Which of these games is worth buying a 2nd time?

Tide of Iron, Cash and Guns and Starcraft.

Lost these games in a shipment. Shipment also had Arkham Horror. Already bought a second copy. Kicked ass.

Any of these games worth purchasing again?

Cash and Guns definitely worth the buy,

Starcraft is a lot of fun but for the price there is probably other stuff out there. I have played it and like it but not enough to buy a copy when a friend owns it. I think someone here did a review of it? My one line review is that it is a great game where the pacing is screwed up. Just when you are getting rolling the game ends.

I haven't played ToI but a lot of people you would expect to like it don't. Conflict of Heroes is my chosen game for that tactical WWII niche.

I'd say it totally depends on how much you liked (and how often you played) those games when you did own them.

I've heard CnG is great but haven't had a chance to play it yet. It sounds like a winner if you have a fun, vocal group and can even be a hit with family members and casual gamers.

Starcraft is a very cool game although my experience is that it plays best with 3-4. Playing it with 5-6 can be rather long and lose a bit of the fun, so if those numbers were your target you may want to go with a different game. I also agree with Tom's comment that the game suddenly ends right after it gets rolling.

In isolation, Tide of Iron and Conflict of Heroes are decent games. That is, if either was your only WWII tactical game, you could get a lot of play out of it. However, I'm not a fan of either game. Both games have abstracted the rules on combat enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Also, ToI scenarios skew towards being rather unbalanced which is not a good sign for such a hefty price tag.
My recommendation: buy Combat Commander: Europe instead (or find someone to teach you ASL Starter Kit).

I never got around to trying them. They got lost at sea before they could get to me.

kookoobah wrote:

I never got around to trying them. They got lost at sea before they could get to me.

Tragedy...

I've only played Tide of Iron and I prefer Combat Commander: Europe by a mile. I sold Tide of Iron after three excruciating plays. I've never been so wrong predicting I'd like a game.

Hmm. Guess like Cash and Guns it is, and no to Tide of Iron. Thanks guys.

If you haven't already made your decision, I think it's worth mentioning that Ca$h n' Gun$ ain't exactly a "10" in the longevity department. It can be a hell of a lot of fun, and there are a few bells and whistles in the base game that can keep it interesting for a while, but it is sort of a novelty game and it gets old more quickly than other games. But, like I said, it's a riot while it lasts.

Starcraft is the only one of the three that I haven't played enough to get sick of. I think it's really good, but I think they took the whole euro-like short and balanced thing a bit too far with it. Every game I've played seems to be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scrap over a few VPs.

I have to say, from what I've read of your posts, ToI seems like it'd be right up your alley. I like it less and less every time I play it, simply because it's a bit heavy on administration/procedure for being so simple and generic relative to other WWII tactical stuff. Still, if you just want to spend an evening blowing up Sherman tanks and rushing machine gun nests, you'll probably love it. I'd recommend the "Designer Series" scenario book, but stay away from the expansions unless you find you really like the game, they're a rip-off.

I wouldn't waste my money ordering Cash and Guns overseas. You can get the same effect by pointing your fingers at each other and saying "bang!"

I think you'd be better off getting Starcraft or Tide of Iron, granted I haven't played either. But Cash and Guns really isn't anything all that special.

I'd hold off on Tide of Iron.

Sag.

I enjoy Tide of Iron, and it's the only WWII tactical game my girlfriend likes (nope, not Conflict of Heroes). It feels like there are many fewer administrative tasks than many other FFG big games, like Twilight Imperium, Starcraft, or Arkham Horror. To us it feels pretty surprisingly smooth, and easy to remember the rules. And Cash'n'Guns, while good for a few plays, DEFINITELY lacks replay value. Whenever I'm with a different group of people they love it, play it a couple times, and then are pretty much done.

All games are good to say the least. It really depends on your preferences.

Quick multi-player game: CA$H'N'GUN&
Long multi-player game: STARCRAFT
Two-player game: TIDE OF IRON

If given the choice, I'd personally pick STARCRAFT, it's a very good, very exciting strategy game.
CAßH'N'GUN§ is super fun the first couple of plays, but then you should only play it sporadically over time, otherwise you'll burn out too quick on it. Great fun once in a while though.
I don't like TIDE OF IRON, but only because I think it's too simple. I play heavier WWII games, but TIDE OF IRON is definitely a recommendation nevertheless.

Schweig! wrote:

I don't like TIDE OF IRON, but only because I think it's too simple.

That's the gist of it with me. I don't see much strategy short of rushing everyone forward, largely due to the simplicity of the rules. It's smash-mouth wargame which is ok, but I think there's better wargame and better smash-mouth available.

Sag.