I was lucky enough to have been able to review Volume I. Please see my review here:

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2016/08/old-school-tactical-by-flying-pig-games.html

Once again, the heaviness and size of the box surprised me. It is large, and weighs enough to use to kill small varmints. So right off the bat what are the differences? Well, first off you are fighting in Western Europe, and this time it is the Americans against the Germans. This is a list of the new units that come with the game:

German

Brummbar
SdKfz 251/22
Panther
Puma
PzKpfw IV H
Wirbelwind
PaK 40 75mmATG
German 2nd Line Infantry
Panzerfaust
Panzershreck

American

M5A1 halftrack
M16 halftrack (4x.50cal)
M8 Greyhound
M5 Stuart
M4A1 Sherman
M4A3e8 (Easy Eight)
M4A3 Sherman (105)
M10 Wolverine
HMG,MMG,BAR
Bazooka
Rifle and Engineer units
Leaders and Snipers

This is a list of what comes with the game:

Base Game Includes:

3 sheets of unit, weapon, vehicle, and condition counters.
a large (We are talking HUGE!) 30" x 41" mounted game map, hexes are 1".
18 luck cards, such as Trigger Happy, Unexpected Obstacle, and Surprise Attack.
36 unit data cards.
scenarios.
player aid card.
color rule book.
dice.
massive box - varmint killer size

Brummbar (German for Brown Bear) is the 150mm assault gun meant for street fighting. The next size up would be the Sturm Tiger. I just like the look of both of them, but I digress. You also get the 'Panzer terror' and 'Panzer fist' (Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust), and of course the American Bazooka (named after a strange musical instrument).

The newest version of the rules can be downloaded here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/56cfsf2vglyh6on/OST-Rules5.5-Final.pdf?dl=0

The counters are very nice looking. Unfortunately, taking them out of the cardboard sprue is a mixed bag. Some have popped out as easy as if they were buttered, and others gave me some hassle. As is mentioned, the mounted map is huge and almost a work of art. The player aid card is large and easy to read and very easy to understand. Both the rule book and the scenario booklet are large sized and also easy to read and written for someone like me.

So we know what we get, but how does it play? From the ground up this series, and all the Flying Pig games I have played, are meant to be played and not sit on the shelf looking pretty. I do not want to say they are simplified, but in the way the rules are done it seems so, meaning that it is easy to setup the game, read through the rules, and start playing. You do not need to send emails or phone a friend to figure out the game's mechanics. Old School Tactical games were meant to be played. The game comes with sixteen scenarios, and an additional two solitaire scenarios to be played as the American against the Germans. This is the turn sequence:

Turn Marker
Reinforcements
Attach Leaders/Weapons
Smoke Counters
Scenario Rolls
Free Rally/Bog Rolls
Initiative Roll
Impulse roll
Play Turn
Melee Phase
Remove Unit Markers
Score Victory Points
End Of Turn
Extended Play Check (Last Turn)
End Of Game
Victory - possibly with an added end zone dance

One thing I had forgotten about the game is that the turns count down and not up. So you might be a little non-plussed if you just jump into the scenario book and see that all of the units show up on turn five of a five turn scenario.

This is my setup for the first scenario. The American MMG is crucial to being able to stop the German onslaught. I have played the scenario through a few times and it is always a close run to victory. The next two pics are of my setup for one game of scenario one.

Here is a free download for more scenarios for three of the Flying Pig Games (Night Of Man, '65, Old School Tactical II):

https://flyingpiggames.com/products/flying-pig-games-free-scenario-pack-pdf-download-only

This is a link for Old School Tactical Paratrooper Expansion Volume II:

https://flyingpiggames.com/products/old-school-tactical-paratroop-expansion

The Old School Tactical series are a new take on a tried and true formula. The word 'old' really should not be included, because the rules and components are up to today's standards. The games' rules are well thought out and very well written so that there is really no wiggle room. The scenarios have a relatively small amount of counters for the player to keep track of. Play is quick and moves along well through the different sequences. Now that we have an east and west version, Flying Pig Games can branch out to adding the different missing pieces in the war ie. British troops etc. The only drawback for some gamers would be the massive size of the map. Because of the game's short playing time you do not need it out for long, but you do need to have the space available sans children and animals.

If you are looking for some fast and furious Vietnam tactical gaming, see my review of Flying Pig Games '65:

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2017/10/65-by-flying-pig-games.html

Robert