My favorite word to describe BCS is: "elegant". "Innovative" is a very close second. The system manages to model a lot of complex and sophisticated activities with a very simple set of rules. The simplicity of the rules makes the game extremely playable. A lot of the perceived complexity stems from the new and unique mechanisms, such as the combat, engagement, and barrage systems. Once you become accustomed to the new ideas and concepts, you will find that a BCS game flows very well. BCS demonstrates well Dean Essig's maturity as a game designer. Grant, if you are interested in finding out how BCS came about, be sure to read Dean's excellent Designer's Notes in the Series Support Booklet. He goes into some detail discussing the genesis of BCS, as well as why a lot of the subsystems are what they are, and what Dean was trying to accomplish. Very nice review, guys. And if you are itching for OCS, Smolensk is a great option for folks who have limited table space. It gives you the full OCS experience in a footprint the same size as BCS Arracourt.
Now that you've played Arracourt, give Panzers Last Stand a try. It adds another layer onto the formation activations. You predesignate them as primary, secondary, can be spoiled and forced to act, etc.
Love me some BCS. It feels like it was designed for me to love it :). It is unfortunately not designed for everyone lol. But it's good to have variety in types of systems.
Great summary, great video. However, small correction/clarification: fatigue does not affect the Second Activation roll, although it would be a DRM on the subsequent SNAFU roll. The only DRM for attempting a Second Activation is the +1 if you're Fresh. Caveat that you cannot attempt a Second Activation if you're at Fatigue 4.
BCS is one of my favourite systems. Like OCS it has a dense manual like a brick. But the crazy thing is that once you are playing it is soooo smooooth. As an aside, the earlier versions do offer chit pull in the optional rules. Normally as a solo player I jump at chit pull, but in this case, I didn't adopt it as without it BCS actually provides the solo player with richer decision making - and you still get the uncertainty thrown in thanks to Snafu (I particularly like how you can gamble on a second activation). By not chit pulling you have to look at all your formations and try and figure out the best order to activate them without them getting in each other's way - not always an easy task. Another observation is that the other BCS titles are relatively large, but all of them have one and two mapper battles which are in fact very good. So don't let the size put you off, just ignore the campaign games, or leave those for VASSAL.
Great review of the fantastic BCS system - thanks! As others have noted, the bigger BCS titles (including Brazen Chariots) all have several smaller and single-map scenarios which are a lot of fun. So many fresh ideas here. I love the scale, sitting between grand tactical and operational you have e.g. ranged armor, and more interesting supply than path-to-the-map-edge. The variable activation (failed, partial, full, second - dependent as you said on your own decisions re: the formation) add tension and unpredictability while preserving intention (vs chit pull). It solos great. And the 2.0 rules and player aids are very solid, and work with all the games in the series. I think BCS is a real winner - lots of interesting decisions and emergent narrative, with high playability.
Great review and timely as I have this one and the bulge one on the way from MMP. Super excited for it (even moreso now) as I think this system is going to be exactly what I'm looking for WWII wise. A huge benefit to me of this one that I'm not sure you mentioned is these games have quite a few smaller scenarios. Not that you guys need more to do, but I'd love to see you give Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW, also from MMP) a go. GCACW has the best maps that MMP do in my opinion too. Some of the best in all of wargaming I'd say.
Try Baptism by Fire. It too is somewhat smaller than the other BCS games and although glance, it seems like a German steamroller it is finely balanced. I think it's way overlooked as a game but is really fun and teaches you a lot of how to play BCS.
Baptism By Fire would be better as a learning game if it had the formation stripes. They put them in with Brazen Chariots (which is a big four mapper).
I loved this one too. In the process of clipping Last Blitzkrieg to try and get some of the scenarios going later in the year. Thanks for the great review gentlemen
This one hasn’t been my favorite system. I need to try a few more plays, but I feel like the system has a lot of busy work. The SNAFU roll, dropped support counters, etc. Just felt like I spend more time managing the game than I like.
I am not sure I agree about supply being more difficult in OCS. You do have to deal with the explicit Supply Point counters, but it all works pretty intuitively, and you have great flexibility about how you act. I just found the BCS SNAFU rolls with all of the modifiers and always worrying about "crossing streams" to be just as fiddly in a different way. I feel like the BCS designer had an operational formula in mind, and you are severely punished for not following that formula.
Hello, I recently bought a copy of AH Gettysburg 1977 edition on EBay, and I was wondering if you might be interested in releasing a “How it’s played” for the introductory game. I have never played this type of board game and am having a hard time understanding how to even set up the board. My dad had and earlier version of this game he used to play years ago. I would like to be able to take this game back, when I go to visit him in Nov, and play with him. I just need some help getting going. I hope you will consider. Thanks!
@@jerryhearn2099 Appreciate the heads up, there's a bunch of TCS and some are old and hard to find to it's difficult to make heads of what's worth looking at (also I've never found anyone who's actually played one, haha).
@@ThePlayersAid Yes, same, I've only met one person here in Australia who's played TCS. Kev of Big Board has a heap of TCS vids on his channel, including plays of A Frozen Hell and Bloody Ridge, the only titles other than Ariete that MMP sell.
My favorite word to describe BCS is: "elegant". "Innovative" is a very close second. The system manages to model a lot of complex and sophisticated activities with a very simple set of rules. The simplicity of the rules makes the game extremely playable. A lot of the perceived complexity stems from the new and unique mechanisms, such as the combat, engagement, and barrage systems. Once you become accustomed to the new ideas and concepts, you will find that a BCS game flows very well. BCS demonstrates well Dean Essig's maturity as a game designer.
