Ju 87 Stuka Ace

by

Lock 'N Load Publishing

 The JU 87 Stuka, short for Sturzkampfflugzeug, was the German Luftwaffe's dive bomber from the Spanish Civil War until the end of World War II. The German World War I ace Ernst Udet was an early proponent of the dive bomber concept. He was very impressed by the American Curtiss BFC-1 Hawk and its steep diving capabilities. He brought back two of them to Germany for testing. The JU 87 first flew in 1935. From then on it was an integral part of the German Lightning War concept. The JU 87 was also equipped with two small propellers, one on each landing gear, that made a banshee like scream in a dive. The German name was Lärmgerät but they are generally known as Jericho Trumpets, a Biblical reference to the 'Horns of Jericho'. If you watch any documentaries about World War II their scream will inevitably be heard in the soundtrack. Through the Polish and Western European campaigns, the JU 87 was a symbol of terror, and the Jericho Trumpets had Allied soldiers keeping their heads down even if the Stukas had already dropped their bombs. Their slow speed and small amount of defensive armament made them sitting ducks during the Battle of Britain. They were pulled from those air battles rather early because of losses. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd, 1941, the Stukas were once again in the forefront of the campaign. This game from Lock 'N Load Publishing is the latest in a spate of games dealing with this iconic German plane. Let us see what this game has to distinguish it from the competition. 

The Game's Counters

 This is what Lock 'N Load Publishing has to say about the game:

"Ju 87 Stuka Ace is a solitaire tactical air combat game by Lock 'n Load Publishing that places you in the cockpit of the infamous Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, one of World War II’s most feared dive bombers. As a Luftwaffe pilot, you’ll embark on historically accurate missions spanning multiple theaters of the war—from the blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and France to the ferocious battles of the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean.

But the war isn’t just about history—Ju 87 Stuka Ace also lets you explore "What If?" scenarios, putting the Stuka in alternate wartime operations, from early missions in China to hypothetical carrier operations aboard the Graf Zeppelin. Will you rise to become an ace or fall victim to the dangers of aerial warfare?

 Engage in historical and alternate history missions, including:

Close Air Support – Strike enemy forces before they can counterattack.

Anti-Shipping Raids – Sink enemy warships and supply convoys while dodging AA fire.

Strategic Bombing Runs – Destroy critical infrastructure, bridges, and fortifications.

Interdiction Missions – Disrupt enemy supply lines and armored advances.

NEW: The Stuka in China (What If?) – Explore an alternate history scenario where Germany supplies Stukas to the Japanese forces against the Chinese Nationalists in 1937. 

NEW: German Carrier Operations on the Graf Zeppelin (What If?) – Fly missions as part of the never-completed German aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, where Stukas are adapted for naval operations against the British Royal Navy and Soviet forces.

Each mission presents unique challenges, targets, and enemy defenses, ensuring high replayability."

 This is what comes with the game:

1 x Counter Sheet (100 counters)

1 x Spiral Bound Game Manual (86 Pages)

1 x Spiral Bound Theater Book (44 Pages)

1 x Single Sided 11 x 17 Pilot Org Play Card

9 x Double Sided 8.5 x 11 Aircraft Reference Cards

4 x Double Sided 8.5 x 11 Player Aid Cards

1 x Single Sided 8.5 x 11 Player Aid Card

2 x Pilot Campaign Log 8.5 x 11

2 x Double Sided 8.5 x 5.5 Pilot Player Cards

1 x Plastic Insert 

2 x Career Cards (Tarot Size)

28 x Action Cards (Poker Size)

11 x Altitude Cards (Poker Size)

49 x Flight Cards (Poker Size)

10 x Objective Cards (Poker Size)

31 x Target Cards (Poker Size)

3 x Munition Cards (Poker Size)

36 x Special Flight Cards (Poker Size)

9 x Bonus Ace Cards (Tarot Size)

1 x 3" Deep Heavy Duty Box

As you can see you get to fly all of the different versions of the JU 87

 Right from the start you should know that I am blown away by the entire ensemble of game pieces in JU 87 Stuka Ace. Actually, I should rephrase that, I am blown away by all of the games that Lock 'N Load sent me this year. Their design, art and manufacturing are really second to none.

