What games are on your Shelf of Shame Challenge? (Or similar 10-game challenge?) I'd love help/accountability in doing this! Also, please vote in 3 of the games to go on my Shelf of Shame Challenge 2024: ua-cam.com/channels/GstpG-VHx0de3pFKzR7Pxw.htmlcommunity Note: I didn't realize until after I finished the video that You Tube polls limit to 4 choices, so I had to make hard choices to reduce each question down to 4 games. Lastly, first Shelf of Shame game is A Most Fearful Sacrifice if you are thinking to play the same games. :) Thanks!
One thing that I think has helped me is to only to keep a game on my table for a week at a time. If I've stalled out or have become distracted, I clean it all up and then get a new game to the table. Otherwise I start feeling guilty that I set something up and it's sitting untouched and it actually kills my motivation more (oddly enough). But making sure I have that 7 day stop point if I'm not playing makes me more likely to keep old (and new) games circulating to the table. In terms of what to prioritize - Combat! from Compass games. Its probably my favorite solo WW2 game simply because of the scale (squad-based) - it's so good and I'm confident you're going to love it.
Even though Combat! isn't winning its vote, I hope to play that one this summer. I'm itching to give it a go. And that's a great idea about a week on the table. I probably can't do that because of promises to make video content, but I could definitely do it on my "second" table. I might give that a try. :)
Love this idea, and looking forward to seeing what content comes out from this. I could quite easily do something similar with my Steam PC games - so many on there that I've bought, excited to play but haven't got around to it!
Ten games that I wanted to play in 2023 but didn't get to, and will play on my channel in 2024: Wizard Kings, Mound Builders, In Magnificent Style, Volters Lead the Way, Crowbar: Rangers at Point du Hoc, Battle of Baton Rouge, Battle of St Louis, Attack on Cahokia, Battle of Pensacola, and Dawn of the Zeds.
Great list, Mike, and it looks like you've got Battle of Baton Rouge up and running already. I've subscribed to your channel, and look forward to watching as time allows. Nice work!
So, I had planned on playing all of my wargames on my Shelf of Shame by the end of the year. Here are the 13, in alphabetical order: British Way, Churchill, Colonial Twilight, Cuba Libre, Days of Ire, Gato Leader, Israeli Air Force Leader, Liberty or Death, Nights of Fire, Pericles, Tiger Leader, Twilight Struggle: Red Sea, Versailles 1919. Great video, and good luck on your list!
Thanks! And good luck with your list as well. That's a really nice mix, with a fair amount of COIN games and Leader games. Very fun collection to play through. :)
Undaunted Normandy is on Steam and I'm happy to play some async with you! :) Definitely suggest Combat Commander as well. We could even play a live game on VASSAL if you want. :) And Almoravid is my suggestion for the non-WWII game!
What? Undaunted Normandy on Steam? Did I forget that, or just not know it? That's cool. Let's play some async for sure. And I'd be up for Combat Commander once my life settles a bit and I get a handful of playthrough videos up on the channel. Sounds like a plan!
I don’t really have a shelf of shame, I do have a few games I’ve usually played way more than other games. Also I don’t have that many games compared to other people. I never was much of a collector or a hoarder 😊 Like yourself I stop playing boardgames for many years. I stop in the mid 90’s when computer games started to become more and more available. It just got so much easier to play war games on PC. But about 2017 I started getting a bit annoyed with the way computer games companies began acting. The constant DLC, games with lots of issues, the rush for just constant demand for money. Also this idea now that even if I downloaded a game, paid for it I actually don’t own it according to them. This started to make me dust off my old boardgames and return to them.
Thanks for sharing, Patrick, and sorry it took me a while to reply. I kind of lost containment on life for a bit. I still really enjoy computer games, but I also really enjoy the tactile nature of boardgames. There is something that just sucks me in when I see all the counters on a real map on the table. I think the big thing is that we find joy in these hobbies, and I'm glad that you are enjoying boardgames so much. :)
The one playthrough I look forward to is Almoravid. Really enjoyed the Nevsky playthrough. I have a very small wargame collection and currently only have one game unplayed and that Liberty or Death.
At first I was like you can stop at Fire in the Lake, you don't need to play anything else. But then I saw you had Paths of Glory and Empire of the Sun on your list as well .. 3 need-to-play-games for you then!
Absolutely! I'm excited to get started with A Most Fearful Sacrifice, just waiting for the updated charts and rules to show up. Delayed three times by FedEx, now showing up tomorrow I hope. :)
Played out like an isolated squad in a sleepy village on the opening day of the Bulge. This is an exciting game series. You get attached to your squad members. You cheer when the enemy gun jams and cuss when your guy's gun jams at the exact worse time ruining your plans. I look forward to game 4.
Love this idea, and the video! I was going to offer you the idea of thinking of it as a "Shelf of Opportunity" but you beat me to it. :) By switching how I thought about it, we got 40ish games from that shelf played in 2023. I have to go through my games to see what still needs to be played, but the main one is Normandy: The Beginning of the End with the solo Alone in the Storm expansion kit. I think this came in via Kickstarter back in 2018, and I STILL haven't gotten it to the table. It's daunting learning two sets of rules for one game, and there are more counters than I can manage. I'm a big fan of Robert Phaneuf's designs, so I'm happy to see one of his "Air Force" games coming this month!Two of his games made my 2023 Top 20 list: Save South Vietnam at #6 and 8th AF at #13. (Your video series on SSV helped me get that to the table first, so cheers for that.)
Glad to see others liking Fortress Games' games! Bob Phaneuf's games are great fun, and I'm very much looking forward to exploring 20th Air Force and 8th Air Force. I'm going to do a vote for which one gets the playthrough on the channel. I can't wait to get started. :) I'm not familiar with the Normandy games you're referring to, but they sound intriguing. Thanks for sharing!
I had been away from board wargaming for about 30 years as well and after my divorce I didn't jump in with both feet but cannonballed in. So I'll join along and here are my 10 games, in no particular order, to play this year: Navajo Wars, Combat!, A Most Fearful Sacrifice, Salerno '43, Fields of Fire 2, D-Day at Omaha Beach, B-17 Leader, Nevsky (have 2 more of the series but this one is on Rally the Troops), US Civil War, and one from my Great Campaigns of the American Civil War, of which I have most of them. Good luck to both of us and this is a great challenge!
My shelf of shame: African Campaign, Imperial Tide, Cruel Necessity, Global War (White Dog Games), Gorbachev, Drive on Suez, Manstein’s War, Moscow 41(World at War Magazine game), Desert War One, Lone Sherman
I’ll start with Gorbachev. It’s a States of Siege game about the break up of the USSR. Almost done reading the rules. Small footprint and solitaire and plays in an hour or so. Came out in 2016, but I got it in Spring of 2023.
Hi Mike. I think the shelf challenge is great. I've been playing wargames now for about as long as you've been back in the hobby. Precisely because you want to catch up a lot, the pile of unplayed games grows faster than you can play them. The games often have extensive rules, which is why you can't work through them as easily as many Euros. So there's no reason for me to judge myself. And that's why I'm happy to enter the challenge. My 10 games are: - Empire of the sun - Enemy Action Ardennes - Votes for women (Solo) -> Kickstarter incoming - Undaunted Stalingrad - Pendragon or Liberty or death - Paths of glory - Soviet Dawn - Root - John Company 2nd Edition - The march of progress About your selection. There are some great titles and as you can see we have some overlap. Pax Pamir is a great choice. Completely different solo than against real opponents. I love both versions. I also only know Undaunted against one player. Very good game. I ordered the Reinforcements expansion to play Normandy solo. And Fire in the Lake is a real burner. You will enjoy it.
