It was really fun to make, I hope you enjoy it! We change a few things about halfway through with regards to the AI movement and decisions. It's a very interesting game, I think. :)
If you'd like to be a commander in the series, post a comment down below letting me know, and I'll do my best to get you into the game. You won't have to do anything or understand the rules or anything. You'll just be represented in the game as the campaign unfolds. :) If you've a preference for armor or infantry post that as well. Apologies in advance if you, um, don't make it past the first week! :)
Picked this up recently and working through how to play it. First attempt crashed and burned due to 3 German battalions in my Staging Area = - 18 SO points and I didn't have near enough to cover it. I can already see that managing which enemy units you take on from the Operations Map each week is as important or more important than the tactical fighting on the game map. Your videos are a great resource, keep up the good work!
Thanks, jobu! The spending of resource points for units is super important too. :) Good luck with your campaign! I'd consider the first one a learning experience then play a "real" one after that. :)
Another excellent video. Going through all of these as I'm looking at purchasing the game. Replacing old games with solo games moving forward, this one looks like one to get.
Thanks! There are so many good solitaire games out there now, it's remarkable how many choices there are. The Leader series from DVG has tons of games in it, so you might want to explore some of the other options if air/sea are more to your liking. :)
Great video and overlay. Very clear information. I wanted to get back into the game and familiarize myself with the rules. This video helped a lot. Thank you.
Hi, I’ve played Cuba Libre a couple of times but have been put off attempting a war game with so many chits and counters. I picked this up a month or so ago after watching your top ten (I think) video. This series will for sure enable me to get this to the table, thanks so much for the time and effort you put in. Just need to print the errata cards, move battalion 4a from friendly staging to front , I’m then set up. Next choosing my forces, no pressure 🤔. First game is a learning game right! 😊
I hope you like it, the campaign mode is this game is a ton of fun! And yep, I'd treat the whole first campaign as a learning adventure. The rules will get easier the more you play. Enjoy!
Thanks, Hex! I'm hopeful we can do better than Rommel in Afrika Korps, for sure. But ... the dice have a lot of influence in this game. I will be sacrificing a few chickens to the Random Dice Gods before our first mission. ~ And awesome on the sign up! Myers it is, and there is still armor available so we'll get you a tank for sure. :)
Top notch 5 star videos! Would you recommend Sherman Leader over Tiger Leader? I am hesitant to buy the older Tiger Leader, or wait until Sherman Leader is available again over here in Europe. I also wish you had a Stuka Leader playthrough. I am new to board games/wargames and I just ordered Stuka Leader.
Tiger Leader has an upgrade kit for older editions, so although I haven't played Tiger Leader I think it's essentially the same game. If I'm not mistaken, the rules are almost identical. I'd recommend either. :) I hope you enjoy Stuka Leader! It looks like fun, but I don't have that one yet. :)
This is the only one I've played, but I have Tiger Leader (same rules now) and U-Boat Leader (haven't played yet). Some of the other ones, like the new Zero Leader, look quite different. ~ Once we get the campaign set up, things get straightforward. It feels like a lot, but after you do it a couple of times it's not hard. :)
Great video! I have one silly question: did you mean to call the Infantry Commander Sanders, "Colonel Sanders" at 24:10 ? Is that really his rank, of was that a Fried Chickian Slip?
Hard to put a number on it, because everything is replayable because you determine your own force compositions at the start of a campaign. So you can play just one campaign several times trying different combinations of units. But there are, I want to say, about a dozen different campaigns in the game (German and Japanese). I mean, after a while everything comes down to battles on the board, so there is that element that repeats, but just one of the longer campaigns is probably 10+ hours, and that's just playing it once.
Hello from Ukraine. Great video and explanation! I have just discovered this channel and have become an absolute fan. I have a question. How do you define how many battles to fight per week? Is it stated somewhere in the rules?
