The picture on the Quebec 1759 box is a depiction of the 'Defeat of General Braddock', and is from a book titled 'The Life Of George Washington; With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable To Himself. And Exemplary To His Young Countrymen.'
Thanks for the tip. I also found that illustration in an general history of the United States. I love that old print, but it is highly inaccurate for depicting Braddock at the Monongahela.
Really enjoyed the video, thank you for taking the time to create it! I just recently acquired Quebec 1759 and although I have not yet played it, I'm really looking forward to it. As a Quebecer, the historical value of the game is a valued bonus.
You are quite welcome Grant. I had the great pleasure of talking to (perhaps your father) at a WBC convention some years ago. At that time (your father?) told me how his wife hand painted the first of the British and French units in "Quebec 1759". I owned that first edition and bought it at a game store in Ottawa in 1972. I still have the game but unfortunately NOT that hand painted original.
Although I don't know who made the original image, that same image was used for the cover of a book called "Connecticut's Revolutionary War leaders" by North Callahan. Usually books of this type list credits for the pictures/artwork they used. You can get the book on Amazon.com for $1.97 used. Hope this helps.
Looks like it was also used for another book as well. www.amazon.com/Annotated-Bibliography-Ohio-Patriots-Revolutionary/dp/0917890612/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538830521&sr=1-10
Hi Gilbert, I enjoyed your video, but have a few comments: ONE: If the designer wanted to show unit types (such Naval or Infantry), you could use different coloured blocks. For example, dark orange for infantry and light orange for Ships. The block game Europe Engulfed used this technique. Elite units were carefully tracked by enemy intelligence, and were a lighter coloured block than regular units. That said, without radio how would my spies tell me that there are infantry in this port with enough time for the intelligence to be useful to me? I think that this is more of a design decision, rather than a failing of block games. TWO: For Hellenes, what are the numbers in the small rectangular boxes on the bottom right of the counters? How does this modify the combat system? (Or does this tie in with card play?) THREE: Some block games have more than 4 steps per unit. A block game on WWI, ("Fields of Despair"), has multiple blocks for one unit. So the weakest goes from 1 to 4, the next strongest goes from 5 to 8, the next goes from 9 to 12, etc. So when you look at a block, there is a HUGE amount of uncertainty about how strong it can be. To my mind, block games can do everything that regular war game can do with two main advantages: -- Step Losses, & -- Fog of War. (Both are handled very easily with block games.) They have two main disadvantages: -- Cost of Blocks result in fewer units, & -- No information on the back side of the counter. (For example, a war game could flip a counter to show reduced mobility and defence, if the unit is out of supply.) Thanks for producing this video! Warm regards, Rick.
Great video! Them blocks for Quebec 1759 with the gold ink are classy and even though there are obvious advantages to the stickers, I much prefer the look of the old game. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Thanks for the informative video. I do however take exception with your comments about block games not being able to support deep gameplay and not being able to recreate history as well as hex and counter games. The games you showcased all happen to be on the lighter side, but there are several much more involved block games available. Take Rommel in the Desert and EastFront/EuroFront for example. Both are published by Columbia, long before JC and Hellenes I might add, and both are designed by Craig Besinque who also happens to be the designer of the aforementioned Hellenes. Both of these WWII games feature hex maps, more complicated OB's and are considered by many to be among the best simulations concerning their subjects. I am certain that you could make a block game be just as complicated and detailed as any other type of game. But as it happens Columbia Games design philosophy seems to run in the opposite direction.
I have seen some of the more complicated block games out there. In my travels to conventions such as WBC I have witnessed them being played usually in the open gaming area. But I have yet to see them in large numbers based as main tournaments. I like the look of some of the newer block games that feature much smaller blocks and thus take up a lot less room on the board. (another pet peeve of mine where many times the large blocks never fit into the hexes) But, I can only review the games that I have played, not the ones that I have not. So far the block games that appear to be more sophisticated do not cover periods that I am interested in. For example, World War II land games. I have yet to do a video on even a single one of these. I do not disparage anyone in our hobby admiring these block games but for me, I have always found them wanting.
