3 player games

tekay44

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Does anyone have a few dedicated 3 player game titles, for a gameday? Thanks in advance.
 

Steven Pleva

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Whom Gods Destroy is the pick for some smash mouth 3 player ASL.
Aiding the Local Constabulary is the Caen film festival pick for 3 player ASL.
At the Narrow Passage is the graduate school pick for 3 player ASL.
Dogs of War was ground breaking, but I think the other picks are superior...

JMHO,
Steve
 

Jazz

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Do not play Dogs of War, the other three recommended by Steve are superior.
<shrug>. Dogs of War can be a fun scenario with the right mix of folks. Especially fun with three folks that have..... common history......
 

Ganjulama

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Do not play Dogs of War, the other three recommended by Steve are superior.
Agree. But I’ll never forget playing against Nelson (SS) and Ken (Vaslovs boys). Nelson wiped us off the map. SS with ELR of zero and they never broke. 4 MCs, 3MCs. It did not matter. Every fire attack he made was brutally successful. I’ve never seen a dice run like that since. We played it when it was first published.
 

Steven Pleva

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<shrug>. Dogs of War can be a fun scenario with the right mix of folks. Especially fun with three folks that have..... common history......
Dogs of War is a ground breaking good scenario. The other 3 player scenarios are just better. That's not a dig on DoW, but rather a recognition that time has passed it by....

Steve
 

jrv

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Dogs of War is a ground breaking good scenario. The other 3 player scenarios are just better. That's not a dig on DoW, but rather a recognition that time has passed it by...
It that your opinion because it is not especially balanced, or because the scenario is inherently less interesting than the others? Would touching up the balance change your conclusion?

JR
 

Steven Pleva

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It that your opinion because it is not especially balanced, or because the scenario is inherently less interesting than the others? Would touching up the balance change your conclusion?

JR
The balance may be okay. Not 100% sure on this front. I think there are a couple of issues with the design. I don't think it is very fun to play the Partisan side. You are packed into one big building and trying to not die. The SS and Axis Minor sides are much more entertaining to play. Somewhat related is the lack of movement. ASL is a game of movement. Even the SS and Axis Minor sides don't have much room for maneuver...
Steve
 

FourDeuceMF

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The balance may be okay. Not 100% sure on this front. I think there are a couple of issues with the design. I don't think it is very fun to play the Partisan side. You are packed into one big building and trying to not die. The SS and Axis Minor sides are much more entertaining to play. Somewhat related is the lack of movement. ASL is a game of movement. Even the SS and Axis Minor sides don't have much room for maneuver...
Steve
Indeed, the Partisan player sometimes has the 'least' to do, and is holding on for dear life, though if one is into mind games, it's often fun to get your tormentors (the SS & ROA) to turn on each other...kind of like being Curly, when he gets Larry & Moe smacking each other around.

Balance? By nature, a 3-player scenario can be 'self-balancing', and it's not really an issue here.

As mentioned, it's ground-breaking, and set the standard for others to build upon, wouldn't be surprised that 20+ years on, there's better options. Still, a very good scenario to play when you've got 2 really good players and one relative novice you're trying to get into the game more...and shouldn't be just casually tossed aside, there being so few (interested in knowing why Jacometti thinks it a no-go...).

Of course, I'm a bit biased here...though I'm glad that 'Dogs of War' is still being discussed, all this time gone by... ;)

If you want to go to a 3-player game that's not 'really' 3-player, there's the old chestnut "The Cossacks are Coming" from Partisan. There's also a Deluxe (The Last Battle?) that has two Russkie forces entering on opposite sides, going up against a German defender...
 

Jazz

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Dogs of War is a ground breaking good scenario. The other 3 player scenarios are just better. That's not a dig on DoW, but rather a recognition that time has passed it by....

Steve
Agreed. Some of the recent 3 player offerings play better with all 3 players having room for meaningful maneuver.....which DoW does lack.

That being said, DoW has room for an inexperienced player to join the ménage à trois in a meaningful way, which may required a bit more experience in the case of the more recent offerings.
 

Jazz

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It that your opinion because it is not especially balanced, or because the scenario is inherently less interesting than the others? Would touching up the balance change your conclusion?

JR
I think (and Steve seems to agree) that one of the 3 players (Partisan) really does not have much room for meaningful maneuver. Between equal opponents, this is a drawback. When there is inbalance in the skill levels of the players, it is a feature.
 

hoxson1

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Few more...

FT202 "Burmese Bandits" from Le Franc Tireurs Deluxe Pack 1

ESG126 "War of the Gargantuans" from ESG's Dezign Pak 10

might also try "Four Days to Naples" by witchbottles, scenario cards are on ASL Scenario Archive.
Two players could split US/Brit forces vs another on Germans
 

Augie

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Another 3-player
RPT110 Theirs Not To Reason Why

Features Germans and Romanians against Russians. Although Germans and Romanians are somewhat cooperative, only one axis force can win (assuming the Russians don't win). Each side has interesting toys:
Romanians = A HMG, 2 ordnance and a 10-2 leader
Germans = FT, DCs and a StuG
Russians = Wire, mines, 2x light tanks, and "a finger of God" 1-hex radius 300+mm OBA

** Full disclosure - I am the designer


-- Edit: Corrected Hungarians to Romanians.
 
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asloser

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I have fond memories of repeated playings of DoW, but after several plays it has it limitations. Great Scenario. Still, I'm glad there are new options.
 

Jazz

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I There's also a Deluxe (The Last Battle?) that has two Russkie forces entering on opposite sides, going up against a German defender...
"To The Last Man". A great 3 player offering as I think the balance does shift between one Russian and two Russian players.
 

hoxson1

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Another 3-player
RPT110 Theirs Not To Reason Why

Features Germans and Hungarians against Russians. Although Germans and Hungarians are somewhat cooperative, only one axis force can win (assuming the Russians don't win). Each side has interesting toys:
Hungarians = A HMG, 2 ordnance and a 10-2 leader
Germans = FT, DCs and a StuG
Russians = Wire, mines, 2x light tanks, and "a finger of God" 1-hex radius 300+mm OBA

** Full disclosure - I am the designer
I will change it on ASL Scenario Archive. Whoever put the scenario up there put (2 player) in the title itself.
I am wondering why if the scenario card clearly shows 3?
And it is Romanians, not Hungarians??
 
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