Aces & Armor

by

PKB Games

 PKB Games is a new smaller company that has already made a big name for itself with their first KS game Trench Club, now Trench Club Legacy. Wargames with miniatures, real wargames, and not the simpler more children friendly versions of the 1960s, have become more and more popular. Even on the digital side of wargaming, 3D miniatures have been used for quite a while. So, has this merger between a more artistic approach and simulation type rules been a success? In the games that I have played it has been an undeniable yes. Let us see how this new KS from PKB Games measures up. Here is what they say about their company:

"We are a small board game publishing company. Our games started with games we wanted to play ourselves but didn’t exist yet. So, we were our first customer ourselves. I hope you share the excitement, and we wish you hours of fun with our games!"

 There has been a move in recent years to add minis and colorful maps to some wargames. To the grognard, it is easy to dismiss them as just Axis & Allies clones. In this you would be sadly mistaken. Many of these games that mix Euro games and normal wargames together are deep and give the wargamer a great experience. 

 As you can see, the game map and game pieces and player aids are extremely well made. They are colorful but large and very easy to read.

 Here you can see how meticulous the detail is in the miniatures. They are also paintable if you so choose.

 The miniatures sit on bases that have two columns built on them. These columns are used to keep track of the units' status elite, veteran, etc. and also the damage that any unit has.

  The units that the game gives you to play with are:

Infantry

Mobile Infantry

Mechanized Infantry

Militia

Cavalry

Tiger

Panther

T-34

Sherman

Pak 40

8.8 Flak

Katyusha

Howitzer

ME 262

Ju 87 Stuka

BF 109

Ju 88

IL-2 Sturmovik

Yak-9

P-51

B-17

 The game can be played by one to four players. This game follows the trend of giving the player a full solitaire experience right out of the box, instead of having to play both sides or wait for someone to create some solo rules for the game.

These are two painted minis. You can also see the detail in the railroad bridge.

 The game comes with three scenarios. However, the main crux of the game is its skirmish mode. This allows each player to choose the units that he wants to play with in the game. There are also factories to take away damage from units and to build new units. Victory is achieved through the capture of enemy factories. Because I prefer to play solo when I can, I was very happy to see the built in solo rules. I found the solo rules and play to be just fine. The game is made to be played fast and furious (the rules even suggest to time player moves to five minutes). It is not a game that you will leave up on your table looking at all of the different strategies you can try out before making your move. This is not a beer & pretzels game, but it certainly isn't Squad Leader either. Still, I had an enjoyable time playing it. The game is also completely finished. This cannot be said of all Kickstarter games by any means.

 Thank you PKB games for allowing me to kick the tires on your newest game. If you get the chance, also look at their Trench Club Legacy game.

Robert

PKB Games - PKB Games (pkb-games.com)

Aces & Armor Kickstarter - Aces & Armor by PKB Games — Kickstarter 

 V-SABOTAGE

MINIATURE PACK

FROM

TRITON-NOIR

As promised a few days ago, here is more a gallery tour of the visual and physical delights of this latest expansion as the photos mainly speak for themselves.  So does the depth of the box which can better be appreciated from this angle.

Because of its contents including two trays of miniatures, this is not just the largest expansion, but substantially larger than the core game box. Also, because the fact that the heart of this package is the 65 miniatures, I feel I need to quote my original comment on the game in 2017:

"Certainly, the very good quality, circular, cardboard discs that represent the many single-man figures in the game are high on that list.  I had imagined buying and painting some commando figures [of which there are many fine products on the market], but soon decided that I much preferred what you see here."

I confess that I still rate the Commando counters very highly for their size, solidity and vibrant colours, but with what I can show you now I'm not going to be letting these miniatures sit idle in their perfect moulded containers.

This first set contains all your relentless enemies in four different poses, plus 2 alarm units.  I particularly like these models of hand-cranked alarms that immediately have my ears resounding to their imagined wail!

The second container holds five very individualised Commando figures, plus a further five figures representing the Commandos when disguised in German uniforms.  In addition, there are ten models of elite German troops armed with StG44s and three sandbag machine gun nests with separate MG42s.

