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.
By Preston Jacob
Komerades! The long-awaited Soviet entrance to late war is finally here! With the upcoming release of the Bagration Soviet book. Soviet players are finally getting their first late-war book outside of Fortress Europe.
This covers the campaign in the east during 1944 as the Soviet army pushed the Germans back towards the west, taking back the land and territories claimed by the Wehrmacht from 1941 to 1943. As everyone knows, there was a serious big gun arms race between Germany and the Soviet Union, and we finally get to see some of the big guns seen in the Eastern front make their debut in this book, along with some command cards to upgrade them!
I’m sure players are excited for all the units and formations in the book, but I know I always look forward to the command cards as they open up more options for units and lists. Without further adieu, let’s get started!
By Mitch Reed
For those of you who have felt that we here at NDNG were fanboys for , this article will show you how wrong you are. I hate this book and I plan to tell you why in detail. Something to keep in mind as you read on, I do not play Soviets in , but I have played against them for over a decade now.
Over the last year, as Late War was being upgraded to V4 standards, I did not think very much about the Soviet lists I may face, since everything was based on D-Day or models from your Mid War collection. Now the Soviet Bagration book is here and I plead with the Soviet readers to skip this book.
Can one get excited for a new book that has very little new models in it? Well if it is the new D-Day Waffen SS book from there is a lot to be excited about if you are a player who likes to play the SS. Do not let the lack of new models throw you off, this book adds so much flavor for the German D-Day forces you will never notice it.
After I built what I claimed was my only army for Flames of War almost a decade ago (Canadians) I soon found myself building an opposing force to play against them. I selected the Waffen SS because even decades after the war they hold an odd fascination for me as I try to wrap my head about how they existed as a separate force based on the Nazi party as opposed to the national army.
The SS also seemed to be everywhere during the war and one of the first lists I really loved to play was the SS Wiking Division that fought on the Eastern front. Now this force is available for Normandy as Battlefronts closes the Late War chapter for the invasion of France.
By Tom Burgess
I am very excited about the impending release of the new World War III Team Yankee American book. That may surprise many who know me as I have only ever played Soviet and East Block type forces in Team Yankee so far. But the reality is that US forces were my first purchase for Team Yankee and I have quite a collection of US units still boxed and waiting to be built.
I only shifted to Soviets to help the force balance in my local gaming area. By now my Soviets are quite complete and its time for me to go full throttle into Americans for Team Yankee with this new book.
The World War III Team Yankee American book is a significant expansion from the preceding Stripes US Forces in World War III book. All the formations and support that were available to the US player in Stripes are also in the new book. In addition to these, the new book has added the M1A1 Armored Combat Team, M2 Bradley Combat Team, M3 Bradley Cavalry Troop, Combined Army (Heavy) Company, Combined Arms (Light) Company, and the Light Attack Company.
By Mitch Reed
Many of our steady readers may be aware of a great new game called that many of our NDNG staff helped play test. The first wave of the game came with the big battlewagons of the dreadnought era and now the game includes the light cruisers which played a major role in the war doing everything from commerce raiding, blockade operations and scouting for the main battle fleet.
The light cruisers were part of our original play test and we loved playing these fast ships with their deadly torpedoes. Game wise they add so much to the flavor of the game and I feel gamers will love this addition to the game.
By Mitch “the Meta” Reed
My first army for was a Canadian infantry list. I swore at the time it would be my only army. My Bronze-Green Canucks were soon joined by Germans and many other lists but my love of playing Commonwealth armies has never abated. As Late War started to go under the V4 treatment I eagerly awaited the first dedicated British book and the new British D-Day book that will be released in March has a lot to be excited about. Airborne, Commandos, Canadians, Cromwells and multiple versions of the Churchill will no longer collect dust and now see a table and based on my first impressions of the book they should be a competitive and fun force to play.
Our coverage of Blood & Valor isn’t done just yet! Over the last few weeks, the previews of ‘who’ will be storming the trenches and gun emplacements of Blood & Valor. This week, I’m here to look at the ‘why’ – or rather, to give you a look at the scenarios for the game. Oh, and also, some armored fighting vehicles. You can ‘tank’ me later.
By Mitch Reed
Gallipoli and the Near East are two campaigns that have become iconic and thanks the many movies, TV shows and books on these campaigns we have some great examples of how the conflict in these theaters went down.
This article will detail the forces in these two theaters and will be the third and final preview on what is in store for you in Blood and Valor from I would recommend that you look over the first article (or second) in this series that explains the construct on the force lists in the game.
By Mitch Reed
In my last article I told you all about the armies you will find fighting on the Western Front in Blood and Valor from Firelock Games. In this article we will go over the forces that fought in East Africa during the Great War. If you did not catch my previous article, I would recommend you do, the first half of the article talk about how formations are built and what units comprise a unit.
Last year when I asked (begged) Rufus and Kai DeVane to help with Blood and Valor it was my intention to include the fighting in East Africa which is omitted from so many games. My love for the theater is due to the many books I have read on the subject, the colorful characters who played a role in the campaign and the fact that it breaks the trench deadlock vision that many gamers have when the Great War is brought up.
