Sadly, my time has been taken up with mainly non-wargaming topics this week. Surviving Mars was released by Paradox Interactive yesterday, and you can read our review over at Strategy Gamer if you’re interested. What really piqued my interest was the brief mention of a story line that involved fraying relations with Earth, and I was instantly reminded of Alex’s review of Phobos Rising! Insurgency on Mars. Perhaps through mods or future DLC there’s a wargame waiting to make itself heard.

Also, Fortnite is a pretty big deal apparently. It’s ok, you don’t need to know what it is.

Meanwhile, in the world of wargaming…

Panzer Campaigns Gold – The Future

Wargames Design Studio has recently been remastering all of John Tiller’s classic Panzer Campaign Series games. We say ‘all’ they’ve only done the Eastern Front titles so far. Earlier in the week they posted a blog about what their plans are going forward.

There are 10 games left in the PCS, 5 on the western front and 5 in the Mediterranean. While work has started on these titles WDS are actually going to be prioritising another one of their projects – Panzer Battles 3.

They do expect all ten games to be finished by the end of 2018, but it will just be at a slower pace than before. These aren’t simply remasters though – additional content and some mod stuff does get included to give a more complete experience. If you go to the bottom of the diary, you can see an example of this in the work they’re doing with France ’40.

Matrix Games/Slitherine

A quieter week for our former masters – they had a big released in the form of Check Your 6!, a digital turn-based dogfighting skirmish game set in the skies over Britain during WW2. It’s based on the table-top skirmish game of the same name and being developed by The Lordz Studio.

Prior to release they put out another dev diary talking about things like control and movement/speed, and they’ve also put out a couple of tutorial videos to help people jump in the game.

Keep an eye out for our review which will probably land early next week. Our review of Desert War should be on time though – very much looking forward to that one!

The only other thing worth highlighting is the Scenario Creation Guide that’s been created for Field of Glory II. ‘Guide’ doesn’t quite do it justice though: it’s an entire forum, composed of 17 different articles each with step-by-step instructions (backed by screens) showing you how to apply different aspects of creating a scenario.

I was briefly inspired by the idea of creating my own (or maybe asking someone to do it for me) after the release of the Legions Triumphant DLC. Having reminded myself of Wallace Breem’s excellent Eagles in the Snow, I’d love to see a custom scenario covering the XX’s failed defence of the Rhine.

Unity of Command 2

After roughly three months of silence, we’ve finally got a new development diary for Unity of Command 2. Seems they’ve finally completed their work porting the game into their own custom 3D engine, and the game itself finally has all of the elements within it to begin testing.

Along with things like the weather system and UI, this dev diary talks about Headquarters and supply hubs. These exist on the map as their own elements but can stack with combat units as well as each other. The screen that was supplied with this diary is gorgeous, and reveals a lot about how the game is shaping up. Also, as a final note – Unity of Command 2 is now 64-bit, which means you’ll need a 64-bit OS to run it.

Kill Team Returns

A token bit of table-top news to round the diary off: Games Workshop went to the recent GAMA trade show and dropped some reveals. Most of it is minor stuff, but it appears they’re bringing back Kill Team in full force as a new tactical skirmish game, with a brand-new edition. We’ve written about it before, but this new rulebook will probably shake things up a bit.

That’s all for this week’s round-up – let us know if you spot anything else of interest, otherwise enjoy your weekend and happy gaming!

Despite the fact that Hearts of Iron IV still has some fundamental issues with its design, the HOI team at Paradox Development Studios are certainly doing a great job distracting us by doubling-down on what actually works (and fleshing out areas of the world bit-by-bit). That’s not meant to be an insult – Dan Lind and his team have been doing great work with what they have, but most fans acknowledge there are problems, even now. Thanks to the recently released Waking the Tiger expansion however, those problems feel a little less pressing.

As with every expansion for a Paradox game these days, it’s important to try and unpick what you’re paying for versus what you get for free. That’s why taken on its own Stellaris: Apocalypse was a disappointing expansion: for $20 you really didn’t get much, but it’s better to think of it as subsidising the free patch.

The story in Waking the Tiger is a little bit more complicated, but on balance it’s a pretty content-packed add-on.

For your money, you get new focus trees for China, People’s Republic of China and the various Chinese Warlords (otherwise they will default to the old versions). Along with this, you get an additional ‘branch’ the focus trees of Germany and Japan (their basic trees have been re-worked for free to accommodate this). It’s worth taking a moment to admire what the team have done here – by working Germany and Japan’s in a specific way, they’ve given themselves the ability to allow entire branches (which can equate to a whole narrative experience, such as reviving the German Empire) to be bolted on at a price, whilst leaving a perfectly functional and complete tree to interact with if you decided not to. I haven’t delved deep into Japan’s tree, but I’ve see a Democratic ‘State of Japan’ form a couple of times now. Germany’s Civil War branch I’ve documented a little bit already; while interesting you must be a lot more active once the Empire is revived because removing Nazi Germany makes Europe a pretty peaceful place, it turns out.

In addition to the above, you get new Command Power abilities that function with the (free) command power system, new traits that go with the (free) revamped commander and army management systems, lots of decisions that interact with the new (free) Decisions System, new formable nations like the Roman Empire, and host of other new bits and bobs that essentially just enhance existing systems. For example, the Acclimatisation system itself is free, but the unique unit skins that trigger depending on which end of the scale you’re on are premium. If you don’t have the expansion, your units just look the same. There’s quite a few littler things that we won’t be able to mention here – we highly suggest you check out this post and look at the ‘Waking the Tiger Expansion’ section at the top to see the full break-down of what you’re paying for.

There’s a lot more generic stuff in this expansion than there are things that specifically tailor to the theme of the day, which is China. You’d be quite right in stating that World War Two actually started in 1937 after the Marco Polo bridge incident, causing Japan to invade. Waking the Tiger focuses on the various Chinese factions, giving them new trees which allow the player to take the area in a few directions, as well as a new mechanic that seems like it has potential, but is a bit of a mixed bag right now.

China is in a delicate place at the start of the game – while ‘China’ itself has just successfully fended off the People’s Republic of China’s take-over attempt, they’re still surrounded by various warlord factions and colonial powers. Not to mention that unless Japan completely falls apart (which it can do), the Marco Polo bridge incident will trigger, and you will be locked in a war with the Rising Sun. The new focus trees for all the Chinese factions give them a lot of options with regards to coming together and facing Japan as one, as well as ways of boosting your economy by courting foreign powers for investment. It’s easy to get distracted by trying to get one over on each other as one of the Chinese factions (especially the smaller ones) but really, all this stuff is meant to be saved until AFTER you’ve fended off Japan. The Focus Trees themselves are fine – the HoI team are getting better at making them, and the only thing they could do at this point to up their game is to simply tell us what the optimum path through a tree is. That’d be nice.

The new mechanic that comes with Waking the Tiger and that is exclusive to the East Asian theatre is the ‘Border Conflicts’ system. Using political points, you can trigger small border wars between yourself and another faction that is contained within one state (that is on the border). You can only use so many troops to fight this war, and the conflict itself is automated until someone wins, or it ends in a stalemate. There is an option to just escalate the situation to a full-scale war if you want. The most disappointing thing about this mechanic is that you can’t control the units – I’ve had my most fun in Hearts of Iron making the best out of small armies – using the surgeon’s knife instead of the hammer. Outside of this, its usefulness compared to just trying to declare war normally is still up for debate. Again, part from maybe one early land-grab, this is something best left until after Japan comes a-knocking (of it Japan falls apart, so you know they’re not coming), because it’s easy to get distracted.

It’s not a very well sign-posted system either. The change-log for the expansion says that these border conflicts can be unlocked through the “asian focus tree”, but what that means is unclear. All I know is that, during a PRC play-through, the decisions just appeared randomly after a point.

I’d be hard pressed to say that you could live without Waking the Tiger. If you at all care about the conflict in China (even staunch euro-philes will probably get bored eventually) it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Further to that, the expansion comes with a lot of quality-of-life improvements that occupy that grey area between being essential (so really, should be free), and being additional tools in your toolbox to enhance gameplay. It also adds in a lot more flavour to the new systems brought in with the patch, like decisions/missions, Commanders (easily my favourite bit now), and the alt-history branches for Germany and Japan. I honestly feel a lot of these areas would be a bit dull without the content that comes with this expansion.

Hearts of Iron IV’s march to victory continues, but the big battle still looms in the distance. The old guard of Research, Diplomacy and basically anything to do with manually running your faction outside of warfare is falling back in the face of the new, dynamic and short-cut-frenzied Focus Tree. At some-point, these features are going to draw a line and will make their final stand. It’ll be interesting to see what the outcome of that will be, but in the mean time Waking the Tiger gives us some fun new toys to play around with.

Since we're nearing the end of the centennial of World War I, a look at videogames for the 1914-1918 period is definitely in order. And given many meaningful concepts of the war were strategic in nature (vice operational or tactical), that area will be the focus of this compendium.

Want to see what the best tactical/operational WW1 games are? Check out this alternative list! How about the best table-top Graet War games? Bill's got you covered!

You'll note a few entries normally deemed operational rather than strategic. The difference? Operational art involves campaigns to bring friendly forces into battle under the best conditions possible. Strategy involves the management and deployment of national level resources to achieve objectives. Indeed strategic games are more logistics and production than fighting, but with World War I there was a unique fusion of the two echelons into a hybrid that creates a grey area in some cases.

Guns of August 1914-1918 (Matrix Games)

Frank Hunter of ADANAC Studios jumped the guns by releasing this game in 2007. The graphics represent the basic approach of the period and the mechanics are clunky but capture the crucial problem of the combatants: a war in which the resources and military thinking of the coalitions were outstripped by industrial warfare. In the four scenarios marking each year of the war, players must choose which HQs to activate given the limited number of activations. Points are used to research tanks, gas and trenches as well as to influence or declare war on neutrals. Ships are assigned orders and areas while subs starve Britain. Air units are assigned to fronts.

Play uses two-month composed of impulses with orders resolved simultaneously. The map covers most of Europe, the Middle East and some of North Africa. The units are corps and individual ships. Each nation of a coalition must be handled separately. National morale and exhaustion determine victory. If players can master the interface and turn sequence, this game replicates the attrition aspect of the war well by having actions paid by gaining abstract currency. All of these games do the same but with different names; production points, recruit points, etc...

Strategic Command Classic: World War 1 (Matrix Games) (Review)

Hubert Cater of Fury Software and Battlefront first entered the fray in 2010, although this was recently re-published by Matrix Games. The base game is derived from the popular Strategic Command series with its hallmarks: terrain is bland but functional while the 3D units are entertaining. The normal IGO/UGO turn system is here with clicks ordering movement and combat. A row of buttons gives entree to research, diplomacy and the like. Events, different weapons and even more emphasis on national morale set this game apart from its World War II stablemates.

The British blockade eats away at Central Power morale while research allows simple growth in air, tank, infantry and gas tactics. Creating havoc to British supplies is made easier by clear convoy routes and silent sub modes. Domestic policy is handled abstractly. How players react to events can change the complexion of the game. The first campaign covers the entire war while adding two shorter campaigns, seven operations and even a World War II campaign. The 2012 expansion Breakthrough adds spice to the game by providing an alternative 1914 campaign twist, a look at the First Balkan War 1912-1913 and the Franco-Prussian War, nineteen more operations and battles covering all theatres of the conflict.

