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In Episode 84 Raef brings us up to speed on his latest adventures with Flames of War. Specifically what do you need to play D-day scenarios and how does it change the game?

Later Russ, Craig, and Raef explore the new Battleship Galaxies: The Saturn Offensive game. From the creators of Heroscape, this isn't your parents Battleship game.

All that and our other not-too-horrible segments including:
- The Hollywood Minute
- Total Fan Girl
- Do You Ever Notice
- & More

Link to the show:
http://www.thed6generation.com/d6g-ep-84-flames-of-war-d-day-battleship-galaxies-detailed-review-

Please let us know what you think!

Craig, you're WROOONNNNGG!

Classic Battleships includes 4 ships, not five. The fifth object is the submarine which, everyone knows, is a boat not a ship.



R.

precinctomega wrote:Craig, you're WROOONNNNGG!

Classic Battleships includes 4 ships, not five. The fifth object is the submarine which, everyone knows, is a boat not a ship.



R.

Love it!

another great show guys ! thumbs up !

Great show guys! About how much would one have to spend to get a good starting FoW army? There's a good following in my local store and I've been interested in the game for a while now even though I've never played any historical game.

A friend and myself just played Pandemic for the first time last night and I know you haven't reviewed the game, but have played it a lot so I wanted to ask your input. Does the game scale well when going to 3 and 4 players? The various game end conditions give the game a set number of turns, but do more players make the game too easy or more difficult? You still have the same amount of actions and infections before the game ends, but you have more specialists to draw from and more cards available in players hands. However even though there are more cards, they are spread out more.

We only played with 4 epidemic cards since we were new to the game, but I guess if you found the game too easy at that point you could add the 5th or 6th card to make things more difficult.

I guess I'm just looking to find the sweet spot for new players. I don't want to introduce it to the larger group if it would be too easy with 4 players and 4 epidemic cards, but even though we're new to the game, we're fairly competent gamers.

My friend and I won last night, but only just barely after we'd missplayed a key turn.

Another great show!

A quick question about the D-DAY FOW segment -- When you said that the Shermans could fire smoke at the bunkers and block their fire. Shouldn't this count as direct fire smoke and only offer a concealment penalty? (We have had arguments about this at our club and I am not sure which way it should go)

bbb wrote:
A friend and myself just played Pandemic for the first time last night and I know you haven't reviewed the game, but have played it a lot so I wanted to ask your input. Does the game scale well when going to 3 and 4 players? The various game end conditions give the game a set number of turns, but do more players make the game too easy or more difficult?

I guess I'm just looking to find the sweet spot for new players. I don't want to introduce it to the larger group if it would be too easy with 4 players and 4 epidemic cards, but even though we're new to the game, we're fairly competent gamers.

The game scales great - it's my wife's favorite game, so we've played 2-player a lot. Also have played a bunch of 4-player (hmmm....not sure if I've ever played 3 player). 2-player gives you less "special abilities" in terms of the characters you play - but I think it can also be easier to coordinate 2 players vice 4.

Stick with 4 epidemics when introducing new players, I think. Once they get a game or two under their belt, add more epidemics. 4 epidemics can still be challenging.

D6G guys - haven't made it through the current episode yet, but wanted to say that I enjoyed your "look back" in the recent Lost Chapter. Would like to hear some more of that from the early episodes.

bbb wrote:Great show guys! About how much would one have to spend to get a good starting FoW army? There's a good following in my local store and I've been interested in the game for a while now even though I've never played any historical game.

Costs for a Flames of War army varies greatly depending on what you're doing.

Mechanized Companies are expensive, while Tank Companies are relatively less so. Germans cost much more in-game, so you'll see a lot less of them. Soviets, on the other hand, are the Orks of FoW. They're everywhere.

A good intro level is either 600 or 1000 pts. At 600 pts, you use your Company HQ, one Combat platoon, and then the rest in weapons platoon, brigade support, and divisional support. I, personally, went in at 1000 pts, for no other reason than I wanted to jump into the game headfirst.

Head over to Easy Army for an excellent, semi-free list builder. For $2, you can pick up both Turning Tide and Earth & Steel, which will give you a plethora of German, American, British, and Canadian lists.

