UNITY OF COMMAND is the latest effort from Slitherine by way of 

MatrixGames, and deals with the Russian Front Stalingrad campaign of 

WW2.  It's a hex & turn design - IGO-UGO - but with some flair that sets 

it apart from The Usual Suspects.

NUTS & BOLTS

A typical Matrixgames affair, UNITY OF COMMAND (UOC) asks the buyer for 

a piffling $29.00 for the download-only version ($39 for the xtra box), 

and installs with a simple serial number arriving via web and email.

Thanks, for the hundredth time, to Matrix for not assuming I'm a 

criminal.

Installation is the usual ... yawn ... snore.  Click on the sucker, 

CTRL-V puts in the serial ... something about C++ distrib... <wait, I 

fell asleep>.  Can't miss.  I'm running it on an i7 laptop, but I can't 

imagine it not running on any modern PC.

MANUAL / TUTORIAL

Excellent.  Good as it gets.  Manual short and sweet - but getting the 

job done.  Tutorial neatly integrated into tutorial scenario.  Up and 

running with the game in about 10 minutes. 

GAME & SCOPE

UNITY OF COMMAND is a WW2 Eastern Front game that deals with the German 

and Russian operations in 1942-early 43 in the Stalingrad theater.  The 

scale is 20 KM / hex and the units are German divisions and Russian Army 

(components) and associated tank and mechanized corps.  Time scale is 

four-ish days / turn.  The system is refreshingly phase-free, with 

players allowed to click on units as they like, issue orders, fly some 

air missions, build some bridges, go back to issuing orders.

I count 20 scenarios and two campaigns (Axis / Russian).  This is a bit 

mitigated by the fact that the scenarios aren't all playable from both 

sides.  Some are Axis only, some Allied ... you get the picture.  But 

the mix seems well-considered; for example, the tough "Stalingrad" 

scenario is German-only ... but would you really want Chuikov's job in 

that puppy?  Feed men into the meatgrinder and hope for a miracle?

INTERFACE

Sheer joy.  I'm casting about for some sort of complaint, and coming up 

short.  UOC has a really, really, nice system and GUI.  The intuitive 

thing always brings up the thing you imagine it will.  The game system 

is fluid and is equal to thoughtful, slow-paced play or rash, headlong 

fanaticism.  All I can say is that this game *really* plays smoothly.

GRAPHICS

Nice.  This is one of the nicest looking 2D / iso wargames I've seen.  I 

was nervous that the units were represented as little "busts" of 

infantrymen and small tanks, but ... this really works well.  It's some 

pretty decent chrome.

SOUND

 

Who gives a fuck.  Not me.

GAMEPLAY

What can I say?  I've played a half-dozen scenarios yesterday and today 

and started two campaigns.  Gameplay is fluid, intuitive, and 

effortless.  The scale is spot-on.  When PGD GROSSDEUTCHLAND whacks into 

some understrength, out-of-supply Russian Army, watch the fur hats fly 

off.  But when the Russians entrench and some "numbered" German division 

attacks ... well, best not to do that, ya dumb Nazis.

THE LOWDOWN

The only criticism I have is one I brought up in my previous post - and 

always bring up about Slitherine.  They're the poster-kids for always 

doling out one less turn than the player needs to win ... and that's 

ridiculous.  Nobody cared about the *date* Zhukov took Stalingrad ... 

just that he did so.  If von Paulus had surrendered *four days later* 

(one whole turn) would Stalin have shot anyone?  Of course not.

SO

Just buy the thing.  WTF?  $29 bucks?  It's a fun game, and it's not 

like we're exactly up to our collective touch-holes in fun games.  

Excellent corp-level Russian front title with tons of gameplay and 

decent chrome.

My WOTY pick.  Right here.  The perfect anti-WITE!

-- 

Giftzwerg

***

"'Occupy' is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at

anarchy, to the extent that the 'movement' - HAH! Some 'movement',

except if the word 'bowel' is attached - is anything more than an ugly

fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who

should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for

themselves."

                                     - Frank Miller