"Warlord Games' Vanguard: Normandy board game with Epic minis" Topic

Warlord Games has certainly been busy lately with their recent preview announcements (this screenshot from the new KickStarter notification page for their Vanguard: Normandy board game).

I've added the underlining above – so Epic – could/should it be assumed that this dials-in around 13.5mm-ish for infantry figure height (close to 1/44th scale then for WWII units and/or vehicles)?

Are we seeing previewed an actual [commercial] 3D board game system here for WW2 (maybe even at a 'Tactical' battle scale)?

We shall see……..

Interesting. Maybe Memoir 44-ish but without the card draw?

…Moving at the speed of an FT-17…we have time to finish our beer and have a brat!

79th, good speculation – and maybe it'll come down to how many epic-scale minis are to be sold, or campaign books are projected?

If they're wanting to sell new figs and minis, they might need more tactical game play to service that requisite, but like Memoir '44, that could snag them something like the 20 theater packs/board set$ Days Of Wonder released too.

Tom, it might be more like that Tiger advancing, but certainly time for popcorn too! :)))

without the card draw?

It uses the bolt action dice draw mechanic apparently

If price is an example, the new "epic scale" Warlord Punic Wars game starter box is $384. USD

Oh joy, another game scale.

Found this pic of the prototype tested at Essen's Speil 2023 -

From the BGG Spiel [re]con report (pic there may be zoomed for better detail) -

link

Are we seeing ammo box and fuel can 'objectives' on the board?

But I already own Memoir '44…

starter box is $384 USD

That's two complete armies so more than a starter box..

I'm in for $152 USD which is one army.

The $384.00 USD starter box is also well over 3,000 figures with bases, as well as a rule book, etc.

From the picture above it looks like a Sherman on a hex base in the box in grey plastic. Hard to be exact, but I would say looks more 6mm than 12mm.

Friend Chris K., who is a History Prof., and tour guide for Smithsonian Journeys, and has been in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, sent this pic from Warlord's display of the Vanguard game (who were present there at one of the museums during the event celebrations). He got permission to pass on this photo of the game back to our group, and with his short impression/recollections about it, from a brief 5-minute discussion -

"The is 1/4 of the map, they did not have room to spread out the entire map. 

From the brief explanation, the game uses cards for the capabilities of units, but I don't think it is card driven.
You do start out with relatively small forces, and you add to them by capturing objectives, like fuel and ammo, represented by the tokens." 

I tried getting my friends interested in Axis & Allies Minis and that didn't go over well. Too small they said (15mm scale). Too big for a board game, too small for tabletop minis gaming.

This looks like Memoir '44 to me, and that was a great board game. Loved the card driven nature of it. Made every game a challenge. Simple, beer & pretzels sort of thing.

This new game does not check off any boxes for me. The hex board looks garish, the minis way, way to small, and of course, it is aimed at late war (as can be seen by the selection of vehicles). Hope others like it, but it's already a pass for me.

I think we're getting more details pre-K-Starter launch here, to whether this offers wider interest for gamers.

On that note, everyone should be urged to make their decisions on any gaming product based on their own, personal best interests.

I do take issue with the post above about this being aimed at "late war" as somehow that being a criticism, as if the Allied Invasion of NW Europe in 1944 could be viewed a fringe theater of operation for basing games on. Actually, the minis I see pictured, represent AFV types fully operational from 1943 onwards – so in that regard, these are mid-War mainstream equipment that could be seen deployed also for the Invasion of Sicily, and then onto the Italian mainland too.

Not a slam against those who prefer to game Normandy and beyond. But I am personally interested in early war. I like the rivets, and the fact that tanks are not over-powerful beasts. I like the variety (Poles, Norwegians, Greeks, French, Belgian) to go along with the Italians (more rivets) and Russians.

I will game any portion of WWII, but I only purchase and pursue with my own $$$ early war games.

So when I say it appears not to check ANY boxes for me, that means not even my interest in early war got a check. I might be able to tolerate the garish board (to my eyes) and the too small minis (again, to my eyes). But I won't drop a dime on something aimed exclusively at late war.

I hope Warlord are successful with this game. It's simply not one aimed to pull me in.

Oh … one final thought. Early War ends for me in Winter 1941. By spring of 1942 you enter Mid-War, which lasts up until D-Day, after which you are now in Late War.

I respect your discipline SG, as I'm all over WWII, and other historical periods in too many scales also.

Now of course we're talkin' Warlord Games here – so the purveyors of add-on sets, campaign books….etc….

Who knows, maybe those Rivet War period add-ons are already being planned, and perhaps so before we all go blind in time. ;)

The campaign is now live, and they posted that the minis are not to any particular scale. They went with "what looks good" as a gaming piece.

This campaign is US versus Germans. They will ultimately have 4 forces, but that will still be two different US versus 2 different German.

They say if the campaign does well, they will expand into British and other nations, and will explore other theaters like Africa and East Front.

Still not for me, but I wish them well.