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We will do our upmost to cover in depth as much as possible. We shall be reviewing books, miniatures\\toy soldiers, MiniFigs and of course games, plus interviews, model making and AARs! \nQuote from a reader.. \"Your site is a much needed breath of fresh air, I absolutely love the spectrum of things you cover\/review. Keep up the great work. \""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/-\/turn+based?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/search\/label\/turn%20based"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mike Wall"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00412103694827166164"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"16"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-8176350578728937365"},"published":{"$t":"2020-10-30T03:23:00.000+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-10-30T03:23:06.714+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sleepy Sentry"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Slitherine Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stirring Abyss"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Stirring Abyss"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-snQZ8ylzka4\/X5uDvmZrUOI\/AAAAAAAABXg\/dyIm5MWrw1ElrEv3linsf4ypqV-khQToACNcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"215\" data-original-width=\"460\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-snQZ8ylzka4\/X5uDvmZrUOI\/AAAAAAAABXg\/dyIm5MWrw1ElrEv3linsf4ypqV-khQToACNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h300\/image.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESomething is Stirring, down in the Abyss. A submarine, the USS Salem, has a mysterious incident which leaves the crew scattered across the sea floor in diving suits. You awaken as one of the officers, and set to work finding other survivors from the crew and figuring out what happened. As you explore, it becomes apparent\u0026nbsp;that this was no simple naval incident. Aggressive, monstrous creatures stand in your way, and nature seems to be corrupting in disturbing ways all around you. Something...fishy...is going on.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust in time for Halloween comes a spooky strategy adventure from Sleepy Sentry and Slitherine Games. Stirring Abyss combines elements of XCOM and the Lovecraft mythos to create something quite different than anything I've seen before. As the leader of the surviving crew from the USS Salem, you'll go on a series of missions, defeating monsters and gathering resources as you unravel the plot. While you might glance at the screenshots and think that this game seems simple enough, there is actually quite a lot going on...beneath the surface.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oYpBkt3LObg\/X5uEu8Mke8I\/AAAAAAAABXs\/KY4IlCZlPFcHjlIK_xbRs8BTR7dt_tAEwCNcBGAsYHQ\/s2739\/SA3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1148\" data-original-width=\"2739\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oYpBkt3LObg\/X5uEu8Mke8I\/AAAAAAAABXs\/KY4IlCZlPFcHjlIK_xbRs8BTR7dt_tAEwCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h268\/SA3.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAfter coming to his senses on the sea floor, your starting character makes his way back to the USS Salem, which has suffered heavy damage. Fans of XCOM will immediately see the influence of the base building in that series reimagined here. Instead of building a base, you'll instead be pumping water out of the various compartments in the sub, and then spending resources to get things operational again. Some rooms have a pre-determined use, while quite a few can provide a benefit of your choosing. Stirring Abyss is very stingy with resources, forcing you to make hard choices about what rooms to bring online first.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EStirring Abyss is actually stingy in a lot of good ways, constantly putting your team under a ton of...pressure. Crew members don't automatically heal between missions. Resources that you need for repairing the sub are also needed for crafting items and equipment. Power generated by the sub can be used for special abilities during the tactical phase, but needs to be conserved if you're going to keep pumping water out of the sub. During the tactical phase your team is closer to running out of air with each turn that passes. On top of all of that, the tactical combat itself is unforgiving, often pitting your team against overwhelming odds and demanding that you use all of their special abilities to good effect, or else.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZVxt2Yrc8pU\/X5uEuxX_sVI\/AAAAAAAABXo\/viJnv-JOmNE4ah5QGt_0t8w6nTuJbw8nQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s2738\/SA1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1148\" data-original-width=\"2738\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZVxt2Yrc8pU\/X5uEuxX_sVI\/AAAAAAAABXo\/viJnv-JOmNE4ah5QGt_0t8w6nTuJbw8nQCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h268\/SA1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe tactical combat is relatively simple in terms of mechanics, but still very satisfying. There are three classes of characters: officers, scientists, and crewmen, each with a different set of options for unlocking new abilities as they level up. Additionally, each character you bring on board is unique, with a few custom traits of their own. Most combat early on consists of stabbing enemies with your handy diving knives, but eventually each character will have a variety of options for dishing out extra damage, hitting enemies with status effects, and supporting each other. Making this far juicier is that this is a game set in a Lovecraftian world, drawing much of its inspiration from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Temple_(Lovecraft_short_story)\"\u003EThe Temple\u003C\/a\u003E, a short story about a German sub in WWI that meets a troubled end. After just a couple of missions you gain party wide supernatural abilities that you can fire off several times per mission. These include things like teleporting short distances and massively boosting your accuracy. A little further into the campaign you'll unlock a room in the sub where you can mutate your crew members and give them straight up crazy new \"perks\" like tentacle arms and giant claws.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-I4yZhS0k5pw\/X5uEviSE0iI\/AAAAAAAABX0\/MUfRa2nlQLcwF9wc-p7c4PUfKaoSSEKSACNcBGAsYHQ\/s2740\/SA4.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1147\" data-original-width=\"2740\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-I4yZhS0k5pw\/X5uEviSE0iI\/AAAAAAAABX0\/MUfRa2nlQLcwF9wc-p7c4PUfKaoSSEKSACNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h268\/SA4.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EYou'll need every advantage you can get, as Stirring Abyss pulls no punches with difficulty. Besides dealing with scant resources, you'll also need to keep a close eye on the hit points of your crew members. While there are a lot of ways to restore hit points (abilities, items, submarine features, and occasionally by killing enemies) almost none of them are free, and absolutely none of them will fill that health meter up in one go. This strategic concern translates to careful maneuvering during the tactical phase. Recklessly wading into a fight can put you at a disadvantage later on. Instead, you'll want to make full use of the options you have. You'll also need to learn how each of the many different enemy types operates. Most have at least a couple of special abilities that you'll need to work around. Besides health points, your crewmen also have a sanity meter which can be depleted by various events, like say, seeing a teammate get ripped apart by a giant shark-man monster. Suffering too much sanity damage can eventually render someone completely insane, which could cost you a veteran of many battles.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As units level up they can choose from new perks and abilities, depending on their class, as well as stat bonuses that increase things like damage resistance and critical hit chances. These upgrades are pretty straight forward, but to add some complexity there are also a large selection of party-wide bonuses to be unlocked over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile the combat and XCOM elements are quite good, if relatively simple, what really makes this game sing is how it dives into its theme. The impressive music tracks are dark and foreboding, playing up the dread of a deep sea mystery and something unimaginable lurking in the darkness. The graphics, which still screenshots don't fully convey, charmingly draw from the well of 1950's era sci-fi and adventure art. Each mission carries the narrative forward, with lengthy discussions among the crew, detailed descriptions of the various horrors you come across, and the occasional choose-your-own-adventure style minigame. I don't want to spoil too much here, as the mystery of just what is happening is a big part of the draw to go from one mission to the next.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JPjn-O8gzkc\/X5uEu9VPniI\/AAAAAAAABXw\/dT_4anSEacAAMzB2Pi_8F33T8sVksDrYACNcBGAsYHQ\/s2738\/SA2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1149\" data-original-width=\"2738\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JPjn-O8gzkc\/X5uEu9VPniI\/AAAAAAAABXw\/dT_4anSEacAAMzB2Pi_8F33T8sVksDrYACNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h268\/SA2.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs a fan of Lovecraft stories and someone who can't get enough XCOM style strategy games, this one was a very pleasant surprise when it popped onto my radar and eventually ended up in my hands. I haven't gotten too far into the campaign yet, as there was a bug (since ironed out in the release version) which tripped me up several times. Even so, there's no doubt in my mind that this game will hold your interest if you give it a shot. The story is fun right out of the gate, and the tactical combat is comfortable but challenging. I look forward to pursuing the mystery further and seeing just what sort of eldritch horrors are causing so much chaos in the briny deep.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EStirring Abyss is available on GoG, Steam and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/game\/stirring-abyss\"\u003Edirectly from Slitherine.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/8176350578728937365\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2020\/10\/stirring-abyss.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/8176350578728937365"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/8176350578728937365"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2020\/10\/stirring-abyss.html","title":"Stirring Abyss"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-snQZ8ylzka4\/X5uDvmZrUOI\/AAAAAAAABXg\/dyIm5MWrw1ElrEv3linsf4ypqV-khQToACNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-w640-h300-c\/image.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-827011552589299656"},"published":{"$t":"2019-05-10T06:07:00.003+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-05-10T06:07:31.254+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Battle Brothers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Overhype Studios"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Battle Brothers - Warriors of the North DLC"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-iSwRobpOZwg\/XNUFEHY0iqI\/AAAAAAAAA2c\/Eius1LDO1EQjRKlGdWf8SZm34ITDWwXggCLcBGAs\/s1600\/warriors_of_the_north.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"422\" data-original-width=\"750\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-iSwRobpOZwg\/XNUFEHY0iqI\/AAAAAAAAA2c\/Eius1LDO1EQjRKlGdWf8SZm34ITDWwXggCLcBGAs\/s640\/warriors_of_the_north.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattle Brothers newest DLC invites you to visit the frozen frontiers and battle barbarians. From Overhype Studios, Battle Brothers was one of my favorite games of 2017,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/03\/battle-brothers.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eand you can read my original review here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;In this excellent mash up of Mount and Blade and XCOM, you build up a plucky band of mercenaries as you travel the land taking on jobs to earn money. More money means you can hire more men, buy them more expensive gear, and keep them fed. If, like me, you enjoy sticking new gear onto an RPG paper doll, this is the game for you. Each man in your company has his own little equipment screen, where you can equip him with armor, headgear, weapons, and trinkets. Each mercenary also has an extensive set of stats like morale and max fatigue that can be improved over time. The game has two layers, the over world, which is very much like Mount and Blade, and turn based battles. If you want to read more of the details of the general gameplay, check my review linked above. If you are familiar with the game, you probably want to know what this new DLC is all about.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWarriors of the North, as you might guess from the title and artwork, adds in an entire new faction of enemies to face: Barbarians. These guys have a primitive Viking\/Rus feel to them, coming at you with fur covered armor and horned helmets. Like the other enemy factions in the game, they have some unique mechanics that you will want to consider when you go into battle against them. The barbarians like to come in hard and take big swings, but this tires them out quickly. They'll often be accompanied by a tribal drummer, who restores their fatigue at quicker rate. They also might have a beastmaster with them, who brings along a big scary pet or two. Taking down these special enemy types will play a key part in your strategy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ljuCCeIfBz8\/XNUFKnV5zMI\/AAAAAAAAA2g\/f4mMNQW5p7M2IdQZZk9xvfoHbCafia1JwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/ss_9fa4132bc0ae2c759e85619818f1f61541e88459.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ljuCCeIfBz8\/XNUFKnV5zMI\/AAAAAAAAA2g\/f4mMNQW5p7M2IdQZZk9xvfoHbCafia1JwCLcBGAs\/s640\/ss_9fa4132bc0ae2c759e85619818f1f61541e88459.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ETo go along with these new northern enemies, the north end of the map has been fleshed out a bit, and the game has received some new music tracks. I usually don't pay too much attention to music in games, but I found these to be noticeably\u0026nbsp;good. All the barbarian gear can of course also be looted and equipped by your soldiers, giving them a more \"northern\" look if you so choose. This is a game that shines all the more brighter with more variety, and this DLC adds to that quite a bit. Previously you mostly had standard medieval style cloths and armor, but now your guys can be decked out with furs and helmets with antlers and the like.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile the barbarians make up probably the single biggest feature of the DLC, there's a lot of other good stuff here too. Previously, each time you started the game, the beginning was always the same. You were part of a mercenary company that is ambushed and the leader killed. You then take control of the company and get three mediocre members to get you started. Now, when you fire up a new company, you'll have a choice of ten different origin stories. These aren't just slightly different variations that ultimately don't matter, no, these starts all have long term advantages and disadvantages.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-N5y9-VhE6Ko\/XNUE_U5KmTI\/AAAAAAAAA2U\/IQfhPOPL93ULFIj1DIzUPFIkXdpt5PrrgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/lone_wolf.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"497\" data-original-width=\"387\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-N5y9-VhE6Ko\/XNUE_U5KmTI\/AAAAAAAAA2U\/IQfhPOPL93ULFIj1DIzUPFIkXdpt5PrrgCLcBGAs\/s400\/lone_wolf.jpg\" width=\"311\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI'll highlight the two I was most drawn to for this review. The first I tried was, naturally, the one rated most difficult: the lone wolf start. In this scenario you begin with exactly one merc, a veteran hedge knight equipped with upper end gear and a decent amount of money. This guy can take on two or three early game bandits without breaking a sweat. Where's the challenge? Oh, this hedge knight is actually you, so if he dies then the game ends. In a normal campaign, \"you\" are never represented in the field. Any given mercenary can die and it doesn't matter. Not so with this scenario.\u0026nbsp; Pair it up with Ironman mode and you've got yourself a whole new level of tension.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAlso, you can't hire more than a dozen men at a time, so that means your avatar will have to continue fighting, even as the enemies you face get nastier.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-hZqqGOuf2Zk\/XNUFKiiXLAI\/AAAAAAAAA2k\/WwmIMNuQVdEJU-IZigj6Esae1HOIoIJtACLcBGAs\/s1600\/ss_5fe81add7cf19c52e4d4fb9f522cd9fbdafe69d0.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-hZqqGOuf2Zk\/XNUFKiiXLAI\/AAAAAAAAA2k\/WwmIMNuQVdEJU-IZigj6Esae1HOIoIJtACLcBGAs\/s640\/ss_5fe81add7cf19c52e4d4fb9f522cd9fbdafe69d0.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe other scenario I tried is pretty much the opposite. In the peasant militia start you begin the game with 12 peasants looking to take their local militia show on the road and win themselves some glory and coin. While you start out with 12 men, they all have bottom-tier equipment, if they have anything at all! It takes a lot of money to keep all of these men fed and paid, and buy them all some decent stuff. Once you have the funds to supply and pay them all, you can even take 16 men into battle instead of the usual dozen. The downside to all of this is that your group is prejudiced against anyone of higher birth, and so you can only recruit fellow peasants and lower class individuals. This means that any mid and late game losses will have to be replaced with level one nobodies that will need a lot of experience to catch up.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe other start I'm interested in trying is the Davkul cultists. Yes, you can play the game as a roving group of cultists, recruiting those of like mind and maybe sacrificing them to Davkul at some point...\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAnother new addition to the game are the Champions. These are especially strong enemies among each faction who carry unique named items for you to take for yourself. While a straight forward addition, it's a welcome one that gives you some emergent gameplay as you follow tavern rumors to track down these mini-bosses. Along that line,\u0026nbsp;there are two new legendary locations and bosses to take on, and a smattering of new quests and events to discover, and of course new weapons and armor to equip. In Battle Brothers, weapons define the abilities of your men in combat, and so adding new ones isn't just a visual effect, it opens up entirely new options in strategy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ksoCpkvKNmw\/XNUE_smd_5I\/AAAAAAAAA2Y\/dyTAKlAh73MLU2wIwPjENOHzMh4KkC-_ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/blog_armors2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"592\" data-original-width=\"1231\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ksoCpkvKNmw\/XNUE_smd_5I\/AAAAAAAAA2Y\/dyTAKlAh73MLU2wIwPjENOHzMh4KkC-_ACLcBGAs\/s400\/blog_armors2.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESince I never did a review on it, I'll briefly mention here the other major DLC for Battle Brothers called Beasts and Exploration. This one came out last year and really fleshed out the game beyond the solid, but limited main game content. It adds lots of monsters, bosses, and legendary locations to the game. It also allowed you to loot trophies from all of those new monsters and craft them into new stuff. In addition, it added the ability to customize your gear, upgrade your armor, and even repaint shields. Before that, they put out the Lindwurm add-on for free. This was likely a test run for the bosses and such that came later. It only adds one special enemy and some related items to the game, but hey, it was free! Since release, they've also patched and balanced the game several times, turning what was already a great game into an even better one.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-WwFdGERdmYQ\/XNUBtiOhw3I\/AAAAAAAAA2A\/4i77h2qjl0gjBYjvoTS8a78pj-GIfmL4ACEwYBhgL\/s1600\/2019-05-08%2B%25281%2529.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-WwFdGERdmYQ\/XNUBtiOhw3I\/AAAAAAAAA2A\/4i77h2qjl0gjBYjvoTS8a78pj-GIfmL4ACEwYBhgL\/s640\/2019-05-08%2B%25281%2529.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWith a reasonable price tag of just $8.99, I find it very easy to recommend\u0026nbsp;Warriors of the North to anyone who enjoyed Battle Brothers. The new faction, items, and bosses add ever more variety to the game world, and the new origins will ensure that you can play several campaigns with quite a different experience than the default start. As I said in my original review, this is a game that has tons of room for quality DLC. The two so far have been exactly what I was looking for, and I hope there are more to come. This game is a wonderful sandbox, and the more toys the better.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattle Brothers is available \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/battlebrothersgame.com\/buy-battle-brothers\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edirectly from the developers\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and can also be found on Steam and GoG.