Tide of Iron info from FFG's website

[Logrey]

Hey all. Just saw that Fantasy Flight Games final released a little info about Tide of Iron:

http://fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron.html

Check out that components list!

http://fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_products.html

Can't wait!

-Logrey

[Teamski]

This game has my curiosity tweaked. I'm an old SL player.....

-Ski

[Logrey]

I never got into any of the Squad Leader stuff. I always heard the rules were a bit daunting, but it was excellent for respresenting tactical warfare. That's really what I'm hoping for with this. I'm burnt out with games depicting WWII on a global scale. I want make man-to-man, tank-to-tank tactical decisions.

On a side note, did you see the part about the planned expansions? Not a big surprise, since expansions are all the rage these days. But assuming I get this one, that makes for one more game I'm actively buying expansions for (which is a long list at this point...)

[LilNewbie]

GAH! I need a second job. :D

Thanks for posting the links, Logrey!

Newb.

[InfinityMax]

Are you kidding me? It's like they said, 'you know, I hear this Memoir 44 does pretty well. Go buy a set, and we'll make one, too.'

I'll stick with the original.

[ninthdoc]

Are you kidding me? It's like they said, 'you know, I hear this Memoir 44 does pretty well. Go buy a set, and we'll make one, too.'

I'll stick with the original.

Okay, a rare shot at Imax here:

So you're sticking w/Axis & Allies, the unbalanced original release? ;)

Seriously, I think it looks cool and who knows it could be something worth looking at. Only a GenCon demo will tell. ;)

[InfinityMax]

OK, that was fair. A&A did precede the Command and Colors series. I just saw the components, the maps, the way figures work, and the cards, and said, 'Memoir clone.'

But I still don't want this one.

[Teamski]

My only issue with the game is the map. If you look at it, it doesn't represent the scale very well. You could use an AAM map and you wouldn't see a difference. Tactical maps are quite a bit different than operational ones. If you look at a Squad Leader map and compare it to Memior 44, you will see that there are a lot of LOS obstructions and cover in the smaller scale. TOI is missing this and as such looks a bit too abstract. Too bad too!


-Ski

[LilNewbie]

Nice catch, Ski. That was a big turn-off about AAM for me. Scale doesn't have to be perfect but when it is way out of balance it kinda ruins the effect. I'm still gonna check it out but may not jump in with both feet.

Newb.

[Logrey]

My thoughts exactly about the map. Personally, I'd like a map to be a buildling or a bunker, with surrounding trees. For example, I want to worry about what happens when my men move around a corner. This view is a little too high up for my tastes. I'm still interested, because I dig big games like this. But I'm looking forward to reading the rules.

[ninthdoc]

The map scale comments are fair and I agree w/them all. I'm still interested in Viktory II (http://www.viktorygame.com). Has anyone played it?

[LilNewbie]

I've not played Viktory II but do own it and love how a nation's armed forces are generated. Different terrain plus a city or a town will generate a certain type of unit. It's a one-to-one relationship so if a nation loses a piece of terrain they will lose one of the units generated by that terrain. It keeps the game from falling into the massive troop buildup that Risk can have. Don't get me wrong Risk is still a fun game but Viktory II has a map that can be different each game and a interesting economic design (as mentioned above). I recommend reading the rules on the website and watching the demo vids. We were going to play it last non-HS game night but ended up playing Bootleggers which turned out to be a blast.

Newb.

[ninthdoc]

newb, Thanks for the info. Please let me know what you think of it again when you do get to play it. Thanks so much. :D

[Grungebob]

The map scale comments are fair and I agree w/them all. I'm still interested in Viktory II (http://www.viktorygame.com). Has anyone played it?I think Victory 2 would be an excellent campaign system for any tactical game. It is super smoothly designed and has good game sience running the mechanics of the game.

TOI, looks too involved for my lifestyle. I've really had to stretch a bit to allow BL into my world as it has an 80 page rulebook and much depth to chew on. TOI would collect tons of dust.

[Teamski]

After watching this movie put out by FF, I had to Pre-order Tide Of Iron! It answered a ton of my questions and is just top notch! Check it out....

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_downloads.html

-Ski

[Uprising]

After watching this movie put out by FF, I had to Pre-order Tide Of Iron! It answered a ton of my questions and is just top notch! Check it out....

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_downloads.html

-Ski

Game looks REALLY good. I love the unit stands. I'm picking this one up for sure.

[LilNewbie]

Thanks for posting the link to the video, Teamski! I really like the idea behind the game and it's not card driven like M44 or BL which is great because I was concerned it was going to be a clone of those games. The strategy cards and command points look like a great way to add variety to the game and allow the players to call in support or boost morale at appropriate moments. A nice quality video which changed my mind about the game.

Newb.

[aardvark22]

After watching the vid I'm definitely interested, but it does seem rather like WWII Battlelore. Which isnt really a bad thing I suppose. That msrp sure is steep though.

[netherspirit]

Thanks for posting the link to the video, Teamski! I really like the idea behind the game and it's not card driven like M44 or BL which is great because I was concerned it was going to be a clone of those games. The strategy cards and command points look like a great way to add variety to the game and allow the players to call in support or boost morale at appropriate moments. A nice quality video which changed my mind about the game.

Newb.

Ditto. After getting a quick glimpse of this at Gencon I thought it was just going to be FFG's clone of Memoir '44 and was likely going to pass. I might have to pick this up...

[LilNewbie]

Just saw this on BGG:

The TOI rules are up on the FFG site:

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/toirules.pdf

(16 MB download)

Enjoy!

Newb.

[netherspirit]

Now that its out, has anyone get a copy of it yet?

[Bixby]

Just picked up my copy yesterday. Looks good but I am going on vaca soon so I will not be able to REALLY test drive it until August.

[Uprising]

I was gonna pick it up, but I'm gonna hold off for a while. My FLGS had it and the box is pretty big. Looked bigger than Descent's box, but they're probably the same size. I've been looking at the World Tank Campaigns (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/tankmuseum.html) game that FFG is coming out with instead. I love tanks.

[jbbnbsmith]

Wow, this game looks SOOOO good to me. It seems to have enough elements of Squad Leader to scratch that grognard itch, but enough eye candy and simplicity of gameplay to actually find someone who is willing to give it a go.

Just what I need, another expandable game system! I need to start getting some game time in with the ones I already own before I can really justify this purchase (I've only played Battlelore twice, and I haven't even play one game with the pacific theater expansion for MM44, and it's been about three months since I've played Heroscape!).

I've read the reviews at BGG, but was just wondering if anyone here has played it yet. I'd especialliy like to get some feedback from someone who is/was into Squad Leader or other "heavy" war games.

[Teamski]

Wow, this game looks SOOOO good to me. It seems to have enough elements of Squad Leader to scratch that grognard itch, but enough eye candy and simplicity of gameplay to actually find someone who is willing to give it a go.

