Company of Heroes Review

 In short: the game is very, very fan-friendly. A little unpolished in places. Many interesting ideas, but unfinished. I think it wouldn't hurt the developers to test Company of Heroes for a few more weeks.

 They obviously tried to make it easier to get into the game by splitting one rulebook into two: basic and advanced rules, but there are so few advanced rules that it would have been better to include them in the first book and just make sense of it. And now you have to flip through one or another book, finding out what these symbols mean.

 The gameplay is basically very simple: move-attack-supply. But the rules are structured and described in such a way that they are very difficult to digest. For example, movement mechanics: movement is divided into 3 movement actions, each of which uses 3 cubes. These cubes represent how many hexes your unit can move; the maximum is always equal to 3. Excessive freezing. Once you digest them, it becomes clear that these rules lead to unnecessary fuss. You place 1, 2, 3 cubes next to each unit you want to move, then almost immediately remove them from the field at the end of the movement phase. Of course, this is not the end of the world, but the gameplay is too boring.

 But the attack phase is much more puzzling: because of the symbols chosen by the developers. On the dice there are symbols of infantry, symbols of equipment, symbols of explosions and fire. Intuitively, it seems like infantry symbols would trigger when an infantryman attacks, but they don't; they only mean that this attack damages the infantry. In my opinion, a strange reverse logic. Plus, a surprisingly working defense mechanic. You will have to check the chart, match the dropped symbol with the symbol of the attacked unit to know if it is defending or not. Then roll the dice as many times as the required symbols have fallen out. Then match the cards of the attacker and the unit being attacked... The developers should have ditched all those reference sheets and reworked the combat mechanics. Completely unintuitive. I'm more than sure I've played them wrong on more than one occasion. That said, overall I enjoyed the game enough that I already have thoughts on home rules that simplify the mechanics.

 Cubes are also used frozen. You use the same dice for attacks, unit HP display, and hit rolls. I really dislike this mechanic; it wouldn't hurt to simplify it either. As a rule, you first place the attack dice with the corresponding symbol next to the unit being attacked. The defender then checks the results against the chart to see if he can defend with the dice. If not, it's an automatic hit, otherwise the defender rolls the dice in turn. If red faces fall out, the hits go through, otherwise they are blocked. All of this adds a lot of hemorrhaging to the game as players attack each other at the same time. They must keep dice close at hand at all times, roll them almost constantly, and remember that dice are only rolled for defense, not attack. In short, Company of Heroes has a lot of weird moments.

 Another problem is determining the sequence of attacks. Although the attacks are simultaneous, keeping track of who, what and what attacked, especially when there are large armies on both sides or if you are playing in team mode, is a nightmare.

 The last thing I want to say about the attack phase is that it would be great if the dice that track damage to buildings and equipment were red instead of gray and white. A trailer, for sure, but the gray and white do not look like a loss indicator at all and also blend in with the surrounding components and the map. Far better would be bright red, which stand out against the background of another.

 In the supply phase, you replenish ammunition and fuel units, capture key points, purchase units and upgrades, and deploy them on the battlefield. This phase is fun for the most part, but (which is more of a team game than a duel) also gets pretty stilted, especially if you don't have the Terrain Pack flagpoles handy. Basically, they are replaced by tiny tokens that you place on a captured position and that are easy to overlook. In my opinion, this addition is essential so that you can properly consider the situation on the field. But even with flagpoles there is a lot of fuss. You start with +1 income from each type of resource (except victory points), and at the end of the round you increase your income by the number of flagpoles (key points) captured in that round. In a team game, you need to carefully monitor that no one gives themselves bonus income. And so that the adversaries reduce their income after capturing their key point.

 Although I complained a lot above, I have a lot to praise Company of Heroes for, as I adore the game.

 First, component fuss aside, I really like the step-by-step movement. Let's say I roll my light T-70 into position and see an enemy Sherman hide behind an alert building in response. Later, I bring the mortars forward to engage a couple of units from afar, but in the meantime, the Sherman sneaks up behind my T-70. Fortunately, I had enough momentum left to back up and put my barrel on his exposed side. In general, the mechanics of movement in Company of Heroes are very good and generate a kind of push-pull. The design of the field helps reveal the tactical depth of the game. The walls, buildings, and bridges not only look stunning (very, very beautiful artwork), but also provide food for thought. Attempting to cross the bridge, at the other end of which are soldiers holed up in buildings and a machine gun nest, is suicidal. It's better to find a detour... or buy mortars and shell the area until the enemies are destroyed or forced to retreat. The game presents you with complex tactical tasks.

 At the same time, Company of Heroes is very thematic. The combat phase generates (with dice, of course) entire stories, without sacrificing depth. For example, it is undesirable to interfere with the Flak installation in a firefight with heavy tanks, since it is intended for the destruction of infantry. The same goes for Jeeps (although they are my favorite); even after a 50 caliber cannon upgrade from one of the commanders, they don't stand a chance against a heavily armored monster. But the infantry squad is a completely different thing. And when you have to roll the dice for defense (for example, during mortar fire) the result is very intriguing. Because much, as in a real war, depends on the case. It remains to dig in and hope that the god of war will have mercy on you.

 Once one of my T-70s drove right into the center of the map and found itself surrounded by enemy mortars, gunners and light tanks. They diligently shot him, but by some miracle the tank survived (although at the end of the round the enemy won). Very cinematic. And sometimes the fear of an enemy unit is enough for the enemy to retreat. Another time I rolled a Panzer IV into an adjacent hex with a squad of infantry guarding a key point. The next move he retreated, and I took the dot without firing a single shot.

 And in the supply phase, it's just nice to see your income grow due to captured points and spend the prizes you get. Upgrade buildings to open access to new units. Think about, buy the unit that you need now, or the one that you want. Will survey the battlefield, emphasizing how much the situation has changed since the last round, and make strategic decisions. In addition, you will have a choice between several commanders, which are significantly different from each other, which will open access to particularly powerful special abilities, if you accumulate enough experience points for attacking and destroying enemies.

 In general, Company of Heroes left a very pleasant impression, despite even a bunch of frozen elements and confusing rules. Loved the game so much that I'm thinking about homerules that make it friendlier, Free for All, and homemade units. The core mechanics are well thought out, very fan and themed. If the game was polished it would be a 10 out of 10. Now I'll give it an 8 out of 10.