A solitaire study of America's most bloody and heroic day in WWII. The player controls the US forces landing along the five mile stretch of Omaha Beach on D-Day and their desperate struggle to establish a viable beachhead. The game covers the entire first day at a time scale that varies from 15 minutes per turn (during the initial landings) to 30 minutes per turn later in the day. Units are companies and include assaulting infantry, engineers and amphibious tanks. The game system controls the hidden German defenders in their "Widerstandsnest" resistance points, revealing the defenders and their reserves as the American survivors of the first landing waves make their way up the bluffs. Rules cover amphibious landings, German fields of fire, artillery, tidal movement, and intangibles such as US leadership under fire and the initiative of the American GI.
There are two counter sheets, 55 cards, and one mapsheet.
Additional Notes:
=====There are 352 counters. The basic unit size is the US infantry company. German units consist of Widerstandsnest crews and reinforcement infantry companies. US tanks, and some US artillery, AA and anti-tank units are also included. US engineers are represented abstractly, clearing beach obstacles early in the game and opening traffic routes off the beach later in the game.
The 34" x 22" map depicts the entire 9km long Omaha invasion area and reaching 4km inland, at 250 meters per hex. Hexes are large (almost 1") so that symbology facilitating German placement, fire and actions can be seen without having to pick up units.
The time scale is 15 minutes per turn from 0600 hours to 1000 hours, shifting to 1/2 hour turns from 1000 to 1800 hours.
A deck of 55 cards performs triple duty: determining results of US amphibious landings, determining an event each turn, and determining which German units fire or perform other actions each turn.
The game's solitaire system is based on that used previously in Operation Jubilee: Dieppe, August 1942.
=================Decision Games Omaha Beach official url: http://shop.decisiongames.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode...
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me.
- Rising tide raises all ships.
- You’re adults with adult money.
- Subscribe. Please.
- Give people the benefit of the doubt.
- The deluxification creep is the public's fault.
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I made it up
- this is a good launching point
- Skies Above Britain went up three places
- it's a wonderful simulation
- I would go with Pax Premier
- Undaunted Kalisto on the list
- I Napoleon shipped in what June
References (from this video)
- classic solo-war game with strong historical feel
- clear scenarios for solo play
- steep learning curve for new players
- can be crunchy and rule-heavy
- historical tactical assault and defense
- World War II Normandy, D-Day operations
- historical simulation with deterministic outcomes
- Pavlov's House
- Pax Premier
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven actions — cards drive movement and action resolution
- fog of war / hidden information — uncertainty in Allied/Axis activity shaping decisions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- D-Day at Omaha Beach is number one.
- Pavlov's house is number three I feel like that's probably one of the more accessible ones in the top ten.
- Mr President was actually tied for six with enemy action or dens.
- the list is all over the place.
- the engagement level matters and newer games look damn good on the table