My apologies for the slow reply. :) This is a great list. John Company almost made mine but I went with Pax Pamir instead, and we've got a lot of overlap. I look forward to hearing about how this goes. Do you have an idea which one you will start first?
@@ZillaBlitz I already started with Soviet Dawn. Short rules, fast setup. I had 2 plays so far, but I have to get a lot better ;). At the same time, I started to study the rules of the Bronze Medal winner from the Bulge Off. Enemy Action Ardennes should be the next title. However, this is a lot more work than Soviet Dawn.
My shelf of shame: A Victory Lost Der Weltkrieg: Tannenberg Will try to play these this year!!! I recently just picked up Empire of the Sun and maybe by the time I get to it you will too! Looking forward to a potential gameplay series on that game on your channel! Cheers
A nice achievable list! Empire of the Sun would be a lot of fun to create content for, but I'd want to know how to play fairly smoothly before doing so. But not an unrealistic goal, I think. It'd be fun to make a video covering a full game. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Familiarity with the system will be crucial for a solid playthrough, no doubt. I’m going to start with the South Pacific scenario first! I don’t think I should be playing the full campaign for another year or so. But certainly will get to a suitable level of comfort with the ruleset by playing the introductory scenario. Regardless, hope you have fun with whatever you wind up playing this year 👍
I'm not sure what my 10 games will be, but I'm going to pick 3 games to play at least 10 times each, 5 games to play at least 5 times each, and then 2 games to play at least once. In the 5 or 10 plays, different scenarios count for me, so the objective is to play fewer games more deeply. If I do that, I'll end up having 57 plays this year, which would be a lot for me. Also, smaller games count, so these won't be monsters.
This sounds like a marvelous twist to the idea. I like it! Thanks for posting it. I've been thinking about what constitutes "played" for me, but it's sometimes foggy. Your idea could bring some clarity to the idea. *thinking*
First, I would like to say that I enjoy The Players Aid, but I enjoy your channel much more. As to the Shelf of Shame (Opportunity), my list may be a bit different. When I stopped gaming many years ago, I put my games in storage. So when I restarted gaming a few years ago, I sold (shout out to Noble Knight) most of the collection to help fund my new purchases. I kept a few games that held fond memories and a few that I had not played. Thus, the first three on my list are old Strategy and Tactics magazine games. The Desert Fox; The Tigers Are Burning; Kanev - Parachutes Across the Dnepr; The Last Hundred Yards Airborne; and Operation Jubilee (Dieppe). Not an ambitious list, but even though I am retired, there doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything I want. I look forward to watching you go through your list. My votes are in.
Agree. Also retired. Three generations in the house eight of us. So yeah family takes up a lot of time. Grand kid number three is coming but daughter and some law want to get out in their own. Best of luck cuz California is a crap place for a young Couple to try to find a place to live and be affordable.
I think it will be The Last Hundred Yards. One of the first games I bought in my restart. Plus I want to try a variety of tactical systems before expanding.
In places this is a little vague, but here is my list, I hope to refine it with time. In no particular order ... A Victory Awaits - full campaign game Dark Valley - full war scenario A game from the Library of Napoleonic Games - prob', initially a small scenario from Nap' Invades* A GBACW game - a small battle from Death Valley* A Great Battle of History - again a small battle prob' from Alexander* Unconditional Surrender The U.S. Civil War North Africa '41 No peace without Spain Downfall *I hope that these will lead to playing further scenarios in the series So a mix of shorter games and bigger commitments. Being retired, in theory I have the time, but I am also heavily into miniatures gaming and painting! So we'll see.
Nice list! Let's do this! And yeah, I'd think that miniatures would be a fun way to spend hours and hours as well. Time to figure out how to clone ourselves.
I'm trying to do something similar and play a new game every week. Many aren't as heavy as the ones you listed but I do have a fair number that you included in your list. Some of the absolute classics that I just got last year or the year before and haven't played include: Ambush, Patton, and Carrier. Yes I missed out when they were released, but I did buy B-17 Queen of the Skies for $9 brand new back in the day. Paths of Glory is a great game and now you can use Stuka Joe's solitaire system with it. It will take a while to setup and play but well worth it. I have but have not played the others in the series. If I picked 10 for the year it would probably be (In no order): - B-17 Queen of the Skies: 10 missions in of a full campaign started in 2018 - Nemo’s War - Imperial Tide - Western Front Ace - 8th Air Force - Escape from Stalingrad Z (need to paint minis) - Expeditions - Resist! - Great Western Trail - Warfighter WW2 At this point I may have 600-700 unplayed games. Real life was so busy that many times games would come in and I would look at them then put them on the shelf with the intention of getting back and playing. Now that my son has graduated from college I have time to play and have started pulling them off the shelf. Usually I try to play the same game about 5 or 6 times to really learn it, if I like it. That way when I go back to it later I just need a quick refresher.
That sounds like an impressive collection, and I like the 10 you selected. Resist! is such a fun game, and I was tempted to put Nemo's War on my list. That's awesome that you have time to play the games now too. :)
Interesting concept which should get People on board. RAF is probably my favourite game, print the Stuka joe cards from BGG, a great help. Love the Undaunted series NA was my first, but really enjoy Stalingrad. Pendragon for me in the coin games. Empire of the sun is a game I need to play more of and really enjoy the Panzer series, just waiting for North Africa which is yet another set back for MBT. Many thanks.
So much love for RAF in here, it's inspiring! I'm really excited for that one now. I'm generally the last person to get their GMT order shipped, so I probably won't see Panzer North Africa for a month or so. :)
In the USA the school year closes in February? Really? Here in Italy the school year goes on until mid June... And it starts in September... When do school starts, instead, in the USA?
Ours is the same here, ends in June, but our first half of the year ends ... now. January is often busier for me because we're both ending one semester and starting a new one at the same time. :)
This is pathetic and funny. I had a couple of ebay tabs open because I couldn't decide between Ardennes 44 and Deadly Woods. Deadly woods eventually won but I was in a hurry so I clicked on the tab, clicked 'but now', went through the process quickly, then realised too late that I just bought Ardennes accidentally. What to do? I bought both. But Ardennes is too big for my table so it's been on the shelf for over a year....😅 Pathetic.
Ha! That's funny about the buying of accidentally buying 2 games, but they are two great choices! :) I hope you can get Ardennes on a table at some point! :)
I don’t really have any Napoleonics on my shelves. :) But EYLAU has just arrived from Sound of Drums. I’ll be doing a First Look of that one soon and hope to play it in the very near future.
@@ZillaBlitz I hope thats a screen saver LOL...Love your channel and my shelf of shame is any game with half inch counters.....Compass Games spoiled me with large counter now I only play those....
I really try not to miss an episode. I love Fire in the Lake. I have the 1st edition. Its the only coin game I have. I like the system and I learned a lot about Vietnam from the cards. Paths of Glory is another great game. Ted Raicer came to a club I used to belong to and he signed my manual. But I loved the game before I met him. Great guy, I liked it better than 1914 AH. Speaking of Shelf of Shame I am have the erge to dig out the 1966 Guadalcanal AH.
