What happened? The change concerns perception. In most hex and counter wargames at the operational level, units are in supply if they can trace a line of supply from each unit to a supply source and the supply route is free of enemy units or enemy zones of control (the six hexes surrounding the hex the enemy unit occupies). Think of it this way, these really aren’t computer games, but hex and counter games using an alternative presentation platform, and this is a good thing. I and folks of my... more 'distinguished' generation still buy and play lots of boardgames, as we grew up with them and are more comfortable with the way they work. 3.8k. Re: Hex and Counter Wargamers Hex and counter generally means paper/cardboard maps overlaid with a hex grid with cardboard counters representing different military units. Three quick, fun hex-and-counter games to while away a spare half hour or so: Night of the Stuff: cinematic solo horror on an isolated island. Examples include Holland ‘44, Poland Defiant, and Reluctant Enemies. Grognards. Hex and counter peaked in the 1970’s and 1980’s and soon after the first era of PC Wargames came onto the scene. 3 likes. Counters bagged, dice were not included in the box so I've added the d10s you'll need to play. Hex and Counter Wargames. Pewter pushers tend to be extroverts and when combined with the arts and crafts aspect of the hobby, makes the toy soldier community much more similar to model railroading or even quilting than other types of wargaming. Damn! Maps were hardboard mounted but bland, the same terrain patterns used in every boardgame made whether it told the story of Gettysburg or Stalingrad. Or perhaps you liked board wargames? From the introduction: This document has been provided for the use of all players who strive to enjoy the multiplayer effort of participating in the Age of Napoleon. Shop at Noble Knight Games for Blank Counter Sheets, Counter Trays, Empty Wargame Boxes & Blank Hex Maps (GMT) by - part of our Full Inventory collection. Hex and Counter Wargames: Louis Langdeau: 8/12/17 9:52 AM: Hi All, Sorry if I'm breaking any rules by posting this here, but I was wondering if anyone in this group has an interest in hex and counter wargames. Right now most serious computer wargames play like boardgames, and in many cases look exactly like hex and counter offerings. The drawing is 1:1 scale of the original SPI game. Those present included designers Al Nofi and David C Isby, as well as chief finance officer Howard Barasch and a full house of attendees. Not any more, but at prices that cause many to consider a second mortgage before purchase. Three things have driven the numbers for boardgaming down to rock bottom levels, and they are people, price and PCs. Yet I remain totally convinced that board hex and counter (or point to point, area or card driven) wargames will absolutely flourish in the future. Panzer General – Strategic Simulations Inc. (1994) Possibly the best Hex based Wargame on the PC, ever made; bar none. Hex and Counter is a subreddit dedicated to table top wargaming of the hex-and-counter variety. This year I am going to shake this list up a bit. Shekel Shortage: Yes, same broken record, but unless something unforeseen happens, the demise of cardboard hex and counter wargames is certain. It looks like a battle reenactment, but plays like a boardgame and remember this, $39.99 or $332.00, your choice. Some were just reboots of the boardgames, other tread new ground. "Against All Odds" Hex and Counter WW2 Wargame from the Advanced Tobruk System (highly detailed, Squad Leader-esque). This subreddit is dedicated to traditional board-wargames, and their digital platforms and equivalents. But still, to this day, we see Normandy’s, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Eastern Front. 19. Browsing Hex Grid Browse the newest, top selling and discounted Hex Grid products on Steam New and Trending Top Sellers What's Popular Top Rated Upcoming Results exclude some products based on your preferences. ... Age of Fantasy: Arena is a hex-combat miniatures game set in a dark magical world, which is played using 28mm miniatures. My wallet is probably going to regret me doing these lists, but I … hex and counter wargames. And the all-time champ? Yes, the blood line is there, and it is strong. This also means the ability to immediately set up (and take down) a game, and to save and leave it 'standing' until next time without the danger of Lollypop the Calico or Chumley the Basset Hound smacking the French Imperial Guard off the board into oblivion. [, View More Comments {{limitCount(numnextitems_calculated,commentParams.showcount)}} / {{numnextitems_calculated}}, Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland – 8-12 December 1939, Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry Division, Stonewall's Last Battle: The Chancellorsville Campaign. Since the beginning, this means most people think of paper hex maps with cardboard counters. Consider this, back in 1978 the SPI monster game Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine, on the 1944 Battle of the Bulge) would set you back $20.00 US. Top Rated Hex and Counter Wargames by Active BGG Wargamers - May 2013, View Previous This in turn means complex boardgames that are easier to play on a PC because the software does a lot of the mental manipulation for the player, so he might concentrate