Yaah! Magazine Issue #8
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It’s our eighth issue and Brad Smith is at
the helm of the magazine as a guest-editor. We’ve got 88 pages crammed full of
gaming goodness from a diverse group of talented writers. You’ll find news on
the latest wargaming releases, a look back at some classic wargames, scenarios,
expansions, and of course, our featured game.
To start off, our feature story is an
exclusive tour of Essen by the one and only Ania B. Ziolkowska. Take a tour of
Spiel ’16 boardgaming convention to discover not only the up and coming hits
but also the hidden gems of the boardgaming world. We’ve dedicated 13 pages to
coverage of Essen in this issue. Ania takes you through a guided journey
through the halls of Messe Essen, where the world comes to show off and play
boardgames. She offers her impressions of various new and interesting games after
giving them a test run. She also lends a unique wargamer’s perspective on the
experience and value of attending the Spiel convention. This article alone
makes this issue worth the price of admission.
We also have a fantastic new featured game
by Hermann Luttman, Race to the Sea 1914. As you probably guessed from the
title, the game takes place in the early days of World War I. The Allied and
German armies in Western Europe attempt to out-maneuver their forces in a
last-ditch effort to win the war and be home by Christmas. Hermann’s dynamic
and unique rules set features a diceless, card-based combat system that oozes
narrative and tension with quick resolution and gameplay. The result is an
exciting simulation of the last mobile campaign on the western front fought in
World War I.
Norm Lunde takes a look at the recent
release of the newly redesigned and refurbished MBT from GMT. James Day’s much-loved Panzer system sets its sights
on armored warfare in West Germany between the Americans and Soviets in a
hypothetical WW3 scenario set in 1987. Norm shows off the components and talks
about how the game plays. If you’ve been curious about MBT since its
much-anticipated update was released earlier in 2016, you’ll find this article
interesting and insightful.
Other stories in our Games We Love section
are excellent too. Roger Leroux gives his personal take on his favorite game, Twilight Struggle. This is the first
part of his examination of the game and the second part will be featured in an
upcoming issue. Fred Manzo tells us how to deal with the oncoming zombie hordes
with an in-depth look at strategies for both sides in his article on Dead Reckoning. Brad Smith talks about wargaming with kids
and shows off the one particular classic he’s hoping to haul out on the table. Harpoon: Captain’s Edition is a perfect
starter game for people with children and he’s here to tell us why.
The writing talents of Deborah Malmud also
need to be mentioned here. In this issue, she brings her keen insight to bear
on two games, Don’t Tread on Me and D-Day at Peleliu. For both articles, we not only get her
impression of the games but she also provides an after-action report. You’ll
get to see how her Marines fare as they wade ashore of Peleliu in a bitter
fight against the Japanese in late 1944. You’ll also enjoy her account of the
American Revolutionary War while playing the side of the British. It’s
asymmetrical warfare – 1770s style!
While our featured game for this issue
covers the western front of World War I, Matt Foster talks about a game that
deals with the other side of the conflict. Tannenburg:
The Introductory Game uses the Der Weltkrieg system to simulate the early
battles of the war that occurred here on the Eastern Front. Matt talks about
how the rules system attempts to model the complex aspects of the battle and shows
us why this title is worth checking out.
Since Yaah!
is committed to looking at gaming as a whole, we’ve branched out a little
with the types of games we cover with this issue. Duane Woods writes about what
it’s like to come back to roleplaying after a long hiatus. He talks about his
approach to GMing a game of Star Wars:
Edge of Empire and how this structure led to some very interesting
situations for his players. Even if you’re not a roleplayer, you’ll find this
one funny and fascinating.
In our scenarios section, we have a Heroes of Normandie scenario called
Recon designed by Mark H. Walker. Norm Lunde and Brad Smith both throw down
with a scenario each for MBT. We’ve got a scenario for the GDW classic Air Superiority based on a well-loved
movie from the 1980s. There’s also a solitaire Dungeons & Dragons boardgame
scenario for The Legend of Drizzt
players.
Whew! I told you this thing was jam-packed.
Grab a copy of this as a treat for yourself or someone you like. There’s no
gaming magazine quite like Yaah!