Whew! This was a big one, tons of upcoming wargames on the horizon! Anything in particular catch your attention? And remember to enter the Giveaway Drawing! :)
Yes, I've only recently heard about New England Simulations but it looks like they make some quality games. I hope they can execute on Lightning Strikes' vision. If the game system works, it could be fantastic fun. I agree that it looks incredible! :) @ngKnight
Not too many this month. But I really appreciate the coverage. It helps bring titles up that I hadn't heard of or been waiting for release news on. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! It's funny, making these videos can lead me to order something I hadn't really looked at closely previously. Atlantic Sentinels got me this time around. :)@@PrimarchX
@@ZillaBlitz I got the Kickstart notice for Atlantic Sentinels and am intrigued but I'm waiting for some reviews. Funds are a little slight this month since I got on a Desert Storm game kick and our mutual friend Noble Knight was very accommodating!
Hey, Mike, thanks for Blitzing me! I've had tons of great comments from your viewers and lots of new subscribers as well. I'm going to have to work on getting more of my audio content converted to or produced as video.
I've been waiting for an Undaunted sale and would have missed this! Thanks so much for covering such a wide range of news, it's so appreciated. Also huge shoutout for trying to help other content creators!
Oh, that's great to hear, I'm glad the news was timely. I know that sale ends tomorrow so I was glad I could just get it in in time. :) And I'm happy to help Grant, he's a great guy!
There is a short video on the Gamefound page for Bonaparte's Eastern Empire explaining how events are randomised using the Event Clock, hope you find it interesting
Gotta love the re-do of Ace of Aces! I have all the originals: Handy Rotary, Powerhouse, Flying Machines, and Balloon Buster. Teach someone else to play in about 20 seconds!
Another excellent video. Oh Ace of Aces. I had the originals, they were tremendous fun. Super "just pick it up and have a fun half hour" games. And easy to learn. Totally going to back this.
I've never played the original, but have tried to pick it up several times used. I never succeeded though. Might be time to change that. It looks fast and fun.
Good to hear! I've got three that I'll be looking at over the next few months and will be bringing at least two of them to the channel. I'm looking forward to it. :)
Mike, thanks for the positive comments about Bonaparte's Eastern Empire, it's generating lots of interest in the game. Production will finish this week and fulfilment will start very soon after that so there is still just time for anyone interested to grab a copy. Andy
Rifles in the Ardennes is a great game, so I'm sure Vietnam will be quite enjoyable. The system abstracts out the combat with that numbered card, but still gives squad-based combat feel. Definitely a game I keep in the mix when I don't have the time or space to set up a giant sprawling hex-based war game. It's also great for travel or taking with you on vacation.
It's a really busy time now with new games, for sure! Coalitions will have a solo option as well, which is always appreciated, but yes, that 6-player option seems like it would be really fun. :)
@@ZillaBlitz first one we played in four days pretty casual pace but 9-10 hours a day including meals etc. Second one we started in 1937 have played 24 hours so far we are summer 41. Note we meet up on Sundays and sometimes it’s just two of us.but keeps the game moving.
Khalkhin Gol - had this one back in EARLY 70's in mag-game forn from SDC Games ( Dana Lombardy) ! Played a few times and also did this battle in micro-armor scale pieces at US Army Museum on large tabletop at Ft. Leavenworth Commamd Staff School - check out the Ft. Leavenwoth Papers Booklet #2 which deals with about 100 pages of battle history detail ! :-)
Always great content and very quickly have become a favorite and go to site. Loved the Bulge off, hoping for another for Market Garden or Block(off) wargame
Thanks, Thomas! I'm glad you liked the Bulge Off too. :) I'm not sure what I'll do next for those, but I have some playthroughs I want to complete first. :)
A really quick 45 minutes, as a few games perk my interest, with more games than I can ever remember being available, at some point I will have to sit down and be really ruthless with my wish list. Axis Empires is just far too expensive, although would be nice to have. Many thanks for all the info.
Thanks, coyi! I was amazed at how many games there were for this episode. I had to cut a bunch out too, that will go in the next one. :) I was fortunate with Axis Empires, as it was on a fair discount already, then even more with the dinged corner. Full price would be tough.