I'm glad that Paths of Glory is winning its vote, I'm excited to play that and will likely use the CDG system for a solo playthrough. :) And 1966 Guadalcanal is going way back in time! Wow! I forgot about that one. :)
I remember when I was just starting out and picked RAF, I thought, wow, this would be a fun game to make a video for, but also super challenging to get right. I'd love to take a look at the game again with that in mind. I do want to play the games I've committed to creating content for first, and then I can explore other games. :) And thanks!
Zilla. If you are interested, when you learn combat commander I’d help you learn over vassal. I’ve played well over 200 games so I have a decent grasp on it.
Oh, nice! That sounds like fun. I know there is a learning session this Saturday at SD Hist Con, so I might try to catch that if I'm open at that time. :)
I don't want to talk about my shelf of shame; we have at least 10 games still currently in shrink wrap, but we're trying to get more plays out of some recent acquisitions before trying to dive into more (that's often easier said than done). Trying our best to get at least 5 plays out of each before moving on to something new.
That's a great strategy, yes. I think I'm aiming for something similar, at least in terms of how I define what "played" is. Like, with D-Day at Omaha beach, I've played it several times, but the first couple were the learning scenario, and I don't feel like I'm really "playing" the game yet. I also want to play the full day scenario, which I've not done yet. So I think for me each game will have slightly different criteria for counting as "played". :)
Nice! It'd be fun to do some of these at the same time. My updated rules for A Most Fearful Sacrifice should arrive tomorrow, so I hope to be off and running soon. :)
Thanks for the kind gesture, much appreciated! I'm feeling pretty good with it so far, at least based on the time I spent with the main Panzer game. But I'll definitely reach out if/when I get stuck. Thanks!
First of all, I love you idea of called it shelf of opportunity, I happy to have those games which wait a bit of my time to have fun with me. I dont have so much war game but just enough to join you maybe with some game I play a bit but not enough I have few game that collide with yours, so my list is D-Day at omaha beach or Tarawa (only played omaha 3 times) Pax Pamir (never played in solo) Undaunted Votes for women Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars Halls of Hegra Hands in the sea The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats, 1943-45 (sill searching for the hunters) Lanzerath Ridge Twilight Struggle Bonus: Talon
Sorry for the slow reply, but nice list! Which game are you playing first? :) And I really can't lay claim to the idea of Shelf of Opportunity. I think I heard it from Scott Mansfield, and I bet he got it from someone else. :)
My shelf has... Ambush! (bought it in the 80s. Too hard, never played it) Atlantic Chase Labyrinth: The War on Terror Liberty or Death Halls of Hegra (Hope it arrives this month) Plus, after watching your Shelf videos, I'll be adding some of those to my collection as well.
I had Atlantic Chase as my January game, but Hegemony came in so I was playing it instead. I'll be learning Atlantic Chase until Halls of Hegra gets here.
Oh well, you asked to be held accountable... Unless I missed it, we never got a final tally for the "video a day" to end last year. I don't think you made it--but if you HAD, you WOULD have gotten the 100K views, by dint of having those extra vids. ;-p (I think you did well, though--they used to tell us at work to set goals you can't attain and try to reach them...) Woulda said this challenge is easy, BUT, you had to go and qualify it by wanting to 'learn' the game. Setting them up, reading the rules, playing what you call a learning game--think that should happen for all of them. BUT, an extra play-through or two as needed on a particular one is what will sink ya. ;-( I'll commit to playing one of the games I have that seems to fit the theme--but none if it's something I've not got at all. So Civil War I have two choices, but Vietnam, zero.
I ended up with slightly over 60 videos instead of 100, which was in many ways a fail. But, to my defense I was finding that by pushing myself to publish one video each day I was defaulting to the easiest videos to make, rather than the most important video to make. So I shifted some and just tried to focus on making videos for 2 hours/day at a minimum. That worked pretty well for the most part and is kind of what I'm trying to do now. I find I can make about .75 of a video per day if things are going okay. That's great that you're thinking to join along by theme. Which of your 2 Civil War games are you thinking to play?
@@ZillaBlitz Well, I have Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, and I played Gettysburg last year along with one of your vids. So Chancellorsville it is! Good to adapt your plan rather than slavishly adhering to it! Keep tweaking as necessary...
First: I think 97K is a great number!! Second: I love your channel. I wasn't really into wargames at all before. Now I'm hooked. I'm pretty sure eight of my last ten purchases have been wargames. Third: Like a few of your selections, some of mine are games I've busted out but haven't really figured them out to my satisfaction. I currently have Empire of the Sun on one of my game tables. I'm having a bear of a time getting through it, but I'm pretty determined. When my eyes get too blurry for EotS, I switch to my second table where I have Sherman Leader laid out. That game is FUN. I've had it a while but never got to too deep into it until now. A few of my remaining eight games are in your selections. Undaunted: Normandy, Enemy Action Ardennes, (Had it out and put it away, but know I'm going to love it when I get the rules down), Halls of Hegra, Nato - The Cold War gets Hot, Company of Heroes. Also, a borderline wargame that i have to break back out now that I have the expansions is This War of Mine. Lastly, and the one I want to play when you do is RAF. I've played it before but never got very far. I'm counting on you to help me out. So, I'm getting an early start with EotS - and can't wait to see when you are playing what.
Thanks for the kind words and it sounds like we have a lot of crossover in our collections. I look forward to comparing notes when we get things to the table at the same time. If you are free on Saturday, Mark Herman is leading a teaching session on Empire of the Sun as part of SD Hist Con, the online conference I mention in the beginning of the video. There are 20-ish or so tickets left I think. :)
It's a gift certificate giveaway that's part of our sponsorship arrangement with Noble Knight Games. I explain more in the Upcoming Wargames episodes, like this one: ua-cam.com/video/en5IB6dY3yI/v-deo.html
At one point I had over 200 games on my shelf, all shameworthy. I donated them to a sailor on an aircraft carrier during the gulf war. Since then I only have games I play regularly. I get a game because I'm interested or curious, I get several games a year, but I have only 5 (except Pub Battles). They currently are: Pax Pamir The Battle of Five Armies. Heart of Darkness John Company Heart of Darkness I keep because I want to fix it. John Company needs at least 4 players to be fun, but I love it. Pax Pamir IS the best solo game! It is also fun v another human. If you're ever feeling human, I'd be happy to throw down any time you can visit.
Yes, very nice to donate those games! And a 5-game collection is a great way to keep your wife happy. I'd love to try Pax Pamir 2-player, you could teach me. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Pax Pamir has really amazing components. The tiles are very heavy, like stone, and the board is a rug. It is very cool. Oh, and the metal coins are great. The economic aspect is very integral. It is a very elegant game.
@@ZillaBlitz it is similar to Pub Battles in that it is not that complex, but it is very different. I am learning to play GO right now. Same thing. One page rules that take a lifetime to master. I think the Wakan rules for solo play make for a challenging game. I wonder if a similar vehicle would work for other games.
