Hi Paul, thanks for the video 😎. Concerning the setup issues: NATO naval units setup "at sea" and undetected if the hex has no port. Sorry for that blunder. The EG helicopters may set up on map OR. on the air base display, it's the same place geographically. Thx for bringinv this up 👍
Yves, I have to give you a standing ovation for what you've managed to put together. It's very impressive that those little typos are the only things wrong with the game I found. Now, if only you can tell me where you found so many friends to play your creation with you then I'd be all set lol. Keep up the good work! Looking forward to whatever your megabrain comes up with next! 🫡
@@thecountercorps Thanks for the praise. I had a few good men who helped me enormeously. I have not found a lot, but some. The campaigns are really something to play in teams on a multi-day convention. The battle scenarios are the heart of the game and will be played mostly I guess. I am also planning on adding battle scenarios, nothing fixed yet, but there seems to be a demand.
I definitely see the possibility of expansions and porting the system to other flashpoints of that era. Kind of like how Next War has done with its various installments. You have lots of options! Can't wait to see what you come up with
Looks like it is a beast to play 😀 Funny that I already start to recognise Vuca's distinctive counter art, they are certainly making a splash in our small wargaming world..
Yeah massive kudos to Vuca for putting together such a good looking and polished game. Their art design is definitely a welcome improvement over other publishers
@@thecountercorps 3 months ago i bought a game from another publicer. Only 200 counters or so. Now 3 months later i still sorting those counters! i really dont know which unit belongs to what HDQ. Now: you have a massive game like red strike. 24 countersheets. But probably within 2 hours or so everything will be sorted. That is an huge difference with other companies!
Agreed! I think this hobby can only benefit from more publishers taking note how Vuca does things. They really do bring wargame boardgames into 2023 and on par with the production quality of non-wargame boardgames
Nice video, very honest assessment. It is a very exciting game. Great job by Yves and Vuca! I'm working my way through the exercises, looking forward to getting Fulda Gap on the table.
I wish I had watched this before buying a copy it does look ridiculously complex in terms of the air game. The Next War and Under an Iron Sky are huge games covering the same future conflict but they allow you to play without a lot of the rules to speed things up.
This game sort of remind me of the old Victory Games from the early 80’s The Pacific War. On paper and as a concept it’s amazing but to play it is a real b1tch! 😊 Myself, my brother and two buddies manage to play a full campaign of that back in the summer of 1987 but it was just way too massive, the amount of space needed to run it and the time involved in playing each turn made it such a beast to actually play. Fun as heck but really just too expensive for the amount of space and time it takes. This game really look’s like the same problem. Thanks for playing it but there is no way I will buy this, at my age I just don’t have that much time to spend on a massive game like this
Yes, in many ways Red Strike is similar to GMT's Pacific War (I believe GMT's recent imprint of that game was a reprint from the old Victory Games version?). Both are monster games with high interaction, mostly through an in-depth detection system. I dream of having a couple of weeks free with a willing friend to give this campaign a try. But I really don't know how practical the game is. A few days ago I started recording a playthrough of one of the smallest scenarios, but I had to stop because I realized it had taken me the better part of an hour to resolve just one air strike sortie... and each plane gets three sorties and there's probably half a dozen NATO airbases to launch strikes from. And there are soviet interception missions to fly and resolve and detect, etc. And I like to think I pick up rules pretty fast so it's not a matter of getting familiar with the rules to speed up play. I know this sort of deliberate play will appeal to some people. I'm just not sure I'm one of them. I think game systems this deep and expansive are better suited for computer games, where a lot of the heavy lifting can be done under the hood
Picked up a copy of The Third World War from Compass Games. Has the same feel. Just too much to handle, too big a footprint, and makes me feel tired even thinking about trying to set the whole thing up. When it becomes work it's no longer a game. Have had fun with the smaller scenarios though. Wonder if this is worth it for that alone? Does look pretty nice!
Interesting thoughts. I would hope that one would get experienced with the flow of things through repeated plays so that each interaction moves more quickly. In terms of number of counters and map size have you experience with OCS or the like? There are even more counters involved on larger maps. That said, you have highlighted the granular interactions which are cool but time consuming which are not a feature of OCS. I really hope I find that this is playable solo, well the battle scenarios at least.
Yeah I'm sure that if you get enough reps in then some of it starts to flow a little better. I've tried a few OCS installments (most recently Hungarian Rhapsody), and by comparison, one of Red Strike's biggest wins was being able to avoid the stacks of doom and overload on informational counters. For the most part, Red Strike has very few counters on the map other than combat units. That said, what you get in return is a very abstracted supply system, which some people might be ok with. I think you'll find that the battle scenarios will be playable solo, but you'll feel like you're missing something and the campaign scenarios will beckon 😅
Do you play monster games? If not, it would be overwhelming. If you play 1000-2000 piece 2 mappers, this doesnt seem any worse than others. You just make it your game you play for 6 months, an hour here, 90 minutes there. You dont have to be retired or have 6 hours a day. I can see it takes up way too much space if you play the campaign. They could have done better with the air base layouts. Maybe one box per base and use counters to mark sorties. That way, you wouldnt need a 3 car garage to play...