Just what I need, another expandable game system! I need to start getting some game time in with the ones I already own before I can really justify this purchase (I've only played Battlelore twice, and I haven't even play one game with the pacific theater expansion for MM44, and it's been about three months since I've played Heroscape!).

I've read the reviews at BGG, but was just wondering if anyone here has played it yet. I'd especialliy like to get some feedback from someone who is/was into Squad Leader or other "heavy" war games.

I got the game for the exact same reasons you mention. I wish I had somebody to play with, though! My feeling from what I have heard, is that all of the key decisionmaking that you would have in Squad Leader is in the game. I played a lot of SL in my time and I still have all of games. I know that they are coming out with advanced rules for the game, so I hope it gets pretty close to the complexity of SL, specifically armor rules with F/S/R armor values..... If I were you, grab the game. For $55, its a true value.....

-Ski

[jbbnbsmith]

Wow, this game looks SOOOO good to me. It seems to have enough elements of Squad Leader to scratch that grognard itch, but enough eye candy and simplicity of gameplay to actually find someone who is willing to give it a go.

Just what I need, another expandable game system! I need to start getting some game time in with the ones I already own before I can really justify this purchase (I've only played Battlelore twice, and I haven't even play one game with the pacific theater expansion for MM44, and it's been about three months since I've played Heroscape!).

I've read the reviews at BGG, but was just wondering if anyone here has played it yet. I'd especialliy like to get some feedback from someone who is/was into Squad Leader or other "heavy" war games.

I got the game for the exact same reasons you mention. I wish I had somebody to play with, though! My feeling from what I have heard, is that all of the key decisionmaking that you would have in Squad Leader is in the game. I played a lot of SL in my time and I still have all of games. I know that they are coming out with advanced rules for the game, so I hope it gets pretty close to the complexity of SL, specifically armor rules with F/S/R armor values..... If I were you, grab the game. For $55, its a true value.....

-Ski

Have you played it at all yet, even if just soltaire? Just about every review I've seen has been good, but I'd especially like to get your feedback since we seem to have a similar gaming background and have the same expectations/hopes about this game.

I'm sure I'll end up getting it, but I may wait until Christmas rolls around. I usually buy myself a few games each year and then let people in my family "give them" to me. With all of the new HS stuff on the way this summer and fall, hopefully I'll get back into playing that a bit more regularly.

I did manage to play a few games of battlelore and MM44 recently, which was nice.

Anyway, let me know what you think once you've gotten a few game turns under your belt.

[jbbnbsmith]

Since it looks like it will be a while before wave 7 shows up in retail stores, I went ahead and bought this game. Hopefully it will come by the end of the week. Can't wait to give it a spin.

[jbbnbsmith]

I got this game this week and played the first scenario solo last night to get a grip on the rules. My initial observations:

BIG BOX - I guess I need to buy the expansions to fill it up. Either that or use the TOI box for my MM44 stuff.

The squad bases - Time will tell how this little gimmick holds up. Everytime I pull a figure out of the base I feel like I'm going to rip his feet off. I actually started using a very small flat head screwdriver to snap the figures into the base. And while some people have complained that the figures are too small, I actually think they are a bit too big. It's very hard to fit 3 squads into one hex, especially when you start including activation markers, pinned markers, and fox holes. Sometimes I wondered if this game would have been better off using blocks or even (gasp!) cardboard counters.

Map Board - I LOVE maps and this board hits the spot. It really reminds me of Squad Leader, which for me is a good thing. As others have commented, the map boards are very sturdy and fit together very well.

Other Components - LOTS of counters, overlays, and small dice. I've heard people complain about the dice being too small, but I think they are a perfect size, especially when you are rolling a lot all at once. I was expecting to see dice the size of the Pirates of the Spanish Main ones. The quality of the components are first rate, and the art work is very well done.

Rule Book - The rule book is similar to MM44 or even Battlelore in terms of reading level (easy to read, fairly large type, lots of examples and pictures) I did find myself doing a lot of flipping through the rules during my first play, but thankfully there is a good index for the rules, or else it would have taken me a long time to find some things.

Game play - Although my first game took a looong time to play ( a combination of learning the rules, playing solo, and many distractions) I think I am really going to like this game. For those who compare it to MM44, it really is a completely different game. I don't see it taking the place of MM44, but it is a game that meets another need. I loved Squad Leader, but it used to take me a while to work through all the rules, one scenario at a time. Although this game includes almost the same level of tactical detail, it plays much more smoothly and faster in my opinion. This is a game that I could pick back up after a few months and quickly get back into it as opposed to feeling like I had to start almost from square one. There are plenty of decisions to make and things to balance out. the use of command points adds a resource element to the game while also rewarding good game play. The cards work very well and are sort of like MM44's tactical cards (I think that's the right term) but nothing like the command cards. The ability to move 3 units per turn (with multiple turns in a round) keeps both players in the game all the time, but also keeps the game moving along.

The board does get pretty cluttered with stuff over the course of the game with all of the little bookkeeping markers and such, but it isn't too messy (except if there are three squads in one hex as I mentioned before)

I hope to play again tonight to seek from revenge on behalf of the poor germans. But it seems like it was a good purchase for me.

[spleek]

I have played ToI about 8 time now and I have to admit that it scratches an itch that HS cannot quite reach. There seems to be more angles to approach the scenarios. I dont really see the game shining with more than 2 players like HS does. With the 2 sided scenarios I dont believe there is enough different decisions for a 3rd and 4th player to make. The components seem top-notch and the figure bases break in nicely to make setup more enjoyable.

I dont believe HS will ever be replaced, but my core group of gamers keep wanting to drag this out instead. I think once the new wears off we will be right back to HS.

Any others playing this regularly?

[Dreaded Gazebo]

I played Tide of Iron once several weeks back and just picked up a copy last week. Played around with it a bit over the weekend to get more familiar with the rules and get my pieces broken in a bit.

Gotta say that this game rocks. This, Shogun and Yspahan are my three favorite new board games over the past year. I really like the line Tide of Iron has found between simulation and game. It sacrifices a bit of realism here and there in order to make it a more entertaining game and it works.

What I like is the sheer number of options you have available to you on any given turn. I think there will be few situations where there's a truly obvious move. Normal and suppressive fire alone is brilliant; you can either shoot to kill an enemy or use suppressive fire to disrupt its turn (and possibly remove it from the game). Then you can combine fire from multiple units which makes you weigh exhausting units to combine their fire into a single shot or activate each individually. Mortars, vehicles, officers, unit specialization... it all comes together nicely. The "feel" of the game is dead on and it just unfolds like you'd expect.

There's a lot of discussion on other forums about scenario balance. My take is that a scenario doesn't need to be balanced to be fun. For me the fun is seeing a battle play out; winning isn't my primary concern. You can easily tell at a glance which side has the upper hand. Knowing that it's fun to be the underdog and do the best you can in the face of overwhelming odds.

