A great list (as always) — I have a couple you mentioned (1775 from the Top 10, and a few of the honorable mentions), and this will help me to focus my purchases in the coming years as my son gets older and more interested in such games. We play Memoir 44 frequently (was surprised it wasn't an honorable mention, at least). Axis and Allies, will be appearing under the tree this Christmas. I seem to recall you having a very positive review of Hannibal & Hamilcar some time ago — glad to see that it still is one of your favorites — that'll probably be my next Historical Wargame purchase. I saw in the comments you will be graduating next summer — congratulations.
TY Cody! Happy to see my favorite (CCNapoleonics) in your third place and my beloved 1775 in second place! Luckily for you we do not live close because I would invade your home with my full CCN collection, armies, Epic and Grand Battle boards! About your #1 Friedrich and has you have good taste: I will study this game with interest for sure!
First of your videos for me. I was a hardcore AH gamer from1970 through about 1985. My favorites are ASL and Hitler's War. The only game that I kept from back then is Up Front! It's a pretty fun card game from AH that's built in Modules like ASL and gets progressively more complicated but the base level is easy and fun.
I was nervous when you mentioned light wargames as I prefer heavier ones, but this was a good list with some top games. Friedrich & Command & Colors are both excellent.
You might hate ASL (we all do, as it is too complicated) but to not even know of the Basic Squad Leader only shows you are ignorant of the older good wargames. All your selections say that you were born too late to really know many good old war games from the "golden age of war-games" Only thing I see about your selections of "newer" GMT war games is they include card luck , which throws games more than dice luck 3 games, no excuse not to know the first 2
1. Squad Leader by Avalon Hill, is the best historic wargame ever made of tactical WWII combat, (screw ASL it is the tombstone of a great earlier game) , Squad Leader with the first expansion (Cross of Iron ) – I will tell you this-, no better wargame has been made ASL? LOL a byzantine mess of rules(a totality of the original SL 4 expansions-over 300 pages of rules/errata /changes by then) compared to the original, shoot anybody who thinks ASL was an improvement or even close to the original great war-game.
2, Gettysburg by Avalon Hill (the intermediate level is great,), the advanced level is way too involved (like ASL) and something that complicated was done much better in Sid Meyers Civil War computer game), which I still think has the best AI too. But try Intermediate rules AH -Gettysburg. Awesome game
3. I suggest Richtofen's War as well, simple air war combat, but very intricate, try it
My top 3 , I am much more "old school" obviously
Honorable mentions Ironclads by Yaquinto. Panzer Leader, Alexander and Midway all by AH deserve some mention too.
Yea, I am not upset, I am much more sad that so many new people really don't know the good real wargames.
I'm curious whether you've tried any of GMT's COIN series, and they just haven't made your list, or if you haven't tried them yet. If you haven't, they bring an interesting added dimension to wargaming.
Thanks for making this list! Love seeing Tide of Iron in your list. Really a shame it does not get more recognition. Has enough tactical decisions to reward sound play but is more accessible than the heavier weight counterparts. Keep up the good work!
Great list! I'm waiting for my copy of Hannibal and Hamilcar to arrive – I'm glad it made the cut. Keep up the great work, really hope your channel continues to grow.
I was glad to see that my favorite, A House Divided, at least got an honorable mention. A House Divided is a great game with no blocks and no cards. The system is very "clean." You can easily make your own scenarios.
Great video as always. I don't have any of these games. Which is fine. It's all good. Block games just do not appeal to me. Games with too many cards, you might as well be playing hearts or Canasta or Yu-Gi-Oh. 1. Kingmaker, 2. P.B./P.L./AIW, 3. Air Assault Crete/Malta/Cyprus, 4. D-Day, 5. Just about everything else from Avalon Hill (tie). Honorable mention: Holland '44, Race to the Meuse, White Death, Lion of Ethiopia, Victory in the West(all 3 games). Also: 27 games I have not played yet.
When can we expect the fantastic version of this list? I loved the recommendations here, and would love to see the similar for the more fantasy/sci-fi. 😁
I so need to get a copy of Undaunted! It's one I've been eyeing for a while. Deckbuilding, WW2, and tactical combat… yes please! I haven't played any of the games on your list. I don't own many wargames but my top wargames would be Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear 2nd edition, Combat Commander: Europe (just played and it's amazing), and Thunderbolt: Apache Leader. Honorable mention would be Warfighter WW2 and Memoir' 44.
Could not agree more re Friedrich at the top. The Cards of Fate end game play is brilliant. Surprisingly easy to grasp for such a complex game. Lost my first game to my friend Matthew over at Gary's place but not by much. Immediately hooked. Re The Seven Years War, big fan of Volko Ruhnke's Wilderness War (GMT). Tight, clear rulebook, endless replay value. Friends with developer Rob Winslow, went to middle school with Volko. Small world.
