Any Combat Commander Players?

[Adam Parker]

I picked up GMT's Combat Commander Europe the other day and am about to delve into its rules.

I know it's AFV-less as compared to say ASL, Lock n' Load or Conflict of Heroes but it looks like a good spin on the squad level genre.

Just wondering if there are any players or fans here who might be able to shed some opinions as to whether it's a system worth putting some time in?

[JudgeDredd]

I'm currently waiting on my house extension being built before I get back into my wargames. I miss them alot and really want to get going, especially with Conflict of Heroes, but there just isn't the space. I've already stole the conservatory for my model making now and again...I don't think the wife would have the patience for me leaving a game on my dining table!

Is Combat Commander Europe a solo game...that's one of the biggest issues I have. Even Conflict of Heroes which can be played as solo has some rules (hidden mines, pre planned arty barrages etc) that you can't use solo.

I can't say I'm too interested in infantry only. I like a force mix. Nothing wrong with a few squads and a Panzer MkII

[Wolfe1759]

I've got both Combat Commander Europe and CC Mediterranean along with SL/ASL and Lock and Load Vietnam amongst others and Combat Commander is by far the most played.

In comparison to ASL it is a lot lot easier to learn and play and also a lot easier to get back into playing after not playing it for some time, with ASL there are just so many rules that you can forget. Also with CC what you can do is defined by the cards you hold which therefore act as a nice prompt to the rules.

If you are used to SL/ASL however a lot of the concepts will be familiar such as Morale, Broken Squads and even the counter layout is similar.

Overall CC feels like a stripped down (in a good way) ASL mixed with the best bits of Up Front in regards to uncertainty, unit psychology/morale and the fog of war. Playing it reminds me a lot of the fun I had playing Squad Leader for the first time (The Guards Counterattack I think it was) whereas ASL became more like work than fun.

It also plays surprisingly well solitaire as the hand composition and card draw mean you have to adapt all the time to what is in effect a changing tactical situation.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Wolfe

I've got both Combat Commander Europe and CC Mediterranean along with SL/ASL and Lock and Load Vietnam amongst others and Combat Commander is by far the most played.

That's a remarkable endorsement Wolfe! I'm happy I picked the box up now after a couple of years and finally walked out of the store with it!

I've long forgotten ASL but even when it was fresh, never played it with its AFV's. Lock n' Load was the first system where I ever felt comfortable doing so but that series is really too chit (information marker) intensive to make it really playable for me (for now anyway).

OK. Let's give CC:E a whirl [:)]

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Is Combat Commander Europe a solo game...that's one of the biggest issues I have.

That's an interesting question. The designer Chad Jensen feels it is but has said that he only designed the game with 2 players in mind, so that's what he's put on the box with a low solitaire rating.

The guys at GMT however, like Gene Billingsley swear by its solo playability and claim that's how they mainly play. There seem to be some good solitaire AAR's and reports on the Geek and Consim too.

I'm getting the feeling that CC:E with its hugely inbuilt "random engine" in creating FOW, should spawn some intense story lines like the solitaire game Ambush could do. That's a game I never owned but it provided one of the best Avalon Hill General articles I ever read, as a guy chronicled the saga of his hand picked squad across the paper maps of Western Europe to the point where he cared so much for these "men", that he became too scared to play on with them should they all die! Oh I'd -die- for a gaming experience like that [:D]

All I know is that the CC rules are meant to be a gem of writting talent. I'll let you know how I go in terms of comprehension in reading them over this weekend. That's my plan - CC, Superbowl (Monday Morning Down Under), gaming in between [:)]

[stevecal]

The Combat Commander series is GREAT! One of the best-written wargame rulesets ever. Just do as the rules suggest, i.e. don't read into them things that aren't there.
Don't ignore the Randon Scenario Generator! Unlike most games, this wasn't just added as an afterthought. It really generates some very interesting and balanced scenarios. The game was developed using the RSG.
The game is very playable solitaire. Just play one side like you would in a two-player game. Just reveal cards for the other side only when needed. There is sufficient randomness in the game that your best-laid plans will still often need to be changed.
Have fun!

[Grim.Reaper]

I have a question for boardgame players. They have always peeked my interest but I really don't have anybody else who enjoys them so I could only play solo. What I have never been able to grasp, is how the heck do you play a boardgame solo? Wouldn't you see all the counters? How would your opponent (which I guess is you in solo) move their troops without you knowing or actually doing it? How would fog of war work? How would setup work, wouldn't you know where you setup everything? etc.

Also, what would be considered some of the best solo games out there?

Thanks!

[Wolfe1759]

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

I have a question for boardgame players. They have always peeked my interest but I really don't have anybody else who enjoys them so I could only play solo. What I have never been able to grasp, is how the heck do you play a boardgame solo? Wouldn't you see all the counters? How would your opponent (which I guess is you in solo) move their troops without you knowing or actually doing it? How would fog of war work? How would setup work, wouldn't you know where you setup everything? etc.

Also, what would be considered some of the best solo games out there?

Thanks!

Depends on the boardgame, there are two types to consider, those that are designed to be played solitaire and those that are two or multiplayer but can be played with one player taking the decisions for all of the sides (ie like a hotseat computergame where you are playing both sides rather than using the AI)

Those that are designed for solo play include the likes of RAF, Field Commander Rommel and Silent War amongst others and use some form of die roll / chart and tables / chit pull mechanic to act as an AI.

For the two player games as long as there is not a large amount of hidden movement, hidden units and fog of war you just play both sides to the best of your ability. In these games even if you are playing against someone else you would still have all of the same information as everything is on the map in front of you.