Remember, also, that you can use alternate models in Flames of War - unlike other companies, in Flames of War, a T-34/85 is a T-34/85, and Sherman is a Sherman, and a Flak 88 is a Flak 88. Companies like the Plastic Soldier Company produce cheaper, yet very detailed plastic models at half of what Battlefront produces. A couple of tank boxes, an infantry box, and some heavy weapons from Battlefront could get you 1000 points for under $100.

I'd recommend Tank Companies to someone just starting out. Tank don't have quite as many rules as Infantry, and the assault phase isn't something you have to worry to much about, although you'll definitely want to know how it works, since most games are won/lost in the assault. Don't, however, leave your tanks high and dry. Flames of War favors the combined arms approach to lists. Your tanks may be able to quickly roll out and bloody your opponent, but it'll be the support you get from your defensive infantry and smoke-happy artillery that'll really win you the day.

/rant

As for the show, once again the D6G crew has not disappointed. Well, maybe just a little - after hearing Owen's last Words from Wales, I was awaiting more. But that's a story I'll have to try to commit to memory, as it'll be great around the campfire.

Battleship Galaxies looks interesting, but durnit, where's that Battletech review?! I was given a winking orkticon, which is obviously just as binding as a verbal contract.

What perfect timing.

Last night was my monthly game night. It's a 45 min drive to the game store that I meet my friend at. He had emailed me saying he'd just bought Battleship Galaxies and wanted to know if I wanted to take it for a spin with him. Well, heck, of course I did!

What a great help it was to listen to the D6 Battleship Galaxies review on the drive out to the game store! Perfect! Thanks guy!

Great episode as usual. Enjoyed the FoW segment. Nicole sounded so tired in her post-SDCC haze. Having done Comic Con many times I know that feeling!

The episode left me with a burning question, however. Did Craig get all his writing done before his deadline?

Gen Con is almost here, folks! Looking forward to see y'all!

Hey Guys:

Glad you liked the FOW segment.

Response A:

A quick question about the D-DAY FOW segment -- When you said that the Shermans could fire smoke at the bunkers and block their fire. Shouldn't this count as direct fire smoke and only offer a concealment penalty? (We have had arguments about this at our club and I am not sure which way it should go)

Yeah, it can get confusing. Ok. The sherman smokes a 2" smoke ball as direct fire and no wind effects it. ALL smoke provides concealment for the troops or unit within and prevents all troops from shooting out whether a big square or 2" ball. So basically your group is getting confused the idea of getting shot at (concealment) vs. shooting out (can't with smoke) does that make sense? What is nice on the D-Day scenario is the following. You see a bunker and are within its los rules, you can shoot smoke at it and hit it on a 3+ or 4+ depending on if you take the 1st Div. or 29th Div. respectively. VS. using the normal artillery rules which could be much harder to hit. Also the concealment rule is why smoke must be shot first. Because now when the rest of your army shoots, if it shoots at the smoke bunker, unit, tank whatever, the enemy will get the +1 to hit for being concealed. Make sense?

Response B:

How much is it to get started?

Well, FOW is an expensive hobby. More so than any other I think. BUT, here is what I find. Over time I have gotten 10x more fight out of this army than any other. Ex. I built a nurgle army back in the day. Ok, great but what happens when I want to play IG? I buy a whole new army. With my US infantry army, I play it everysingle time and add units as I go. IE. I just bought a squad of 80mm Mortars to add to it. I think I have had this army and played it for over 5 years, and I never tire of it. Why? Because, and this is what is nice with FOW. No army list is ever out dated. I can play Early US, Mid US, and Late US. All with the same models. Only the army stats or rules change. Like in DDay all my rifle teams act like pioneers, so they get a cool new ability but I am not switching from a Nurgle Marine to an IG. Make sense? So, whatever you buy as your first army. IMHO will last you a long time. Assuming you still like playing thematically that army. I would stick to the main axis, Britain, US, and then Germans. There is so much variety among those armies even within the same time period that it is not even funny. Matt Alix's paratrooper army playes so differently and looks so different from my rifle co.'s or my armoured rifle co.'s.