Hi Oleg! Welcome Ukraine! Glad to have you here, and wishing the best for your incredibly brave people. :) I don't have the rules handy, but if I recall correctly, it's up to the player to decide how many battles to fight per week. So you can concentrate all your forces into one big attack, or split them up into attacks on smaller German forces. But each unit and leader can only fight once per week, so deciding how to split up your troops and what units to attack is a big part of the strategy. Hope this helps!
Thanks, A Davis! Yes, I just heard that T-34 is in the making, that's great. I have Tiger Leader as well, but haven't played it yet. I think the Russian-German tank battles could make for a good sequel.
If you just want to command a tank, I'd suggest the upcoming American Tank Ace, from Compass Games. Should be released in a few months, and it's essentially taking the submarine (The Hunters) type experience to a tank commander in Europe in 1944. There is also the older game called Patton's Best.
I've got American Tank Ace on preorder and it's one of my upcoming contenders for the top solo wargames list. I think it'll make great video content too, because missions are short and link together into a dynamic campaign. It'll be a very different game from Sherman Leader. Both are good, but their focuses are different.
Hi Mitchell! Thanks for volunteering. We'll generally start a new batch of volunteers for each series (we just took a group for the upcoming Lanzerath Ridge series), so the best thing to do is to keep an eye out for new episodes and volunteer when you see the opportunity come up. There will be more chances. :)
I would love to dive into one of these games, though with a 10 and 7 year old I just can't see myself with any uninterrupted time. Have you any suggestions?
I hear you. With two kids it's challenging. I'd recommend some shorter games that can be played in about an hour. Offhand: Resist! Is a fun wargamey solitaire card game that is challenging and fast to play. Just hitting stores now. Shores of Tripoli has a solid solo mode, is great 2-player, and has a free online option at Rally the Troops. Games are under an hour once you get the rules down. Likewise, Flashpoint: South China Sea is a new game that plays very fast. (I haven't played that one yet but it looks promising.) I'd also recommend checking out Rally the Troops for the other games they have there. (It's generally accepted that if you play the game more than just once or twice there that it's good to pick up the physical copy as well.) It's really easy to arrange 2-player games there, and they have a half dozen games now. Also, Twilight Struggle on Steam is great. The AI is okay, I think, but it's easy to arrange 2-player games there as well.
I'm having a hard time finding the 2 cards 2a and 4a that are available for print out on dvg website and was wondering if you remember how to get those. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.
Most excellent! Welcome aboard. I'm going to shoot the next episode tomorrow so your timing is perfect. Although you might end up in the week's second battle, so potentially Episode 3. :)
For sure, and perfect timing! I was just starting to shoot the next episode and our last tank has an open commander spot. You've got our Stuart and will be in the first battle. That's the good news. The bad news is that there just might be a Tiger involved in this battle, so ...um ... good luck! :)
Hi Tawanda - Wow, this looks like it's gotten hard to find. It's sold out on the publisher's website, and I don't see any on Amazon either. I see one on Ebay at the moment, but it's not cheap. Might take some hunting around for a deal on Ebay, or maybe the publisher will be reprinting soon.
One question , is it the US forces invading Italy or the Germans invading Italy? I thought I heard you say the Germans are invading and thought that's weird
The Germans are attacking us, and it does happen in 1943 in Italy, when the Allied forces would be moving up through Italy. I think the scale is small enough that we can just assume it's some sort of small scale counterattack in the larger advance up Italy.
If the Germans are attacking the allies it should be called counter attack, or just attack, not Invasion. The Germans did not conduct any amphibious invasions in Italy.
Yes, I tend to agree. I explained it off as the formations being so small that it was could be just a localized attempt to seize the initiative during a lull in the larger Allied offensive.