 The Neoprene Mat is a great example of the game's blend of art and function. It is great to look at but is also not large at all, and still it contains almost all of what you would need to play. Next, we will look at the Player Aids. If I counted correctly, there are 15 of them that are 8.5" X 11". Out of these, 13 of them are double-sided, and two are single-sided. These come in full color and are made of card stock. Nine of these that are double-sided are different variants of the JU 87 that you can fly! The next 8.5" X 11" card is double-sided with one side having the Pilot Campaign Log and the other having the Mission Report. Then there are two half page cards that are Pilot Player Cards. These show your rise in rank, if you become lucky and good enough at the game.

 The Manual and Theaters books are both spiral bound, as all of the Lock 'N Load Rulebooks have been for a while. The Manual is 83 pages long. It is printed in enormous type size and is in full color with many pages of examples of play and pictures of the game's components. The Theaters book comes in at 41 pages. This goes from Spain/China in 1938 until the Soviet Union/Italy in 1944. Once again, the type size is the same ginormous one from the Manual. I believe you might be able to read some of it from 10' away.

 The game's different decks are amazingly well done. Their size alone is something to write home about. The 'smaller' ones are the size of normal Poker Cards. Then they have some that are described as 'Tarot' sized Cards. I think that is the first in any description of a wargame that I have seen. If I had a Tarot deck handy, I would compare the two. However, I will take their word for it. The pictures that decorate the different cards remind me of watching The World at War with my parents when I was a child. All of the information on the cards is completely legible and large enough to read easily.

 The game also comes with two very nicely done bookmarks. One is just about the game and Lock 'N Load Publishing in general. The other is sort of a public service announcement with some important phone numbers on one side (Depression or Suicide hotline etc.). The other has some quotes from the Bible. If you have no interest in that side, the hotline numbers are still good to have around.

 All of the game materials, including the box, scream "look at me!" when you get the game into your hot little hands. The meticulous care that was taken from the packaging down to the smallest detail in the counters tells you that this is something special. 

You can play a campaign game where you rise in rank and awards

 The JU 87 variants you can fly are as follows:

JU 87 A-1 Anton (you can also fly it in Spain and China)

JU 87 B-1 Berta

JU 87 B-2 Berta

JU 87 B-2 Trop (Tropical for the Mediterranean areas)

JU 87 C-1 Caesar

JU 87 D-1 Dora

JU 87 D-3 Dora

JU 87 D-5 Dora

JU 87 D-5N

JU 87 R-1 Richard

JU 87 R-2 Richard

JU 87 G-1 Gustav armed with the two 37mm cannon

JU 87 G-2 Gustav armed with two 37mm cannon

 The game is for solitaire play only. However, in this hectic world we now find ourselves in this is not a minus point for the game. Gaming clubs and even gaming nights are getting few and far between for most people. So, these solitaire games and especially excellent ones like this definitely have their place. The only thing some of you may miss is the ongoing battle with 'Joe' over the rules. Fill in whatever name you like all clubs had one.

 The size of the rulebook may seem daunting but remember that it is done in very large type and has many full-page illustrations of play. At its heart, the game is not hard at all to learn. Your choices, which are myriad, and some luck are the cornerstone of its gameplay. One of your most important choices is how low do you dive before dropping your bomb/s. The lower you go the more accurate you are, but it also means that you will be that much longer in a straight unswerving flight path. Of course, that choice only appears if you have made it through enemy fighter and flak to make it to your target. 

 The game is easy to learn and relatively quick to play, especially if you are just doing a mission or two. It also does not take up a lot of space so that you can play it on the dining room table. The setup and breakdown time is also short so you should not get too many side eye glances from your significant other. Much like the Romance Languages things in the kitchen and dining room are usually in the female's zone of control. You will be happily bombing some target or parachuting to avoid the flames in no time flat. 

 The game also gives you some what if scenarios. These are interesting to me in games only if they are plausible. One what if in this game has you flying off the German carrier Graf Zeppelin. The ship was pretty completed before the war placed it on hold. So, that is entirely plausible. The other what if has the Germans selling some JU 87s to Japan and they use them against the nationalist Chinese. This too is in the realm of possibility, so I have no problem with it. 

 One of the biggest reasons I have for really enjoying the game is the fact that you get to fly all of the different variants of the JU 87. This means that you get to try your hand at the tank killer G1 series (Panzerknacker) or properly known as the Kanonenvogel. These JU 87s had two 3.7cm large cannon pods underneath each wing. The G series planes were also up armored (much like the Soviet Union's IL 2 and the German ground attack plane the HS 129) to help the plane and crew survive their low-level attacks. The German pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel made the G series famous. However, to be fair, his attack on the Soviet Union's battleship Marat and its sinking had already made him famous and the early war years had made the JU 87, and its sirens, one of the most recognizable planes from World War II.