Thanks! It looks like Holland '44 is off to a quick lead in the 194x vote. If that holds up, that'll be the one. :) I almost look at this as a sort of side quest to the year, not the main quest. I have lots of other games that I know I'll play if all goes according to plan. :)
Sadly, Enemy Action Ardennes is on my shelf of shame. I love both RAF and Combat. I think you will like them too, based on games you have given positive reviews.@@ZillaBlitz
Did not realize I was no longer subscribed so I resubscribed😅. Someone posted something abou: ok you played those games, but how long ago? a year ago? 5. 10. last century? so my list of 10 has some games on it that I haven't touched since last century as well as new games that have not gone to the table yet. Also games expecting to get this year. 1 & 2. Antietam (on table) & Gettysburg from Worthington. 3-5: Compass: Dog Boats, Storm of Steel, and Atlantic Sentinels. 6. OSG: La Patrie en Danger-Briene scenario. 7. GMT: North Africa '41 8. MMP: Storm Over Jerusalem Not Played since last century: 9. GDW: White Death. 10. Wargammer Mag.:Port Stanley-Falklands. (Rule book font is SMALL!!) On table, prepping. I also need to do 5 large miniatures battles. 100 figures minimum, minimum 50/side. I also want to play all three Air Assault games from Avalon Hill: Crete, Malta and Cyprus(Cyprus-never played). And with that Malta Besieged, Worthington, which I've played twice last year. Plus build n paint about 450 miniatures, 15 & 28 mm figures. Done 121 in January for a paint challenge. Maybe try n read and finish a few books too. And lots of grandpa duties.
Warning on 'A most Fearful Sacrifice'. It uses 'demibrigades' which is a French division level unit used in midieval times. There were no 'demibrigades' in the Civil War.
I too was away for some years from Gaming. I played a number of Avalon Hill games in my time. In the past 2 years I spent a small fortune adding newer games to my collection of games to play including a number of Men of Iron series, Next War series, GBOH and GBACW series and one game I am looking forward to playing very soon is Enemy Action Kharkov. I have Ardennes 44 4th edition on P500 but it may take some time for it to come out and I am getting impatient. I am strongly leaning on getting either Arracourt or PLS as the system seems very popular and I do not want to spend a fortune on out of print games so expensive which is often the case with MMP titles as they do not reprint games in any fast period of time. Look forward to your videos.
It sounds like we've had similar paths back to wargaming! I've heard great things about Arracourt as a starting point with MMP's BCS, too. And yeah, out-of-print games can be rough on the wallet, for sure! :)
I just picked up Combat! FYI, I see that Apocalypse War (Flying Pig) is available for order again. That's a great game that you should snatch up while you can!
Most of my un-played games are due to me buying a game without thoroughly researching it first. Multi-player games are a problem for me, and I guess they still take up shelf space because I like how the components look! Great theme for a video. Your channel just gets better and more sophisticated all the time. Great job!
I'm sorry it took so long to reply to this. I can definitely relate to multi-player games being challenging to get to the table, especially if they are longer ones that can't be wrapped up in 2-3 hours. Those almost seem like they need a conference setting to play: big table, lots of time. I'm glad you liked the video! :)
Working through AMFS also. Excited to see your play through hoping it fires me up. "Fire in the Lake" is a shelf queen at the moment joined by "Tank Duel", "Undaunted Battle of Britain" ( Normandy was played) and "Silent War 2.0" should be arriving in port any day and may sit there until I learn AMFS. You derailed me with "Saving South Vietnam", beat it after 4 tries (barely, is there any other way?) but it still is drawing me in darn you!
That's a fine collection of games to dig into! And I'm glad to hear that you like Save South Vietnam, that was such a surprise blast to play for me last year, so I'm always happy to hear when someone else enjoys it. :)
My Shelf of Shame (like my collection as a whole) isn’t as extensive as yours, but it does share several of the same games that you’ve listed (EAA, EotS, DDaOB, FotL). But of the ones you listed, the one I’m most pulling for you to finally play is RAF, which is definitely not on my Shelf of Shame list, as I’ve played the heck out of it over the past year. In fact I’m getting a little too good at it now and am going to bring in a house rule next time to up the challenge a bit again. Anyway, I’m ORDERING you to play that one … you can thank me later.
Sir, yes, sir! I'm so excited for RAF, and happy that I've committed to it. I've got such very high expectations based on so many people who have praised it. :)
Love all you videos. I'm going to join in with this. Vast majority of my c.60 games are unplayed, but later today I'll find time to select 5-10 of them to play this year. Thanks for the motivation!
My Top Ten Games not yet played - Nemesis - Mr President - Storm Above the Reich - Band of Heroes - Band of Brothers : Ghost Panzer - Mansions of Madness 2nd Ed - Shadows of Brimstone - John Carter Warlord of Mars - Up Front - Nemo’s War Of your list, Holland 44, RAF - The Battle of Britain & Target for Today (for obvious reasons) would be the top 3 I would like to see or hear your thoughts on.
Nice list! I was debating adding Storm above the Reich. Some great games in there. All the best in getting them to the table! Are you thinking to start with a particular one? I'm not sure how much video content I'll make for each of the games on my list, but I'll definitely at the very least be talking about them on the Channel Update. :)
@ZillaBlitz one that's not on the list. Skies Above Britain. Great game that I was learning when things happened. Really want to get into games deeper as you have indicated.
What games are on your Shelf of Shame Challenge? (Or similar 10-game challenge?) I'd love help/accountability in doing this!
Also, please vote in 3 of the games to go on my Shelf of Shame Challenge 2024:
ua-cam.com/channels/GstpG-VHx0de3pFKzR7Pxw.htmlcommunity
Note: I didn't realize until after I finished the video that You Tube polls limit to 4 choices, so I had to make hard choices to reduce each question down to 4 games.
Lastly, first Shelf of Shame game is A Most Fearful Sacrifice if you are thinking to play the same games. :)
Thanks!
I'm so busy with work that the only games I do, are watching others play them. So thank you for keeping my interest going.
I can relate to that at times as well. I hope you can find some time to play soon!
I have RAF on my table at this time. It is great! CC:E is AWESOME! I am looking at Target for Today.
Most excellent, good luck in your RAF campaign! There really are so many marvelous games out there now. It's such a great time in the hobby.
One thing that I think has helped me is to only to keep a game on my table for a week at a time. If I've stalled out or have become distracted, I clean it all up and then get a new game to the table. Otherwise I start feeling guilty that I set something up and it's sitting untouched and it actually kills my motivation more (oddly enough). But making sure I have that 7 day stop point if I'm not playing makes me more likely to keep old (and new) games circulating to the table. In terms of what to prioritize - Combat! from Compass games. Its probably my favorite solo WW2 game simply because of the scale (squad-based) - it's so good and I'm confident you're going to love it.
Even though Combat! isn't winning its vote, I hope to play that one this summer. I'm itching to give it a go. And that's a great idea about a week on the table. I probably can't do that because of promises to make video content, but I could definitely do it on my "second" table. I might give that a try. :)
The shelf of shame? I thought it existed only for the warhammer miniatures painters!!!
Ha! I have one for books too, and Steam games. :)
Another cool concept and one that could be used for alot of game genres.
We should do a Steam one for digital games. :)
Love this idea, and looking forward to seeing what content comes out from this. I could quite easily do something similar with my Steam PC games - so many on there that I've bought, excited to play but haven't got around to it!
I'd do a Steam PC Challenge with you!
Ten games that I wanted to play in 2023 but didn't get to, and will play on my channel in 2024: Wizard Kings, Mound Builders, In Magnificent Style, Volters Lead the Way, Crowbar: Rangers at Point du Hoc, Battle of Baton Rouge, Battle of St Louis, Attack on Cahokia, Battle of Pensacola, and Dawn of the Zeds.
Great list, Mike, and it looks like you've got Battle of Baton Rouge up and running already. I've subscribed to your channel, and look forward to watching as time allows. Nice work!
