My top 10 from 2018: 10 - Meltwater 9 - The Great Game 8 - Dual Powers: Revolution 1917 7 - Fort Sumter 6 - Gettysburg (from C3i) 5 - Pavlov's House 4 - Battle Hymn Vol. 1 3- At Any Cost: Metz 1870 2 - Skies Above the Reich 1 - Normandy '44 (I'm counting it, since it's new to me)
Great list - many thanks guys. Don't knock yourself out about it being March - IMHO it's much better that you took the time to play as many as you could and formed your opinions from the best experience that you could get. Looking forward to your 2019 summary!
Great list guys! I'm with you entirely on Armageddon War! Love the new mechanics and scope. Some of these games are on my BUY list... like "Skies above the Reich", and "Gallipoli". I do a fair amount of KS's, so whatever I back, reaches me "whenever". One game I did get that could have been 2018 was the entirety of Warfighter WWII by DVG. This game is a bear to organize (I got everything, including Korea). I also caught up with games I've been watching... like the expansion for This War of Mine, Mare Nostrum, and, of course, backing a slew of Kickstarters that I will see much later... everything from some fancy dice, to another Spanish Civil War game (Guadalajara), to Victory by Columbia Games. Keep up the great work... I'm always looking forward to seeing a new video from you guys!
Thanks for the kind words, Mare Nostrum is a favourite of ours when we're with our larger gaming group. Skies above the Reich is a fun game, with beautiful components. I have Victory from Columbia sat on my desk at home just waiting to be unboxed.
Such a fun run down video, mana for the hobby fans. Would love to be in the neighbourhood to join a game of Pavlov's with you gents and Mr Thompson, or a try of Armageddon War. Alas, enjoy the discourse from afar here in Scotland - top job lads! Bad for my credit card!
Great video! I added a bunch to my wishlist from this. It would be nice if you could link out to your reviews of these games from the description. When I hear about a game I like the next thing I want is to pull up the review and get more details.
Have anyone of played or heard of Europa Series games. It is a board game that all the maps of Europe from the Urals to North Africa. All the different maps connect to make Europe and each game is the main conflict during WWII. Example: The Invasion of Poland and the name of the game is called Case White? I've got everyone of them except the one called the Second Front. This was the Allied invasion that includes the Italian Front too. The units are Division size or lower. Excellent series of games, just wondering if know them. Plus, I enjoy your channel been a gamer since the early 80's. Keep it up guys, great channel.
Your information about the games is excellent, but just as good, or better, is that both you guys have this clear love for games and gaming. Totally awesome. Seems like you guys are from Ohio as well.
I know this video is a bit old, but I only just watched it recently, and it inspired to buy a second-hand copy of Down in Flames: Locked On, because I also want to sit at the table like you guys and go "beee beee beee beee..." when there is a missile lock.....
From a european gamer my top 10 from 2018 (well all are not from 2018 though) will be 10: Mollwitz/Chotutiz (clash of arms)....great game to introduce BAR series. 9: Comancheria (GMT games): a bit hard to learn but interesting 8: Neerwinden (Vae Victis). Not a easy one to have in USA I think. But nice system, quick to play about the French Revolution battle 7: 30 feet Colossus (Tiny battle games). The best of the 3 games series about Dimension X From now on the numerotation is irrelevant. All those games are equal in many ways for me. At any cost (GMT games): not the most great episod of french history but a real great game. Enjoy the system so much I'm looking for the Civil War games done with the system (have bought "Longstreet attacks" but no time to play it yet). Iwo Jima...or to be more precise D-Day series (decision games). Bought the second version of Omaha and the mounted map of Tarawa too in 2018. For me the best one of this serie is Tarawa...tense, hard, a real challenge. Pavlov's house (Dan Versen): I try it after seeing the review from Grant. And it's an awesome game for sure. It's quick to learn but hard to master. Never had any victories there though (never found how to win that one) Space Corps (Gmt games): not really a wargame but definitively a great game. Nightfighter (Compass Games): Very quick to play, could be very frustrating (got one pilot who never did a single encounters and died after 8 missions in crash landing) but what a fun when you get a victory (always said "Horrido" when I got one). Gave me the envy to try other games of that series (Got Raiders from the deep but not play yet and I'm waiting for the reprint of Hunter and The Hunted) Sky over the Reich (Gmt Games). Gee love that one. It's tense. It's amazing. Every time I was thrown by the game at map 3 and 4 was a terrible moment of tension. I'm in for Storm above the Reich which will bring the FW-190 squadron (I'm more found of that plane that Me-109) and the B-24 (the more common quadrimotor in Europe) to the game
Great vid for me wargames played 2018: (10.) Napoleon's Last Battles (Decision Games) (9.)Talavera (MMP) (8.) Roads to Gettysburg (Avalon Hill) (7.) Eutaw Springs BoAR series (GMT) (6.) Nightfighter (Compass Games) (5.) Dominant Species (GMT) (4.) Habit of Victory (OSG) (3.) Skies Over the Reich (GMT) (2.) Normandy 44 (GMT) (1.) Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Infantry Division (GMT) The last game Fighting Formations is for me probably one of the best wargames I have played ( and I have quite a few). Alexander and Grant you've got to try Fighting Formations (by Chad Jensen) it has a unique initiative mechanic which I really like in simulating very cleverly the chaos and confusion of war. Keep up the vids - they are great, informative and fun to watch.
