A Look Ahead Through Mid-September

I hope everyone on this side of the Atlantic had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. And to our friends elsewhere, I hope your weekend and Monday were adequate. 😊 The summer is over and it is back to the grind for everyone, work or school in most cases. I thought it would be useful to …

2022 WWIII Video Game Final Four: Red/White Bracket

Red #1 The Operational Art of War vs  White #1 Command Modern Operations Harpoon’s combination of sea and air power proved to be too much for Steel Panthers MBT to overcome. This matchup is drawn along comparable lines though The Operational Art of War likely has a slight advantage over SPMBT in that it is …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Quarterfinals

Here we are at the quarterfinals. Eight titles remain in the field including all four #1 seeds. Surprisingly, this tournament has failed to produce any very memorable upsets so far. Nor have there been any deep tournament runs by a #7 or #8 seed. The favorites have dominated the rounds so far and if this …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 2 Blue & Gold Regions

Gold #1 Steel Panthers MBT vs #3 Janes Fleet Command Land vs sea in this bracket, as well as two games that have stood the test of time. In this round Fleet Command was handicapped by its lack of depth. Although some independent mods were created for the game by its fans, it cannot compare …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 1, White Region

White Region #1 Command Modern Operations vs #8 Norway 1985 The final 1-8 bracket in the first round provides no major upset. Norway 1985 will not be the Cinderella darling this March. The results of this battle were preordained. Command, as I’ve said numerous times before, is like Harpoon on steroids and/or HGH, giving players …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 1, Red Region

Red Region #1 The Operational Art of War (Series) vs. #8 Fifth Eskadra These 1-8 games in the first round have been nothing short of slaughters so far. Unfortunately for the #8 seed here, this one is no exception. TOAW’s #1 ranking is well-deserved. Norm Koger’s masterpiece set the bar for PC operational-level wargames. The …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 1, Blue Region

Author’s Note: Please excuse the absence of a tournament bracket for this post. The digital tournament template I have used in the past is no longer available, it would seem. So, I have to look around and find a new one. Hopefully before the next tournament entry, but definitely by the start of the next …

2021 Holiday Tournament: Final Four Part II

Final Four Part II Tactical Games #2 MBT vs Central Front Operational #1 Third World War:Battle for Germany Here we go again. Two superstar titles fighting to advance. Rules- With the difference in scales between these titles, you’d expect BfG rules to be vastly more complex and the rulebook rivaling War and Peace in size …

2021 Holiday Tournament: Round 2 Central Front Operational

Central Front Operational #1 Third World War: Battle for Germany vs #3 1985: Under an Iron Sky Monster wargames are not for the faint of heart. Monster NATO-Warsaw Pact Central Front wargames are especially not for casual gamers. Both of these titles qualify as monsters from different eras and this is apparent in their design, …

2021 Holiday Tournament: Round 2 Operational Outside Europe, Naval Operational

Operational Outside Europe #1 Gulf Strike vs #3 Korea 1995 The mark of a classic wargame is the title’s ability to accurately simulate the changing realities in a particular theater’s era of conflict. Gulf Strike exemplifies this, having offered not only a game but a simulation tool that served gamers well through the volatile period …