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/827011552589299656\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2019\/05\/battle-brothers-warriors-of-north-dlc.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/827011552589299656"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/827011552589299656"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2019\/05\/battle-brothers-warriors-of-north-dlc.html","title":"Battle Brothers - Warriors of the North DLC"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-iSwRobpOZwg\/XNUFEHY0iqI\/AAAAAAAAA2c\/Eius1LDO1EQjRKlGdWf8SZm34ITDWwXggCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/warriors_of_the_north.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-6991710763167083885"},"published":{"$t":"2019-02-28T05:36:00.001+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-02-28T05:36:22.321+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"BATALJ"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Fall Damage"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"BATALJ"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-idITmmahchM\/XHdvSOYi5fI\/AAAAAAAAAvE\/dimFrwSeelMWx8S1DaukfNhETqsxX3BTwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Batalj%2Blogo.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"228\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"90\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-idITmmahchM\/XHdvSOYi5fI\/AAAAAAAAAvE\/dimFrwSeelMWx8S1DaukfNhETqsxX3BTwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Batalj%2Blogo.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBATALJ is a simultaneous turn-based tactical game about 1v1 combat with each player leading their own custom built team of units. The title is the first game from studio Fall Damage and shows a lot of promise, but may need some more work to be given a full recommendation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBATALJ features combat that in some ways resembles the new XCOM games, where each of your units can move and do one action each turn. The twist is that each player chooses the movement and actions of each of their units in secret, and then once both players hit go, the action plays out. The units do not act all at once, however, instead they go in a specific order that is known to the players while choosing moves. This opens up some serious strategy calculations. Do you go for the sure kill, knowing your units can act before their hapless victim gets a chance to escape? Or do you try to predict your opponent's actions, hitting them where they least expect it? Of course, you might be totally wrong, and watch helplessly as your units whiff at empty air. You also need to think about future turns when making your choices. Different actions incur different amounts of delay, which is what makes the overall unit order get rearranged each turn.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-h-RppJjWp9Y\/XHdxsCzt-MI\/AAAAAAAAAvk\/KrG5FGxAyUsACFU3mVDn70jyoaxTRuo-gCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.24%2B-%2B23.04.09.41.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"898\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-h-RppJjWp9Y\/XHdxsCzt-MI\/AAAAAAAAAvk\/KrG5FGxAyUsACFU3mVDn70jyoaxTRuo-gCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.24%2B-%2B23.04.09.41.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAll of this action takes place in one of several small arenas, with three objective locations that the players must fight over. If you end a turn with more locations in your control, you get a point. 5 points wins the match. A location can be contested by both players, which means no one gets control of that spot. The really interesting thing to me was that control of more objectives only ever gives you one point. So, if you have control of one objective, and no one controls the others, you get one point. If you control two or even all three of the locations, you still only get one point. This creates the opportunity\u0026nbsp;for a variety of strategies. You can try to use fast units to spread out and have a presence across the board, or you can move your units in a blob and try to crush whatever resistance they encounter, or a hundred other approaches in between. Each side gets some reinforcements at specific intervals, and depending on how the battle is going you might want to bring in a healer to fix up your hero, or a unit to counter whatever strategy the enemy is using. Everything, of course, depends on what units you have and what the enemy has. Being a novice, I just picked a variety of units and then figured out a strategy as I went!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ubARCzcMns4\/XHdx7vJmj-I\/AAAAAAAAAvs\/fjNZ0PIqZmwU3SBLAwoQwgNMibDig6NWwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.44.05.51.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"898\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ubARCzcMns4\/XHdx7vJmj-I\/AAAAAAAAAvs\/fjNZ0PIqZmwU3SBLAwoQwgNMibDig6NWwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.44.05.51.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThere are three different factions of units in the game, each with a different theme and set of heroes. There is a default squad for each faction, but the real tinkering fun comes from assembling your own squads and thinking about how different units could work together to create some serious combat synergy. In my relatively brief time with the game I did not get into the nitty gritty details, but I did play several matches and studied the various abilities available to each unit. Each faction has a half dozen or so different unit types, and each of those units has its own set of two to four possible actions it can take during a turn. Many units also have passive buffs that shape their role on the battlefield. If you are a fan of MOBA's you will immediately feel comfortable with this aspect of the game. Most units have some kind of basic attack, and then either more powerful attacks or support type abilities. There are units to heal, units to take out an enemy's armor, units that can cloak, some that can fly, some have area denial weapons while others focus a ton of damage on one target. There is a lot of variety here and simply exploring what the various units are capable of will take some time.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-tk24jaMvnyo\/XHdxr1dEFII\/AAAAAAAAAvg\/oB8O0zyOVOolItli5FZHeBEMtEa7fhutACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.24%2B-%2B22.56.28.92.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"901\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-tk24jaMvnyo\/XHdxr1dEFII\/AAAAAAAAAvg\/oB8O0zyOVOolItli5FZHeBEMtEa7fhutACLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.24%2B-%2B22.56.28.92.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESo, it might sound like I have nothing bad to say about this game, but, unfortunately, we are about to get to that part. The actual gameplay is very solid, the problem is that you might have a hard time finding an opponent. BATALJ is meant to be a competitive game, focused on 1v1 matches between human players. The game has some lovely stat screens and battle logs, and promises that ranked play is on the way. However, it isn't clear whether the player base is there to support it. I was able to find several matches via the automatic matchmaking, but at times I was stuck waiting for a while with no opponent to be found. The forums aren't very busy, and Steam Charts shows that only a handful of people are playing at any given time. Normally, I wouldn't knock a game for having a small player population (some of my favorite games over the years are pretty obscure), but in this case, if you don't have a reliable supply of opponents, you can't really play the game. There is no single player mode to speak of. There is a tutorial against some bots, which I found enjoyable the first time through, but after that you have to go online.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wGx82VLAqvQ\/XHdxlv2sHZI\/AAAAAAAAAvc\/t0w3lFkIeqgrIVK2mZrTp-bOhMRCaAjEQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.40.18.67.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"897\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wGx82VLAqvQ\/XHdxlv2sHZI\/AAAAAAAAAvc\/t0w3lFkIeqgrIVK2mZrTp-bOhMRCaAjEQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.40.18.67.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI really, really hope the game finds a player base, because the developers seem enthusiastic and responsive to player concerns. Perhaps a few more updates and greater awareness will draw people into the game, but I fear it might be a tough sell without any kind of single player gameplay. Another option would be adding asynchronous matches as seen in Frozen Synapse. That would make it a lot easier to find and play a match, even with relatively few players out there.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-HkSfudEP14U\/XHdx_OmYYFI\/AAAAAAAAAv4\/XRGESa-AhGMbuFrTh5nBjlhMBsKMrIdCgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.49.25.57.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"897\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-HkSfudEP14U\/XHdx_OmYYFI\/AAAAAAAAAv4\/XRGESa-AhGMbuFrTh5nBjlhMBsKMrIdCgCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2BScreenshot%2B2019.02.27%2B-%2B22.49.25.57.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs it stands, I would like to recommend this game, but can only do so with the massive caveat that this is an online only game with a very small player base, which may or may not be around in a couple months. I hope this doesn't discourage the developers, because they clearly put in a lot of work into this and released a game that is fun to play and looks great. Hopefully they can find a path forward that will bring in the player base that this game needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBATALJ is available on Steam\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDeveloper\/Publisher: Fall Damage\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/6991710763167083885\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2019\/02\/batalj.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6991710763167083885"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6991710763167083885"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2019\/02\/batalj.html","title":"BATALJ"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-idITmmahchM\/XHdvSOYi5fI\/AAAAAAAAAvE\/dimFrwSeelMWx8S1DaukfNhETqsxX3BTwCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Batalj%2Blogo.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-3809030959269561432"},"published":{"$t":"2018-06-02T21:04:00.002+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-06-02T21:04:50.564+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Battlestar Galactica"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black Lab Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Matrix Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Slitherine Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Battlestar Galactica Deadlock: The Broken Alliance"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P6Ii5gOa1G4\/WxL4MJrHMcI\/AAAAAAAAAow\/7HacY8Wnwco7_3zovvaLkAqzwU9pD4kpACLcBGAs\/s1600\/BSGD_The-Broken-Alliance_logo_black.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P6Ii5gOa1G4\/WxL4MJrHMcI\/AAAAAAAAAow\/7HacY8Wnwco7_3zovvaLkAqzwU9pD4kpACLcBGAs\/s640\/BSGD_The-Broken-Alliance_logo_black.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattlestar Galactica Deadlock: The Broken Alliance (BSGD:TBA...still a mouthful, let's just go with BA) is the freshly released expansion to last year's surprisingly excellent we-go space fleet strategy game from Black Lab Games. I never got a chance to play the base game before a few weeks ago, so this review will cover both the full game and the new DLC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFor players already familiar with Deadlock, I'll cover The Broken Alliance in detail first, then go back and give a overview of the base game for newbies. BA integrates smoothly into the existing dynamic campaign structure, enhancing it rather than being a separate\u0026nbsp;experience. The campaign exists as a series of eight special missions that you can attempt to complete in the midst of the existing war against the Cylons. The first mission marker will appear as soon as you finish the initial tutorials, giving you the option to add one of the brand new ship types to your fleet right away. You can of course ignore it for awhile if the Cylons are focusing your attention elsewhere. As the name of the DLC implies, these missions center around the tenuous alliance of the human worlds in the face of the Cylon onslaught. Much like in the BSG TV series, the aims of the front line\u0026nbsp;military commanders and the ambitions of various politicians don't mesh, leading to plenty of drama and tension. There are several new characters with strong personalities who are part of a neat story line that will keep you hooked. These events all take place within the overall war that you are already fighting, and add more decision points to a campaign that already had a good amount of replayability.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-g-btR8qZJxM\/WxLxqxclkzI\/AAAAAAAAAns\/BhHcM0E5-iomZKDZr9lwQlUQm-ylsmgBwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180530232031_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-g-btR8qZJxM\/WxLxqxclkzI\/AAAAAAAAAns\/BhHcM0E5-iomZKDZr9lwQlUQm-ylsmgBwCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180530232031_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAlong the course of the campaign, you will get to try out some new toys and face new enemy ships. Each side of the Human vs Cylon war gets a new offensive capital ship, a new support ship, and a new fighter type. These give you some fresh options for building your fleet in the campaign, and add a little extra spice to the multiplayer gameplay. For example, the first mission of the BA campaign gives you access to the \u003Ci\u003ECelestra\u003C\/i\u003E class resupply ship, which can augment armor on a specific section of a friendly ship, and also send extra missiles or torpedoes over to restock your offensive ships. The \u003Ci\u003ECelestra\u003C\/i\u003E has no means of attack at all, but opens up new tactical options. You can use the armor buff to help a ship take the brunt of the enemy attack, constantly moving the extra layer of defense around to offer the most protection.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The ability to restock missiles makes another early game ship type, the \u003Ci\u003ERanger\u003C\/i\u003E missile frigate, able to continue firing long after its munitions racks would normally have run empty. Although a resupply ship may not seem that sexy at first glance, it really does give you a new dimension to consider in your battle plans.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VArJLAELwiM\/WxLxknzb_uI\/AAAAAAAAAng\/rPSm3mYNz6YdXBmfH1ZvSiv2my6uHlgyACLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180520171203_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VArJLAELwiM\/WxLxknzb_uI\/AAAAAAAAAng\/rPSm3mYNz6YdXBmfH1ZvSiv2my6uHlgyACLcBGAs\/s640\/20180520171203_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe Broken Alliance expansion released alongside a substantial patch which adds many improvements to the game even if you don't pick up the DLC. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/steamcommunity.com\/games\/544610\/announcements\/detail\/1643131131196478513\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EEndurance Update\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;adds one key new feature, persistent damage, which effects both the tactical and strategic layer for the better. Previously, ships would return to full health after each battle, regardless of whether they took a beating in the last fight. This meant that there was no reason not to rush in headlong as long as you knew you could kill the enemy before they knocked out one of your guys. Now it's in your best interest to fight each battle with the future in mind, minimizing damage whenever possible. This damage is shown visually as it happens, which makes the battles feel much more like the show, as ships limp away from a tough fight covered in bruises.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOverall, The Broken Alliance is easily worth the cost of admission and, along with the Endurance Update, enriches an experience that was already rather solid. This is the best kind of DLC, one that seamlessly integrates into the original game and makes what was already there better. Between the new content and persistent damage, veteran players have more than enough reason to spin up their FTL drives and hop back in for another round against the toasters.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-F0jb6HopyOw\/WxLxlJhGMGI\/AAAAAAAAAnk\/kjMRbk2S9sIcnfrUjmbKlJXDKPJcPK3bwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180530223701_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-F0jb6HopyOw\/WxLxlJhGMGI\/AAAAAAAAAnk\/kjMRbk2S9sIcnfrUjmbKlJXDKPJcPK3bwCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180530223701_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhat if you're fresh to the BSG Deadlock scene and want to hear a bit more about that dynamic campaign and those cool looking tactical battles? I've got you covered!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBSG Deadlock is a game about the first Cylon War, which happened many years before the events of the rebooted TV series. The Galactica is not some ancient warship ready to be turned into a museum, but instead it is one of the premier flagships of the Colonial Fleet. Unfortunately, the Galactica has gone missing, and following a strong blow from a surprise Cylon assault, the Colonial Fleet is in rebuilding mode. This is where you start the campaign, right in the middle of a war that has been going on for some time with no end in sight, hence \"Deadlock.\" There's no running and hiding from the Cylons here, this is a game all about big ships slugging it out in head-to-head confrontations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe gameplay is broken up into two distinct halves. The tactical battles, and the strategic layer. Each heavily influences the other, and you will need success in both to carry humanity to victory.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kMP2D2G81wM\/WxLyJRdv0oI\/AAAAAAAAAoc\/w_5h1ZOPq480LXZec2kil8yVbtu5hJ9TgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180512214803_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kMP2D2G81wM\/WxLyJRdv0oI\/AAAAAAAAAoc\/w_5h1ZOPq480LXZec2kil8yVbtu5hJ9TgCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180512214803_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOn the strategic level, the game features a dynamic campaign where you maneuver your fleet, and later, multiple fleets, around the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, fighting off the Cylons where they appear, and also taking on special scenarios that move the story forward. The twelve human worlds provide you with resources each turn, but they can drop out of the alliance if you don't defend them, much like nations in XCOM. However, here you can bring them back into the fold over time. As part of the strategic layer you are able to build ships, research new designs, assign and promote officers, and set priorities for the war as you see fit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThere's some interesting decision making to be had in terms of how you use the resources available to you. New ships can be built fairly cheaply over the course of a few turns, or pumped out immediately for an exorbitant price. Likewise, officers can be promoted (allowing you to level up their abilities) for free as they gain experience, or you can use valuable resource points to push them faster. The technology tree isn't vast, but does require you to decide priorities based on how you want to fight your battles. If you want to jump straight to a Battlestar tier of ship, you'll have to forgo many of the cheaper upgrades and designs that could make your starting fleet more potent.\u0026nbsp; There's something to be considered here every turn, since even moving your ships rapidly across the map can put a strain on your resources. Letting them idle for a few turns is much more fuel efficient, but of course means that the Cylons are raiding unchecked somewhere.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v-alHzysgeg\/WxLxpvD9f9I\/AAAAAAAAAno\/69r0YxOD-qUUki4WXtYM-_ky2fGpiRE2QCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180530225100_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-v-alHzysgeg\/WxLxpvD9f9I\/AAAAAAAAAno\/69r0YxOD-qUUki4WXtYM-_ky2fGpiRE2QCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180530225100_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI enjoyed the strategic part of the game because it gives you the freedom to conduct the war how you want, while still pushing you forwards constantly. Your operations are centered around a mobile shipyard that tags along with one of your fleets. It gives your starting fleet a bit of help in battles with its two fighter squadrons and some turrets. However, soon you must build additional fleets and send them out alone to keep the enemy in check across the twelve colonies. Doing so will give you benefits, since worlds support you more when you have a military presence there, and having more fleets spread around makes it much easier to drive off the Cylons wherever they appear.