Squad Leader - YoboWargames

Valor & Victory: Cholm

Shield of Cholm is the second DLC for Valor & Victory. Cholm’s emergence onto the stage of historical events of World War II came about as a result of the Russian Winter Offensive of 1941-1942.

The DLC features two huge maps, larger than any released in Valor & Victory so far, and twelve new scenarios: Slayed, Reclamation, From Matilda With Love, Red Army Day, Bieckers Bastion, Into The Heart of Cholm, May Day – West Side, May Day – East Side, Red Ruin Roulette, Foiled For Flanking Fire, Successful Second Time Around, Regained in a Day.

New units have been introduced: Partisans, Conscripts, Russian Assault Engineers as well as new terrain types: rubble, debris, escarpments & ice.

The Shield of Cholm DLC is based on the Kampfgruppe Scherer supplement from Le Franc Tireur.

New Features

12 New Scenarios

Huge maps, larger than any released in Valor & Victory so far.

New Units

Partisans, Conscripts, Russian Assault Engineers

New terrain types

Rubble, debris, escarpments & ice

September 6, 2022September 6, 2022

Converting Squad Leader Scenarios to Valor & Victory

I have always been a big fan of the original Avalon Hill Squad Leader and its successor Advanced Squad Leader and I know a lot of players of Valor & Victory are the same.

A lot of the feature requests we get are to make Valor & Victory more like Squad Leader by adding more features and rules. However, one of Barry Doyle’s original concepts for Valor & Victory was to have a fairly simple set of rules so that you could actually play the game rather than spend the evening trying to understand the rules to play the game.

So as a fun idea I thought why not take some Squad Leader scenarios and convert them into a format that would work with Valor & Victory?

With that idea in mind, I took the first three original SL scenarios and map board 1 and redid them so they could work in Valor & Victory.

I was quite surprised at how well the scenarios played out using Valor & Victory rules.

If you would like to try them out for yourself you can download the files from here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4urhuw0bew09kh/SL.zip?dl=0.

For help on how to install watch the video here:

PLEASE NOTE you will need the Stalingrad DLC to be able to play.

Enjoy!

Valor and Victory: Stalingrad

The first DLC for Valor & Victory is set during the Battle of Stalingrad and covers a wide range of settings and locations.

The DLC features thirteen brand new maps and fourteen scenarios: Vertyachi Bridgehead, The German Assault Begins, The Railway Station, The Grain Elevator, Mamayev Kurgan, Ludnyikov’s Island, Pavlov’s House (2 versions), The Dzerzhinskiy Tractor Factory, The Barrikady, Red October Steel Works, Uranus – Zhukov Strikes, Winter Storm – Mansteins Gambit, The End of Stalingrad.

A brand new playable faction has been introduced to the game: the Soviet Union. It comes with its own new units, support weapons, anti-tank guns, armors, transports and more.

Features

13 brand new maps available for both single player and multiplayer play
14 new scenarios that follow the historic of event of the Battle of Stalingrad
1 full new playable nation
A wealth of new features that are also made available to us in the original game
Free update released alongside the Stalingrad DLC

The Stalingrad DLC will be released alongside a free update for the base game. This update will contain significant additions in the form of new content and features to better represent the close conflict of the era. These include infantry mortars, flamethrowers, and off-board artillery support as well as air support, snipers, minefields, and more. On top of that new terrain types have been introduced, so you can have even more map variety than before.

Valor & Victory Scenarios

Click on the image to download the zip file. Extract the contents to your Valor & Victory custom scenario folder (C:\Users\XXX\valorandvictory – where XXX is your username)

Designer: Rico

June before D-Day, 1944. Near Rennes, France.
Sometime before the Normandy landings, twelve criminals all condemned to death, forced labor, or long terms of imprisonment, were offered a suicide mission which could earn them an amnesty: attack a castle in France, near Rennes, where some thirty senior Nazi generals have settled and kill as many as possible…

Designer: Rico

July 27, 1944. Near Le Loray, France.
Barkmann is stopped by retreating infantry who claim the Americans are close. Ernst Barkmann decides to send two of his men to check. They observe a column of 15 Shermans and various vehicles. Barkmann drives his Panther to a crossroads hidden behind a thicket, he waits for the enemy. As the US column approaches, he opens fire …