@@XLEGION1 You should definitely look into Rommel in the Desert and EastFront, sounds like they are exactly what would interest you. I find the blocks easier to manipulate than tall stacks of cardboard counters. But if a large group of blocks is covering too much of the map, there's a really simple solution. Place a marker (block, counter, etc) on the map and move all the blocks from that hex/zone off the map and place an identical marker beside the blocks.
burke3gd Yes, I have used that method for taking care of the large stacks of blocks. In fact you have to do it for a lot of block games which is another strike against them. The “Bobby Lee” game comes to mind. Unfortunately the two games that you mentioned are in the World War II land area for which I have little interest.
WBC did have tourneys for Hammer of the Scotts and JC up until maybe year before last- before the past few years Crusades and a couple others were played competitively too.
In face someone does. Ken Repel's new game from Compass covers that very subject. And of course there is my own "Mr. Madison's War" which covers the Canadian front of the War of 1812 with a decent respect for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
The block games by there very nature don't lend themselves very well to solitaire play. This is because one of their main features is the 'hidden aspect' of the combat values. Quebec 1759 is a very good example. Nearly impossible to play this solitaire with any meaning to the campaign. The 'bluffing' with the blank counters is essential in that one.
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The picture on the Quebec 1759 box is a depiction of the 'Defeat of General Braddock', and is from a book titled 'The Life Of George Washington; With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable To Himself. And Exemplary To His Young Countrymen.'
Thanks for the tip. I also found that illustration in an general history of the United States. I love that old print, but it is highly inaccurate for depicting Braddock at the Monongahela.
Really enjoyed the video, thank you for taking the time to create it! I just recently acquired Quebec 1759 and although I have not yet played it, I'm really looking forward to it. As a Quebecer, the historical value of the game is a valued bonus.
Update us: have you played?
Update: How do you like it?
Thanks for the detailed review of the evolution of block games.
You are quite welcome Grant. I had the great pleasure of talking to (perhaps your father) at a WBC convention some years ago. At that time (your father?) told me how his wife hand painted the first of the British and French units in "Quebec 1759". I owned that first edition and bought it at a game store in Ottawa in 1972. I still have the game but unfortunately NOT that hand painted original.
Yes, Tom is my dad. He's still at it after 45 years! And we still work together every day.
Yes, I really enjoyed talking to him. Do you guys attend WBC since it moved to Seven Springs? It is quite the location?
Although I don't know who made the original image, that same image was used for the cover of a book called "Connecticut's Revolutionary War leaders" by North Callahan. Usually books of this type list credits for the pictures/artwork they used. You can get the book on Amazon.com for $1.97 used. Hope this helps.
Looks like it was also used for another book as well. www.amazon.com/Annotated-Bibliography-Ohio-Patriots-Revolutionary/dp/0917890612/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538830521&sr=1-10
Hi Gilbert,
I enjoyed your video, but have a few comments:
ONE: If the designer wanted to show unit types (such Naval or Infantry), you could use different coloured blocks. For example, dark orange for infantry and light orange for Ships. The block game Europe Engulfed used this technique. Elite units were carefully tracked by enemy intelligence, and were a lighter coloured block than regular units. That said, without radio how would my spies tell me that there are infantry in this port with enough time for the intelligence to be useful to me? I think that this is more of a design decision, rather than a failing of block games.
TWO: For Hellenes, what are the numbers in the small rectangular boxes on the bottom right of the counters? How does this modify the combat system? (Or does this tie in with card play?)
THREE: Some block games have more than 4 steps per unit. A block game on WWI, ("Fields of Despair"), has multiple blocks for one unit. So the weakest goes from 1 to 4, the next strongest goes from 5 to 8, the next goes from 9 to 12, etc. So when you look at a block, there is a HUGE amount of uncertainty about how strong it can be.
