the right direction thanks in advance to anyone willing to help me out with this issue my relevant board gaming experience prior is dawn of the zeds not a wargame i know but it uses the states of siege system that i know some wargames use so i thoguht it was worth mentioning? and theme preferences would probably be ww2 and cold war but im flexible on that front 😂 sorry for the essay and thanks again in advance for the help
Happy to help! How complex do you want to get?
@@ZillaBlitz ideally low to medium complexity to start off i have ambitions to learn higher complexity games, but i feel i need a solid foundation to start from. i tried fields of fire which well i do want to learn it eventually it is too hard right now, because someone said it was easy to play solo. i would love to have 5 minutes alone in a room with that guy, and so would my therapist probably lol jokes aside. I'm trying to learn to add humor to conversations more often it tends to make people happy.🤣
This game's complexity is way above "5" from what I see here.
Maybe around "7" or something.
It gives me B-17 Queen of the Skies vibes.
The maps and aircraft models needs a better visual desperately.
Kind of kills the whole thematic atmosphere seeing those.....planes...
The whole idea is very good and tempting but I don't know if the gameplay is actually fun or frustrating to be honest.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@ZillaBlitz thanks for the video. 👍
Gonna pass buddy...
We can't play 'em all, for sure. :)
62 pages of rules. NEXT.
Not all games are for everyone, always good to be aware of what you like and don't like in a game. :)