@@ZillaBlitz, thanks! I might also try to fit a Bulge game in this year! ... 😉
So, I had planned on playing all of my wargames on my Shelf of Shame by the end of the year. Here are the 13, in alphabetical order: British Way, Churchill, Colonial Twilight, Cuba Libre, Days of Ire, Gato Leader, Israeli Air Force Leader, Liberty or Death, Nights of Fire, Pericles, Tiger Leader, Twilight Struggle: Red Sea, Versailles 1919.
Great video, and good luck on your list!
Thanks! And good luck with your list as well. That's a really nice mix, with a fair amount of COIN games and Leader games. Very fun collection to play through. :)
Undaunted Normandy is on Steam and I'm happy to play some async with you! :) Definitely suggest Combat Commander as well. We could even play a live game on VASSAL if you want. :) And Almoravid is my suggestion for the non-WWII game!
What? Undaunted Normandy on Steam? Did I forget that, or just not know it? That's cool. Let's play some async for sure.
And I'd be up for Combat Commander once my life settles a bit and I get a handful of playthrough videos up on the channel. Sounds like a plan!
I don’t really have a shelf of shame, I do have a few games I’ve usually played way more than other games. Also I don’t have that many games compared to other people. I never was much of a collector or a hoarder 😊
Like yourself I stop playing boardgames for many years. I stop in the mid 90’s when computer games started to become more and more available. It just got so much easier to play war games on PC. But about 2017 I started getting a bit annoyed with the way computer games companies began acting. The constant DLC, games with lots of issues, the rush for just constant demand for money. Also this idea now that even if I downloaded a game, paid for it I actually don’t own it according to them. This started to make me dust off my old boardgames and return to them.
Thanks for sharing, Patrick, and sorry it took me a while to reply. I kind of lost containment on life for a bit. I still really enjoy computer games, but I also really enjoy the tactile nature of boardgames. There is something that just sucks me in when I see all the counters on a real map on the table. I think the big thing is that we find joy in these hobbies, and I'm glad that you are enjoying boardgames so much. :)
The one playthrough I look forward to is Almoravid. Really enjoyed the Nevsky playthrough. I have a very small wargame collection and currently only have one game unplayed and that Liberty or Death.
The key is that we find joy, it's not the size of the collection. And thanks on Nevsky. I hope to bring some more Levy & Campaign to the channel. :)
At first I was like you can stop at Fire in the Lake, you don't need to play anything else. But then I saw you had Paths of Glory and Empire of the Sun on your list as well .. 3 need-to-play-games for you then!
Absolutely! I'm excited to get started with A Most Fearful Sacrifice, just waiting for the updated charts and rules to show up. Delayed three times by FedEx, now showing up tomorrow I hope. :)
Played out like an isolated squad in a sleepy village on the opening day of the Bulge. This is an exciting game series. You get attached to your squad members. You cheer when the enemy gun jams and cuss when your guy's gun jams at the exact worse time ruining your plans. I look forward to game 4.
RAF does look like it's going to be a lot of fun. Much looking forward to it!
Love this idea, and the video! I was going to offer you the idea of thinking of it as a "Shelf of Opportunity" but you beat me to it. :) By switching how I thought about it, we got 40ish games from that shelf played in 2023. I have to go through my games to see what still needs to be played, but the main one is Normandy: The Beginning of the End with the solo Alone in the Storm expansion kit. I think this came in via Kickstarter back in 2018, and I STILL haven't gotten it to the table. It's daunting learning two sets of rules for one game, and there are more counters than I can manage.
I'm a big fan of Robert Phaneuf's designs, so I'm happy to see one of his "Air Force" games coming this month!Two of his games made my 2023 Top 20 list: Save South Vietnam at #6 and 8th AF at #13. (Your video series on SSV helped me get that to the table first, so cheers for that.)
Glad to see others liking Fortress Games' games! Bob Phaneuf's games are great fun, and I'm very much looking forward to exploring 20th Air Force and 8th Air Force. I'm going to do a vote for which one gets the playthrough on the channel. I can't wait to get started. :)
I'm not familiar with the Normandy games you're referring to, but they sound intriguing.
Thanks for sharing!
I had been away from board wargaming for about 30 years as well and after my divorce I didn't jump in with both feet but cannonballed in. So I'll join along and here are my 10 games, in no particular order, to play this year:
Navajo Wars, Combat!, A Most Fearful Sacrifice, Salerno '43, Fields of Fire 2, D-Day at Omaha Beach, B-17 Leader, Nevsky (have 2 more of the series but this one is on Rally the Troops), US Civil War, and one from my Great Campaigns of the American Civil War, of which I have most of them. Good luck to both of us and this is a great challenge!
Nice list, Mark! Those are some great games and we have a good bit of overlap here. Let's do this! Are you starting with A Most Fearful Sacrifice?
My shelf of shame:
African Campaign, Imperial Tide, Cruel Necessity, Global War (White Dog Games), Gorbachev, Drive on Suez, Manstein’s War, Moscow 41(World at War Magazine game), Desert War One, Lone Sherman
Excellent list! There are large number in there that I'm not familiar with. Is there one that you are thinking to start with?
I’ll start with Gorbachev. It’s a States of Siege game about the break up of the USSR. Almost done reading the rules. Small footprint and solitaire and plays in an hour or so. Came out in 2016, but I got it in Spring of 2023.
Hi Mike. I think the shelf challenge is great. I've been playing wargames now for about as long as you've been back in the hobby. Precisely because you want to catch up a lot, the pile of unplayed games grows faster than you can play them. The games often have extensive rules, which is why you can't work through them as easily as many Euros. So there's no reason for me to judge myself. And that's why I'm happy to enter the challenge. My 10 games are:
- Empire of the sun
- Enemy Action Ardennes
- Votes for women (Solo) -> Kickstarter incoming
- Undaunted Stalingrad
- Pendragon or Liberty or death
- Paths of glory
- Soviet Dawn
- Root
- John Company 2nd Edition
- The march of progress
About your selection. There are some great titles and as you can see we have some overlap. Pax Pamir is a great choice. Completely different solo than against real opponents. I love both versions. I also only know Undaunted against one player. Very good game. I ordered the Reinforcements expansion to play Normandy solo.
And Fire in the Lake is a real burner. You will enjoy it.
My apologies for the slow reply. :) This is a great list. John Company almost made mine but I went with Pax Pamir instead, and we've got a lot of overlap. I look forward to hearing about how this goes. Do you have an idea which one you will start first?
@@ZillaBlitz I already started with Soviet Dawn. Short rules, fast setup. I had 2 plays so far, but I have to get a lot better ;). At the same time, I started to study the rules of the Bronze Medal winner from the Bulge Off. Enemy Action Ardennes should be the next title. However, this is a lot more work than Soviet Dawn.
My shelf of shame:
A Victory Lost
Der Weltkrieg: Tannenberg
Will try to play these this year!!!
I recently just picked up Empire of the Sun and maybe by the time I get to it you will too! Looking forward to a potential gameplay series on that game on your channel!
Cheers
A nice achievable list!
Empire of the Sun would be a lot of fun to create content for, but I'd want to know how to play fairly smoothly before doing so. But not an unrealistic goal, I think. It'd be fun to make a video covering a full game. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Familiarity with the system will be crucial for a solid playthrough, no doubt.
I’m going to start with the South Pacific scenario first! I don’t think I should be playing the full campaign for another year or so. But certainly will get to a suitable level of comfort with the ruleset by playing the introductory scenario.