Commander: The Great War (Slitherine/Matrix Games) (Review)

Slitherine’s 2012 game shows how the Commander engine could handle World War I. The terrain and unit graphics are very good, combining simplicity with enough detail to make them interesting as well as informative. Mechanics are simple with tabs bringing up panels for research, diplomacy, production, and selection to show unit stats.

A management panel shows countries’ overall status. Submarines are always submerged and can be attacked only when an enemy stumbles into their hex. Air, artillery and infantry capabilities grow through research. Commanders are attached directly to units instead of separate HQ units. A unique swapping function allows units to easily exchange places. The five campaigns cover each year of the war. Research focus on broad topics instead of individual concepts and a simple supply system makes this game accessible to new gamers and still captures the essence of the topic. Also available on iOS.

Making History: The Great War (Factus Games)

Factus Games continues Muzzy Lane Software’s tradition of academic games with this 2014 title. Unlike the other games in this article, the scale is grand strategic where players deal with the intricacies of building specific factories and institutions in cities in their countries given present resources. Choices to play are the eight major powers or any other country in the world. An in-depth economic and trade system will take up most of player’s attention with many panels and screens providing a flood of data.

The graphics are very simple and mechanics are the usual clicks. The three scenarios are 1912, 1914 and 1918, the later concentrating on making peace rather than war. The military depends heavily on the economy and research with battle being handled automatically when opponents inter the same province. Many events requiring player decisions appear in the week-long turns. This product elevates play from the war itself to the conditions that started the conflict and allows an alternative line of events.

To End All Wars (Matrix Games)

AGEOD took another swing at the cat with this 2014 entry using a better engine. Using two-week turns, the main map covers Europe with off-map boxes for the rest of the world. Units begin as single armies but can be broken down by increments to regimental level. Leaders can be attached, promoted and demoted under certain circumstances. Lists and map filters lay out the many factors of play. Movement is the AGE click-and-drag engine with a battle mode for selecting tactics.

Weather affects movement and supply. Success on the field and triggered events yield diplomatic points and decreases or increases the all-important national morale. Players can use regional decisions to accomplish operational goals where diplomacy is a matter of alignment. Submarine warfare is more abstract than in other games. This entry is a nice compendium to the many factors of the war.

Supreme Ruler - the Great War (Battlegoat Studios) (Review)

This game is probably the newest entry into the fray, yet traces its roots back 35 years to a Canadian in high school. Typically, the software is concerned more with logistics and resource management as opposed to putting rounds down range, but there are several areas which make play unique. There is a full-fledged weather system, while movement is a simple process of drawing a line from start to destination, then allowing the AI to figure out the best way to get there. And believe it or not, all of this is done in semi-real time.

The detail in the game is fantastic, and doesn’t simply allow for the production of things like heavy artillery. No, the player must choose the type of gun – 130 mm vs 152 mm for example – for his rubles based on what was historically available. But the really BIG draw of the game is the scope. While most games define World War I as East Front, West Front, Italian Front and Lawrence of Arabia, this game takes the term “World” literal. The game covers the entire globe, so if Japan invades China, you actually move to that real estate and fight/produce it out. And you don’t stop in 1918, but can continue the game on well into the 21^st Century.

Hearts of Iron – Darkest Hour (Paradox Interactive) (Review)

The Hearts of Iron franchise needs little introduction as one of the most famous strategic World War II games ever. Darkest Hour is actually a variant of HOI Armageddon created by a group of dedicated modders in love with the series. It is a stand-alone game with two scenarios, one beginning in 1936, but the other in 1914 covering WW1.

It's a typical strategic logistics and production fare, but using the HOI engine and overall design as the selling point. Often called the best of all HOI add-ons, the game has outrageously high reviews on Steam. Trust me, if you like Hearts of Iron, you will like this.

The Operational Art of War IV (Matrix Games) (Review)

Although an operational level game, what this really means is that the software takes one step away from logistics and production and one step towards combat and manoeuvre in its emphasis. This is probably a better approach for 1914 and the Russian Front where smaller armies and YUGE parcels of land did not mandate a stalemate and factory management to see who could produce the most machine gun bullets.

TOAW4 has 20 scenarios from or related to this conflict, and some are so large that they could never be considered operational in decision making scope at the very least. One, for example, covers the entire Eastern Front in 1915 while another covers the entire war, all fronts, down to the Mosen-Nagant level, from 1 August 1914 to whenever. If you like more military oriented decision making vice logistics, this game is a good choice

France 1914 and East Prussia 1914 (John Tiller Software) (Review)

These two games are sisters, and this is a good thing. Based on the firm’s Panzer Campaigns model, the two simulations are similar to TOAW4 except one step further removed from logistics and one step closer to combat detail and manoeuvre, as befitting products only concerned about the first year of the war. Yet given the large amount of physical turf covered, even at this early stage of the conflict, decision making morphs into something more strategic than operational. Pressing home the point, the two games can be played concurrently.

As our own review of the game noted, “The World War I Campaign Series system comes together with the Grand Campaign Scenario Progression Tree. Here, East Prussia '14 is played with France '14 and guided by a progression tree. Depending on the type of victory, the tree directs players to specific scenarios after starting with the first French scenario. Different levels of victory yields Campaign Victory points on a sliding scale; the first to get enough wins.”

Summary

World War I was extremely complicated, arguably more so than World War II. No single game can do equal justice to all aspects of the conflict. However, the games mentioned above contain all the critical aspects when taken as a group. Every level of play, from beginner to hard-nosed veteran, is represented by them. Players should begin with the level they’re comfortable with and then try more complex games.

Another big draw is the Dealer’s Hall, still at the Host’s Exhibition Center (or Tennis Barn). I counted 57 vendors listed in the program, and as usual there was the mixture of new and old, with some of my old favorites nonetheless dropping out due to age and travel requirements. Indeed, with online shopping growing exponentially, it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. For me the big eyebrow raiser was a couple or so vendors who produced their wares via 3-D printing, to include custom figures that inserted the customers accurately rendered head onto, say, a Roman Signifer’s body. The obvious question is, “have we now seen the future demise of pewter and lead?” I have no crystal ball yet, but I do hope to discuss this trend in a future article.

Otherwise, I will mention a couple of concerns about the vendor area. The first is that I continue to buy less and less each convention. Unfortunately I am getting to an age where I’ve damn near purchased everything I need and want, and have done so several times over. Thus when I leave a con knowing that my wife will NOT have a conniption fit when she sees the credit card bill, I just don’t feel whole inside. The other is that while the refurbishing of the Host is definitely making a difference, the work at the Tennis Barn has eliminated the old covered, direct access to the place from the hotel prime. This means you have a pretty good hike around and downhill (and thus uphill coming back) to get to the other side of the building to enter. For those of us who are slightly older (than dirt), huffing and puffing as we fall flat on our faces on the Paradise Room foyer is just a bit tacky. I do hope the Host will correct this issue when all is said and done, as I am really not in the market for a Hoveround. Yet.

That said, the reconstruction of the Host continues and there were some improvements, most noticeably exterior facades with brand new glass door entrances, new flooring, and renovated rooms (albeit still awaiting their phones and microwaves). The food selection seems to have expanded and personal facilities seem cleaner and much better maintained. Problems, such as the lighting in Wally’s Basement, are much more a priority than in the past and are quickly attended to. And I noticed that top level management (as opposed to just the night manager) always seemed to be around, not only directing but also physically carrying buckets of ice cream and potato salad to food enclaves, helping the guys and gals in the culinary trenches by becoming one of them. The Host still has a very long way to grow, but as one attendee noted, you now smell fresh paint vice musty odors and this indicates a much more positive attitude than in the past.

To conclude, let me put it this way. I can sit outside the food stand in the Distlefink foyer and people watch while munching on a hotdog and overhear conversations as people pass by. Normally they’re 75% about things that went wrong such as table assignments that are double booked, the hotel or where the next con would be held. Given the move of Historicon to downtown Lancaster in 2019 (the subject du jour at the Membership Meeting) and the move to online voting to select members of the Board, the potential was there for some great gossip. Yet I heard very little, something that implies much better communications and solid management making things happen.

Feminine touch or not, we can say for definite that the quality bar just got raised.

More photos from the convention including the author’s game are available by clicking here!

Desert War 1940-1942 is a new WEGO turn-based wargame that covers the campaign from the early war in North Africa through to the 2nd Battle of El Alamein. This was the theatre that saw the true principles of blitzkrieg, and armoured warfare in general, put into action. Designed by BK Wargames (a new studio) under the guidance of Matrix Games, the game aims to present the conflict with a completely new approach.

The result is a somewhat complex system that takes a bit of time to learn but is well worth the time you invest – it’s quite interesting. And even though it borrows concepts from both board and computer games it manages to combine them in a new and quite unique way. You will probably need to check the manual quite a few times before mastering the game’s style and flow.

Instead of focusing on what assets you have for use, Desert War seeks to place the importance on how you use the assets you have. Sure, the German tank formations are of course the strongest and the Italians the weakest. What really matters though are not the strength points, but how well you do your planning. And how well you do your planning depends on how you use your supplies, how tight you can keep your organisation, how you use your air assets and if your reconnaissance is always one step ahead - or behind.

Hotkeys, Hotkeys for Sale!

You can, of course, just jump straight in. The interface is modern, and there’s plenty of tooltips to read. Click around and see what happens, and you might even bypass the need to read instructions. Most likely, however, that won’t help you understand the mechanics and flow of the gameplay in a deep enough level to beat the AI (or another player). This is not so much because of the inherent complexities of the game, but rather the different design approach used. That said, you better learn the hotkeys by heart as they are as valuable as knowing your WASD in FPS games.

Even if you’re a complete novice when it comes to any kind of board, computer or wargame the introductory scenario, as well as the tutorial, will get you oriented easily enough. The added benefit is familiarizing yourself with the concepts the game seeks to model. Supplies are not packages to be delivered, shock is not a percentage bonus to attack values, and all combat will, in the end, depend on the dice. And most of all: no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Organisation, Supply, and Shock

Desert War places considerable emphasis on organisation. You need to keep your forces nice and tight, you do need to hold back reserves, and you can’t just go wildly riding through any hole in the line. Units suffer damage to both strength and organisation, so driving them too far too fast will make them outrun the supply lines. Force concentration is important, as it should be.

Units need a line of communication to be supplied. This can be through its own HQ unit, or a higher echelon HQ unit. These distances are calculated in movements points, which means that terrain plays an effect. Enemy zone of control can likewise play a role in this. At the start of each turn, all units that are within supply range are set to basic supply. Being in basic supply has no effect on defense or combat values, but it does halve the units’ movement points. The player can then decide which units receive combat supply and which receive movement supply. As you can imagine combat supply increases attack values, whereas movement supply allows for longer marches, though with the off-chance that you might be ambushed. Both movement and combat supply use their own supply points, which come in limited amounts.

