By Tom Mullane

This is Part 1 of a series of articles that will cover the campaign missions from the back of the new British D-Day book.

Up here in Danbury, CT things have calmed down enough for me to feel comfortable getting in a few games with my friend Shane.

As wargamers go, Shane is a professional. He has every army for Flames of War, including more Russians than I’ve ever seen in one place. Shane doesn’t just play Flames, he is also a big Bolt Action player, 40k player, Firelock Models, and even has some beautifully painted Napoleonic Minis in 28mm (a mark of sophistication in my opinion.) – note, the author doesn’t have Napoleonics.

I’ll also take the opportunity to put a plug in for his Blog – . He taught me quite a few tips and tricks as a painter, and a gamer in general. Shane is generous with his time and patience. He’s just a stand-up guy….

Which is why over the next few missions I will try to destroy him.

By Matt MacKenzie

A hot release of the red machine is upon us, Flames of War has a brand new Soviet forces book for 2020. Grab your vodka, there is a lot to cover, and be careful what you shoot at, most things in here don’t react too well to bullets.

These releases are putting the final touches on the revamp of V4 that Battlefront took on a few years back. With where things are in the world right now, you have ample time to get some models painted and have some socially distanced battles in the very near future.

While Desperate Measures was a decent book and had lots of lists to choose from for your Late War Soviets, Bagration sticks with giving you the basic lists and the addition of command cards once again offers you a few more choices.

Just a few weeks ago I told you all about the new from . Some of the new models contained in that kit was the Soviet T-80 tank and the BMP-3 Armored Personnel Carrier. As the humidity lowered here at the NDNG headquarters I was able to finally head outside and spray a base coat on these new models and attempt as the worst painter on staff to paint these vehicles and give you my thoughts on how these new vehicles may play in Team Yankee.

By Chris Wolz

A letter of reflection on how to approach gaming in a COVID19 world. 

An excellent article was outlined by Mr. Reed on how this pandemic has affected the gaming community as a whole. I think it was well written and informative in laying out how this pandemic has affected the gaming industry and the individual gamer. The article got me thinking about how to get back to enjoying this wonderful hobby but still maintaining a good deal of safety and responsibility. 

About myself, I am currently both a licensed paramedic and a third-year medical student currently doing rotations in a large, community hospital system. I do not intend this article to be taken as personal medical advice, as I am not in a position of authority in which to give any personal medical advice. With that said I hope this article does lessen some anxiety and does allow some to make a better-informed decision.

This should be a starting step of gaining the knowledge needed to make the decision on whether to return to the gaming store, convention, or friend`s house. I do not stand in judgment of anyone’s opinion or choice when it comes to their own health. That is for you to decide, I merely want to offer some insights for you that may help you to make a well-informed decision about your own well being.  

By Tom Gall

With the release of the Bagration Soviet book for Flames of War version 4, you might think this is a book that has no interest to you when you have no Soviet forces. There is some gold at the end of the book that might just change your mind.

The majority of the book is devoted to Late War Soviet forces, true. There are 50 pages of list material to consume.

After that there, several sections of extra material that I think will pique your interest. Remember a key feature of the D-Day series of books for version 4 has been extra missions and mini-campaigns. While I’m sure you’re familiar with the  the D-Day books and now Bagration added further missions for you to try your hand at.

It has been years since I consistently picked up a Real Time Strategy title but those days are definitely over. Combat Mission Shock Force 2 fills a perfect gaming niche for these pandemic days, with challenging scenarios and replayability. I was able to play through the tutorial and jump into battle feeling about as prepared as any fresh trainee does. There were some learning curves in the first battles outside training and overall I think those reflect more on my skills as a commander than the game. After a few battles, it was gratifying to see a well-orchestrated maneuver sweep an objective.

By Mitch Reed

There is no doubt that Battlefront is trying to grow the popularity of and this will help us bring new players into the game. The new box comes with everything you need to play the game except for a tape measure.

It includes 16 vehicles for you to get a great feel for the game. Over the last few months I have seen numerous posts made by potential Team Yankee players that seem to ask the same question; “where does one start”, this new box set gives them a great starting point and will act as an amazing gateway into this game.

By Tom Gall

There are a good number of quality WWII rulesets in existence, let’s explore some of these rules, point out what their strong/weak points are and compare what might draw you to one over the other.

The rulesets considered in this article are : by Battlefront, by Too Fat Lardies, by Warlord, by Plastic Soldier Company.

Each of these rules is generally company level actions with support, for the most part, feature individual models, and focus on the WWII era. All are D6 based. All have extra material that offer campaign experiences, lists, and flavor to feel like you’re been given command with a battle to win. All are either point costed and/or have a list building system which makes it easier to put together a game.

This week, we’ll look at two of the four: FOW and Battlegroup. The other two systems will follow in a later article.

By Mitch Reed

Maybe the pandemic was a good thing for some of us gamers. We got a chance to read new rules to possibly play new games once in-person gaming resumes. Many of us also caught up on painting, something we never thought we would do.

One of the games that many people have been looking at since its late December 2019 release was Blood and Valor, a game we have covered here quite a bit. Coming from the crew at , Blood and Valor gives gamers a chance to play the war at the 28mm skirmish level that covers the war beyond the trenches. Well before the game’s release, the crew from stepped forward to produce starter kits for some of the major forces that fought in France during 1916-1918.

As a Soviet player with tons of models, I have been patiently waiting for the Soviet Bagration book for . After getting a good look at this book, I will be making a lot of lists. Two songs I have found to match the energy and sheer amount of awesome coming out of this new Soviet Late War extravaganza have been my inspiration. The first one is Energia by The second is . Listen at your own risk. You may become a Communist.