Yeah I thought I said it in the video, but for someone like me with a full time job and a farm to run, playing this "monster game" would be the only game I play in 2024 for the reason you say... it would have to be poking in and out to play when I have time. Perhaps I'm just too millennial, but I prefer a bit more resolution per game session. I don't enjoy having to wait several months to see if a strategy I crafted at the start will pan out. At that point it becomes too mechanical for me rather than a simulation. But to each their own! If you are the kind of person who loves monster games and playing half a turn here, one activation there, then you can't go wrong with Red Strike.
@@thecountercorps Yea, running a farm, I get it... It's hard to find "monster" games that can keep my interest for 6 months. I have to immerse myself in the history, say the Last Blitkrieg, MMP. Reading up on the battles of the Bulge and how the game develops. I "play" as more an historical simulation, rather than a game. "When if the 6th Army went more south". Etc. The choices at major intervals of the battle. Now, Red Strike, that will be a bit tougher, since the battle - fortunately - didn't happen. So immersion into history will be different. You defintely have to be the type who can focus on one game for months. It is cheaper! Take care
Haha yeah no doubt my bank account is asking, "Isn't Red Strike enough for you?" Maybe it is? Maybe I should just put all 1200 counters on the table and see how long I can stick to it.... 🪖
@@thecountercorps I guess it depends on how fiddly it is. I am beginning to have my doubts. This is tough, between Under an Iron Sky by Thin Red Line and this one. I did enjoy Deadly Northern Lights. I'll have to look more closely at the rules. It seems that the TRL system is a bit less fiddly, like for example the interception process.
Man, you sound sooooo demoralized. Nobody watching this video would ever buy the game. It’s definitely for the hard core modern warfare fans that know scud1-c specs by heart.
![Into the Woods: Sound the Long Roll [1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/F_7e0o_hZ_Y/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Paul, thanks for the video 😎.
Concerning the setup issues:
NATO naval units setup "at sea" and undetected if the hex has no port. Sorry for that blunder.
The EG helicopters may set up on map OR. on the air base display, it's the same place geographically.
Thx for bringinv this up 👍
Yves, I have to give you a standing ovation for what you've managed to put together. It's very impressive that those little typos are the only things wrong with the game I found.
Now, if only you can tell me where you found so many friends to play your creation with you then I'd be all set lol.
Keep up the good work! Looking forward to whatever your megabrain comes up with next! 🫡
@@thecountercorps Thanks for the praise. I had a few good men who helped me enormeously. I have not found a lot, but some. The campaigns are really something to play in teams on a multi-day convention. The battle scenarios are the heart of the game and will be played mostly I guess. I am also planning on adding battle scenarios, nothing fixed yet, but there seems to be a demand.
I definitely see the possibility of expansions and porting the system to other flashpoints of that era. Kind of like how Next War has done with its various installments.
You have lots of options! Can't wait to see what you come up with
I will clarify the off-map handling of air units in an upcoming update.
Thx for bringing this up 👍
Looks like it is a beast to play 😀 Funny that I already start to recognise Vuca's distinctive counter art, they are certainly making a splash in our small wargaming world..
Yeah massive kudos to Vuca for putting together such a good looking and polished game. Their art design is definitely a welcome improvement over other publishers
@@thecountercorps 3 months ago i bought a game from another publicer. Only 200 counters or so. Now 3 months later i still sorting those counters! i really dont know which unit belongs to what HDQ. Now: you have a massive game like red strike. 24 countersheets. But probably within 2 hours or so everything will be sorted. That is an huge difference with other companies!
Agreed! I think this hobby can only benefit from more publishers taking note how Vuca does things. They really do bring wargame boardgames into 2023 and on par with the production quality of non-wargame boardgames
Nice video, very honest assessment. It is a very exciting game. Great job by Yves and Vuca! I'm working my way through the exercises, looking forward to getting Fulda Gap on the table.
I wish I had watched this before buying a copy it does look ridiculously complex in terms of the air game. The Next War and Under an Iron Sky are huge games covering the same future conflict but they allow you to play without a lot of the rules to speed things up.
This game sort of remind me of the old Victory Games from the early 80’s The Pacific War. On paper and as a concept it’s amazing but to play it is a real b1tch! 😊
Myself, my brother and two buddies manage to play a full campaign of that back in the summer of 1987 but it was just way too massive, the amount of space needed to run it and the time involved in playing each turn made it such a beast to actually play. Fun as heck but really just too expensive for the amount of space and time it takes.