As a relative newbe to this kind of board game except for Risk would you recommend the original Axis and Allies or one of the numerous new versions? Or maybe Tide of Iron? Looking for two ppl and not crazily complicated rules. Thanks
Glad to see Tide of Iron. Excellent balance of realism and ease of play. The decks of cards, while secondary, add a lot. I even adapted TOI to my GHQ miniatures and hexes. Sad that the company eased production. (I managed to get everything from dwindling supply out there.)
What an interesting list!!! Axis and Allies looks great, as does Tide of Iron! The closest I've probably come to playing historical Wargames is Risk. Gonna do some research on some of those other abstract games like Fields of Despair and Hannibal & Hamilcar, and try to see if you've done your other list of Sci-fi/fantasy Wargames. Totally worth the watch!
It's really too bad that Games Workshop™ decided to neglect Warhammer Historical and ultimately disassociate itself from that system. We still use it to field Mediaeval and Ancient armies to stage battles.
I’m surprised that I liked this list after you said you didn’t like the more complex games and mentioned axis and allies to start. But ya great list, I would have put Julius Ceasar #1. Only one I didn’t like was tide of iron.
Hello from Austin, Tx. I have very fond memories of Axis and Allies as well. It was the first serious board game I played way back in middle school. As for recent favorites, big fan of Warfighter WWII from DVG and the American Revolution, a Command and Colors game from Compass games.
It would be really good if you did a video for "favorite war games for more than 2 players". I rarely have just one person over and would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Another great video. I only disagree with Undaunted. Bought it when it came out and hated it. Otherwise I can’t wait to try some of the others. Thanks again!
Looks great, but the Sekigahara should be part of the top 10 in my opinion as I prefer the card driven battle instead of dice much more.
Hannibal is also good with the card driven battle but the length is way too long for me…..
Why not Combat Commander: Europe? Not light enough?
You're the fucking best Cody!
A great list (as always) — I have a couple you mentioned (1775 from the Top 10, and a few of the honorable mentions), and this will help me to focus my purchases in the coming years as my son gets older and more interested in such games. We play Memoir 44 frequently (was surprised it wasn't an honorable mention, at least). Axis and Allies, will be appearing under the tree this Christmas. I seem to recall you having a very positive review of Hannibal & Hamilcar some time ago — glad to see that it still is one of your favorites — that'll probably be my next Historical Wargame purchase. I saw in the comments you will be graduating next summer — congratulations.
Where do you live in Texas? I live in Austin and would love to meet and/or throw some dice with you. Whitney Milam
Great video!
Keep an eye out for an Age of Napoleon reprint with refined rules in the next year
TY Cody!
Happy to see my favorite (CCNapoleonics) in your third place and my beloved 1775 in second place!
Luckily for you we do not live close because I would invade your home with my full CCN collection, armies, Epic and Grand Battle boards!
About your #1 Friedrich and has you have good taste: I will study this game with interest for sure!
Good set of recommendations!
First of your videos for me. I was a hardcore AH gamer from1970 through about 1985. My favorites are ASL and Hitler's War. The only game that I kept from back then is Up Front! It's a pretty fun card game from AH that's built in Modules like ASL and gets progressively more complicated but the base level is easy and fun.
No love for Empires in Arms? Best Napoleonic era wargame EVAH!
If you like Friedrich, you have to check out Maria by the same author. It’s a very similar game but tighter and balanced in a really neat way
I was nervous when you mentioned light wargames as I prefer heavier ones, but this was a good list with some top games. Friedrich & Command & Colors are both excellent.
You might hate ASL (we all do, as it is too complicated) but to not even know of the Basic Squad Leader only shows you are ignorant of the older good wargames.
All your selections say that you were born too late to really know many good old war games from the "golden age of war-games"
Only thing I see about your selections of "newer" GMT war games is they include card luck , which throws games more than dice luck
3 games, no excuse not to know the first 2
1. Squad Leader by Avalon Hill, is the best historic wargame ever made of tactical WWII combat, (screw ASL it is the tombstone of a great earlier game) , Squad Leader with the first expansion (Cross of Iron ) – I will tell you this-, no better wargame has been made ASL? LOL a byzantine mess of rules(a totality of the original SL 4 expansions-over 300 pages of rules/errata /changes by then) compared to the original, shoot anybody who thinks ASL was an improvement or even close to the original great war-game.
2, Gettysburg by Avalon Hill (the intermediate level is great,), the advanced level is way too involved (like ASL) and something that complicated was done much better in Sid Meyers Civil War computer game), which I still think has the best AI too. But try Intermediate rules AH -Gettysburg. Awesome game
3. I suggest Richtofen's War as well, simple air war combat, but very intricate, try it
My top 3 , I am much more "old school" obviously
Honorable mentions
Ironclads by Yaquinto. Panzer Leader, Alexander and Midway all by AH deserve some mention too.
Yea, I am not upset, I am much more sad that so many new people really don't know the good real wargames.
I'm curious whether you've tried any of GMT's COIN series, and they just haven't made your list, or if you haven't tried them yet. If you haven't, they bring an interesting added dimension to wargaming.
