Series Update

Hello,

I wanted to provide an update on the LnL series. David has continued to work on upping the component quality of all LnLP products. I think we are very close on the counters for Heroes of the Pacific, and the game should be completed soon. Due to the delays we are going to include an extra map and a free set of our new X-Maps (for pre-orders), which nearly double the area of each hex without altering the game scale--just more room for your counters.

Days of Villainy is shipping. It contains 4 scenarios and 3 maps, and is an expansion that can be played with ANY complete LnL module.

I've been doing a lot of work on the LnL rules, integrating errata and FAQ and refining a few things. We will eventually post two sets of rules: one for World War 2 (and eventually Korea) and another for Vietnam to Modern Warfare. Some notable changes are:
  • Now all fractions round up. Makes it easier to remember. It only slightly affects the scatter roll on OBA and, in rare cases, Melee odds, to favor the aggressor.
  • Ever wonder why the MG/Cannon FP on Aircraft wasn't underlined? Me too. There's really never been a reason why vehicle MG is underlined. Anyway, now we have a reason. Aircraft MG/Cannon FP (no underline) and any other (in the future) MG w/o underline can fire at vehicles that are either open or buttoned.
  • When attacked by aircraft, vehicles no longer halve their lowest armor factor. We found that too often, especially in the WW2 modules, that vehicles were too easily destroyed/abandoned, while infantry could endure a bit better due to cover (though they too can suffer a hammering).
  • Inherent Firepower is now abbreviated as IFP throughout the rules.
  • We are doing away physical Skill Cards but, of course, retaining the Skills (and their counters). Skill counters assigned to a unit in the OOB go under the unit counter that possesses the Skill, as per usual. The rest of the Skill counters go in an opaque cup. When a Hero is spawned, draw a Skill counter from the cup. All Skill traits will now be listed on a Skills Player Aid for easy reference.

In a previous post I stated I hoped for Heroes of the Mediterranean: Mare Nostrum to be done with its development in July . . . Perhaps August (not a promise). It will certainly come together quickly as the production kinks that have delayed Heroes of the Pacific will have been worked out.

We are working to get all titles back in print. Battle Pack Alpha has been reissued in full-color with 5 maps with the overlays already a part of the maps; it also comes with our new X-Maps for each map. Battle Pack Bravo has also been reissued with a redone Castle map and X-Map.

It's our goal to have all LnL titles in print at the same time. Dark July is shipping again if not now than shortly. Honneur et Patrie will be back in print soon as a new edition that will include the maps from Heroes of the Blitzkrieg, eliminating the unusual past need to own a WW2 and a WW3 game to play it. And HotB itself and Heroes of the Gap will be back in print too.

We are going to reprint Forgotten Heroes and Anzac Attack together as a single module: Forgotten Heroes - The Nam.

We have a designer working on the Band of Heroes Normandy (Band of Heroes and Swift & Bold) add-ons.

Heroes of the Motherland (necessary components from BoH and Not One Step Back) is in the works as well.

A Ring of Hills will be reprinted as Heroes of the Falklands, a complete game.

We also have lots on the drawing board, including modules and support publications. But we are no longer going to announce anything or put them up for pre-order until the product very close to being completed.

Thanks for you patience during this long transition.

-Jeff
 

Stefano G.

Member
We will eventually post two sets of rules: one for World War 2 (and eventually Korea) and another for Vietnam to Modern Warfare. Some notable changes are:
  • Now all fractions round up. Makes it easier to remember. It only slightly affects the scatter roll on OBA and, in rare cases, Melee odds, to favor the aggressor.
  • Ever wonder why the MG/Cannon FP on Aircraft wasn't underlined? Me too. There's really never been a reason why vehicle MG is underlined. Anyway, now we have a reason. Aircraft MG/Cannon FP (no underline) and any other (in the future) MG w/o underline can fire at vehicles that are either open or buttoned.
  • When attacked by aircraft, vehicles no longer halve their lowest armor factor. We found that too often, especially in the WW2 modules, that vehicles were too easily destroyed/abandoned, while infantry could endure a bit better due to cover (though they too can suffer a hammering).

Hello Jeff,
thank you for updates:)

Very interesting post...mainly for the announced updates to rules.

I am happy to read about MG/Cannon FP on Aircraft and their effects on vheicles depending whether they are underlined or not... it makes me hope that fighters as Cr42, F4F, A6M, not equipped with specific AT Cannons, will have underlined FP factors and will able to target only unarmored or open/unbuttoned vehicle (...small calibers MG/Cannons from 7,92 mm to 12.7 mm were not able to penetrate vehicles armour plates...as per existing WT and SW MGs rules)...on the other hand, i hope that dedicated AT hunters (tankbusters) such as "Mare Nostrum" HurryII Mk.IIC (or better Mk.IID) with its 40mmm or Modern Era A-10 or Su25 will keep their Cannon FPs not underlined to mark their specific AT role

In addition, i think it will a good help if "AA vs. Airstrike" procedure will be more detailed by using some examples in next HotP game manual.

