Conversions to Expansions when Games Are No Longer in Production

[tlangston28]

. I think over time you will build your 'retro' part of PG at quite a cheap price if you hang on to your euros and wait to swoop when the bargains appear.

Brett, this is true. on several posts on this site, i have mentioned that most of my PG games/books/supplements, if not purchased in one of AVPs sales along with Gold Club, was purchased online, whether through EBay or other online retailers. Saipan and Burning Tigers are the only time I actually ordered a game before it was printed and for mostly the list price minus GC discount.

In fact, my copy of BoB was purchased from an Online distributor and came with the MOUNTED maps and the 2nd edition rules. When I received the product, I had a game with all pieces and 2 #12 boards and no #9 board (or vice versa, I don't remember). The online distributor worked with me and AVP to get a copy of the Woods and Hills Map package for about cost (HIS cost) so that I had a complete set of BoB maps.

I didn't mind going the Ebay route because now I have most of the games and can play almost any scenario in my inventory. I Don't have Kursk-SF yet but that will probably be next at some point.

[Brett Nicholson]

I actually did just check e-bay for the first time and saw some interesting PG titles there but nearly all were from the U.S. so I don't know how the shipping would add up to the cost though. I think if I were looking for something out of print and hard to come by I would try it. I saw more than one copy of 'Heroes of the Soviet Union' available along with the first print of 'Airborne' and 'Panzer Grenadier: Eastern Front' at not so outrageous prices. Also some very early prints of the 'Edelweiss' and 'Artic Front' supplements as well (No 'Red Warriors' though).

I think I'm going to be fine with having enough new scenarios to play for a while as I am just now nearing half of the 112 'Eastern Front' ones but will be finishing up 'Guadalcanal' sometime this month. So I figure with getting 'Battle of the Bulge' and 'Jungle Fighting' I will be able to switch things up so that I don't get burnt out by having three different theaters of WWII at hand; East Front, West Front and Pacific. I say that but know that on impulse I may end up going an entirely different route as a local retailer still has a copy of 'Fall of France' marked down and I could buy that with cash on hand. Whatever the case I need at least one new game and soon!

Another prime reason for wanting to pick up 'Battle of the Bulge' is that I had it years ago when it was a new release, complete with the hard-mounted boards. I came close to finishing it but then I did not comprehend the 2nd edition rules that well then. I want to revisit it and try to get it right this time and finish the damned thing! Maybe even try out the 4th edition rules on it, who knows? I know I bitch and complain about the new AP a lot but really just want to complete older PG games and supplements if I can before moving on to newer ones. In regards to 'Road to Berlin' it will likely be some time before I tackle that one though I do like that there are 75 scenarios in it. Whenever possible I prefer to play earlier war games first before jumping from 1941-42 all the way to 1945. So in fact I would be more inclined to pick up 'Kursk: South Flank' and/or 'Burning Tigers' before RtB as it is set in 1943. Perhaps that's a little OCD but I like covering PG from a certain chronological angle when possible and/or completing one era or theater before jumping into another. With 'Jungle Fighting' I can be satisfied with completing the Guadalcanal campaign and then move to 'Kokoda Trail'; only after that would I feel compelled to jump forward to 1944 and tackle 'Saipan 44' and 'Marianas' (sorry Jay!)

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions and will keep checking around on e-bay from time to time. :-)

[larry marak]

I've got first edition PG up and running with 4th edition rules. The primary difference between 4th and 3rd edition rules is that they are CLEARER, in large type, and with copious examples. The development team did an excellent job. Thanks Vince, Alan et alia. :-)

[thomaso827]

I found both Casino and Beyond Normandy on Noble Knight Games, priced well below what they were going for on Ebay so no more looking for alternatives to get DAK 44 on the table. On the 3rd vs 4th edition rules, I have a good copier at work and made copies of the 4th edition rules and tables that came with Saipan 44 and am working my way through all my other games changing out rule books and tables for the new ones. I've played a couple of the old games with the new rules and have had no difficulties, but am still learning my way around the system. Pretty much every game points me to another misunderstanding of something or other, nothing major, and happy to find these things now rather than when playing somebody face to face. Now if I can just get either of the two area players I find here and on Boardgamegeek to respond, I can get some more games in. If not, I'm on my way to recruiting a couple of guys.

Tom Oxley