The gameplay overview is this:

Mission Setup

 1. Prepare Flight Deck

 2. Prepare Objective Mini-Deck

 3. Setup Player Sheet

 4. Setup Aircraft Sheet

  * Select Payload

 5. Prepare Action Deck

  * Take Initial Hand

Mission Overview

 1. Take Off

 2. Approach

 3. Target

  * Attack (Bomb, Strafe, or Gun)

 4. Return to Base

 5. Refuel

 Thank you, Lock 'N Load Publishing for sending me this wonderful, stupendous, action filled, just trying to stay away from the word excellent, game to review. Happily for me, and hopefully for you, their care package to me had to be dropped off with a truss. I will soon be reviewing these games:

Point Blank Winter Victory

Glory and Empire First Victories Wellington Versus Napoleon

Close Quarter Battles Waterloo

Blood and Fury World War 85 - This last one I will need some help from one of my sons to carry it to the table.

Robert Peterson

Lock 'N Load Publishing

Ju 87 Stuka Ace

This is a link to their new AI assisted manuals/rulebooks

Ju 87 Stuka Ace Manual Rev39-AI

 Lock 'N Load Publishing Bonanza

 Feast your eyes on the splendor!

 

 I had one of the most glorious care packages known to man land on my doorstep. I am surprised it did not come by helicopter or get dropped off like a resupply mission out of the back of a C-47 with a parachute attached. These are the games that showed up (along with a handy truss to carry them in):

"Close Quarter Battles (CQB) is a tactical game system that allows players to recreate specific actions from the most famous battles in the horse-and-musket era. The series begins with the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, focusing on the assaults on the fortified farms of La Haye Sainte and Hougoumont. It hopes to demonstrate how ferocious the fighting was around these iconic locations, which still bear the scars of that famous day.

Ju 87 Stuka Ace – You can play a single Mission or simulate the entire career of a Stuka Ace. Your Mission is to destroy as many targets as possible while advancing your pilot skills and increasing your personal rank and awards. Starting with operations in Poland in 1939 until the last actions in Soviet territory in 1944/45. 

World at War 85 – WaW85 Series is a fast and furious platoon-level combat, set in 1985, in an alternate history of World War III, when the Warsaw Pact armies storm across the border of East Germany in a powerful attempt to seize West Germany and the whole of Free Europe.  The WaW85 system features a unique combat system that involves die rolls by both attacking units and defending units, which keeps both players engaged throughout the game.

Point Blank – Point Blank is a World War 2 tactical squad-level card game where players maneuver forces to attack or defend objectives defined in scenarios. Game components are represented by cards consisting of squads, vehicles, support weapons, and leaders. Counters are included with the game and are used to mark player forces with information about the condition or state of a unit and a solitaire option is also included, well as team play.

Glory and Empire Series - First Victories: Wellington versus Napoleon. This series offers a fresh and dynamic approach to grand tactical command, maneuver, and combat during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The system is designed to provide fast-paced gameplay while maintaining historical accuracy and a wealth of detail."

 I would like you to take a close look at the packaging. If you are sharped eye enough, you will notice the absence of something that has been coming with boxed wargames for many years. That is right, there are no peanuts!!! Peanuts are the bane of every wargamer. True, some companies do send out the ecofriendly ones that you are supposed to be able to eat. However, even if they are palatable, go ahead and try. I will not; they still get static and stick to everything. I swear, sometimes my wife is less upset about the actual buying of the game compared to a kitchen full of the darned things. They are sometimes as bad as the Tribbles that were on the Enterprise. Grognards rejoice! We have been liberated from this horrible menace!

 The games also came with canvas maps for four of the games. Ju 87 Stuka Ace came with the special neoprene mat.

The pictures need no caption for anyone who has read about Waterloo. For those that haven't, the first two are of La Haye Sainte, and the latter two are of Hougomont.

 This is the neoprene mat that can be purchased for JU 87 Stuka Ace:

  I have been waiting patiently for the release of JU 87 Stuka Ace and it will definitely be the first game that I review. After that, I believe I will step back in time and delve into Lock 'N Load's new series First Victories Wellington versus Napoleon.

