The Best of the Best: Mark's Favorite Tactical Games
I've played almost all the tactical games on the market. If my three, non-gamer readers are present, let me explain. Tactical war games are games that simulate the tactics of war on a small scale. Think Saving Private Ryan and you'll get the picture. During my long gaming life, I've played many of these board games, and I'd thought I'd share my opinions on them this morning.
Lock 'n Load. My design, and my favorite. Sorry. What I like most is how it creates a narrative, a movie on the board, so to speak. Of all the modules, Forgotten Heroes is my favorite.
I'm also a fan of Combat Commander. In fact, it's my second favorite system. I remember playing it till 2 AM with a friend at PrezCon several years ago. It's an infantry-only game, and I applaud its lack of vehicles.
Advanced Squad Leader. The game from which all others are birthed. It's been close to 20 years since I've played ASL, and I look back on it with fond memories. It does create a great narrative. The down side is that it takes too many rules to do so.
Band of Brothers. This is a lot of fun. I also wish it was all infantry (like Combat Commander). The tank stuff just doesn't strike a chord. And to be honest, I get tired of the preaching on how it, "through immense research and starting from scratch (or something like that)" gets squad level combat right. It's a great game, I've played several scenarios and I'll play several more, but as far as tactics go, it feels just like the other tactical titles. Cardboard maneuvers, cardboard shoots, cardboard is removed from play. Same-same.
Fire Team. If the graphics and scenarios were better, Fire Team would be my second favorite system. I was always a Southard fan. I like the chit pull system, I like the CRT, both infantry and AFV. Southard seems to favor the Americans in his vehicle assessment, for example he clams a Bradly has twice the armor of a BMP-2, but overall Fire Team is great fun.
Conflict of Heroes. This was a market changer. Uwe Eickert's use of huge, thick counters and matching boards attracted Euro and war gamers alike. The system plays well in small battles, and I love the idea of pulling a results chit for each hit. Not a fan of hiding that chit beneath a counter.
Au fil de l'Epée. If I had never read Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt I never would have bought into this medieval tactical series, but I'm glad that I did. Au fil de l'Epée tells such great stories of battles, formations, confusion, and charges. I can't compare it directly to the other games I mentioned, but it is also one of my tactical favorites. Where else do you get to fight with the most famous Catholic woman warrior of all time, Milla Jovovich?
Did I leave out your favorite? Am I full of it? Let me know below.
Mark H. Walker is the author of World at War: Revelation, a creepy, military action, with a love story, alternate history, World War Three novel thing. It's available from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing right here. Just $2.99. Give it a try. What the hell?
Lock 'n Load. My design, and my favorite. Sorry. What I like most is how it creates a narrative, a movie on the board, so to speak. Of all the modules, Forgotten Heroes is my favorite.
I'm also a fan of Combat Commander. In fact, it's my second favorite system. I remember playing it till 2 AM with a friend at PrezCon several years ago. It's an infantry-only game, and I applaud its lack of vehicles.
Advanced Squad Leader. The game from which all others are birthed. It's been close to 20 years since I've played ASL, and I look back on it with fond memories. It does create a great narrative. The down side is that it takes too many rules to do so.
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| Milla at War |
Fire Team. If the graphics and scenarios were better, Fire Team would be my second favorite system. I was always a Southard fan. I like the chit pull system, I like the CRT, both infantry and AFV. Southard seems to favor the Americans in his vehicle assessment, for example he clams a Bradly has twice the armor of a BMP-2, but overall Fire Team is great fun.
Conflict of Heroes. This was a market changer. Uwe Eickert's use of huge, thick counters and matching boards attracted Euro and war gamers alike. The system plays well in small battles, and I love the idea of pulling a results chit for each hit. Not a fan of hiding that chit beneath a counter.
Au fil de l'Epée. If I had never read Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt I never would have bought into this medieval tactical series, but I'm glad that I did. Au fil de l'Epée tells such great stories of battles, formations, confusion, and charges. I can't compare it directly to the other games I mentioned, but it is also one of my tactical favorites. Where else do you get to fight with the most famous Catholic woman warrior of all time, Milla Jovovich?
Did I leave out your favorite? Am I full of it? Let me know below.
Mark H. Walker is the author of World at War: Revelation, a creepy, military action, with a love story, alternate history, World War Three novel thing. It's available from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing right here. Just $2.99. Give it a try. What the hell?
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