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zVYo4azuY4o\/WxLxsQ7dYnI\/AAAAAAAAAnw\/Zu1Vy9So3joNuqrJZ1TKdZVrYFV-WPVkwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180530232215_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zVYo4azuY4o\/WxLxsQ7dYnI\/AAAAAAAAAnw\/Zu1Vy9So3joNuqrJZ1TKdZVrYFV-WPVkwCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180530232215_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe other half of the game is the tactical battles. This is the meat of the game, where you face the enemy head on and do your best to defeat them while taking minimal casualties. The interface for commanding your ships is easy to use, but there is a ton of depth to explore. The action is broken up into we-go turns where orders are given by both sides, then the action plays out briefly before giving you another chance to issue orders.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EShips have separate armor on all four sides plus the top and bottom. Once the armor in one section gets chewed up, the ship starts taking damage to its \"health\" points. Ships have specific sections like engineering and fire control which can be damaged and must be repaired to restore functionality. Each ship also has specific arcs of fire depending on where the turrets are. One of your starting ship classes can only fire forwards and backwards, while the other can only fire broadsides. Later models have more arcs, including some that are on the top or bottom. All of this means that you absolutely must use the concept of three dimensional space to your advantage. I tried a lot of tactics like stacking ships vertically and doing a space rendition of crossing the T. One must also consider that missiles or torpedoes fired by your ships will crash into any friendly ships in the line of fire, so you need to consider that when coming up with a formation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThere are some other small tweaks you can make every turn, like using a slider to add more power to either defense or attack (at the cost of speed) or boosting all power to the engines to cover some ground...er space. As your ships take damage, you can direct repair crews to whichever section of the ship you think needs to be repaired first.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBesides your large ships, you will also be fielding plenty of Viper and Raptor squadrons. The Vipers are your fighter jets, going out to attack enemy fighters and harass larger ships. They are great for projecting some power rapidly across the battlefield where needed. They can also play defense, and try to intercept incoming missiles. The Raptors are your utility players, equipped for electronic warfare, defense against Cylon hacking, boarding operations, and a small rack of missiles just for fun. Probably my only big complaint with the game is that you never seem to get those close in third-person shots of the Vipers that were so common in the show.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-GKYNjfWqMuU\/WxLyD7g_mlI\/AAAAAAAAAoQ\/MZuFweSqIPMsZvumV4WJxeTLEBdzqnR2ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180510223409_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-GKYNjfWqMuU\/WxLyD7g_mlI\/AAAAAAAAAoQ\/MZuFweSqIPMsZvumV4WJxeTLEBdzqnR2ACLcBGAs\/s640\/20180510223409_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe tactical battles initially seem like they could get repetitive or easy since you see a lot of the same ship types over and over, but that isn't the case. Each time you go out the enemy is in a different configuration, and the battles are so dynamic in how they flow from moment to moment that they never become repetitive. I had a constant drive to experiment with different strategies to see what would produce the best results. Again, I have to mention how the 3-D aspect of space combat really does come into play here, unlike in many space combat games where it doesn't really matter that much. As you add more ships to the mix, the tactical possibilities open up even more and as different enemy ships appear your tactics must adjust to the new threats they pose. All of this taken together makes for a lot of variety as the campaign progresses from small-medium skirmishes to late game heavy-weight bouts.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EEven when a battle mostly goes your way, this is a war between powerful opponents, and you will lose ships. It's heartbreaking to see a ship you've had from early on get caught in a kill zone because you maneuvered them too aggressively, or when a Cylon frigate manages to get off one last salvo of torpedoes which hits the one weakened section of armor on one of your ships, destroying it just as the battle ends. Losing ships and building new ones is part of the game, and really makes it feel like you are in a fierce battle for survival.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-UWQzopp0ZJc\/WxLyCGRx3II\/AAAAAAAAAoM\/Y0XiZjOOm_sCJwHkvY0tiCvQxTBVJp2HQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180510222803_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-UWQzopp0ZJc\/WxLyCGRx3II\/AAAAAAAAAoM\/Y0XiZjOOm_sCJwHkvY0tiCvQxTBVJp2HQCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180510222803_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe graphics and sound do a great job of depicting space battles in the style of the BSG reboot. Missile trails, cannon fire, flak bursts, it's all there and puts you right into the show. Zoom in on a ship and you can even see its name painted on the side. As ships take damage they will shows the scars of battle on their hull, with fire leaking out here and there. The sound effects perfectly match the action, with the dull boom of cannons followed by the deep cracking of a capital ship breaking up. One cool feature of the game is that you can watch a complete replay of each battle once it is over, with cinematic camera shots showing off all of the action. This turns a long series of brief turns into an uninterrupted movie that can be very enjoyable to watch when a battle goes your way.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI have to praise the music in particular. It is not the exact same music from the show (as far as I can tell), but it captures the same style perfectly. If you want a game that puts you right into the action of a Battlestar Galactica battle, this is it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIt goes without saying that I give this game a strong recommendation. If you are a fan of the show, you must play it. If you are a fan of turn-based tactics, XCOM style strategy-tactical mixes, or space combat, you should definitely be interested. The combat is great, the dynamic campaign provides a rich context for why you are fighting, and the game perfectly captures the atmosphere of the BSG universe. I didn't even mention the great voice work that goes into the story scenarios and briefings, where you get all the political intrigue and infighting that is common to the setting. With the addition of The Broken Alliance expansion, a good game is made even better. The game is half-off for the next week, so it's a great time to join the fray.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESo say we all!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBSG Deadlock and its expansions are available directly from Matrix Games.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.matrixgames.com\/products\/product.asp?gid=692\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EDeadlock Base Game\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.matrixgames.com\/products\/728\/details\/Battlestar.Galactica.Deadlock.The.Broken.Alliance\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Broken Alliance DLC\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe game is also available on Steam, PS4, and XBOX ONE.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/3809030959269561432\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2018\/06\/battlestar-galactica-deadlock-broken.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/3809030959269561432"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/3809030959269561432"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2018\/06\/battlestar-galactica-deadlock-broken.html","title":"Battlestar Galactica Deadlock: The Broken Alliance"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P6Ii5gOa1G4\/WxL4MJrHMcI\/AAAAAAAAAow\/7HacY8Wnwco7_3zovvaLkAqzwU9pD4kpACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/BSGD_The-Broken-Alliance_logo_black.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-1247405970467966205"},"published":{"$t":"2018-02-20T20:28:00.001+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-02-20T20:28:37.708+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Attack of the Earthlings"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Team Junkfish"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Attack of the Earthlings"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-hBWik7m0KyQ\/WoyE2TZkmiI\/AAAAAAAAAkg\/EqFwpjRH4_U7sihXiLbSampkgEY9vlBnwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"520\" data-original-width=\"1067\" height=\"308\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-hBWik7m0KyQ\/WoyE2TZkmiI\/AAAAAAAAAkg\/EqFwpjRH4_U7sihXiLbSampkgEY9vlBnwCLcBGAs\/s640\/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EYour planet is under assault from ugly, violent invaders. Your innocent people have been killed by the score. Resistance to the hostile aliens is the only option. Will you lead your people to victory over the evil invaders, these...humans?\u0026nbsp; That's the premise of Attack of the Earthlings, a new tongue-in-cheek tactical combat game that puts the player in command of deadly alien creatures fighting the humans\u0026nbsp; who are trying to rob a planet of its resources.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe humans are members of Galactoil, your typical evil galactic space corporation, have landed a huge drill on the surface, which carries the entire corporation within it. Starting down in the lower levels, you will fight your way all the way to the top over the course of several scenarios. At the very top is the Board Room, where all those smug executives are just waiting to get eaten by vengeful aliens. Each level gives you different tasks to accomplish, and occasionally throws some surprises at you. Early on you just need to kill off all the humans, but in some you must complete goals like defending a set location against waves of ever stronger enemies, or rescuing another alien before turning on the humans together.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-daq8VBcZSJ4\/WoyDmnXaMpI\/AAAAAAAAAkA\/XxNReE1vTH4hBZKWoWMTnsZyacQMcqA_gCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180210133529_1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ECarol is looking just a bit under the weather. But certainly is not host to an alien parasite...\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe heart of your force is the matriarch, a powerful creature which can kill humans, eat them, and then use the resulting biomass to spawn underlings at a frightening rate. The basic units you spawn, called grunts, can be evolved into three specialized units using more biomass. There's a sneaky backstabbing form, a big bruiser with lots of health, and a frail ranged unit.\u0026nbsp; The matriarch is powerful in combat, but losing it will immediately end your mission, so you will mostly rely on units created mid-scenario. Between levels you can spend points to upgrade the units and make them far more powerful. Some of these upgrades give direct stat boosts, while others give the unit type an entirely new ability. The better you perform in each level (winning quickly, taking few losses, among other factors), the more points you will be able to invest. Levels can be replayed for a higher score if you do poorly the first time around.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAttack of the Earthlings uses a turn-based combat system that should be familiar to fans of XCOM and the like. You get a limited number of action points for each unit each turn and can use those points to move or use abilities.\u0026nbsp; Each of the previously mentioned classes has a role to play on the battlefield, and your strategies open up as units gain more abilities. Depending on the \"terrain\" and your personal style, you may lean on one type of unit more than another.\u0026nbsp; For example, there are vents scattered around the levels that let units quickly move behind enemies or traverse large distances, but only the smaller classes can fit into them. On the other hand, you may be facing enemy types that punish melee attackers, so you will need to switch your ranged unit and pick them off from afar. The additional abilities you gain are key to winning the tougher fights as the game goes on. You'll soon be able to lay traps, distract enemies, and even mind-control humans to act as scouts and saboteurs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-s8LOgjNNY6o\/WoyDsKfW4kI\/AAAAAAAAAkM\/_T59xPyXqXsPru4dDORxwKmiVOzderSXwCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180211210920_1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAn important aspect of the combat is how stealth plays an important role. Enemies all have vision cones that your units must avoid to stay unnoticed. If they spot one of your creatures, the humans can react immediately and alert other nearby humans. Once alerted, guards will move their vision cone much more erratically and seek out your units. Your best course of action is to get to the flanks or behind every enemy and take them out one by one. Many of your actions, like opening doors, killing humans, or spawning new grunts generates sound. The range of the sound is visualized, so you can see if an action will draw the attention of a human. You can use this to your advantage often times, if you get creative.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe game includes some wonderful dialogue by the human characters, hitting various alien movie tropes and general humor. Since this is humor involving people being murdered and eaten by monstrous aliens, it of a decidedly dark and over the top style. Just wait until you bump into the most unfortunate turret to ever exist. Its AI was programmed to love and protect humans, but no one loaded it with ammunition. Hilarious tragedy ensues. I seriously laughed out loud at this game more than a few times.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1A1CiolrK4c\/WoyDrXfzsII\/AAAAAAAAAkI\/_5YRX123-3IJAPZtOBYJ69ZS0s-FIPvAwCLcBGAs\/s640\/20180208202334_1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe game is filled with wonderfully dark humor.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1A1CiolrK4c\/WoyDrXfzsII\/AAAAAAAAAkI\/_5YRX123-3IJAPZtOBYJ69ZS0s-FIPvAwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/20180208202334_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFor those looking for a solid tactical strategy game, something like XCOM but without the global strategic layer to worry about, Attack of the Earthlings is a perfect fit. The only negatives I could come up with are the handful of bugs I ran into and the lack of much replayability. The bugs I reported and got a quick response that they are being worked on. The lack of replayability might be a bigger negative for some. The campaign contains a set number of scenarios, and once you finish them, which will maybe take ten hours or less, there isn't much left to do. There isn't a random scenario generator or anything else other than chasing a higher score. What is there is great, but you will finish it in fairly short order.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAttack of the Earthlings is available on Steam for $25.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOfficial Website:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/teamjunkfish.com\/game\/attack-of-the-earthlings\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/teamjunkfish.com\/game\/attack-of-the-earthlings\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/1247405970467966205\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2018\/02\/attack-of-earthlings.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1247405970467966205"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1247405970467966205"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2018\/02\/attack-of-earthlings.html","title":"Attack of the Earthlings"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-hBWik7m0KyQ\/WoyE2TZkmiI\/AAAAAAAAAkg\/EqFwpjRH4_U7sihXiLbSampkgEY9vlBnwCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/unnamed%2B%25281%2529.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-1218428138554858859"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-30T04:13:00.000+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-30T04:16:14.255+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Crasleen Games"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fantasy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Warbanners"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8JIaz-jHcYo\/Wez9gwqg3EI\/AAAAAAAAAco\/xVXc0z3-aTo8SNzjFhLSK2BbDNuDK2m3wCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Warbanners_banner.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"353\" data-original-width=\"616\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8JIaz-jHcYo\/Wez9gwqg3EI\/AAAAAAAAAco\/xVXc0z3-aTo8SNzjFhLSK2BbDNuDK2m3wCLcBGAs\/s640\/Warbanners_banner.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWarbanners, developed by Crasleen Games, is the latest game in a sub-genre I've covered a few times already this year: the turn-based tactical combat game in a medieval\/fantasy setting. The game offers fast-paced, yet detailed combat with a very clear and responsive UI. Outside of the combat, there is a light layer of RPG elements and party management to give context to the battles. There is nothing here that you haven't seen before, but it is all handled so competently that I think it is worth your time if you are into this kind of game. Now, let's dive into each section of the game in a bit more depth.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-swAGMyUYd7k\/We0DowCgbII\/AAAAAAAAAc8\/vqnzcsvX_ZApwDcuaLB_LyWso4IC4ZlTQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.19%2B-%2B22.50.44.31.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-swAGMyUYd7k\/We0DowCgbII\/AAAAAAAAAc8\/vqnzcsvX_ZApwDcuaLB_LyWso4IC4ZlTQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.19%2B-%2B22.50.44.31.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIn the campaign, which consists of 42 linked scenarios (some optional),\u0026nbsp; you command a small company of mercenaries, setting out to slay monsters and make some coin in the world. Unlike\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/03\/battle-brothers.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattle Brothers\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E, which focused on a sandbox world in the style of Mount \u0026amp; Blade, there is a linear story here, featuring your avatar Roderick. The story is the typical stuff of fantasy lore, there are necromancers raising undead, a mysterious cult, a war against orcs, elves feuding with dwarves, and so on, but it makes for good fluff to link the various missions together. You will often be given some kind of choice at a decision point in the story, and what you choose can change the shape of a coming battle, or have you avoid fighting at all. Many of these decisions will increase or decrease your \"karma\", which goes up as you do nice things, and down if you are a baddie. This doesn't change the game dramatically, but does lock away some options for your party if your alignment is one way or the other.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe story moves along at brisk pace, and before you know it you will be caught up in the war against the orcs, which of course goes poorly for the humans and throws your party into some bad situations in the aftermath. I've not finished the whole campaign yet, but I think I'm about halfway through and can safely say that there is a good variety of mission types which force you to use different kinds of strategies. There are sieges, ambushes, desperate defensive stands and all out large scale battles where you have many allies and foes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oOTv6kAu9vs\/We0Dsd13ILI\/AAAAAAAAAdA\/4l_-XVgTMjk6TMJhuPg1VHZn6Bpg2uNQwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.19%2B-%2B23.02.47.49.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oOTv6kAu9vs\/We0Dsd13ILI\/AAAAAAAAAdA\/4l_-XVgTMjk6TMJhuPg1VHZn6Bpg2uNQwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.19%2B-%2B23.02.47.49.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EManaging your company consists of buying potions, equipping gear as it becomes available, and leveling up your experienced troopers. At the start you only have basic swordsmen and archers, along with your leader, but soon you gain access to additional fantasy archetypes. Dancers (basically rogues), mages, healers, knights, and so on. As you add in these more interesting classes, their abilities add much more complexity to the battlefield since they all have multiple special abilities and traits. The dancer, for example, gets bonus to flanking attacks and ignores enemy zones-of-control when moving. She can zip behind the enemy line and stab them in the back, inflicting bleeding damage as she goes and even has a limited ranged attack when needed. However, in return for all those perks, she has less health and can't take many hits.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs units level up, you can choose one stat boost from among three random options, so no two swordsmen will be the same after a few outings. Units can also gain new perks and abilities at higher levels. Another way to make a unit special is to give it one of the unique pieces of gear that are awarded after some missions. There are boots which can make a swordsman move like a dancer, a bow that increases an archer's range, and an item that lets a character attack in a 3-tile arc with each swing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6Vd__lnK7ME\/WfamK7kkk9I\/AAAAAAAAAdg\/UMcnQfroq8UvdB1IICqqN8rrB2kPGev-wCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.23%2B-%2B22.18.48.09.