When it comes to combat your line infantry is there to do just that: form a line of infantry. Your tanks, and one or two other units, have shock values in addition to the normal attack and defence values. Shock value is important as it adds shift modifiers to the combat. Mixing units with no shock and shock values cause the shock values to lower. This doesn’t mean your tanks will ride into battle alone like King Arthur’s knights, as there are units with neutral shock values; meaning they don’t lower the value, though they don’t add to it either. Air assets and artillery strikes add power to the attacks as well. Anti-tank units, on the other hand, have defensive shock values, negating those of the attacking enemy tank units.

Plan, Execute, Rewind, Repeat

The way to win battles is to pile on the enemy and beat him to pieces with overwhelming power. Unfortunately, too many games climb the tree arse up in this regard: you are simply trying to tip the balance one way or another and then it’s like rolling downhill with superior numbers. Desert War takes a new approach, where the end result of all your planning is to pile on and win the battle; not to win the battle and then pile on.

The game uses simultaneous movement, commonly known as WEGO. The most important part of any turn is the planning phase. This is where you decide the supply levels, give the movement and attack orders, place the air strikes, decide on naval support and run the intelligence and command missions. Once you hit the play button it all plays out, but probably not quite like you expected as the enemy will be executing their own orders at the same time. There is a movie that will show what happened during the turn and you can play it forwards or backward to analyze what worked, and what didn’t.

Not being able to change orders in the middle of a turn is a welcome approach. You might end up wondering what’s the point of wargames where the most crucial aspects of command and control are negated by the God-like powers of the player anyways? The end results are often chaotic, at least until you can hone your skills and planning to the necessary level. At that point, when your plan finally plays out like you wanted it to, you can feel quite proud.

Once you finish a scenario you can watch the entire playback in one go. Unfortunately, in the version we were testing this seemed to have some issues with units showing up multiple times and so forth. I still enjoyed viewing it though. This, and WEGO in general, are welcome features that should be adopted by more computer wargames.

Combat Operations

The player’s mission here is to simply learn how the system works and then use his skills to plan the operations carefully. Haphazard attacks, rushing units here and there, forgetting to set the correct supply levels, or just not paying attention will result in a defeat. You must have an overall plan, and then execute and modify that plan on a turn by turn basis. Thanks to the WEGO system you never end up with quite what you intended.

You don’t need to go into too much detail with the units and combat. The scenarios are well researched, yet it makes little difference to the player which battalion is named what. All you need to understand are the attack, movement, and defence values, the different unit types, and how orders work. Stack enough combat power to defeat the enemy and improve your chances with assets and odd shifts. This works exceedingly well, given that your main mission and purpose is not to fine-tune the odds, but to instead organise and execute your plan so that the combat power is where it needs to be when it needs to be.

Intelligence and fog of war play a big role in all of this. Not only does it mean you don’t know where enemy units are, but also that even when you do it affects combat if you don’t know precisely what you are going against. Recon units, recon aircraft and command orders allow the player to find out information about enemy units. It’s important to use them wisely, as it should be. Without proper reconnaissance, the enemy can be running circles around you and you wouldn’t even know it.

The Fox and the Rat

The game comes with thirteen scenarios, of which one is the tutorial battle. These range from small-scale engagements of a dozen turns through 45-turn marathons with hundreds of units. The majority of scenarios offer over a hundred units to command per side, which is really the only downside of this title. For me, the system would be far more perfect for smaller skirmishes. Keeping track of hundreds of units and their HQs does become a chore over time. Though if you are willing to put in the time this might not be a downside after all.

All scenarios are designed for solo vs. AI as well as for multiplayer action. On top of this there is an in-game editor. If Desert War becomes popular enough it might well attract the kind of modder base that will extend the game to cover everything from 1940 to 1943, and perhaps even further. Maps, OOB, AI and pretty much everything else can be edited. There is plenty of potential here, though it remains to be seen how well this engine would perform in theatres outside of North Africa.

As it is, Desert War 1940 – 1942 presents an excellent simulation of warfare in North Africa during World War 2. This is a game that both grognards and beer and pretzel folks can enjoy. In fact, it seems to combine the best features from both camps through innovative and unique mechanisms like WEGO. It is not a perfect experience, not that such a thing exists, but it does make me wait in wonder as to what BK Wargames will come up with next.

I’m still slowly plugging away at Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain. I’ve played through the starting scenario a few times and have no switched to the short scenario they provide that’s meant to encapsulate the late-game. The British factions are fragmented, and barbarians have presence in the east and Wales.

It’s proven a lot more difficult to run the solo rules for this so far as I’m not longer sure what the barbarian faction’s priorities are now that they’re on the board and the win conditions have changed. As I play more turns this should become clearer, but it’s slow going at the moment.

To accompany me in my gaming, I’ve bought a new book that I stumbled on via the internet. King Arthur’s Wars, by Jim Storr, is a fascinating look at the Anglo-Saxon conquest of post-roman Britain that combines military theory, archaeology and toponomy to try and put forward a narrative timeline of events. The chapters I’ve read so far a dealing with initial migrations and revolts, but are looking at the placement of defensive earthworks and village names (with some conjecture around chronology) to show the tactical and operational concerns of Saxons and Romano-British during the fifth to seventh centuries. It's been pretty good so far.

Meanwhile, in the world of wargaming…

Rules the Waves II Announced

The late James Cobb rather enjoyed Rule the Waves, the pre-WW1 Navy Simulator from Naval Warfare Simulations. You were the Grand Admiral of a nation’s entire naval branch and had to run the everything whilst trying not to get fired. This would involve everything from ship design and research, to conducting combat operations in case of war.

NWS have now announced they are working on a Rule the Waves II, which is due sometime this year in Q2/3. It will cover the period 1900 – 1950 (the announcement art shows a more modern looking aircraft carrier and may even include jet aircraft.

To celebrate, the company is offering a discount on the first Rule the Waves as well as other titles, and anyone who owns the first game will get a discount on purchasing Rule the Waves II.

More Close Combat Games on GOG

This would normally go in the ‘Slitherine/Matrix Games’ section, but they don’t seem to be promoting it themselves. Indeed, other than this, Desert War’s release and a patch we’ll talk about in a moment, it’s been a very quiet week from the eternal wargame’s company.

Three more Close Combat titles have now been re-released on GOG.com. Close Combat 5: Invasion Normandy covers the iconic invasion of 1944 that gave the allies a foothold in France.

Close Combat: Cross of Iron was a re-make of 1998’s Close Combat III: The Russian Front which was originally released in 2011. It features better visuals and sound, alongside some light RPG elements, like veteran troops that gain extra skills after surviving a battle.

Finally, 2007’s Close Combat: Modern Tactics makes a return. This entry brought the action into a more contemporary setting with 25 individual scenarios inspired by real-life events. It also came with a Scenario Editor.

All of these titles are 50% off till March 27th, although there is a general Close Combat sale going on until March 26th. All of the classic games seem to be retailing for £4.59, with the newer Matrix titles full-priced at £29.99.

Hearts of Iron IV

We’ve missed out on a couple of dev diaries for this lately, although they've mainly been looking at plans for post Waking the Tiger support. This week’s diary covers some of the initial changes that have been made (mostly quality of life stuff), while last week's provided some interesting insights into what players were choosing Focus Tree wise. The majority of German players still prefer rolling with the Nazis over the alt-history route, but it’s close: 45/55.

Grand Tactician

Nothing much to report here, other than the official twitter account giving us an update on what’s been happening. A new website and units are the current priorities, and we got some screens that show off the battlefield environments as well.

Campaign Series: Middle East

For those of you playing this alternative desert-themed turn-based wargame, it has now been updated to Version 2.01. It’s mainly errata, fixes and some data tweaks. You can read the full change-log on the Matrix website.

That’s all for this week’s update – have a good weekend, and happy gaming!

John Tiller Software has announced the release of a new game in their Napoleonic Battles series. Republican Bayonets on the Rhine, the twelfth instalment so far, covers key battles from 1792 - 1800 in the French Revolutionary Wars as France's military evolved from largely militia based, to the professional force that saw it dominate the continent.

There are twenty-eight historical scenarios included in the game, with over 200 scenario files in the main folder. This accounts for the main battles themselves, but also AI vs. Head to Head versions of each, as well as versions that have 15-minute turns. There are plenty of bonus and campaign scenarios to boot.

A unique feature of the game is the presence of Military Balloons are a controllable unit, with the Battle of Fleurus in 1794 being the first recorded instance of a military aircraft being used to influence the outcome of a battle.

This follows on from 2016's Campaign Marengo, which we reviewed here.

Republican Bayonets of the Rhine is available for $39.95 direct from the JTS Store, and is a 227 MB download. Compatible with Windows 7, 8 & 10. (And Vista, but we don’t count that.)

Aerial combat is warfare at its fastest and most individual. No wonder, then, that it has proved a good fit for simultaneous movement games (sometimes known as ‘WEGO’). Table-top miniatures skirmish wargame Check Your 6! was an early adopter, dating from 2007. Matrix Games and The Lordz Studio’s digital version drags it firmly into the modern age.

A tutorial runs through the basics. Each side secretly selects a manoeuvre for each of their aircraft. These are then executed in order of pilot skill. In a neat twist, more experienced crew can change their choices part way through the turn, having had a chance to see how some of the action is unfolding. You then choose targets in firing arc and range, and hope the dice help you to shoot them down.

That's the theory, at any rate. In reality a dreadful interface makes these straightforward rules awkward to implement. Movement plotting has each plane on the map twice, once where it starts and once where it ends, resulting in abject confusion. The "joystick" you drag around to select a manoeuvre is weirdly sensitive pulled left and stubborn pulled right, so it's tough to select what you want. Critical information, like combat rolls, is never where you want or expect it to be.

All of this adds to a sense of a game rushed, or perhaps produced on the cheap. Graphics are serviceable but basic, while the sound design is tiresome, tinny and repetitive. There are spelling and grammar mistakes everywhere. The tutorial gets you started, but most of the rules are in an included pdf and their application seems suspect.

If you can overcome these initial hurdles, the gameplay itself is actually pretty fun. Check Your 6! Is all about anticipating where the enemy is heading, trying to keep them in your firing arcs while staying out of theirs. The ability of experienced pilots to adjust their moves is thus crucial and adds extra strategy to what can otherwise be a bit of a guessing game. Not only do you need to think about how to re-point their moves for best advantage, you also want to keep them alive.

With such a great experience mechanic at the centre of the experience, it seems a shame that the included Battle of Britain "campaign", isn't a campaign at all. It's a series of individual scenarios, each of which you can re-play as either side. While it might look like plenty of content, some of the larger scenarios (with large numbers of units) are absolutely chaotic with the clunky UI. And a lack of diversity in aircraft and battle conditions makes them all seem samey after a while.

Despite a limited roster, Check Your 6! does deserve praise for making the most of its simple framework to ensure they all feel different to fly. Laden bombers move first, making them feel suitably clumsy even when armed with a terrifying roster of gunnery crew. Faster planes like Spitfires nip around the sky like hummingbirds compared to their less nimble counterparts.

What every fighter pilot wants is the 'tailing' mechanic, which allows you to lock on to and follow a target if you can get and stay right behind it. It's pretty much a death sentence. So if it happens to you; switch tactics, turn around your fighters and try to take out the tailing plane before your plane shot down. This can lead to some brilliantly tense moments, and it's here you can see what the appeal is. 