Brilliant game. It's even fun to just break out and play around with by yourself. There's no hidden information in the game so you just make the best moves possible and watch the battle play out. I also feel the four player game works fairly well, certainly better than other two player games that claim to support multiple players. I'll likely be playing this for quite some time.

My only complaint is that my American figures don't fit into the bases very well (German figures are generally fine). It takes a fair amount of effort to snap them in and out. I'm sure that'll get better with time though.

[mrbistro]

I ordered this yesterday from Thought Hammer and cannot wait for it to get here. I wasn't sure about it at all, but the video sold me. I've been wanting something to replace Squad Leader, but nothing as complicated. This looks perfect. When I saw the part in the video featuring map customization, I squealed with nerd glee.

[jbbnbsmith]

I'm glad to see this thread active again. TOI is a great game. I especially have grown to love the way the various cards can be used to capture the feel of a specific scenario.

Lots of depth and the game rewards good tactics. I can't wait to see more and more scenarios. I also hope that future expansion do not introduce any greater complexity, but rather just more variety.

[mrbistro]

I also hope that future expansion do not introduce any greater complexity, but rather just more variety.
Yes, I'm rather excited by the potential of the expansions. The African one coming out soon should be nice, as would a pacific theatre expansion, but I am especially excited by the prospects of an eastern front expansion.

But maybe I should save my enthusiasm for just playing the main game first. :)

[jcb231]

I recently sold Memoir '44 for a hefty profit, and have begun looking for a game to replace it. How does this compare, now that more folks have it and have played it for a while?

[mrbistro]

I recently sold Memoir '44 for a hefty profit, and have begun looking for a game to replace it. How does this compare, now that more folks have it and have played it for a while?
Well I have yet to play it, but from everything I've read it's more like a simplified Squad Leader than a more complex Memoir '44. The Geek has lots of good write-ups, the Vasel review being particularly good.

On the truck for delivery! I'm so excited, but of course it's coming right in the middle of Heroscape Day weekend, so I probably won't even be able to touch it until Sunday.

[spleek]

I cant say enough good about ToI. Now I have an Army buddy that likes to point out the facets that are less than accurate, but I just smile and point out that it is just a GAME not a simulation. I can see where the expansions couls add alot but after 12 or so plays I still am getting the hang of using my cards effectively.

The scenarios are fun and different enough to make the game feel/flow differently from one to the next. There are several user-created content at the ToI homepage, I have played a couple of those. I would encourage others to do so as well, as they need to be rated/approved to go into the permanent archives. The support is excellent as well, just post a question at the home forums and/or BGG.com and Mike Z will be on it!

I am breaking out the 'scape this weekend though, I am ready to put my Marro army to use!!!!!

[mrbistro]

I'm doing the happy dance. I got my package before I had to leave for work today and I cracked that thing open. It's my first FF game, and though I have seen many pictures and heard many good things about their products, I have to say I was blown away by the quality of it all. Oh, how I wish I didn't have to work today. A lesser man would have brought the rules to work and not actually got anything done, and fortunately I'm that lesser man.

[LilNewbie]

The amount of chrome in the box is amazing. I really like the thick map boards and of course...plastic tanks!!! ;)

Newb.

[mrbistro]

Well I finished reading the rules, and I'm impressed. While it's a hefty book the rules are very practical and straightforward, and I think I could play a game on Sunday with minimal fuss. Of course reading the rules also made me realize there were no dice in my box. Fortunately, that should be easily remedied.

[LilNewbie]

iirc, the dice are fairly small...make sure you pull out the box's insert to see if the bag they are in got jammed in a dark corner.

Newb.

[mrbistro]

iirc, the dice are fairly small...make sure you pull out the box's insert to see if the bag they are in got jammed in a dark corner.

Newb.
Yeah, that's the first thing I'll do when I get home. It's quite possible I missed a small bag.

EDIT: Sure enough, the bag of dice was tucked under a cardboard shelf. Thanks Newb!

[jbbnbsmith]

iirc, the dice are fairly small...make sure you pull out the box's insert to see if the bag they are in got jammed in a dark corner.

Newb.
Yeah, that's the first thing I'll do when I get home. It's quite possible I missed a small bag.

EDIT: Sure enough, the bag of dice was tucked under a cardboard shelf. Thanks Newb!
Were your dice under a "concealed" counter or behind a "smoke" counter? :lol:

The first time I played it took me quite a while to set up the game, and even longer to play. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the rules, but i was constantly looking things up (use that index!) I think this is why some people reviewing the game talk about how it is much longer than advertised. Should you experience the same thing, don't be discouraged. The game goes MUCH faster the second and third time you play, including the set up.

[mrbistro]

Were your dice under a "concealed" counter or behind a "smoke" counter? :lol:
Oooo... stinky. :)

The first time I played it took me quite a while to set up the game, and even longer to play. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the rules, but i was constantly looking things up (use that index!) I think this is why some people reviewing the game talk about how it is much longer than advertised. Should you experience the same thing, don't be discouraged. The game goes MUCH faster the second and third time you play, including the set up.
I played a full game this weekend - Liberation. I had such a blast. It took awhile, but truly the rules couldn't be easier for this kind of game. I'm amazed at how much they captured from Squad Leader without making it difficult. I'm still really nervous about assembling and disassembling squads, but aside from that I love this game.

[LilNewbie]

iirc, the dice are fairly small...make sure you pull out the box's insert to see if the bag they are in got jammed in a dark corner.

Newb.
Yeah, that's the first thing I'll do when I get home. It's quite possible I missed a small bag.

EDIT: Sure enough, the bag of dice was tucked under a cardboard shelf. Thanks Newb!

Glad to help and you found the dice.

Newb.

[jbbnbsmith]

The info is out for the first expansion. In addition to the British troops there will be 9 new map boards. The MSRP is $50 bucks with most pre-orders being around $35.

[mrbistro]

Yeah, so far I'm on board with this, though I do hope the new rules are kept to a minimum.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

The info is out for the first expansion. In addition to the British troops there will be 9 new map boards. The MSRP is $50 bucks with most pre-orders being around $35.

Nice. Will certainly have to pick this up.

[jbbnbsmith]

I was just thinking, a good source for additional scenarios may well be all of the Squad Leader ones out there. Obviously the maps and units won't match exactly, but it shouldn't be too difficult to translate those scenarios to TOI. The hardest part, namely doing the research for a given battle, has already been done. Hmmmm.....

[LilNewbie]

I was just thinking, a good source for additional scenarios may well be all of the Squad Leader ones out there. Obviously the maps and units won't match exactly, but it shouldn't be too difficult to translate those scenarios to TOI. The hardest part, namely doing the research for a given battle, has already been done. Hmmmm.....

Cool idea!! With the release of the British forces it would be fun to replay the Pegasus Bridge incident where the British Special Forces landed hours before the invasion of Normandy and took out several key bridges.