This game really look’s like the same problem. Thanks for playing it but there is no way I will buy this, at my age I just don’t have that much time to spend on a massive game like this
Yes, in many ways Red Strike is similar to GMT's Pacific War (I believe GMT's recent imprint of that game was a reprint from the old Victory Games version?).
Both are monster games with high interaction, mostly through an in-depth detection system. I dream of having a couple of weeks free with a willing friend to give this campaign a try.
But I really don't know how practical the game is. A few days ago I started recording a playthrough of one of the smallest scenarios, but I had to stop because I realized it had taken me the better part of an hour to resolve just one air strike sortie... and each plane gets three sorties and there's probably half a dozen NATO airbases to launch strikes from. And there are soviet interception missions to fly and resolve and detect, etc.
And I like to think I pick up rules pretty fast so it's not a matter of getting familiar with the rules to speed up play.
I know this sort of deliberate play will appeal to some people. I'm just not sure I'm one of them. I think game systems this deep and expansive are better suited for computer games, where a lot of the heavy lifting can be done under the hood
@@thecountercorps Yes, the GMT version is a reprint of the old Victory Games, it’s the same exact game with just better colour maps, aids and counters
@@thecountercorpsI managed to complete the Pacific War campaign it did take around 6 months though.
Your channel is the best 👍. Keep up the great work
Picked up a copy of The Third World War from Compass Games. Has the same feel. Just too much to handle, too big a footprint, and makes me feel tired even thinking about trying to set the whole thing up. When it becomes work it's no longer a game. Have had fun with the smaller scenarios though. Wonder if this is worth it for that alone? Does look pretty nice!
Interesting thoughts. I would hope that one would get experienced with the flow of things through repeated plays so that each interaction moves more quickly. In terms of number of counters and map size have you experience with OCS or the like? There are even more counters involved on larger maps. That said, you have highlighted the granular interactions which are cool but time consuming which are not a feature of OCS. I really hope I find that this is playable solo, well the battle scenarios at least.
Yeah I'm sure that if you get enough reps in then some of it starts to flow a little better.
I've tried a few OCS installments (most recently Hungarian Rhapsody), and by comparison, one of Red Strike's biggest wins was being able to avoid the stacks of doom and overload on informational counters. For the most part, Red Strike has very few counters on the map other than combat units. That said, what you get in return is a very abstracted supply system, which some people might be ok with.
I think you'll find that the battle scenarios will be playable solo, but you'll feel like you're missing something and the campaign scenarios will beckon 😅
Very good assessment, thanks !
I appreciate the honest assessment…but did it take you out? You’ve been out for a few months! I hope all is well.
Do you play monster games? If not, it would be overwhelming. If you play 1000-2000 piece 2 mappers, this doesnt seem any worse than others. You just make it your game you play for 6 months, an hour here, 90 minutes there. You dont have to be retired or have 6 hours a day.
I can see it takes up way too much space if you play the campaign. They could have done better with the air base layouts. Maybe one box per base and use counters to mark sorties. That way, you wouldnt need a 3 car garage to play...
Yeah I thought I said it in the video, but for someone like me with a full time job and a farm to run, playing this "monster game" would be the only game I play in 2024 for the reason you say... it would have to be poking in and out to play when I have time.
Perhaps I'm just too millennial, but I prefer a bit more resolution per game session. I don't enjoy having to wait several months to see if a strategy I crafted at the start will pan out. At that point it becomes too mechanical for me rather than a simulation. But to each their own!
If you are the kind of person who loves monster games and playing half a turn here, one activation there, then you can't go wrong with Red Strike.
@@thecountercorps Yea, running a farm, I get it... It's hard to find "monster" games that can keep my interest for 6 months. I have to immerse myself in the history, say the Last Blitkrieg, MMP. Reading up on the battles of the Bulge and how the game develops. I "play" as more an historical simulation, rather than a game. "When if the 6th Army went more south". Etc. The choices at major intervals of the battle.
Now, Red Strike, that will be a bit tougher, since the battle - fortunately - didn't happen. So immersion into history will be different. You defintely have to be the type who can focus on one game for months. It is cheaper!
Take care
Haha yeah no doubt my bank account is asking, "Isn't Red Strike enough for you?"
Maybe it is? Maybe I should just put all 1200 counters on the table and see how long I can stick to it.... 🪖
@@thecountercorps I guess it depends on how fiddly it is. I am beginning to have my doubts. This is tough, between Under an Iron Sky by Thin Red Line and this one. I did enjoy Deadly Northern Lights. I'll have to look more closely at the rules. It seems that the TRL system is a bit less fiddly, like for example the interception process.
I have already ordered my copy but I do specialise in monster games. 🤓
Not brave enough for this one yet heh
Man, you sound sooooo demoralized. Nobody watching this video would ever buy the game. It’s definitely for the hard core modern warfare fans that know scud1-c specs by heart.