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Craig Maksimik
United States
Liberty
Missouri
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There are already several reviews of Conflict of Heroes that cover the game mechanics so I thought I would do a review that attempts to capture the feel of the game play and the "fun factor".
First off, let me give my ratings of the game overall.
Components – Incredible! For a wargame this really lifts the bar and sets a new standard for other wargames to follow. The cardstock is very thick and my 5 and 7 year old kids were able to pop out all of the counters in less then 2 minutes. There was no need to clip the corners because they were already rounded which was great since I usually spend hours clipping all those dang corners off other game pieces.
Game play – Outstanding! I’ll get a bit more into this in a moment, but suffice to say this game plays very quick and is more about heroic actions and excitement then most games. It is just a bit difficult to adjust to the action point system with this game but I have had no problems explaining the rules in less then 5 minutes and getting games going without a lot of difficulty.
Rules – Great! I like the rules and the examples are very relevant and cover most common situations very well. My one minor gripe is the size of the rulebook can be a bit un-wieldy especially on a crowded tabletop. It feels more like your reading the newspaper then a set of rules. Of course the good thing is that there is very minimal rulebook consulting which is another good point for this game.
Expandability – Very High. There should be some great expansions for this game and I believe that Uwe has already mentioned some of them in other posts. I am already looking forward to other theatres and nationalities. I suspect that this game system will have a very long life-span.
Okay, now that I have some of the basic stuff out of the way; let me delve into some of the interesting bits about this game.
I have played only 3 of the scenarios so far but have played some of them a few times both solo and against two separate opponents. I did enjoy playing solo and this game works well for that with the action point system. However, it really shines when you have a real live human opponent to play against. Especially with the scenarios that have hidden units and cards.
I think that the best description for this game is a “heroic action wargame”. The reason why it is heroic is due to the action point system. In particular the command action points (which allow basically free actions such as shooting, moving, etc…) and the cards play a big role in allowing an individual unit to perform some truly heroic acts. There are moments in the game where things really play out like a WWII action movie with the hero’s taking on some staggering odds with a daring plan and wipe out an entire enemy force. This has actually happened in some of our games where one side has a lot of CAPs and cards that they can literally move, shoot, move some more, kick down some doors and assault a building, and all the while just shooting the crap out of the enemy while you taunt your opponent with glee!
One of the best things I like about this game is that it uses no tables for combat resolution. Everything you need is mostly on the counters themselves with only a few modifiers that are easily remembered for terrain bonuses. This really helps move the game along quickly and fits in well with many modern game rules that allow for a game to be played in a reasonable amount of time. This has already become quite common with miniatures games and has lately been seen more often in board wargames. What makes this game stand out even more is the very interactive nature of the system itself. There is absolutely no downtime at all since you are constantly engaged in the game even when your opponent is performing their turn. It is almost like a real-time computer game and you literally have to pause the game if either side needs to step away. This is not really a problem since the game duration is short so it doesn’t ever feel like the game is getting slowed down because someone has to get up for a minute.
I have been excited about this game for quite a while and couldn’t even bring myself to reading the rules posted online until I actually got the game just so I wouldn’t get any more excited about it. After having played several games now my initial impression was dead on that this is a very unique game and truly deserves its high rating here on BGG.
I would highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, action-packed game full of heroic feats and nail-biting conclusions. I am really looking forward to many, many years of enjoyment from this game and all of the expansions that will surely follow.
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James Palmer
Canada
Kitchener
Ontario
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Great review. You communicate the feel of the game quite well without getting bogged down with mechanics which are already clearly explained in other reviews (and in the rulebook itself.)
Thanks!
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Larry Pryor
United States
Illinois
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Actually you bring up a tangential point that's been nagging at my mind. Can we really call this a wargame? I mean come on.... the counters don't have to be clipped. Clipping counters and wargames go hand in hand. Ye gods, what have we come to?
 But maybe we should give it a pass. This game is just so good it may deserve an exemption.
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James Palmer
Canada
Kitchener
Ontario
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From the way some fanatics debate the "What constitutes a wargame" issue that seems to be so constant around here, I'm sure there there are some people for whom Conflict of Heroes somehow would not fit into the wargame category.
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WEI-CHENG CHENG
Taiwan
Taipei
Taiwan
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I am with you.
When I play the first firefight, I thought the German Pioneers is a key heroic unit to affect the result of the battle.
Since it is hard to be eliminated, especially in the woods.
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Rob Bradley
United States
Belleville
Wisconsin
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MaxVertigo wrote: think that the best description for this game is a “heroic action wargame”. The reason why it is heroic is due to the action point system. In particular the command action points (which allow basically free actions such as shooting, moving, etc…) and the cards play a big role in allowing an individual unit to perform some truly heroic acts. There are moments in the game where things really play out like a WWII action movie with the hero’s taking on some staggering odds with a daring plan and wipe out an entire enemy force.
You hit it right on the head. Although I really like this game, it can become truly unrealistice when you save up all of your CAPS to give to one squad, combine that with a card or two and you have yourself a "Super Squad" which can run nearly halfway across the board and then shoot 3-4 times to boot.
I had one squad use it's 7 AP's, 3 CAP's and then had two cards that I got to use a CAP (2 CAP's?) to roll a D6 for extra CAP's, I ended up rolling both dice for a ten giving that squad 20 AP's total.
