"First solo game of Altar of Freedom" Topic

Over the last few nights I have been playing a solo game of AoF. I used the OOB from First Manassas scenario but on a fictional battlefield as I didn't want my knowledge of the actual battle to influence my tactics. To allow me to generate semi random bids I used an excel spreadsheet to generate McDowell's priority bids.

My AAR and on some thoughts on the rule mechanisms are on my blog. Drop by and leave a comment or even just a hello.

link

Nicely reviewed – thanks

Terrific game prep and presentation for a solo rules-run-through Elenderil (better than some team games I've seen come out of my local area at times)….."Small but Perfectly Formed" seems very appropriate. ;)

I like your thoughts on the difference between tactical scenario gaming, and what is the gist of grand tactical rulesets – in my words – "shootups" vs. "command decision games". There's a whole realm of tactical minutiae that is off-loaded when playing grand-tactical/strategic level games, minutiae which is the very essence and materiel of lower-level gaming. Both game levels are enjoyable of course, but they are meant to be different for a reason.

As an aside, we play a grand-tactical blend of WW2 rules in our area modified from the Tank On Tank board game – and guys have often struggled in adapting to them – they're wanting to play their commands as if they're playing within a single scenario or encounter space (so seeing only the trees despite the forest so to speak). ;)

Again Elenderil, nice AAR and review!

Nice report!

Joe

Thanks for all the kind words guys.

Superb write-up. I have Altar of Freedom and there are some aspects that I rather enjoy and others that annoy me (sometimes it feels too much like DBA, don't like the bidding system). I'm working on rules that amalgamate AoF and Big Bloody Battles with some further additions. Your woods are spectacular. How did you make them?

My woods are a variation on those shown on the AoF webpage. I cut a base shape for the woods using a flexible rubbery sheet I get from Hobbycraft here in the U.K. I duplicate this in felt to have a foot print that shows where the canopy sits if I have to lift it. I use clump foliage from woodlands scenics glued to the rubber sheet. If I want to create extra height I use tightly scrunched up aluminium kitchen foil to create a bit of height on the base (at the expense of some flexibility). The trick of it is to use bush size clump foliage. It's more work but it looks far better. Lastly I glue more foliage on the edge of the underside and in any gaps between that and the top of the canopy. That lifts the canopy and creates the illusion of the foliage going down to meet the underbrush. If needed I place small blocks of balsa under the canopy but for 2mm games I don't bother.

And I have finally put a blog post up on exactly how I made the woods.

fantastic! thank you for sharing.