Definitely a different category of game in many ways, I can for sure understand that. I've found the narrative aspects really strong, and the balance seems really tight so lots of close finishes. But thanks for stopping in nevertheless, Charles! :)
Haha! Good point! I've played twice already. The first time things went well. The second time, yeah, that was very much like Rommel in North Africa. So 50-50 we're still fighting at the end of Week 2? :)
This is brilliant thanks Zilla. I have my coffee in my hand and about to watch the rest of the series. Very grateful for you making this.
It was really fun to make, I hope you enjoy it! We change a few things about halfway through with regards to the AI movement and decisions. It's a very interesting game, I think. :)
You are quickly becoming my favorite war game play through channel!! Thank you for doing these videos!!!
Thanks for the kind words, Im ad! I'm glad you're enjoying them. More are on the way. :)
If you'd like to be a commander in the series, post a comment down below letting me know, and I'll do my best to get you into the game. You won't have to do anything or understand the rules or anything. You'll just be represented in the game as the campaign unfolds. :) If you've a preference for armor or infantry post that as well. Apologies in advance if you, um, don't make it past the first week! :)
Me zilla
Awesome! You're in, added to the list! Hopefully I can keep you alive. :)
Looking forward to watching more.
Cool! This was the second playthrough I did, I hope you enjoy it. :)
Really enjoy these series of playthrough of games. Please keep up the good work. Looking forward to more to the series.
Thanks, David! Im glad you are enjoying them. I’m traveling this week so next episode will be on the weekend I think. :)
Picked this up recently and working through how to play it. First attempt crashed and burned due to 3 German battalions in my Staging Area = - 18 SO points and I didn't have near enough to cover it. I can already see that managing which enemy units you take on from the Operations Map each week is as important or more important than the tactical fighting on the game map. Your videos are a great resource, keep up the good work!
Thanks, jobu! The spending of resource points for units is super important too. :) Good luck with your campaign! I'd consider the first one a learning experience then play a "real" one after that. :)
Another excellent video. Going through all of these as I'm looking at purchasing the game. Replacing old games with solo games moving forward, this one looks like one to get.
Thanks! There are so many good solitaire games out there now, it's remarkable how many choices there are. The Leader series from DVG has tons of games in it, so you might want to explore some of the other options if air/sea are more to your liking. :)
Great video and overlay. Very clear information. I wanted to get back into the game and familiarize myself with the rules. This video helped a lot. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words, Phillip, I'm glad you found it helpful! Good luck in your campaign! :)
Hi, I’ve played Cuba Libre a couple of times but have been put off attempting a war game with so many chits and counters. I picked this up a month or so ago after watching your top ten (I think) video. This series will for sure enable me to get this to the table, thanks so much for the time and effort you put in. Just need to print the errata cards, move battalion 4a from friendly staging to front , I’m then set up. Next choosing my forces, no pressure 🤔. First game is a learning game right! 😊
I hope you like it, the campaign mode is this game is a ton of fun! And yep, I'd treat the whole first campaign as a learning adventure. The rules will get easier the more you play. Enjoy!
Been waiting for this! Nice production value as always, excited to see how it goes. ^_^
Anyway, I'll be Myers and take an armored commander please!
Thanks, Hex! I'm hopeful we can do better than Rommel in Afrika Korps, for sure. But ... the dice have a lot of influence in this game. I will be sacrificing a few chickens to the Random Dice Gods before our first mission. ~ And awesome on the sign up! Myers it is, and there is still armor available so we'll get you a tank for sure. :)
Top notch 5 star videos! Would you recommend Sherman Leader over Tiger Leader? I am hesitant to buy the older Tiger Leader, or wait until Sherman Leader is available again over here in Europe. I also wish you had a Stuka Leader playthrough. I am new to board games/wargames and I just ordered Stuka Leader.
Tiger Leader has an upgrade kit for older editions, so although I haven't played Tiger Leader I think it's essentially the same game. If I'm not mistaken, the rules are almost identical. I'd recommend either. :)
I hope you enjoy Stuka Leader! It looks like fun, but I don't have that one yet. :)
Great start to the series, loved it. Not having played any Leader games, I had no idea how much was involved. Look forward to the next one!