Designer: Rico

June 13, 1944. Ramelle, France.
Captain Miller and his Rangers learn that Private Ryan is defending an important bridge in the village of Ramelle. Ryan refuses to leave his post, despite Miller’s orders to leave with them. Finally, Millerdecides to stay in Ramelle with his men to help in the defense of the bridge held by the paratroopers, the German troops being about to arrive and threatening to take back this strategic objective. Preparing for the arrival of the German troops composed of elements of Panzer SS, the American soldiers begin a fierce fight to defend the bridge …

Designer: Rico

July 25, 1944. May-Sur-Orne, France.
The Canadians of Major F.P. Griffin’s Black Watch Regiment called for a new coordinated support plan with artillery and tanks and in the meantime, sent reconnaissance to May-Sur-Orne. The patrol entered the village and told the Calgary Highlanders that the position was little defended by the Germans. Later, he noticed during his infantry attack that the Germans had only held back their fire…

Designer: Yobowargames

Early in the morning of 6 June 1944.

3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division,has landed nearSte Marie-du-Mont. But they are badly scattered. Can the paratroopers use their elite status, surprise, and superior training to overcome badly-scattered drops, the confusion of darkness, and heavier German firepower (Kompanie 14., Infanterie Regiment 1058, 91st Infanterie Division)?

The Digital Wargamer

After three years of working as an Indie Wargame developer, I know how hard it is to get publicity for your work. To help out others like me, and to further promote my own games, I have started to publish a magazine that covers new and upcoming Wargames.

The Digital Wargamer is published on an adhoc basis and will cover anything and everything to do with wargaming in a digital format. That includes new PC games, inside stories from the developers of these games, new releases on Vassal and so much more.

So head over to the new website and enjoy the magazine!

The Digital Wargamer

Games Available now

About

Lance – I am the original sole developer at Yobowargames and work on developing wargames in my spare time. My main focus is to bring traditional hex and counter war/historical themed board games to the digital world.

A wargamer since my parents brought me some Airfix French Imperial Guard when I was but a mere pup. Started off with Plastic figures and then onto board wargames. Life then intervened and wargaming stopped but my reading about history increased. Finally in 2017 I published my first PC game “Kursk – Battle at Prochorovka” and since then have released a further seven other games.

When not working on developing games you can find me playing board games, reading about history, or watching a movie.

Since starting Yobowargames I have had the good fortune to meet other like-minded individuals and produced games in collaboration with them.

Bruce – I’ve been writing software since the early ’80s. My first computer was an Atari 800. My first computer game: Chris Crawford’s Eastern Front. Writing software for businesses paid the bills, but working on computer games was where the real fun lay.

My first exposure to building games was as the coder for a Quake 2 mod, Night Hunters. In the early 2000’s, I was part of the team that created the Red Orchestra modification which eventually won the Unreal Tournament 2003 Make Something Unreal contest. After I retired, I started looking for a more serious game project. That search led me to Yobowargames when I asked Lance about getting started building hex-based war games. That led to my contributing to Iwo Jima and working on all other games since then.

BruinBearGames – Approached me for some initial advice on his game WinterThunder. Since then we have collaborated on Krim

Valor & Victory

Valor & Victory is a fast-playing, easy-to-learn World War II squad-level game system. Based on the original Valor & Victory board game, the digital edition provides you with an accessible and deep challenge, developed for classic tabletop game lovers.

With 19 scenarios based around real events shortly after the Normandy Landings in 1944, the game challenges you to achieve different objectives: eliminate the enemy, capture objectives, or exit certain units off of the map.

Valor & Victory is a complete WWII wargaming system, covering infantry and armored combat, close assaults, armored overruns, fortifications, and much more.

COMMAND, FIRE, MOVE, DEFEND, ADVANCE. REPEAT

Just like the original board game, each turn is divided into phases:• Command: Automatically rally your troops, split or merge your squads, and exchange weapons. In the command phase, you lay the foundations for a successful turn.
• Fire: Check your line of sight and firepower, and prepare to set the battlefield on fire. If you have any eligible weapon, you can fire smoke instead of attacking and gain extra protection for your units.
• Move: Move any of your units that did not attack during the previous phase, and try not to be taken by surprise: hostile opportunity fire may be just around the corner.
• Enemy Defense: Be ready to defend your squad. Enemies that did not opportunity fire will have their last chance to harm your units.
• Advance: Advance any of your units by one hex, or conduct a close assault with your infantry forces.

You will roll the dice to determine the combat results, but your luck is in your hands: wise use of terrain, covers, leaders, hindrance, and many more modifiers will greatly improve your chances of success.