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6Vd__lnK7ME\/WfamK7kkk9I\/AAAAAAAAAdg\/UMcnQfroq8UvdB1IICqqN8rrB2kPGev-wCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.23%2B-%2B22.18.48.09.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ETactics play an important role in winning battles without losing a lot of units. Long term success in the campaign is much more assured if you can avoid losing any of your units in a battle. If they die, they must either be replaced with a fresh, level one newbie, or resurrected at a higher cost. Spending a lot of your limited cash on resurrections means that you won't be able to buy many potions, which are very helpful in certain situations, or hire the \"assistants\" which are essentially permanent buffs of various types. These assistants are people you hire to augment your mercenary band, but who don't actually fight on the battlefield. They do things like boost morale, unlock additional classes, or even give you a game-changing catapult in every mission. They are expensive but quite useful and you want to accumulate as many as you can afford. There isn't any way to get extra cash outside of completing missions, so for the entire campaign you are working with a very finite budget.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAs you might expect, your forces are often outnumbered, so you will need to use the terrain to your advantage, creating choke points and kill zones when possible. Most every mission has the ultimate goal of killing every single enemy on the map, but how you go about that can differ a great deal depending on the circumstance and how you have built your army. I often used a tactic of holding a defensive line in one section of the battle, while punching through somewhere else and getting behind the strongest part of the enemy line. Potions, as I mentioned before, are very useful in this game and can help turn the tide of a fight. There are about a dozen different types, besides just health and mana potions. You can stun enemies, poison them, freeze them, or use other potions to buff your own soldiers. These potions cost cash, so you can't use them willy-nilly, but you will absolutely need them at times. One particular case was when I went up against the \"boss\" orc in a large battle. He was unstoppable in a straight up fight, able to kill multiple units in one turn, but toss a few potions at him and you can hobble him long enough to get in some attacks and wear him down.\u0026nbsp; Attack an enemy enough times and you can exhaust their stamina, which means even the nastiest warrior can't do anything on their turn. Every unit also has a morale value which goes up and down depending on how the battle is going, and other factors. Get an enemy to rout and they will be easy pickings.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-zF5Ya2-3rp8\/We0D4wZVLXI\/AAAAAAAAAdI\/TKrjFrXp-BgAdvJ_-2QxfX9nZ1lqNvoBQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.22%2B-%2B15.06.59.70.png\" imageanchor=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-zF5Ya2-3rp8\/We0D4wZVLXI\/AAAAAAAAAdI\/TKrjFrXp-BgAdvJ_-2QxfX9nZ1lqNvoBQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.22%2B-%2B15.06.59.70.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAll of this is tied together with a clean and efficient UI. When a unit is selected, all the hexes it can move to are highlighted, when colored numbers showing whether a unit will still be able to attack after they reach that destination. Unit stats and special abilities appear on the sidebar, along with any consumable items like potions they are carrying. It's all very straightforward, but works well and quickly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI really enjoyed the time I spent with Warbanners, and fully plan on going back and finishing the campaign even after I write this review. It's simply a good crunchy tactical strategy game that doesn't demand too much of your time to have a satisfying play session. I fully recommend this game to anyone looking for a solid tactical combat game with a classic fantasy theme.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOfficial Website -\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/warbannersgame.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/warbannersgame.wordpress.com\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWarbanners is available on Steam.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"margin: 0px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/1218428138554858859\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/warbanners.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1218428138554858859"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1218428138554858859"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/warbanners.html","title":"Warbanners"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8JIaz-jHcYo\/Wez9gwqg3EI\/AAAAAAAAAco\/xVXc0z3-aTo8SNzjFhLSK2BbDNuDK2m3wCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Warbanners_banner.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-8500300588390806403"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-18T05:23:00.000+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-22T21:19:33.352+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Auroch Digital"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ogre"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ogre"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-01ytjPrEriI\/Wez9TAmQXSI\/AAAAAAAAAck\/5MG67cZZak8NMWROzytdSM8BAYlv7EeXACLcBGAs\/s1600\/unnamed.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"353\" data-original-width=\"616\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-01ytjPrEriI\/Wez9TAmQXSI\/AAAAAAAAAck\/5MG67cZZak8NMWROzytdSM8BAYlv7EeXACLcBGAs\/s640\/unnamed.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOgre is a turn-based game of strategy which has been around in tabletop form for 40 years. It was first released in 1977 and has been updated with numerous editions since then. I've only been a boardgame fan for a couple of years now, so I didn't know much about Ogre going in to this review. I did take the time to check out the various tabletop versions, so that I would have an understanding of where this game was coming from.\u0026nbsp; From what I've gathered, this is a very faithful rendition of the classic Ogre boardgame, which is great for fans. At the same time, Ogre suffers a bit from the double edged sword which is strict boardgame-to-PC adaptations. However, any game which remains popular over the span of four decades has certainly got something going for it, regardless of how you are playing it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOgre succeeds unequivocally in one aspect, which is the presentation of playing a boardgame in a digital medium. The visuals are simple and clean, while giving the distinct feeling that you are looking at a hex-map covered in models, all set up nicely on a table. The game runs buttery smooth, which isn't surprising given the level of detail, but does make the presentation all the better. You want to feel like you are looking over a boardgame table, and smooth camera movement is key to that. While the units only have limited animations, they are adequate for the job, accompanied by equally simple explosions and other effects. The sound effects were rather less impressive, with most being extremely repetitive. On the other hand, I found the music to be surprisingly good for this kind of game. It's not Command \u0026amp; Conquer, but there are some decent techno\/rock type of tracks to give the game some ambiance while you play.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EkBqphv7ehs\/WebT6apQ_mI\/AAAAAAAAAbs\/pg1z_6rXgX075jb_cRoddWpsZITPyoawgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.26.35.22.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EkBqphv7ehs\/WebT6apQ_mI\/AAAAAAAAAbs\/pg1z_6rXgX075jb_cRoddWpsZITPyoawgCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.26.35.22.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOgre, according to the lore, depicts a futuristic world where humanity does battle with each other using tactical nukes as the standard weaponry. This is because armor has advanced so rapidly that nothing else can make a dent. Even the armored soldiers are closer to nuke launching tanks than infantry, Starship Troopers style (the book, not movie). Deciding that wasn't enough death and destruction, the humans of this world invented the Ogre, an armored machine bristling with enough weapons to destroy a city or three, and piloted by an AI. As you might guess, the story of the game involves that AI going all Skynet and attempting to wipe out humans for good.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile the game features a variety of armored units for the human forces, like light\/heavy\/super heavy tanks, long range artillery, fast GEV's, and infantry, the Ogres completely\u0026nbsp;dominate the battlefield and shape the gameplay. An Ogre can only be disabled by knocking out their dozens of tracks and each individual\u0026nbsp;weapon, rather than being destroyed outright. The Ogre comes in a series of models, from I to VI, with the relatively small Model I Ogres requiring a dozen units or so to defeat, and the big bad versions able to take on entire armies alone. This creates a stark strategic difference between the Ogre and everything else on the battlefield: most of the other units can only fire once per turn, but their sheer numbers give them flexibility of movement, while the Ogre is often alone, but able to engage many targets at once.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Fwc9I8bnuNQ\/WebT6nn7ADI\/AAAAAAAAAbw\/GPY1owR7omkzNRC15Jx26x8P21wfdniiQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.31.53.56.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Fwc9I8bnuNQ\/WebT6nn7ADI\/AAAAAAAAAbw\/GPY1owR7omkzNRC15Jx26x8P21wfdniiQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.31.53.56.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ECombat follows a set series of phases, where the player gets a chance to move and attack, and then the other side goes. Maneuvering\u0026nbsp;around the Ogres, such that your units can get close enough to attack, while maximizing their chances of surviving the opponent's turn, is at the center of the game's strategy. The game seems extremely simple at first glance, but there is much more subtlety to the tactics than may first appear. I actually had to research some common strategies just to get through the first mission, but once I had a better understanding of the mechanics, a mission which seemed impossible became far easier. That isn't to say that the game throws you in blindly. There is a solid tutorial to start things off, where you learn about moving and attacking and so on. However, after that the ten mission campaign drops you straight into the deep end of the pool. If you are like me, several attempts will be needed for each mission before a winning strategy emerges. In particular, I enjoyed stacking my forces with the quick GEV's, since they get to move again after firing. This lets them zip in, take a shot at an Ogre, then flee out of range of its wrath.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SrNnGirCYp0\/WebT9rzsdEI\/AAAAAAAAAb0\/0R-6ILjHkWkHkF7PKUNo3iscvtWBjxxowCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.28.18.89.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-SrNnGirCYp0\/WebT9rzsdEI\/AAAAAAAAAb0\/0R-6ILjHkWkHkF7PKUNo3iscvtWBjxxowCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B13.28.18.89.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe UI for handling all of this moving and attacking is mixed bag. On the one hand, it is perfectly functional and clear about what you are doing. Click to select a unit, click a highlighted space to move, click to select a target, select the units you are using for the attack, click \"Fire\" to attack, and so on. The problem is that you are very often moving around quite a few units, and each one requires this slightly too lengthy series of clicks to function each turn. The movement animations are also a touch too slow, and you can't do anything else while they play. This makes moving a stack of five tanks from one space to another a real chore. If you were playing the tabletop game, you could just pick up a whole pile of units and, assuming they are all the same type, move them to another space in the blink of an eye. In the PC game, this could take a good thirty or forty-five seconds of clicking. The developers have been steadily sending out patches to address feedback, and I hope they will add in some means of speeding up this area of the game.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe combat, while for the most part compelling, had some stumbles for me as well. There is a lot of good strategy here. How you position your units, what priorities you set for targets, and the composition of your force all matter a great deal. More than once I lost a mission and felt frustrated, but then immediately jumped back in with the thought \"Well, what if I did it this way instead?\" From what I've learned on my own, and gleaned from reading online, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy here. The simple question of \"How does one kill an Ogre?\" has all sorts of answers. With that said, the boardgame origins of the combat mechanics don't always feel right in video game form. Rolling the dice always introduces luck into a game like this, and you will see a lot of dice rolled in Ogre. Part of the strategy is balancing the odds. Do you go all in on one sure-thing attack, or do you make several lesser attacks, with the chance of destroying multiple targets? One aspect of the combat which drove me crazy though, was taking out the treads on an Ogre. Unlike the weapons on an Ogre, the treads are targeted by each unit individually, with a rather low chance to hit, and there are a LOT of them to destroy. Sometimes this boils down to watching fifteen units pew-pew at a weaponless Ogre for multiple turns in a row, slowly grinding away the treads until you win or run out of time, with no skill involved whatsoever. I'm sure a long time fan of the game could jump in here and tell me that I'm approaching it incorrectly, and they might be right!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-yQg0sZZKbwc\/WebW2fzVHLI\/AAAAAAAAAcM\/8NEYAi6mo9wFFE6AO4U4VembML38_gwFgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B23.14.47.95.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-yQg0sZZKbwc\/WebW2fzVHLI\/AAAAAAAAAcM\/8NEYAi6mo9wFFE6AO4U4VembML38_gwFgCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B23.14.47.95.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIf you want to flip things around and take command of the Ogre yourself, that is certainly possible. Besides the campaign, the game features skirmish maps which include several different generic scenarios. Some are balanced, while others involve lopsided forces, like a human army and a small Ogre defending against an extra dangerous class V Ogre.\u0026nbsp; While the AI is decent enough, and will give you fits in the tricky campaign, there is of course the option of online play against a human opponent, the sort of match that Ogre was originally designed for. I didn't get to experience this myself while playing the game for review, but it seems to be functioning based on reports from other players.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-cb3-V5vKiH8\/WebWx13j5tI\/AAAAAAAAAcI\/3rwYDKZctcEl5CY4XH3bZANRnlUoAnsLwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B23.17.55.09.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"670\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-cb3-V5vKiH8\/WebWx13j5tI\/AAAAAAAAAcI\/3rwYDKZctcEl5CY4XH3bZANRnlUoAnsLwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Base%2BProfile%2BScreenshot%2B2017.10.17%2B-%2B23.17.55.09.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIt feels almost wrong to render any kind of verdict on a game that is been enjoyed by thousands of players longer than I have been alive, especially after only spending a week or so with it, but here we are. Ogre will most certainly please fans of the tabletop game. Everything is here, presented in a very clean and functional digital wrapping. There's online play for beating up your distant friends, and a couple of modes for solo play that will keep you busy for many hours. For players coming into it strictly as a PC game, it may feel constrained in some ways. The luck of the dice which can turn the best laid plan on its head, and the at times clunky UI could drag down your experience. Despite those criticisms, there is a very solid core of strategy gaming to be found here. New tactical layers reveal themselves as you get familiar with the mechanics, and usually reward your improved approach with much better results. I think any fan of turn-based strategy gaming will find something here to sink their teeth into.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDeveloper: Auroch Digital\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWebsite:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sjgames.com\/ogre\/products\/ogrevideogame\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.sjgames.com\/ogre\/products\/ogrevideogame\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/8500300588390806403\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/ogre.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/8500300588390806403"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/8500300588390806403"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/ogre.html","title":"Ogre"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-01ytjPrEriI\/Wez9TAmQXSI\/AAAAAAAAAck\/5MG67cZZak8NMWROzytdSM8BAYlv7EeXACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/unnamed.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-7461610839164519176"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-06T19:36:00.000+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-10-06T19:36:04.060+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Games Workshop"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"HeroCraft"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Space Marines"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Space Wolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warhammer 40k"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Warhammer 40k: Space Wolf"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/kW6txgApt5c\/maxresdefault.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"450\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/kW6txgApt5c\/maxresdefault.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ECan you just not get enough of leading Space Marines against the enemies of the Imperium? Then I have good news for you! The latest in the endless march of Warhammer 40k titles has recently released and I'm here to tell you all about it. Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf, developed by HeroCraft, attempts to stand out from the pack by offering up a fresh mish-mash of genres that work surprisingly well together.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBasically, this is a turn based tactical game that plays out on a grid, where each unit can take two actions per turn, much like XCOM. The twist is that each character takes actions based on cards in their hand. Most of these cards are weapons that have different attack patterns and damage values, from chain swords and power fists to heavy bolters, rocket launchers, plasma guns, and every other weapon you know and love from 40k. Most weapon cards can optionally be used to move your character. Once played, the card goes back into the deck. There are also other kinds of cards, such as dedicated movement cards which let you cover much more ground, healing cards, special weapons which can be permanently equipped and reloaded, and combo cards which give you some kind of bonus simply by staying in your hand.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Z_2VAVJaK2E\/WO2dyZT3DGI\/AAAAAAAAATc\/S4Zbhf8yzvs1xfqkp4iedh5MsLGPxNPJgCLcB\/s1600\/20170411214208_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Z_2VAVJaK2E\/WO2dyZT3DGI\/AAAAAAAAATc\/S4Zbhf8yzvs1xfqkp4iedh5MsLGPxNPJgCLcB\/s640\/20170411214208_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFor the enemy, the cards in hand are usually generic, and based primarily on whether they are ranged or melee fighters. You control your primary character and two fellow Space Marines chosen from a squad of five. Your allies have unique decks based on their class. There's a scout-sniper, a heavy weapons dude, a Terminator, and others. You can tweak their decks to a certain extent, but really their options depend on their class. Your primary character, however, can be fully customized with a 30 card deck chosen from dozens of options. This process feels very much like that of Hearthstone. You can open new booster packs of cards, or spend a currency to randomly generate new cards of a particular power level. Cards come in several tiers, from common to legendary. As you play the game you will unlock more and more cards to toy around with. Gotta' collect 'em all!