Hey guys, saw an IU shirt and wondering if you are located in the Indianapolis area in general. I am looking to join a wargame group. I have just started the hobby and love the COIN games. Looking forward to the Next War series and some good hex-counter games.
Nice video guys. When you put the game's name and publisher on the screen, could you put the words on a white background. Sometimes hard to read the information. Warm regards, Rick.
Given all the games you have, which hit the table regularly? (fort Sumter) asideWhich are your ‘go to’ ones? At the moment I am really trying to rein myself in and stopping buying everything I see, just in an effort to repeat play stuff and explore their depth. Colonial Twilight is getting better the more it’s played for example.
Hello, thank you for this video. I'm a beginner in war games and I'm looking for one that plays well solo. Could you advise me a few, please. I am interested in ww2 but I remain open minded.
@@ThePlayersAid , that's right around the time I was going there, awesome! I started at IUPUI in computer science and they tried to talk me into transferring up to West Lafayette and I said no lol. All my friends went to IU and I love Bloomington so I wound up transferring down there at the time. Great school! Cheers!
Alexander, why you gotta shoot Grant with V-1s and make him mad? That's not nice.😐 You guys rock; I worked late; just getting a chance to watch now, and your vids are so enjoyable to watch! Cheers 🍻
@@ThePlayersAid LOL! My best friend lives in Dayton, we don't get to game as much as you guys, but I drive out there every chance I get and it's war game time! I live in Columbus OH. We're Pacific WWII kinda super interested in, Pacific Victory looks like one we might need to try. Victory in the Pacific is our favorite, we've been playing that one for eons...close to 30 years I'll bet, maybe more! Plus the Battle Hymm game looks awesome, we also have a big interest in Gettysburg.
I am not a game addict, I am addicted to the smell of cardboard and glue. My favorite sound is box fart. I am sorry. Mini WWII, Grant ? He is moving towards the dark side and is becoming a Eurogamer.
Hitler’s Reich because it is the only pure solo AI bot game of a strategic level. Light but oh so fun. It actually gave me the strategic fun of my old 3rd Reich AH time without the 12 hours playing time. A shame you guys forgot its solo bot play (made by a COIN bot specialist) I agree with Nighfighter Ace and Pavlov’s House too. I found the rest of the bunch in here rather mediocre. Certainly in solo capacity (except Over the Reich which I did not break open yet). All in all I think a “years best” list for wargames is not my thing. Because I think real gems only show their STRENGTH over the years. Games like Ambush, the solo expansion to CoH, Enemy Action: Ardennes, DDay at Omaha Beach stay legendary. A game like The Lamps are going out just entered this status now after a mere 3 years... These kind of tremendous (solo) experiences are simply too legendary to be evaluated on a yearly basis. Because... let us be honest: you NEED to play at least a dozen times the best games to be able to evaluate things properly. Dabbing/playing a few hours is not a good reference and ... most of us simply do not invest enough time to correctly rate most wargames.