Thank you for your videos as they feel personable and relaxed. After watching the unboxing at Pushing Cardboard I commented there, but also wanted to comment here about unboxing videos. They are really helping our future selves in this hobby as in my situation it was an old unboxing video that helped me understand what components I was missing from a game that had misprints on component numbers and mixed expansions. Also BGG vs online chats were all different or confusing number tallies. I was able to pause and count the counter sheets in a video. So thank you from my future self if I ever am fortunate enough to get this game second hand. Such a beautiful and epic looking game.
That is a good point about unboxing/first look videos that I hadn't considered. I know sometimes Board Game Geek has counter sheet images, but not always. I'm glad that they can be helpful that way. :)
@@ZillaBlitz The main issue with the game as I remember was that you needed a good sense of spatial orientation with respect to the maneuvers you could use. You needed to assess your current angle off the opponent and range then assess their possible moves and choose an appropriate maneuver. This could be tough!
I recently tried Traces of war, and there is a lot of good still have my doubt on some little bits. Still kind of curious on Traces of Hubris. I am really looking forward to the next one in that series, while they are great, and simple they are big enough that they aren't exactly short. Would love a version you do in 3 hours. (I know you can do the short scenario in that time.. but the short scenario kind of misses some of that arc) Also good call. I knew Pushing Cardboard had a podcast, totally missed He had a channel. Only learned about it recently.
I was recently talking with someone who has played a ton of Traces of War, and they talked about how some of the things that I wondered about with the game (HQ control, mainly) work really well as you get more experienced with the game. It really does seem like a game that gets even better as you play it more and more. But yes, the full scenario does seem to be the place where the game shines best, and that is a bit long. I'm fine with long, though, as a solo experience.
Ace of Aces looks really cool. I remember looking at the old version, but the new art looks great! Still think these dogfighting aerial games should always have a Snoopy vs Red Baron optional theme though too...
Great video - very informative. I remember Eastern Front Tank Leader from the 1980s - I think it was the original in the system. This new edition is definitely on my target list and does indeed have 'Panzerblitz vibes' !
I did not know you were into ASL. I made something for the begginer players. I made a player aid chart for the extra marker counters like CX, TI, PIN, CA for example what this does is it tells you when placed, when to remove, what the penalty is and where you can find the rule. It makes it easier because with all the other rule you get the answers quick. You are more than welcome to a copy of this if you want it. I have played the Ace of Ace WWI I really liked it. Never bought it but did get the WW2 version P52 vs FW90. It was also B&W. but the new version looks great. With Sentinals does that mean you could have 2 player game. that would be real fun. WOW 2 & 3 hundred dollar games. When I got into the hobby I got AH Afrika Korps for $20 brand new.
It's more that I've moved Beyond Valor down to the "to play" shelf. It'll be a bit before I think I can dig in in earnest, probably summer to be honest. I'm not sure how The Hunters integration will work with Sentinels. I don't think it would be 2-player, but possibly? It'll be interesting to explore. And yes, some of these game do have hefty price tags now, especially compared to back in the day. And yet, $20 in 1965 is $196 adjusted for inflation, so I think we can make the argument that in real dollars the hobby has gotten cheaper. :)
@@ZillaBlitzI have the latest official World in Flames, but still can't push through the rules... Now you show us this, and I went the site and saw the "bots" thing and I instantly "omg"... 😅Thanks for the info by the way~
@@ZillaBlitzI'm curious about the gameplay. Do you know where can I find maybe video or something? And do you know how the "Pay Later" works? I saw that on the site... I'm on the fence... I wonder should I dive in blindly or not...
I don't think the game is that far along yet to have video, but I might be mistaken. There might be some designer interviews up somewhere, but often those too will come later. "Pay Later" basically is a promise to buy the game once it's available. You can cancel at any time up until the order is processed. It can sit there like that for months. If you're not sure, I'd say wait until you see more video or can know more about the game, as there's no need to order right away unless you are sure. :)
I just saw one title maybe for an upcoming video of upcoming wargames. Lenin's Legacy (GMT) by Matthias Cramer is a brandnew P500 game. Maybe you can have a look at it.