Also visible in my photo are two good quality cloth bags to hold enemy reserve and equipment reserve and, just about visible, are the red plastic base rings that are attached to a Commando when he/she becomes visible and removed when the Commando returns to stealthy status.

Though the figures are the major draw of this expansion, there is considerably more to the box's contents than plastic.  There's plenty to satisfy my liking for cardboard. There are 54 enemy reinforcement tokens and a double-sided enemy board and, even more to gain my applause, a total of 25 new indoor/outdoor tiles, comprising 15 small, 3 medium sized and a superb 7 large tiles. 

To illustrate just one of the large tiles on its outdoor side, I've included a couple of German soldiers, along with an alarm machine and a machine gun nest.  While the next shot presents two large tiles on their indoor side, plus two of the different German soldier poses and the three types of doors.

And finally, what I hope you've been waiting for, a glimpse of the Commando figures: the first one on the left is in German officer disguise, while the other two are only too obviously undisguised!

Another very impressive large tile helps to provide a dramatic background to two more Commandos facing off against two German troopers.

The last item in the box is the rulebook, though not quite what you might be expecting.  It's a mere 4 pages, of which one page is the front cover and the second page [which really, really does not do justice to what is in this package] shows the contents of the box.

And the final two pages explain how to utilise specific aspects of the figures and tokens.

This Expansion is the icing on the cake with the cherry on the top and will be very, very hard to resist and so, it is with an extra big thanks to Triton-Noir for sending me a copy to review and I hope that my photos have given you an appetite for a more personal acquaintance with this addition.

KICKSTARTER LAUNCHED 

TRENCH CLUB LEGACY

FROM

PKB GAMES

We're glad to announce the Kickstarter for PKB Games Legacy edition of their stunning game Trench Club.  If you liked Company of Heroes, you'll definitely want this.

Magnificent full colour boards

Overlays

Variety of troops in detailed miniatures

Plus the Legacy mode

All that the original game contained has been increased with the addition of a Strategic map board that allows you to craft your own path and destiny through WWI.  Create your own story with the legacy campaign, adapt the map, unlock new units and weapons.  The original was stunning...this takes you even further.

Click HERE to access the Kickstarter video.

Trench Club

by

PKB Games

 So, just so we understand each other this is a preview of a game that is on KickStarter right now. I do have a prototype heading my way, but I have seen the pictures of it and I was really impressed. 

 I have been waiting for a game that has the look of miniatures that come with the high end Axis & Allies games, but is also a deeper wargame under, and above, the hood. This game looks to be the one that will finally scratch that itch for me. I own one or two that come close and I know there is at least one other one the market, but this will be the first, hopefully, that I will get my hot little hands on. This is the company's blurb about the game:

"Highly complex strategy game, yet very easy and intuitive to learn the rules
Detailed miniatures 
 Different unit types with individual strengths and weaknesses – without using a simple “Rock, Scissors, Paper” principle
Individual strengths of the different nations, yet balanced chances
The game stays in balance for a long time, so every player still has a chance to win and stays excited
Complex combat system that depends on type of unit, combat damage, experience, strategic formation, terrain and armor
 “Dice luck” only plays a minor role (since battles involve a lot of 12-sided dice the outcome is usually around the expected value)

High re-playability due to the variable start setup" 

 This sounds exactly what my mind has been waiting to play since I was about eight years old. I was playing the game below, and I always wanted more depth to it. Then, at ten years old, I saw PanzerBlitz in a hobby store for the first time. Since then I have been looking to do a Dr. Frankenstein and splice the two types of games together to make my Holy Grail.

 Let us take a look at what some of the pieces that you get with Trench Club look like, and see the scale of the minis:

This is the two-sided map board:

An English Tank Unit Chart:

A Mounted Infantry Unit Chart:

These are different Nations Units; notice the German Big Bertha:

This is a picture of the different units on the map:

 You will notice in the picture one or two poles that are attached to each piece/unit. These are used to show a unit's damage and the experience points a unit has. This is a link to the RuleBook in English:

http://trench-club.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Trench_Club_Rules_Draft_EN.pdf

 Right now it also comes in German and French, and if there are enough backers, in Italian and Spanish.

