Bookkeeping Leader

On my table: Sherman Leader

The game has been sitting there for three days. I think I need another three to finish the campaign, if I'm dedicated to it. As is usually the case with campaign games, they require your attention for several days in a row. Some of them are easy to pack up and continue when you can, but not this one.

In the Battle of the Bulge, I have to face nine different battalions (the number varies depending on the objective). The initial set up takes a very long time, so after the first battle, I'm exhausted. Before and after each battle, you have to do secretarial and administrative work too: write down how much money you have left, who is wounded, who is promoted, which units to purchase etc. This is why I was hesitant to pick it from the shelf and get started: I was basically as eager as a soldier who's been ordered to clean the toilets.

Despite my complaints, it is a pleasant, engrossing game. The ever-changing terrain is a major plus in many ways: visual appeal, variety, different difficulty. In terms of gameplay, it is a dice-chucker. But I don't see randomness as a mortal enemy, so I don't mind. The only thing that I find weird is the asymmetry of the shooting results: when you hit the Germans, they go up in flames. When the Germans hit you, your troops might get a bit 'stressed'.

But I'd better stop with my ramblings. I have battles and bookkeeping to do.