Blitzkrieg Commander 3rd Edition

BREAKING NEWS ON BLITZKRIEG COMMANDER –
Seconds after posting the piece below, we discovered the publishers have pulled Blitzkrieg Commander 3! Here’s the news in full -http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,16006.0.html

Note: The text below is the transcript of our unboxing video (for those who would rather read than listen).

Now in it’s third edition, the Blitzkrieg Commander rulebook offers gamers the opportunity to put World War Two on the tabletop from 2mm all the way up to 28mm. This latest edition sees some additional rules development and a few tweaks that add to the experience.

The rules haven’t seen any major changes but are clearly laid out, with plenty of explanation of core concepts, basing, and clear examples of gameplay, from the issue of Line of Sight up to a typical firing phase.

The rules also cover the different aspects of combat in World War Two, from close assault up to support from off-table assets and even bridging and other engineering concerns. This comprehensive approach means that there should be fewer surprises when playing a game – pretty much every option is covered. The actual rules are easy to absorb and relatively short.

There are a number of fairly standard scenarios included in the book, all of which are clearly and simply laid out with deployment advice and options. They are very accessible and could be undertaken with forces of varied sizes.

By far the largest section in the book is the army lists, which are again clearly laid out. As well as including lists for both Axis and Allied formations, there are details of the forces for some of the more obscure parts of the war. The book also covers the early, middle and later stages of the war for each nation and provides lists for some of the smaller nations that contributed troops to fight on various fronts. Although simplistic, these lists provide the gamer with a simple reference to create armies of their choice – they are flexible rather than being prescriptive.

Although this is the latest iteration of a rules system that has been around for a while, there are a number of refinements. The clarity of the layout and examples really aid in understanding the gameplay. In addition, the inclusion of so many useful, clear army lists encompassing every aspect of World War Two is a real bonus. There is very little on the history of the war, with the rules and gameplay being highlighted. This is a shame, as it doesn’t encourage the new gamer to find out more. However, if you’re looking for a set of rules that can provide a ‘one stop’ WW2 gaming experience, all in one volume, this may be the set for you.