Ok so where to start. Pick a time period. I say Mid or Late. (Early war is funky). Then pick the Army Book within that time period. Then pick your side. Then flip through the book. In US. It is separated out as Rifle Co, Armoured Inf., Tank Co, and a few varients based on region and time period. Then look at the basis you need. Buy those. IE. A HQ, A Platoon or two, and the Weapons Platoon, or Div. Support you like. Voila you have your army. Basic cost. Prolly about $200.00. If that is too steep. Buy a Platoon and a Weapons platoon. and play a small squad based scenario. I like the "Skirmish Campaings" by Scott Fisher and Nathan Forney. Literally have a blast using only a platoon and a few other segments. Like two tanks. And its really fun!

Well that is my advice. Have fun storming the beaches!

HD

Another fine show for the books!

The FoW: Normandy sounds interesting. While I'm not likely to begin playing any time soon, I'd play it if it was set up for me to play.

Battleship seems to be like something I'll be trying out.

As for inexpensive ways to get into comics, libraries often have graphic novels. That's where I pick up many of the stories that I'm not interested in buying, but would like to know what's going on. Also, digital comics are becoming rather affordable, minus the cost of something to read them from, unless you don't mind reading comics from your computer screen. Some of the services that provide digital comics also give out sample comics.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I did, indeed, meet my deadline, despite a brain cramp that resulted in my thinking it was on a Friday, instead of a Tuesday. I am now actually ahead of the production schedule, and hope to stay there for GenCon

For non-Twitter/FB followers who might be interested in attending PAX Prime despite a marked dearth of tickets, you might look to the Geek Nation Tours website, look to foriegn shores for a question that might just lead you to what you seek . . . if you remember the standard rules . . .

~Craig

@Stonedog: How do you play Americans for early War?

Curses, now I have to go buy Battleship Galaxies. Another thing to further drain my already strapped cash flow.

Seriously, though, great episode! This one had me hooked beginning to end. I really like your game reviews. They're great for deciding if I'm going to get a game or not; for example, you convinced me to get into Monsterpocalypse, a game I swore I'd never set foot near (I detest collectable games), and now I own every figure for it produced to this point. Now I'm one of only three players to play it around here. Poor management on Privateer Press' part has all but killed it, it seems.

Where am I going with this? I was thinking you might do a segment about great games sadly mishandled by their producer (Dream Blade and Confrontation as another couple of examples). I don't know if there's enough content to fill an entire segment, or if it goes against the whole "no hate" ideal, but I just figured I'd throw it out there...

Again, another great job and keep up the fantastic work!

Lost Chapter 14: The failed game you were thinking of is "Mutant Chronicles"

Wondering about a couple (spaceship) things:

1. Some folks over at BGG have made comments that Battleship: Galaxies isn't tactically very interesting. That with the lack of fire arcs, once you get your ships in range of the enemy, position on the hexmap becomes irrelevant and that as a result, repeat plays of the game start to feel "samey"; that you basically move into range and then blast away mindlessly in what becomes a dice-fest without tactics. I'd be very interested in your take on those comments.

2. Firestorm Armada: THIS is the spaceship game I'd most like to play, but imho the rulebook is laid out horribly. I marked my copy up pretty thoroughly to make the needed erratta corrections and then felt it was necessary to write pg. number references in the margins where needed in order to tie together related rules that were in disparate sections of the book. My most promising opponent for the game was so annoyed with this (the quality of the editing, that is) and having felt burned on the 1st edition of Uncharted Seas, that he basically refuses to play Spartan Games at this point.

The point: Craig mentioned that he was writing large volumes of Firestorm Armada fiction. That's great news as I like what's available already, but more is definitely welcome! It's my hope that Spartan is seriously considering re-doing the Firestorm Armada book, recognizing that it's not really up to snuff. Perhaps Craig's fiction is going to be included in a 2nd edition rulebook? I really, really hope so. From what the D6G said about Dystopian Wars, Spartan has kicked it up a notch. They're re-releasing Uncharted Seas, I'm hoping they have the same plans for Firestorm Armada.