It won't happen that often if you're playing against the AI though, which doesn't feel very bright. Often it pushes planes forward in formation and hopes for the best. Fortunately, there is hot-seat play, but it's not ideal in a game like this. Each player has to walk away from the screen while the other plans their moves. Given the terrible interface, this can take a while. Online play is better, if still slow.

Check Your 6! is a weak implementation of a solid air combat game. Poor AI opponents don’t help - The excitement of out psyching an opponent gets lost when that opponent is just a bunch of 1s and 0s (and not very bright, at that). Mostly, though, it's down to poor design and programming, resulting in a game that's functional, but can’t claim much more. Rarely in the field of digital conflict has so much delivered so little to so many.

There has been a lot of cynicism regarding Matrix Games’ decision to move Close Combat to a 3D engine. Resistance to change is a staple of any videogame fan-base, but at times it can seem oddly acute amongst the wargaming audience.

Sure, there is always an element of “if it isn't broken, don't fix it”, but computer wargames in general are in a desperate need of a renovation to move us away from never ending digitised counters and bland hex maps. Close Combat's newest iteration, The Bloody First, probably won't be the game that leads the way in this regard as its transition to 3D isn’t as comfortable as, say, Panzer Corps 2 (which is looking awesome). We’ll talk more about those two games in future articles.

There is another wargame though that is proving itself to be a worthy successor to the legacy of the older Close Combat titles. Its’ offering is familiar, yet infinitely varied and more complex. We are of course talking about our favourite rags-to-riches story, Armored Brigade.

Set during the height of the Cold War, this Battalion/Regimental level real-time tactics game posits the oft-tread ‘what if’ WW3 scenario. Modern equipment, technology and tactics are all parsed through a 2D map with some well-drawn 2D units (with animation and weapon effects). You could be playing Close Combat: Modern Tactics if you use some imagination.

But it’s so much more than that: we’ve spoken about the freeware version of the game, which has been in existence for several years. When we’ve been shown this title before behind closed doors, phrases like “CMANO on land” have been bandied about. Armored Brigade is DEEP, y’all.

It starts with the scenario map generation tools– in the build we had access too, they had only created two large maps; one of the Fulda Gap, the other of South-West Finland. From there, you choose where you want to fight: you can define the battle area, and then you place the template anywhere on the map. The battle-space is then generated from the features in that area.

After that, you get to assemble your brigade. You must choose what type of force you’re fielding (Mechanised, Armour etc…), and then there is a points-buy system to choose the companies and platoons you want to take into battle. Much like the Wargame series, different unit types will have different caps depending on your choice.

Aesthetically, you get a lot of Close Combat vibes from looking at the game and parts of the interface. Clicking on a unit, for example, and then clicking on a grid space brings up a list of possible actions that’s reminiscent of the WW2 classics, but the similarities end there.

Armored Brigade requires a lot more thought and careful planning than Close Combat. The technology available means that engagement ranges can be pretty long – you could set yourself up at the back of your section of the map, and then still fire (or be fired upon) on something across the other side. You can give commands to individual units, or the entire company that’s part of their chain of command. You can chain commands, and different ones at that: Advance to this grid, then proceed until contact till this next one, pop smoke at the grid after that and so on. The mouse interface is a bit counter-intuitive and needs tweaking, but it functions well enough. You can set the individual engagement ranges of each unit in your force, and units won’t act straight away – there is a time-delay between issuing an order and it being carried out.

There’s a lot more to this game than what we could digest in the short amount of time we had with it. In the screens you can see a mini-map in the lower right – this can be set to show lots of different modes. Off-map support and aircraft are also a thing, although I wasn’t sure until something fast and airborne did a strafing run on some APCs advancing a long an urban road. They’re there alright. Armored Brigade’s impressive scale also works against it at times. Zoom in close enough so that you can see the 2D sprites better, and you have zero situational awareness. Beyond a certain zoom level, the sprites are replaced by NATO counters, and the map itself transitions through a few different ‘versions’ depending on your zoom level. Some are definitely better than others, but there are sweet spots that you can comfortably sit in depending on the situation.

If we’re lucky, Matrix will empower a modding community around Armored Brigade which will allow us to get scenarios and ORBATS from other eras (namely WW2). Even without that though, this game offers old-school Close Combat fans a far larger and deeper tactical experience than what they’re used to, packaged in a way that’s comfortable. A way that they feel they’re not getting from The Bloody First. Regardless of which side of the line you fall on though, this is on track to be a great wargame in its own right. Fans of the freeware version should be content in the fact that the project appears to be in good hands, and it’s all shaping up rather nicely.

Armored Brigade is being developed by Veitikka Studios. Current release window unknown.

Let's be honest, Close Combat's move to 3D will not please everyone. There has been a fair amount of cynicism around this point, much like when Matrix Games announced that Panzer Corps’ sequel would also be going 3D. Passionate gaming communities are resistant to change, especially changes they never asked for in the first place.

We’ve recently returned from an event where we got to try out a bunch of Matrix Games’ upcoming titles. Armored Brigade we spoke about yesterday, and today we’re going to tell you a bit about our experience with their new Close Combat title – The Bloody First.

It’s probably worth getting this out of the way now – the build we played wasn’t that pretty. To be fair, it was of a locked quality and there were no graphics settings to play around with. I wouldn’t be surprised if they low-balled the build just to make sure everything went smoothly, but even the screens we’ve been provided for this article look better than what we played. They also highlight some of the teething issues this move to 3D is going to throw up, which will need ironing out one way or another.

It’s all a matter of contrast, really. The new Dynamic Line of Sight tool (a la Steel Division) is very handy and easy to use, but sometimes the light & dark areas (denoting what can and can’t see the current cursor position) blend in a little too well. You really need to be zoomed in to use the tool properly, but by doing so you lose a lot of situational awareness. Units, especially infantry, are also very hard to spot on higher zoom levels, forcing you to rely on the unit counters instead which could also stand out a bit better.

We don’t want to be unnecessarily negative here – I am of the firm belief that Close Combat’s 3D transition will benefit the series in the long term. But at the moment, it’s hard not to miss 2D CC’s crisp contrast between units, terrain and terrain objects. 2D Close Combat at its best conveyed itself a lot better than 3D Close Combat currently does, but this isn’t the end of the world. These kinds of transitions (especially as The Bloody First moved from one 3D engine to another) could span a couple of games before they get it perfect.

The main protagonists of The Bloody First are the 1st US Infantry Division (known as ‘The Bloody First’, or more commonly, ‘The Big Red One’), a combined arms unit that saw action through most of the European & North African theatres of WW2. The campaign in The Bloody First focuses on three of them – Tunisia, Sicily & Normandy.

The ‘Grand Campaign’ takes you through these three in chronological order. Each individual campaign is made up of operations: Tunisia has 5, while Sicily and Normandy have three. Each operation is then divided up into battle maps: this can be as low as one, and as high as five for a total of 36 spread out across the whole game. It’s unclear how the progression works as you fight out the campaign – do you need to win all battles to win the operation? Can you lose an operation or two but still win the campaign? Do you need to go back and re-fight battles like older games?

The player oversees a single Company of the Bloody First, divided into three platoons with support assets. The platoons seem pre-set in terms of the squads & equipment they contain, but the support assets can change from map to map depending on what’s available and the scenario. The force selection screen shows the overall stats of the three infantry platoons – morale, organisation etc… and then individual unit stats as well.

As units fight they get more experienced and add to the overall stats of their unit and platoon, but as individual soldiers die and get replaced, the new people's lack of experience drags the overall quality and performance down. Veteran units can also get weary of fighting however, so managing your platoons in terms of rotation (and making sure the right platoon is being used for the right job) should be quite interesting in terms of army management.

Support assets can include everything from a ‘Company HQ’ infantry unit that has an area of effect buff ability, to tanks and mortars. Air support and off-map artillery can also be enabled and deployed depending on the situation (although there’s on-map units like Howitzers as well).

Combat in The Bloody First is very reminiscent of the older games. The 3D engine does bring about some obvious changes – trees look like real trees; the fauna is a bit more dynamic etc… although we’ve noticed that the ground doesn’t seem to react when something explodes on it anymore. No more foxholes dug by mortar rounds, then. Still, you’ll recognise the audio and the weapon sounds. Movement is still done through the action menu – Move Fast, Move, Sneak etc… which gives everything a familiar feel, although your troops are a lot smarter in their pathfinding. You can play in a traditional top-down view, or the new off-centre 3D view, which allows you to pan around. This is controlled by the ‘M’ key, and interestingly enough your last position will be saved in off-centre view, allowing you to switch between the two quite easily.

The AI is quite aggressive right now – a test battle we did in Tunisia saw a German tank charge right down the road at my infantry. I then had to charge my tanks in for a counter push. A second German tank then charged right by my two tanks. I managed to kill them both eventually, but tank accuracy seems quite low at the moment. In another scenario in Normandy, a Tank went right by my entire force and just captured our rear command point. I’d neglected to take any AT with me, so it kind of just sat there until I lost the match for not re-taking the point.

We experienced a small, but broad. slice of Close Combat: The Bloody First. There is still plenty to see and more battles to be fought, but there are also still things that need to be ironed out. The two battles, while enjoyable, were also a tad confusing. On the Tunisia map I had some howitzers, but it was never clear what they could and couldn’t fire at in terms of range, and whether or not they needed direct line of sight. Getting used to the engagement ranges were also problematic – the LOS tool helps, but you need to watch out for the far edges of the map, which you may not always be looking at. The topography view is handy, but not as useful if you’re not an expert in reading those kinds of maps. We could go on listing the pros and cons, but the overall effect is that, currently, the transitions this new game is going through feel less than comfortable.

But this is still Close Combat– this is WW2 small-unit tactics at its finest, and the player’s deployment of those tactics will be enhanced through the new engine and the new tools that come with it. The management layer above the fighting looks incredibly promising – I especially enjoyed A Bridge Too Far’s force management and persistence elements, and The Bloody First’s offering looks just as good.

If you’re not looking forward to the 3D transition, I’m not sure The Bloody First as-is is going to change your mind, but for those fans who stick with the series there is a promising future ahead for Close Combat. It might take a while to get there, but, get there it shall.

At the time of writing, Matrix Games were aiming for a release by the end of the year. More information will be announced later.

It’s Easter Weekend here in the UK, which means two bank holidays and a four-day weekend. Go us!

The downside is that this week’s update is rather truncated as I had to get it prepped early. There hasn’t been a huge amount to report on, but we’ll cover the best bits.

Meanwhile, in the world of wargaming…

Matrix Games/Slitherine

Two release date announcements went out over the wireless this week – Shenendoah’s Napoleonic turn-based strategy game March to Glorywill be releasing on April 12th. 

Meanwhile, the next entry in the Strategic Command Classic series – WW2– will be releasing next week on April 5th. This will include all of the DLC, Weapon and Warfare, Pacific Theatre and Patton Drives East.

Last but certainly not least, Matrix are having an Easter Sale from now until April 3rd. Every game except for Empires Apart, Desert War, Check Your 6! and Command: The Silent Service will be 30% off provided you use the following coupon code: ‘HappyEaster’.

We recently went to see Matrix/Slitherine to check out some of their upcoming games. You’ll have already seen the articles for Armored Brigade and Close Combat– we’ve got one on Panzer Corps 2 on the way as well!