 There is also a 'Special Forces extension' that you can purchase that includes these units:

"The Minelayer can install explosive mines throughout the battlefield. You know where they are – but your enemy doesn’t!

The Poison Gas Launcher (one of the many horrors of World War I) damages units on multiple fields at the same time – friend and foe!
The Medic lets you repair units in the field – normally you would have to retreat from the front line to your own forts."


 The game has just passed a second Stretch Goal:

"The game just got better again. We unlocked the next stretch goal together and now Trench Club will get a tactile Linen-Finish for cardboard prints. This is a higher quality print includes a fabric-like texture you can feel and see. I love it and think it makes prints look a lot more premium. A big “thank you” to everyone who supported Trench Club in any way!"

 The KS campaign has already passed the funding for the game and the first Stretch Goal of adding Solo Rules.

 Just look at the detail of the pieces in the next two pictures:

 "Forts (bunkers) are printed on the game board – which is totally sufficient for the game. However, it just looks so much cooler with the extra large Fort miniatures to place on the game board!"

 These forts might make it into the game:

 The game rules seem easy to learn, but also have a good amount of depth to them. Though to be honest they had me at 'Big Bertha' as a unit! I cannot wait to get my hands on the finished product. So, please go take a look at the KS campaign and maybe help them unlock even more goals.

This is the PKB Games page:

http://trench-club.com/

This is the KS page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/trench-club/trench-club

Robert

Star Wars Legion is a two-player battle between the Imperial forces and forces comprising the Rebel Alliance (what else?).  I've played enough of the current catalogue of the seemingly never-ending release of Star Wars to be able to say I think this is my favourite at the tactical level (with a few caveats). 

Before I tell you why I think this is my favourite tactical Star Wars game, I've got to set some expectations. The Star Wars Legion box is a starter set for the rest of the system, it is far from the full SW:L experience.  This is a tabletop wargame with elements borrowed from board games that optimise gameplay; it isn't a board game.  To explain further, I would consider Imperial Assault to be a miniatures boardgame; SW:L is a miniatures wargame.

You can watch my unboxing video of the core set below:

Gameplay

A game, or battle, lasts for six turns in which all of your and your opponents will activate alternately with each other.  A full turn of the game comprises three different phases, (I told you it was like a board game), the Command Phase, the Action Phase and the End Phase.

Starter Battle setup

During the Command Phase, players choose one from a hand of 7 command cards to 'order' a number of their in-command units.  However, these command cards also determine the initiative for that turn. If you've chosen a command card with a high number of activations you've probably ceded the initiative to your opponent.  Because there are so few command cards in use, you can know what cards your opponent still holds in their hand and choosing a command card turns into a fun mini-game within a game.

Your commander will be able to order a small number of units directly by placing an order token next to that unit (assuming they're within order range). Units that don't receive an order token will have their order tokens shuffled and placed in a face-down stack. During the activation phase, you can elect to move a unit that has an order token next to it or pull from the randomised stack and activate whichever unit is drawn. 

Protecting the transmission dish

In the most basic terms, each activated unit can move and fire.  As you're moving after your opponent (except for the first activation of the turn) you should be able to react immediately to any manoeuvre.  However, if you've placed an order token next to units that are far from the action, you'll be reduced to hoping that you pull the right order token from the stack to react or cause your opponent the same dilemma. This may sound quite random but you can control it in a variety of ways and it actually plays out like another fun mini-game within a game. 

Your units are not just limited to just moving and attacking. In the learning battle, players can also, aim and dodge, but the full rules, allow for a plethora of abilities to be used. The abilities when used allow you to have more control over the timing or your units' activation, their movement or their abilities in combat.  These powers are mostly tracked through the use of intuitive tokens next to the unit which neatly avoids the ubiquitous lookup tables in many other wargames.  These abilities not only are evocative of the lore of Star Wars but make the tactical decision space far greater.