Yes, I want to explore that one more, just didn't have time before this episode to do so. The topic isn't super compelling for me, but I really like The Hunt that Matthias Cramer co-designed, so I'm very interested in Lenin's Legacy because of that.
Yes, I haven't had a chance to get/play those yet, but maybe this year sometime! I saw them pop up at recent conferences, so maybe that's a possibility.
I seldom watch this kind of video but you presentation is top-notch. Lightning Strikes has its root from Bltiz! from Compass game. It was in turn an Area game in the World in Flames universe.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video. :) And that's interesting about Lightning Strikes. I have no idea how it will play, but if the gameplay is good, it might be one of my favorite games ever. It just pushes all my buttons. :)
My friend Zak (Zak Attack) had a fantabulous wargame collection. I mean outstanding. I said Zak how much do you think this is worth? He said 'over $100k. Well how many have you played? About 6 he said.
When you're addicted to as many things as I am, one more doesn't really make that much of a difference. I'm looking forward to it, just have to carve out some time. :)
Love game design best historical games. Good for solitaire but the for light players. Great to set up and play is monster games no table no cat crisis and no nagging wife. Turn it on and you have your historical monster. Love board games but get hard to play as you get older. Unless you single and have dogs but no cats. 😅
Whew! This was a big one, tons of upcoming wargames on the horizon! Anything in particular catch your attention?
And remember to enter the Giveaway Drawing! :)
Stalingrad Roads looks interesting.
Winter’s Victory looks gorgeous - and what a monster.
But Lightning Strikes looks AMAZING!
Yes, I've only recently heard about New England Simulations but it looks like they make some quality games.
I hope they can execute on Lightning Strikes' vision. If the game system works, it could be fantastic fun. I agree that it looks incredible! :) @ngKnight
Not too many this month. But I really appreciate the coverage. It helps bring titles up that I hadn't heard of or been waiting for release news on. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! It's funny, making these videos can lead me to order something I hadn't really looked at closely previously. Atlantic Sentinels got me this time around. :)@@PrimarchX
@@ZillaBlitz I got the Kickstart notice for Atlantic Sentinels and am intrigued but I'm waiting for some reviews. Funds are a little slight this month since I got on a Desert Storm game kick and our mutual friend Noble Knight was very accommodating!
Hey, Mike, thanks for Blitzing me! I've had tons of great comments from your viewers and lots of new subscribers as well. I'm going to have to work on getting more of my audio content converted to or produced as video.
My pleasure, Grant! I'm happy that it's helping people discover your awesome content. Keep up the great creating! :)
I've been waiting for an Undaunted sale and would have missed this! Thanks so much for covering such a wide range of news, it's so appreciated. Also huge shoutout for trying to help other content creators!
Oh, that's great to hear, I'm glad the news was timely. I know that sale ends tomorrow so I was glad I could just get it in in time. :)
And I'm happy to help Grant, he's a great guy!
Love the idea of the order of historical events being somewhat randomised in the Napoleon game - keeps things realistic, but not predictable.
Yes, I agree. I'm very curious to explore it. :)
There is a short video on the Gamefound page for Bonaparte's Eastern Empire explaining how events are randomised using the Event Clock, hope you find it interesting
Oh, thanks! I’ll check that out.
Gotta love the re-do of Ace of Aces! I have all the originals: Handy Rotary, Powerhouse, Flying Machines, and Balloon Buster. Teach someone else to play in about 20 seconds!
Wow, everyone keeps saying such great things about this one. :)
Another excellent video.
Oh Ace of Aces. I had the originals, they were tremendous fun. Super "just pick it up and have a fun half hour" games. And easy to learn. Totally going to back this.
I've never played the original, but have tried to pick it up several times used. I never succeeded though. Might be time to change that. It looks fast and fun.
Looks like some really cool games. Thanks for the heads up..