Panzer Battles 3

Wargame Design Studio have released an update for their upcoming new entry in their Panzer Battles series. Officially titled Battles of North Africa 1941, it hopes to cover the following engagements:

• Operation Compass
• Operation Sonnenblume
• Tobruk
• Operation Brevity
• Operation Merkur (Crete)
• Operation Battleaxe
• Operation Crusader

The blog post goes into more detail than what we can summarise here, but it’s looking good!

That’s it for today’s rather short but sweet update. We’ll try and catch up on anything we missed next week. In the meantime, have a good weekend, and happy gaming!

Since we're nearing the end of the centennial of World War I, a look at videogames for the 1914-1918 period is definitely in order. And given many meaningful concepts of the war were strategic in nature (vice operational or tactical), that area will be the focus of this compendium.

Want to see what the best tactical/operational WW1 games are? Check out this alternative list! How about the best table-top Graet War games? Bill's got you covered!

You'll note a few entries normally deemed operational rather than strategic. The difference? Operational art involves campaigns to bring friendly forces into battle under the best conditions possible. Strategy involves the management and deployment of national level resources to achieve objectives. Indeed strategic games are more logistics and production than fighting, but with World War I there was a unique fusion of the two echelons into a hybrid that creates a grey area in some cases.

Guns of August 1914-1918 (Matrix Games)

Frank Hunter of ADANAC Studios jumped the guns by releasing this game in 2007. The graphics represent the basic approach of the period and the mechanics are clunky but capture the crucial problem of the combatants: a war in which the resources and military thinking of the coalitions were outstripped by industrial warfare. In the four scenarios marking each year of the war, players must choose which HQs to activate given the limited number of activations. Points are used to research tanks, gas and trenches as well as to influence or declare war on neutrals. Ships are assigned orders and areas while subs starve Britain. Air units are assigned to fronts.

Play uses two-month composed of impulses with orders resolved simultaneously. The map covers most of Europe, the Middle East and some of North Africa. The units are corps and individual ships. Each nation of a coalition must be handled separately. National morale and exhaustion determine victory. If players can master the interface and turn sequence, this game replicates the attrition aspect of the war well by having actions paid by gaining abstract currency. All of these games do the same but with different names; production points, recruit points, etc...

Strategic Command Classic: World War 1 (Matrix Games) (Review)

Hubert Cater of Fury Software and Battlefront first entered the fray in 2010, although this was recently re-published by Matrix Games. The base game is derived from the popular Strategic Command series with its hallmarks: terrain is bland but functional while the 3D units are entertaining. The normal IGO/UGO turn system is here with clicks ordering movement and combat. A row of buttons gives entree to research, diplomacy and the like. Events, different weapons and even more emphasis on national morale set this game apart from its World War II stablemates.

The British blockade eats away at Central Power morale while research allows simple growth in air, tank, infantry and gas tactics. Creating havoc to British supplies is made easier by clear convoy routes and silent sub modes. Domestic policy is handled abstractly. How players react to events can change the complexion of the game. The first campaign covers the entire war while adding two shorter campaigns, seven operations and even a World War II campaign. The 2012 expansion Breakthrough adds spice to the game by providing an alternative 1914 campaign twist, a look at the First Balkan War 1912-1913 and the Franco-Prussian War, nineteen more operations and battles covering all theatres of the conflict.

Commander: The Great War (Slitherine/Matrix Games) (Review)

Slitherine’s 2012 game shows how the Commander engine could handle World War I. The terrain and unit graphics are very good, combining simplicity with enough detail to make them interesting as well as informative. Mechanics are simple with tabs bringing up panels for research, diplomacy, production, and selection to show unit stats.

A management panel shows countries’ overall status. Submarines are always submerged and can be attacked only when an enemy stumbles into their hex. Air, artillery and infantry capabilities grow through research. Commanders are attached directly to units instead of separate HQ units. A unique swapping function allows units to easily exchange places. The five campaigns cover each year of the war. Research focus on broad topics instead of individual concepts and a simple supply system makes this game accessible to new gamers and still captures the essence of the topic. Also available on iOS.

Making History: The Great War (Factus Games)

Factus Games continues Muzzy Lane Software’s tradition of academic games with this 2014 title. Unlike the other games in this article, the scale is grand strategic where players deal with the intricacies of building specific factories and institutions in cities in their countries given present resources. Choices to play are the eight major powers or any other country in the world. An in-depth economic and trade system will take up most of player’s attention with many panels and screens providing a flood of data.

The graphics are very simple and mechanics are the usual clicks. The three scenarios are 1912, 1914 and 1918, the later concentrating on making peace rather than war. The military depends heavily on the economy and research with battle being handled automatically when opponents inter the same province. Many events requiring player decisions appear in the week-long turns. This product elevates play from the war itself to the conditions that started the conflict and allows an alternative line of events.

To End All Wars (Matrix Games)

AGEOD took another swing at the cat with this 2014 entry using a better engine. Using two-week turns, the main map covers Europe with off-map boxes for the rest of the world. Units begin as single armies but can be broken down by increments to regimental level. Leaders can be attached, promoted and demoted under certain circumstances. Lists and map filters lay out the many factors of play. Movement is the AGE click-and-drag engine with a battle mode for selecting tactics.

Weather affects movement and supply. Success on the field and triggered events yield diplomatic points and decreases or increases the all-important national morale. Players can use regional decisions to accomplish operational goals where diplomacy is a matter of alignment. Submarine warfare is more abstract than in other games. This entry is a nice compendium to the many factors of the war.

Supreme Ruler - the Great War (Battlegoat Studios) (Review)

This game is probably the newest entry into the fray, yet traces its roots back 35 years to a Canadian in high school. Typically, the software is concerned more with logistics and resource management as opposed to putting rounds down range, but there are several areas which make play unique. There is a full-fledged weather system, while movement is a simple process of drawing a line from start to destination, then allowing the AI to figure out the best way to get there. And believe it or not, all of this is done in semi-real time.

The detail in the game is fantastic, and doesn’t simply allow for the production of things like heavy artillery. No, the player must choose the type of gun – 130 mm vs 152 mm for example – for his rubles based on what was historically available. But the really BIG draw of the game is the scope. While most games define World War I as East Front, West Front, Italian Front and Lawrence of Arabia, this game takes the term “World” literal. The game covers the entire globe, so if Japan invades China, you actually move to that real estate and fight/produce it out. And you don’t stop in 1918, but can continue the game on well into the 21^st Century.

Hearts of Iron – Darkest Hour (Paradox Interactive) (Review)

The Hearts of Iron franchise needs little introduction as one of the most famous strategic World War II games ever. Darkest Hour is actually a variant of HOI Armageddon created by a group of dedicated modders in love with the series. It is a stand-alone game with two scenarios, one beginning in 1936, but the other in 1914 covering WW1.

It's a typical strategic logistics and production fare, but using the HOI engine and overall design as the selling point. Often called the best of all HOI add-ons, the game has outrageously high reviews on Steam. Trust me, if you like Hearts of Iron, you will like this.

The Operational Art of War IV (Matrix Games) (Review)

Although an operational level game, what this really means is that the software takes one step away from logistics and production and one step towards combat and manoeuvre in its emphasis. This is probably a better approach for 1914 and the Russian Front where smaller armies and YUGE parcels of land did not mandate a stalemate and factory management to see who could produce the most machine gun bullets.

TOAW4 has 20 scenarios from or related to this conflict, and some are so large that they could never be considered operational in decision making scope at the very least. One, for example, covers the entire Eastern Front in 1915 while another covers the entire war, all fronts, down to the Mosen-Nagant level, from 1 August 1914 to whenever. If you like more military oriented decision making vice logistics, this game is a good choice

France 1914 and East Prussia 1914 (John Tiller Software) (Review)

These two games are sisters, and this is a good thing. Based on the firm’s Panzer Campaigns model, the two simulations are similar to TOAW4 except one step further removed from logistics and one step closer to combat detail and manoeuvre, as befitting products only concerned about the first year of the war. Yet given the large amount of physical turf covered, even at this early stage of the conflict, decision making morphs into something more strategic than operational. Pressing home the point, the two games can be played concurrently.

As our own review of the game noted, “The World War I Campaign Series system comes together with the Grand Campaign Scenario Progression Tree. Here, East Prussia '14 is played with France '14 and guided by a progression tree. Depending on the type of victory, the tree directs players to specific scenarios after starting with the first French scenario. Different levels of victory yields Campaign Victory points on a sliding scale; the first to get enough wins.”

Summary

World War I was extremely complicated, arguably more so than World War II. No single game can do equal justice to all aspects of the conflict. However, the games mentioned above contain all the critical aspects when taken as a group. Every level of play, from beginner to hard-nosed veteran, is represented by them. Players should begin with the level they’re comfortable with and then try more complex games.

Partizan Press and Caliver Books (by way of Slitherine) have today released a new army list book for the 3rd edition of popular table-top historical miniatures game Field of Glory, which was released last September.

Field of Glory’s 3rd edition is pretty good, as Bill can tell you in his review.

Army Lists – Book 2 (2nd Edition) was written by former Wargamer Editor Nik Gaukroger and FoG legend Terry Shaw, covering armies from “Imperial Rome to the Later Dark Ages”. To avoid confusion, this is the second edition of the book in question, but it is most definitely for the third edition of the table-top game. Don't worry, I checked.

This book doesn’t just focus on European forces either: Seljuk Turks, Three Kingdoms China and even Classical & Post-Classical Mayan factions are but some of the armies to feature in this globe-spanning tome.

For reference, here is the full table of contents so you can see what lists are featured:

Field of Glory Army Lists – Book 2 (2nd Edition) runs at 152 pages, and retails for £25.00. You can purchase it from Caliver’s official website. ISBN: 978-1-85818-746-4.

Paradox's grand-strategy wargame Hearts of Iron 4 hasn’t built up as powerful a salvo of DLC as its squadmates in the Paradox Development Studio roster, but with the release of Waking the Tiger, there’s enough extra stuff available for purchase that you might want to know which order to attack them in. We’ve called each paid offering to attention to assess their capabilities and see how well they pass muster.

Note on the Expansion Pass:  If you’ve never heard of the Hearts of Iron 4 Expansion Pass before, none of this information is relevant as it’s no longer available for purchase. But if you did get a hold of it back around launch and are curious, every major DLC mentioned in this guide is included with the Expansion Pass (Together for Victory, Death or Dishonor, and Waking the Tiger), as well as one more, unannounced major expansion.

Want to know which DLCs are worth the effort for Europa Universalis IV, Stellaris or Crusader Kings 2? Our sister website Strategy Gamer has you covered!

Together for Victory (2016) - $15 [Review]

What’s in it?

• New focus trees for the Commonwealth nations: Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the British Raj. NOTE:As of the current stable patch at the date this article was written (Patch 1.5.1; 28 March 2018), a large part of the focus tree for India/British Raj is bugged and not working correctly.
• Autonomy system allows subject countries to assert their independence over time, and for overlords to integrate subjects more fully.
• Allows asking for, in addition to offering, lend-lease of equipment.
• Spearhead command allows your custom battleplans to include more direct, focused assaults.
• Technology sharing allows less advanced faction members to get discounts on technologies that have already been researched by another faction member.
• New voiceovers in German, French, Italian, British English, American English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish.
• 19 new infantry and airplane models for the featured nations.

