Is it me or are there just not enough, game specific, ‘next step’ level videos for historical wargames, especially those that fall under the ‘hex and counter’ umbrella?
As my own boardgame journey progresses, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to historical games. My slow transition from heavy euros was facilitated by the COIN series and I’ve now played a handful of true historical hex and counter wargames (Battle Hymn Vol 1, At Any Cost, Iwo: Bloodbath in the Bonins).
The stories these games tell as you recreate history (and the lessons that can be learned in the process) are wonderful. The learning curve involved is not. I find it fascinating and frustrating in equal measure.
There are plenty of videos out there that play through the many hours of an entire campaign, or that review a game with reference to the historical accuracy of a scenario. There are even some videos that deal with the very basics of the genre (this is a hex, that is a counter…).
However, there seems to be a noticeable lack of game specific videos aimed at those with a growing interest in the genre. Those players who would like to explore further but that are put off by the genres reputation for long playtimes, dense rule books, and seemingly arcane iconography.
The video below is my fumbling attempt at the type of overview/how to play video that I would love to see more of.
It’s not perfect. I had sound problems, made a few mistakes when placing hit markers, and it absolutely does not cover every nuance of every rule. The video would need to be much longer to cover everything in exhaustive detail. 20+ pages of rules is still a lot of rules in my world.
What I hope it does do is give a flavour of how Battle Hymn works, of how the pieces fit together, and perhaps acts as a primer for those looking to explore further.
Thanks for watching….