Newb.

[jbbnbsmith]

Just wondering if anyone has managed to find any information regarding the release date of the expansion. Everything says "winter 2007", and a few online stores are saying "end of December". Anyone here with any insider info about when this expansion may actually begin to ship?

Target actually has it listed online at just about the lowest price I've seen. Strange.

And did I mention that I love this game?

[jbbnbsmith]

Nothing like answering your own question.
The FFG website now shows the Tide of Iron expansion coming out in February of 2008.

[Wytefang]

I just did a quick tour at FFG about 2 weeks back with one of my friends there (Brian Schomburg) and I'm not allowed to say much about anything I saw other than they have a very intriguing line-up of expansions coming out for Tide of Iron. Fortunately for me, their HQ is about 30 minutes from my house down on 35W. :D

Just got this a couple weeks back and I'm working through the rules now. Wow, I'm pumped about playing this game. :D

How is it for ease of learning and what are you folks' thoughts on what type of demographic or "crowd" would best like this game? Just curious... :)

[jbbnbsmith]

I just did a quick tour at FFG about 2 weeks back with one of my friends there (Brian Schomburg) and I'm not allowed to say much about anything I saw other than they have a very intriguing line-up of expansions coming out for Tide of Iron. Fortunately for me, their HQ is about 30 minutes from my house down on 35W. :D

Just got this a couple weeks back and I'm working through the rules now. Wow, I'm pumped about playing this game. :D

How is it for ease of learning and what are you folks' thoughts on what type of demographic or "crowd" would best like this game? Just curious... :)
I know that they say in a promo video for the game that in addition to the North Africa expansion, they also want to cover the East Front and the Pacific theater. With the Dessert Fox expansion alone coming with 9 map boards, the british forces, and a few extra germans, I'm glad they decided to go with a BIG box when they released the base game.

I've also heard rumours of an "advanced" rule set with event greater detail and options. I'm not sure at this point if I even want to go there. One of the things I really like about this game is the complexity level; it seems "just right" to me. If I want more complexity I'll probably just break out the old Squad Leader again. But I'll keep an open mind and look forward to learning more about the advanced rules.

As for ease of learning and demographic, I can only speak to my own experience. I've been playing this game solo thus far, which may sound pathetic but I actually enjoy it. It has taken me several gameplays to feel like I'm doing everything right. I've probably played about four complete games, and I still find myself flipping through the rule book from time to time. There is a nice 5 page rules summary posted on boardgamegeek that makes a nice player aide.

I think this game will appeal to those who love the WWII theme of SL and ASL, but are looking for something a little more accesible and faster playing while still maintaining all of the tactical decisions. That was my excuse for buying the game, anyway. I don't see myself breaking it out on a game night after playing Ticket to Ride or Settlers, because I don't think I could explain the rules anywhere near as quickly as those games, or a game like Memoir 44, or Heroscape.

Some people have called this a "light" wargame, but I'm not convinced it is all that "light". The box certainly isn't! And just like in real life, if you try to assault an enemy position without first softening it up with suppressing fire you will be slaughtered.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

I think this game will appeal to those who love the WWII theme of SL and ASL, but are looking for something a little more accesible and faster playing while still maintaining all of the tactical decisions. That was my excuse for buying the game, anyway. I don't see myself breaking it out on a game night after playing Ticket to Ride or Settlers, because I don't think I could explain the rules anywhere near as quickly as those games, or a game like Memoir 44, or Heroscape.

I think it's also a great game for people who played the likes of Memoir, Battlelore, Nexus Ops and others and have commented that they would like something with more depth. The number of tactical and strategic options in Tide of Iron are far more in-depth than what many other games offer but the game itself isn't too complex if you ease yourself in with the proper scenarios.

[mrbistro]

I've also heard rumours of an "advanced" rule set with event greater detail and options. I'm not sure at this point if I even want to go there. One of the things I really like about this game is the complexity level; it seems "just right" to me. If I want more complexity I'll probably just break out the old Squad Leader again.
Amen. I find it "just right" for my purposes. I have a hard enough time getting people to play old-fashioned war games without there being more difficulty.

[Wytefang]

Thanks, guys. This is the info I was basically looking for...I can't wait to get some games of ToI under my belt. So. Cool. :)

[Teamski]

I've also heard rumours of an "advanced" rule set with event greater detail and options. I'm not sure at this point if I even want to go there. One of the things I really like about this game is the complexity level; it seems "just right" to me. If I want more complexity I'll probably just break out the old Squad Leader again.
Amen. I find it "just right" for my purposes. I have a hard enough time getting people to play old-fashioned war games without there being more difficulty.

I'd love to see an official advanced rule set for it. At least to get it to the original Squad Leader complexity level. You can still teach the basic game and play it as such, so nothing is lost.....

-Ski

[mrbistro]

I'd love to see an official advanced rule set for it. At least to get it to the original Squad Leader complexity level. You can still teach the basic game and play it as such, so nothing is lost.....
You're implying I have self-control in this matter. :D

[skyknight]

I'd love to see an official advanced rule set for it. At least to get it to the original Squad Leader complexity level. You can still teach the basic game and play it as such, so nothing is lost.....
You're implying I have self-control in this matter. :DYes, I do believe he implied that.

[mrbistro]

I'd love to see an official advanced rule set for it. At least to get it to the original Squad Leader complexity level. You can still teach the basic game and play it as such, so nothing is lost.....
You're implying I have self-control in this matter. :DYes, I do believe he implied that.
Why you! And hey, when did you get that sweet title?

[jbbnbsmith]

Hey Tide of Iron fans. If you are like me, you're chomping at the bit to get the first game expansion. In case you haven't visited Fantasy Flight's web site lately, they are beginning to release some more info about the North Africa expansion. Here's a link to the first two articles:

http://fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_support.html

Enjoy.

[Teamski]

I'll definately be getting in on that. I just wish they would of included armor for use with the master game..... I.e. Cromwells. That said, I'm thrilled that AT guns are now part of the game.....

-Ski

[jbbnbsmith]

The third article concerning the new anti-tank guns and the expansion rule book are now posted. Only an 8 page rule book, and that includes the cover, the back page, the introduction, and the box contents. Some new terrain, the anti-tank guns, and some new specialists make up the bulk of the new material. So it looks like there's not much of learning curve to begin battling in Northern Africa, which is fine with me. I'm hoping this will start to ship in a few more weeks.

Edit: I forgot the link:
http://fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_support.html

[mrbistro]

So it looks like there's not much of learning curve to begin battling in Northern Africa, which is fine with me. I'm hoping this will start to ship in a few more weeks.
Perfect! I'm very excited to try this out.

[Finrod]

Thanks for reviving this thread, guys. I'm an old Squad Leader player from way back, and I miss it. But like many, I just can't see myself pulling out all those rulebooks, counters and maps and trying to remember how to do it all.