I am working around adding new rules about use of smoke shells as vehicles ordnance (Smoke or WP) and APCR shells too...i'll soon post my thoughts in "Resources" to have your comments and suggestions :)

Stefano
 
RE the Aircraft MG/Cannons, I understand your point, Stefano. The Fixed-Wing Aircraft rules were conceived for modern-era games, so adapting them to WW2 and retaining their explicit text is difficult. It's the rate of fire that makes, say, an F4F Wildcat effective. 6 x .50 cal from a Wildcat vs. top armor is going to be more effective than one WT's against frontal armor. We've eliminated the halving of the lowest armor factor as compensation, as too many tanks in Mare Nostrum were getting annihilated. I'm still toying with a WW2 (only) aircraft rule that makes MGs/Cannon only able to Shake an armored vehicle, but two Shaken results will cause abandonment. But then you have the Hurricane Mk II D, which could rip up a tank's armor with its cannon. So you have to find a balance w/o an excess of rules (i.e., tedium).
 
Great News. EVERYDAY I hope to hear news about Heroes of the Pacific and Mare Nostrum. I hope they arrive on my doorstep very soon.
Thank you. Mark B.
 

David Heath

Administrator
Staff member
Mark we are putting the games together and we post as soon as the first one is ready to ship. It will not be long now.

David
 

Rekka

Member
I am late to the party and can't manage to find Forgotten Heroes 2nd Edition. I see here that a reprint with the expansion included is scheduled. Do you have an ETA for it by any chance? :)
 

David Heath

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Rekka

Forgotten Heroes 2nd Edition is out of stock. The new edition is Heroes of the Nam and it will combined both Forgotten Heroes and ANZAC Attack into one game and provide every scenario available for it. It will also be in our new counter style. I would say September at this point but we could be a longer.

David
 

JKC

Member
Great news. I am delighted to see new life into LnL.

I have many of the early games and expansions. Will Heroes of the Motherland be different/include new material from the original expansions, for instance? Hope so!

Well done!
 

trima

Member
Hi,
I want to get started with the series but am late to the party. I'm having a hard time sorting through all the details above given I have no past experience with the system.

I'm a WWII fan with my preferences being in order East front, West front, Pacific. Sounds like to start now I could purchase Heroes of the Pacific now, and then wait for Heroes of the Motherland for the East front and then I can't figure out what the West Front complete module is - is that Heroes of Normandy that is yet to be released? I'm assuming that Band Of Heroes complete module is out of print?

Sorry if these are dumb questions- I'm confused!
 

Ralph Ferrari

Moderator
Staff member
Trima, these are not dumb questions.

In the past, some LnL Modules required ownership of one or two other modules to be able to play. Some even required ownership of a WWII module to play a module based in the 80s. David Heath, the new owner of LnL, has decided to combine modules and/or components so that you do not need to buy multiple modules to play a certain module you are interested in (i.e. Having to buy Band of Heroes to play Swift and Bold, or buying Band of Heroes (WWII) to play Ring of Hills (Falklands).

LnL is in the process of getting all the modules back in print by the end of this year. The new modules will have the new map format of being printed on Heavy Card Stock and the new counters with matte finish and rounded corners. So to answer your question, I would wait for the new releases to come out and purchase these, so that you will have consistency in the components, such as all the maps being heavy card stock and not a mix of heavy card stock and mounted boards, and counters with squared off corners and glossy finish vs matte finish and rounded corners. Heroes of the Pacific is a good start, and representative of what the reprints will look like component-wise. The next release in line should be Heroes of Normandy, which has the original components of Band of Heroes and Swift and Bold all in one package. This is one of the LnL Modules that focuses on the Western Front (Noville and Heroes in Defiance are the others. Heroes of Defiance is a combo of Heroes of the Blitzkrieg and In Defeat, Defiance). Although, It sounds like at the present time, there is no plan to reprint Noville, so you may want to pick that up if interested.

Hope that answers your questions.
 

trima

Member
Thanks Ralph, it makes a lot more sense now. I'll get Heroes of the Pacific now and wait impatiently for the rest.
 

Ralph Ferrari

Moderator
Staff member
Heroes of the Pacific will keep you occupied for quite some time. From the sounds of it, the rest of the LnL modules should start coming out very soon, and at a pace faster than a person can keep up with playing them. Hope you enjoy the system.
 

David Heath

Administrator
Staff member
There will be a VERY limit time very soon were you will get a chance to pre-order all of the new LnL Games.
 
These are very interesting news. Have you any plans about releasing separate sets of X-maps for these games?. As owner of BoH, S&B and NoSB it would be awesome to play with these bigger maps.

Regards
Albert
 
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