Regardless, hope you have fun with whatever you wind up playing this year 👍
I'm not sure what my 10 games will be, but I'm going to pick 3 games to play at least 10 times each, 5 games to play at least 5 times each, and then 2 games to play at least once. In the 5 or 10 plays, different scenarios count for me, so the objective is to play fewer games more deeply. If I do that, I'll end up having 57 plays this year, which would be a lot for me. Also, smaller games count, so these won't be monsters.
I think this is a great idea. I may have to change up what I was thinking of doing.
This sounds like a marvelous twist to the idea. I like it! Thanks for posting it. I've been thinking about what constitutes "played" for me, but it's sometimes foggy. Your idea could bring some clarity to the idea. *thinking*
You should play Normandy ‘44 or Holland ‘44 to coincide with their 80th anniversaries later this year.
Good idea! And Holland '44 is leading the pack at the moment, so yeah, that's looking like a plan for at least that one. :)
Holland 44 was the first 194x game I played. Just waiting on the France 40 reprint to have them all.
First, I would like to say that I enjoy The Players Aid, but I enjoy your channel much more. As to the Shelf of Shame (Opportunity), my list may be a bit different. When I stopped gaming many years ago, I put my games in storage. So when I restarted gaming a few years ago, I sold (shout out to Noble Knight) most of the collection to help fund my new purchases. I kept a few games that held fond memories and a few that I had not played. Thus, the first three on my list are old Strategy and Tactics magazine games. The Desert Fox; The Tigers Are Burning; Kanev - Parachutes Across the Dnepr; The Last Hundred Yards Airborne; and Operation Jubilee (Dieppe). Not an ambitious list, but even though I am retired, there doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything I want. I look forward to watching you go through your list. My votes are in.
Agree. Also retired. Three generations in the house eight of us. So yeah family takes up a lot of time. Grand kid number three is coming but daughter and some law want to get out in their own. Best of luck cuz California is a crap place for a young Couple to try to find a place to live and be affordable.
That's a great list Theodore and thanks for the kind words! Which game will you start with?
I think it will be The Last Hundred Yards. One of the first games I bought in my restart. Plus I want to try a variety of tactical systems before expanding.
Just finished my 35th campaign game of RAF Eagle (German solo). My record is 25 wins and 10 losses. If you need any tips, just let me know!
Wow! That’s impressive indeed. Absolutely, you can tell me all the things I’m doing wrong if I ever make a video on it. :)
Send some of those tips my way. I love that game and have no luck at all with it.
We'll have to all compare notes. :)
In places this is a little vague, but here is my list, I hope to refine it with time. In no particular order ...
A Victory Awaits - full campaign game
Dark Valley - full war scenario
A game from the Library of Napoleonic Games - prob', initially a small scenario from Nap' Invades*
A GBACW game - a small battle from Death Valley*
A Great Battle of History - again a small battle prob' from Alexander*
Unconditional Surrender
The U.S. Civil War
North Africa '41
No peace without Spain
Downfall
*I hope that these will lead to playing further scenarios in the series
So a mix of shorter games and bigger commitments. Being retired, in theory I have the time, but I am also heavily into miniatures gaming and painting! So we'll see.
Nice list! Let's do this! And yeah, I'd think that miniatures would be a fun way to spend hours and hours as well. Time to figure out how to clone ourselves.
I'm trying to do something similar and play a new game every week. Many aren't as heavy as the ones you listed but I do have a fair number that you included in your list. Some of the absolute classics that I just got last year or the year before and haven't played include: Ambush, Patton, and Carrier. Yes I missed out when they were released, but I did buy B-17 Queen of the Skies for $9 brand new back in the day.
Paths of Glory is a great game and now you can use Stuka Joe's solitaire system with it. It will take a while to setup and play but well worth it. I have but have not played the others in the series.
If I picked 10 for the year it would probably be (In no order):
- B-17 Queen of the Skies: 10 missions in of a full campaign started in 2018
- Nemo’s War
- Imperial Tide
- Western Front Ace
- 8th Air Force
- Escape from Stalingrad Z (need to paint minis)
- Expeditions
- Resist!
- Great Western Trail
- Warfighter WW2
At this point I may have 600-700 unplayed games. Real life was so busy that many times games would come in and I would look at them then put them on the shelf with the intention of getting back and playing. Now that my son has graduated from college I have time to play and have started pulling them off the shelf. Usually I try to play the same game about 5 or 6 times to really learn it, if I like it. That way when I go back to it later I just need a quick refresher.
That sounds like an impressive collection, and I like the 10 you selected. Resist! is such a fun game, and I was tempted to put Nemo's War on my list. That's awesome that you have time to play the games now too. :)
Interesting concept which should get People on board. RAF is probably my favourite game, print the Stuka joe cards from BGG, a great help. Love the Undaunted series NA was my first, but really enjoy Stalingrad. Pendragon for me in the coin games. Empire of the sun is a game I need to play more of and really enjoy the Panzer series, just waiting for North Africa which is yet another set back for MBT. Many thanks.
So much love for RAF in here, it's inspiring! I'm really excited for that one now. I'm generally the last person to get their GMT order shipped, so I probably won't see Panzer North Africa for a month or so. :)
In the USA the school year closes in February? Really? Here in Italy the school year goes on until mid June... And it starts in September... When do school starts, instead, in the USA?
Ours is the same here, ends in June, but our first half of the year ends ... now. January is often busier for me because we're both ending one semester and starting a new one at the same time. :)
This is pathetic and funny. I had a couple of ebay tabs open because I couldn't decide between Ardennes 44 and Deadly Woods. Deadly woods eventually won but I was in a hurry so I clicked on the tab, clicked 'but now', went through the process quickly, then realised too late that I just bought Ardennes accidentally. What to do? I bought both.
But Ardennes is too big for my table so it's been on the shelf for over a year....😅
Pathetic.
Ha! That's funny about the buying of accidentally buying 2 games, but they are two great choices! :) I hope you can get Ardennes on a table at some point! :)
Still no Napoleonics?
Hill of Doves and Almoravid look the business, play both and drop a WW2 game no one will notice...🙃
I don’t really have any Napoleonics on my shelves. :) But EYLAU has just arrived from Sound of Drums. I’ll be doing a First Look of that one soon and hope to play it in the very near future.
Your pool is nicer than mine!!...Man 'Zilla you must have lots of pool parties, there must be fifty chairs outside!
Haha! This is the tropical resort in my head. :)
@@ZillaBlitz I hope thats a screen saver LOL...Love your channel and my shelf of shame is any game with half inch counters.....Compass Games spoiled me with large counter now I only play those....
Haha! Time to get out the counter stretchers! They work great. ;)
I really try not to miss an episode. I love Fire in the Lake. I have the 1st edition. Its the only coin game I have. I like the system and I learned a lot about Vietnam from the cards. Paths of Glory is another great game. Ted Raicer came to a club I used to belong to and he signed my manual. But I loved the game before I met him. Great guy, I liked it better than 1914 AH. Speaking of Shelf of Shame I am have the erge to dig out the 1966 Guadalcanal AH.
I'm glad that Paths of Glory is winning its vote, I'm excited to play that and will likely use the CDG system for a solo playthrough. :) And 1966 Guadalcanal is going way back in time! Wow! I forgot about that one. :)
Really hoping you can make some content for RAF - I was thinking about that game recently! Great video, kutgw!