 This is from the Gamefound page of JU 87 Stuka Ace:

 Lock 'N Load Publishing has also started using AI to assist the player with their Rulebooks that they put online. You can see that they have a lot of the newer games' Rulebooks already posted along with some older ones. They actually have all of their Rulebooks available to peruse online on their website. The first link goes to all of their Rulebooks and the second goes to the JU 87 Stuka Ace AI enhanced Rulebook:

https://library.lnlpublishing.com/

https://library.lnlpublishing.com/books/bqoc/#p=1

Robert Peterson

Lock 'N Load Publishing

PS. Yes, that is a Mig 15 and a JU 52 in the background.

 Point Blank V is for Victory

by

Lock 'N Load Publishing

 "I'm here, I'm here! Let the bells ring out and the banners fly! Feast your eyes on me! It's too good to be true, but I'm here! I'm here!"

(If you do not get the reference, I am sorry for your cloistered childhood)

 The fighting that occurred in western and northern Europe in 1944-1945 has had many games designed around it. D-Day has been especially covered by games at all levels and in all sizes. Point Blank V is for Victory is a new tactical game based upon the Allied and German troops that fought in the entire campaign. The game is meant for either one or two players. It does come with a solo 'bot' if you will. So, when playing it solo you do not have to try and be on both sides of the table. Let us take a look in the box and see if we are stuck in the hedgerows or gunning our tank in open fields.

All of the decks stow away beautifully

  This is from Lock 'N Load Publishing:

"Point Blank is a tactical squad infantry card game set in World War II Europe and is loosely based on the award-winning Lock ‘n Load Tactical game series.  Players do not need not be familiar with any of the Lock ‘n Load Tactical rules to play.  Point Blank is designed by Sean Druelinger and is a game that dares to be different, with new game concepts that give a whole new feel to tactical wargaming. 

 

Point Blank V is for Victory is for two players pitted against each other in situational combat scenarios.  There is also a solo option as well as partnerships in teams of two.  Each scenario presents the players with a unique situation involving squads of men, support weapons, leaders, and individual armored fighting vehicles.  The first game in the series will pit the forces of the USA against Germany just after the landings in Normandy (June 1944) through October 1944. Each player has victory conditions determined by the scenario in which to defend or take objectives, seek and destroy their opponent’s units, or one of many other different scenario objectives.

 

The game is played on an abstract map board made up of terrain cards in the game and managed through a distance system that accounts for the range to targets, line of sight, and defensive attributes. The player has units that start out on the map and gradually work their way towards their objectives by advancing through the battlefield all the while conducting combat actions against their opponent or defending their troops from return fire or whatever hell that awaits them. Players draw cards from a common action deck where they will play actions on their units on the map board. The game is an IGOUGO impulse system and turns are managed when the action deck is exhausted. (Some scenarios may require multiple deck exhaustion to finish the game). Actions in the game consist of Fire, Move, Assault, Rally, etc. The action cards contain dice icons on them to determine random results.

One of the unique features of the game is that it contains a deck of terrain cards that are not part of the action deck. As players change terrain they will draw a terrain card in which their moving units will occupy. Some action cards such as Recon helps players manage what terrain they occupy but your opponent may have other plans for your moving troops during their turn.  Two players can play a game in about an hour (depending on the scenario size) and if you cannot find an opponent then try the game solo system. 

 

Point Blank system has been called innovated, realistic, and yet extremely playable, and with solitaire play, and two-player options available we expect you will too."

 

Playing 'map' or mat for the cards

 The box that was delivered to me was a very heavy one. I knew enough about the game to know it did not come with mounted maps, so I was wondering why the heft? Well, it turned out to be the cards. You see, I believe there are almost 900 cards that come with the game. 

 Sean Druelinger, the designer, had done a write up for AWNT a bit ago about the game and himself. He is also the designer for Lock 'N Load's Tactical Series of games. According to him Point Blank is based on that series and the old Avalon Hill game 'Up Front'. I had seen things about Up Front down through the years, but I was not interested at all. At the time I was a very snobbish grognard and was only interested in hexes and hefty rulebooks. I would not play an area movement game, and the thought of cards being added to a hex wargame was an abomination in my eyes. Block games were another genre that would put my teeth on edge. I have now seen the light of these newfangled additions to my beloved hobby. However, this takes it one step further. You do not even need to use the map/mat at all. I believe I have done two different aircraft games that were just cards, but there was no terrain etc. In Point Blank everything is based upon the cards. So, let us see about this strange new animal (at least to me).

There are a lot more cards there than you probably think.