This is the only one I've played, but I have Tiger Leader (same rules now) and U-Boat Leader (haven't played yet). Some of the other ones, like the new Zero Leader, look quite different. ~ Once we get the campaign set up, things get straightforward. It feels like a lot, but after you do it a couple of times it's not hard. :)
Great video! I have one silly question: did you mean to call the Infantry Commander Sanders, "Colonel Sanders" at 24:10 ? Is that really his rank, of was that a Fried Chickian Slip?
Thanks, and ha! Yes, I kept making that mistake. I think I must have been hungry when I was playing. :)
I know I should watch the series first, I am,but how many hours of play time all together with campaigns combined?
Hard to put a number on it, because everything is replayable because you determine your own force compositions at the start of a campaign. So you can play just one campaign several times trying different combinations of units. But there are, I want to say, about a dozen different campaigns in the game (German and Japanese).
I mean, after a while everything comes down to battles on the board, so there is that element that repeats, but just one of the longer campaigns is probably 10+ hours, and that's just playing it once.
@@ZillaBlitz thank you
Hello from Ukraine. Great video and explanation! I have just discovered this channel and have become an absolute fan. I have a question. How do you define how many battles to fight per week? Is it stated somewhere in the rules?
Hi Oleg! Welcome Ukraine! Glad to have you here, and wishing the best for your incredibly brave people. :)
I don't have the rules handy, but if I recall correctly, it's up to the player to decide how many battles to fight per week. So you can concentrate all your forces into one big attack, or split them up into attacks on smaller German forces. But each unit and leader can only fight once per week, so deciding how to split up your troops and what units to attack is a big part of the strategy. Hope this helps!
again... GREAT video!
Thanks, Jon! :)
Thanks for this video. I haven't bought any of the games in DVG's Leader series, but I'm hoping to buy T-34 Leader when it eventually comes out.
Thanks, A Davis! Yes, I just heard that T-34 is in the making, that's great. I have Tiger Leader as well, but haven't played it yet. I think the Russian-German tank battles could make for a good sequel.
Big Like 👍👍 Have a nice day 👌👌
Thanks, Alex!
interesting game. I was thinking it was more of a game where you played a tank crew, the name of the game fooled me. =)
If you just want to command a tank, I'd suggest the upcoming American Tank Ace, from Compass Games. Should be released in a few months, and it's essentially taking the submarine (The Hunters) type experience to a tank commander in Europe in 1944. There is also the older game called Patton's Best.
@@ZillaBlitz that really sounds like a fun game. =)
I've got American Tank Ace on preorder and it's one of my upcoming contenders for the top solo wargames list. I think it'll make great video content too, because missions are short and link together into a dynamic campaign.
It'll be a very different game from Sherman Leader. Both are good, but their focuses are different.
@@ZillaBlitz Cool, I look forward to seeing it. =)
How was it decided where enemy units are placed on operations map?Is this in rules 2A,3A etc where they go or is it a die roll.
There is a die-roll procedure that you follow to place the enemy units. :)
looking forward to watching this play out...
Thanks, Geoff! I'm hoping to shoot the next episode today. I'm excited for the first battle. :)
If not to late or for next time I’d like to cccommand the mortar team. Grossman
Hi Mitchell! Thanks for volunteering. We'll generally start a new batch of volunteers for each series (we just took a group for the upcoming Lanzerath Ridge series), so the best thing to do is to keep an eye out for new episodes and volunteer when you see the opportunity come up. There will be more chances. :)
I would love to dive into one of these games, though with a 10 and 7 year old I just can't see myself with any uninterrupted time. Have you any suggestions?
I hear you. With two kids it's challenging. I'd recommend some shorter games that can be played in about an hour. Offhand:
Resist! Is a fun wargamey solitaire card game that is challenging and fast to play. Just hitting stores now.