Is it worth it?

The focus trees for the Commonwealth nations are pretty underwhelming. There are mods available on the Steam workshop for several them that, in my opinion, are more fun to play with than the official DLC ones. How much you’ll enjoy the rest of the grab bag features relies a fair bit on how much you enjoy playing minor nations. Autonomy can be a fun way to go from a subject to an equal partner, but from the overlord side, you’ll rarely have the time or resources to do much with it before the war ends. Spearheads can be a nice time-saver, but also don’t do anything you couldn’t accomplish already by micro-managing your tanks. Honestly, my main reason to recommend it is the new unit models and voice overs, which help add texture and immersion to the war.

Death or Dishonor (2017) - $10 [Review]

What’s in it?

• New focus trees for four minor European powers: Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.
• Equipment conversion allows you to re-purpose old or captured equipment (such as refitting older Panzer models into StuGs).
• Licensing allows you to gain access to another nation’s equipment designs in exchange for industrial capacity, or license your own designs for a profit.
• New subject types for Fascist nations such as the Reichskommissariat which behave differently from normal puppets.
• New unit models and voice overs for the featured nations.

Is it worth it?

I think the content designers did an overall better job on the focuses and events in this pack than they did in Together for Victory. From restoring the Austro-Hungarian Empire to dealing with King Carol of Romania’s ongoing antics and shenanigans, I got some of my most entertaining playthroughs trying to scrape by on the mean streets of South-Central Europe. I don’t really find myself using equipment conversion that often, but licensing is great if you’re playing a country with limited research slots and you don’t, for instance, have the luxury of always staying up-to-date in fighter tech. As with Together for Victory, the new unit models and voice overs offer a lot of value for me - but your mileage may vary if you’re the NATO counter type of player.

Waking the Tiger (2018) - $20 [Review]

What’s in it?

• New focus trees for Communist China, Nationalist China, the Chinese Warlords, and the imperial puppet state of Manchukuo.
• New focus tree branches for two of the major Axis powers: An 'Oppose Hitler' path for Germany that can lead to the restoration of the Kaiserreich or a democratic, constitutional monarchy, as well as democratic and communist paths for Japan.
• Command Abilities allow generals with certain traits to spend Command Power on temporary, unique buffs to the armies they lead.
• Expanded Decisions list including the ability to form or reform some anachronistic/ahistorical nations or develop strategic resources in historical areas that did not have them at the start of the war, but were discovered to have them later.
• Border Conflict mechanic allows certain countries to engage in a limited skirmish over control of a single state without declaring all-out war (Chinese Factions only).
• Infiltration mechanics allow Chinese communists to subvert local authorities and seize control of states covertly.
• Power Struggle mechanic allows Chinese factions to compete for national leadership politically, without bloodshed.
• Troops who remain in a hot or cold area long enough can become acclimatized, gaining modified unit models and reduced penalties for fighting in that climate.
• Air wings can now be sent as volunteers along with land divisions.
• New orders give more control over what types of targets strategic bombers prioritize.
• Sending military attachés allows countries who can’t send volunteers to aid a warring nation and gain some army xp.
• Allows merging of under-strength divisions.
• Allows you to set custom unit insignias for each, individual division.
• Adds a minimap.
• New unit models for Chinese infantry, cavalry, artillery, and planes.

Is it worth it?

If that feature list seems huge compared to the previous two expansions, that’s because it is. Waking the Tiger is definitely the most value you can get for your money of the currently available Hearts of Iron 4 DLCs. It’s the first expansion that really feels like a Paradox expansion in how much it changes things up. The Chinese focus trees aren’t all great - for instance, a lot of the interesting power struggle stuff for China becomes irrelevant 90 percent of the time since the United Front must either band together or get absolutely demolished by Japan. Border Conflicts, especially, seem like a rushed feature that doesn’t always behave in logical or predictable ways. The new options for Japan and Germany are a lot of fun, though. The new unit models and Acclimatization system bring even more realism and some unique strategic concerns - you don’t want to train troops you plan to send to North Africa in the mountains of Montana, for example.

Miscellaneous DLCs

Colonel Edition Upgrade Pack - $10

What’s in it?

• Seven new models for heavy cruisers from various Allied and Axis nations.
• Eight new tank models each for the Soviet Union, United States, Britain, Germany, and France (for a total of 40).

Is it worth it?

47 new models is a lot, but this is purely visual. If you don’t mind your Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs looking identical (or you play with NATO counters), it’s an easy one to skip.

Sabaton Soundtrack - $3

What’s in it?

• Five World War II-themed songs from Swedish power metal band Sabaton.

Is it worth it?

If you like Sabaton, sure.

Sabaton Soundtrack 2 - $6

What’s in it?

• Ten more World War II-themed songs from Swedish power metal band Sabaton

Is it worth it?

If you really like Sabaton.

THE BREAKDOWN

Best New Features:

1. Waking the Tiger
2. Together for Victory
3. Death or Dishonor

Best New Focus Trees:

1. Waking the Tiger
2. Death or Dishonor
3. Together for Victory

Optional:

• Colonel Edition Upgrade Pack - If you really like tanks
• Sabaton Soundtrack - If you really like Sabaton
• Sabaton Soundtrack 2 - If you really, really like Sabaton

Required for a “Complete Experience”:

• Germany - Death or Dishonor, Waking the Tiger, Colonel Edition Upgrade Pack
• Japan - Waking the Tiger, Death or Dishonor
• Manchukuo, All Chinese Factions - Waking the Tiger
• Britain - Together for Victory, Colonel Edition Upgrade Pack
• United States, Soviet Union, France - Colonel Edition Upgrade Pack
• Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, British Raj - Together for Victory
• Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia - Death or Dishonor

Make sure you check all our DLC Buying Guides regularly, especially after a major DLC release or around a major sales event. We'll always keep these up-to-date so you're fully informed as to what to buy.

Panzer Corps 2 is the upcoming sequel to Matrix Games & Slitherine’s acclaimed turn-based wargame Panzer Corps. Currently the most popular successor to the legacy of Panzer General, Panzer Corps’ take on operational-level wargaming lets players command vast armies and fight massive battles in a way that’s manageable, yet still complex and engaging.

Panzer Corps 2 is being developed by Flashback Games and will feature a new 3D engine and other features that will bring the iconic wargame into the modern era. We’ve collected everything we know about the project so far – gameplay, release date information, specs, multiplayer, and more!

Panzer Corps 2 Release Date

Slitherine and Matrix Games always hold information regarding release dates pretty close to the chest. If we’re lucky, we might get a rough window but at the moment they've only committed to a 2018 release. Ultimately, we won’t find out the exact date until they're ready.

Panzer Corps 2 Announcement Trailer

Panzer Corps 2 Beta

The Panzer Corps 2 beta hasn’t started yet, and there's no official information as when it will be rolled out. We will update this section with further details as and when they are announced.

Panzer Corps 2 Game Features

• There will be over 450 individual units and unit types in the game at launch.
• Will feature a new 3D design (made with Unreal Engine 4), with units appearing ‘larger than life’ in a manner similar to Field of Glory 2, although the terrain features are more noticeable and pronounced.
• The game is still hex-based, but with the new engine and visual design the hexes are going to be a bit more subtle on the map.
• The maps are now dynamically/procedurally generated using their new content generator.
• There will be a day/night cycle, as well as dynamic weather that will change how the map looks.
• Supply is coming to Panzer Corps thanks to the inclusion of ‘Overrun’ and ‘Encirclement’ combat mechanics.
• Units can now split into two, weaker versions of the same unit and recombine. This can be useful for encirclement, mentioned above.
• When units gain ‘hero’ status, you know get to choose a special ability to augment their performance. These can include things like extra attack power, enhanced defence or even command abilities.
• Air combat is being improved – every airplane is now tied to an airfield that will be a hex-feature. You can attack and destroy the airfields to cause air units to run out of fuel and/or ammo.
• Airfield hexes may be able to be repaired under certain circumstances.
• There will be some land-only, and some naval-only campaign missions (with naval combat also getting an overhaul similar to air combat).
• The tech progression will be returning, and further to that they will add into the game the ability to 'prototype' upcoming new units. How these units perform and what you do with them could affect the final mass-production version.

Panzer Corps 2 Multiplayer

You will be able to play with up to 7 other people (so 8-players total) on the same map in both PvP AND PvE modes.

Multiplayer will be live, not via Matrix’s staple PBEM system that most of their other games use. The ‘how’ of this has yet to be determined, but there are examples of other titles that haven't used PBEM include; Empires Apart, which uses Steam’s back-end for multiplayer, and Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, which used a third-party middle-ware company for online matches.

Panzer Corps 2 DLC Model

The specifics haven’t been talked about yet, but Matrix are able to share the basics:

• They will be taking inspiration from the Paradox model.
• They don’t want to simply replicate the ‘Grand Campaign’ model from Panzer Corps as that’s been done already and they doubt consumers would respond favourably to it.
• Doing historical battles is also a potential issue due to the dynamic maps - unless they created them by hand, the battlespace wouldn't resemble the historical geography of an area.
• They are already including the majority of units that fought in WW2, so doing ‘unit packs’ doesn’t make much sense either.

Panzer Corps 2 Price & Pre-Order Incentives

We have no information regarding price, game bundles or pre-order incentives at this time.

That’s everything we know about Panzer Corps 2 so far! Have you spotted any new information or want us to find out something specific? Let us know in the comments!

Not much has been happening in my personal wargaming saga this week due to the bank holiday weekend. I finished the last of our write-ups from the recent trip to see Matrix Games and Slitherine. Things are looking good over there as far as upcoming games are concerned, but we touch more on that below.

More importantly, regular Wargamer columnist Bill Gray has been in ill recently, and will be undergoing heart surgery later this month. Please spare him some ‘get well’ thoughts this weekend.

Meanwhile, in the world of wargaming…

New Game: Silent Thunder

The creators of War Thunder seem to be working on a new game centred around Submarine combat in the 21st Century. Silent Thunder probably will lean more towards arcade than it will simulation (much like War Thunder).

There was a play test over the weekend just gone – you can check this page out for the details. They’ll probably do another one though so keep an eye out.

Matrix Games & Slitherine

Errr… well this is a first. As far as I can tell, the eternal wargames company has taken a week off this week? Nothing new seems to have come out of the pipeline for them at the time of writing, although we’ve been publishing a fair bit of in-depth coverage on some of their upcoming games recently:

• Here’s everything we know about Panzer Corps 2.
• We were impressed by Armored Brigade.
• Close Combat: The Bloody First was fun, but its transition to 3D is going to present a tough challenge.

New game: Panzer Doctrine

Another week, another game with ‘Panzer’ in the title. It’s like everyone’s trying to beat Panzer Corps 2 to the punch, or something.

This latest challenger has just launched into Steam Early Access and bills itself as “an unconventional World War II real-time strategy game. It was designed to provide interesting alternative to turn-based hex grid wargames. Complex military simulation of tank warfare on the eastern front.”

Panzer Doctrine currently has a fully playable campaign mode and is due to remain in EA for up to 3 months.