Tide of Iron sounds perfect. It's now my second-most-wanted game (behind Descent).

Here's a possibly silly, possibly awesome question:

Has anyone tried using Heroscape tiles to build the maps for ToI?

[mrbistro]

Thanks for reviving this thread, guys. I'm an old Squad Leader player from way back, and I miss it. But like many, I just can't see myself pulling out all those rulebooks, counters and maps and trying to remember how to do it all.

Tide of Iron sounds perfect. It's now my second-most-wanted game (behind Descent).

Here's a possibly silly, possibly awesome question:

Has anyone tried using Heroscape tiles to build the maps for ToI?
I would choose ToI over Descent. While I like Descent's theme better, ToI is more successful in achieving its thematic goals.

As for using 'Scape it would only work until you needed to create buildings, woods, rivers and roads. Most of these features you could make yourself, but I can't figure out how to make woods that would work.

[jbbnbsmith]

The expansion has finally arrived! It is available for purchase at FFG's web site and some local game stores. I had pre-ordered a copy from cardhaus.com along a few other items (Scottish wars for Battlelore and the Air Pack for Memoir 44.) I'm hoping I get an email soon saying that it has shipped. I'm really looking forward to this. Can you tell?

[Finrod]

Thanks for reviving this thread, guys. I'm an old Squad Leader player from way back, and I miss it. But like many, I just can't see myself pulling out all those rulebooks, counters and maps and trying to remember how to do it all.

Tide of Iron sounds perfect. It's now my second-most-wanted game (behind Descent).

I would choose ToI over Descent. While I like Descent's theme better, ToI is more successful in achieving its thematic goals.

You're probably right. But I have a higher chance of getting friends to play Descent than I do getting a player for ToI.

[Wytefang]

Well I finally got a chance to do a full play-through with my brother. Good fun and we did a solid job, I hope, of not missing any rules. My only complaint is that there are a lot of exceptions and side-rules but on the flip-side, you usually end up memorizing all that stuff over time, anyway.

I really enjoyed it. It was the board game equivalent of the fantastic Company of Heroes RTS from Relic Entertainment for the PC. I'm going to play a bunch of matches from the base game before I go out and grab the expansion but wow, really enjoying this game. :D

[jbbnbsmith]

Well I finally got a chance to do a full play-through with my brother. Good fun and we did a solid job, I hope, of not missing any rules. My only complaint is that there are a lot of exceptions and side-rules but on the flip-side, you usually end up memorizing all that stuff over time, anyway.

I really enjoyed it. It was the board game equivalent of the fantastic Company of Heroes RTS from Relic Entertainment for the PC. I'm going to play a bunch of matches from the base game before I go out and grab the expansion but wow, really enjoying this game. :D
The rules could definitely be organized better. One of the down sides to the paragraph/narative style of rules versus the 12.2, 12.2a, etc style of rules is that some things can be missed.

Every once in a while I'kll read through the rules again and discover something I had been playing incorrectly. One recent example was mi discovery that squads with machine guns or mortars may not have specializations. Whoops! How did I miss that? Oh I know how, because it is buried inside a paragraph that contains a bunch of stuff that I already knew. It it had been listed out as rule 9.6a, I probably would have caught it sooner, and would have even highlighted it.

There is a fairly negative review of the game on BGG called the "high cost of plastic" (or something like that) that has created quite the debate on the game. I personally really enjoy the game. Now if only my expansion would just ship soon!

[Wytefang]

Yeah, I read that review also but you can tell it's from someone who is on the "it needs more reality" side-of-the-tracks, so I didn't take it too seriously. Much like Heroscape, TOI seems to capture a really nice balance between "fun" and "simulation", though it does have a LOT more rules than HS.

Such a great game!!

[jcb231]

How does this game, now that its been out for a while, compare to Memoir '44? I sold my complete Memoir collection because I did not like it, but I still want a good WWII game.

[jbbnbsmith]

How does this game, now that its been out for a while, compare to Memoir '44? I sold my complete Memoir collection because I did not like it, but I still want a good WWII game.
Let me start by saying that I really like MM44. I have all of the expansions (the air pack is coming soon), and I think that MM44 fills a nice niche for a light, fast paced, easy to learn/teach, but still satisfying WWII war game.

Tide of Iron fills another niche for a medium weight (though some would claim it's still a light weight game) WWII tactical level game. It fits nicely between MM44 and ASL.

I used to play Squad Leader quite a bit many years ago, but I never got into ASL. Although I love the SL system, I found that every time I put the game down for a period of time it was like starting from scratch when I'd pick it back up. The game was fun, but it was a lot of work. I just don't have the time for that type of game any more.

Tide of Iron presents many of the tactical decisions found in heavier war games while maintaining a fairly simple rule set. TOI takes much longer to set up and play than MM44. With MM44 I can usually set up, play a scenario 2-3 times, and put the game away in the span of about 90 minutes. TOI usually takes me about 3-4 hours to set up and play a scenario through once.

With TOI, there is a bit more of a "personal" feel to me than MM44. It brings to mind Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, while MM44 tends to make me think of documentaries about various battles. Another way of saying it is that MM44 feels like the "camera" is positioned somewhere high above the battlefield while in TOI it seems the "camera" is right in the fox hole.

I realize those are rather vague comments, but I'm not sure what else to say without actually going through the mechanics of the game, which may be found in plenty of other places.

There are no guarentees in gaming, so i can't promise you that TOI will give you what you found missing in MM44. And I'm not sure why you didn't like MM44. Maybe if you tell me what you didn't like about Mm44, I can better tell you if TOI has what you want.

[jcb231]

How does this game, now that its been out for a while, compare to Memoir '44? I sold my complete Memoir collection because I did not like it, but I still want a good WWII game.
Let me start by saying that I really like MM44. I have all of the expansions (the air pack is coming soon), and I think that MM44 fills a nice niche for a light, fast paced, easy to learn/teach, but still satisfying WWII war game.

Tide of Iron fills another niche for a medium weight (though some would claim it's still a light weight game) WWII tactical level game. It fits nicely between MM44 and ASL.

I used to play Squad Leader quite a bit many years ago, but I never got into ASL. Although I love the SL system, I found that every time I put the game down for a period of time it was like starting from scratch when I'd pick it back up. The game was fun, but it was a lot of work. I just don't have the time for that type of game any more.

Tide of Iron presents many of the tactical decisions found in heavier war games while maintaining a fairly simple rule set. TOI takes much longer to set up and play than MM44. With MM44 I can usually set up, play a scenario 2-3 times, and put the game away in the span of about 90 minutes. TOI usually takes me about 3-4 hours to set up and play a scenario through once.

With TOI, there is a bit more of a "personal" feel to me than MM44. It brings to mind Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, while MM44 tends to make me think of documentaries about various battles. Another way of saying it is that MM44 feels like the "camera" is positioned somewhere high above the battlefield while in TOI it seems the "camera" is right in the fox hole.

