It’s December and to wargamers that means only one thing, Battle of the Bulge time!

I pulled out one of my favorites, Axis & Allies Battle of the Bulge.  Which got me thinking…why not play out the battles that occur using a combat system other than random dice.  Battle Academy was the perfect fit.  So I set up a play as you go campaign demo where I play both sides of the A&A-BB game until the point where a battle occurs.  At that time, I translate the A&A-BB figures to BA units and make a battle based on the hex terrain…then it’s a free for all in the Battle Academy community.  Players play other players then post the results.  Then one of those results is randomly determined to be the result on the board….and the game continues!  You can read more about it on the Battle Academy forums here.

For Vassal players, I did a bit of a upgrade to the existing A&A-Battle of the Bulge mod…though, it could still use some fixtures (a side board would be good etc…) but it does get the job done.  In fact, I’m using it to play out the campaign mentioned above.

While we’re on the subject, an iPad app that features Battle of the Bulge has also recently come to my attention.  Looks very interesting, too bad I don’t have an iPad  Maybe Santa will drop one on me?

Season’s Greetings to all and to all a good night!

Happy Gaming and All the Best in the New Year!

I’m a Battle Academy junky…I’ll admit it.  When I found the Mac wargame demo I instantly fell in love…it was everything (or close enough) to what I wanted in a wargame.  I played through all of the campaigns (and there are a lot!). Then when those were done, went hunting for player made stuff (really good quality for the most part) and enjoyed those too. I had intended to get into some scenario creation myself but there was just so much to play…and then I got into their multiplayer!

Slitherine has set up an excellent PBEM multiplayer server that is well supported.  There is no additional cost to multiplayer games, they are included in the purchase price (Days of Wonder take note). So I played folks from all around the world and found myself often anticipating the next turn with relish.  The game is addictive but not frustratingly so (again, Memoir ’44 Online take note).  In fact, this game provides the best combat simulation in a game that I think I’ve ever played!

While we’re on the topic of Battle Academy, Slitherine has just announced it’s plans for BA2.  Sounds like awesome is going to get even better.  East front here we come!

If you don’t know Battle Academy…see it for yourself, download the Battle Academy demo and you will not be disappointed…hope to see you on the field!

Another new scenario for Tide of Iron this time from Ray Trochim, Those Damned Engineers is set during the Battle of the Bulge. Ray (RayGuns on BGG) combines the Normandy expansion with the Fury of the Bear to bring fans a unique scenario.

A new scenario for Tide of Iron from Klaus Fritsch, Stalingrad Red House presents the chaotic mixed struggle for a fortified location in Stalingrad. Noted regular contributor Klaus Fritsch provides fans with a proven Fury of the Bear scenario.

The Red House scenario requires the standard Tide of Iron game and the Fury of the Bear expansion.

A new scenario for Tide of Iron from boersma8, Stalingrad Factory Fortress sees the Germans and the Soviets slugging it out in the streets of Stalingrad. A new offering from Willem ‘boaersma8′ Boersma for Tide of Iron fans who are looking for something new from Fury of the Bear.

Stalingrad Factory Fortress requires the standard Tide of Iron game and the Fury of the Bear expansion.

Here’s a fun 2 player game that I quickly saw campaign potential for. So I wrote up a quick campaign system for it that sets players off with the Standard class of ships that come with the game and as the scenarios progress, players can promote their ships. They also build their card decks as they go as well.

You can grab a copy of the campaign here – Battleship Galaxies Campaign.