I feel what you are saying about this game type (rules) being so thick. There truly needs to be more ‘levy & campaign’ play through videos, or demo videos put out as tutorials. These games are as intimidating as they are beautiful, and I just feel if Volko and GMT would put out a bit more tutorials or turn-walk-throughs, the real treasures of this game type would be better understood and appreciated. Just my 2 pennies.
Thank you for this discussion of the Levy & Campaign system and Almoravid! On the important issue of cattle in a wargame: Almoravid Loot counters appear to show goats. But if you look closely at Nevsky's Loot, you should spot both goats and cattle.
I love your commentary, guys. Every good and slightly critical thing you mentioned mirrored my experience. Beautiful game, lots of interesting decisions. You’re going to love the Treachery cards & Revolt tables in Vol. 3.
You guys have quickly become my favourite content creators on UA-cam since finding yous very recently. Been trawling through all your older vids to find games I want, such as too ten wargames of 2022. Brill video and have now bought or p500 so many games. Keep em coming guys, it's great to sit and chill listening to you both.
Love your thoughts on this! Would love to collab some time. I am excited about inferno. Just received my copy! Mabye we can do an impression review of it. Just really love the work you all do! Great job friends
I actually got Inferno because Almoravid perplexed me too, Grant. I saw a video on Nevsky (which I don’t have) and was like Ahhhhhhh! So that’s what’s going on! Inferno is great. Once I get it totally under my belt I’m going back to Almoravid.
I want to make a clarification. The game is not overly burdensome or difficult to play. The strategy is what gets me. I just don't know how to do what I want to WELL! Love the system. Love the cards. Love the combat. Love it all. I am just not very good at it.
@@grantkleinhenz6789 I'm right there with you. I get the feeling a big part of it is having a solid plan and sticking with it, like: This guy is going to go siege this location, I'm going to provide him with enough Carts to Supply from his Seat, I'm going to load him up with the right Capabilities, I'll make sure the Lord I send with him has enough guys to Storm if the Siege doesn't work out...etc. At least, that's the plan until you get punched in the face.
The game looks fantastic, I am eager to get my greasy fingers over it. Thematically it is oustanding. One of my favourite parts of our Spanish history that includes one of the most peculiar characters: Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar 'El Cid'. Hero or Villain? Well, it depends if you pay him well...
Thanks for giving this a shot. It was interesting to hear your guys thoughts. I think Levy & Campaign is actually a pretty intuitive and straightforward system. But learning the new concepts definitely is not the easiest thing to do and probably isn't helped by Volko's style of rules writing. The rulebook is an incredibly good reference, everything is there; however it is not handholding you through learning the game. It's a very rewarding system once you put more time in to it. Easier said than done I know.
I think this video by Jean-Michel Grosjeu distills the rules down vey well. ua-cam.com/video/n4HdY16_mI4/v-deo.html He also has some for Nevsky. However, you are right that learning the rules is just the beginning. Figuring out what to do with your actions takes some playthroughs, but it's still really fun experimenting as you learn.
I was a big fan of Nevsky but the system is difficult to wrap your head around. While it is good that a host of people are interested in using the system to create additional games I think some of the concepts are very similar and the rush to get them out probably hasn't been a benefit to the system.
Honestly you could just two hand it and you’d probably be just fine. The command decks, are tough to remember (or you could just fully randomize one) and the hand of cards are pretty situational and should be obvious when you’d play them.
I would love to get into Nevsky. I just wish it wouldn’t be so rules dense. This is begging for an intro game that doesn’t sacrifice what makes the system great and without turning it into a lunchtime 30 min game…I sold my copy of Nevsky because I just couldn’t see myself asking a friend to put up with it
I don't understand the hatred for the cover of Nevsky and I REALLY don't understand it for Almoravid. I think many wargamers are like many eurogamers in that they get used to a certain "seriousness" in their covers, somehow thinking that makes the games better. You can say there's no accounting for taste, but that doesn't mean everyone's taste carries the same necessity for me to take it seriously ;).
I think the Almoravid cover is great, but Nevsky's looks like a bad 70s album cover scribbled by a teenager with colouring pencils. The 'head in the sky' with the goofy teeth is just laughable.
Yes. It's basically the same core, but this has an additional layer of the regional politics and leaders. It's just another layer of things to try and remember and consider.
Nvensky was a lot of moving around until winter came then start over. A lot of nothing. You had battles in Nevsky? Amazing. Bought this..hope it is better.
I dont understand why people are praising the combat system. The rest of the game is stellar but resolving the hits one at a time doing a little math inbetween is just agonizingly slow and clunky. It was enough for both playerers i tested the game with to drop it after the first couple of fights even though both loved it before actual fights started. Sieges beeing pretty luck based felt fine, but thebig culmination of your planning should be a sloggy roll d6 as low as possible fest imho.
Volko is teaching me this game himself right now on Vassal Live!
I feel what you are saying about this game type (rules) being so thick. There truly needs to be more ‘levy & campaign’ play through videos, or demo videos put out as tutorials. These games are as intimidating as they are beautiful, and I just feel if Volko and GMT would put out a bit more tutorials or turn-walk-throughs, the real treasures of this game type would be better understood and appreciated. Just my 2 pennies.
Seljuk: Byzantium Besieged, 1068-1071 made the cut today or yesterday...
Thank you for this discussion of the Levy & Campaign system and Almoravid! On the important issue of cattle in a wargame: Almoravid Loot counters appear to show goats. But if you look closely at Nevsky's Loot, you should spot both goats and cattle.
I love your commentary, guys. Every good and slightly critical thing you mentioned mirrored my experience. Beautiful game, lots of interesting decisions. You’re going to love the Treachery cards & Revolt tables in Vol. 3.