I realize those are rather vague comments, but I'm not sure what else to say without actually going through the mechanics of the game, which may be found in plenty of other places.

There are no guarentees in gaming, so i can't promise you that TOI will give you what you found missing in MM44. And I'm not sure why you didn't like MM44. Maybe if you tell me what you didn't like about Mm44, I can better tell you if TOI has what you want.

I found MM44 too fiddly for my tastes. Everyone talks about how "light" the game is, but it never felt that way to me or my group, and I was actually surprised to see it labeled as a light war game when I started poking around online to find varients for it. There were FAR too many rules to remember about terrain and movement and such, and not enough reference cards. Plus the attack dice system just felt odd...like it wasn't a real battle, as the defender did nothing but sit there while you shot at him..I prefer games where both players roll dice or at least do something to involve each other in the action. Plus there were often situations where it seemed like the defender could be near-invincible due to all the terrain boosts. And there was the lack of game flexibility...everything was about the scenarios and it was tough to just create a random balanced setup and go play. I don't care about recreating historical battle #435, I just want to play the game and run some allied tanks against my buddy's axis forces.

Then there was the lack of true unit control...you could get killed by the deck worse than any random mechanic I've ever seen in a game. I get the whole fog-of-war thing, but I've seen it done better in games like Battleground Fantasy Warfare...in that game the units at least go on auto-pilot when you are not actively giving them orders.

Suffice to say, I was not happy with the game. My group bought some expansions at the same time we got the core game, but ultimately the whole thing got sold on eBay for a nice profit. I have seen games of Battlelore and have tinkered with it a little, and am strongly considering a purchase, as the game seems to have fixed some but not all of the issues I have, especially the scenario v. random setup problem and some of the terrain and reference problems. The dice issue is still a factor but it seems to be lessened in Battlelore somehow.

[Wytefang]

JCB,

You may not enjoy Tide of Iron, I'm afraid, going off of some of your statements. There are a decent number of specific rules to remember in Tide of Iron (if this is a "light" wargame, don't show me the heavy ones, it's not worth the hassle, LOL). Also, there are only a few cases (mainly when Assaulting, iirc) where you'll get to roll your own defense dice. Normally, the attacker will roll both the Attack & Defense dice. You also mentioned not liking it when the defender was able to stack up defenses to make himself very tough to hit, that's not so much the case in TOI, but I sometimes feel that the reverse is true - it often seems like the Attacker can line up some huge attacks with only a small amount of effort thanks to combined fire.

Also, there are cards that simulate environmental, supply, morale, command, reinforcement, and artillery effects and they can sometimes be pretty powerful. Though in all fairness, I think they're surprisingly balanced within the system.

For some reason the crappy unpainted figures in Battlelore really make me uninterested in that game. It's different for a WW2 game where simple shades of grey or green are able to capture the primary colors of the units, but a fantasy-based game needs painted figures, imho. So I'm just not interested in it - that and the rip-off cost when you start factoring in expansions, as well as the small maps is steering me very clear of Battlelore (each to his own, of course).

JBBNBSMITH did a really accurate job of explaining the game's feel and mechanics. The game feels like an RTS with the camera about midway above the field of battle and you tend to connect more with your units. Also, I really love the fact that you can have pretty nice-sized map layouts. TOI does have the issue you spoke of concerning Random games but it's very possible that once you have a good feel for it, you'd be able to understand how to whip up random matches.

Really good game, imho, but it's important for anyone who may want to buy it, to understand what makes it unique and/or fun. Hopefully these last couple of posts have and will help with that!!

[jbbnbsmith]

How does this game, now that its been out for a while, compare to Memoir '44? I sold my complete Memoir collection because I did not like it, but I still want a good WWII game.
Let me start by saying that I really like MM44. I have all of the expansions (the air pack is coming soon), and I think that MM44 fills a nice niche for a light, fast paced, easy to learn/teach, but still satisfying WWII war game.

Tide of Iron fills another niche for a medium weight (though some would claim it's still a light weight game) WWII tactical level game. It fits nicely between MM44 and ASL.

I used to play Squad Leader quite a bit many years ago, but I never got into ASL. Although I love the SL system, I found that every time I put the game down for a period of time it was like starting from scratch when I'd pick it back up. The game was fun, but it was a lot of work. I just don't have the time for that type of game any more.

Tide of Iron presents many of the tactical decisions found in heavier war games while maintaining a fairly simple rule set. TOI takes much longer to set up and play than MM44. With MM44 I can usually set up, play a scenario 2-3 times, and put the game away in the span of about 90 minutes. TOI usually takes me about 3-4 hours to set up and play a scenario through once.

With TOI, there is a bit more of a "personal" feel to me than MM44. It brings to mind Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, while MM44 tends to make me think of documentaries about various battles. Another way of saying it is that MM44 feels like the "camera" is positioned somewhere high above the battlefield while in TOI it seems the "camera" is right in the fox hole.

I realize those are rather vague comments, but I'm not sure what else to say without actually going through the mechanics of the game, which may be found in plenty of other places.

There are no guarentees in gaming, so i can't promise you that TOI will give you what you found missing in MM44. And I'm not sure why you didn't like MM44. Maybe if you tell me what you didn't like about Mm44, I can better tell you if TOI has what you want.

I found MM44 too fiddly for my tastes. Everyone talks about how "light" the game is, but it never felt that way to me or my group, and I was actually surprised to see it labeled as a light war game when I started poking around online to find varients for it. There were FAR too many rules to remember about terrain and movement and such, and not enough reference cards. Plus the attack dice system just felt odd...like it wasn't a real battle, as the defender did nothing but sit there while you shot at him..I prefer games where both players roll dice or at least do something to involve each other in the action. Plus there were often situations where it seemed like the defender could be near-invincible due to all the terrain boosts. And there was the lack of game flexibility...everything was about the scenarios and it was tough to just create a random balanced setup and go play. I don't care about recreating historical battle #435, I just want to play the game and run some allied tanks against my buddy's axis forces.

Then there was the lack of true unit control...you could get killed by the deck worse than any random mechanic I've ever seen in a game. I get the whole fog-of-war thing, but I've seen it done better in games like Battleground Fantasy Warfare...in that game the units at least go on auto-pilot when you are not actively giving them orders.