  This is what comes with the game:

119 x Mini Cards

698 x Poker Cards

1 x 32" x 38" Two Piece Map

1 x Core Rules Manual

1 x Scenario and Module Rules Manual 

9 x Double Sided 8.5" x 11" Player Aids

2 x Counter Sheets With Over 160 Counters

2 x 16mm Dice

Executive Producer:

David Heath

Game Design and Development:

Sean Druelinger

Game Art:

Shayne Logan

Some Cards

 This is the Sequence of Play:

1. Select a Scenario

2. Determine Sides

3. Layout the Battlefield

4. Deploy units

5. Draw Action Cards

2.2.2 Game Phases

1. Upkeep Phase – The phasing player

conducts upkeep tasks.

2. Impulse Phase – The phasing player

may conduct an action. There are

situations that allow more than one

action to occur from the play of a

card that includes multiple actions

or through the execution of a leader’s

Spend action (see Leaders 2.11).

Once a player completes his impulse

play passes to his opponent.

3. Turn End Phase – Check to see if the

Action Card deck has been exhausted.

If so, follow the turn end procedures

before impulse play begins

again.

4. Victory Conditions Check – Check

to see if you have won the scenario

before impulse play begins again.

Terrain Card

 We will start out discussing the cards that come with the game. As mentioned, there are nearly 700 of the larger cards in six decks. The information needed to play on the cards is huge. These cards will have all your men and larger military equipment, such as: tanks, squads, anti-tank guns etc. They feel just like playing cards do. Then there are 119 mini cards. These encompass commanders, machine guns, PIATs, med kits etc. Even though these are smaller, the information on them is just as large as on the larger cards. Both sets of cards have a very nicely done picture of whatever they represent on them. They look like little portraits, especially the faces. The two-piece map is also well done. It is really only a background with muted colors, but it works well with the cards. It is large at 32" x 38" but if you have been a wargamer for any length of time you will have a table that can accommodate it. The counters are used for bookkeeping etc. You can also use the counters on the cards instead of using the map. These, like the rest of the game, are oversized and very easy to read. The coloring and design of them are up to the par of all the other components. The Core Rules Manual is ninety-four pages long. However, the type size is also huge (Do you see a pattern here?).  The rules go to page seventy-one with the rest being a breakdown of each terrain card and then the Solo Rules. The Scenario and Module Rules Manual comes with twenty scenarios and there is a section on building your own scenarios. At the end of the scenarios are the Campaign Game Rules. Both of the Manuals are in full color and made of glossy paper. There are five Player Aids that are made of hard stock, and they are double-sided. These are also in large type like the rest of the components. These give all the information for playing the game that you would need without having to look through the manual. The next four Players Aids are for playing the game Solo. These rules are done with an easy-to-follow flow chart method. These are also made of hard stock and in full color. 

Some of the Counters

 The cards represent everything you would find on a battlefield in norther Europe during WWII. The Allied cards represent both the U.S. and British and Commonwealth militaries. Here are some examples:

Germans - Marder I, Stug IIIG, Tiger, Panther, truck, halftrack, 75mm anti-tank gun, SS, Heer, and Luftwaffe troops.

Allied - M36, M20, Parachute Squad, Infantry Squads and Half-Squads, Sherman Firefly, Otter, and even a Tetrarch!

The smaller cards show - Satchel Charges, Radios, MG 42, Flame Throwers, and a slew of Commanders.

Mini Card Commanders

 So, you might be thinking: Is this game a behemoth in both size and rules? To be honest, you do need some table space for the game. In actuality it is an easy to play game, at least once you have the rules set in your head. Lock 'N Load says that most scenarios will take about an hour to play. Except for my first couple of dry runs, this seems to be about right. Playing Solo takes a bit longer, but it does in any game that has solo rules built in. The flow chart method for Solo Play does make it a lot easier to follow and play. I think that Solo Play should be included in most games. That way you can play your favorite game of the hour without having to round up a friend or more to play it. 

 As I mentioned. I have never played Up Front nor really ever had an itch to. Many people have compared Point Blank V is for Victory to Up Front and say it is the Up Front for the 21st century. If Up Front was anywhere near as fun to play as Point Blank, I am sorry that my rigidness stopped me from playing it. 

