Onslaught to Orsha 2 [2020]

Are you interested in purchasing Onslaught to Orsha 2 [2020]?

  • I don't play East Front so this publication doesn't interest me.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    54
  • Poll closed .

volgaG68

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Technically, Option 1; technically. I didn't own the 1st Ed, wanted this 2nd Ed at pre-order time, but the funds weren't there and I had to pass. Though vowing someday to get it. Got it on this year's Black Friday sale as the discount coincided with extra funds available. I haven't received it yet as I opted to have it ship with Operation Neptune. I don't know the legal term, but I "own it in absence". 🤣

Though not an East Front nut, I like the EF as much as anywhere else in ASL. @Houlie has posted a lot of good AARs on the module since release, with positive reviews, and that has been what motivated me to get it sooner rather than later.
 

Honza

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Own it. Love the revamped HASL map, the double wide geo boards, the counters, the CG, and the revamped and new scenarios.
 

VonHutier

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Would like to own it....there is so little of the newer stuff available in the UK, and you get tanked with import duty on anything from the U.S.A....
 

Yuri0352

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I thoroughly enjoyed playing (solo) this module during the early days of the pandemic lock down. A great follow up HASL to Crucible of Steel. I had fun using the PT-34 mine roller tanks especially.
 

Chas

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Finn project will have some PT-26s🆒

I thoroughly enjoyed playing (solo) this module during the early days of the pandemic lock down. A great follow up HASL to Crucible of Steel. I had fun using the PT-34 mine roller tanks especially.
 

von Marwitz

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I own the first edition which I purchased from Klaus Fischer at GRENADIER shortly after it was published.

While I would normally be tempted to buy a second edition, there is so much new good stuff out there that it becomes expensive to cover even a selection of it. So priorities have to be set, which is especially true against the insight that I will only ever be able to play a fraction of which I already own.

von Marwitz
 

BattleSchool

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Apart from almost 500 new counters, are ten new scenarios and two (technically four) new boards (DW-8 and DW-9) not enough to tempt you? ;)

I think at some point, OtO2 becomes a prerequisite for future purchases, depending on how many scenarios use the new boards in the coming years.

But I agree, if you already own the first edition, you can probably get by with VASL. I sold my original copy about a decade ago. I'm not a collector, so no regrets. And to be honest, I've got so much stuff, I didn't get around to unwrapping Objective Schmidt (CG and 14 [of 17] scenarios starring the US 28th "Bloody Bucket" Division) and Corregidor this summer. The latter contains a cool NOBA flowchart.
 

von Marwitz

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Apart from almost 500 new counters, are ten new scenarios and two (technically four) new boards (DW-8 and DW-9) not enough to tempt you? ;)

I think at some point, OtO2 becomes a prerequisite for future purchases, depending on how many scenarios use the new boards in the coming years.

While I have no doubt that OtO 2 is up to the fine BFP standards, a European customer like me will face

US$ 154,00 for the product
US$ 50,00 minimum guesstimate but likely considerably more for ridiculous shipping cost (not BFP's fault)
========
US$ 204,00

In case of Germany, the customs duties for this would add an extra 19% to the total.

US$ 204,00
US$ 38,76 customs duties at conservative estimate of shipping costs
========
US$ 242,76


For 500 counters, 4 geo-boards (2 DWs), and a player aid, this is a very steep price for any player owning the first edition even if the new elements are of the highest quality.

In my personal case, I avoid the use of TPP counters altogether as far as possible in favor of MMP's classic black/white ones.

For me, this would mean an effctive price of US$ 120,00 per DW-board, which are the only components I would really "need", since these might become the prerequisites for further BFP products. I truly love the game, I gladly support designers, but in my situation, this effective price is disporportionate.


BFP nor any other publisher cannot change the shipping-cost madness nor customs.
At the same time, I am sure that I am not the only one affected by this - the issue basically applies to any non-US customer.

I believe, though, that these established facts might be something that publishers should consider to react to.

How?

"Vital" components, i.e. those that are or will become a prerequisite for other, in other words that are necessary for a "functional full kit", should be separated from the rest or at least it should be possible to purchase them separately.

Why?

It is expensive enough even without shipping-madness and customs to maintain a "full official ASL kit", i.e. the MMP stuff.

If products in the 100-200 US$ range (not including shipping/customs) become the prerequisite to be able to play future BFP products, then the consequence might simply be for overseas-customers to step back. They would be willing to buy, but the cost simply becomes prohibitive.

I have seen this coming, but so far, as no second editions with original "vital" components were involved, it did not really matter. To limit this problem, my proposal is not to include new "vital" prerequisite-type items into 2nd edition products.

von Marwitz
 
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BattleSchool

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The price (on the BFP website) includes shipping. So $154 to the EU.

It's even less expensive if you buy it from LFT in Europe, where you can score it for 120€ (~$135 USD). I don't imagine the shipping costs are steep from France to Germany. Moreover, duties [if any are levied given both countries are within the EU] would be less based on the total, no?

But yeah, every producer has the same issue wrt "core" components. At least OtO2 also includes ten new scenarios, 31 in total!

But for someone who already owns OtO1, I think it's a much tougher choice.
 
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von Marwitz

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The price (on the BFP website) includes shipping. So $154 to the EU.
My apologies. Apparently I somehow got that wrong.

Still, the general basic issue remains valid I believe. It usually applies in all cases where the publishers/customers are not located in the same "area" (with area meaning either the US, the EU, or some area outside US/EU). That's why I believe it would be good if publishers developed new ways to address it.

von Marwitz
 

BattleSchool

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My apologies. Apparently I somehow got that wrong.

Still, the general basic issue remains valid I believe. It usually applies in all cases where the publishers/customers are not located in the same "area" (with area meaning either the US, the EU, or some area outside US/EU). That's why I believe it would be good if publishers developed new ways to address it.

von Marwitz
Maybe. But if people are willing to pay hundreds or even thousands for electronic devices that have a limited lifespan, I think there are enough ASL players willing to bite the duty bullet to get their hands on a particular ASL pub. Admittedly, US players have an advantage in that most ASL material is produced there. However, they still get dinged when they buy something from Italy, for example.

In the end, I don't think it's worth the extra effort for third-party publishers to make material more readily available in a country with less than a 100 customers. There are a lot of fine consumer goods made in the USA that are never sold in Canada, for instance. It simply isn't worth the effort for the producers of these goods to add labels in French in order to get past government regulations here. There are similar EU regulations that impede trade too.

We are fortunate to have access to a great deal of ASL material these days. Whether we are willing to pay for it is another matter. Fortunately, many producers provide prizes for tournaments, while some TDs purchase prizes in order to spread the wealth further. There are also sales and deals to be had from time to time. One might even get lucky and win something. But you have to enter to win. ;)

And the winner of Onslaught to Orsha 2 (courtesy of the BattleSchool KitShop) is...
 

ibncalb

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Im getting ready to play this.

I have the first ed, can i use the second ed VASL map or are there differences between the two?
 

ibncalb

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If an sir support group does not enter due to poor rolls is it retained for the the next scenario?

If an air support group enters during overcast but then cannot attack due to rain, what happens to it? is it retained, even though it never made an attack, or is it discarded?
 

rreinesch

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If an sir support group does not enter due to poor rolls is it retained for the the next scenario?
Yes.
If an air support group enters during overcast but then cannot attack due to rain, what happens to it? is it retained, even though it never made an attack, or is it discarded?
Since it never attacked it goes into the Retained bucket.
 
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