Shores of Tripoli has a solid solo mode, is great 2-player, and has a free online option at Rally the Troops. Games are under an hour once you get the rules down.
Likewise, Flashpoint: South China Sea is a new game that plays very fast. (I haven't played that one yet but it looks promising.)
I'd also recommend checking out Rally the Troops for the other games they have there. (It's generally accepted that if you play the game more than just once or twice there that it's good to pick up the physical copy as well.) It's really easy to arrange 2-player games there, and they have a half dozen games now.
Also, Twilight Struggle on Steam is great. The AI is okay, I think, but it's easy to arrange 2-player games there as well.
I'm having a hard time finding the 2 cards 2a and 4a that are available for print out on dvg website and was wondering if you remember how to get those. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.
Sure thing! Here you go:
tinyurl.com/2hbhzvc4
Thanks for the quick response
@@mr.whales3600 Sure thing. I'm a bot. ;)
Armor please...Commander Custard reporting for duty!
Most excellent! Welcome aboard. I'm going to shoot the next episode tomorrow so your timing is perfect. Although you might end up in the week's second battle, so potentially Episode 3. :)
I refer to the cheap units I send out front to be shot at as "canon fodder." ;)
That seems to be a key strategy, yes. :) Those poor expendable infantry squads...
@@ZillaBlitz I enjoying these vids. I just bought SL and haven't played it yet. I think your level of detail in the explanation is just right.
Thanks, Tim! I hope you enjoy it! :)
No hat!!! 😂
Ha! No idea what happened here. I think this is the only one without one. :)
Looking forward to this!
Thanks, Parkera!
Harte will be my commander's name. Infantry please!
Sure thing! Done! Commander Harte, welcome aboard!
Konczal for armor commander if you can.
For sure, and perfect timing! I was just starting to shoot the next episode and our last tank has an open commander spot. You've got our Stuart and will be in the first battle. That's the good news. The bad news is that there just might be a Tiger involved in this battle, so ...um ... good luck! :)
Heyy where can u get this game
Hi Tawanda - Wow, this looks like it's gotten hard to find. It's sold out on the publisher's website, and I don't see any on Amazon either. I see one on Ebay at the moment, but it's not cheap. Might take some hunting around for a deal on Ebay, or maybe the publisher will be reprinting soon.
One question , is it the US forces invading Italy or the Germans invading Italy? I thought I heard you say the Germans are invading and thought that's weird
The Germans are attacking us, and it does happen in 1943 in Italy, when the Allied forces would be moving up through Italy. I think the scale is small enough that we can just assume it's some sort of small scale counterattack in the larger advance up Italy.
@@ZillaBlitz wilco , that makes sense
If the Germans are attacking the allies it should be called counter attack, or just attack, not Invasion. The Germans did not conduct any amphibious invasions in Italy.
Yes, I tend to agree. I explained it off as the formations being so small that it was could be just a localized attempt to seize the initiative during a lull in the larger Allied offensive.
I like summer games but these leader games don't appeal to me for some reason.
Definitely a different category of game in many ways, I can for sure understand that. I've found the narrative aspects really strong, and the balance seems really tight so lots of close finishes. But thanks for stopping in nevertheless, Charles! :)
I'm claiming Kelley , you'll just need drop an e
Haha! That's perfect! Done! You'll be leading one of those rifle teams. That will be ... a challenge. :)
@@ZillaBlitz it's a dirty job but someone has to do it
I'm already feeling a lot of pressure to keep you alive. _Gulp_
@@ZillaBlitz with how North Africa went I'm expecting to be dead , but it's all good 😅
Haha! Good point! I've played twice already. The first time things went well. The second time, yeah, that was very much like Rommel in North Africa. So 50-50 we're still fighting at the end of Week 2? :)
Nice To See diversity but are there any LgBTQ or Transsexual commanders or soldiers?
I've not seen any yet, no.