Thanks for making this list! Love seeing Tide of Iron in your list. Really a shame it does not get more recognition. Has enough tactical decisions to reward sound play but is more accessible than the heavier weight counterparts. Keep up the good work!
Great list! I'm waiting for my copy of Hannibal and Hamilcar to arrive – I'm glad it made the cut. Keep up the great work, really hope your channel continues to grow.
Great list Cody ! There is a bit of sound noise at the beginning but audible, just fyi
I'm also in Texas. We just moved to a small town near Abilene.
I was glad to see that my favorite, A House Divided, at least got an honorable mention. A House Divided is a great game with no blocks and no cards. The system is very "clean." You can easily make your own scenarios.
Are there any more or less recent wargames about Ancient China?
Great video as always.
I don't have any of these games.
Which is fine. It's all good.
Block games just do not appeal to me. Games with too many cards, you might as well be playing hearts or Canasta or Yu-Gi-Oh.
1. Kingmaker, 2. P.B./P.L./AIW, 3. Air Assault Crete/Malta/Cyprus, 4. D-Day, 5. Just about everything else from Avalon Hill (tie).
Honorable mention: Holland '44, Race to the Meuse, White Death, Lion of Ethiopia, Victory in the West(all 3 games). Also: 27 games I have not played yet.
If you are into the logistics thing, have you tried Nevsky: Teutons and Rus in Collision?
When can we expect the fantastic version of this list? I loved the recommendations here, and would love to see the similar for the more fantasy/sci-fi. 😁
Great list sir!
I so need to get a copy of Undaunted! It's one I've been eyeing for a while. Deckbuilding, WW2, and tactical combat… yes please! I haven't played any of the games on your list. I don't own many wargames but my top wargames would be Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear 2nd edition, Combat Commander: Europe (just played and it's amazing), and Thunderbolt: Apache Leader. Honorable mention would be Warfighter WW2 and Memoir' 44.
these arent wargames wargames are panzerblitz. squad leader he might have just listed monoply as awar game what joke
yaaaaawwwwww
Good gawd, you are sooo full of yourself! Have no time for you, but ty for your work.
Could not agree more re Friedrich at the top. The Cards of Fate end game play is brilliant. Surprisingly easy to grasp for such a complex game. Lost my first game to my friend Matthew over at Gary's place but not by much. Immediately hooked. Re The Seven Years War, big fan of Volko Ruhnke's Wilderness War (GMT). Tight, clear rulebook, endless replay value. Friends with developer Rob Winslow, went to middle school with Volko. Small world.
As a relative newbe to this kind of board game except for Risk would you recommend the original Axis and Allies or one of the numerous new versions? Or maybe Tide of Iron? Looking for two ppl and not crazily complicated rules. Thanks
Conflict of Heroes???? No?
Useful info on the games, thanks. I'm new to most of these so appreciate the previews.
Glad to see Tide of Iron. Excellent balance of realism and ease of play. The decks of cards, while secondary, add a lot. I even adapted TOI to my GHQ miniatures and hexes. Sad that the company eased production. (I managed to get everything from dwindling supply out there.)
Friedrich sounds amazing. Will check it out.
Thank you.
What an interesting list!!! Axis and Allies looks great, as does Tide of Iron! The closest I've probably come to playing historical Wargames is Risk. Gonna do some research on some of those other abstract games like Fields of Despair and Hannibal & Hamilcar, and try to see if you've done your other list of Sci-fi/fantasy Wargames. Totally worth the watch!
Axis and Allies best all time ever. Totally started me on boardgames. It's simplicity still holds up today.
It's really too bad that Games Workshop™ decided to neglect Warhammer Historical and ultimately disassociate itself from that system.
We still use it to field Mediaeval and Ancient armies to stage battles.
Cody, Keep it up!
My first impression seeing Axis and Allies – why Warsaw is in Lithuania? 🙂
I’m surprised that I liked this list after you said you didn’t like the more complex games and mentioned axis and allies to start. But ya great list, I would have put Julius Ceasar #1. Only one I didn’t like was tide of iron.
Why do you prefer over 1775 over 1812 or 878? Is is the theme or is there something better about the gameplay? ty
Hello from Austin, Tx. I have very fond memories of Axis and Allies as well. It was the first serious board game I played way back in middle school. As for recent favorites, big fan of Warfighter WWII from DVG and the American Revolution, a Command and Colors game from Compass games.
Why are these games so expensive and hard to get
It would be really good if you did a video for "favorite war games for more than 2 players". I rarely have just one person over and would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Love Undaunted North Africa
So no The Campaign for North Africa: The Desert War 1940-43?
Hi Cody, May I ask where you could find these games? I guess amazon and the like yes?
Another great video. I only disagree with Undaunted. Bought it when it came out and hated it. Otherwise I can’t wait to try some of the others. Thanks again!
Whaaaaat? #1 is NOT "War Room"!!!???? I am floored. LOL
No Memoir 44? So sad…