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ENow, one might think that you would simply put all the most powerful cards in your deck, but there is a trade off. Turn order in Space Wolf is dynamic. It changes constantly depending on how much \"effort\" the most recently active character built up with his actions. More powerful cards add a lot of effort to your character, and whoever has the lowest total gets to go next. So if you play two really strong cards in one turn, some of your enemies may actually get to take extra actions before that character goes again. There are, of course, cards that can help lower your effort faster and offset using a big powerful card. I found this system to be one of the better ideas in Space Wolf, as it gives you a good reason to consider whether you should take an action now, or perhaps delay it until later for greater results.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6-OcUxFkx58\/WdfLhlh0zZI\/AAAAAAAAAbc\/BKsBXhu4yI4-NXOhLAmI9M4mvsRpZUTXQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2B10.02.2017%2B-%2B23.27.44.01.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6-OcUxFkx58\/WdfLhlh0zZI\/AAAAAAAAAbc\/BKsBXhu4yI4-NXOhLAmI9M4mvsRpZUTXQCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2B10.02.2017%2B-%2B23.27.44.01.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe tactical decision making is where the game shines. Positioning matters a great deal, since most weapons have a limited firing arc or distinct shape. Some examples include the sniper rifles, which have a very long range, but the arc is only one square wide, so you must be facing the enemy directly. The big power axes can one-shot KO most enemies, but can hit only the single square in front of the Marine wielding them.Other weapons do less damage, but have much wider arcs. The flamethrowers fire in a cone pattern, so you ideally want to engage a group of enemies from medium range to hit several at once. The battlefields of the game are often somewhat cramped, so you need to think ahead as your Marines move to engage. You don't want to have one standing in a spot that denies another a golden opportunity to do some damage, or even keeping one of your soldiers out of the fight entirely. You will need to press every advantage you can, since your Marines are always outnumbered, and often facing a seemingly endless flow of fresh enemies. If you allow too many foes to close within striking distance of your men, you will start taking damage much faster than the limited healing cards can restore it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDespite being a game that is also available on iPad and Android devices, Space Wolf manages to look quite respectable on PC. The textures and models are simple, but well done, the Space Marines in particular. The huge variety of weapons all have appropriate attack animations and effects, though some are better than others. For example, the flamethrower spews out a ton of fire over a large area and looks great doing it, but the poor bolters only spit out a handful of rounds before going silent. It's a bit underwhelming really, but makes sense for game balance. The melee attacks, I am happy to say, all look quite good and result in blood spraying everywhere. This is 40k after all!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8HdN4hZonTo\/WO2dydLjo8I\/AAAAAAAAATg\/jGGkPdVHV6wdUDyNC8Xx9wzXONzL8PKcACLcB\/s1600\/20170411214501_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8HdN4hZonTo\/WO2dydLjo8I\/AAAAAAAAATg\/jGGkPdVHV6wdUDyNC8Xx9wzXONzL8PKcACLcB\/s640\/20170411214501_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe area where this game struggles the most is scenario design. While the combat itself is entertaining, and there is a surprising variety of locales to fight through, the objective is pretty much always the same: walk through the level and kill enemies as they spawn in around you. Enemies appear here and there and everywhere, which removes any sense of overall strategy from the game. You have no way of knowing whether a new group is going to appear from a direction that makes sense thematically, or just materialize from the ether right next to your Marines. One mission looked to mix this up, by having you defend a Space Marine priest as he performed some sort of ritual, but then all of the enemies simply came running down a single hallway, two or three at a time. This defied the normal expectation in the worst way, it gave you a new objective, but still took away any strategic decision making. At the end of the day, this is a game focused on tactical combat. Kill the enemy faster than they can damage your men, and you will walk away the victor.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-rrvwzOAV86c\/WdfLfCzggvI\/AAAAAAAAAbY\/aYTPkwuVbRwefNiJI34VLndTo-I_kOVYwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Desktop%2B09.27.2017%2B-%2B20.40.58.01.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-rrvwzOAV86c\/WdfLfCzggvI\/AAAAAAAAAbY\/aYTPkwuVbRwefNiJI34VLndTo-I_kOVYwCLcBGAs\/s640\/Desktop%2B09.27.2017%2B-%2B20.40.58.01.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIn addition to the twenty or so missions of the campaign, there is a survival mode,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/05\/warhammer-40k-space-wolf-gameplay.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewhich you can watch me play here\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and PvP multiplayer. I tried a couple of times to find an online match, but it seemed no one else was on at the time. Looking at the leader boards, there are at least a few dozen dedicated players out there who have played hundreds of matches online, so I can only assume it works well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESpace Wolf is a good value for the price, you get a lot of places and people to fight, and lots of options for customizing your team. Anyone who is addicted to building decks of cards in Hearthstone or similar will love that aspect of the game. While the combat lacks variety in terms of strategy, it makes up for it with a nice spread of maps and enemy types. There are cultists, corrupted Imperial Guardsmen, Chaos Marines and even more supernatural foes to kill as you progress through the game. The survival mode is almost a game unto itself, since you will need to build a deck focused on long-term sustainability if you want to complete all of the waves. Finally, the online mode is there if you can find an opponent, which is where you would need some real strategy to win. If you are looking for a fresh take on the turn-based tactical genre, and especially if you like purging chaos, give Space Wolf a try.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDeveloped by HeroCraft\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOfficial Website:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.spacewolfgame.com\/#\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.spacewolfgame.com\/#\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAvailable on Steam, iOS, and Google Play.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/7461610839164519176\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/warhammer-40k-space-wolf.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/7461610839164519176"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/7461610839164519176"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/10\/warhammer-40k-space-wolf.html","title":"Warhammer 40k: Space Wolf"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Z_2VAVJaK2E\/WO2dyZT3DGI\/AAAAAAAAATc\/S4Zbhf8yzvs1xfqkp4iedh5MsLGPxNPJgCLcB\/s72-c\/20170411214208_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-6669627209015015578"},"published":{"$t":"2017-09-21T04:50:00.001+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-09-21T04:50:57.818+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Age of Fear"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fantasy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Age of Fear 3: The Legend"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAge of Fear 3: The Legend is a turn-based tactical combat game that fully embraces the idea of gameplay over graphics. The developers are up front in admitting that the visuals in their newest title are nothing to get excited about. Instead, they want you to dive into a detailed tactical combat engine in which your opponents are driven by an impressive AI that manages to effectively control hundreds of different unit types, spells, and abilities.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R9PmxulCQ_w\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\nWatch the official trailer to get an idea of how the game looks in motion, and enjoy the..uh..innovative cinematography.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EIn this game, you can choose to play one of two fairly lengthy campaigns. I've only played partially through them so far, but they are equally interesting takes on the fantasy setting. The first campaign gives you control of a beautiful, but deadly, dryad and an ugly, but very deadly, drider. The drider fellow is like a centaur but with the body of a spider instead of a horse. Nightmare material for sure. These two are forced into a partnership by circumstance, and then go on a wild tear through the countryside building an army to fight whatever gets in their way. The other campaign focuses on a drunken dwarf lord on a rampage of his own. The game has some charmingly silly writing and I laughed more than once at the characters' frequent banter.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe campaign is made up of a series of scenarios that constantly challenge you with new enemies and hazards, with bits of story and dialogue sprinkled in between. After a few missions you will begin to see optional scenarios as well. These can add to the story and give you various bonuses if you complete them. One thing I found really fascinating was that there were occasional missions where losing would actually open up a hidden branch in the story line. I don't want to give any of these away, of course, but just wanted to let any prospective player know not to immediately reload the game when a scenario is going poorly, there might be a fun twist if you hang around.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-CHjYo8KnjEk\/WcM2v92-ryI\/AAAAAAAAAbI\/Ryi_OfdFBHI92N3etMRe4BTSiWb7j7JFgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/ss_2e27d0510a2633d5e4fc182855de66cd4dc823e7.1920x1080.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1502\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-CHjYo8KnjEk\/WcM2v92-ryI\/AAAAAAAAAbI\/Ryi_OfdFBHI92N3etMRe4BTSiWb7j7JFgCLcBGAs\/s640\/ss_2e27d0510a2633d5e4fc182855de66cd4dc823e7.1920x1080.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe combat itself takes place on grid-less battlefields where you are free to move your troops about however you like. Units cannot pass through one another, and the fighting spaces are often crowded, so this means that it is very much an effective tactic to have a line of melee units backed by ranged units, for example. To avoid hindering the mobility of your own units, you'll always want to plan ahead a bit and arrange your own forces to allow for flexibility. A couple of giant ents can really put a hurting on the baddies, but can also clog up your lines, blocking other units from reaching the enemy. Faster units are best kept out on the flanks where they can rapidly close when an opening presents itself. All of this taken together actually gives the gameplay a sort of wargame feel. Frontage and the logistics of moving your troops around the battlefield is equally important to spells and swords.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAoF3 is a game that may look very simple at first glance, but actually gives you a ton of options in how to shape your fighting force to your own style. Between missions you get a chance to recruit new units, buy equipment, and add new abilities to your experienced forces. Two units of the same type can be specialized by buying different upgrades with their experience points. You can even \"evolve\" some units into a new type, or spend the XP on strengthening what you already have. Attributes like poison\/fire\/etc resistance, health regeneration, new abilities, or simple attack and defense buffs are among the many options. Your two hero units have tons of choices available, including lots of new abilities to select from. The heroes can also be decked out with various pieces of gear that specialize them even further. Between all of this, a hero unit might have more than a dozen different bonuses and changes that make them unique after just the first few scenarios.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-WxuqZXrxFFU\/WcM2vDOd6dI\/AAAAAAAAAbA\/-GOmee78BsAxDuQa-bELhOGhMltDmA3WACLcBGAs\/s1600\/ss_19e53005239308290e769069936e38bfc9949f25.1920x1080.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1502\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-WxuqZXrxFFU\/WcM2vDOd6dI\/AAAAAAAAAbA\/-GOmee78BsAxDuQa-bELhOGhMltDmA3WACLcBGAs\/s640\/ss_19e53005239308290e769069936e38bfc9949f25.1920x1080.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EYou will need every bonus you can get, since this a game that requires some real tactical effort from the player. Simply sending all of your units forward to engage with the enemy will more often than not lead to disaster. In just about every scenario there is often some sort of tactical adjustment that will need to be made on the player's part in order to win. For example, in an early mission the enemy has several kamikaze plant creatures which will explode into a cloud of poisonous gas if they can hit more than one of your units. However, if you only send one unit forward, the enemy unit will only engage in melee attacks. In another mission an undead alter will continuously summon new units until it is destroyed, making its destruction a much higher priority than defeating the units it sends at you. \u0026nbsp;Figuring out an approach that will work, and then executing it successfully, is the central part of what makes this game fun. A successful scenario leads to your forces getting bigger and better, and the cycle continues.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOne of the things touted by the developers about Age of Fear 3 is the above average enemy AI. I watched out for this in particular as I played the game, and found that it really did do some interesting things. Enemy units exhibit a multitude of behaviors beyond simply charging at you and attacking. Ranged units will try to keep your melee units at a distance, enemies in a hopeless situation will retreat, leaders will hang out behind their lines providing support and then attack furiously once engaged. The AI certainly pulls no punches, as it will at times focus fire on a single unit, and isn't afraid to use area-of-effect attacks when possible.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hwQoSssGXrI\/WcM2v7TqkVI\/AAAAAAAAAbE\/M5HO56Zqac06rxZQyIoKjUkPWE-dXn3jACLcBGAs\/s1600\/ss_200f1aadb376003b8284c020d4b1fbccc4976448.1920x1080.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1502\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hwQoSssGXrI\/WcM2v7TqkVI\/AAAAAAAAAbE\/M5HO56Zqac06rxZQyIoKjUkPWE-dXn3jACLcBGAs\/s640\/ss_200f1aadb376003b8284c020d4b1fbccc4976448.1920x1080.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhile playing the game, I did not run into any serious bugs or glitches. The only annoying thing was occasionally having to click twice on something since the first click did not register. Another issue was that the way stat adjustments worked was not always 100% clear or logical. Particularly, I had to learn the hard way that equipping a weapon with a poison bonus would actually lower my chance to hit the enemy at all to practically nothing if said enemy had poison resistance or immunity.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOverall, Age of Fear 3 offers up exactly what it promises. A detailed tactical combat game with simple graphics and sound, but a lot of substance under the hood. It also has fun story lines to follow along with and all sorts of exotic units to choose from. \u0026nbsp;The game of course won't be everyone's cup of tea, but at least it is very up front about what you are getting. If you are still on the fence, the first two games in the series are quite cheap and offer a fairly similar experience to let you try out the system.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOfficial Website:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.age-of-fear.net\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.age-of-fear.net\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAge of Fear 3: The Legend can purchased on Steam or directly from the developers on their website.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/6669627209015015578\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/09\/age-of-fear-3-legend.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6669627209015015578"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6669627209015015578"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/09\/age-of-fear-3-legend.html","title":"Age of Fear 3: The Legend"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/R9PmxulCQ_w\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-5708384016907396168"},"published":{"$t":"2017-02-13T06:10:00.001+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-20T17:21:43.970+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Battle Brothers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"game"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Games Reviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RPG"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Early Access Preview: Battle Brothers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com\/steam\/apps\/365360\/header.jpg?t=1479486556\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com\/steam\/apps\/365360\/header.jpg?t=1479486556\" height=\"298\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattle Brothers, from Overhype Studios, is a game which, upon playing for the first time, my immediate reaction was to wonder how in the world no one had made a game quite like this before. \u0026nbsp;It can somewhat be described as a mash-up of concepts from games like Mount and Blade, Darkest Dungeon, X-COM, \u0026nbsp;and Final Fantasy Tactics. If that gets your attention, by all means go buy the game right now, because you will love it. Come back and read this while it downloads.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe game puts you in command of what's left of a company of mercenaries, immediately following the death of your captain and most of your fellow mercenaries in an ambush. You start off with three decently equipped soldiers and a limited supply of funds. You then set out to make your way in a randomly\u0026nbsp;generated world full of opportunities. Movement on the campaign map is very much like that of Mount and Blade, with your company represented by an icon traveling the world and encountering other groups of people, be they trade caravans, peasants, or bandits. Combat takes place in turn-based battles on a hex-based grid. I'll save a more detailed description of the gameplay for my review when the game is closer to release (there is one last big patch coming before then). Today I simply wish the regale you with the tale of my first campaign.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-jJ2fdF99peM\/WKNtvA5e-EI\/AAAAAAAAAM4\/vwjMFr1QJqg5Nl3XSELnEvJZOfbdrbZngCLcB\/s1600\/20170214144545_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-jJ2fdF99peM\/WKNtvA5e-EI\/AAAAAAAAAM4\/vwjMFr1QJqg5Nl3XSELnEvJZOfbdrbZngCLcB\/s640\/20170214144545_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBattle Brothers uses the \"Busts of soldiers bumping into each other\" art style. Which works nicely here.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFollowing the previously mentioned ambush and near annihilation of the Battle Brothers mercenary company, the survivors resolved to rebuild and hunt down the murderous bandits. Unfortunately, the only volunteers willing to join our force were a couple of bored villagers, the town drunk, and a vagrant or two. Fortunately, these men came cheap, leaving me with enough money to buy them some gear. Even a stone-cold mercenary captain can't send men into battle wearing tattered rags and wielding wooden sticks. He can't have his investments *ahem* loyal soldiers cut down in a single blow.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe had to travel to a larger village down the road to find better weapons for the men. This gave me time to get to know them better. Each man had a story to tell. Some were simply bored with the life of a peasant, feeling they were destined to travel the world and do something greater. Others were down on their luck after repeated misfortunes, and saw joining a company of mercenaries as a chance to climb out of the gutter. I sympathized with their tales, but, honestly, I needed warm bodies to fill the ranks and they were the best I could afford.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-G-kAo_DrEhw\/WKNtvLlQaYI\/AAAAAAAAAM8\/bf60rE9zYMQ6cq3sCmF6AfWBOCpSyf8ogCLcB\/s1600\/20170214144755_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-G-kAo_DrEhw\/WKNtvLlQaYI\/AAAAAAAAAM8\/bf60rE9zYMQ6cq3sCmF6AfWBOCpSyf8ogCLcB\/s640\/20170214144755_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EWhat happens when you bump into an orc raiding party before you are ready.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EAfter assembling all the men and equipment I could afford with my starting funds, I returned to our previous employer who sent the company after those bandits in the first place. He would pay good money to have the bandit leader killed once and for all, and knew where the scumbag was hiding.