The NEW New Boardgames Thread

[The Brain]

Item: Gloomhaven Retail Version
Weight: 9.8 KGS

Last week I got Gloomhaven. Lots of stuff in there.

[Berkut]

I am contemplating running a Languish game of Cataclysm:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125977/cataclysm-second-world-war


I'd be also quite alright with GMing, having 3 of you play, if there's interest. I don't expect us to be able to field a one player per country setup.

Definitely interested. I am supposed to be working on the CB module for it...

[Tamas]

I am contemplating running a Languish game of Cataclysm:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/125977/cataclysm-second-world-war


I'd be also quite alright with GMing, having 3 of you play, if there's interest. I don't expect us to be able to field a one player per country setup.

Definitely interested. I am supposed to be working on the CB module for it...

Well the Vassal module could be slightly better I guess, but still its well done and functional.

[Solmyr]

Interested in Cataclysm as well, and I'll actually send my turns.

[celedhring]

I'm interested. Generally I'm pretty terrible at wargames but this doesn't look like your usual counter-pusher and it certainly intrigues me. I'll sit on the bench in case you need somebody.

[Tamas]

Hey, we can make 5 work.

Player 1: Germany
Player 2: Japan & Italy
Player 3: UK
Player 4: France and USA
Player 5: USSR

I'll set things up and assign countries randomly.

[The Brain]

Played Gloomhaven for the first time tonight. We only had time to finish the first room but it was very enjoyable, it's a very nice tactical game. Everyone loved it.

[11B4V]

Finally found a copy of SPI Fifth Corps. Mission complete in a quest of the original three games.

[Tamas]

Played my first mission in Skies above the Reich.

Seems like an awesome solitaire/2 player co-op game.

Unlike B-17 and the like, there are lots of decisions to make.

Sure, luck can still majorly screw you but not more than I find realistic. And it has the same great story-generating aspect as B-17.

Lots of different strategies to try and different situations that can develop even before your mission starts, it seems.

I kinda' messed up though. Managed to down (well, have it fall out of formation) one bomber before the incoming Spitfire escorts chased my fighters away. Almost lost one plane too, due to damage from collision and machine gun fire, but he managed to land.

Can't wait to continue. You can play a whole-war campaign or a shorter one if you wish.

[Tamas]

Played several mission yesterday, awesome game.

[celedhring]

You just made me check it and I gotta say it looks really interesting. How does the campaign system work?

[Tamas]

You just made me check it and I gotta say it looks really interesting. How does the campaign system work?

Well you have a pilot roster (18 pilots always, the difference between starting years is how many veterans, regulars, and green pilots are there among them) where you track XP and a few skills they might get, and on the other side of the paper your mission roster where you log mission parameters for reference, and also VP gained. There's also a brief 1-page optional event table for between missions.

When you are playing a full war campaign, there are season, like 1942, early 1943, late 1943, etc. (when you play a short campaign, you play one of these seasons). Depending on the season you have a VP points victory requirement, but also a minimum VP you must reach or you lose the season and thus the campaign. Win 4 seasons and you win the campaign (not the war, I assume it means you are promoted or whatever).

A given mission is about what you can do with the situation that's presented to you.

There are 4 maps representing different US formation tactics the Americans tried during the war. Basically, the bombers are your terrain. Their layout defines how much threat a fighter faces in a position (printed on the map), but this can be affected by various things. You roll which map to use depending on the year (usually its a choice between two, but in early 1943 its a choice from 3).

Then you'll see if its an inbound, outbound, or near-target mission. I haven't had the latter one, but this can make a big difference because with an outbound mission, the escorts arrive at a certain time. With inbound, they are present and leave a certain time. When near-target, there's flak to resolve. How the escorts are time is a big deal because they can really, really mess with your plans.

You also receive a number of operations points which you use to "buy" pilots from your roster, as well as from a list of equipment and auxiliary fighters. Once again, the number is random but then it's up to you to make the most of it. In 1942 it just gives you the number of planes you'll have, but from 1943 onwards your options grow. For example, I have tried a mission where I brought along 4 Me-110s to drop bombs over two elements from high above - I wasn't overly impressed.

Once all of that is done, the on-map situation gets generated. You'll see if the formation has suffered any damage so far. Your way to success is what the Germans tried to do in reality: try to loosen/break up a bomber element in the formation so they won't be able to cover each other effectively, and go in for the kill. As such, having a hole, or even a damaged bomber in the formation can inform your plans and increases replayability on the same map between missions.

There are also other things like the sun's position, the number of turns you'll have, whether the formation is "anchored" (meaning they are part of a more massive off-map formation. This makes certain edge spaces off limits and others more dangerous), and the number of Tactical Points you'll have available. TPs are used to move between certain map boxes quicker (like, cutting from low to high skipping medium), and some events that can come up with damage use them.

The above means that there is a great variety. Yes, sometimes you'll be just fucked, but that's not only realistic, but also it makes it great when you can still make something out of it.

[The Brain]

Today I got Cataclysm (and Tolvajärvi). You guys playing Cataclysm, is it fun?

[Habbaku]

No clue. I'll let you know after my first offensive.

[The Brain]

No clue. I'll let you know after my first offensive.

I'm rooting for you.