Suffice to say, I was not happy with the game. My group bought some expansions at the same time we got the core game, but ultimately the whole thing got sold on eBay for a nice profit. I have seen games of Battlelore and have tinkered with it a little, and am strongly considering a purchase, as the game seems to have fixed some but not all of the issues I have, especially the scenario v. random setup problem and some of the terrain and reference problems. The dice issue is still a factor but it seems to be lessened in Battlelore somehow.
Ok, now I remember the "fiddly" discussion regarding MM44. If you think MM44 is fiddly and has too many rules, then you probably want to stay away from TOI. I can get a new player up and running with MM44 in about 5 minutes. TOI has way more stuff to keep track of including:
1. Normal attacks vs suppressive fire
2. Many different possible actions each turn: advance, concentrated fire, prepare OP fire, fire & movement, assault, fatigue unit, activate strategy card, and some other special actions like entrench or lay smoke.
3. Fairly advanced LOS rules, similar to those found in Squad Leader but slightly different
4. A fair amount of "book keeping" such as marking units with fatigue markers, pinned or disrupted markers, OP fire markers, light or heavy damage markers for vehicles, and command point markers that act as a sort of currency in the game. There are also control markers and victory markers that come into play. If I were going to describe something as fiddly, this would be a good example!
5. There are also special rules for area attacks, and off board artillery including spotting and drift.
6. When you have three squads in one hex things get very crowded, and there have been complaints about the whole squad base thing which could also be described as fiddly.
7. Lots of strategy cards and command cards that provide additional options during play.
8. Rules for transporting squads with vehicles, which utilizes yet another type of marker.
9. Rules for concealment (yep, another marker)
10. Elevation has an effect on range (height gives you increased range)
11. Combat dice results vary depending on the range of the firing units. At normal range a 5 or 6 is a hit. At close range a 4-6 is a hit, and at long range only a 6 is a hit.
12. Assualt attacks have their own method of resolution.
13. There are special rules for mchine guns and mortars, and for leaders.
14. There are special rules for the different type of vehicles, even for different types of tanks (concussive fire power, overrun, thick armor, etc)
15. There are 16 different types of terrain or terrain modifers that each have their own rules for movement, LOS, defensive cover, etc.
16. There are four types of squad specializations, engineer, anti-tank, flamethrower, and medic, eac with their own set of rules.

Despite all that I still think this is a medium weight wargame, and there are plenty of folks who complain that it is too light!

Based on your comments about MM44, I'd suggest you leave this one alone. The only major difference between TOI and MM44 that you'll likely see as an improvement is that you will get to activate every unit each round.

By the way, I see you referenced Battleground Fantasy. Do you play that much, and if so what are your thoughts. I have two starter decks but I've not had the chance to play much yet. My initial impression is that it is a great concept, but some of the automated movement rules seem like they would lead to potential arguments. I've also never been a big fan of using a ruler, but that's minis for ya'.

[jcb231]

I hate measuring too, but I found Battleground to be tolerable in that regard as it uses the sides of the cards. It's not perfect, but the concept and elegant execution of said concept make up for many of it's shortcomings.



Some of the statements you made regarding TOI actually sound less fiddly to me than Memoir! I have no problem with tons of markers or keeping track of stats and abilities provided there is an elegant way to do so. To reference a game we both know, Heroscape keeps track or lots of abilities in a no-brainer way...right there on the cards so you can't miss it. Everything from range to movement to powers is spelled out in plain English and is easy to use. Powers use simple markers. How does TOI compare in that regard?

[jbbnbsmith]

I hate measuring too, but I found Battleground to be tolerable in that regard as it uses the sides of the cards. It's not perfect, but the concept and elegant execution of said concept make up for many of it's shortcomings.



Some of the statements you made regarding TOI actually sound less fiddly to me than Memoir! I have no problem with tons of markers or keeping track of stats and abilities provided there is an elegant way to do so. To reference a game we both know, Heroscape keeps track or lots of abilities in a no-brainer way...right there on the cards so you can't miss it. Everything from range to movement to powers is spelled out in plain English and is easy to use. Powers use simple markers. How does TOI compare in that regard?
Again, my opinion is that everything is spelled out very clearly in MM44. I can understand someone not liking the whole command card system (not being able to move what you want when you want), but the system seems very straightforward to me. I'm not trying to tell you that you should like the game, just that I'm still having a hard time getting a sense of how you would feel about TOI.

This may solve the problem. Did you know you didn't like MM44 after reading the rules (did the game seem fiddly right out of the box) or did it take a few games for you to realize you didn't like it? If the former is true, then i suggest you read through the TOI rules, read the various design notes, and watch the promo video on the fantasy flight games website (assuming you've not yet done so.) Other than that, try to find someone who has a copy of the game and play it a few times.

I'm sorry that I can't be of any greater help. I guess I'm still a bit confused by the whole "fiddly" thing. Especially since you said that much of my previous list made TOI sound less fiddly, and also given the fact that you seem to think Battleground Fantasy Warfare isn't fiddly.

On a side note, I think I've just used the word "fiddly" more in this post than in everything I've ever written in my whole life up to this point combined! :lol:

[Finrod]

Days of the Fox is the deal of the day at pozy.com today for $25.

Have at it, you TOI'ers.

[Dreaded Gazebo]

As much as I love Tide of Iron, I'm actually going to pass on the expansion for awhile. I've probably played ToI five or six times now and feel like I've just barely scratched the surface. The expansion mostly just adds new units and terrain and I haven't even explored everything that comes in the base game!

Usually I'm a sucker for expansions, but this time around I'm just not feeling the urge.

[jbbnbsmith]

Days of the Fox is the deal of the day at pozy.com today for $25.

Have at it, you TOI'ers.
Wow, I missed that. Good price, though I wonder what shipping was.

[jbbnbsmith]

As much as I love Tide of Iron, I'm actually going to pass on the expansion for awhile. I've probably played ToI five or six times now and feel like I've just barely scratched the surface. The expansion mostly just adds new units and terrain and I haven't even explored everything that comes in the base game!

Usually I'm a sucker for expansions, but this time around I'm just not feeling the urge.
Just keep in mind that you are reading something from a man who has multiple copies of HS figures that have never been drafted even once, so your argument does not compute. Since when do you have to actually use something to justify buying it?! :lol:

[LilNewbie]

As much as I love Tide of Iron, I'm actually going to pass on the expansion for awhile. I've probably played ToI five or six times now and feel like I've just barely scratched the surface. The expansion mostly just adds new units and terrain and I haven't even explored everything that comes in the base game!

Usually I'm a sucker for expansions, but this time around I'm just not feeling the urge.
Just keep in mind that you are reading something from a man who has multiple copies of HS figures that have never been drafted even once, so your argument does not compute. Since when do you have to actually use something to justify buying it?! :lol:

A sign of a True Gamer!!

Newb.~A True Gamer :D

[jbbnbsmith]

Still waiting for the expansion to ship from cardhaus. Does anyone actually have this yet?

[Wytefang]

Yeah, I got it not long after it was released but that's mainly because one of the employees at my closest gaming store is a playtester for Fantasy Flight here in Minnesota, so he was able to get copies in right away. Considering that I, then, promptly lost my job soon after that, it may have been a bad purchase to make! D'oh! (But from a game perspective it's a cool addition, certainly.)