I'm sure you can't confirm that, Craig... but I wish you could!

Cheers,
Talarius

Im in Florida on Holiday (note I didnt use Vacation).

Maybe you can help me out?.


1.What is the problem with sales Tax?, why cant you just tell me how much stuff is before I get to the till?.

2. Drinking Gallons of Dansani water, it feels great as it was banned in the UK after being exposed as just bottled tap water.

3. Why are your road signs just high enough that a bus always blocks them from your sight and you end up going miles out of your way looking for a turning?.

4. Why do people keep mistaking me for an Australian?, I have not even got corks on my hat.

Anyway missing my gaming, Disney has robbed me blind, I am going to have to start selling Words from Wales segments .

Ta

Owen

1. Being from a state that doesn't have a sales tax, I'm just as confused when I travel anywhere.

3. Many of us drive cars bigger than buses.

4. You come from an island that isn't Cuba, must be Australian. I kid, I kid.

Thanks for that,

Im at Disneyworld and having a fab time but please .........

1. Since when did a waiters tip become 20% !!!! That's more like a ransom...

2. Do Fat people really have to ride around in wheelchairs, ? if they walked then maybe they would be less fat?

3. I have made a real effort and left my mobile phone (sorry cellphone) at home, why do people feel the need to update their facebook accounts whilst sitting on Splash mountain?, that really saddens me, you are in Disneyworld for God's sake there is no need to poke anybody when you are about to take off in Mission space.

Its a sad time in which we live, or am I just getting old?

Owen

I totally agree with you Owen. Disney can be mind blowing in completely unintentional ways. Not that i wouldn't mind one of the scooters to sit on when those lines get long, from time to time.

Ah, yes, Mutant Chronicles . . . got a bunch in the basement if anyone's interested. We were rookies then. Now we know to be suspicious if someone offers us 3 of anything on the Sunday of GenCon

Talarius: Spartan is working hard to update and maintain all 3 of their core games. The weaknesses you have noted have been noted at the highest levels at SG. That's all I can say right now

Owen: Don't forget Twitter! half those people fiddling with their 'smart' phones are telling the world what they had from the concession stand for lunch. What would we do without that information? I think perhaps you're a bit too provincial, coming from Down Under and all

Hey, if you're looking at just unloading Mutant Chronicles stuff I'd be interested I have a soft spot for the setting from playing Warzone back in the day and knowing one of the developers of the game. Never really looked at the FFG game since it seemed destined to fail.

Hey, bbb, email me at craig@thed6generation.com and we can chat. I'll have to dig up what I have, anyway.

~Craig

Master-Terraformer wrote:Hey, bbb, email me at craig@thed6generation.com and we can chat. I'll have to dig up what I have, anyway.

~Craig

email has been sent

owenrufus wrote:Thanks for that,

Im at Disneyworld and having a fab time but please .........

1. Since when did a waiters tip become 20% !!!! That's more like a ransom...

2. Do Fat people really have to ride around in wheelchairs, ? if they walked then maybe they would be less fat?

3. I have made a real effort and left my mobile phone (sorry cellphone) at home, why do people feel the need to update their facebook accounts whilst sitting on Splash mountain?, that really saddens me, you are in Disneyworld for God's sake there is no need to poke anybody when you are about to take off in Mission space.

Its a sad time in which we live, or am I just getting old?

Owen

Those points are too logical and have no room in the minds of self entitled united states citizens.

To all my american compatriots, allow me to translate the above with grunts, chest beating gestures and fart sounds.

Seriously though, welcome to the united states. It's not a foreign country. It is merely a 'unique' state of mind.

RussWakelin wrote:

precinctomega wrote:Craig, you're WROOONNNNGG!

Classic Battleships includes 4 ships, not five. The fifth object is the submarine which, everyone knows, is a boat not a ship.



R.

Love it!

Hear hear!

Just finished this episode on the plane back to DC from Frankfurt today. Another great one, guys! I too have been enjoying Battleship Galaxies; I've only managed to get a couple of games in so far, but it is a great quality product. As you pointed out in your review, the expansion options are practically unlimited. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next ep, and hearing all about Gencon .