Your favorite scenario book

[larry marak]

My favorite PG scenario book is Kokoda Trail. It covers the first half of the PNG campaign (the Japanese offensive) in good narrative detail, and requires only the two jungle maps provided and counters from Guadalcanal.

It would be nice to see the second half of the campaign (1943-45) the allied offensive, someday.

[thomaso827]

Ditto on that. I started out trying to work my way through that as my first attempt to go completely through one book or game. Really have enjoyed playing, even with somewhat difficult scenarios. It just made me want to keep trying until the Australians won.

[Hugmenot]

Favorite supplements:

Fronte Russo: Large battles in terms of space and length. I just love the pace of the slowly developing battles.

Workers & Peasants: Large battles in terms of number of units. Less maneuvering than in Fronte Russo but more bloody.

War on the Equator: Only 6 scenarios but they all play different. I enjoyed playing the Ecuadorians with their morale (6/5 or 6/4).

Black SS: I really enjoyed the four scenarios I played. Hopefully Vince will want to play more some day.

[vince hughes]

Easy,

BLACK SS - Played 11, won 10 drawn 1 ..................... Fantastic book with great scenarios and excellent counters.

On a serious note, I have played just 3 x FIRST AXIS scenarios and all three of them have been absolutely fascinating. Daniel and I played a Hungarian v Slovak scenario when he wanted to test my defence theory and it was a very close game. Alan and I played a Soviet River crossing which again went to the last turn. Finally Alan and I's first ever scenario on Skype together was Slovaks v Blackshirts. Not sure whether ASL has ever had this match up, but I can't think of many other game systems this could have occurred in? A terrific booklet and all the more so IMO as it does what I prefer ..... draws its scenarios from the gamut of AP PG products.

But this is all a very hard choice really as the MARCH ON LENINGRAD book has been fun too as has WINTER SOLDIERS.

[Matt W]

Favorite is such a loaded term

Romanian Soil for the narrative,
War on the Equator for the variety
Indian Unity for using the term Razakar and having fuchsia units
Fronte Russo for the detail and the ability to really feel the vast nature of the Eastern Front
First Axis for having the incredible Slovak vs. Blackshirt scenario
Hopeless but not Serious for the SA and Schutzbund
Iron Wolves for light green units and Tyranny and Mutation, a fight against Polish STRZ units
and Red & White looks to be a winner.

That totally leaves out a ton of other great ones (Secret Weapons and GD '46 with copters, Little Saturn with special rules for the Don, etc.). The booklet form supplement is my preferred format. It seems that there is more thought given to those since the need to produce counters or maps is muted. The scenarios typically are better thought out and balanced (since there are usually fewer) and the feeling of "being there" is so much greater. I view the movement to more boxed games and fewer booklets with some trepidation as these seems to deemphasize my preferred product.

[larry marak]

Matt, have to agree with you that Red and White looks like a winner. Requires more boards and units from multiple games, but appears to be a magnificiently varied scenario set.

[vince hughes]

Matt,

Well said Re Supplements. I have never quite been able to fathom out my leaning towards supplement scenarios. I have often put it down to the fact it allows me to get more use out of all the boxed sets already owned and the more box-sets a supplement draws from the better. But your reasons above add to this. I too love supplements and long may they continue to be produced.

[Matt W]

Vince,

You had previously challenged me to devise a "large" scenario and I started working on one for Brody '41. I came up with a board configuration using 20 boards but will have to revisit it now that we have more boards from Burning Tigers and Pusan (Pusan may be too hilly but the river might work very well).

The key moving forward is that, whether the "new" scenarios are Avalanche sanctioned or not they will exist. I have two that Jay put together eons ago, one on Sicily and one in Warsaw that I keep with the rest and expect that ultimately PG lives on in some expanded form. Several game systems have survived quite well despite having multiple publishers (ASL, La Bataille, Campaigns of Napoleon, GBACW, etc.). In a way, having tons of counters and maps just screams for player developed scenarios.

[larry marak]

recommended viewing for Kododa Trail http://www.kokodawalkway.com.au/index.html

[richvalle]

I have very limited exposure to the supplements so far. I just received part of my Gold Club order so I have more but haven't played them yet. So far I really liked Fronte Russo just from the historical nitch it covers. Even though the one battle I've done in it I lost badly as the Italians (75-35 needing to be within 10 points to keep it a minor victory).