@@ThePlayersAid "It all started in 1977 when I spent my paper route money on an Avalon Hill game called Midway...it was love at first unboxing." ❤️ "I developed combat factor addiction almost immediately, and before I knew it I had a CRT obsession. I couldn't stop analyzing them, and that in turn led to an odds ratio disorder. But the worst was a bad case of expansion aquisition compulsive disorder enabled by a fiendish publication known only as...The General. My life was never the same."
It would be fantastic if we could see some photos of the games in the video.
Netflix? Nah. A feature-length video from The Players' Aid on a Saturday night? Yeah!
My top 10 from 2018:
10 - Meltwater
9 - The Great Game
8 - Dual Powers: Revolution 1917
7 - Fort Sumter
6 - Gettysburg (from C3i)
5 - Pavlov's House
4 - Battle Hymn Vol. 1
3- At Any Cost: Metz 1870
2 - Skies Above the Reich
1 - Normandy '44 (I'm counting it, since it's new to me)
Bill, Lets play one of these at the con!! 😁
+1 on Meltwater
Great list - many thanks guys. Don't knock yourself out about it being March - IMHO it's much better that you took the time to play as many as you could and formed your opinions from the best experience that you could get. Looking forward to your 2019 summary!
Just ordered Armageddon War, based on this great video, guys! Cheers.
Great list guys! I'm with you entirely on Armageddon War! Love the new mechanics and scope. Some of these games are on my BUY list... like "Skies above the Reich", and "Gallipoli". I do a fair amount of KS's, so whatever I back, reaches me "whenever". One game I did get that could have been 2018 was the entirety of Warfighter WWII by DVG. This game is a bear to organize (I got everything, including Korea). I also caught up with games I've been watching... like the expansion for This War of Mine, Mare Nostrum, and, of course, backing a slew of Kickstarters that I will see much later... everything from some fancy dice, to another Spanish Civil War game (Guadalajara), to Victory by Columbia Games. Keep up the great work... I'm always looking forward to seeing a new video from you guys!
Thanks for the kind words, Mare Nostrum is a favourite of ours when we're with our larger gaming group. Skies above the Reich is a fun game, with beautiful components. I have Victory from Columbia sat on my desk at home just waiting to be unboxed.
Such a fun run down video, mana for the hobby fans. Would love to be in the neighbourhood to join a game of Pavlov's with you gents and Mr Thompson, or a try of Armageddon War. Alas, enjoy the discourse from afar here in Scotland - top job lads! Bad for my credit card!
Great video! I added a bunch to my wishlist from this. It would be nice if you could link out to your reviews of these games from the description. When I hear about a game I like the next thing I want is to pull up the review and get more details.
Another great video from you guys. Thanks, I'll most likely be picking up some of these.
I would add "Longstreet Attacks" to the list. Great map, love the chit-pull system, love the topic, and it is a well-balanced set of scenarios.
Great list guys! I gotta agree Cataclysm, Lincoln's War and Pacific Victory were awesome! Don't get me started on my shelf of shame though lol
Gentlemen, you always do top quality work
great job! thanks for a lot of info about wargames. Greetings from Poland!
Have anyone of played or heard of Europa Series games. It is a board game that all the maps of Europe from the Urals to North Africa. All the different maps connect to make Europe and each game is the main conflict during WWII. Example: The Invasion of Poland and the name of the game is called Case White? I've got everyone of them except the one called the Second Front. This was the Allied invasion that includes the Italian Front too. The units are Division size or lower. Excellent series of games, just wondering if know them. Plus, I enjoy your channel been a gamer since the early 80's. Keep it up guys, great channel.
Great summary, I played some of these games and they are really superb!
Your information about the games is excellent, but just as good, or better, is that both you guys have this clear love for games and gaming. Totally awesome. Seems like you guys are from Ohio as well.
lol, boooooo Ohio!
(thanks for the kind words)
Hey Grant, I think it would be cool as hell if you would wear a skipper hat and yell "GILLIGAN" every now and then. Great video btw!
I know this video is a bit old, but I only just watched it recently, and it inspired to buy a second-hand copy of Down in Flames: Locked On, because I also want to sit at the table like you guys and go "beee beee beee beee..." when there is a missile lock.....