Father and Son dukin' it out

The movement system is nice and simple. You are given three movement rulers which hinge in the middle and you measure the unit's leader-figures movement. Every other figure in the unit is just placed somewhere within XXX of that figure. There is no need for unit trays or endless measuring of distance. I thought this sped up the gameplay compared to many miniature wargames I've tried and it lets you get on with the real battle.

When in combat your units roll a number of dice depending on how many figures there are in the unit.  The unit cards indicate the number of red, black or white dice a single figure rolls in attack or defence. The strengths of each dice colour are different and I was continually pleased with how thematic the units abilities and dice mechanics worked to fit into Star Wars canon. Once again this was quite a simple mechanic but when the full rules are used, your units may have more than one weapon type and can fire on multiple enemies. Although the gameplay is very accessible there are plenty of good tactical decisions to be made.  I particularly like the surge mechanic which is present in quite a few FFG games.

Stormtroopers rolling too well, they defended every single hit!

The starter battle is very easy to jump into even if you're both complete newcomers to the game or have never played a miniatures wargame.  And you know what? I thought it was a blast.  I've continued to play the advanced rules and built up to nearly a full army of Imperial and Rebels.  A full army is 800pts and when building your army lists visiting table top admiral is a must.  I've even put my 3d printer to good use producing terrain for the game.

I just wish there were more players of the game near me. I've only found one game store out of about 7 or 8 I've visited recently (I travel quite a bit for work) who is stocking SW:L product. Which is a shame because I think this game is a great example of what a tabletop wargame should be and it's set in the Star Wars universe. Win-win from me. Its largest rival in this space is probably Games Workshop's 40k behemoth, and for me, there is no question which is more fun. (hint: it's not the spacemarines)

500pt Battle to control the comms array

Components

The game comes with a plethora of different tokens and figures to get going with the base game. It's almost expected that I would say that these components are up there with the best in the business as is the rest of FFG's output. However, I can criticise the miniatures, specifically the limited glueing surface (e.g. two boots) to their bases. I thought I was a fairly competent modeller and used the right type of glue but I've still had a few miniatures come unstuck.  Why can't all minis come on slotted bases?

Ubiquitous Learn to Play and self-printed Reference

Criticisms

The rest of the production of this game is top-quality, as ever from FFG, but there is lots to criticise here.  I think the delivery of the product to gamers has been poorly handled. 

The core game doesn't provide enough dice to roll just one hand of dice. Scooping up the misses and rolling again, or remembering the previous roll to add to the next is not what I want to be doing. My first 'expansion' that I bought was an extra set of dice.  Adding an extra 9 dice couldn't have been that cost prohibitive, could it?

Can you spot the Rebel sharpshooters?

The rules reference is not provided in the box. The Learn to Play book is there and it's excellent, but to progress onto the next stage you'll need to download and print out or use a screen to read the rules reference.  I know this is intended to be a living document so any print out will show its age, but wargamers have been adding errata corrections to manuals for as long as Star Wars has been around. You can't even buy the rules reference as a standalone product. However, they have used lots of links in the pdf and it's very easy to navigate. You just need to have a large tablet or laptop at the game table.

The scale of the miniatures does not match that of Imperial Assault, they are larger and, however, much better quality, but I think this aspect alone massively damaged Legion's launch. Imagine if all the Imperial Assault players woke up to find a new game, playable with their existing miniatures with just a purchase of some dice and card decks. I guarantee that the uptake of this would have been through the roof. The potential for future expansions would also have been massive as IA players realise that this game is a much better skirmish game than IA. This miniature scale decision could be viewed as quite cynical corporate greed and I think it may have stabbed FFG in the foot a little.

If you do eventually buy the expansions, and I heartily recommend SW:Legion with them, then be prepared for the amount of air you're buying.  The expansion box sizes far outstrip the amount of content you get. I'm getting a bit fed up with publishers making their boxes with no consideration to the amount of stuff that box will hold. It's not bad in the Core Box, mine is stuffed and it comes with an almost workable insert, but the expansions are ridiculous. What is more egregious is that I'm sure 90% of players will be ditching these expansion boxes straight away.

