When I first bought these rules the Patrol phase so confused me I gave up on them. Then I joined hobby Twitter and RUclips and the 21st century. I discovered your channel and now this is my favorite WWII Skirmish game. Lardy games are my favorite rulesets and I am a Lardy evangelist.
Incredible set of rules. The level of excitement I still get from the combat patrol functionality is mildly disconcerting! I just love the way it models units probing into areas rather than long lines of fully visible troops blundering towards eachother.
Thanks for the review, I absolutely agree on the point that Chain of Command is THE best ww2 skirmish Ruleset out there. Even though I'd like to have a re-written and better sorted 2nd edition. ;-)
What I like most about CoC, as compared to BA, is how high explosive hits are determined. In BA you roll a single D6 to hit with HE, then use a radius to determine hits. Based on my understanding of HE, and the capabilities of the guns and ordinance, and ranges in skirmish, a total miss is unlikely. Not impossible, just unlikely. I really like that in CoC you roll a number of dice to score hits. It is possible to miss, however you almost always get at least one or two hits. I think this is a more realistic representation of shrapnel and the devastation of HE. I also think the Advanced Rules at the back rule book, are very good with regard to tank vs. tank. Very few vehicles could withstand a hit, and I think the advanced rules do a great job of representing this by making the hit more dangerous and penetrating than the armor protection.
I’ve been a wargamer since Meccano Magazine published Charles Grant’s Battle so that’s about 1967. Although there have been articles on scratch building or altering tanks and Airfix figures. I’ve played lots of rules from ancients to modern. This is the most interesting and testing of any game I’ve played.
Ian Dickie and Gareth Harding wrote a set of SYW rules published by Table Top Games. They were the first fast play rules that I’d seen. So I’ve not played them against another wargamer where the players could use a map or set up a map using a die roll.
Great review! Which I had my doudts it would have enough WW2 flavor after hearing how abstract and phase heavy it is... But after hearing the basic units for each faction and looking at COoced blood and mud I get it... It's how a force mixes the keywords is how the forces of WW2 are shown ingame... Which is interesting and clean and means you can easily homebrew it I think.
14:52 Huh it sounds kinda like a system I made as an optional way to deploy in my Impossible everygame as in playtesting it would take two rounds for units to march into position and engage in combat so each player would alternate moving their models as normal till they get into combat ... But CoC's version is a bit more involed and a phase of the game.... And that makes it reason enough for me to pick it up as well as your praise!
First of, Alex ,well done, I think you actually succeeded in getting across the essentials of a review ... and gushed suitably effusively over your fave game. So, will I be rushing to join the CoC community?... Well, the game had one medium sized and one large hurdle placed in its way by its very nature. In order.... Med. hurdle .... I'm not a huge fan of wargaming modern (c20 &c21)warfare...it's a bit techy for me. That said these rules seem to minimise the ubiquitous tech inherent to the era. So I guess CoC might after a game or two, scramble over this hurdle. The BIGGIE. Level. I am not, currently at least, someone who particularly likes skirmish games. I have played games right down to games where you know every combatant by name and most by background. For me if you want that level of personal involvement, add it to your RPG. My interest is far more in the 'turning points of history'. Battles not on the tactical, but on the Grand Tactics and even the strategic levels of war. A hour or two in the Peach Orchard is nice, but I'd much rather take all three days over the whole of the battlefield of Gettysburg. Even battalion level is problematic when it comes to Waterloo, Agincourt or Cannae. So the focusing down to captains is a big stretch. So, has the big hurdle left CoC riderless? Not necessarily...the case you made was strong enough that IF I felt I needed to drop down to the coarser scale....and if I couldn't find a very similar set of rules for pre c20 warfare ... Then they'd have a sale. Can't say fairer than that, can I ?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the review. TBH, before I'd ever played CoC I always thought of myself as a big battle player, with games rarely being smaller than battalion as the smallest unit. CoC changed all that.
@@StormofSteelWargaming Interesting, because you don't have much on the 6mm end of things on your channel... Do you still take up the Field Marshall's baton, I wonder?... Maybe we can catch up at Joy of Six and explore your demotion in the ranks? 🤣
44:21 Unfortunately most and I do mean most TT wargames be the way of not giving you at least the basic units for at least 2 armies in the core book... Which they normally have you buy a vs starter box for that. Though some have advanced books that give you everything you could ever want but still those are rare and faction books/Unit cards are not.
Many, many thanks for this. Cleared up a few things for me. Could you please give us for the link for the tactical primer by Rich Clarke that you mentioned. Cheers.