Like the top 10 lists, but reminds me I need to play more
You are my favorite couple after Laurel and Hardy! 😉
From a european gamer my top 10 from 2018 (well all are not from 2018 though) will be
10: Mollwitz/Chotutiz (clash of arms)....great game to introduce BAR series.
9: Comancheria (GMT games): a bit hard to learn but interesting
8: Neerwinden (Vae Victis). Not a easy one to have in USA I think. But nice system, quick to play about the French Revolution battle
7: 30 feet Colossus (Tiny battle games). The best of the 3 games series about Dimension X
From now on the numerotation is irrelevant. All those games are equal in many ways for me.
At any cost (GMT games): not the most great episod of french history but a real great game. Enjoy the system so much I'm looking for the Civil War games done with the system (have bought "Longstreet attacks" but no time to play it yet).
Iwo Jima...or to be more precise D-Day series (decision games). Bought the second version of Omaha and the mounted map of Tarawa too in 2018. For me the best one of this serie is Tarawa...tense, hard, a real challenge.
Pavlov's house (Dan Versen): I try it after seeing the review from Grant. And it's an awesome game for sure. It's quick to learn but hard to master. Never had any victories there though (never found how to win that one)
Space Corps (Gmt games): not really a wargame but definitively a great game.
Nightfighter (Compass Games): Very quick to play, could be very frustrating (got one pilot who never did a single encounters and died after 8 missions in crash landing) but what a fun when you get a victory (always said "Horrido" when I got one). Gave me the envy to try other games of that series (Got Raiders from the deep but not play yet and I'm waiting for the reprint of Hunter and The Hunted)
Sky over the Reich (Gmt Games). Gee love that one. It's tense. It's amazing. Every time I was thrown by the game at map 3 and 4 was a terrible moment of tension. I'm in for Storm above the Reich which will bring the FW-190 squadron (I'm more found of that plane that Me-109) and the B-24 (the more common quadrimotor in Europe) to the game
Great review and good choice. Thanks.
Great vid for me wargames played 2018:
(10.) Napoleon's Last Battles (Decision Games)
(9.)Talavera (MMP)
(8.) Roads to Gettysburg (Avalon Hill)
(7.) Eutaw Springs BoAR series (GMT)
(6.) Nightfighter (Compass Games)
(5.) Dominant Species (GMT)
(4.) Habit of Victory (OSG)
(3.) Skies Over the Reich (GMT)
(2.) Normandy 44 (GMT)
(1.) Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Infantry Division (GMT)
The last game Fighting Formations is for me probably one of the best wargames I have played ( and I have quite a few). Alexander and Grant you've got to try Fighting Formations (by Chad Jensen) it has a unique initiative mechanic which I really like in simulating very cleverly the chaos and confusion of war. Keep up the vids - they are great, informative and fun to watch.
I believe Fighting Formations is on sale for around $30.00 right now.
Thanks, Men!
I have but not played Unconditional Surrender.... but it seems similar to Cataclysm...
Can you compare the 2?
Oops... you mentioned UE just after I posted.... but could you elaborate....
And if you had just one of them....?
For me a very good game is crusade and revolution is about the spanish civil war and very great video
Hey guys, saw an IU shirt and wondering if you are located in the Indianapolis area in general. I am looking to join a wargame group. I have just started the hobby and love the COIN games. Looking forward to the Next War series and some good hex-counter games.
Yes, we're both on the North Side.
Nice video guys.
When you put the game's name and publisher on the screen, could you put the words on a white background. Sometimes hard to read the information.
Warm regards, Rick.
I've very recently changed it on newer videos - hopefully it's better. Check it out and lit me know.
Did Dual Powers: Revolution 1917 just not make your lists or did you count that as a 2019 game? Thanks! Great vid!
2019 game.
Given all the games you have, which hit the table regularly? (fort Sumter) asideWhich are your ‘go to’ ones? At the moment I am really trying to rein myself in and stopping buying everything I see, just in an effort to repeat play stuff and explore their depth. Colonial Twilight is getting better the more it’s played for example.
We go back to evergreens like labyrinth, Commands & Colors, COIN, but it depends on time more than anything.
Hello,
thank you for this video. I'm a beginner in war games and I'm looking for one that plays well solo. Could you advise me a few, please. I am interested in ww2 but I remain open minded.