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMy rag-tag band tracked the bandits to their camp and moved in for battle. The ensuing chaos was almost too much for my untrained soldiers, but with superior numbers we were able to overwhelm the bandits and take out the leader. Sadly, he was able to cut down one of the original members of the company in the melee. Another man, the beggar from the village, was wounded so badly that he would never be the same with a sword or spear, but I still needed him in my fighting line until I could hire a replacement. Regardless, victory was ours, as well as the loot and payment that came with it. With these new funds I was able to hire and equip a couple of new men. I also treated the company to a round of drinks at the tavern to lift their spirits.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWe were still a pitiful looking rabble, but we were able to find work escorting a convoy on a journey that would take a few days. I negotiated with the caravan master for some funds up front, and used that restock our food and medicine supplies. Along the way we were attacked by some roaming highway men, but came out victorious once again, though battered and bloodied by the fighting. After reaching our destination and getting paid, I decided to let the men rest for a couple of days. I also picked up a few more pieces of gear, including some real armor. Well, leather armor. Chainmail and plate was far beyond our current budget.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-qNjTz-ANb18\/WKNtu1UUZvI\/AAAAAAAAAM0\/hf_M5edC64sZKG-VW0afHW6owDb9-Jr5wCEw\/s1600\/20170214144120_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-qNjTz-ANb18\/WKNtu1UUZvI\/AAAAAAAAAM0\/hf_M5edC64sZKG-VW0afHW6owDb9-Jr5wCEw\/s640\/20170214144120_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe world map of Battle Brothers will be familiar to anyone who has played Mount and Blade.\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOnce everyone was healed up, we took another contract escorting a caravan back towards where we started out. This time there were no bandits. We were still paid in full, despite only marching for a few days. Now that's my kind of work. This pattern continued\u0026nbsp;for a couple of weeks. Escorting caravans and tracking down thieves. Despite humble beginnings, my company was starting to come together. Most of the soldiers now had real weapons and armor, and some were becoming much more proficient at combat. I had also lost a couple of soldiers here and there, but each town along the road had its share of desperate men looking to join for one reason or another. Overall, things were looking good.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMy over-confidence would be my downfall.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EHaving gained a small reputation, we were offered a lucrative contract by a local lord. He wished us to go on a lengthy patrol of the roads to several nearby towns. We would be paid a moderate amount for this, but, more importantly, would also be paid a bonus for each bandit head taken along the way. The men buzzed at the thought of slaying every bandit we could find along the roads.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EThe first leg of the patrol was uneventful. Not a bandit in sight. Myself and the men were disappointed. Our payday would hardly cover our travel expenses if the rest of the patrol went like this. Little did we know we were about to walk into the hornet's nest.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EOur maps showed most of the surrounding area, but one uncharted region lay between us and our next destination. No matter, we were a company of killers at this point, and no bandit mob would be able to take us. Venturing into the unknown, we finally stumbled across some bandits. It was a small group, no match for the dozen men now under my command. We struck them down and moved on, looking for more victims. Another group appeared, slightly larger than the last. We fought a good fight and wiped them out, suffering only a few injuries. The men were giddy at the thought of the ever growing payment we would receive in a few days.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EYet another group of bandits appeared, just a handful, and we swooped in. To our shock, these bandits were not the usual mangy lot, they were real fighters and carried real weapons. This proved a tough fight, despite our 2:1 advantage in numbers. A couple of my men fell in the fighting, and more were wounded. We survived though, and could carry on. A little further and we would be out of this wild area. Then we saw it. An abandoned fortress turned into a bandit stronghold. That must have been where all the bandits were coming from. The lord who hired us would want to know about this.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJust before we cleared the uncharted area and made it to safety, another bandit party found us. This one was almost as large as our force, and was as well equipped as the last group we fought. We had to run, contract or not. Unfortunately, we could not run fast enough. The group caught us and surrounded my company in a forest. Attacked from all sides and hemmed in by trees, the men were unable to support one another. They fought valiantly, but were cut down one by one. In the end, every man on each side was dead or dying, save two. The last surviving member of my original company was still standing, a crossbowman who had saved the day more than once. With his last crossbow bolt he had cut down an axe-wielding bandit, but his luck ran out as another bandit rushed forward through the mangled corpses. My soldier pulled out his knife, all he had left to fight with, and stabbed uselessly at his well armored foe. Seconds later he was slain. My mercenary company was completely wiped out, just like that.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBattle Brothers promises to be one of the best strategy games coming out this year. It's got a bit of RPG, a bit of team management, and lot of tactical combat. The full game promises to have world shaping events and quests for your mercenary company to participate in, but the game is already a massive success in my eyes simply based on the core mechanics. It very much captures that feeling of freedom and choice that you get in Mount and Blade. Traveling around from village to village, recruiting men, buying equipment and supplies, ultimately creating a deadly fighting force. Except here it's done even better. Every soldier has a back story and individual stats, as well as special traits. Almost everything in the game uses procedural generation, but it doesn't \u003Ci\u003Efeel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;like it.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EI did not know very much about this game going in, having simply not seen it mentioned anywhere. However, I was completely blown away by my initial experiences. The game is still in early access, but is completely playable and feels very polished. Once it comes out the price will go up, so if you think you would like it at all I seriously recommend picking it up now.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ELook for my full review in the next few weeks!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E- Joe Beard\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EFollow us on Twitter\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_AWNT_\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@_AWNT_\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/5708384016907396168\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/02\/early-access-preview-battle-brothers.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/5708384016907396168"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/5708384016907396168"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2017\/02\/early-access-preview-battle-brothers.html","title":"Early Access Preview: Battle Brothers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Joe Beard"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/16522632041187186826"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-jJ2fdF99peM\/WKNtvA5e-EI\/AAAAAAAAAM4\/vwjMFr1QJqg5Nl3XSELnEvJZOfbdrbZngCLcB\/s72-c\/20170214144545_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-6975996596289324878"},"published":{"$t":"2016-08-11T00:06:00.000+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-08-12T17:58:52.886+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Auroch Digital"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"IGOUGO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Last Days of Old Earth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Reviews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SCiFi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"slitherine"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Strategy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Last days of Old Earth Review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/store\/612\/Last.Days.of.Old.Earth\"\u003ELast Days of Old Earth\u003C\/a\u003E Review\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gTx-kQnrPFI\/V53z3CvWkUI\/AAAAAAAAAMA\/w5WjrtJ8UeUQJbrk7KboRY8JUOO8nvGWACLcB\/s1600\/20160731084628_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gTx-kQnrPFI\/V53z3CvWkUI\/AAAAAAAAAMA\/w5WjrtJ8UeUQJbrk7KboRY8JUOO8nvGWACLcB\/s640\/20160731084628_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E Hang on, wait a second. Why am I reviewing this game? I am a grognard whose pedigree goes back to the early days of board wargaming. I don't even read Sci-Fi; well, very little. The map isn't of Europe or anything I have seen before, and what about all of the strange units? What's up with them? Just as companies have to branch out like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/\"\u003ESlitherine\u003C\/a\u003E has done into IOS, Android, and non-historical games to keep pace with, and sometimes create new markets. We wargamers should do the same. I know I used to look down my nose at a map that had \"shudder\" areas instead of hexes. I now play \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ageod.com\/\"\u003EAgeod\u003C\/a\u003E games all the time and love them. So please, people, step out of your comfort zone with games every once in a while and check out those beer and pretzel games, fantasy, and Sci-Fi games. So does \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/\"\u003ESlitherine\u003C\/a\u003E and Auroch Digital hit one out of the park to the ultaran nebula, or is this game the last spark of a super nova turned cold?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; Last Days of Old Earth was reviewed earlier here when it was still in early access. The game has changed since then, and also just received a very large update. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;In this turn based strategy game, you can play as the Skywatchers Clan or the Automata.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Skywatchers Clan are the last remnant of humans who live on Earth; not ours, but one that has been turned into a freeze pop. Playing as them, you are marching toward the equator, which is still warm enough to sustain some life.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Automata are a robotic race of sentinels that are in the way of the Skywatchers Clan on their trek to the equator.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The only thing that confused me is that the Skywatchers clan is set on doing its Northwalk. Living in the northern hemisphere, it had me turning my head several times. This again is proof that people should think, look, and walk at times out of their comfort zone.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;In some ways, the game resembles a turn based RTS game. You build facilities and upgrade them. You explore the map looking for both resources and enemies. The map is a blank slate except for the few tiles that you can see at first. As far as similarities to RTS games, that is about it. At its heart it is a strategy game as much as any wargame is.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The main difference is that it is turn based. So you have no need for frenetic map searching or finger clicking. It reminds me of the newer board games with its die rolls and cards to pull.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The terrain is varied, and gives bonuses to the defender like a typical wargame. The units have all strengths and weaknesses that have to be used to used to attack or to defend against your enemy.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; You can build outposts which are military installations, and also build collectors on resource tiles. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;One place the game really shines is in terrain height. In this game it actually matters. You not only get the expected defense bonus, but your units can actually SEE farther on the map. This helps immensely with recon, attack, and defense planning.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-jffVJdTubXQ\/V6XN3Cnyc_I\/AAAAAAAAANE\/xP7CVhr04Mwdk0YxdKlyPe74cluVCLFzgCEw\/s1600\/20160806073708_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-jffVJdTubXQ\/V6XN3Cnyc_I\/AAAAAAAAANE\/xP7CVhr04Mwdk0YxdKlyPe74cluVCLFzgCEw\/s640\/20160806073708_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The other very well done part of the games is in its hero units. They have special abilities, and also have a set amount of units that they can command in armies.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EYou can garrison your HQ or your outpost or deploy your armies out of them. If you lose your HQ to the enemy, the game is lost. All of your installations have limits on the amount of units allowed to be present in the garrison. Units in installations can also be healed and repaired. There are a few units that can do this for your armies in the field.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The game turn starts with a die roll to determine who wins the initiative. You can use your resources to buy more chances to win the die roll. Gaining the initiative not only lets you move first, you also gain more action points to use during that turn.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Battles occur when units of both sides are in the same hex. You can choose to autoresolve it or move it to the field of battle. The field of battle is pretty typical in its look and usage. The front line is for units defending and attacking directly with the second line used for support units. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MwTujKxFuZg\/V6XN5YCOpYI\/AAAAAAAAANI\/oeL23Xf6RXcLG4TXVSDH0rurIVwHDTQSgCLcB\/s1600\/20160806074057_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-MwTujKxFuZg\/V6XN5YCOpYI\/AAAAAAAAANI\/oeL23Xf6RXcLG4TXVSDH0rurIVwHDTQSgCLcB\/s640\/20160806074057_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The AI is very competent on both the field of battle, and the maps.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The graphics at first seemed to me a bit cartoon-like (see above), but the maps and units grew on me. They are actually well done for the game's story line.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Resources are the key to the game.You have to get moving on the first turn. For both recon and to search, find, and capture the different resource hexes on each map. Not only finding, but also defending your resources is really the crux of game play. If the enemy can take away your resources you will lose. Possibly a slow loss, but a loss nonetheless.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The game comes with the ability to choose your units before you start with the ability to build your own 'decks' of them before battle.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nneHn99TI8U\/V53zzgo_3VI\/AAAAAAAAAL4\/Hw8kQ3J9VosdH-23eBGIUWx5uoWDEPfqQCEw\/s1600\/20160731084716_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nneHn99TI8U\/V53zzgo_3VI\/AAAAAAAAAL4\/Hw8kQ3J9VosdH-23eBGIUWx5uoWDEPfqQCEw\/s640\/20160731084716_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-XnppKygB2j4\/V53z1YtKIII\/AAAAAAAAAL8\/hrlwveFsRgYvNiCy0N3Z-E2p3zAC6royQCEw\/s1600\/20160731084704_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-XnppKygB2j4\/V53z1YtKIII\/AAAAAAAAAL8\/hrlwveFsRgYvNiCy0N3Z-E2p3zAC6royQCEw\/s640\/20160731084704_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The game also has an adjustable 'sudden death' meter in the skirmish games. This is a good addition so the player doesn't have to destroy all of his enemies or capture the entire map to win that scenario.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-qOy6CzXOGfo\/V536x9fV2HI\/AAAAAAAAAMQ\/c0hZKm3IO5EQHV7U6kwkUzi03mBjfS-bgCLcB\/s1600\/20160731084732_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-qOy6CzXOGfo\/V536x9fV2HI\/AAAAAAAAAMQ\/c0hZKm3IO5EQHV7U6kwkUzi03mBjfS-bgCLcB\/s640\/20160731084732_1.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; To add to the player's choices, the game has some interesting features. A unit can go into stealth mode in a forest tile and become hidden. You can try to assassinate your enemy's heroes. Sabotage is also something you can do against your enemy and cut down on his supply. The game also has 'encounters' where the player's forces will move next to a tile that has a force that is not one of the two antagonists. The player has to choose on how his forces will react to this. It is possible to gain allies during one of these encounters.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;To sum it up, this game is an interesting title that really does have some depth if you take the time to play it. A lot of wargamers or grogs would look askance at it due to the story and graphics. This one will remain on my harddrive and I will definitely play it. In the beginning I was skeptical, but it has proved its worth. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; Robert\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Game: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/store\/612\/Last.Days.of.Old.Earth\"\u003ELast Days of Old Earth\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Developer: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.aurochdigital.com\/games\/\"\u003EAuroch Digital\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Publisher: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slitherine.com\/\"\u003ESlitherine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Date of Review: 8\/6\/2016\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/6975996596289324878\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/08\/last-days-of-old-earth-review.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6975996596289324878"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/6975996596289324878"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/08\/last-days-of-old-earth-review.html","title":"Last days of Old Earth Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Robert Peterson"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/17114299951391079193"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-gTx-kQnrPFI\/V53z3CvWkUI\/AAAAAAAAAMA\/w5WjrtJ8UeUQJbrk7KboRY8JUOO8nvGWACLcB\/s72-c\/20160731084628_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-2290707419926136670"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-13T22:38:00.000+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-05-18T20:31:30.162+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"aar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"After Action Reports"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"blocks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Germany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nuovo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Russia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vento"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ww2"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WWII"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Blocks in the East AAR by Chris Buhl"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ch2 align=\"center\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ventonuovo.net\/games_2.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EBlocks in the East AAR\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-D0TmJDvX4pw\/VzZE4HuG9YI\/AAAAAAAAAIs\/gcrk7ztxvRUvVcseVJvhXEPg6frjE0sIACLcB\/s1600\/Block-in-the-east.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-D0TmJDvX4pw\/VzZE4HuG9YI\/AAAAAAAAAIs\/gcrk7ztxvRUvVcseVJvhXEPg6frjE0sIACLcB\/s320\/Block-in-the-east.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"center\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\nFollow Chris Buhl as he battles across Russia in Vento Nuovos well received\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ventonuovo.net\/games_2.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBLOCKS IN THE EAST\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003EBLOCKS IN THE EAST\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a game of World War II conflict simulation at the strategic level.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIt recalls the most decisive battles fought on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the invasion in summer '41 \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Euntil the dramatic end in Berlin in spring 1945.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAlthough based on historical events, players can modify the evolution of World War II on the Eastern Front.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe AAR consists of 17 parts. I shall publish them in three goes. Enjoy the read!\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv align=\"left\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/blog-page_13.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;BITE part 1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt2.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 2\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt3.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 3\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-pt4.