on – God forbid – strategy or tactics. OK, that’s not the whopping 320,000 units of Panzerblitz sold, but it’s a mighty healthy count when compared to today. Every once in a while, you'll see a forum post, blog entry, or other piece of content that takes disparages traditional "hex and counter" wargames. Here are my top 5 Hex based, PC, Wargames : 1. This Page is automatically generated based on what Facebook users are interested in, and not affiliated with or endorsed by anyone associated with the topic. Also, if there are other good wargames based on the Advanced Tactics Gold engine I'm happy to check those out. How to get into wargaming /r/hexandcounter discord. The categories will include Hex & Counter, Card Driven Games, Solitaire Only and Waro (Hybrid Euro Wargames). (While I'm mainly looking for computer wargames, I haven't tried any physical wargames and I'm open to suggestions for macro-focused hex-and-counter physical wargames.) By default when one hears the word “boardgame” they think of the presentation medium on which the opposing players compete. Then of course, there are the inherent advantages of computer gaming built in to the software. Think also the World in Flames World War II monster strategy game (for $99.00, the equivalent cardboard edition is still made, $369.00). As regards the first of these, when I did my graduate thesis for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Military Intelligence College, the faculty asked that it cover hobby wargaming supporting military training. Did you grow up playing turn based hex strategy games on your computer during the 90s? If you like turn based military strategy, this game is for you! The complete Blue&Gray collection, nine hex-and-counter wargames from the American Civil War by the SPI design team from 1975-77. And this salvation ironically comes from the most unlikely of parties. Interest. And while GMTs graphics are spectacular, they pale IMHO to the 3D terrain and unit formations (love the massed pikes and arquebusiers of the Spanish tercios) overlaying a square based map used in the computer product. Boko Haram Government Offensive - Boko Haram Government Offensive - 2013, , Nigeria, Africa Perhaps its time to think differently and redefine the concept of a boardgame as a type of game design and NOT the physical platform where it is played. New counter design, and rulebooks included. Most other games making the cut had between 600 and 700 promises to pay. Hex and Counter Wargames Showing 1-6 of 6 messages. Indeed, the Close Combat product line was originally conceived in 1996 as a computer version of Avalon Hill’s Advanced Squad Leader. As a matter of fact, some of the most anticpated and popular hex-and-counter wargames are from series that date back to the 1980s. $39.99. Outside the computer shaming visuals of a Perry Brothers display, the reasons also have their roots in the research I did for my thesis. For decades when someone said the word "wargames" the images that came to mind were dominated by cardboard counters moving across a hexagon grid.Most purpose-built introductory wargames, from Napoleon at Waterloo, through Drive on Metz to Target: Arnhem feature a hex map, cardboard counters and usually feature "standard" wargame mechanics such as zones of control and … One genre not mentioned above is miniatures, and briefly this is because it remains singularly insulated from the issues that plague cardboard. They don’t seem to have an issue with stuff like this as they grew up with electrons so zooming and scrolling is “I don’t even think about it” natural to them. They are designed for a 1 stand = 100 men scale. What happened was not terminal, but more continuing evolution that guarantees boardgaming of the hex and counter variety will prosper and grow for the foreseeable future. Well the hex and counter lads pulled it off with absolutely stunning production values in full color with glossy paper. Yes, young Padawan, there were days when cardboard counters came in multiple colors, so long as they were pink and baby blue, and yes, in most cases they weren’t even back printed. And then you want to convince them it really is better and absolutely worth it to pay $332.00? These counters move on a map with a hexagonal grid that regulates the movement of those units. THE BAD. At Historicon just a couple of weeks past, I had the opportunity to sit in on one of several presentations by some of the original employees of SPI, Simulations Publications Inc, that firm of counter and paper wargame design fame. Hell, I picked up five at Historicon, two dirt cheap at the flea market, and three recently published to include a Compass Games reprint of the classic Red Star – White Eagle on the 1920 Russo-Polish War. Hex-and-counter. And what about paper when compared to electrons? But the new generation of serious wargamers? The reason this is important is because the same survey indicated that computer (war)gamers also revealed themselves as exceptionally introverted. Hex Command Gunpowder are a set of free wargames rules for the horse and musket era. This website uses cookies to ensure it delivers the best web experience for you. Shadow Empire. I could probably be convinced to do another list without this filter. In some respects that made sense as even SPI founder Jim Dunnigan wrote that the overwhelming majority of boardgamers play solitaire. However, to