New Armoured Commander II Build

A new build for indie-darling Armoured Commander II has gone live. Here are the details:

It’s now possible to play through an entire campaign day, on either the German or Polish side. I haven’t encountered any crashes in this version but if you do, please let me know at armouredcommander [at] gmail.com – this should at least give you a good idea of where the game is going.

You can download the build here.

Hearts of Iron IV Patch 1.5.2

This week’s Hearts of Iron 4 dev diary looks at the upcoming 1.5.2 Patch, which is hopefully going to release on Monday. One of the neat quality of life improvements coming with the update is the ability to choose which 3D model a division template uses, and you can also preview models for upcoming new equipment.

There’s a change-log on the diary, as well some interesting stats as to what difficulty levels everyone ins playing in the wake of the two new levels that were added. Also, 2-player co-op seems to be the most popular form of multiplayer right now.

Holdfast: Nations at War – New Game Mode

Last but not least, Holdfast has released a new game now: Army Conquest:

...your primary objective in this game mode is to capture and hold more points than the enemy. Neither team will start gathering tickets from captured points unless one faction is in the possession of a greater number of points.

The update mentions you can get tickets by eliminating enemy infantry as well, although this is secondary to the capture of the control points. There’s also a new map – Fort Winston, and in another update the dev team have shared how their work on the upcoming Prussian faction is coming along.

That’s all for this week’s update. Let us know if you spot anything else, otherwise have a great weekend!

Fresh from our recent hands-on time with Close Combat’s upcoming 3D successor The Bloody First, we managed to sneak some commandos in behind enemy lines to bring you back a special treat: the game’s complete (work in progress) scenario list!

The Bloody First’s solo-mode is a ‘grand’ campaign split into three parts – Tunisia, Sicily and Normandy - reflecting key historical deployments for the 1st US Infantry Division during World War 2.

Each individual campaign is split into ‘Operations’, representing key engagements and battlegrounds during the campaign. Tunisia has five operations, Sicily and Normandy 3 each. Each operation contains several ‘Battles’ – these are the actual scenarios you’ll be fighting in with your troops with the maps.

At the moment, it’s still unclear how winning/losing individual battles feeds into the progress of the operation, especially within the campaign structure. Each Battle can be fought in Skirmish mode as well but stripped of any campaign-specific content (and obviously there won’t be any of the persistence elements).

ATTENTION: Close Combat: The Bloody First is still in pre-alpha and we’re not even remotely close to release. This list may (and probably will) change and be updated as the game’s development progresses. Expect everything below to be subject to change.

Up-to-Date as of: April 9th, 2018

Campaign: Tunisia

Operation: First Blood

• First Blood

Operation: Sbiba

• Sbiba Town
• Sbiba Ridge
• Sibiba Counter-Attack

Operation: Kasserine Pass

• Kasserine Pass
• Bou Chebka

Operation: El Guettar

• El Guettar
• Djebel Keddab
• Djebel Berda
• Gum Tree Road

Operation: Mateur

• Hill 350
• The Mousetrap
• Hill 278
• Tine Valley

Campaign: Sicily

Operation: Gela

• Gelafarello
• Piano Lupo
• North Road
• Niscemi

Operation: Niscosia

• Enna
• Petralia
• Gangi
• Nicosia

Operation: Troina

• Hill 1034
• Hill 1006
• Troina

Campaign: Normandy

Operation: Omaha Beach

• Omaha Beach
• Colleville

Operation: The Bocage

• Trevieres
• Le Molay
• Cerisy
• Balleroy
• Caumont

Operation: Cobra

• Marigny
• Percy
• Brecey
• Mortain

This is the first time we’ve published something like this (at least in recent memory. Let us know what you think – we can try and source more scenario lists for upcoming games if it’s of interest!

Battle Fleet 2 was a decent naval ‘lite’ strategy/war game set in World War 2’s Pacific Theatre, and joined a host of similar naval games that released at roughly the same time. While it seems former Editor Nik never did follow up on his promise of a full review, out sister site Pocket Tactics was a bit more thorough with the game’s iPad edition.

Now developer Mythical City Games is back with another entry in their Battle Fleet series, and one that doesn’t technically feature any ‘fleets’ at all. Battle Fleet: Ground Assault takes the action to dry land as you command companies of tanks through “some of the most exciting tank theatres of war from World War III”.

It’s a turn-based game, with 20 historically accurate tank models to choose from and if the trailer is anything to go by, offers a version of World War 2 where infantry-based forces didn’t exist.

With the return of single player battles, a robust campaign and intense multiplayer mode, Battle Fleet: Ground assault continues the strategy and unique “Worms” / “Scorched Earth” style angle+power mechanic of Battle Fleet 2, adding destructible environments, armor, shell types and all new tactics. Hit the engines and cripple the enemy's maneuverability, or aim for the crew compartment and disable the tank for an entire turn. With a full-featured campaign and a variety of single play scenarios, Battle Fleet: Ground Assault will make you feel like Patton charging through the German lines.

The game will be launching onto Steam on May 1st, with VR support coming later in the year. The press release we were sent doesn’t make any mention of a mobile version, which is a shame. It seems the age of ‘serious' wargames on iPad is coming to a close.

This year may be the centennial of World War One, but WW2 is always in fashion. The war of the “greatest generation” it’s allure and appeal has been hyped beyond all reason, and aside from perhaps the ancient world is the single most fertile ground for war and strategy games. With so many takes on this globe-spanning conflict, I think now is a great time for another patented ‘Wargamer’s Guide’ to some of the best examples of World War II videogames.

This list will definitively offer an undeniable opinion as to what the best games in this bracket may (or may not) be, and everything here is totally not subject to change as our tastes evovle and we decide to swap out one game for another. If you've got your own suggestions, make sure to put them in the comments below!

We’ve also tried to get a range of different types of games, from close-up tactical experiences to sweeping strategic overviews. So, without further ado, here's our guide to the best World War 2 strategy & war games...

Men of War: Assault Squad 2

Publisher/Developer: 1C Company / Digitalmindsoftau
Tags: Real-Time, Tactics, Simulation, All Theatres
Purchase:Steam

The Men of War series is one with humble (and slightly confusing) origins, but also one that’s grown to become a must-have staple of real-time WW2 tactical combat. For fans of Company of Heroes (see below) wanting a little more bite, this is one of the most immersive experiences you’ll ever have the pleasure of playing. There’s a depth and granularity to combat that you rarely see outside of hardcore turn-based counter wargames, and yet it remains easy(ish) to learn and interact with. It can be brutal and punishing (I don’t think they’ve ever gotten the balance quite right between tanks and infantry), but it is also thrilling.

Assault Squad 2, despite being four years old at this point, represents the pinnacle of the series’ development. The series in general has seen many different iterations and experiments, but all of that learning finally comes to together here. As official support has waned, a dedicated mod-community has arisen to provide scenarios ranging from WW1 to the Cold War. If we ever see a new Men of War game, it will be world-class.

Gary Grigsby's War in the East

Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / 2by3Games
Tags: Turn-Based, Operational, Eastern Front, Hex-Based
Purchase: Direct, Steam

No conversion on digital wargaming can exist without starting, ending or at the very least, co-existing with, a nod towards the beast set in the east. Gary Grigsby’s 2010 opus represents what happens when you take traditional hex-and-counter wargaming and use computer software to bring out its maximum potential. No-one ever said it would be accessible or easy to get to grips with– but it is the ultimate military simulation of war in the eastern front of World War 2. To paraphrase the game's official blurb:

Gamers can engage in massive, dramatic campaigns, including intense battles involving thousands of units with realistic and historical terrain, weather, orders of battle, logistics and combat results. Factors such as supply, fatigue, experience, morale and the skill of your divisional, corps and army leaders all play an important part in determining the results at the front line. The game comes with 4 massive campaigns as well as many smaller scenarios all with different strategic and operational challenges. This is not for the feint-hearted.

IL-2 Sturmovik (Series)

Publisher/Developer: 1C Company / Various
Tags: Flight Sim, Aerial Combat, Various Theatres, Series
Purchase: Steam

It’s not all about the war on land of course – plenty of action up in the sky as well and the best of these is without a doubt 1C’s (previously Ubisoft) IL-2 Sturmovik series of WW2 fighter sims. The original 2001 release has sold 2 million copies and has a 91/100 metacritic score, although the rest of the franchise has had it’s ups and downs. /we imagine the current ‘best’ will differ depending on who you talk to, but IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad has the best score of the most recent releases. These days, 1C is working with Rise of Flight developer 777 Games on future IL-2 products, so we’re excited to see what the future holds.

Atlantic Fleet (Review)

Publisher/Developer:
Tags: Naval, Turn Based, Atlantic Theatre, Strategy
Purchase: Steam, iOS

Atlantic Fleet started life as an iPad game, but it’s move to PC was equally as triumphant, at least according to our own Sean Couture. Not quite within the realms of ‘Naval Sim’, this turn-based naval strategy game never-the-less possesses some great features, especially the gameplay loop around gunnery. It’s also a surprisingly pretty game, even on iPad. From Sean's review:

On Sean Couture’s patented Naval Realism Scale I’d have to say Atlantic Fleet scores a Battlestations: Midway out of 10 (sequel Battlestation: Pacific took a few more liberties with realism). Were you able to control units directly a la Men of War I’d have been tempted to classify Atlantic Fleet as part of the often forgotten “action-sim” genre where games like The Pacific Air War once resided. It’s a good entry in a sparsely populated genre and it fits a lot of content into such a small package that basically anyone can run.

Over all you could do worse to pass your time than duelling it out with the Kriegsmarine (or even the Allies, depending on which campaign you pick) over the Atlantic sea-lanes.

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault

Publisher/Developer: SEGA / Relic Entertainment
Tags: Real-Time, Tactics, Strategy, Western Front 1944, Single-Player
Purchase: Steam

One of the most mainstream games on this list, the advent of the Western Front Armies, overhaul of its War Spoils system and years of balance refinement cemented Company of Heroes 2's place as a respectable and enjoyable competitive RTS. With the creation of the Ardennes Assault campaign, Company of Heroes 2 now boasts one of the best replayable single player experiences in modern WW2 strategy games. It's even available as a stand-alone expansion, if you really don't want to get the core game.

Ardennes Assault provides players with a strategic territory-capture meta-game layered over the single-player missions; including semi-random events and time-based objectives that change with each playthrough. You have four Companies to command (of which you can utilize 3 in each campaign run) and hard choices in an Iron Man setting that forces the player to think through each move and live with sub-optimal strategies. If you're looking for something less hardcore, or something with a larger player base, then this is a perfect choice.

Strategic Command WW2: War in Europe (Review)

Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Fury Software
Tags: European Theatre, Grand-Strategy, Turn Based
Purchase: Direct, Steam

As fun as tactical or even operational level warfare is, there’s something empowering about taking control of a nation’s entire strategic resources; from industry and production to the military assets. Fury Software’s Strategic Command series has been around since at least the early 2000’s and is a great example of grand-strategy wargaming. You command either the Axis or the allied powers (and you can have the AI take over individual nations if you want) and must decide where to invest your nation's production capacity across research, mobilisation, diplomacy and maintaining your armed forces. Units represent Corps, Army Groups, Fleets & Air Groups.

