Would I Enjoy...

Get ready for Mark H. Walker's Lock ‘n Load: Heroes of Stalingrad. This is the first complete computer game in the Lock ‘n Load series, covering the battles in and around Stalingrad during World War II.
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Werewolf13
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Would I Enjoy...

Post by Werewolf13 »

If I like Close Combat Cross of Iron and Squad Leader (ASL too but Original SL better) would I like Heroes of Stalingrad? Do those compare? Favorably? Too different?

What say you?
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gargoil
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by gargoil »

I am an old Squad Leader, Panzerblitz player (and many other Avalon Hill/SPI games).

The answer is absolutely yes. LnL:HoS is very much like a streamlined Squad Leader. Leaders, Squads, Half-Squads,
Snipers, Crewed Weapons, a plethora of support weapons, Heroes, Scouts, a plethora of vehicles (with main guns, MGs, turn-able turrets), maps quite like squad leader (beautiful artwork). Squads rated for firepower, range, movement, morale, smoke capability. There is assault movement, low crawl, double time, leader direction, off board and on board artillery, air strikes, MG42 MG can be set up for higher firepower (then not moveable), etc.

Now for the differences. Each turn has impulse movement. You get to move a unit/stack (and activate adjacent to leaders that move), opponent get one opportunity fire in response to movement each impulse (like squad leader, movement in open is deadly). Heroes generate rather often (limit 2 active). All units in +Terrain modifier get bonus to Rally (units can be shaken/reduced/KIA by damage). There a medics and Nurses (rarely).

The designer was focusing on the chaos of battle, so outcomes can be quite different from game to game (even in replay of same scenario). I love the combat mechanics. It is like they took the IFT of squad leader and made it linear. Instead of columns for each possible firepower, the firepower plus the modifiers equate to the severity of the results.

All in all, it is a fantastic game, scaled and similar to squad leader, with enough differences to make it unique onto itself. I highly recommend it.
MikeAP
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by MikeAP »

Yes. I never played SL, but as I die hard fan of CC, you will enjoy the game.

Same concept; Platoon and Company size engagements with the ability to maneuver squads, teams, and crews
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fran52
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by fran52 »

Like Gargoil say,the game is the more close to SL not ASL.I mean that the complexity of ASL must be forgot, but the tactics to be adopted is very similar.Gargoil forgot to say that also the AFV and gun,like in the ASL system,have a to hit table printed on the back side of the counter.Any AFV have its armour value and any gun a penetration value depending from the distance.
In fact my project is to translate one or some ASL scenario to HoS.
We'll see the result!
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Dorb
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by Dorb »

Unless all your friends are still around to play those games with you still, I would say you will not like this, but LOVE it! [:D]
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fran52
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by fran52 »

Until now I agree with you.I have not played a lot of scenarios jet,because at the moment i'm more attracted to the modding of this game(i'm anomalous).
meskary
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by meskary »

Yes!
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Veldor
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by Veldor »

It compares very favorably to those and others...
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Yogi the Great
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by Yogi the Great »

I bought the game because it looked like those Avalon Hill loves of the past. I'd say you would like it. I have only begun to play and while I am having a bit of trouble adapting to the impulse system and I've been getting shot up quite badly, it is worth the purchase. Be ready for bloody battles and a bit of frustration figuring out why you can't fire or move at times and why the other side has multiple die rolls after each little thing you do but I do like the classic look and feel. Hopefully I'll get better at the game as I gain experience.
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tyrion22
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by tyrion22 »

ORIGINAL: Werewolf1326

If I like Close Combat Cross of Iron and Squad Leader (ASL too but Original SL better) would I like Heroes of Stalingrad? Do those compare? Favorably? Too different?

What say you?

I haven't played ASL or Squad Leader, but if you like them, there's a good chance you're going to like this. It doesn't have the complexity of ASL, but you say you like Squad Leader better anyway, and I have the impression that most people who prefer Squad Leader over ASL, also like Lock'n Load. Close Combat is a completely different game (which I also like), except for being a squad level game. Lock'n Load: Heroes of Stalingrad is an implementation of a board game, and it looks and plays like a board game. But you like SL/ASL, so I'm guessing you're OK with that.
It is well that war is so terrible - otherwise we would grow too fond of it.

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markhwalker
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RE: Would I Enjoy...

Post by markhwalker »

Just wanted to drop in and thank you all for the kind comments. Tom and I appreciate it.
World at War: Revelation, a creepy, military action, alternate history, World War Three novel. At Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (http://tinyurl.com/mcgcht8). Only $3.99. What the hell?
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