Opponents Wanted

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Another new feature for Grognard.com, "Opponents Wanted" provides a quick and easy way to locate gaming opponents with similar gaming preferences. Requires site registration. Grognard.com Opponents Wanted



Spotlight Articles

Outstanding articles that are not necessarily linked to one particular game, but may have broad appeal to gamers.

Battles of Heraclea Lyncestis, 219 BC and Emporiae, 218 BC (Med Campaign 9)

Spotlight Article Graphic

"Reports are in of a battle in northern Macedon between the invading Illyrians and a force scrambled together to meet them...". Prufrock continues with two more nicely photographed AARs in the ongoing Med Campaign! "...in Nearer Spain, Proconsul Aaronius Dubius Scipio Calvus, having landed a force near Emporiae, was engaged by an alliance of indomitable Iberian tribes...".

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/9/2025


My pre-orders analysis – what is new and coming!

Spotlight Article Graphic

Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, covers his current game preorders, and why he is anxiously awaiting them. See which game has him commenting that "...we are getting so many new elements – from graphical representation, to add-ons and optional rules – that this it will be a great, refreshing comeback to fantastic classic!"

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/6/2025


My Top Solitaire Wargames: New Designs and All-Time Classics

Spotlight Article Graphic

Michal, in The Boardgames Chronicle, reveals his favorite recent and all time solitaire classics. Check out the game he describes as "...probably the best small units combat simulation ever created, which has fantastic planning phase and unfolds completely differently each time.", and the one that challenges you to "...harness a brilliant mind, titanic energies, and a sometimes terrifying charisma to leave your mark on history?"

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 6/4/2025


Soviet 12mm WWII Pocket Army

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"My second WWII Pocket Army is now complete..."! Norm Smith, in Battlefields & Warriors, brings us a Pocket Army update pictorial.

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 5/26/2025


The Battle of the Sacred Grove (Med Campaign 5)

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"Upon sighting the lead elements of Roman forces, being the swift-moving Equites and Velites, this mass of warriors descended from the heights to fall upon Regulus’s army." Prufrock brings us a nicely photographed Roman/Barbarian minatures clash set in 225 BC. How do the Romans fare, while already engaged, when "...a large body of the Boii tribe arrived to the north, moving southwestward towards the ridge, aiming to bolster their colleagues..."?

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 5/21/2025


Grant’s Top 10 Solitaire Wargames of 2024!

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Grant Kleinhenz, in The Players' Aid, offers an intriguing list of solitaire games from last year. See which one had him commenting "...I was very much intrigued by the concept but more importantly about how this game planned to do just that."

Poster: Doug Holt
Post Date: 5/7/2025


Historicon 2025

Spotlight Article Graphic

Historical Miniatures Gaming Society July 16-20, 2025. Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster, PA. Hundreds of tabletop miniatures games for you to participate in; tournaments; hobby classes; lectures; a board game library; and over 60 hobby-related vendors.

Poster: Robert Holifield
Post Date: 4/29/2025


More Spotlight articles...


Gaming Conventions

Gaming Conventions

Another new feature for Grognard.com, the Gaming Convention calendar will make it a snap to keep up with all the latest gaming conventions in your area. But we need your gaming convention information, so please contribute.



Grognard News

Grognard Challenge - Expanded Room for Comments! (6/25/2023)

The Comments entry area has been resized to 512 characters.

Grognard Originals

In addition to our links to great content all around the internet, expect to see more Grognard.com "originals" in the future.

Malaya (v2.5) War Game Review

Pat La Pella reviews this post-card sized game and its computer editions. Can the UK Commonwealth prevent the Japanese from occupying Singapore in 1941?

Malaya Player Aid (pdf)

Pat La Pella created this player aid to clarify special movement rules for the Japanese player for Amphibious Movement and Reinforcement beach landing hexes. Computer versions of the game show eligible hexes automatically when the Japanese player selects a unit for movement.

PE TANG 1900 Q&A with Marco Campari

Some Q & A between myself and Marco Campari, designer of Pe Tang 1900 from Lumaca Games.

PE TANG 1900 Strategy Tips

This is the strategy I developed after playing Pe Tang 1900 from Lumaca Games.

More Grognard Originals...


Grognard Challenge

Latest Challenge

Have a look at the graphics for the latest Challenge and see past solutions and contest winners.