No worries. Also check out my how to play series on Chain of Command elsewhere and a couple of other videos on the command dice and such, as for the primer, here's a link: drive.google.com/file/d/1lMSqk0TVzEtWAgu-kS0CmsfOLOQNxJCa/view?usp=sharing
@@StormofSteelWargaming The rule mechanisms are simple enough but a lot of them , if you had somebody to show you the rules on your first few games would be a definate advantage.
CoC can e a tournament game. Because of the low figure count, the only decision to be made by the organisers is figure size. 20mm being the cheapest then 28mm plastics followed by 15mm . My personal preference being 15mm because vehicles and scenery being the cheaper of the 3. The Lardies prefer 28mm because of the spectacle most of older players having 20mm AB figures and Airfix tanks and the younger players having 15mm flames of War. I started buying warlord games BEF with carriers, Vickers light tanks and Matilda’s. But I can’t find any 15cwt Bedford. GS. Trucks But I’ve not looked recently and yes CoC is the best WWII game, ever!
@@StormofSteelWargaming dawns and departures is great picking a campaign with 4 battles if you have 8 players each player playing game 1 then play another players force for game 2 can be very interesting with a score for each game played makes for a fun series of games with possibly a good player taking over a difficult situation and trying to improve it. Playing the DBA style tournament games where you choose your army nationality but the organiser sets up what you are allowed to play with and any restrictions.
When I first bought these rules the Patrol phase so confused me I gave up on them. Then I joined hobby Twitter and RUclips and the 21st century. I discovered your channel and now this is my favorite WWII Skirmish game. Lardy games are my favorite rulesets and I am a Lardy evangelist.
Good man!
It’s definitely easier to grasp some of the unique rules and how to use them after seeing people play online
Incredible set of rules. The level of excitement I still get from the combat patrol functionality is mildly disconcerting! I just love the way it models units probing into areas rather than long lines of fully visible troops blundering towards eachother.
There's so much that's good about these rules it's hard to pin them down but the Patrol Phase is definitely up there for me as well.
Some people might say that your review is not objective... but the fact is, this is _objectively_ the best WWII platoon-level wargame out there. 😉
Thanks for the review, I absolutely agree on the point that Chain of Command is THE best ww2 skirmish Ruleset out there. Even though I'd like to have a re-written and better sorted 2nd edition. ;-)
What changes would you make?
What I like most about CoC, as compared to BA, is how high explosive hits are determined. In BA you roll a single D6 to hit with HE, then use a radius to determine hits. Based on my understanding of HE, and the capabilities of the guns and ordinance, and ranges in skirmish, a total miss is unlikely. Not impossible, just unlikely. I really like that in CoC you roll a number of dice to score hits. It is possible to miss, however you almost always get at least one or two hits. I think this is a more realistic representation of shrapnel and the devastation of HE.
I also think the Advanced Rules at the back rule book, are very good with regard to tank vs. tank. Very few vehicles could withstand a hit, and I think the advanced rules do a great job of representing this by making the hit more dangerous and penetrating than the armor protection.
I’ve been a wargamer since Meccano Magazine published Charles Grant’s Battle so that’s about 1967.
Although there have been articles on scratch building or altering tanks and Airfix figures. I’ve played lots of rules from ancients to modern. This is the most interesting and testing of any game I’ve played.
Agreed!
Great Video review. One of my favourite rule sets.
Mine too!
Hi Alex, Thank you for the review. I look forward to the sequel.
Cheers, sequel?
@@StormofSteelWargaming gameplay overview or an other game review
@@goforitpainting There's tons of after action reports and a full how to play guide elsewhere on the channel.
Ian Dickie and Gareth Harding wrote a set of SYW rules published by Table Top Games. They were the first fast play rules that I’d seen. So I’ve not played them against another wargamer where the players could use a map or set up a map using a die roll.
Thanks Alex! You are awesome! I am so looking forward to my first game!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great vid and a truly wonderful set of rules.
Cheers DD!
Fabulous review Alex. I have never seen you so emotional!
Lol! Cheers!
Because I live in Pittsburgh (Steeler Nation), I find it delightful that you call your followers "Steelers" 😎
There's also an Ice Hockey team here in Sheffield called the Steelers and Sheffield is the next city over from me.
Great review! Which I had my doudts it would have enough WW2 flavor after hearing how abstract and phase heavy it is... But after hearing the basic units for each faction and looking at COoced blood and mud I get it... It's how a force mixes the keywords is how the forces of WW2 are shown ingame... Which is interesting and clean and means you can easily homebrew it I think.
23:23 As someone who loves to do tricks stuff in card games that sounds great!
