Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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It was recently pointed out that this game was lacking in reviews.
A las Barricadas! is the first entry (as far as I know) in the War Storm Series. It is set in the Spanish Civil War, and uses platoon sized units.
For me, platoon sized units are a tough scale to get "right" especially when mixing vehicles and infantry. One of the trio of ground/time/unit scale ends up feeling "off". So far this series avoids that, but it might be a function of the nature of the vehicles. The more modern ones of later WW2 may make the series crack a bit, but that doesn't affect A las Barricadas! specifically.
Components:
Component-wise, the counters are large and nice looking, though I don';t care for the style of die-cutting that leaves bits in the middle of the sides of counters instead of on the corners. Still, they're big, pretty and easy to handle, so the counters still rate as quite nice. The informational counters are not translated into English, and there aren't enough of them. But I love the way they look.
The four cardstock maps are actually quite nice, though my wife calls the color scheme "dull," it works for me. The rules could use a better reference to the terrain types, so the maps are a little tricky to get used to. A key somewhere would be nice. Not on the maps themselves though, as at 11x17 or so, there's not a lot of spare room on them.
I got the Ziploc bag version, so no box.
While the enclosed rules (more on these later) come in multiple languages, the scenario cards do not. There are translations in the rulebook, it just makes them a bit awkward.
The rules... here's where thing go a bit sour. The actual rules are nice. I like them. The translation of the rules is... less nice. The downloadable revised rulebook helps. But even that needs a serious proofreading/translation check. Luckily the rules themselve aren't that complex, coming in at 10 pages or so.
Oh, and I got two dice along with it.
The plays' the thing:
As befits a SCW game, there are a multitude of units form a wide array of factions. As well as a selection of vehicles. Armored cars, early tanks, trucks for hauling guns and troops, etc.
Gameplay centers around groups of units with a leader. The leaders have a command range (generally only a hex or two) and getting outside of that range makes the units tough to order around. So while the pieces are platoon sized, you're really (usually) moving around roughly company-sized formations. You can move, shoot, dig in, charge (on foot or on horseback), rally troops, spot for artillery, etc.
You alternate moving one formation at a time, so downtime is kept to a minimum as control passes back and forth. Since most formations are a leader, 3-5 infantry and maybe a support unit each activation goes pretty quickly.
The vehicles and infantry "play nice" with one another. And the air and off board artillery rules work well enough, if not spectacularly.
In the end, the system is just about everything I would want in a SCW (or even early WW2) tactical game.
The system is not overly complex,, and plays well. But depending on the version of rules you have be prepared to have some head-scratching moments.
All in all, I give it a 7/10. A revised rulebook (does the reprint get this?) would probably bump it up to an 8.
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Spacegras
Canada
St. John's
NL
HooDoo Operator
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Cool, thanks.
This is series is now on my watch list, and might be my first MMP purchase. We'll see.
Thanks again
Chris
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Hans Korting
Netherlands
Hoorn
Noord-Holland
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I know for sure that the La Bataille de France game will come with an updated rulebook so I'm pretty sure that the AlB reprint will too.
Hans
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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HansK wrote: I know for sure that the La Bataille de France game will come with an updated rulebook so I'm pretty sure that the AlB reprint will too.
Hans
How updated though? I downloaded an updated one. It was better than the one included in my version, but still had issues that are almost certainly translation based.
Are we talking another revision? I have the ALB version 2 rulebook
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Hans Korting
Netherlands
Hoorn
Noord-Holland
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keethrax wrote: HansK wrote: I know for sure that the La Bataille de France game will come with an updated rulebook so I'm pretty sure that the AlB reprint will too.
Hans
How updated though? I downloaded an updated one. It was better than the one included in my version, but still had issues that are almost certainly translation based. Are we talking another revision? I have the ALB version 2 rulebook
Cleaned up and better.
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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HansK wrote: keethrax wrote: HansK wrote: I know for sure that the La Bataille de France game will come with an updated rulebook so I'm pretty sure that the AlB reprint will too.
Hans
How updated though? I downloaded an updated one. It was better than the one included in my version, but still had issues that are almost certainly translation based. Are we talking another revision? I have the ALB version 2 rulebook Cleaned up and better.
Good to know. I'm getting the France one anyhow after all, it'll be nice to get a (more) improved rulebook.
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Nicolas Eskubi
Spain
Bilbao
Vizcaya
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Hi to all!!,
First, sorry to didn't notice this post before..... crazy work days!!
Thanks for all you words, Ryan, I will love know which parts of ALB rules v.2 think are the less clear/worst so we can upgrade. Hans and Scott Debrestian are helping, well, better said, doing the translations of our games rules, etc.
BTW, not sure you know we have ready to download the LBF1940 demo in two versions, PDF and ZunTzu gamebox, you can found here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35219/la-bataille-de-...
Ryan and Chris, or anyone, for any question or whatever you know were we are, just ask!  .
Best
Niko
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