Band of Brothers: Black Bull

Band of Brothers: Black Bull is a fast playing game of squad level combat in WWII. It follows Britain's 11th Armoured Division -- nicknamed "The Black Bull" -- from Normandy through Belgium, the Bulge, and the Rhine. It introduces British tanks and infantry to the Band of Brothers series. However, Black Bull is a standalone game that doesn't require any of the earlier Band of Brothers boxes. The rules are very simple (no combat charts are needed) with very few exceptions to remember and yet the game is all encompassing and includes infantry, tanks, and artillery. Based on years of research, the game system uses a unique suppression mechanic. There are no longer two unique states for a unit, but varying degrees of suppression. This allows suppression to accumulate from multiple fire sources and means that the unit will not take a morale check until it is asked to do something. You will never know for sure how your units will respond until they are needed. Although casualties can be caused by artillery and heavy weapons (which makes them prime battlefield targets), squads will never cause significant casualties shooting at range at dug in, first line troops. Their goal is to fire and maneuver. Sections of the enemy force must be pinned down and eliminated from up close. The system itself forces this realistic play. In a similar fashion, the system rewards you for spreading your troops out and other realistic game play. Another unique feature of the game is its use of Proficiency and Casualty ratings to differentiate units in areas besides just morale. —description from the publisher