 I was at first a little put off by not being able to know the terrain in in front and around me. Then I put myself into the mindset of a Squad Leader at the time and it really made sense. You know your objective, at least most of the time, and you know what direction it is on your compass. Often that is about the amount of information you would be given. Oh, you know what could be out there between you and it, but you are only guessing. Unless you are extremely lucky you will not know what enemy force is out there until they open fire. Point Blank brings that guessing and Fog of War front and center. This is not a card game of tactical warfare in WWII. It is a tactical wargame that uses cards for play. There is a large difference. Remember that Point Blank uses a lot of the designer's Lock 'N Load Tactical Series as its bones. 

 The scenarios all have their own victory conditions. Many times, it is taking control of and holding a specific terrain piece. The turns all revolve around the Action Card deck. When the last Action Card has been played that is the end of that turn. The scenarios run from two, three, and four turns. So, for each turn you would have to use up all of the Action Cards. If you are not used to Lock 'N Load's Tactical Series games, you will have a bit of a learning curve. If you have played any of them the curve will be pretty short. It is not a difficult game to learn. That is, if you can get the idea of the Lines of Sight and movement and transpose that knowledge to the cards laid out on the table. I have played many of Lock 'N Load's Tactical Series games. However, I did have a problem in the beginning but not because of the rules. It was my own brain that was not getting it. Once I talked myself into the fact that the cards were the same thing as counters on a hex map, things went much smoother. I believe this was certainly a case of an old dog trying to learn new tricks.

 The game is big in components, and they are also visually striking. The muted colors of even the Rulebook pages gives a real sense of being in the rain, fog, and mud of a real battlefield. The visuals only help with the players immersion. Because the Rulebook is so large in size of type the rules themselves are not that long or hard to learn. There is no need of any die because the Action Cards have die values right on them on in the upper right hand. Yes, luck does have a place in playing the game. However, in any battle of whatever size, there is always some amount of luck. As von Clausewitz wrote:

 "The great philosopher of war, Karl von Clausewitz, coined the term: "Friction," he wrote, is "the concept that differentiates actual war from war on paper," those surprising things that happen during wartime that make “even the simplest thing difficult."

More Terrain Cards

 Thank you Lock 'N Load for letting me take this Maserati out for a test drive. I am now fully convinced that a ground wargame can be played with just cards. Not only that but said game can be totally engrossing for the player. It also helps that the manufacture of the cards etc. are of such a high quality. Great Game, Lock 'N Load. Keep up the good work. 

 

Robert

Lock 'N Load Publishing:

Lock ‘n Load Publishing (lnlpublishing.com)

Point Blank V is for Victory:

https://store.lnlpublishing.com/point-blank-v-is-for-victory-llp312131

Sean Druelinger designer of Lock 'n Load's

Point Blank: V is for Victory

 I had asked Mr. Druelinger to do a short bio about himself and some information about his game. I would describe it as not a Card Wargame, but a wargame played with cards. It comes with a good-sized rulebook and does not abstract many parts like a card game usually does. 

Game Map

 This is a write up about the game from Lock 'n Load:

"Point Blank" is Lock 'n Load Publishing tactical World War 2 squad card wargame, for 2 players pitted against each other in situational combat scenarios.

There is also a solo option as well as partnerships in teams of 2.

Each scenario presents the players with a unique situation involving squads of men, support weapons, leaders, and individual armored fighting vehicles.

This game pits the forces of the USA against Germany just after the landings in Normandy (June 1944) through October 1944. Each player has victory conditions determined by the scenario in which to defend or take objectives, seek and destroy their opponent’s units, or one of many other different scenario objectives.

The game is played on an abstract map board made up of terrain cards in the game and managed through a distance system that accounts for the range to targets, line of sight, and defensive attributes. The player has units that start out on the map and gradually work their way towards their objectives by advancing through the battlefield all the while conducting combat actions against their opponent or defending their troops from return fire or whatever hell that awaits them. Players draw cards from a common action deck where they will play actions on their units on the map board. The game is an IGOUGO impulse system and turns are managed when the action deck is exhausted. (Some scenarios may require multiple deck exhaustion to finish the game). Actions in the game consist of Fire, Move, Assault, Rally, etc. The action cards contain dice icons on them to determine random results.

One of the unique features of the game is that it contains a deck of terrain cards that are not part of the action deck. As players change terrain they will draw a terrain card in which their moving units will occupy. Some action cards such as Recon helps players manage what terrain they occupy but your opponent may have other plans for your moving troops during their turn.

Combat in the game is similar to how combat is conducted in Lock n Load Tactical. 2 players can play a game in about an hour (depending on the scenario size) and if you cannot find an opponent then try the game solo system. In general, the gameplay is fast and excited and compares to such legendary game systems as Up Front."