To my mind, block games can do everything that regular war game can do with two main advantages:
-- Step Losses, &
-- Fog of War. (Both are handled very easily with block games.)
They have two main disadvantages:
-- Cost of Blocks result in fewer units, &
-- No information on the back side of the counter. (For example, a war game could flip a counter to show reduced mobility and defence, if the unit is out of supply.)
Thanks for producing this video!
Warm regards, Rick.
Q59 is a totally fantastic game, even today.
Yea Baby!
wow, your story about buying Quebec mirrored my own experience way back when
Great video! Them blocks for Quebec 1759 with the gold ink are classy and even though there are obvious advantages to the stickers, I much prefer the look of the old game. Thanks and keep up the great work.
thank you for your interesting show.
Thanks for the informative video. I do however take exception with your comments about block games not being able to support deep gameplay and not being able to recreate history as well as hex and counter games. The games you showcased all happen to be on the lighter side, but there are several much more involved block games available.
Take Rommel in the Desert and EastFront/EuroFront for example. Both are published by Columbia, long before JC and Hellenes I might add, and both are designed by Craig Besinque who also happens to be the designer of the aforementioned Hellenes. Both of these WWII games feature hex maps, more complicated OB's and are considered by many to be among the best simulations concerning their subjects.
I am certain that you could make a block game be just as complicated and detailed as any other type of game. But as it happens Columbia Games design philosophy seems to run in the opposite direction.
I have seen some of the more complicated block games out there. In my travels to conventions such as WBC I have witnessed them being played usually in the open gaming area. But I have yet to see them in large numbers based as main tournaments.
I like the look of some of the newer block games that feature much smaller blocks and thus take up a lot less room on the board. (another pet peeve of mine where many times the large blocks never fit into the hexes)
But, I can only review the games that I have played, not the ones that I have not. So far the block games that appear to be more sophisticated do not cover periods that I am interested in. For example, World War II land games. I have yet to do a video on even a single one of these.
I do not disparage anyone in our hobby admiring these block games but for me, I have always found them wanting.
@@XLEGION1 You should definitely look into Rommel in the Desert and EastFront, sounds like they are exactly what would interest you. I find the blocks easier to manipulate than tall stacks of cardboard counters. But if a large group of blocks is covering too much of the map, there's a really simple solution. Place a marker (block, counter, etc) on the map and move all the blocks from that hex/zone off the map and place an identical marker beside the blocks.
burke3gd Yes, I have used that method for taking care of the large stacks of blocks. In fact you have to do it for a lot of block games which is another strike against them. The “Bobby Lee” game comes to mind.
Unfortunately the two games that you mentioned are in the World War II land area for which I have little interest.
WBC did have tourneys for Hammer of the Scotts and JC up until maybe year before last- before the past few years Crusades and a couple others were played competitively too.
In Quebec the Naval units were a different color than Land units. Why can't they do that with JC?
The colors were a deliberate design choice. Fog of war and uncertainty are more interesting with the blocks being indistinguishable.
Have you ever played them solo?
I wonder if any one else have 1812, centred around the Great Lakes
In face someone does. Ken Repel's new game from Compass covers that very subject. And of course there is my own "Mr. Madison's War" which covers the Canadian front of the War of 1812 with a decent respect for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
Very enjoyable video by the way!
The block games by there very nature don't lend themselves very well to solitaire play. This is because one of their main features is the 'hidden aspect' of the combat values. Quebec 1759 is a very good example. Nearly impossible to play this solitaire with any meaning to the campaign. The 'bluffing' with the blank counters is essential in that one.
By the sound of it it looks like Joe Pesci knows a lot about block wargames.
Navis?
Did they mean Navies?
It's in Latin. Legis, Equitatus, Auxilia, etc. are also used for period flavor.