My pleasure, thanks for stopping in! :)
Awesome overview! Already subscribed to Grant's channel and awesome that you're promoting it! Good stuff! I actually enjoy his podcast most of all.
Glad to hear it, most excellent! :)
WDS games are great. Been playing them since way back and help platters as well. I'd highly recommend
Good to hear! I've got three that I'll be looking at over the next few months and will be bringing at least two of them to the channel. I'm looking forward to it. :)
Mike, thanks for the positive comments about Bonaparte's Eastern Empire, it's generating lots of interest in the game. Production will finish this week and fulfilment will start very soon after that so there is still just time for anyone interested to grab a copy. Andy
My pleasure, Andy! Good luck with fulfillment and the home stretch!
Noble Knight Games is awesome!
Agreed! :)
Thank you for reviewing these games. I love your channel.
Thanks for the kind words, Jay! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. :)
Rifles in the Ardennes is a great game, so I'm sure Vietnam will be quite enjoyable. The system abstracts out the combat with that numbered card, but still gives squad-based combat feel. Definitely a game I keep in the mix when I don't have the time or space to set up a giant sprawling hex-based war game. It's also great for travel or taking with you on vacation.
Good to know, thanks Mike! I'd not heard of the previous game in the series, but a light, portable tactical game sounds like a lot of fun. :)
Great video, thanks for mentioning us, Wargame Design Studio!
My pleasure, thanks for making great games! :)
Lots to play !! Will be looking for multiple opponents for Coalitions. I hope there is a TTS or Vassal module or something...
It's a really busy time now with new games, for sure! Coalitions will have a solo option as well, which is always appreciated, but yes, that 6-player option seems like it would be really fun. :)
Another top notch video and like the new format and variety. Traces of Hubris is my top pick from your list!
Thanks, Tim! I know, right? Traces of Hubris looks like it'll be such a great compliment to Traces of War. :)
On my second four player game of Axis empires ultimate edition. Been playing since original krieg 1993
Oh, good to hear! Can I ask you how long the full campaign takes you with four players?
@@ZillaBlitz first one we played in four days pretty casual pace but 9-10 hours a day including meals etc. Second one we started in 1937 have played 24 hours so far we are summer 41. Note we meet up on Sundays and sometimes it’s just two of us.but keeps the game moving.
@@ZillaBlitz we’re planning to switch sides next game. Also not using expansions yet but will eventually
Thanks! That's shorter than I imagined, very interesting. :)
Yeah takes some planning etc so can play much slower but depends on group
Khalkhin Gol - had this one back in EARLY 70's in mag-game forn from SDC Games ( Dana Lombardy) ! Played a few times and also did this battle in micro-armor scale pieces at US Army Museum on large tabletop at Ft. Leavenworth Commamd Staff School - check out the Ft. Leavenwoth Papers Booklet #2 which deals with about 100 pages of battle history detail ! :-)
Oh, that Papers Booklet sounds like a good resource, not a ton of stuff available online for that one. :)
Always great content and very quickly have become a favorite and go to site. Loved the Bulge off, hoping for another for Market Garden or Block(off) wargame
Thanks, Thomas! I'm glad you liked the Bulge Off too. :) I'm not sure what I'll do next for those, but I have some playthroughs I want to complete first. :)
A really quick 45 minutes, as a few games perk my interest, with more games than I can ever remember being available, at some point I will have to sit down and be really ruthless with my wish list. Axis Empires is just far too expensive, although would be nice to have. Many thanks for all the info.
Thanks, coyi! I was amazed at how many games there were for this episode. I had to cut a bunch out too, that will go in the next one. :)
I was fortunate with Axis Empires, as it was on a fair discount already, then even more with the dinged corner. Full price would be tough.
I watched this just in time to pick up some Osprey games on sale 😊 Thanks!
Oh, nice! Glad it helped! :)
Thank you for your videos as they feel personable and relaxed. After watching the unboxing at Pushing Cardboard I commented there, but also wanted to comment here about unboxing videos. They are really helping our future selves in this hobby as in my situation it was an old unboxing video that helped me understand what components I was missing from a game that had misprints on component numbers and mixed expansions. Also BGG vs online chats were all different or confusing number tallies. I was able to pause and count the counter sheets in a video. So thank you from my future self if I ever am fortunate enough to get this game second hand. Such a beautiful and epic looking game.
