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Author Topic: FOCUS ON..........Old School Tactical (OST)  (Read 11517 times)

bob48

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on: November 17, 2021, 03:27:58 PM
Focus On...............'Old School Tactical' (OST).


Published by Flying Pig Games and designed by Shayne Logan, OST is a series of WWII tactical games that now runs to three 'core' games and several expansions, which are as follows;

Vol.I  - Eastern Front plus 'Stalingrad' expansion.

Vol.II – Western Front with several expansions' these being as follows;
Airborne.
Ghost Front.
Phantom Division (with three small paper maps)
Pocket Battles, which is a collection os scenarios only.

Vol.III – Pacific plus 'Hell Bent' expansion.

Rumour has it that Vol.IV will be centred around the Sicily/Italian campaign and will feature British and Commonwealth forces, which I for one will greatly applaud since its largely an area that has been ignored by designers/publishers.

All the games feature huge mounted maps (the exception being three small maps included in the 'Phantom Division' expansion) and large, very nicely produced counters. All the supporting material is again extremely well produced and robust and the games come in coffee table size sturdy boxes.

I have seen it said of this, and other similar scale tactical games, that they are viewed (by some) as being 'ASL Lite', a view that I do not share at all. Personally, I tend to think of such games as being 'ASL Alternatives' but that's just me. What do I know?

I digress.

I find that the games play well, are easy to learn and flow along nicely. For additional replayablity, I would recommend Norm Smith's Campaign Rules which you can find on BGG. These are well thought out and have the additional advantage of using the full area of the gigantic maps. I can only think of one scenario with a Vol.II game that does this, which is a pity as the maps are very nice graphically.

Oh, and some Vassal mods are available, at least for Vol.II, which is the only one I have (plus expansions).

Anyroadup, as we are wont to say; we solicit your views/comment and so forth, so get cracking and lets hear it for what will be the last of our 'Focus On' series.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 04:11:38 PM by bob48 »

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #1 on: November 17, 2021, 04:04:56 PM
I know a lot of people that LOVE how the games play, but I was put off by some....   'questionable' graphic design choices.

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bob48

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Reply #2 on: November 17, 2021, 04:28:48 PM
Colour me intrigued. I'd like to hear about that  ;)

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Barthheart

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Reply #3 on: November 17, 2021, 04:41:14 PM
There is a VASSAL module for Vol. 1… I know because I did it.  ;)

Great series of games. Large counters for us blind old guys. The variable command points for activating your units and the impulse system make it easy to play double-handed solo.

They make a great addition to my ever growing tactical game collection. I, too, am eagerly awaiting the Italian campaign volume. But there is also rumours of a modern Afghan module coming… with Canadian troops!  :hug:

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bob48

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Reply #4 on: November 17, 2021, 04:45:55 PM
....just wait until you see more about 'Assault Red Horizon 41' talk about flexible scenarios and campaign rules.

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bbmike

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Reply #5 on: November 17, 2021, 08:00:02 PM
Colour me intrigued. I'd like to hear about that  ;)

+1. This ain't Band of Brothers he's talking about.  :whistle:

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bob48

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Reply #6 on: November 18, 2021, 06:09:54 AM
Exactly, Mike.

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judgedredd

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Reply #7 on: November 18, 2021, 06:17:33 AM
I played it very briefly. I did like the mechanics and I enjoyed it. I didn't like the one big map... of have preferred half a dozen or so polymorphic maps.

The components though, including the map, we're excellent.

IIRC Brant didn't like the font used...perhaps among other things but I do remember that being a thang



bob48

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Reply #8 on: November 18, 2021, 06:38:31 AM
I'm with you all the way on the maps. Small geomorphic maps would have been much better.

The ones that are included with 'Assault - Red Horizons 41' are excellent, but I'll be covering that game in a later thread and in more detail.

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mcguire

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Reply #9 on: November 18, 2021, 01:58:37 PM
IIRC Brant didn't like the font used...perhaps among other things but I do remember that being a thang

Comic Sans...you either love it or hate it.

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Barthheart

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Reply #10 on: November 18, 2021, 03:54:38 PM
IIRC Brant didn't like the font used...perhaps among other things but I do remember that being a thang

Comic Sans...you either love it or hate it.

That was Band of Brothers not OST....

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bbmike

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Reply #11 on: November 18, 2021, 07:50:14 PM
^That.

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bob48

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Reply #12 on: November 19, 2021, 07:10:43 AM
BoB - a truly excellent game totally spoiled by some really poor artwork choices. Those cartoony counters and dreadful red Soviet counters still give me nightmares.

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bbmike

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Reply #13 on: November 25, 2021, 11:17:18 AM
One of the things I really ended up liking about OST is the rulebook. It's nothing but numbers and sentences. If you have a rules question it is a simple matter to go to the Rules Index where you are pointed to the exact page and sentence number that you are looking for. No paragraphs of extra wording that could add even more confusion. I don't remember a case where just the sentence wasn't enough.

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bob48

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Reply #14 on: November 25, 2021, 11:29:59 AM
I remember having a couple of queries, but the designer answered pretty fast on BGG. Mind you, I do sometimes have a habit of over thinking rules.

“O Lord God, let me not be disgraced in my old days.”

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'