Looking at the prices for this in the one store, I found actively stocking it (luckily it's local) is the price model.  FFG know what they're doing with this IP and the level of players they can expect to invest and support the game, but the prices for the expansions feels fairly wallet gouging if you're not a regular miniatures gamer accustomed to skipping meals to pay for the next unit...



via GIPHY

However, with all that said, these criticisms do nothing to detract from the gameplay. 

Conclusion

So I love the gameplay. There are some really great 'ah-hah' moments when you realise how to use your units abilities and how it fits thematically and I've only really scratched the surface; there's lots of game here to get your teeth into.  But there is lots to criticise as well. Thankfully very few of my criticisms are levelled at the gameplay, more at how FFG have handled the production and launch of this game.

Comms power generator captured by a severely weakened stormtrooper unit

Star Wars: Legion shares top-gong, with Star Wars Rebellion, for best game in the Star Wars universe, in my opinions, and is the most fun I've had playing a tabletop wargame.  Other games I've experienced which I'm basing this comparison on are: Lion Rampant, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer 40k, and Bolt Action.

Legion plays quickly and you have a plethora of tactical decision every single turn of when to activate and how to minimise the damage an unwanted activation could do whilst attempting to destroy your opponent's forces. 

That's a lot of stuff in the base box

Some people have described this as an incomplete board game, and that is unfair. It is firmly a miniatures wargame with a little bit of a board game in there, e.g. the use of tokens and command cards.  You're paying for the rules and some starter units which aren't provided by many wargame rulesets.


If Star Wars is your thing and you're either a tabletop gamer wondering what all the fuss is about with board games, or you're a board gamer, curious what the other side of your local game shop is all about, then I can recommend Star Wars Legion, it has a foot in both camps.

Now would be a great time to get into Legion as the support from FFG continues to grow and the Clone Wars core box sets are soon to be released alongside the multitude of expansions that will eventually come with the new factions. At the moment only B-1 Battle Droids and Clone Troopers have been announced but you get General Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi (of Mcgregor vintage) in the core box alongside two base units and a vehicle unit for each side.

This is a little hard to find in local brick and mortar stores but still widely available online and actively supported by FFG, I get the impression that it is much more popular across the pond than in the UK.  You can find your nearest FLGS at http://www.findyourgamestore.co.uk/

Publisher: FFG
Website: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/star-wars-legion
Players: 2
Designer: Alex Davy
Playing time: 1-2 hours

Derby Worlds 2017 was held 7th and 8th October, just South of Leicester at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds.

Demo game for The Battle of Cerignola

I had no idea what to expect having never attended a miniature wargaming convention. I was going along to play a game of Magic Realm with some fellow bgg-ers.

A very special Magic Realm

I was immediately struck by how well attended the show was and therefore how healthy the miniature wargaming hobby is in the UK. Personal experience also backs up my theory that it is a buoyant hobby in the UK as I can readily find a local weekly wargaming club, the same can't be said of local board game clubs.

The Battle of Jutland (on a massive table)

If I had to guess there were probably 2,000 people in attendance on Saturday and the show literature advertised over 70 different traders on the day. Just over half of the space was dedicated to traders and demo games, and the rest of the hall was handed over to the dozens of different tournaments on offer. At the busiest time, there could have been upwards of 40 different tournament games going on.

Towards the tournament side of the hall

Another view of Cerignola

All of the demo tables were gorgeous and lavish productions of what a wargaming table can look like. I expect the reality is probably a little different if you looked in the attics and sheds of most wargamers.

First World War African battle

My game of Magic Realm, aside from being played on a phenomenally beautiful set, was a fairly typical Magic Realm affair i.e. I died on day 3. I failed 2 hide rolls and moved into a clearing with 2 Flying Dragons, a Tremendous Flying Dragon and to top it off, an Octopus was summoned at the end of my turn. That fight was never going to end well for my Berserker. I ended the game with a grand score of -30, for the uninitiated a score of 0 or higher is considered a win.

My Berserker dying

All in all, I had a great time, and could definitely recommend it for any UK gamer and if like me, you're primarily a board gamer, it is a fantastic introduction to the vast array of different rule sets, eras, scales and modelling possibilities that are readily available in the miniature wargaming hobby. I will definitely be going back next year.