Dear Santa, I've been good all year so...

[Hertsblue]

I'm with the others - mind a total blank. Anything I really want is too expensive (new SLR camera, lenses etc) and I can go out and buy anything cheaper at any time. So, it looks like the new sweater again.

[petercooman]

Ah yes, the want but too expensive side of the wish list.

For me that's the sergeants miniature game from lost battallion games

[Ithoriel]

Looked at SMG, first thing I looked at was one of the add-ons. $30 for 2 figures and 32 cards. I was so impressed I bought Heroes of Normandie. Don't regret the decision.

[petercooman]

How does that play?

[Ithoriel]

Heroes of Normandie is billed as being Hollywood History rather than the real thing and if you are happy with that I think it works very well.

All terrain effects are shown as icons on the maps and terrain pieces and all the special rules for units are shown on their counters so most of what you need to know is there in front of you. For the first game or so we needed to look up some of the less common special rules.

Units are double sided counters but could so easily be replaced by 10mm figures. Some units are flipped if they take damage to a side with different stats, many units are destroyed rather than flipped. A counter is a squad, weapons team or single vehicle.

Movement/ firing is done by allocating priority counters. Initiative alternates and the player with initiative activates the unit which has been allocated their #1 token, then the other player activates his #1 and so on.

Play is modified by cards which may be played or kept, hands being made up to the limit each turn.

So far the scenarios have seemed very balanced.

Don't know about the French version but the English rules are sometimes hard to follow.

It is possible to create your own forces using the points values of the units rather than playing the scenarios in the set.

The components are nicely produced, attractive and solid chunks of card.

[Last Hussar]

Played a points game with #2 son. He took a 60mm mortar. The basic set Germans don't get any indirect. He just his the mortar and formed a line in the bushes. Should I charge to kill the mortar and get mg'ed, or hide and get mortared. For Christmas he has the commonwealth and German army boxes. Granatwertfers on boxing day!

[Ithoriel]

Played a points game with #2 son. He took a 60mm mortar. The basic set Germans don't get any indirect. He just his the mortar and formed a line in the bushes. Should I charge to kill the mortar and get mg'ed, or hide and get mortared. For Christmas he has the commonwealth and German army boxes. Granatwertfers on boxing day!

Had that problem in one game - had cards that let me move an extra space, ignore terrain and fire before or after moving - squad sprinted up alongside a hedge, burst through the bocage and proceeded to grenade the crew to death. Americans were so surprised they had no squad in position to retaliate. Next turn I had initiative, my squad legged it back out of sight, untouched. Still lost the game, to be fair. Killed almost all of the Amis but failed to take the objective - doh!

[petercooman]

Sounds interesting, maps look about the same as the sergeants game, wich also has the the cover values etc on the maps.

Shame it's squad/team  based, i'm really looking for something with individual soldiers. I have my 10 mm skirmish forces tucked in a box still awaiting paint. Only the british paras are painted but they need their bases finished.

So much to do, so little time...

[Techno]

I'd like to be able to get hold of a region 2 copy of NCIS season 11.
(I think I might just get my wish !)
Cheers - Phil

[petercooman]

Looked at SMG, first thing I looked at was one of the add-ons. $30 for 2 figures and 32 cards. I was so impressed I bought Heroes of Normandie. Don't regret the decision.

So i just finished cutting and pasting the heroes of normandie demo game (free download on their website)

If i like it my wallet will be angry at you Ithoriel!!

[Ithoriel]

So i just finished cutting and pasting the heroes of normandie demo game (free download on their website)

If i like it my wallet will be angry at you Ithoriel!!

I can live with that

Hope you enjoy it.

[Last Hussar]

Where's the Demo?  Can't find it on their site

[petercooman]

Where's the Demo?  Can't find it on their site

You have to make an account and log in, then go to downloads:

http://www.devil-pig-games.com/en/downloads/

On the bottom there is a download named "HoN Free Demo"

It looks allright with some cut and paste action

[Ithoriel]

The free demo is very similar to the first scenario in the full game. Fewer cards available, production values not as high, "lite" rules but it gives a decent flavour of the basic game.

[petercooman]

Trying it out as we speak 

[sunjester]

Trying it out as we speak 

Let us know what you think, I might give this a go if I get time.

[petercooman]

Not to bad, just played it a few minutes ago with my son.

Plays fluently, but some shady zones where you have to make up your own rules (in the demo version of the rules, don't know how the full rules are). But combat mechanics are outlined very nice.

Only downside i think is that it is based on a single die roll mostly. One good roll and you can kill an enemy unit. Maybe i'm just used to playing BKC II, where infantry have multiple hits. Seeing a one man leader counter shooting 3 men hiding in bushes on a single roll was akward  , i can see the hollywood style combat Ithoriel was talking about more clearly now 

I can however imagine that this game adds aot of depth when you add vehicles and anti tank weapons. In the demo you can just shoot everything at everything, so it misses a bit of "organising". You can put any unit anywhere and still have a chance so to speak.

Is my feeling true? Does it get much better with vehicles/tanks involved?

[Ithoriel]

Not just with tanks and guns but even with a few more infantry types, special equipment (grenades, panzerfausts, bangalore torpedoes and the like) and/or terrain pieces. The wider range of cards makes a difference too.

It does encourage use of the terrain to reduce casualties. Much of the terrain prevents direct fire so standing on one side of a piece of bocage prevents fire from the other for example. Beware forces with access to "Grenade" counters Troops hidden in hedgerows are much harder to hit than troops in the open so in our games there is much creeping through the undergrowth! Range reduces the chance to hit too, important in the bigger maps introduced as you progress through the scenarios in the full game.

I'd assume that one man "killing" a squad of several represents putting enough fire on their location to have them hit the dirt and not stick their heads up for the rest of the game - which to be fair probably represents only a matter of minutes. Some may be dead or injured, the rest merely persuaded of the merits of health over heroism Not to mention that single leader has a range of 4 with his SMG. Cut him down before he gets that close ... if you can.

Since initiative tokens are dependent on the command stars you have and since you rarely have enough tokens, deciding who to activate and when becomes crucial. Leaders are very effective in combat but get them killed and your force either loses effectiveness or, worse still, flees the field!

The rules are the weakest point in my opinion. French rules translated by someone who has a good command of the languages but no knowledge of matters military, I suspect. Never found a situation we couldn't resolve with a few seconds thought.

You'll have gathered I'm a fan, I realise that they will not be everyone's cup of tea however.

[petercooman]

Well, since my son likes them, i'll probably buy them, since it's a great opportunity to draw him away from computer games.

The small demo map is very limited so i can't say the modifiers for shooting past 7 squares haven't come up. (it's only 9 squares long)

There are grenades in the demo game, but it's not really clear who has them so i havent used them yet.

[Redstef]

Threesome with Japanese twins 

my wife was diplomatic with her reply and i should recover from my injuries before xmas so ended up ordering more LoA