This was just an example of how ridiculous you could make it by putting all of your eggs in one basket. I like the concept, but the combination of CAP's plus cards makes it far from realistic.
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Richard Savage
United States
Clearwater
Florida
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Whoa there Rob! A player can only do that if his opponent is out of cards and Command Action Points himself, plus all his units have been used and can't use opportunity fire. That's a very rare scenario indeed!
I've been playing this game continuously now with 2 opponents for over a
month, and I've never run into that happening. There's always a hidden unit, or a hidden mine or artillery fire that seems to break up the super squad that you're talking about. 
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Craig Maksimik
United States
Liberty
Missouri
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I think the super squad will only happen with inexperienced players.
I was able to pull this type of thing off a couple of times but this is only after I had waited patiently for my opponents to waste all of their CAPs and activate all of their units. The defender has the burden of saving his CAPs for key defence reactions or to pass when out-numbered so he can save units for defensive reactions.
This is one of those aspects in the rules that can be easily taken advantage of if your opponent doesn't know how to deal with it, but it is also one of the things that make this game so exciting to play. Plus who is to say that they aren't a super squad of elite units. The other option is to figure that the super squad is very aware of the situation and is able to take extreme advantage of the battle while the other guys are just sitting in their foxholes crapping their pants. 
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Andy Daglish
United Kingdom
Cheadle
Cheshire
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MaxVertigo wrote: Plus who is to say that they aren't a super squad of elite units.
me; none are reported, however we can solve all these problems with bit more historical accuracy, and without altering the game. I don't imagine Uwe or anyone else will mind if a tank withdraws using reverse gear.
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I would also offer that the squad with the many points might represent a focused command presence (the ground commander is actually attached to that unit) and that the squad is the owning player's decisive operation (D.O.).
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Chris Montgomery
United States
Joliet
Illinois
Dear Geek: Please insert the wittiest comment you can think of in this text pop-up. Then times it by seven.
The Coat of Arms of Clan Montgomery - Scotland. Yes, that's a woman with the head of a savage in her hand, and an anchor. No clue what it means, but it's cool.
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Gunmetal1986 wrote: I would also offer that the squad with the many points might represent a focused command presence (the ground commander is actually attached to that unit) and that the squad is the owning player's decisive operation (D.O.).
I would submit two things: First, I agree that this type of situation will be rare between two players who have even a little experience. Second, things like that DID happen. One squad, for whatever reason (or a couple guys in the squad) decide, hey, SCREW THIS! And go for it. They aren't elite soldiers, it's just WHAT THEY DID AT THE TIME. It's Congressional Medal of Honor stuff.
As anecdotal evidence, my grandfather's best friend Bernie, manned a machine gun with his squad during the Korean War. During a firefight, the rest of the platoon was withdrawing or were repositioning or something. He got shot to pieces, but sat on that machine gun so long he (and his crew) stopped the assault dead in its tracks. His squad got something ridiculous, like 100 confirmed kills. (In our game, that would be the equivalent of about 10 squads). Now, maybe the Koreans were doing something that was tactically stupid, maybe not. It also may be a case of "the biggest fish I ever caught" type of story, you know, a little "the way I remember it was" growing the story to unbeleiveable proportions. Maybe. But I did see his Silver Star.
So, I'm buying it. I think stuff like that DID happen, DOES happen.
Now, if it bothers players because it affects gameplay and balance, that's different issue, but see point #1, above.
At the end of the day, the rules are the rules. If you don't like it, change the rules. Just remember to have fun.
Chris Montgomery
Edit: Corrected some typos, rearranged a sentence or two.
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David Spangler
United States
Washington
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Great review.
I happen to like heroic, Hollywood-type wargames where crazy, heroic, cheering things can happen that are probably unrealistic but are crazy fun. I like the other kind of detailed simulation, too.
But really, let's face facts: a "wargame" that is highly interactive, no down time, no CRTs, no one has to look up a rules point every five minutes or so, that plays in something under a day, where the counters are easy to pick up and easy to read, where the boards are mounted...I mean, come on, guys...this isn't really a wargame at all, is it?
Imean, how can you play something like this and still be able to say, "Wargaming is hell."
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Clement Tey
Singapore
Singapore
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cmontgo2 wrote: Second, things like that DID happen. One squad, for whatever reason (or a couple guys in the squad) decide, hey, SCREW THIS! And go for it. They aren't elite soldiers, it's just WHAT THEY DID AT THE TIME. It's Congressional Medal of Honor stuff.
As anecdotal evidence, my grandfather's best friend Bernie, manned a machine gun with his squad during the Korean War. During a firefight, the rest of the platoon was withdrawing or were repositioning or something. He got shot to pieces, but sat on that machine gun so long he (and his crew) stopped the assault dead in its tracks. His squad got something ridiculous, like 100 confirmed kills. (In our game, that would be the equivalent of about 10 squads). Now, maybe the Koreans were doing something that was tactically stupid, maybe not. It also may be a case of "the biggest fish I ever caught" type of story, you know, a little "the way I remember it was" growing the story to unbeleiveable proportions. Maybe. But I did see his Silver Star.
So, I'm buying it. I think stuff like that DID happen, DOES happen.
Bravo! Bravi! Brava!
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