I remember when I was just starting out and picked RAF, I thought, wow, this would be a fun game to make a video for, but also super challenging to get right. I'd love to take a look at the game again with that in mind. I do want to play the games I've committed to creating content for first, and then I can explore other games. :) And thanks!
Zilla. If you are interested, when you learn combat commander I’d help you learn over vassal. I’ve played well over 200 games so I have a decent grasp on it.
Oh, nice! That sounds like fun. I know there is a learning session this Saturday at SD Hist Con, so I might try to catch that if I'm open at that time. :)
I don't want to talk about my shelf of shame; we have at least 10 games still currently in shrink wrap, but we're trying to get more plays out of some recent acquisitions before trying to dive into more (that's often easier said than done). Trying our best to get at least 5 plays out of each before moving on to something new.
That's a great strategy, yes. I think I'm aiming for something similar, at least in terms of how I define what "played" is. Like, with D-Day at Omaha beach, I've played it several times, but the first couple were the learning scenario, and I don't feel like I'm really "playing" the game yet. I also want to play the full day scenario, which I've not done yet. So I think for me each game will have slightly different criteria for counting as "played". :)
My SoS/SoO list contains several of the ones you discussed, so looking forward to seeing them make it to your table so mine can 'follow along'.
Nice! It'd be fun to do some of these at the same time. My updated rules for A Most Fearful Sacrifice should arrive tomorrow, so I hope to be off and running soon. :)
If you need some help with Panzer North Africa, just ask.
Thanks for the kind gesture, much appreciated! I'm feeling pretty good with it so far, at least based on the time I spent with the main Panzer game. But I'll definitely reach out if/when I get stuck. Thanks!
Don't feel so bad, I have maybe 80 games and I think I've played maybe 20.
Something to look forward to, for sure!
With the possible exception of Empire of the Sun....THAT looks like a good game....Sorry I can't patronize you my property taxes are $5k a year...!!
No worries at all sir, by all means pay your taxes! :) Empire of the Sun is supposed to be glorious. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Property taxes are Un-American!...homeowners are getting double taxed. Federal and Property taxes...Can I get a Tea Party!!!
First of all, I love you idea of called it shelf of opportunity, I happy to have those games which wait a bit of my time to have fun with me.
I dont have so much war game but just enough to join you maybe with some game I play a bit but not enough
I have few game that collide with yours, so my list is
D-Day at omaha beach or Tarawa (only played omaha 3 times)
Pax Pamir (never played in solo)
Undaunted
Votes for women
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars
Halls of Hegra
Hands in the sea
The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats, 1943-45 (sill searching for the hunters)
Lanzerath Ridge
Twilight Struggle
Bonus: Talon
Sorry for the slow reply, but nice list! Which game are you playing first? :)
And I really can't lay claim to the idea of Shelf of Opportunity. I think I heard it from Scott Mansfield, and I bet he got it from someone else. :)
@@ZillaBlitz I just had a first minor victory whith Lanzerath Ridge, also thanks to your video series
My shelf has...
Ambush! (bought it in the 80s. Too hard, never played it)
Atlantic Chase
Labyrinth: The War on Terror
Liberty or Death
Halls of Hegra (Hope it arrives this month)
Plus, after watching your Shelf videos, I'll be adding some of those to my collection as well.
That's a great list, indeed! I almost put Atlantic Chase on mine, too. Do you have an idea which one you might start with?
I had Atlantic Chase as my January game, but Hegemony came in so I was playing it instead. I'll be learning Atlantic Chase until Halls of Hegra gets here.
An excellent plan! I'd be curious to hear how you like Atlantic Chase.
Oh well, you asked to be held accountable...
Unless I missed it, we never got a final tally for the "video a day" to end last year. I don't think you made it--but if you HAD, you WOULD have gotten the 100K views, by dint of having those extra vids. ;-p (I think you did well, though--they used to tell us at work to set goals you can't attain and try to reach them...)
Woulda said this challenge is easy, BUT, you had to go and qualify it by wanting to 'learn' the game. Setting them up, reading the rules, playing what you call a learning game--think that should happen for all of them. BUT, an extra play-through or two as needed on a particular one is what will sink ya. ;-(
I'll commit to playing one of the games I have that seems to fit the theme--but none if it's something I've not got at all. So Civil War I have two choices, but Vietnam, zero.
I ended up with slightly over 60 videos instead of 100, which was in many ways a fail. But, to my defense I was finding that by pushing myself to publish one video each day I was defaulting to the easiest videos to make, rather than the most important video to make. So I shifted some and just tried to focus on making videos for 2 hours/day at a minimum. That worked pretty well for the most part and is kind of what I'm trying to do now. I find I can make about .75 of a video per day if things are going okay.
That's great that you're thinking to join along by theme. Which of your 2 Civil War games are you thinking to play?
@@ZillaBlitz Well, I have Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, and I played Gettysburg last year along with one of your vids. So Chancellorsville it is!
Good to adapt your plan rather than slavishly adhering to it! Keep tweaking as necessary...
Sounds good on Chancellorsville!
First: I think 97K is a great number!! Second: I love your channel. I wasn't really into wargames at all before. Now I'm hooked. I'm pretty sure eight of my last ten purchases have been wargames. Third: Like a few of your selections, some of mine are games I've busted out but haven't really figured them out to my satisfaction.
I currently have Empire of the Sun on one of my game tables. I'm having a bear of a time getting through it, but I'm pretty determined. When my eyes get too blurry for EotS, I switch to my second table where I have Sherman Leader laid out. That game is FUN. I've had it a while but never got to too deep into it until now. A few of my remaining eight games are in your selections. Undaunted: Normandy, Enemy Action Ardennes, (Had it out and put it away, but know I'm going to love it when I get the rules down), Halls of Hegra, Nato - The Cold War gets Hot, Company of Heroes. Also, a borderline wargame that i have to break back out now that I have the expansions is This War of Mine. Lastly, and the one I want to play when you do is RAF. I've played it before but never got very far. I'm counting on you to help me out. So, I'm getting an early start with EotS - and can't wait to see when you are playing what.
Thanks for the kind words and it sounds like we have a lot of crossover in our collections. I look forward to comparing notes when we get things to the table at the same time. If you are free on Saturday, Mark Herman is leading a teaching session on Empire of the Sun as part of SD Hist Con, the online conference I mention in the beginning of the video. There are 20-ish or so tickets left I think. :)
@@ZillaBlitz I'm signed up for this one. I'm stuck on a few of the rules.
Great! See you there. :) @@dizpatcher01
What is the 50 dollars worth "knight certificate" that you speak about in your video, Zilla Blitz?
It's a gift certificate giveaway that's part of our sponsorship arrangement with Noble Knight Games. I explain more in the Upcoming Wargames episodes, like this one:
ua-cam.com/video/en5IB6dY3yI/v-deo.html
@@ZillaBlitz Should I participate too, even if I live in Europe (Italy)?
Yes, Noble Knight ships internationally, so I would recommend it. :)
At one point I had over 200 games on my shelf, all shameworthy. I donated them to a sailor on an aircraft carrier during the gulf war.
Since then I only have games I play regularly. I get a game because I'm interested or curious, I get several games a year, but I have only 5 (except Pub Battles).
They currently are:
Pax Pamir
The Battle of Five Armies.
Heart of Darkness
John Company
Heart of Darkness I keep because I want to fix it. John Company needs at least 4 players to be fun, but I love it.
