Ambush! Board Game Overview, Gameplay, and Review

An overview of Victory Game's 1983 solo WWII game Ambush! Including gameplay, and my overall thoughts.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro/Overview
02:03 - Gameplay: Movement & Paragraphs
06:39 - Gameplay: Combat
16:35 - Replayability and My Thoughts

[unexplored-games]

I apologize for forgetting the word "tension" a bunch of times and instead saying "tenseness" throughout the video.

[davidfinch]

I have a solution for the replayability problem. After you play the game, put it on your shelf in a closet, and then forget about it for 25 years; you can then play it again without any real knowledge of what happens next. That's what I did...

[TioGrassiente]

Great video. My last play was about 30 years ago. I remember playing the campaign and naming squad members after my co-workers and telling them how they did after game night.

[jonlatino]

I know its 3 years old .. but I loved it, WISH you had more on this game! Great job!

[tomfrattarelli]

I also have move out expansion. That adds so much playability. With more scenarios added you can play the game for a long long time never repeating a paragraph. Trying to find the game can be problematic. Copies come up for sale infrequently on eBay. Definitely worth the cost

[GodsPoetryProductions]

Finally someone that's teaching the game. I just got this games for the holidays with the 3 expansions. Thanks for explaining it.

[k.s.]

I had this as a kid and remember playing it a few times. Regretfully I sold it, but a friend recently lent me his and I'm brushing up on the rules atm.

[witchywoman]

The first war game I ever discovered. I went to live with an older brother for a year in Montana and having grown up in Los Angeles I was away from my friends and often bored, my brother gave me his copy of ambush and after playing all those missions as a campaign many times, I was SOLD on war games. I still have a copy of it and the only module I am missing is silver star. Great play through. Its one of my all time favorites. It was genius how this system was designed and how realistic the enemy moved and fought you. The very first time I played the first mission, 70% of my squad was butchered by an MG42 and I limped off the map in retreat with 2-3 of my squad left alive. The game always made me feel I was dropped into an old rerun of the TV show Combat with Vic Morrow. . There are a few funny easter eggs in the game, one memorable one was the sighting of a flying saucer and another was the sparrow flying across a room. LOL

[MichaelPower]

I enjoyed Ambush but only played the first three scenarios and even purchasing the follow-on games of Purple Heart, Move Out, and Silver Star. All un-played. The reason being is that I got side lined by Avalon Hill's (Classic) Squad Leader and it's three following modules. Watching your video has influenced me to return to Ambush. I was most impressed with your presentation. There are many wargame You-Tubers who do introductions who would do well in following your method.

[viddyboy]

This is great! I see you haven't posted for awhile but I hope you keep up the content. I'm interested in trying some of these older tactical war games and this was a great explanation.

[jumpmasternd.]

I have them all. We played the heck out of them in the day!!!!

[TheRedPolyhedral]

Great video of a great game. This was one of the first games I ever bought, back in the 80s. I bought Battle Hymn at the same time, so maybe you could cover that if you have it.

[dansmith]

I am just trying these games and you did a great job explaining this. I've always been curious about this game and now I have much more info. Thanks so much and keep up the great work! -Dan

[kerryguy]

I played this game through in the 1980’s. It’s probably very replayable for me now!!😉. I bought the Move Out expansion too- not sure if I finished that. I understand the other 2 expansions are quite valuable in the after market. I laughed at your “tenseness” comment but saw that you caught that too!!

[jonaskissling]

Hey thats funny, I just took out Ambush and Cruel Necessity, reading the rules again after YEARS and now I find your new Channel. Good to see a new Solo Gamer.
Do you have Pax Pamir, it has one of my favourite Solo Modes! See you, cheers!

[jonathancharlesworth]

Great video. If I recall correctly a similar system to 'Open Fire', which I bought rather than this one.

[Blutgang]

I have that one from when it was new. Im a old gamer. 🙂

[JavierGonzalez-jvue]

Best Regards, I like the system of Mosby's Raiders and I wonder... if are there any wargames with hexes that have a similar system?
When I say wargame I mean that the player should have more than one counter and the scale of the wargame should not be very large. Whether it is solitaire or not is not important, thank you very much.

[bamaretiredgruntscottb.]

Didn't enjoy what I saw of it. Vague here, detailed there, when it should have been reversed. It needed some work before putting it out, just my opinion. I tried to listen, then skip ahead and it was more of the same.