Only games with hidden units and movement prove difficult to play solo.

As to which are the best, for those designed as solitaire games I like RAF which I think has just been re-released though I've got the old version from 20 years ago, B-29 Superfortress is also good and is based upon the grand daddy of solitaire games B-17. Of those normal boardgames which can be played solitaire I like Combat Commander, The Kaisers Pirates (which also includes specific solitare rules in the game), Pax Romana and Commands and Colors Ancients.

Have a look at www.boardgamegeek.com for more info on any of the above games.

Hope this helps.

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

I have a question for boardgame players. They have always peeked my interest but I really don't have anybody else who enjoys them so I could only play solo. What I have never been able to grasp, is how the heck do you play a boardgame solo? Wouldn't you see all the counters? How would your opponent (which I guess is you in solo) move their troops without you knowing or actually doing it? How would fog of war work? How would setup work, wouldn't you know where you setup everything? etc.

Also, what would be considered some of the best solo games out there?

Thanks!

I don't know how, but I can genuinaly detach myself from either side. So playing the allies I am focused and determined to stop the Axis player from getting where he wants to go, maximising his losses whilst minimising mine. And when I switch to the Axis player, I do exactly the same. I am determined to sweep the allied scum aside and march through to wherever I am going.

Like I said, I don't know how I do it. I suppose I just tell myself I want both to win.

Like I said, there are certain things I just can't do solo ina boardgame. For example in Conflict of Heroes, a player is allowed to place pre-determined arty fire and not show the other player. In all honesty, I couldn't make my marks as the allies and then knowingly send my axis troops into those areas...and the reason for that is exactly as I stated above...when I'm playing the axis, I genuinely want them to win...and when I play the allies, I genuinely want them to win...so from turn to turn, I'm swapping sides...kind of like an Italian [:'(]

[Grim.Reaper]

Thanks for your feedback everyone. Both of you bring up good points. I don't think I could fully detach myself to be completely honest when playing one side or the other:) That is largely the reason I haven't pursued this and have played computer wargames instead:)

Wish I could though, since I think it would kind of be nice to play a game without sitting in front of a monitor all the time.

[Jeffrey H.]

The CC series is really good. I've played a few games against people who know the rules and had a lot of fun. I think the comparison to AH's Squad Leader series and Up Front cardgame are pretty accurate. The CC series is very playable and fun.
 
The graphics are very nice too and help playability in a few ways.
 
I own all the series titles but I have been told that they are each separate games and not part of an interchangeable system like th eold SL series.
 
I never liked ASL, way too many rules and interruptions.
 

[Adam Parker]

Well, I'll be spending the next day cutting and trimming the counters of CC Europe, Med, Battle Pack 1 Paratroopers and Battle Pack 2 Stalingrad. I hear the latter is a blast.

Investment made. Wallet closed. Wife was fairly ok about it [:'(]

[Jeffrey H.]

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

Well, I'll be spending the next day cutting and trimming the counters of CC Europe, Med, Battle Pack 1 Paratroopers and Battle Pack 2 Stalingrad. I hear the latter is a blast.

Investment made. Wallet closed. Wife was fairly ok about it [:'(]

Actually, I'm interested in hearing how the Stalingrad one plays out.

[Sarge]

Stalingrad has a few rule changes to melee, rubble and blaze with the additions of urban sniper and sewer movement.

I was a little apprehensive at first with Stalin’s detailed urban environment in regards to close contact, on the contrary the system stills plays out fluently as in the rural settings, although the new melee rules allows Ivan to play cat and mouse, having the option of backing out of melee or even advance in reinforcements puts Hans at a serious disadvantage.

I like the addition of player’s having sniper discretion this can be a quit disruptive to advancing leaders and unit moral , Sewer movement/entrance IIRC is restricted to time trigger ,allowing incoming Russian reinforcements to arriving and move along in sewers.

Stalin battle pack does a good job of turning old tractor factories into German sausage processing plants, as the German player you’ll shutter at the sight and chaos of the urban environment.

[Titanwarrior89]

Multiman publishing has some civilwar series games that can be played solo due to their order system.

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

I have a question for boardgame players. They have always peeked my interest but I really don't have anybody else who enjoys them so I could only play solo. What I have never been able to grasp, is how the heck do you play a boardgame solo? Wouldn't you see all the counters? How would your opponent (which I guess is you in solo) move their troops without you knowing or actually doing it? How would fog of war work? How would setup work, wouldn't you know where you setup everything? etc.

Also, what would be considered some of the best solo games out there?

Thanks!

[Titanwarrior89]

Are the maps small? They look small.

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

I picked up GMT's Combat Commander Europe the other day and am about to delve into its rules.

I know it's AFV-less as compared to say ASL, Lock n' Load or Conflict of Heroes but it looks like a good spin on the squad level genre.

Just wondering if there are any players or fans here who might be able to shed some opinions as to whether it's a system worth putting some time in?

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Titanwarrior89

Are the maps small? They look small.

Hi Titan,

To put into perspective - each Combat Commander map is exactly 1 half a Squad Leader map - that is 10 x 15 hexes.

They're stand-alone and have a border surrounding their outer edges preventing them from being geomorphic. I believe this is to match the scale of the Fate Cards that drive the system.

Physically, the maps are 17" x 22" giving a comfortable playing space and a hex size roughly the span of 3 ASL hexes in width.

Edit: I had posted a pic of the Guards Counterattack showing it to be the same playing surface but this is wrong. Combat Commander's hex scale is approx 30 meters. Squad Leader's isn't! IIRC its hex scale is 40 meters.