Pax Pamir IS the best solo game! It is also fun v another human. If you're ever feeling human, I'd be happy to throw down any time you can visit.
Kudos to you for donating those games to a sailor! I bet they got a decent work out on that carrier!
Yes, very nice to donate those games! And a 5-game collection is a great way to keep your wife happy. I'd love to try Pax Pamir 2-player, you could teach me. :)
@@ZillaBlitz Pax Pamir has really amazing components. The tiles are very heavy, like stone, and the board is a rug. It is very cool.
Oh, and the metal coins are great. The economic aspect is very integral. It is a very elegant game.
@@ZillaBlitz it is similar to Pub Battles in that it is not that complex, but it is very different. I am learning to play GO right now. Same thing. One page rules that take a lifetime to master.
I think the Wakan rules for solo play make for a challenging game. I wonder if a similar vehicle would work for other games.
Looks like a fun challenge. I need to pull out on of the 194x series and give it a try.
Thanks! It looks like Holland '44 is off to a quick lead in the 194x vote. If that holds up, that'll be the one. :) I almost look at this as a sort of side quest to the year, not the main quest. I have lots of other games that I know I'll play if all goes according to plan. :)
RAF, Combat, Enemy Action Ardennes
Great choices!
Sadly, Enemy Action Ardennes is on my shelf of shame. I love both RAF and Combat. I think you will like them too, based on games you have given positive reviews.@@ZillaBlitz
Did not realize I was no longer subscribed so I resubscribed😅.
Someone posted something abou: ok you played those games, but how long ago? a year ago? 5. 10. last century?
so my list of 10 has some games on it that I haven't touched since last century as well as new games that have not gone to the table yet. Also games expecting to get this year.
1 & 2. Antietam (on table) & Gettysburg from Worthington.
3-5: Compass: Dog Boats, Storm of Steel, and Atlantic Sentinels.
6. OSG: La Patrie en Danger-Briene scenario.
7. GMT: North Africa '41
8. MMP: Storm Over Jerusalem
Not Played since last century:
9. GDW: White Death.
10. Wargammer Mag.:Port Stanley-Falklands. (Rule book font is SMALL!!) On table, prepping.
I also need to do 5 large miniatures battles. 100 figures minimum, minimum 50/side.
I also want to play all three Air Assault games from Avalon Hill: Crete, Malta and Cyprus(Cyprus-never played).
And with that Malta Besieged, Worthington, which I've played twice last year.
Plus build n paint about 450 miniatures, 15 & 28 mm figures. Done 121 in January for a paint challenge.
Maybe try n read and finish a few books too.
And lots of grandpa duties.
Hi Charles! Long time no hear, great to hear from you! That's a great list of games and activities. What things are you starting with first?
Warning on 'A most Fearful Sacrifice'. It uses 'demibrigades' which is a French division level unit used in midieval times. There were no 'demibrigades' in the Civil War.
Helpful to know, thank you much. :)
I too was away for some years from Gaming. I played a number of Avalon Hill games in my time. In the past 2 years I spent a small fortune adding newer games to my collection of games to play including a number of Men of Iron series, Next War series, GBOH and GBACW series and one game I am looking forward to playing very soon is Enemy Action Kharkov. I have Ardennes 44 4th edition on P500 but it may take some time for it to come out and I am getting impatient. I am strongly leaning on getting either Arracourt or PLS as the system seems very popular and I do not want to spend a fortune on out of print games so expensive which is often the case with MMP titles as they do not reprint games in any fast period of time. Look forward to your videos.
It sounds like we've had similar paths back to wargaming! I've heard great things about Arracourt as a starting point with MMP's BCS, too. And yeah, out-of-print games can be rough on the wallet, for sure! :)
I love this idea. I'm doing the TAC UP 10 game challenge for 2024 and we have 3 matches. lets see how we do. =)
We shall conquer all! Let's do this! :)
I just picked up Combat! FYI, I see that Apocalypse War (Flying Pig) is available for order again. That's a great game that you should snatch up while you can!
That's awesome about Combat! I've been tempted by Apocalypse War! Resistance fading...
Most of my un-played games are due to me buying a game without thoroughly researching it first. Multi-player games are a problem for me, and I guess they still take up shelf space because I like how the components look!
Great theme for a video. Your channel just gets better and more sophisticated all the time. Great job!
I'm sorry it took so long to reply to this. I can definitely relate to multi-player games being challenging to get to the table, especially if they are longer ones that can't be wrapped up in 2-3 hours. Those almost seem like they need a conference setting to play: big table, lots of time. I'm glad you liked the video! :)
How about Salerno 43 I've heard this is a very good entry level game for this series
Yes, that’s the one I’ve played a bit but it looks like for the challenge anyway that Holland ‘44 might win.
Working through AMFS also. Excited to see your play through hoping it fires me up. "Fire in the Lake" is a shelf queen at the moment joined by "Tank Duel", "Undaunted Battle of Britain" ( Normandy was played) and "Silent War 2.0" should be arriving in port any day and may sit there until I learn AMFS. You derailed me with "Saving South Vietnam", beat it after 4 tries (barely, is there any other way?) but it still is drawing me in darn you!
That's a fine collection of games to dig into! And I'm glad to hear that you like Save South Vietnam, that was such a surprise blast to play for me last year, so I'm always happy to hear when someone else enjoys it. :)
My Shelf of Shame (like my collection as a whole) isn’t as extensive as yours, but it does share several of the same games that you’ve listed (EAA, EotS, DDaOB, FotL). But of the ones you listed, the one I’m most pulling for you to finally play is RAF, which is definitely not on my Shelf of Shame list, as I’ve played the heck out of it over the past year. In fact I’m getting a little too good at it now and am going to bring in a house rule next time to up the challenge a bit again. Anyway, I’m ORDERING you to play that one … you can thank me later.
Sir, yes, sir! I'm so excited for RAF, and happy that I've committed to it. I've got such very high expectations based on so many people who have praised it. :)
Love all you videos. I'm going to join in with this. Vast majority of my c.60 games are unplayed, but later today I'll find time to select 5-10 of them to play this year. Thanks for the motivation!
Sure thing! This'll be easier when there are a few people doing it. :)
My Top Ten Games not yet played
- Nemesis
- Mr President
- Storm Above the Reich
- Band of Heroes
- Band of Brothers : Ghost Panzer
- Mansions of Madness 2nd Ed
- Shadows of Brimstone
- John Carter Warlord of Mars
- Up Front
- Nemo’s War
Of your list, Holland 44, RAF - The Battle of Britain & Target for Today (for obvious reasons) would be the top 3 I would like to see or hear your thoughts on.
Nice list! I was debating adding Storm above the Reich. Some great games in there. All the best in getting them to the table! Are you thinking to start with a particular one?
I'm not sure how much video content I'll make for each of the games on my list, but I'll definitely at the very least be talking about them on the Channel Update. :)
@ZillaBlitz one that's not on the list. Skies Above Britain. Great game that I was learning when things happened. Really want to get into games deeper as you have indicated.
I am so happy to have found Noble Knight games through your channel. They are a great way to cycle through my games, buying and selling.
We might want to do a road trip down there sometime?
Noble Knight is perfect for me. I love those "magazine games", and somehow thy can be found unpunched, but used, for decent prices!
@@ZillaBlitz Road trip!
I can drive, perhaps in the spring?
@@ZillaBlitz Cool beans. I'm good for gas. You fly, I'll buy.
Pax Pamir is a 100% eurogame. 🙄
Thanks