That is a good point about unboxing/first look videos that I hadn't considered. I know sometimes Board Game Geek has counter sheet images, but not always. I'm glad that they can be helpful that way. :)
A great way to start the weekend with a Zilla Blitz video, thanks for all the useful info Mike.
Thanks, Steve! Glad you liked it, and thanks as always for stopping in. :)
God, I had Ace of Aces back in 1980. It was a great game. Spent hours with friends in middle school & high school shooting each other down.
Oh, that's good to know. I've never played it, so have been wondering about the gameplay. :)
@@ZillaBlitz The main issue with the game as I remember was that you needed a good sense of spatial orientation with respect to the maneuvers you could use. You needed to assess your current angle off the opponent and range then assess their possible moves and choose an appropriate maneuver. This could be tough!
This makes me want to back the Kickstarter even more. I was wondering if the whole thing would be fairly random, sounds like it's not.
I recently tried Traces of war, and there is a lot of good still have my doubt on some little bits. Still kind of curious on Traces of Hubris.
I am really looking forward to the next one in that series, while they are great, and simple they are big enough that they aren't exactly short. Would love a version you do in 3 hours. (I know you can do the short scenario in that time.. but the short scenario kind of misses some of that arc)
Also good call. I knew Pushing Cardboard had a podcast, totally missed He had a channel. Only learned about it recently.
I was recently talking with someone who has played a ton of Traces of War, and they talked about how some of the things that I wondered about with the game (HQ control, mainly) work really well as you get more experienced with the game. It really does seem like a game that gets even better as you play it more and more. But yes, the full scenario does seem to be the place where the game shines best, and that is a bit long. I'm fine with long, though, as a solo experience.
Axes of Aces is a great game. You can play it in the car on the way to a convention and it's a great game!!
I'm very tempted... :)
I played the original Ace of Aces. It was fun and easy to play. I may need to jump in on that one.
Seems like a lot of people really liked it, yes. I never got to play the original but am very tempted by this new one.
Ace of Aces looks really cool. I remember looking at the old version, but the new art looks great!
Still think these dogfighting aerial games should always have a Snoopy vs Red Baron optional theme though too...
Yes, it looks like it's had a few versions over the years, but it's great to see this total upgrade.
Great video - very informative. I remember Eastern Front Tank Leader from the 1980s - I think it was the original in the system. This new edition is definitely on my target list and does indeed have 'Panzerblitz vibes' !
Good to know, thanks!
Awesome video, thanks for all the effort to make this.
My pleasure, thanks for stopping in, HC. :)
Greetings from Greece. Zilla Blitz is one of the great channels for wargaming.
Γειά σου! Thanks, and thanks for visiting! :)
I did not know you were into ASL. I made something for the begginer players. I made a player aid chart for the extra marker counters like CX, TI, PIN, CA for example what this does is it tells you when placed, when to remove, what the penalty is and where you can find the rule. It makes it easier because with all the other rule you get the answers quick. You are more than welcome to a copy of this if you want it. I have played the Ace of Ace WWI I really liked it. Never bought it but did get the WW2 version P52 vs FW90. It was also B&W. but the new version looks great. With Sentinals does that mean you could have 2 player game. that would be real fun. WOW 2 & 3 hundred dollar games. When I got into the hobby I got AH Afrika Korps for $20 brand new.
It's more that I've moved Beyond Valor down to the "to play" shelf. It'll be a bit before I think I can dig in in earnest, probably summer to be honest.
I'm not sure how The Hunters integration will work with Sentinels. I don't think it would be 2-player, but possibly? It'll be interesting to explore.
And yes, some of these game do have hefty price tags now, especially compared to back in the day. And yet, $20 in 1965 is $196 adjusted for inflation, so I think we can make the argument that in real dollars the hobby has gotten cheaper. :)
Enjoying Sedgwick Attacks very much!
