The first 3 Butterfield games in the series were great, but after the disaster that was Iwo Jima, I am very wary of Saipan. Glad to hear that at least the fire dots are back (the map looks excellent). I will follow your subsequent videos with interest, thanks Joe!
Thanks Steve. I never picked up or tried Iwo, so I figured Saipan would be a good one to try as the reaction to Iwo following the three Butterfield entries should, hopefully, have impacted this design. Iwo gets a 6.7 rating on BGG, which isn't necessarily terrible, but when compared to the Butterfield games in this series that are all 8+, it definitely stands out, and not in a good way. This one... so far I would say it's decent. I'm trying not to let any of the previous games color my judgement on this one. Let it stand, or fall, on its own merits. The jury is still out at the moment.
Yeah, I know. I need new tweezers, the ones I have don't open wide enough to grab the counter so I have to spread them open and then place & squeeze. I'm probably going to order some tonight.
Definitely fits in with the series, nice work on the video! Lots of similarities with Omaha, but quite a bit of difference too. Interesting! Thanks for making this.
Yes, it's an interesting game - both similar to the previous games but also with enough difference to stand out on its own. And as I play I realize I really like it - and I was almost expecting not to, after all the negative things I heard about the Iwo Jima game (which I haven't played).
Thanks. I do get the feeling that it might be more complicated than it needs to be. The first three in the series weren't simple games, but this one does have a longer rulebook, which would indicate more complicated gameplay. Some of that might be related to the different campaigns - Tarawa & Peleliu were different fights than Saipan and Iwo Jima was kind of in a class all its own. After I spend more time with it, I'll have a better feel for if the complexity is overkill or not.
@@HexedAndCountered i will give the game a go soon. At the moment I’m playing Enemy Action Kharkov. Great game. One other point can you focus the camera a little bit closer to the board please ? Great playthrough.
Thanks - I have both EA games and hope to get one of them to the table soon. After this game I'll probably play "The Long Road" by Flying Pig Games, but some Butterfield genius afterwards would be nice for sure. I'll see what I can do about the video shot - I try not to move the camera too much and like having the whole board in, but I can see that it'd be hard to see the details at that scale.
Haha - yes, I do have a "Noo Yawk" accent. I agree on the water spaces - in the first few (Butterfield-designed) games they had a purpose, but now they really don't.
The original three games in the “At D Day” series are spectacular. However Joe Youst totally destroyed “D Day At Iwo Jima” and yet Decision Games let him do “Saipan” as well. No thanks. I’ll stick to the John Butterfield originals.
The first 3 Butterfield games in the series were great, but after the disaster that was Iwo Jima, I am very wary of Saipan. Glad to hear that at least the fire dots are back (the map looks excellent). I will follow your subsequent videos with interest, thanks Joe!
Thanks Steve. I never picked up or tried Iwo, so I figured Saipan would be a good one to try as the reaction to Iwo following the three Butterfield entries should, hopefully, have impacted this design. Iwo gets a 6.7 rating on BGG, which isn't necessarily terrible, but when compared to the Butterfield games in this series that are all 8+, it definitely stands out, and not in a good way. This one... so far I would say it's decent. I'm trying not to let any of the previous games color my judgement on this one. Let it stand, or fall, on its own merits. The jury is still out at the moment.
@@HexedAndCountered Sounds good, Joe. Sorry,I can’t resist - in a word, TWEEZERS! :)
Yeah, I know. I need new tweezers, the ones I have don't open wide enough to grab the counter so I have to spread them open and then place & squeeze. I'm probably going to order some tonight.
Definitely fits in with the series, nice work on the video! Lots of similarities with Omaha, but quite a bit of difference too. Interesting! Thanks for making this.
Yes, it's an interesting game - both similar to the previous games but also with enough difference to stand out on its own. And as I play I realize I really like it - and I was almost expecting not to, after all the negative things I heard about the Iwo Jima game (which I haven't played).
Really glad to see a playthrough of this game. Got all the games so far. This one seems very complicated though. Not sure if i will like it.
Thanks. I do get the feeling that it might be more complicated than it needs to be. The first three in the series weren't simple games, but this one does have a longer rulebook, which would indicate more complicated gameplay. Some of that might be related to the different campaigns - Tarawa & Peleliu were different fights than Saipan and Iwo Jima was kind of in a class all its own. After I spend more time with it, I'll have a better feel for if the complexity is overkill or not.
@@HexedAndCountered i will give the game a go soon. At the moment I’m playing Enemy Action Kharkov. Great game.
One other point can you focus the camera a little bit closer to the board please ? Great playthrough.
Thanks - I have both EA games and hope to get one of them to the table soon. After this game I'll probably play "The Long Road" by Flying Pig Games, but some Butterfield genius afterwards would be nice for sure. I'll see what I can do about the video shot - I try not to move the camera too much and like having the whole board in, but I can see that it'd be hard to see the details at that scale.
I like the playthrough but need to zoom more so we can see the units.
Thanks - part 2 will address that issue.
I believe Marine units hit by unrevealed Japanese units are disrupted as well as hit. Thx for the video
Thanks! I'm pretty sure you're correct & I missed it.
This guy''s accent reminds me of Welcome Back Kotter. Wondering what the purpose is of the white water spaces if no counters ever stop on them.
Haha - yes, I do have a "Noo Yawk" accent. I agree on the water spaces - in the first few (Butterfield-designed) games they had a purpose, but now they really don't.
Considered tweezers? 😆
LOL, actually yes. I have two pair but I'm so clumsy they don't help much (I probably just haven't hit on the "right pair" for me yet).
The original three games in the “At D Day” series are spectacular. However Joe Youst totally destroyed “D Day At Iwo Jima” and yet Decision Games let him do “Saipan” as well. No thanks. I’ll stick to the John Butterfield originals.
You forgot the pre-bombardment 19.2.3 Special Rules 1st bullet.