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 4\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt5.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 5\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt6.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 6\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/blog-page_15.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 7\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt8.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt9.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 9\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt10.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 10\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt11.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 11\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt12.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 12\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-part13.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 13\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt14.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 14\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/blog-page_18.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 15\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar-pt16.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE part 16\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/p\/bite-aar.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBITE Final Part\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/2290707419926136670\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/05\/blocks-in-east-aar-by-chris-buhl.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/2290707419926136670"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/2290707419926136670"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/05\/blocks-in-east-aar-by-chris-buhl.html","title":"Blocks in the East AAR by Chris Buhl"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jason Rimmer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11422897378271126789"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-D0TmJDvX4pw\/VzZE4HuG9YI\/AAAAAAAAAIs\/gcrk7ztxvRUvVcseVJvhXEPg6frjE0sIACLcB\/s72-c\/Block-in-the-east.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-1655315109070784709"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-13T17:06:00.003+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-05-15T05:42:15.279+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"aar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"After Action Reports"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"air"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"planes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WWI"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Warbirds: Canvas Falcons AAR's"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"border: currentColor; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"border: currentColor; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoTitle\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"border: currentColor; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/warbirdsgs.com\/images\/WBLogo.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/warbirdsgs.com\/images\/WBLogo.png\" height=\"400\" style=\"text-align: left;\" width=\"303\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoTitle\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/warbirdsgs.com\/Home.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EWarbirds: Canvas Falcons\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is superb print and play, WWI tactical air warfare, game really deserves a full boxed version. The designer spent over ten years creating it, and it shows.\u0026nbsp; Please take a look at the AAR's to see what we mean.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"font-weight: normal; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nHe is currently working on the WWII module and is also\u0026nbsp;looking for someone to develop a digital version, preferably on the PC, with AI and using the PC to enhance the game all around. There still is a definite gap in the market for a developer\/publisher to focus on conversions and use the power of the PC to enhance them (not change them though). For instance, add squadron management and some RPG elements to this particular game.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.co.uk\/p\/blog-page_14.html\"\u003EScenario 1 - First Attempt : France - 29th September 1914\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nScenario 12 - End of the Fokker Scourge - France - 19th July 1914 \n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.co.uk\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan itemprop=\"name\"\u003ETurns 1 and 2\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.co.uk\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end_15.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan itemprop=\"name\"\u003ETurns 3 and 4\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end_84.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan itemprop=\"name\"\u003ETurns 5 and 6\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end_71.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan itemprop=\"name\"\u003ETurns 7 and 8\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons.html\" itemprop=\"url\"\u003ETurns 9 and 10\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end_35.html\"\u003ETurns 11 and 12\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/jasta-37-flight-op-mission-1.html\"\u003EJasta 37 - Flight Op - Mission 1 - 28th December 1917\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nScenario 41 - Hohn's Rampage - France - 20th April 1918 \n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-41.html\" itemprop=\"url\"\u003EPart 1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.dk\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-12-end_15.html\"\u003EPart 2\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-41_89.html\"\u003EPart 3\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wargamersneedfulthings.blogspot.com\/p\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-scenario-41_15.html\"\u003Epart 4\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/1655315109070784709\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/05\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-aars.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1655315109070784709"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1655315109070784709"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/05\/warbirds-canvas-falcons-aars.html","title":"Warbirds: Canvas Falcons AAR's"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Jason Rimmer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/11422897378271126789"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-4018795331466428846"},"published":{"$t":"2016-04-19T12:36:00.002+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-04-20T14:02:51.081+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Battle of the Bulge"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"battlefront"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"combat mission"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WEGO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"WWII"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg Review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cblog\u003E \u003C\/blog\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 24pt; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 32px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ECombat Mission and me, a love story?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tmYm9qd6mgc\/VxYpID8pVpI\/AAAAAAAACKo\/NrjsNU0DPucYM_DyrBlLrejpoYQs_45-ACKgB\/s1600\/cmfb5.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tmYm9qd6mgc\/VxYpID8pVpI\/AAAAAAAACKo\/NrjsNU0DPucYM_DyrBlLrejpoYQs_45-ACKgB\/s640\/cmfb5.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.656; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhat is Combat Mission ? A WEGO\/Real-time tactical masterpiece.\n\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 20pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ECombat Mission\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E (in one form or another) and I go back a long way, \u0026nbsp;back to when \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=60\u0026amp;Itemid=100\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECombat Mission: Beyond Overlord\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003Ewas the new kid on the block. A time when us wargamers looked on in awe at this tactical masterpiece, a true game-changer had just announced itself, and we rejoiced. I remember like it was yesterday, picking up the box at Game in Liverpool...aaahh good times. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThen suddenly, (well it felt like a little time between CMBO and CMBB) Battlefront released a magnum opus. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?Itemid=90\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECombat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E or CMBB is it came to be known. No tactical wargame before or since has contained anywhere near the amount of content the new CM game had. The whole of the East Front from start to finish, including minor nations. Pure bliss. Plus, it kept all of the features that made CMBO \u0026nbsp;good like WEGO and Combat Mission's innovative new way of doing turns. Out went the old IGOUGO way of doing turns that had carried over from board wargames. Now, we still had turns that took one minute of game time, but your moves played out simultaneously with the enemy’s, as you had previously plotted your moves and then, when finished, you watched the action unfold. This also added loads of tension and excitement to the game.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-dHrI_KUL-Og\/VxYpJGzfe0I\/AAAAAAAACK8\/Pd8MVaZzPNgScdNoUfntEO_84RjgrXp7wCKgB\/s1600\/cmfbtaank.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-dHrI_KUL-Og\/VxYpJGzfe0I\/AAAAAAAACK8\/Pd8MVaZzPNgScdNoUfntEO_84RjgrXp7wCKgB\/s640\/cmfbtaank.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAdditionally, being able to rewind the turn as often as you liked, meant you never missed any of the action. So CMBB gathered a huge following and multitudes of Mod support. Later, a game set in Africa\\Italy was released. This would be the CMx1 swan song. \u0026nbsp;Battlefront had bigger more ambitious plans, esp. as technology had moved far along enough for their dreams to be realised (I still remember reading in the CMBB manual on how they'd love to have done visual 1v1 representation). So, what was it that Battlefront had planned for CMx2, what changes would we see, and how will it be received by the now dedicated and hardcore CMBB fans?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThere was a before and an after Combat Mission Shock Force \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWell, as well documented, things didn't turn out to well when Battlefront released \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=33\u0026amp;Itemid=69\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECombat Mission Shock Force\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. A game set, at the time, in a fictional war-torn Syria (a rather sad prediction of future events). Finally, we had 1v1 soldier representation, but in an unforeseen move, they'd gone with a focus on real-time, relegating WEGO, which, for me, was a seriously wrong move. All interest in the game evaporated and those who enjoy real-time found the game had some serious issues. The outcry was loud and long-and Battlefront listened. WEGO came back gaining its rightful place as a major feature, bugs were hunted down, gameplay was improved, new features added and eventually three superb modules were released: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EMarines\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EBritish Forces\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E, and finally \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ENATO\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NI10UFxDSYI\/VxYpIfPNpvI\/AAAAAAAACKs\/QKZBwFWjJZ4BTwUukqMeAqN6BD8oZKsnACKgB\/s1600\/cmfb6.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-NI10UFxDSYI\/VxYpIfPNpvI\/AAAAAAAACKs\/QKZBwFWjJZ4BTwUukqMeAqN6BD8oZKsnACKgB\/s640\/cmfb6.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EI watched a gameplay video that was made for a competition, liked what I saw, so I then bought CMSF several months after release, when WEGO was back and it was playing well. I also bought the Marines module, as that had just been released. However, it wasn't really until the British Forces module came out that I really fell for the game. For me, that module made CMSF and, from then on, I'd be buying as many CMx2 releases as I could afford and, like many others, started the long wait for the WW2 version to be released. One thing that really benefited the WW2 version was CMSF being released first, with all its teething troubles, so by the time the WW2 version was being developed, it had benefited greatly from all the work done during the course of CMSF and its modules. Even today there is a hardcore group that still haven't gotten over the move from CMx1 to CMx2.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ESince the release of CMSF and its modules, we have had the CMx2 engine cover the Western front from the invasion of Normandy until Arnhem, two releases covering \u0026nbsp;Italy, an East Front release covering '44, another modern era game covering a fictional conflict in the Ukraine (what is it with Battlefront predicting conflicts?), and finally, a third party release covering the Russian conflict in Afghanistan.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Mdch7E6r6A8\/VxYpGCmWf_I\/AAAAAAAACKc\/uZqzh_-cFgoeaQF2IxoiTYMAy9V3UC6DgCKgB\/s1600\/cmfbgeunifoprm2.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Mdch7E6r6A8\/VxYpGCmWf_I\/AAAAAAAACKc\/uZqzh_-cFgoeaQF2IxoiTYMAy9V3UC6DgCKgB\/s640\/cmfbgeunifoprm2.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\nCombat Mission Final Blitzkrieg has a multiplayer mode, \u0026nbsp;4 campaigns, plenty of scenarios and a skirmish mode.\n\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe latest release is \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=341\u0026amp;Itemid=604\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECombat Mission Final Blitzkrieg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E, carrying on from where Combat Mission Beyond Normandy and its Market Garden module finished off. CMFB takes us up to the end of what would be the German’s final large-scale attack in the West, which the Germans called Wacht am Rhein, which later became known as The Battle of the Bulge. It also includes scenarios set in the terrible meat grinder that was the Huertgen Forest, a battle that \u0026nbsp;wouldn't have looked out of place to a soldier from a generation before. There are also scenarios set during Operation Nordwind, a battle featuring the German 6th SS Mountain Division. Altogether, there are four campaigns which include one training campaign and 25 scenarios. There is also the Quick Battle feature, which I profess to never use, as I only play against the included AI (plus, the Quick Battles really aren't suited to this and are more for multiplayer use). The reason why quick battles aren't suited to single player is that the TAC AI is scripted, which means it doesn't really work that well in Quick Battles. This is one of the downsides of the engine, and a real bug bear for some. That's not to say the Tac AI is useless, when it comes to the scenarios and campaigns, those clever secanario designers end up weaving their magic ,with the result that many of my pixel truppen have come to a terrible demise and the AI march of victorious. I've never found this to be an issue, as there has always been more than enough content for me in the games without ever needing the Quick Battle feature.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-EOVmOPfj9Ck\/VxYpGeOfoaI\/AAAAAAAACKk\/sWAQs3IrI-gamXgLXZHruGrzXemXbqTkQCKgB\/s1600\/cmfb9.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-EOVmOPfj9Ck\/VxYpGeOfoaI\/AAAAAAAACKk\/sWAQs3IrI-gamXgLXZHruGrzXemXbqTkQCKgB\/s640\/cmfb9.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe game, as mentioned previously, \u0026nbsp;is set in the Western Front and covers the border areas of France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Each geographical area has its own specific terrain and building types, matching those you'd find in that particular part of the country. Also new to the West Front CMx2 games is snow, which obviously means many vehicles have \u0026nbsp;an application of whitewash camouflage, for when ground conditions dictate. CMFB consist of over 130 different vehicles, 24 heavy weapons, and 32 infantry weapons. \u0026nbsp;Forces consist of US Army, German Heer, Waffen SS, and the Luftwaffe (German Para units). Later modules will introduce the British and Canadians as well as take the game right up to the surrender of Germany in the West.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 24px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\"You'll be punished, and punished quickly...\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAs for gameplay, I'd really need another ten pages or so to really do justice to the game and cover as much as possible. I'd say the forums are the best place to go to get a good idea on how the CMx2 games play. \u0026nbsp;The game can be played both real-time and in WEGO mode. I’d suggest trying WEGO first whilst learning the system. Personally, I always play WEGO but others do prefer real time, but at least we have a choice. Command and Control are very important in a game with units having several ways of communicating with each other. \u0026nbsp;This then affects, at higher difficulty levels, what each \u0026nbsp;unit can spot. There is no borg spotting here. CMFB plays like all the other CMx2 engine games, so those who have played the previous ones and enjoyed them will have no regrets buying this.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-DJiO7AJWDgs\/VxYpJfTjKmI\/AAAAAAAACLE\/oAmOjQNAfms5N6aj7AViQD41BIHTT3ghQCKgB\/s1600\/cmfbusunifoprm.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-DJiO7AJWDgs\/VxYpJfTjKmI\/AAAAAAAACLE\/oAmOjQNAfms5N6aj7AViQD41BIHTT3ghQCKgB\/s640\/cmfbusunifoprm.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EFor those new to the game, \u0026nbsp;I suggest downloading the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=344\u0026amp;Itemid=606\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECMFB demo\u003C\/a\u003E. This is a great way to find out if you like the game enough to then go on and purchase. I do suggest to those who are from a \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EMen at War\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E or \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ECompany of Heroes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E background, please leave everything you learned playing those at the doorstep. CMx2 engine games are a big step up in realism, and if you play the same way you play those other two games. you'll be punished, and punished quickly. I have a few important tips that will help you keep your pixel rappen alive and that is not to rush, take your time moving your troops, split squads at the start, and don't be afraid to use recon by fire. I'd say go take a look at the excellent AAR's over at the forums that involve Bil Hardenberger. Bil also has a website full of tips on how to perfect your tactical know-how. \u0026nbsp;There are also some superb Let’s Play videos over at youtube. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EQuality, quality, and quality…\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAs usual, the scenarios and campaigns are of an exceptional standard. \u0026nbsp;The research that the scenario designers have put in is faultless right across the board. The briefings for each scenario really set the tone and atmosphere of what's to come, as well as set the immediate backdrop to the battle. Try not to skim over them, they add so much to the immersion, as well as contain little snip bits of intel which could really help you over the course of the battle. \u0026nbsp;The maps are being praised by all who own the game, many saying they are the best yet, and that really is saying something, as there are lots of outstanding maps which you'll find in all games in the series. The game definitely succeeds in portraying the harsh winter conditions that swept across Northern Europe during this period. I also like the variety of scenario sizes and how well spread out they are. In a previous game, I found very few \u0026nbsp;tiny and small scenarios which I really missed as they can be great fun. CMFB doesn't have this problem, all sizes get a decent amount of scenarios.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8MVDVbrGchA\/VxYpIiPn5iI\/AAAAAAAACK4\/aZA53dNEFJofuoqJQtPzJCKWcKHo7-GigCKgB\/s1600\/CMFB1.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-8MVDVbrGchA\/VxYpIiPn5iI\/AAAAAAAACK4\/aZA53dNEFJofuoqJQtPzJCKWcKHo7-GigCKgB\/s640\/CMFB1.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EI'm a CMx2 fan. CMFB hasn't disappointed me at all. I hear some are saying that progress isn't fast enough and improvements between the engines (now at version 3) aren't big enough. Personally, I'm happy with the progress. I'm not sure where these tactical games are that come close to what Battlefront is doing, let alone doing it better which would make CMx2 redundant. So, I'm very grateful we have Battlefront and CMx2, as, without them, my hobby would have a pretty big hole in it with nothing out there to fill it. I'm a tactical wargame scale nut and CMFB is another CMx2 game to have permanent residence on my hard drive. If you enjoyed the previous games, then this is a must buy as well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ETry it ! there is a demo !