Good to know, thanks for sharing. The system seems really fun. I have Grand Havoc and hope to get it to the table soon. :)
I think Eastern Front Tank Leader was the first game in the original series.
Interesting, thanks. I'd not heard of this series before. It looks like a lot of fun.
I have Western Front Tank Leader from West End Games. This looks like an updated version. It' a really fun game.
Good to know, thank you!
Thank you for the giveaway. Been looking at Noble Knight for awhile, and would love to win $ there.
Best of luck! I'll likely do the drawing this weekend. :)
First time I saw "Lightning Strikes" I knew the influence of "World in Flames"...
Haha! Nice catch, that slipped right by me. :)
@@ZillaBlitzI have the latest official World in Flames, but still can't push through the rules... Now you show us this, and I went the site and saw the "bots" thing and I instantly "omg"... 😅Thanks for the info by the way~
Yes, I'll be following that one closely, very curious about it.
@@ZillaBlitzI'm curious about the gameplay. Do you know where can I find maybe video or something? And do you know how the "Pay Later" works? I saw that on the site... I'm on the fence... I wonder should I dive in blindly or not...
I don't think the game is that far along yet to have video, but I might be mistaken. There might be some designer interviews up somewhere, but often those too will come later.
"Pay Later" basically is a promise to buy the game once it's available. You can cancel at any time up until the order is processed. It can sit there like that for months. If you're not sure, I'd say wait until you see more video or can know more about the game, as there's no need to order right away unless you are sure. :)
Sooo many great games. Axis Empire: Ultimate Edition and Twilight of the Reich look great. Now to just find a spare $435 lying around somewhere....
No kidding! That's a hefty pair of games right there. :)
I just saw one title maybe for an upcoming video of upcoming wargames. Lenin's Legacy (GMT) by Matthias Cramer is a brandnew P500 game. Maybe you can have a look at it.
Yes, I want to explore that one more, just didn't have time before this episode to do so. The topic isn't super compelling for me, but I really like The Hunt that Matthias Cramer co-designed, so I'm very interested in Lenin's Legacy because of that.
Matthias is a great designer. The Hunt is superb. If you get a chance try Watergate and/or Weimar - The Fight For Democracy. Both games are awesome.
Yes, I haven't had a chance to get/play those yet, but maybe this year sometime! I saw them pop up at recent conferences, so maybe that's a possibility.
I seldom watch this kind of video but you presentation is top-notch.
Lightning Strikes has its root from Bltiz! from Compass game. It was in turn an Area game in the World in Flames universe.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video. :) And that's interesting about Lightning Strikes. I have no idea how it will play, but if the gameplay is good, it might be one of my favorite games ever. It just pushes all my buttons. :)
My friend Zak (Zak Attack) had a fantabulous wargame collection. I mean outstanding. I said Zak how much do you think this is worth? He said 'over $100k. Well how many have you played? About 6 he said.
Wow! That's incredible. I can relate to the "joy of purchasing/collecting," interesting to see it at that degree, though.
@@ZillaBlitz It's kind of a warning...theres more wargames in production than we can possibly play in our lifetime.
Yes, I can definitely relate. I’m pretty much set with games to play for the next couple of years, really trying to narrow down my purchasing.
Beware ASL is addicting
Let me know if you want to play on VASL (or in person if you’re in Philly area).
When you're addicted to as many things as I am, one more doesn't really make that much of a difference. I'm looking forward to it, just have to carve out some time. :)
#blitzed
His On to Richmond II video was good - I added the game to my want list as a result.
Good to hear! :)
i like.very good 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks!
Thanks for the giveaway
My pleasure. Well, and Noble Knight's pleasure too. :) Good luck!
Love game design best historical games. Good for solitaire but the for light players. Great to set up and play is monster games no table no cat crisis and no nagging wife. Turn it on and you have your historical monster. Love board games but get hard to play as you get older. Unless you single and have dogs but no cats. 😅
Ha, yeah, cats are board game killers, for sure! Fortunately, ours have gotten too old to jump up on the tables. :)
Winter victory ❤
Looks gorgeous, yes! Are you familiar with their titles?