Recommended (archives)

Wargaming - General Info

Board Wargames

Miniatures Wargames

Computer Wargames

Academic Gaming

Board Games

Internet Based/PBEM Games

Individual Wargamer Blogs

Wargaming Magazines

Asst Software/Player Aides

In Memoriam

Grognards Lost


A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z '-9

Game: Tactics II



(t255)
 
 




Publisher: Avalon Hill
Game Type: Board
Designer(s): Charles S. Roberts
Search for this and related games with Noble Knight


Description:


Land battle on abstract map without hexes. Individual counters based on unit type and strength. Precursor to hex and counter war games.


Articles


Article ID
Pub Date
Article Description
Source
50
Date: 7/22/2025
Poster: Pat L.
How To Play: Nieuchess (video)

The Name of the Game discusses the entire rules set and then plays a game using the VASSAL version on a computer. The video starts with a concise review of the early Avalon Hill games when Charles Roberts owned the company including war games from Tactics to Afrika Korps and the educational non-war games Verdict, Dispatcher, and Management. The Nieuchess review is at the 5-minute mark.
Web Link
49
Date: 1/7/2025
Poster: Pat L.
In Memoriam: Revisiting the Avalon Hill Classics, Part II (game inventory)

Joseph J. Scoleri III posted this complete inventory and physical description of the box contents for Avalon Hill’s vintage war games from the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Web Link
48
Date: 3/31/2024
Poster: Robert Holifield
Tactics II from Avalon Hill

A nostalgic look back look back at a special game. Thanks to Brian Patterson for providing Moe's Game Table with an excellent copy of Tactics II for this review.
Web Link
47
Date: 7/3/2022
Poster: Pat L.
War & Pieces - Tactics II with Rob Oren (video)

Rob Oren takes a close look at Tactics II from 1958. This is a nice introduction to war game principles for new players.
Web Link
46
Date: 6/12/2022
Poster: Pat L.
War and Pieces Live Rob Plays Tactics II (video)

Rob Oren posts videos and live streams on YouTube.com with his War in Pieces series. In this video, Rob tries an overly aggressive strategy (with disastrous results) for the red team in this vintage war game. Viewers chime in with comments and Rob hosts his live stream meeting at the end of the video.
Web Link
42
Date: 9/12/2021
Poster: Mark D.
Tactics II: The first and most misunderstood Wargame

Here is something special. Michael Ziegler defends the reputation of Tactics II, one of the earliest games that started the late 20th Century war gaming hobby. The bulk of his review is a discussion of his best strategies and his preference for the rules used in the earlier editions of this game, especially for tournament play. There follows a spirited discussion from commenter Tom Arizona defending and preferring the rules from the later edition of the game! The conversation then turns to house rules from commenters Scott Taylor and Rexis (in Texas) that address the shortcomings in the rules previously discussed! Check out this great conversation among veteran war gamers.
Web Link
45
Date: 9/11/2021
Poster: Pat L.
State of the Art of War (Games)

From a most unusual web site, Gideon Marcus posts a review from 1964(?!) that discusses several of the Avalon Hill games from the 1950’s and 60’s. Games reviewed include Tactics II, D-Day, and Afrika Korps. Pretend it’s 1964 and wargaming is the newest thing on the block.
Web Link
44
Date: 9/4/2021
Poster: Pat L.
Tactics II Rules

Here are scanned rules for this classic war game courtesy of Julie Buse.
Web Link
43
Date: 9/4/2021
Poster: Pat L.
#UnboxingDay – Where it all started – TACTICS II

RMN on the Armchair Dragoons blog presents an illustrated description of this classic pre-cursor to hex and counter war games. Grognards will certainly enjoy his comments.
Web Link
41
Date: 9/12/2004
Poster: Mark D.
TACTICS II (Avalon Hill Company, 1961 and 1973) (Game Review)

J. McKinley reminisces years after playing Tactics II. McKinley describes the components, game play, and strategy and compares the 1961 and 1973 editions of the game. While he maintains that the game is simplistic, he also acknowledges the value of the game to the burgeoning war gaming hobby.
Grognard Hosted
40
Date: 9/12/2003
Poster: Mark D.
Tactics II Q&A

Andrew Webber compiled this list of questions and answers for Tactics II.
Grognard Hosted
39
Date: 9/12/2002
Poster: Mark D.
Early AH Liner Notes and Catalog

David S. Bieksza transcribed this promotional material from Avalon Hill. The text reflects Avalon Hill’s challenge: promoting a new type of game play now known as war gaming.
Grognard Hosted
38
Date: 9/12/2001
Poster: Mark D.
Article Index

Here’s an article index deep within the Web Grognard’s Archives pages.
Grognard Hosted