get all of the wars and battles covered in the GMT product vs the Matrix, you will need to buy five games (to include one new P500 dual pack reissue) for a retail total of $332.00. If you don’t believe so take a look at some of the images supporting this article or computer games such as John Tiller’s World War I Campaigns Game East Prussia 1914 and Matrix Games’ Operational Art of War IV (with 200 + scenarios yet). With numerous spin offs and sequels : Allied general, Pacific General, Star General, Panzer … Hex and Counter, your home for table-top wargame simulations. Created Oct 10, 2014. The oldest of the subgenres, and the one that still retains "iconic" status for board wargaming as a whole, [citation needed] it got its start with the first board wargame, Tactics (which, ironically, used a square grid; hexes were a slightly later innovation), and is still used in many wargames today. Board games with Hex-and-Counter mechanics in "Strategic Games" from BoardGames.BG online shop They noted that SPIs best sellers were all science fiction or fantasy, followed by modern, post World War II conflict. Then compare them to similar products from GMT, Compass or Decision Games. This also means software with full mathematics capabilities that allows for extensive record keeping and combat determination. As but one option, GMT Games’ P500 system helps that firm determine what to print next, the idea that when 500 copies are pre-ordered, the game goes to print. To make a long story short, the presenters declined to comment on the future of the boardgaming (as in board wargaming) branch of the hobby but did provide some fascinating information related to it. Publisher Pages GMT Games Multi-Man Publishing Decision Games Legion Wargames Victory Point Games Compass Games While this means a platform that includes an AI opponent or a NOT face to face human adversary across cyberspace is a real plus, the bottom line is that with the advent of the PC, computers and cardboard were competing for the same customer pool. New, used, and Out-of-Print. Bought used, never played. Pro-Lianrian military organization. The authors write: These rules were designed to bring a simplification to wargaming with miniatures because it resembles a board game more than a complicated historical simulation. As regards the first of these, when I did my graduate thesis for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Military Intelligence College, the faculty asked that it cover hobby wargaming supporting military training. I had a lot of fun putting this list together. As part of my research I conducted several surveys and in one I discovered that boardgame players tended to be exceptionally introverted. As of the day this article was written, the top dog here was Imperial Struggle covering the 18th Century competition between Britain and France for world supremacy, with 2662 pre-orders. Home page for HexWar Games Ltd Developer of Strategy Wargames for PC, Apple Mac, iPad and iPhone, available of the Apple App stores and Steam. A game would pop on the list, and I'd be off to go check it out. Decision Games, the current surviving progeny of SPI, still sells the game in an enhanced edition for $160.00 (and no, that’s not a misprint). We did. File contains a hex grid map and pieces you can move around to play the game. This game is a retro style modern tribute to the spirit of those wonderful hex & dice unit shufflers. A few more I found that were produced by West End Games: Star Wars. ; Star Trek. The single difference will be redefining this celebrated wing of the hobby as a type of game design, and not the physical platform by which the game is conveyed. Online. It also is time for me to issue our Christmas List of Wargames for that special wargamer in your life. Top posts may 16th 2018 Top posts of may, 2018 Top posts 2018. help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. As part of my research I conducted several surveys and in one I discovered that boardgame players tended to b… Includes the expansion "Facing the Blitz", as well as the "Basic Game Ia" starter set. You can do the math (and certainly the following comparison is way from perfect) but consider that a barrel of crude oil cost $55.78 at the end of 1978 and the highest its ever been was June 2008 at $161.23. While I can forgive a little bit of adolescent arrogance ("These are a new generation of wargames, old man! World War I Campaigns Game East Prussia 1914, News Round-Up - Wargames Give, and Wargames Take, News Round-Up – Men of Harlech, Forces of the Covenant, Members of PETA…, Further Reading: Christmas 2020 books for the discerning wargamer, The Wargamer’s Wife: Holiday Gift List 2020, War in the East 2 could have a rival in the form of an upcoming WDS/JTS title, Games Workshop teases updated map for Warhammer: The Old World, The year in (tabletop) wargames 2020 - Pandemic Edition. "), at some point … Santa & the Goblin War: the ultimate snowball fight with the fate of … Complete Public Domain/Shareware Wargames Board Wargames. La Bataille Premier ME 11111 is a free print and play wargame of Napoleonic warfare. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. 2D paper miniatures 28 mm for low Sci-Fi wargames. I am going to do it in a few different categories, featuring 2-3 games in each. Are you kidding me? 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