It’s not as well-known or as ambitious as close-competitor Hearts of Iron, but we’d argue it’s much more refined and offers a more consistent experience. This is especially true when comparing the latest versions of both series - Hearts of Iron IV vs. Strategic Command WW2: War in Europe. If you’re looking for a deep, intricate take on the strategic challenges of World War 2, this game is all you need.

Steel Division: Normandy '44 (Review)

Publisher/Developer: Paradox Interactive / Eugen Systems
Tags: Division-level, France 1944 Theatre, Real-Time, Team play,
Purchase: Direct, Steam

Eugen Systems made their name creating intense, real-time operational experiences with their Cold War -era Wargame franchise, but the studio's take on World War II is equally as note-worthy. Steel Division experiments with new tools such as dynamic line of site, and area control visualisation to try and give that visceral tactical experience while still ultimately being a Division-level experience. Battles can comprise of up to 20 opponents (10 v 10) fighting across huge swathes of the French countryside. It has a pretty decent solo campaign, and you can also skirmish battle against the AI or other people.

You have to nuild your ‘army deck’ by choosing what units you want to roll out in each of three combat phases, with each historically inspired Division possessing a unique flavour and speciality for you to focus on. Different forces excel at different times in a battle, and you must also take into account air assets and off-map abilities. The game's been well supported with free patches since launch and has had its first premium DLC, and we're hoping this game and series will have a bright future.

The Operational Art of War IV (Review)

Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Talonsoft
Tags: Operational, Turn Based, Scenarios, Various Theatres, Hex-and-Counter
Purchase: Direct

The world’s secret best wargame of all time, it’s surprising The Operational Art of War hasn’t made all other hex-based wargames obsolete by now. Infinitely flexible, this game has the potential to contain all other wargames inside… a bit like Google and the internet, I guess? The fourth iteration of the series may have only offered a modest amount of improvements, but it keeps the series in place as one of the best titles for deep, operational level warfare. While the 300+ scenarios span everything from WW1 to the Korean War, there are plenty of meaty WW2 scenarios for players to enjoy, and the easy-to-use (ish) editor means that you can add plenty more. From Bill's review:

Trust me it’s worth it. Whether you have all the previous editions as I do, or you are a newcomer just starting out, this game is a must buy. Now toss in over 300 included scenarios, online play not to mention a Jim-dandy scenario editor, and plunking down a few shekels is an even easier decision to make. Yes, I know, most film sequels are never as good as the original, so what are the odds here? They’re pretty good actually. This latest TOAW edition has indeed made an almost perfect classic even better, well deserving a five star rating if not an entire constellation. Two thumbs up for a job very well done.

All it needs now is a WEGO option, and then it’d be damn-near perfect.

Panzer Corps

Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Flashback Games
Tags: Turn-Based, 
Purchase: Direct, Steam

Many have tried to claim the throne left by Panzer General, but few have succeeded. The current successor to that classic’s legacy has to be Panzer Corps. Developed by Flashback Games and published by Matrix Games, it provides abstracted, operational-level warfare with a focus on big armoured formations sweeping across maps representing large swathes of Europe. At it’s worst, it could be described as something more akin to a ‘puzzle wargame’, but Panzer Corps has yet to fail to offer a compelling experience to all who’ve taken on its challenge.

Countless DLCs put in you in charge of various nation's armies, from scenarios of the historical to the fantastical. Neat campaign dynamics also add a sense of persistence and drama to every campaign. Official support for the game is pretty much at an end now as work ramps up on Panzer Corps 2, but the original title still stands strong as a turn-based wargame. 

Unity of Command (Review)

Publisher/Developer: 2x2 Games
Tags: Turn-Based, Eastern Front, Operational, Logistics
Purchase: Steam

A truly ‘modern’ wargame, Unity of Command strikes the perfect balance between deep, operational level gameplay, and modern sensibilities like accessible interfaces, easy-on-the-eye visuals and recognising that NATO counters aren’t the be-all and end-all of everything. Specialising in supply and logistics, Unity of Command’s turn-based warfare featured a challenging AI, and really made you stop and think about what you were doing. The only downside to Unity of Command is that it’s not Unity of Command 2, which is looking amazing. From our review:

Overall I'd heavily recommend Unity of Command for all wargamers, both wet-behind-the-ears type and the grizzled grays. Unity of Command is easy to get into, yet one of those wargames that challenges you in a way to not make you walk away, but to make you sit up straight and huff some steam out of your nose and say, Alright, lets try that again! The AI in some of the harder scenarios can definitely put some of the more experienced wargamers through some heated moments, but not in a cheating fashion. With the added benefit of quick scenarios and a branching campaign, Unity of Command is definitely one to put on your radar.

Close Combat (Series)

Publisher/Developer: Matrix Games / Various
Tags: 2D, Tactics, Real-Time, Series, Various Theatres
Purchase: GOG.com, Steam

No WW2 list would be complete without the father of modern WW2 tactical strategy games. Close Combat struck the perfect balance between ‘grog’-like wargaming tradition and mainstream strategy design. Depending on which title you played, it manged to straddle the line between hardcore and mainstream with remarkable grace. The one I played the most was Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far - it what made me fall in love with the idea of persistence forces and armies, and I don't think I ever completed it.

There are mixed opinions regarding the ‘Matrix-era’ of Close Combat games, but the series in general remains a shining example of WW2 videogame heritage. Thanks to GOG, you can now legally purchase the original classics once more, and the series is striking out in a bold new 3D direction with the new upcoming entry, Close Combat: The Bloody First.

What would your list of favourite WW2 wargames look like? Answers on a post case, let the battle commence in the comments!

Napoleon’s wars against the combined powers of Europe are naturally the stuff of legend—from his stunning victory at Austerlitz, effectively ending the Holy Roman Empire, he went on to bloody the noses of anyone willing to take to the field under the Allied banner. Shenandoah Studios’ March to Glory is Napoleon’s greatest hits album: it gives you the broad strokes of Bonaparte’s career as a General, but without the difficult supporting material or B-sides.

Like Shenandoah’s last effort, Gettysburg: The Tide Turns, March to Glory is a deceptively simple strategy title. There are four unit types, they move in straightforward fashion, and the fiddlier wargame concepts like elevation and cover are collapsed into mechanics that would generally work on a table-top. You are either on a hill, or you are not.

You have the option of playing a fourteen-mission single-player campaign, skirmishes played on randomly-generated maps, and a play-by-email multiplayer through Slitherine’s servers. Options are fairly sparse: There are no difficulty settings for single-player, for instance, and the quick-play option doesn’t let you set any parameters for battle, such as victory point win margin or force composition.

Once you’re in a battle, you’ll see your forces set out on the battlefield, which is a top-down topographic map split up into irregular tiles. Some tiles will indicate a special terrain type, such as a hill or swamp, and terrain features like forests and rivers are easily identifiable. Unit deployment is handled for you, and there’s no option for positioning your men prior to the fighting. During the campaign, however, you will be able to spend some promotion points to give units tactical advantages. These include damage buffs in certain terrain types, increased vision, and reduced damage from reaction fire—it all depends on the unit type, and you’ll pick from three randomly-drawn promotion buffs each time you promote a unit.

Appropriately for the time period, March to Glory is a game about maintaining your fighting line while advancing on objectives. You’ll want to keep infantry abreast, as they receive defensive bonuses for each adjacent unit. Cavalry is an interesting beast here—by moving them next to an enemy infantry unit, you force that unit into a square formation, which makes them much easier to pick off with your own riflemen. Cavalry cannot move into or attack units positioned in forts or towns, however. Artillery does its usual bombardment, and positioning cannon on hilltops affords them additional range, and allows them to fire over other units. Finally, you have marshals—usually le général himself—who cannot move adjacent to enemy units but provides recovery buffs to adjacent friendly units which can help rally soldiers fleeing from battle.

The basics click together pretty well, and the presentation, while simple, is pleasant. There’s a period-appropriate orchestral score featuring brass-heavy baroque classics that I recognize but would be hard-pressed to name, and the sounds of clashing bayonets and sabers, hoof-beats of cavalry, and thumping cannon. The little unit models are a bit difficult to differentiate, but they’re animated nicely and do the job. Mindful of the fact that this represents the work primarily of two people, Shenandoah’s Ionut Georgescu and Cristian Popov, I think it’s a rather pretty package, visually similar to some of the older Paradox grand strategy titles.

Unfortunately, March to Glory isn’t very good at communicating certain crucial information to the player. The tutorial and manual are sparse at best, but figuring the rules out isn’t particularly challenging. It’s harder, however, to work out why your artillery doesn’t have line of sight on certain targets, or why you aren’t allowed to move a piece into a particular space (usually, it’s because of adjacency rules). Prior to committing to a combat, you’ll get a window giving you the modifiers in play and the result—but you’re not told that this is a guess, and usually an overestimate. This makes planning more frustrating than it ought to be on the one hand, although you could argue that adding a touch of uncertainty is appropriate.

While there are enough variables introduced with unit promotions and terrain types to make each combat a bit different, on the whole I found my battles playing out very similarly every time I played, whether it was a quick battle or a campaign mission. Making as broad a front as I could, I’d march my infantry forward in a line, cavalry out front to make as much trouble as I could for units I could catch in the open. Once my line met with the enemy, I’d work on softening one area of their lines, hoping to cause a break for my horses to pour through. This almost always worked, not because I am a brilliant tactician, but more commonly because the AI definitely is not. I’d often watch as it missed obvious opportunities to punish me for poor moves, and after losing a couple key infantry formations it sometimes feels as though it gives up on winning entirely, making the bulk of a 20-turn game into a mop-up operation. Where I was frequently beaten by the AI in Gettysburg, here I’ve been left wanting more of a challenge.

As frustrating as this can be, there’s something compelling about March to War. It’s a very pleasant game to play. Battles take around an hour or so, and guiding Napoleon’s unstoppable Grande Armée across the European countryside recalls the romance and national fervour of story and song. What’s missing is the sense of desperation and regret that French soldiers felt as they followed Napoleon on the long, doleful march back from Moscow, dying from typhus, cold, starvation, and brutal harassment from Cossacks.

All of this puts March to Glory in a bit of an odd place. It lacks the complexity and detail that seasoned wargamers will be looking for, and it doesn’t pull enough from history to make its battles feel as though they’re recreating the events on the field. Its simplicity would make it a good choice for entry-level wargame players, except for the fact that it doesn’t do a good enough job of teaching them how to play or of explaining what’s happening at a given time.

But I can’t get away from the fact that I genuinely enjoy playing March to War. Prodding an enemy unit with my 5th Hussars so my own infantry can overrun them is immensely satisfying, and finally taking over a fortified town feels like a real accomplishment. As I said before, it’s a pleasant game. I’m still frequently frustrated when a hidden combination of rules prevents me from doing what I think should be possible, and hopefully Shenandoah can offer some clarity with post-release support. And I worry that the repetitive nature of the battles may limit replay-ability.

There’s an allure to the Napoleonic wars that’s hard to pin down in a game. It’s not merely down to fascination with the person of Napoleon, but the impetuousness and loyalty he inspired—deserved or not—in a million French soldiers. Mark Knopfler managed to wrangle it into a bittersweet Arcadian zydeco tune called Done With Bonaparte back in 1996. While I enjoyed March of War, I’ve come away wishing that it had captured a bit more of that strange, tragic spirit from the most massive army the world had ever seen, and would ever see, until the advent of WW1.