Grant, if you are interested in finding out how BCS came about, be sure to read Dean's excellent Designer's Notes in the Series Support Booklet. He goes into some detail discussing the genesis of BCS, as well as why a lot of the subsystems are what they are, and what Dean was trying to accomplish.
Very nice review, guys. And if you are itching for OCS, Smolensk is a great option for folks who have limited table space. It gives you the full OCS experience in a footprint the same size as BCS Arracourt.
We did buy OCS Smolensk, too!
Now that you've played Arracourt, give Panzers Last Stand a try. It adds another layer onto the formation activations. You predesignate them as primary, secondary, can be spoiled and forced to act, etc.
Love me some BCS. It feels like it was designed for me to love it :). It is unfortunately not designed for everyone lol. But it's good to have variety in types of systems.
Great summary, great video.
However, small correction/clarification: fatigue does not affect the Second Activation roll, although it would be a DRM on the subsequent SNAFU roll. The only DRM for attempting a Second Activation is the +1 if you're Fresh. Caveat that you cannot attempt a Second Activation if you're at Fatigue 4.
BCS is one of my favourite systems. Like OCS it has a dense manual like a brick. But the crazy thing is that once you are playing it is soooo smooooth. As an aside, the earlier versions do offer chit pull in the optional rules. Normally as a solo player I jump at chit pull, but in this case, I didn't adopt it as without it BCS actually provides the solo player with richer decision making - and you still get the uncertainty thrown in thanks to Snafu (I particularly like how you can gamble on a second activation). By not chit pulling you have to look at all your formations and try and figure out the best order to activate them without them getting in each other's way - not always an easy task. Another observation is that the other BCS titles are relatively large, but all of them have one and two mapper battles which are in fact very good. So don't let the size put you off, just ignore the campaign games, or leave those for VASSAL.
Chit pull constricts the decision space in BCS. I don't recommend it.
Great review of the fantastic BCS system - thanks! As others have noted, the bigger BCS titles (including Brazen Chariots) all have several smaller and single-map scenarios which are a lot of fun. So many fresh ideas here. I love the scale, sitting between grand tactical and operational you have e.g. ranged armor, and more interesting supply than path-to-the-map-edge. The variable activation (failed, partial, full, second - dependent as you said on your own decisions re: the formation) add tension and unpredictability while preserving intention (vs chit pull). It solos great. And the 2.0 rules and player aids are very solid, and work with all the games in the series. I think BCS is a real winner - lots of interesting decisions and emergent narrative, with high playability.
Great review and timely as I have this one and the bulge one on the way from MMP. Super excited for it (even moreso now) as I think this system is going to be exactly what I'm looking for WWII wise. A huge benefit to me of this one that I'm not sure you mentioned is these games have quite a few smaller scenarios. Not that you guys need more to do, but I'd love to see you give Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW, also from MMP) a go. GCACW has the best maps that MMP do in my opinion too. Some of the best in all of wargaming I'd say.
Try Baptism by Fire. It too is somewhat smaller than the other BCS games and although glance, it seems like a German steamroller it is finely balanced. I think it's way overlooked as a game but is really fun and teaches you a lot of how to play BCS.
Baptism By Fire would be better as a learning game if it had the formation stripes. They put them in with Brazen Chariots (which is a big four mapper).
Recommend Last Blitzkrieg as your next BCS game. It has 5 one map scenarios and 3 two map scenarios. Panzers Last Stand is also very good…
I loved this one too. In the process of clipping Last Blitzkrieg to try and get some of the scenarios going later in the year. Thanks for the great review gentlemen
You’ve sold me. I’m gonna try this before diving into Blazing Chariots.
Finally!
This one hasn’t been my favorite system. I need to try a few more plays, but I feel like the system has a lot of busy work. The SNAFU roll, dropped support counters, etc. Just felt like I spend more time managing the game than I like.
I’ve struggled with the new terminology and understanding how they relate to what they’re modeling in real life.
I am not sure I agree about supply being more difficult in OCS. You do have to deal with the explicit Supply Point counters, but it all works pretty intuitively, and you have great flexibility about how you act. I just found the BCS SNAFU rolls with all of the modifiers and always worrying about "crossing streams" to be just as fiddly in a different way. I feel like the BCS designer had an operational formula in mind, and you are severely punished for not following that formula.
Hello,
I recently bought a copy of AH Gettysburg 1977 edition on EBay, and I was wondering if you might be interested in releasing a “How it’s played” for the introductory game. I have never played this type of board game and am having a hard time understanding how to even set up the board. My dad had and earlier version of this game he used to play years ago. I would like to be able to take this game back, when I go to visit him in Nov, and play with him. I just need some help getting going. I hope you will consider. Thanks!
If you do get to speak with him, don't forget Dean's "TCS" system (Tactical Combat Series), as well!
I have TCS Ariete on the shelf.. obviously unplayed.. haha.
@@ThePlayersAid I hear ya; that's right about where mine is, as well - but I plan on getting there!
@@ThePlayersAid Canadian Crucible is another great TCS one-mapper - more infantry/armour/artillery combined arms. Ariete is tanker heaven.
@@jerryhearn2099 Appreciate the heads up, there's a bunch of TCS and some are old and hard to find to it's difficult to make heads of what's worth looking at (also I've never found anyone who's actually played one, haha).
@@ThePlayersAid Yes, same, I've only met one person here in Australia who's played TCS. Kev of Big Board has a heap of TCS vids on his channel, including plays of A Frozen Hell and Bloody Ridge, the only titles other than Ariete that MMP sell.