Some Cards

 I am not a big fan of interviews. It seems that the same questions always get asked. I would much rather have the designer etc. give us the information without my input. To each their own. 

 

This is a big game with a lot of cards

 Without further ado, here is Mr. Druelinger's write up. It gives us a good look at his game design:

I was introduced to Squad Leader when I was about 12 years old. I was playing D&D every other week with this gaming group of 20 something’s at the time. I accidentally showed up on a non-D&D day and was asked if I want to play SL. I was hooked from that point on. 

I was lucky to see a lot of AH games in their infancy and was able to participate in many of the playtest sessions. Titles like longest Day, up front, enemy in sight, etc.

In and around 2012 I wrote some scenarios for Nations at War and Tank on Tank for Line of Fire magazine. I then developed an east front prototype for Nations at War and got a green light from the owner of L'nL at the time to proceed. L'nL was then bought by David Heath around 2015. He wanted to redo the original Nations at War titles and asked me to develop them. At the same time, he asked that I include my east front module “Stalin’s Triumph” into the mix. We developed all 3 systems at once. In addition to that, Dave asked me to develop/design the Lock 'n Load tactical solo system to be compatible with every scenario for every L'nL tactical game to date.

In 2016 I began designing PB. I introduced the game to David in 2017 at Origins and after some strong hesitation he gave me the green light.

Point Blank was inspired by games like Up Front and L'nL tactical. The thing that makes this game different is that it introduces what I feel are new concepts in tactical gaming. For instance: 

Movement: Moving is an action that you can issue to the game, but the ordered units do not complete their move until the next owning player's upkeep phase. This models that troops have to gather their equipment, form up and then move out. From a game perspective the opposing player has a chance to react to move action before it is completed. Melee is handled in much the same way. An order is issued and then resolved in the player's next upkeep phase. I do not see a lot of games that handle actions this way. 

Terrain and Line of Sight are other areas that sets the game apart. Terrain is very dynamic in PB. A unit in a sector within terrain can conduct an action to change its terrain while remaining in the same sector. Terrain can also be acquired and held by the player through play of recon actions. Terrain that is collected through Recon actions can place terrain into empty sectors to secure good terrain for units that are in the process of moving or into sectors adjacent to opposing units or friendly units. This mechanic makes of interesting Line of Sight situations and expands the maneuverability options for units in the game.

Spend and Discard actions; Another key factor that sets this game apart from other card driven games is the ability to discard cards to perform some type of action. In every card driven game there are situations where a hand of cards may not contain a card that you need to perform a preferred action. In PB you may, in lieu of playing an action card, discard a card (spend action) to activate an action printed on a unit's card. Once that action is performed however, the unit is "spent" (rotated 90 degrees) to indicate that it can no longer perform an action until it is readied through the play of a "Ready" action. Other actions in the game are available through discard type actions. This whole concept expands the game play and helps to prevent situations where a player is locked down by a hand of cards that may not be of any use.

Leaders in the game are represented by individual cards and they have benefits to units by contributing their modifiers. Additionally, they have actions printed on their card that they can execute through a spend action in action to the play of an action card during a player impulse.

 Visually it is a stunning game. The cards are regular playing card sized. So, you can see that the information on them is incredibly easy to see. I believe I could play the game with my glasses off. I will be doing a review of the full game on our site. Thank you Lock 'n Load for allowing me to take this out for a spin. Point Blank: V is for Victory is still available for late pledges on Kickstarter.

Robert

Lock 'n Load:

Lock 'N Load Publishing (lnlpublishing.com)

Point Blank: V is for Victory:

Point Blank - V is for Victory by Lock 'n Load Publishing — Kickstarter

Preview of

Lock 'N Load Tactical Digital

by

Lock 'N Load Publishing

 Here we are very lucky to have the best of both worlds, the digital and boardgame, and able to choose which we would rather play at the moment. There is a time for boardgames, even solo, and a time for the computer to lend a helping hand. I have reviewed and liked the tactical series from L'NL and was a little wary of how the digital version would turn out. I have also reviewed some of their 'Nations at War' series of boardgames and really liked them. So I was very pleased to find out that the digital version of them was excellent. I was wary about the Tactical series in digital, because lightning very rarely strikes twice. So, was L'NL able to put it in a bottle and use it for this game series also? The answer is an unequivocal YES! The game plays pretty much exactly as the boardgames do. The AI is also as good as the one in Nations at War Digital. The game will becoming out on Steam very soon. The L'NL Tactical base game comes with four scenarios from their Heroes of Normandy game and two from their Heroes of the Nam game. They are releasing two scenario packs of the aforementioned games with twelve scenarios each when the game launches. The scenario packs will be add-ons that you will have to purchase separately. They are also working on adding the rest of the Tactical series games as other add-ons to the base game. The tentative release date is 4/2, so keep your fingers crossed.

