Superb Gaming and No Need to Hold Back

[Adam Parker]

Well, I finally got around to punching and trimming my colorful counters last week. I've absorbed the rulebook and summarised it. I've posted questions and had them answered - some by the designer himself which is very nice.

And there I found myself over the weekend: 2 Stug III's, a 50mm mortar, a 57mm ATG, panzershreks, bazooka's, tripod MG's and a swarm of Wehrmacht decend upon a strung out line of the 82nd AB in a town strewn with bocage, wooden and stone houses - and stone walls sufficient to block critical LOS.

Never before have I found a game where I can basically put every rule into effect first up. This was great solitaire fun.

With the imuplse system breaking up the flow of play between sides, you think your safe only to see an entire Allied hex "shake" under withering MG42 fire and then experience a solitary Wehrmacht half squad charging into the fray, to amass the critical portion of a 5 unit kill tally by auto-elimination of those battle scarred AB men, the Germans need to win.

Not for a long time has a war game really excited me in this way and offered itself so playable. Once you get a scen or two under your belt the flow of play is so smooth - you really do find yourself thinking pure combined-arms tactics rather than mechanics.

So keep your terrain chart handy and your fire formulae nearby. Lock n' Load Band of Heroes is it! You won't find yourself playing pure infantry scenarios for months on end in this game whilst needing to read 60 pages of extra rules just to get your tanks to start their engines. Go and set-up "Brothers in Arms" and start the heavy stuff flying first up. It's more than very doable. It is done!

Happy gaming,
Adam.

[aysi]

Looks like your having fun Adam,I am going through the rules of lock and load at the moment and i must say they look good,I play a lot of ASL but this game is no lite ASL clone it is a fine system all on its own,I do like the way it works with the impulses and the spotting system is a good way of stoping players from just blasting away at any old hex.

Just waiting for the new one to come from Warchest,I have three or four books waiting to be started but all i do is read wargame rules at the moment.

Adam if you want some VLnL give us a call,same time zone and all

Mark

[Erik Rutins]

Needless to say, I agree and I hope others find out about this gem. It's definitely the most quick-playing and fun tactical board game I've played, involvement with Matrix aside. Thanks for your post Adam.

Regards,

- Erik

[ravinhood]

Erik did you guys contact "Strategy & Tactics" game magazine and perhaps see if you could get some advertising in their mags for perhaps a reasonable price? This is the kind of game that would be popular there. If I was still into board wargames I'd buy it. Can't wait for the computer version.

[markhwalker]

Erik did you guys contact "Strategy & Tactics" game magazine and perhaps see if you could get some advertising in their mags for perhaps a reasonable price? This is the kind of game that would be popular there. If I was still into board wargames I'd buy it. Can't wait for the computer version.

Yes, Matrix has taken out an ad in S&T. In fact, their support of this game has been overwhelming. I honestly can't wait to do more (and, in fact, we are doing more, but I can't release the info yet).

Adam, thanks for the kind words. I do try to monitor the forums and answer questions, although folks like Oliver, Stephan, and Hannes (not to mention DH), answer them as well as I. As I've said before, I really enjoy talking about LnL. I guess it's been four years since I designed the first playable rules and the first scenario... UNexpected Visitors, and I STILL get a charge out of playing. I can only hope that everyone likes it as much as I.

I also agree with what Mark (aysi) said... this game isn't ASL-lite but rather it's own system, with a unique feel. Yes, it is "lighter" on the rules than ASL (hence the "More game, less guff"), but I firmly believe it is more realistic.

Best,

Mark

[pvthudson01]

is this game playable solitaire then?

[crabe tambour]

Yes yhe game is very playable solitaire even if there are no solitaire specific rules. The impulse system is good for that. Almost half of my games are in solitaire (i like a lot to replay what i've played FTF) and it's still very fun and works very well. Some scenarios like "Medal of Honor" are just perfect for solitaire games.

I obviously prefer ftf games, but solitaire games is still good because you don't care to win or lose. I often play "better" in solitaire

[stevel40831]

I've been playing LnL-Forgotten Heroes (the Vietnam game) solitaire on Vassal quite a bit to get some practice for BoH when the Vassal module comes out. The game system is very "solitaire friendly" and I have enjoyed the game play very much, even against myself!!

Steve

[fulgar]

I've ordered Band of heroes last friday. I can't wait to have it ? How long does it takes to come in France ?
[:'(]

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: fulgar

I've ordered Band of heroes last friday. I can't wait to have it ? How long does it takes to come in France ?
[:'(]

If it's in stock in the UK warehouse it should ship soon.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: pvthudson01

is this game playable solitaire then?

We have marked it 8/10 on the solitaire scale.

[Adam Parker]

No worries Erik and Mark. You deserve it. My first combat in this game was a US 57mm ATG firing at a Stug III. Not even with SL (forget ASL) could I ever manage to dream of doing that as a newbie (and I had more brain cells 25 years ago [:D])

ORIGINAL: pvthudson01

is this game playable solitaire then?

For sure! I lost to myself [:)] [:D]

A few things imo make it perfect for solitaire play:

1. The scens are very managable and the maps compact enough to allow set up anywhere in the house. They're thick, lightweight cardboard (not card stock) and sit fine on any table or floor - or even under plexiglass. The counters are sturdy and I'm able to stack 5 units staggered and easily keep track of what each represents (contrary to the rules, I place my support weapons on top of their owners - as I like their art!). Then you get BIG meaty, oversized AFV counters. There's both Wehrmacht and SS Tiger 1's I was happy to see.

2. The impulse system creates even more uncertainty than that introduced with Avalon Hill's area games such as "Turning Point Stalingrad". There's a "simultaneous" chess-like elegance to LnL. In each impulse within a turn only units in 1 hex (and/or any hexes adjacent to a good order leader) may activate. But if the enemy moves and you have a LOS to it with an eligible unit of your own, you can opportunity fire, cause damage - and then get to activate a hex of your own in your impulse to follow up. Moving or firing units restricts their abilities for the remainder of the turn. So does "shaking" under fire. It's great to see your plans easily taken from your grasp or likewise, opportunities arise in this maner. Add to that the fact that to fire on most non-adjacent, non-moving units in non-clear terrain, you need to roll a die to spot them and many things become the whim of war. Mark is right in terms of realism there.

3. Lastly, the informational markers make it easy to keep track of the game at any point in time. Units that fire, receive "fired" counters, units that move, receive various types of "move" counters etc. So play a bit, walk away for a few hours and you'll know exactly where you are when you return. Eg: "I can see that it's turn 3 and it's the American Impulse, ok I can see 3 American units without any markers, let's activate that one and I'm going to fire at the German stack over there with the "moved" marker for a nice +1DRM"... the game keeps going. These counters are clear and colorful. I actually place mine at the side of their hex and they look great.

Whether you play each side to the best of its ability (knowing you'll likely never have full control), randomize the activities of one side or another or just set up experimental firefights to practice strategy, LnL is definitely a fine design for solitaire play. Sniper fire, artillery scatter, hero creation et al., are even more things that add variety and intangibility to scenarios as they apply. Not to forget variable rally abilities...

And once again, the best thing is, you can apply all these atmosphercial elements from your first game. If I can do it, trust me!

Adam.