\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 21pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThose who are wargamers, and prefer the tactical scale, again I heartily recommend CMFB and all the other games in the series. Wargamers where tactical scale isn't their preference, I still recommend but do suggest trying \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=344\u0026amp;Itemid=606\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethe demo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr class=\"kix-line-break\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThose who never got over the move from CMx1 to CMx2 aren't going to be swayed by CMFB. Maybe when Battlefront moves on to a new engine, you'll come back into the fold. Here is hoping.Those who have played the previous games and found they weren't for them, then again, CMFB isn't going to change your mind.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThose who haven't played a CMx2 game before, then I say \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=344\u0026amp;Itemid=606\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ego download the demo\u003C\/a\u003E. Then you'll know if this series is for you or not. You never know, you could find that game you've been looking for all this time! Or, be turned into a whole new hobby, wargaming!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6NYQ2nHkqRE\/VxYpGdjSU0I\/AAAAAAAACKg\/SmZD6p_BZcQgvyraa3q0_3ua_AL-MYN_QCKgB\/s1600\/cmfb7.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6NYQ2nHkqRE\/VxYpGdjSU0I\/AAAAAAAACKg\/SmZD6p_BZcQgvyraa3q0_3ua_AL-MYN_QCKgB\/s640\/cmfb7.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ESo, just like a good old love story, my relationship with Combat Mission has had its ups and downs, with even a split along the way. Yes, there are things I'd like to see improved, like soldier animations, for instance, and be able to set SOP's for units. If I had to really think about it, I'm sure I could list several other wants\/improvements, but tell me, which game out there couldn't be improved? I have no doubt that different players would suggest different ways in how the game could be improved, yet the games taking pride of \u0026nbsp;place on my hard drive today are the CMx2 games. That's because they fill a need for tactical wargaming that no other games I've tried, and I've tried many, have managed to fill. Only one has come close, but CMx2 has those killer features for me, WEGO and replay value, which will always relegate other tactical wargames to second place or lower. The CM series is my first true love when it comes to tactical wargaming on the computer and it will take something very special indeed to knock it off my No.1 spot.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWe love modders !\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOne last thing. I have to give a mention to the CMx2 modding scene, which is superb. So many talented players create some amazing mods, that not only transform the visual aspect of the game but also greatly improve the sound effects. The stock game already looks great, however, go download and install those amazing mods and it takes the game to another level altogether. Coupled with modded sound effects, immersion levels increase tenfold. Not only that, there is \u0026nbsp;a steady flow of user made scenarios and campaigns (many mini masterpieces) that will keep you playing for many years to come.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-jNzrJ5U6Lk8\/VxYuEI9yh9I\/AAAAAAAACLY\/p3BEK3exd7gqC8q-GPiNzhOl7VtOavxBQCLcB\/s1600\/cmfbsecn.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-jNzrJ5U6Lk8\/VxYuEI9yh9I\/AAAAAAAACLY\/p3BEK3exd7gqC8q-GPiNzhOl7VtOavxBQCLcB\/s640\/cmfbsecn.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.battlefront.com\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026amp;task=blogcategory\u0026amp;id=346\u0026amp;Itemid=608\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EBuy the game on Battlefront\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/community.battlefront.com\/forum\/104-combat-mission-final-blitzkrieg\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOfficial game's forum\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/battledrill.blogspot.co.uk\/\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EA blog about the game with lot of good information, AAR and Mod Repository\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l5J4Yi3Ng_E\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: \u0026quot;garamond\u0026quot;; font-size: 18.666666666666664px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAAR video byIthikial\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/4018795331466428846\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/04\/combat-mission-final-blitzkrieg-review_87.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/4018795331466428846"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/4018795331466428846"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/04\/combat-mission-final-blitzkrieg-review_87.html","title":"Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-tmYm9qd6mgc\/VxYpID8pVpI\/AAAAAAAACKo\/NrjsNU0DPucYM_DyrBlLrejpoYQs_45-ACKgB\/s72-c\/cmfb5.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-1555277224492909019"},"published":{"$t":"2016-04-06T21:33:00.002+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-04-07T09:32:41.769+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ancient rome"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ios"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Legion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"slitherine"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Legion for iOS, a gem of a game"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-bGdoT-ILu18\/VwV1RgmsxHI\/AAAAAAAACEM\/CnqpbzUc15EayqZ1E2Un1PFjtCQ9qNPJw\/s1600\/legionti.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"297\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-bGdoT-ILu18\/VwV1RgmsxHI\/AAAAAAAACEM\/CnqpbzUc15EayqZ1E2Un1PFjtCQ9qNPJw\/s640\/legionti.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI started playing Legion from Slitherine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nLegion is a turn-based strategy game set in ancient Rome.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA little bit like Civilization there is a campaign map, a strategic level, where the player controls armies and must conquer other tribes and city to build a powerful in ancient France and Italy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhat makes the game really interesting is the tactical level. In battles the player must position their armies to take advantage of terrain and make use of the best formations, to ensure victory.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI love that part. You place your units, decide their formation when in the battle they will start marching toward the enemy lines and then watch. Since you do not see most of the enemy troops before starting the battle, some late action may save you the battle at the last moment.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOf course, it may be a little bit frustrating since when you start the battle there is nothing much you can do anymore. But the amazing thing with this game is that you do not feel cheated by the AI. The result of the battles always seems to be accurate and balanced.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nLet's be honest... watching your armies fighting on your iPad screen is just very pleasant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMany times I was feeling like a general giving initial orders before the battle and, on top of the hill, looking as where the fate of his soldiers were decided.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nYou will learn very quickly all the option at hand before a battle and you will not repeat twice the same mistake after your army hit a wall of defenders because you just gave the wrong formation and direction.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAt a strategic level, you will manage your cities, raise production building and allocate enough workers to them in order to produce resources. Wood, food and ore. The city also is used to recruit men for your armies. And workers are soldiers. so you have to make some difficult choice between increasing forces or increasing production.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nLegion also have a diplomatic interface who is simple but efficient and do the job well even though it may displease the people who love such part to be deep. Here nothing too fancy but it is efficient enough to create simple treaties. You will not win a game as a diplomat. You will win by forced conquest.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe interface is simply very efficient on the Ipad. This game was created so long ago \u0026nbsp;I think those guys may have foreseen the tablets age.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBe aware the game comes with a PDF manual who must read since the in-game tutorial is very short and do not cover a lot of information you will find in the manual. Some screenshot I took will show part of this manual.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt is not really nice since reading such document on a tablet is tedious. A better tutorial or in-game hint will have been a better approach. But again this game was developed long time ago before the golden age of tablets. The manual though is very complete and can always be printed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo if you have patience and want to know everything about each units and their strength and weaknesses, if you need every bit of information about every single buildings in the game to make sure you are making every single decision the right one, then you will have to spend some reading time on this manual.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.32px;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"border: medium none; line-height: 19.32px; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none medium; padding: 0px;\"\u003EAll in all this game is a very good strategic game with an original tactical approach. I will definitely recommend it for those who likes to raise armies and build an Empire .\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"border: medium none; line-height: 19.32px; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none medium; padding: 0px;\"\u003EA must have if you own an Ipad.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PyoiNAfvxMI\/VwVqDZpnyqI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/cqqio7nTpacASp46EIh2llz95daJAw4Ag\/s1600\/buildingdesc.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PyoiNAfvxMI\/VwVqDZpnyqI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/cqqio7nTpacASp46EIh2llz95daJAw4Ag\/s320\/buildingdesc.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6ERVktxSq70\/VwVqDhtzG-I\/AAAAAAAACEA\/cYQt8AWUkdgfrtIPwEnaezBdT7vwBuYvQ\/s1600\/campaignmaptuto.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6ERVktxSq70\/VwVqDhtzG-I\/AAAAAAAACEA\/cYQt8AWUkdgfrtIPwEnaezBdT7vwBuYvQ\/s320\/campaignmaptuto.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-W1_tYZFemUE\/VwVqDvI0oVI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/U-ojWZzGijoKB0MuZvHVvE8GrX99_SXdw\/s1600\/campaignselec.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-W1_tYZFemUE\/VwVqDvI0oVI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/U-ojWZzGijoKB0MuZvHVvE8GrX99_SXdw\/s320\/campaignselec.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Zo4hkJZvT_w\/VwVqEB856pI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/av2ko-XzLZA40tjBzBQjUdNoBdLV-OOwA\/s1600\/city.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Zo4hkJZvT_w\/VwVqEB856pI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/av2ko-XzLZA40tjBzBQjUdNoBdLV-OOwA\/s320\/city.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hTcBD2NnrYk\/VwVqEMB56BI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/PY9PKjltHYIg37irYhvUQqkJED0Aea7AQ\/s1600\/resultscreen.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hTcBD2NnrYk\/VwVqEMB56BI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/PY9PKjltHYIg37irYhvUQqkJED0Aea7AQ\/s320\/resultscreen.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RfM6QNNrANs\/VwVqE1boqMI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/900oFZyrGG8ObLf5e2LPUtd6WbEEgQYEA\/s1600\/tacticalcombat2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RfM6QNNrANs\/VwVqE1boqMI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/900oFZyrGG8ObLf5e2LPUtd6WbEEgQYEA\/s320\/tacticalcombat2.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TCF4aQpG8A0\/VwVqERXnJwI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/q3aBbwxEJRgwHD6cLPSVEu3Yk29dNhbXA\/s1600\/tacticalcombat.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TCF4aQpG8A0\/VwVqERXnJwI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/q3aBbwxEJRgwHD6cLPSVEu3Yk29dNhbXA\/s320\/tacticalcombat.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VU3wScrHN2Q\/VwVqE0jB1hI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/Nc9FoRPamrwHKqze6lhgzMY9pi2hM_tIQ\/s1600\/unitsscreendesc.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VU3wScrHN2Q\/VwVqE0jB1hI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/Nc9FoRPamrwHKqze6lhgzMY9pi2hM_tIQ\/s320\/unitsscreendesc.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/feeds\/1555277224492909019\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/04\/legion-for-ios-gem-of-game.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1555277224492909019"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/1555277224492909019"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/04\/legion-for-ios-gem-of-game.html","title":"Legion for iOS, a gem of a game"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-bGdoT-ILu18\/VwV1RgmsxHI\/AAAAAAAACEM\/CnqpbzUc15EayqZ1E2Un1PFjtCQ9qNPJw\/s72-c\/legionti.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4437416196467752074.post-152791824594113996"},"published":{"$t":"2016-04-06T13:42:00.001+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-04-21T06:50:36.637+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Last Days of Old Earth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"slitherine"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tactical"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"turn based"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"                               Last Days of Old Earth review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-yuLtEaz3iTc\/VwV1tuucdII\/AAAAAAAACEQ\/OxIrt1AGpzcxu3DR9Nla30282cV0kX5KQ\/s1600\/banner.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-yuLtEaz3iTc\/VwV1tuucdII\/AAAAAAAACEQ\/OxIrt1AGpzcxu3DR9Nla30282cV0kX5KQ\/s400\/banner.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EDecisions, decisions, decisions!\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nThat is what is in the store\u0026nbsp;while playing Slitherine’s (and Auroch Digital’s) Early Access, turn-based “Last Days of Old Earth”.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nAction Points (AP) are the soul of the procedurally generated main map.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nAP are used to recruit units, move units, create armies, and to draw new hero and fighter cards for your expanding deck. Need additional resources (Materials, Population, Energy)?\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nLeftover AP. Resources are also needed for unit purchase and for trying to improve your chances, at the turn beginnings, for Initiative dice rolls. If you win the Initiative next turn,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;you not only move first, but you also earn more AP to spend.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-lsRWRsPIODI\/VwUDm3QVSJI\/AAAAAAAAARc\/dDgDPw4PZFMlq4MzqTmlK04XP_9I-TLyQ\/s1600\/4.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-lsRWRsPIODI\/VwUDm3QVSJI\/AAAAAAAAARc\/dDgDPw4PZFMlq4MzqTmlK04XP_9I-TLyQ\/s320\/4.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003EIt is tempting to jump in and spend all of your AP every turn. However, any unspent AP will collect each turn and eventually be spendable on more resources. More resources\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eequal\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;higher value cards and, again, a \u003C\/span\u003Echance\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;for winning Initiative.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nBrain melting yet?\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003ESo, do you spend more AP building up and moving armies or hold on to them to accumulate for following turns? It’s quite the (tremendously fun) conundrum.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nAs you move through the map, there are various “Encounters” that you come across, with more decisions to be made (I won’t spoil any of them). There are also additional resources on the map itself to build collectors upon (then yet another quandary of, “Leave the collector unguarded or leave precious troops there to protect it?” Yes, you want to protect them, but at the cost of weakening an army?) and reap their benefits every turn.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-BrRSPQcYgps\/VwUDmjdRzoI\/AAAAAAAAARQ\/7Fr_omnWfqs7NyjgzHrNeKjlg3Ssm_tkA\/s1600\/2.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-BrRSPQcYgps\/VwUDmjdRzoI\/AAAAAAAAARQ\/7Fr_omnWfqs7NyjgzHrNeKjlg3Ssm_tkA\/s320\/2.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ESupply is also a large factor. Your armies are penalized for moving out of supply range. The solution is to spend the much-needed resources to build outposts, to extend your supply radius.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nEverything above is before ever engaging an enemy in turn-based battles! There are\u0026nbsp;easy\u0026nbsp;as many strategies as game hexes within each battle itself. Setup before the battle allows you to decide which units should be frontline, and which ones are to be used as a support, artillery, auxiliary, etc. Turns alternate with you choosing the order of attack you prefer. Tactics rule as you try to outwit your opponent on the battlefield, enabling you to take down an enemy with superior numbers.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-NV6yGb8bkY0\/VwUDmhQZSUI\/AAAAAAAAARY\/MFAhKB53qvwYB8pAmcfV4_kypkf01F48Q\/s1600\/3.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-NV6yGb8bkY0\/VwUDmhQZSUI\/AAAAAAAAARY\/MFAhKB53qvwYB8pAmcfV4_kypkf01F48Q\/s320\/3.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nIt may verbally seem like a lot, but the game is extremely easy to get into. The AI is good as it kicked me around quite a\u0026nbsp;bit while also punishing me for any less-than-optimal decisions I may have made along the way. The gameplay was really smooth and I did not have any crashes or technical difficulties at all.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nFinally, all of this is available right now, in an EA game! They are going to add deck building, although the current decks are quite satisfying, which will give you and even more tailored-to-your-strategy experience. Stealth will also be added which will include sabotage and assassination They are also going to implement Air mechanics including air strikes, AA, and air recon. Single player is currently skirmishes only (with variable amounts of opponents), but they are adding a Campaign. (Multiplayer is in, but I did not test that at all).\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\nMy only decisions left to be made now are:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E 1) which side do I choose and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;helvetica\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E2) how many enemies do I want to teach me lessons about my decision-making process?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003EI am definitely going back in to beat upon some more.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\"\u003E-Clayton\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"yj6qo ajU\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv aria-label=\"Afficher le contenu abrégé\" class=\"ajR\" data-tooltip=\"Afficher le contenu abrégé\" id=\":5tk\" role=\"button\" style=\"background-color: #f1f1f1; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); clear: both; line-height: 6px; outline: none; position: relative; width: 20px;\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\n\u003Cimg class=\"ajT\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/ui\/v1\/icons\/mail\/images\/cleardot.gif\" style=\"background: url(\u0026quot;\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/ui\/v1\/icons\/mail\/ellipsis.png\u0026quot;) no-repeat; height: 8px; opacity: 0.3; width: 20px;\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/152791824594113996"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4437416196467752074\/posts\/default\/152791824594113996"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk\/2016\/04\/last-days-of-old-earth-revives.html","title":"                               Last Days of Old Earth review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-yuLtEaz3iTc\/VwV1tuucdII\/AAAAAAAACEQ\/OxIrt1AGpzcxu3DR9Nla30282cV0kX5KQ\/s72-c\/banner.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}}]}});