TDG: Cody's Top Ten Hex & Counter Wargames (December 2024)

Join Cody as he looks at his Top Ten Hex & Counter Wargames of all time.

[hermannluttmann]

Wow, Cody! I am so honored - thank you so much for putting Vive L'Empereur on your list! I can't tell you how much that means to me and I appreciate your kind words. The plan is to do Borodino next for this system and it's just a matter of finding the time to get working on it, but it will be soon. Thanks again!

[moellerc]

So pleased and humbled, Cody. May your crits always be confirmed ;). -Chris

[princepsgames]

I am honored that 'Freezing Inferno' is on the list! 😊 This is such a great company! Thank you Cody!!

[craigwheller]

Definitely Starfleet Battles, O.G.R.E. and the granddaddy Panzerblitz from Avalon Hill

[michaelboyd]

Great list Cody! Burning Banners is indeed excellent! And so is Vive le'Empereur along with everything Hermann Luttmann does. It's awesome to see both Chris Moeller and Hermann, honestly my two favorite designers, recognized and posting as well! I'm super torn between Tattered Flags, Into the Whirlpool and Burning Banners as my game of the year choice. Both are really just beyond fantastic!

[davidhouston]

After hearing what you like, I think there are 2 games you might like, 1st - East Front, a game that has command and control, and the fog of war, 2nd - Avalon Hill's Anzio, A simple game, but no other game even comes close to portraying the grind, tension and attrition of the Italian campaign.

[Panzersonor]

Glad to see the imperial stars love. It’s such a fantastic game!

[douglaspearson]

My favorites are an old guy picks as I like what I have and can't afford new due to space. No order I still like Avalon Hill Afrika Korps still play. Small counter quantites, 4 page rules, whats not to like, Its aa simple & fast game to get into. Yet a lot of strategy. Easy to play soitaire (you play both sides) love it. Games that I rate the same are the No Retreat series Italy, Africa and Russia. Columbia East, West, Euro, Med, Volga Front games. Then there is Three games I like on cmplexity levels Memoir 44 easy, Advanced Squad Leader complex and Tide of Iron in the middle. though you might consider Memoir & TOI card games.

[MarkCMG]

Thanks for the video! Excellent parameters and some strong choices. I've heard good things about burning banners but had not heard of Space Empires. I love Medieval Fantasy wargames like Divine Right and also love 4X games like Xia Legends of a Drift System, so I will check out both of those on your recommendation. Thank you, again.

[Suprsim]

Cody my man, you definitely need to try and review Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945. It has unique mechanics, great combat, excellent strategy, exciting cards... I can't say enough good things about it. Easily my game of the year, one of my top games of all time, especially for 1v1.

[Phalanx]

Third Reich, Squad Leader, Fortress Europa...these are the elite board wargaames.

[-RTC-]

Love the updated list! For your #2, I highly recommend playing it 2v2, it is something amazing.

I’m definitely going to check out your #1, it looks amazing.

[billchristian]

Burning Banners! Totally agree with you ranking it #1. Now if I could only find some willing players for it!

[eatingweevils]

I quite liked Long Range Recon Patrol: a solitaire Vietnam hex wargame by Mike Lambo. It helped pass the time when travelling on a nightmare snail pace train to Liverpool.
But my all time favourite is Squad Leader (AH) I saved up ages when was in my early teens to buy Squad Leader I was not disappointed when I got it
Burning Banners: Rage of the Witch Queen looks a fantastic game ( I will have to investigate further)

[dalerobinson]

At 6:20 you mention that tanks point at the vertex (plural: vertices) and that you'd not seen that before. The old Squad Leader does this. Narrows the front arc but reduces movement to a back-and-forth crablike affair. Thanks for the reviews, especially Vive L'Empereur! Seriously thinking of getting it.

[chucklestheclown]

I was an Avalon Hill bigot, Panzer Leader, Panzer Blitz and Arab Israeli Wars. Dang, I never knew of these other brand names! Thanks!

[catunfit]

I enjoyed playing Salerno 43 too! My first experience with Italian theatre WW2.

[jpro]

As soon as you started to describe your number one I knew it was Burning banners lol! I have avoided it due to my solitary existence on a desert Island, Wilson doesn't count unfortunately. Have steered clear of Freezing Inferno thus far as I am not completely sold on it's solitaire play. Great selections however!

[mikeadams]

Everyone will have their biases, but I am REALLY disappointed that there was no mention of PanzerBlitz. At 50+ years old, it is still fun to play and was the inspiration for so many later games. Maybe a second Top Ten would be fun, ‘Games that Innovated a Genre”.

[GaveMeGrace]

The first game I thought of was O.G.R.E. (Wish I still had my Micro Games edition before being renamed Steve Jackson Games). StarFleet Battles takes my second to come to mind. I think your Sci-Fi X pick may outdo Dark Stars... and then there’s Melee and Wizard from Micro Games too. Thank you.