This is the link to L'NL Tactical on their site:

https://store.lnlpublishing.com/series/digital-games/lock-n-load-tactical-digital-on-Steam

Preview of Nations At War Digital

by

Lock 'N Load Publishing

 The Nations At War boardgames from Lock 'N Load comprise these games and add ons:

Nations At War Starter Kit

Stalin's Triumph

White Star Rising

Desert Heat

Solo Assistant for Nations At War

 These games portray platoon-level combat in the different theaters  of World War II. You will get to command armor, artillery, infantry and air support. From tanks fighting tanks to close infantry assault. If you are inclined to play both digital and boardgames (who isn't?), you should take a look at this series.

 So, I did reviews of two out of the three boardgames that comprise the L'NLs stable of Nations At War games. I found them to be great games that were quick to play, and gave historical results. The rules were meant to allow the player to play the game, and not to pore over page after page of the manual. In this, L'NL succeeded admirably. Now I have been allowed to do a preview of Nations At War Digital edition, and put it through the paces and see if it is as good as its cardboard cousin. So on to the game.

 First, the action is based entirely on the Western Front of WWII. The scenarios and equipment, etc. were taken from the 'White Star Rising' edition of the boardgames. Before we get too deep, please remember that this is a preview and things could and probably will change. I had played a much earlier version of the game, so I have seen it grow and become much more polished. 

 The player can play either the German or American side in the game. This means that you get to play with both Shermans and Panthers, along with most of the other equipment that each army used.

 The AI plays almost like a human opponent. To give you an example; I had four Tigers and the AI has a multitude of Shermans, M18s, M36s, and a few Stuarts. The victory conditions for the German side was that I destroy all of the enemy and exit the western edge of the map. The AI would use the Stuarts in Kamikaze like attacks towards the Tigers. At first glance, this seems a rather foolish move. However, for at least two turns I was forced to deal with the Stuarts and not do anything about the real threats that were enveloping my position. So, even though the tactics seem 'gamey', it is exactly what some players would actually do. The Allied airpower is not to be trifled with either. The ground attacking American planes took out two of my Tigers and a Wirbelwind in the above scenario. I have lost more than I have won playing against the AI.

 Another factor that is part of the boardgame, and is a real game changer at times, is Fate Points. Both sides are assigned so many of them at the start of each scenario. I will use L'NL's words to explain them:

"Despite generals, sergeants,riflemen, spreadsheets,tables, and game designer’s best efforts, battles are often won not by the side with the best weapons, most men, or better morale, but by the unforeseen actions of men and women and inexplicable twists
of fate. Fate Points (FPts) in the Nations at War system represent those twists.Fate Points are points that can be used to sway the turn of events and change an unfavorable situation into a favorable
one.
Fate Points are assigned within each scenario to a side and can be used anytime within the game. They cannot be carried over to other scenarios.Fate Points can be thought of as currency and can be used to purchase an event that can change the game. They can be used by the active player or their opponent at anytime.  The defending player ALWAYS has the last chance to use FPts to adjust a unit’s outcome. Fate points that are used to adjust die results may only be used on that players own die results."

 So instead of getting an almost faithful representation of the boardgames, L'NL was able to transpose the boardgames right into the silicon world. This in itself is a major kudo for the game. The AI knows what it has to do to win victories, and is able to follow through and do it. It uses its forces very aggressively, so don't assume it will be passive and better on the defense (as most AIs are). I am very impressed by the game, and really looking forward to L'NLs Tactical Digital series of games that is also coming out soon. Thank you L'NL for allowing me to do this test drive on Nations At War Digital. I almost forgot, this game will be available on Steam at release, as will L'NLs Tactical Digital series.

Lock 'N Load:
https://store.lnlpublishing.com/
Nations At War Digital:
https://store.lnlpublishing.com/series/nations-at-war-series/nations-at-war-digital-for-windows
Nations At War boardgames:
https://store.lnlpublishing.com/series/nations-at-war-series

Robert