MULTIPLAYER SUPPORT

Valor & Victory comes with full multiplayer support: challenge your friends in 1v1 multiplayer matches over PBEM and hot seat. If you’re looking to test your skills, sign up for official tournaments and climb the leaderboard as well.

SCENARIO EDITOR

An extremely intuitive built-in scenario editor allows you to build and play your own scenarios either against the AI or against your friends. Pick a map, set the objective, choose the factions, and place units and defenses where you prefer. Add details and customize your rules: decide the number of turns, the weather conditions, and the starting team. The scenario editor gives you all the tools to create custom, unlimited different challenges.

FEATURES

Random Scenario Generator – endless random battles based on player preferences

Choose AI difficulty levels
Game turn lengths
Fog of War
Steam Workshop functionality
AFV wrecks

Sample Units

September 9, 2017October 13, 2017

Why has no one published a computer version of Squad Leader?

So before I answer that questions lets clear up a few items.

Technically there has been a computer version of Squad Leader – http://www.old-games.com/download/9003/avalon-hill-s-squad-leader but I am not sure if anyone who has played the board game would recognize it as such
“Squad Leader” in the heading refers to both the original Avalon Hill game called “Squad Leader” and the follow-up successor “Advanced Squad Leader”
All rights of Avalon Hill, Paradox Interactive, and Hasbro are recognized (not sure I need to state this but maybe they are a fan of this blog….)

I love Squad Leader. I remember asking my parents to buy it for me as a Birthday/Christmas Gift. I remember sneaking into their bedroom and looking at the unopened box – Something I had never done before/since. It is the best gift they ever bought for me (Actually they brought many great gifts – but its probably my most favorite best gift).

The Guards Counterattack is probably one of the most famous scenarios. If you have the game you would have played it and I am guessing love it and still think fondly about it.

The most famous wargame scenario in history?

Then came the add-ons like Cross of Iron and Crescendo of Doom. More rules, more counters, more scenarios, more boards – everything was right with the world. The problem is, and remains to some extent, finding someone to play against. You cannot explain the rules to someone in 10 minutes and start playing. If you have full knowledge of all the rules and are playing against someone that does not you have an unfair advantage.

There is still a big fan base for these games. MMP still produce material for it, as do other companies who produce add-ons that work with/extend the original game. So you would think this would make it a prime candidate for someone to produce a computer version that can live up to the game.

Buts there’s a problem.

Actually several problems.

Who owns the rights to produce an electronic version of the game?

To find out this information you have to do a little bit of digging. Eventually, you will find out that Paradox Interactive (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/paradox-entertainment-to-develop-and-publish-diplomacy-and-squad-leader-pc-games.160146/) apparently own the digital rights to the game. But they have done nothing with this right. Why could this be?

The first reason could be that the release of their version of Diplomacy, whose digital rights they acquired at the same time as Squad Leader, was not a success.

The second that they have had tremendous success with other games and do not see the need to.

Finally, can they ever satisfy the fan base for this game?

Ok well then just go ahead and develop the game yourself

Seems reasonable right? I mean who cares about a game that was first published 40 years ago? Well, the law prevents this. Hasbro purchased the rights to many games Avalon Hill produced and therefore ultimately own the rights to them. Much of this is protected by copyright law. I am not a lawyer but with the research I have done this prevents you from doing the following:

You cannot copy the graphics
You cannot use the name
Likely even copying the layout of the map boards is not allowed

However, strangely, the rules mechanics are not subject to copyright laws. You cannot use the text as written by Avalon Hill but if you rewrite and utilize them them using your own words you are ok.

But Tigers on the Hunt has a Advanced Squad Leader mod

This is true but, obstensively, this was produced as a fan mod to the core game. Seems like a bit of a grey area to me but no one has complained so far. Peter Fisla, the developer of Tigers on the Hunt – http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/review-tigers-on-the-hunt/, was originally going to write a Squad Leader game but hit the copyright problem and gave up on the idea. Tigers on the Hunt is “Inspired” by Squad Leader. Although using the rules for your own game is ok it would get labeled as a SL game by its fans and then Hasbro may come knocking.

So that’s it then?

Seems so unless Paradox have a team secretly working on it or they are prepared to pass the rights onto someone else.

If you know someone at Paradox Interactive could you please pass the following onto them:

Dear Sir

The world is waiting for a computer version of Advanced Squad Leader. Lance, from yobowargames, would welcome the opportunity to bring this great game to the Windows, Mac, iOS and Android platforms.

You will forever be remembered as the savior of this legendary game should you allow this to happen.

Kind Regards