boylermaker
11-27-2006, 08:32 PM
I just got the game in the mail today, courtesy of UnCon. I hope to play against a flesh-and-blood opponent this weekend, but I just played a quick solo game. Germany won with 26 VP's on turn 7. This doesn't surprise me, as the aggressive power is usually easier to pick up and play. I can't comment on game balance yet, but I'll be sure to once I get a couple of games under my belt.
This game is great! I admit that I was pretty sceptical about the components: the front line markers looked fiddly, the battle strips looked lame, and the supply markers sounded like they could easily become a pain. I was relieved: the front line markers are, in fact, fiddly, but they are also as neat as Mr. Harris advertized. The battle strips work suprisingly well, and I enjoy using them. The supply markers are awesome, useful, and introduce a wonderfully frustrating aspect to the game.
The rules aren't super clear, but with the help of the AH.com articles, I was able to pick it up fairly easily. I don't feel that I've played the game enough to comment on specific mechanics, but the whole game is extremely fun, and very different from any of its cousins. In fact, the game that BoB most reminds me of is my favorite, Fortress America.
My only complaint so far is asthetic: I don't really like how turns are color-coded. The rest of the board is very subdued, and the colors (randomly arranged, not even in a rainbow pattern) stick out like a sore thumb.
I'm not the person to talk about the unit molds, or things like that. I realize that this is an Issue for some players, but not for me. Frankly, the German tank could be an Abrams MBT, and I probably wouldn't notice and certainly wouldn't care. So if you are interested in that sort of thing, you will have to look to someone else. Sorry.
Mr. Harris, thank you for making a great game. I hope to see you further expand the A&A franchise in the near future!
This game is great! I admit that I was pretty sceptical about the components: the front line markers looked fiddly, the battle strips looked lame, and the supply markers sounded like they could easily become a pain. I was relieved: the front line markers are, in fact, fiddly, but they are also as neat as Mr. Harris advertized. The battle strips work suprisingly well, and I enjoy using them. The supply markers are awesome, useful, and introduce a wonderfully frustrating aspect to the game.
The rules aren't super clear, but with the help of the AH.com articles, I was able to pick it up fairly easily. I don't feel that I've played the game enough to comment on specific mechanics, but the whole game is extremely fun, and very different from any of its cousins. In fact, the game that BoB most reminds me of is my favorite, Fortress America.
My only complaint so far is asthetic: I don't really like how turns are color-coded. The rest of the board is very subdued, and the colors (randomly arranged, not even in a rainbow pattern) stick out like a sore thumb.
I'm not the person to talk about the unit molds, or things like that. I realize that this is an Issue for some players, but not for me. Frankly, the German tank could be an Abrams MBT, and I probably wouldn't notice and certainly wouldn't care. So if you are interested in that sort of thing, you will have to look to someone else. Sorry.
Mr. Harris, thank you for making a great game. I hope to see you further expand the A&A franchise in the near future!