Want to try Minis but not sure where to start.

Is anybody using VASSAL to play A&A Minis online?

I know playing the board games is widely popular here but I’m wondering if I could spark some interest in play minis via a tool like VASSAL. We have the dice roller and the dice bot on the new forum is almost done. All we would need is a tool and some interest. Maybe a tournament?

Yea, that’s the hard part about boosters, you live and die by them…at least I do.

@Cinefyl:

do I NEED a starter/base set to get the rules for a particular flavor (Task Force, Flank, Zebra, etc.) Does a base/starter set have enough pieces and parts to let us actually get started (even on a limited scale) to give it a test run without spending major $$$

Thanks!

You don’t need a starter or base set to play if you download the rules.  Each domain (land, War at Sea, and Angels 20/Bandits High) is independent and incompatible with the others.  Within each domain, all sets are completely compatible and no set is necessarily better than another.  The exception is perhaps with the land based game.  In the first four sets the vehicles were not always to scale.  Players call them version 1 or V1.  From the set 1939-1945 and thereafter, the vehicles were much more to scale.  We call them version 2 or V2.  Many, but not all of the vehicles were then reissued.  Many of the soldiers were as well, but they are essentially identical.

The starters have barely enough to get started.  I highly recommend buying some boosters or used collections on eBay.  Btw, I have a few extra unopened 1939-1945 (land game) starter sets and a number of War at Sea boosters:

Flank Speed, x1 booster
Condition Zebra, x1 booster
Set V, x1 booster
Surface Action, x19 boosters

PM for more info if interested.  Good luck and have fun!

If you want a map, on trollandtoad they have random maps for $3.50 apiece, I’m no0t completely sure if you’re asking this because you don’t have a  map or just want to play without one……

Most cards that come with the units for both versions (1 & 2) have been revised.  Print the revised cards and everthing is playable together.

A good amount of units from version 1 have been re-released in version 2.  There was no scale for vehicles in V1, some units are almost the same as V2, some are wayyyyyy smaller.

V2 has bigger hexes to hold the larger size vehicles but both version’s maps work.

There are several different rules, I suggest to print the new ones, they are alot different.

DK is taking over the maintanance of the A&A Mini modules.  That should give me time to contribute the occasional unit graphic, work on other modules like maybe WAS, and work on feature-related items within MapView like clearing dice icons.

Thanks Der Kommander for taking this on!

I guess my challenge would be getting used to those maps again.

I was thinking of lettered columns and numbered rows, like battleship. Use the facing as described above. Counting movements should not be a prob. I think a code chart for unit shorthand would be wise too, to speed the play.

In reality, it was preferential to have infantry in front of the armor.  In most historical cases, sending armor ahead of infantry resulted in the armor getting devastated by anti-tank fire.  Being inside an armored vehicle, one couldn’t hear the enemy and certainly had a hard time seeing small units that were waiting to ambush.

Possible solution: It would be best if you were using a hex map with numbered hexes (like battletech).  Both sides can write on paper where they are deploying their units.  When a player wishes to move a unit, the unit is revealed starting in the hex it began in.  If a player uses the unit to fire it is revealed.  This way, if your opponent rushed armor onto the battlefield then they would suffer the risk of taking anti-tank fire from a very close range, and that would mimic reality.  Perhaps enemy positions could be revealed when you’ve moved one of your units into an adjacent hex.

Ambushing is such a basic element of ground battle and I regret that it wasn’t included in the rules.  I guess thats what house rules are for.