14:52 Huh it sounds kinda like a system I made as an optional way to deploy in my Impossible everygame as in playtesting it would take two rounds for units to march into position and engage in combat so each player would alternate moving their models as normal till they get into combat ... But CoC's version is a bit more involed and a phase of the game.... And that makes it reason enough for me to pick it up as well as your praise!
Just as good the second time around!
First of, Alex ,well done, I think you actually succeeded in getting across the essentials of a review ... and gushed suitably effusively over your fave game.
So, will I be rushing to join the CoC community?...
Well, the game had one medium sized and one large hurdle placed in its way by its very nature.
In order....
Med. hurdle .... I'm not a huge fan of wargaming modern (c20 &c21)warfare...it's a bit techy for me. That said these rules seem to minimise the ubiquitous tech inherent to the era. So I guess CoC might after a game or two, scramble over this hurdle.
The BIGGIE.
Level.
I am not, currently at least, someone who particularly likes skirmish games. I have played games right down to games where you know every combatant by name and most by background. For me if you want that level of personal involvement, add it to your RPG. My interest is far more in the 'turning points of history'. Battles not on the tactical, but on the Grand Tactics and even the strategic levels of war. A hour or two in the Peach Orchard is nice, but I'd much rather take all three days over the whole of the battlefield of Gettysburg.
Even battalion level is problematic when it comes to Waterloo, Agincourt or Cannae.
So the focusing down to captains is a big stretch.
So, has the big hurdle left CoC riderless?
Not necessarily...the case you made was strong enough that IF I felt I needed to drop down to the coarser scale....and if I couldn't find a very similar set of rules for pre c20 warfare ...
Then they'd have a sale.
Can't say fairer than that, can I ?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the review. TBH, before I'd ever played CoC I always thought of myself as a big battle player, with games rarely being smaller than battalion as the smallest unit. CoC changed all that.
@@StormofSteelWargaming Interesting, because you don't have much on the 6mm end of things on your channel... Do you still take up the Field Marshall's baton, I wonder?... Maybe we can catch up at Joy of Six and explore your demotion in the ranks? 🤣
There's a couple of blucher battle reports, including one of Waterloo...
@@StormofSteelWargaming must have missed them on my earlier trawl. I'll check them out now tho'
44:21 Unfortunately most and I do mean most TT wargames be the way of not giving you at least the basic units for at least 2 armies in the core book... Which they normally have you buy a vs starter box for that. Though some have advanced books that give you everything you could ever want but still those are rare and faction books/Unit cards are not.
Many, many thanks for this. Cleared up a few things for me. Could you please give us for the link for the tactical primer by Rich Clarke that you mentioned. Cheers.
No worries. Also check out my how to play series on Chain of Command elsewhere and a couple of other videos on the command dice and such, as for the primer, here's a link: drive.google.com/file/d/1lMSqk0TVzEtWAgu-kS0CmsfOLOQNxJCa/view?usp=sharing
Completely agree!
So, overall you quite like them?
;-)
The Lardies rules are not easy to learn to play (I play solo) and have very poor playsheets , found a fan made one for Sharpe Practise
No, because they take a certain amount of rethinking how wargames play and for the better tbh.
@@StormofSteelWargaming The rule mechanisms are simple enough but a lot of them , if you had somebody to show you the rules on your first few games would be a definate advantage.
CoC can e a tournament game. Because of the low figure count, the only decision to be made by the organisers is figure size.
20mm being the cheapest then 28mm plastics followed by 15mm .
My personal preference being 15mm because vehicles and scenery being the cheaper of the 3.
The Lardies prefer 28mm because of the spectacle most of older players having 20mm AB figures and Airfix tanks and the younger players having 15mm flames of War.
I started buying warlord games BEF with carriers, Vickers light tanks and Matilda’s. But I can’t find any 15cwt Bedford. GS. Trucks
But I’ve not looked recently and yes CoC is the best WWII game, ever!
Any game can be played as a tournament game, but it doesn't mean it should.
@@StormofSteelWargaming dawns and departures is great picking a campaign with 4 battles if you have 8 players each player playing game 1 then play another players force for game 2 can be very interesting with a score for each game played makes for a fun series of games with possibly a good player taking over a difficult situation and trying to improve it.
Playing the DBA style tournament games where you choose your army nationality but the organiser sets up what you are allowed to play with and any restrictions.
The only bad thing about the rules imo is the close combat resolution. It's a huge list of math.
It's only adding and subtracting some dice from a pool, it's hardly anything difficult
@@StormofSteelWargamingthat’s too much for some 😂