Would love to see you guys playing a few rounds of this
You guys have quickly become my favourite content creators on UA-cam since finding yous very recently. Been trawling through all your older vids to find games I want, such as too ten wargames of 2022. Brill video and have now bought or p500 so many games. Keep em coming guys, it's great to sit and chill listening to you both.
I am glad you found us and that our stuff is resonating with you.
Enjoyed your impressions!
You masquerade as a family channel and yet you crusade actively against family values and promote and help spread degeneracy.
Love your thoughts on this! Would love to collab some time.
I am excited about inferno. Just received my copy! Mabye we can do an impression review of it. Just really love the work you all do! Great job friends
We would be more than willing to do something together.
I actually got Inferno because Almoravid perplexed me too, Grant. I saw a video on Nevsky (which I don’t have) and was like Ahhhhhhh! So that’s what’s going on! Inferno is great. Once I get it totally under my belt I’m going back to Almoravid.
I want to make a clarification. The game is not overly burdensome or difficult to play. The strategy is what gets me. I just don't know how to do what I want to WELL! Love the system. Love the cards. Love the combat. Love it all. I am just not very good at it.
@@grantkleinhenz6789 I'm right there with you. I get the feeling a big part of it is having a solid plan and sticking with it, like: This guy is going to go siege this location, I'm going to provide him with enough Carts to Supply from his Seat, I'm going to load him up with the right Capabilities, I'll make sure the Lord I send with him has enough guys to Storm if the Siege doesn't work out...etc. At least, that's the plan until you get punched in the face.
The game looks fantastic, I am eager to get my greasy fingers over it. Thematically it is oustanding. One of my favourite parts of our Spanish history that includes one of the most peculiar characters: Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar 'El Cid'. Hero or Villain? Well, it depends if you pay him well...
This is such a great chat :) Hope you can cover more games / systems like this in the future :)
Thanks for giving this a shot. It was interesting to hear your guys thoughts.
I think Levy & Campaign is actually a pretty intuitive and straightforward system. But learning the new concepts definitely is not the easiest thing to do and probably isn't helped by Volko's style of rules writing. The rulebook is an incredibly good reference, everything is there; however it is not handholding you through learning the game.
It's a very rewarding system once you put more time in to it. Easier said than done I know.
I think this video by Jean-Michel Grosjeu distills the rules down vey well. ua-cam.com/video/n4HdY16_mI4/v-deo.html He also has some for Nevsky. However, you are right that learning the rules is just the beginning. Figuring out what to do with your actions takes some playthroughs, but it's still really fun experimenting as you learn.
It's kinda odd if you think about wargames not having horses, mules..as they were the primary transportation even up to the 20th century...
Well, its not that they don't have them in an abstracted way. Few games actually have counters representing them!
I was a big fan of Nevsky but the system is difficult to wrap your head around. While it is good that a host of people are interested in using the system to create additional games I think some of the concepts are very similar and the rush to get them out probably hasn't been a benefit to the system.
So wish there was a game like this with Solo mode.
Honestly you could just two hand it and you’d probably be just fine. The command decks, are tough to remember (or you could just fully randomize one) and the hand of cards are pretty situational and should be obvious when you’d play them.
I'd recommend second year (were Almoravids come in). Game really changes when the big boys come in.
I would love to get into Nevsky. I just wish it wouldn’t be so rules dense. This is begging for an intro game that doesn’t sacrifice what makes the system great and without turning it into a lunchtime 30 min game…I sold my copy of Nevsky because I just couldn’t see myself asking a friend to put up with it
I think Henry is suppose to be the Cuba Libre of Levy and Campaign
Nevsky is my favorite game in 2022. And it's good to see the review of Almoravid!
Fantastic game! In my top 3 of 2022, which ,if you wanna listen to my humble opinion I have a video in english (top 3 2022 wargames video) 🙂
I don't understand the hatred for the cover of Nevsky and I REALLY don't understand it for Almoravid. I think many wargamers are like many eurogamers in that they get used to a certain "seriousness" in their covers, somehow thinking that makes the games better. You can say there's no accounting for taste, but that doesn't mean everyone's taste carries the same necessity for me to take it seriously ;).
I think the Almoravid cover is great, but Nevsky's looks like a bad 70s album cover scribbled by a teenager with colouring pencils. The 'head in the sky' with the goofy teeth is just laughable.
Really? If you don’t feel Nevsky deserves the hate for its box I think absolutely nobody can help you
Inferno’s cover might silence the haters…😂
Can you review plantagenet please?
Eventually yes, still playing around with it!
Helo there, I'm late to the party, BUT... is this one heavier than Nevsky?
Yes. It's basically the same core, but this has an additional layer of the regional politics and leaders. It's just another layer of things to try and remember and consider.
Nvensky was a lot of moving around until winter came then start over. A lot of nothing. You had battles in Nevsky? Amazing. Bought this..hope it is better.
If you're into games with mule counters... Play more OCS
We have several to play including Smolensk.
these or coins? :D
It’s COIN for me, but these are still good, they’re just very different styles of games and cover totally different periods.
@@ThePlayersAid it is coin then, just ordered the new india ics game
I dont understand why people are praising the combat system. The rest of the game is stellar but resolving the hits one at a time doing a little math inbetween is just agonizingly slow and clunky. It was enough for both playerers i tested the game with to drop it after the first couple of fights even though both loved it before actual fights started. Sieges beeing pretty luck based felt fine, but thebig culmination of your planning should be a sloggy roll d6 as low as possible fest imho.
Was thinking the other day an El Cid game would be really interesting. And than this Video Drops.
Definitely going on my wish list. 🫡