Are you looking for large scale or tactical scale games? You should check out the following video - ruclips.net/video/8Hv4CO1JmTw/видео.html
Lincoln on sale for $20 at Worthington - 2020/03/16
Tip top value.
Are you guys in Bloomington? If so, I have been gaming for 30 years! Would love to connect!
Grant went to IU, we're on the north side, doesn't mean we can't game!
@@ThePlayersAid North side of the state? North side of Indy? Bloomington?
@@dwreck1971 Lol, sorry, north side of Indy, I'm in Pendleton, off 69 and Grant is in Indianapolis
Grant, did you go to IU? Go Hoosiers!
Yes I did. Graduated in December 1997 with a BS Public Affairs Management.
@@ThePlayersAid , that's right around the time I was going there, awesome! I started at IUPUI in computer science and they tried to talk me into transferring up to West Lafayette and I said no lol. All my friends went to IU and I love Bloomington so I wound up transferring down there at the time. Great school! Cheers!
Alexander, why you gotta shoot Grant with V-1s and make him mad? That's not nice.😐
You guys rock; I worked late; just getting a chance to watch now, and your vids are so enjoyable to watch! Cheers 🍻
I have to do it, otherwise how else will I make him so mad?
@@ThePlayersAid
LOL! My best friend lives in Dayton, we don't get to game as much as you guys, but I drive out there every chance I get and it's war game time! I live in Columbus OH. We're Pacific WWII kinda super interested in, Pacific Victory looks like one we might need to try. Victory in the Pacific is our favorite, we've been playing that one for eons...close to 30 years I'll bet, maybe more!
Plus the Battle Hymm game looks awesome, we also have a big interest in Gettysburg.
Looking forward to the 2019 video *cough*
Lol. We're shootong it on Friday night. I agree.
@@ThePlayersAid Great news. The channel has become essential viewing. Keep up the good work!
"There's campaigns from Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm..." how about Iron Eagle? :P
Hey guys, when can we expect a "Top 10 Wargames of 2019"?
Hard to say with current lockdown, we were going to shoot it over a month ago, looking at other HD options at the moment.
I am not a game addict, I am addicted to the smell of cardboard and glue. My favorite sound is box fart. I am sorry. Mini WWII, Grant ? He is moving towards the dark side and is becoming a Eurogamer.
That's actually how we started off!
Top 10 wargames 2019? :)
a tad too much white light
Hitler’s Reich because it is the only pure solo AI bot game of a strategic level. Light but oh so fun. It actually gave me the strategic fun of my old 3rd Reich AH time without the 12 hours playing time.
A shame you guys forgot its solo bot play (made by a COIN bot specialist)
I agree with Nighfighter Ace and Pavlov’s House too.
I found the rest of the bunch in here rather mediocre. Certainly in solo capacity (except Over the Reich which I did not break open yet).
All in all I think a “years best” list for wargames is not my thing. Because I think real gems only show their STRENGTH over the years.
Games like Ambush, the solo expansion to CoH, Enemy Action: Ardennes, DDay at Omaha Beach stay legendary.
A game like The Lamps are going out just entered this status now after a mere 3 years...
These kind of tremendous (solo) experiences are simply too legendary to be evaluated on a yearly basis.
Because... let us be honest: you NEED to play at least a dozen times the best games to be able to evaluate things properly.
Dabbing/playing a few hours is not a good reference and ... most of us simply do not invest enough time to correctly rate most wargames.
"Hello, my name is Rob, and I'm a historical war game addict..."
Hello rob.
@@ThePlayersAid "It all started in 1977 when I spent my paper route money on an Avalon Hill game called Midway...it was love at first unboxing." ❤️
"I developed combat factor addiction almost immediately, and before I knew it I had a CRT obsession. I couldn't stop analyzing them, and that in turn led to an odds ratio disorder. But the worst was a bad case of expansion aquisition compulsive disorder enabled by a fiendish publication known only as...The General. My life was never the same."
Fort Sumpter t's an oddly shaped box.
Yes, it's 3" deep because of the mounted board and cards, but also much smaller.
Video idea for noobs: WHERE to buy your war games. Just sayin' ;) TIA!