[jbbnbsmith]

It FINALLY shipped and should arrive on March 13th. Just wanted to give an update as I know everyone has been concerned. :lol:

[jbbnbsmith]

It FINALLY shipped and should arrive on March 13th. Just wanted to give an update as I know everyone has been concerned. :lol:
It came! A few first impressions:
1. The box is really nice. It is the size of a normal game like MM44, and is very sturdy. Of course, given the size of the original Tide of Iron box, everything from this expansion easily fits into the original game box. I would guess that at least two more expansions would fit into the original box before things got tight (can anyone say eastern front and pacific theater?). So now I have one really nice empty box with nothing to put in it. It may end up full of Battlelore stuff if I get anything else.

2. The map board are very nice. Although they are just desert, they contain enough roads, dunes, hills, things to make them interesting. And of course there are a fair number of overlay tiles to add variety.

3. The british units seem to be cleaner than the americans and germans from the master game in terms of flashing. The plastic itself seems a little stiffer, but hopefully not brittle. There are a few extra german tanks and of course the 88's. The americans get four anti-tank guns.

4. The rule and scenario book is the same high quality as the original.

5. The extra counters for the British are easy to distinguish from the german and americans ones, so they can all go into the same baggie which makes storage easy.

I plan on getting a game in sometime Saturday, but simply based upon the components, the addition of the brits, and the anti-tank guns I think this will prove to be a great expansion for a game that is one of my favorites.

[jbbnbsmith]

I played four games this weekend, the Rescue scenario and the Crusuader scneraio twice each. Here's what I found:

1. The british figures are much easier to put into the squad bases.
2. I am not very good at telling the difference between some of the different tanks. It took me a while, but I think I know them all now. I'm seriously thinking about writing the tank names on the bottom side of the playing pieces.
3. AT guns are POWERFUL, especially those 88's.
4. The new rules are very easy to learn. the learning curve is extremely small here, which is good.
5. The new strategy decks are great part of this game, and the new decks introduced in this expansion really capture the feel of desert warfare (as opposed to dessert warfare).
6. One thing I like about this game is the replayability, and these scenarios continue that. I often find that halfway through a scenario I wish I had built my squads differently, or had set up my initial placement differently.
7. The all tank battles play pretty quickly (once you've learned to tell the difference between the various types of tanks!)
8. Did I mention that those 88's are powerful? But they are slow, so you really need to plan your movement and placement carefully.

Anyway, I promise not to post again here until either someone else posts or a new expansion is coming out.

[mrbistro]

5. The new strategy decks are great part of this game, and the new decks introduced in this expansion really capture the feel of dessert warfare.
Banana Splits are brutal!


Sorry man, I had to.

[LilNewbie]

5. The new strategy decks are great part of this game, and the new decks introduced in this expansion really capture the feel of dessert warfare.
Banana Splits are brutal!


Sorry man, I had to.

LOL! Lalala..lalalala...lalala....lalalala....

Thanks...now that song is going to be in my head all day!!

:D

Newb.

[Wytefang]

Has anyone tried mixing the tiles and rules from both games for a full experience? How did it go? (Just curious...)

[jbbnbsmith]

5. The new strategy decks are great part of this game, and the new decks introduced in this expansion really capture the feel of dessert warfare.
Banana Splits are brutal!


Sorry man, I had to.

Mocking deserved and accepted.

And for the record, I do know the difference between the two words, I guess I just hit the "s" key once too often.

I will edit that one.

[jbbnbsmith]

Has anyone tried mixing the tiles and rules from both games for a full experience? How did it go? (Just curious...)
Well, you do mix the rules since this is only an expansion, as well as many components. But given that the master set boards are all green (grass0 and the expansion board are all tan (desert - yes I spelled it correctly that time), mixing the two doesn't look so great. I guess you could use some of the overlays to smooth out the transitions, but that would make for one BIG board.

At one time I had two copies of the game and I considered playing some "epic" or "overlord" Tide of Iron, but I realized I was better off just selling the extra copy.

[Wytefang]

I can barely find the time to play a normal game, let alone an "epic" game. I wonder how long it would take to finish a match in that situation?

It'd be enjoyable, though, to bust out large waves of tanks and soldiers for some serious mayhem...

[mrbistro]

But given that the master set boards are all green (grass0 and the expansion board are all tan (desert - yes I spelled it correctly that time), mixing the two doesn't look so great.
I'm a little disappointed by this. I was sure there would be a couple transitional boards in the mix. Ah well. It certainly won't stop me from buying the expansion.

[Finrod]

Tide of Iron is $44.95 at Pozy.com (http://www.pozy.com) right now!

I just bought it.

I'm such a game-buying addict.

[jbbnbsmith]

Tide of Iron is $44.95 at Pozy.com (http://www.pozy.com) right now!

I just bought it.

I'm such a game-buying addict.
That's a great price. I'm sure you'll enjoy the game. I'm eagerly waiting news about the next expansion (probably eastern front).

[jbbnbsmith]

I had been waiting for some news from Fantasy Flight Games about upcoming Tide of Iron expansions. I just saw what I was waiting for on their web site.

There will be two new products for Tide of Iron released soon, (they say Fall 2008 ). The first is a boxed expansion that will not cover the eastern front as I had thought, but the Normandy campaign! I guess enough people had complained that it didn't make sense for a game entitled "Tide of Iron" to not have any D-Day scenarios. So now we will be able to storm the beached and fight through the boccage.

The second item is a hard bound book of 20 historical scenarios, including one "epic" scenario that will require two sets of TOI (I knew i shouldn't have sold my extra copy!) It doesn't say if the scenarios cover only the master set or if expansions as well. I'm guessing just the master set.

Here's the link. (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/tideofiron_products.html)

[Finrod]

The second item is a hard bound book of 20 historical scenarios, including one "epic" scenario that will require two sets of TOI (I knew i shouldn't have sold my extra copy!) It doesn't say if the scenarios cover only the master set or if expansions as well. I'm guessing just the master set.

From the description:

Several scenarios incorporate the North Africa Days of the Fox Expansion.

:)

So far, since I bought it in June, I've been able to play Tide of Iron a grand total of... once.

:(

[mrbistro]

I had been waiting for some news from Fantasy Flight Games about upcoming Tide of Iron expansions. I just saw what I was waiting for on their web site.

Yes! I am stoked about both. Who doesn't want a D-Day expansion? And the scenarios will offer much needed variety.

[jbbnbsmith]

It doesn't say if the scenarios cover only the master set or if expansions as well. I'm guessing just the master set.

From the description:

Several scenarios incorporate the North Africa Days of the Fox Expansion.

:)

Okay, so it does say whether or not it includes expansions! :oops:

I guess in my excitement I forgot to utilize my reading comprehension skills. :)

Hopefully you'll be able to get some more games in. I haven't had this game on my table as often as I'd like, but when I do manage to break it out it's always a good time.