Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

I've been a fan of the series since the original CM:BO released on demo disk for PC Gamer Magazine a million years ago. The game was originally licensed to be a PC version of Squad Leader and Advanced Squad Leader with later releases but Hasbro bought TSR... blah-blah-history. I bought the special edition pre-order of this game that came in the tin on pre-release over a decade ago. The game was, graphically, obsolete on launch but you don't buy these for the graphics you buy games like this for the tactical experience and wide variety of options when giving orders to your troops. Where it really shines, still over 20 years on is the options for PvP play and the ability to choose turn based or real time for each match. No one to my knowledge has covered those bases as well as Battlefront did. I still play with with an old friend and this game has followed us from me being in my late 20's and him about my age now into his retirement years. We live apart and can't play Flames of War, Bolt Action or the other games we used to enjoy but we've still got this. This is a game you play for the experience of a tabletop miniatures game that gives you the depth of play but a casual pace where you don't feel like you're drinking from the firehose like you do with Steel Division 2 (also a great game and much prettier). You can even Play by Email, I don't think anyone does that. You take your turn, send your turn via an email direct to the game, your opponent takes theirs and you get to watch the results of that "mad minute". This game will always hold a special place for me like a few others but all in all, obsolete graphics included, this is one of the greatest tactical warfare games ever made.

I have played this series on and off since the original Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord released in 2000. Its technical pros and cons are well-documented at this point so this post will focus on what I think different groups of consumers should consider before buying.

Wargamers: Buy a title covering a period of interest to you and give it a try. The only other series in this class is Graviteam (which I have also reviewed). As a wargamer you are used to paying a lot for games and also getting many hundreds of hours of play out of them. Graphics probably aren't a huge deal for you if the representation of tactical combat is solid (it is very solid here). Only real issue: the Combat Mission series is micro-intensive. Probably not a huge deal if you are used to shuffling counters but it can get tedious in larger scenarios. There are some irksome issues with certain mechanics (e.g. "occupy" objectives require you to root every last enemy soldier out of the objective as opposed to changing position based on weighted strength of the forces present in the zone). The engine would really benefit from a refresh that addresses some of these issues. A system for issuing formation orders to ease some of the micro would also be very welcome.

RTS Gamers: This is a wargame and not a military-themed RTS. The game is designed to simulate combat at the tactical level. Balance and fairness are not considerations. Combat resolution is based on weapons capability and the physics model, not a damage vs. hit point calculation. Example: if you roll a Panther tank toward a 57mm AT gun, that gun is probably not going to penetrate the Panther's frontal armor. It CAN and WILL one-shot the tank's thin side armor at range if you give it a chance. Even from the front, a lucky shot might disable the gun, or even hit the turret's "shot trap," deflecting down through the weak top armor and disabling the tank. Run heavy vehicles through mud and they can bog down and become immobilized far from contact with the enemy. Also, you are limited to the OOB and reinforcement schedule built into each scenario. There are no base-building, resource management, or deck-building mechanics. Wreck your combat power in a reckless, poorly conceived attack and that's it. You lose. If you're still on the fence after reading this, maybe pick up a title that interests you on sale. I can almost guarantee you will be frustrated with your first few battles. The combat modeling will seem extremely unforgiving.

Casual Strategy Gamers: If you have made it this far, either try a demo before buying or only buy on sale. You will face a steep learning curve. Maybe you will catch the wargaming bug, but there are cheaper and easier ways to figure out whether you enjoy wargaming (check out The Troop, Second Front, etc.).

General Gaming Audience: Probably not for you. Again, if you're interested in trying this kind of game, there are other titles that provide a better entry point.

Don't let the price scare you away. If you have enjoyed any of the old school tactical hex and counter games, CMBN will be right up your alley. I would like to see the series go beyond 1v1 along with the ability to co-op against the AI.

A hardcore war sim really shouldn't be this much fun. The minute-long WeGo turn-based mode is a thing of genius, allowing you to enjoy the chaos at your leisure. With a bit of modding and a ReShade, you even start to convince yourself it actually looks quite good.
I'm sure it's somewhat flawed and it's expensive, and the devs don't update it enough - all issues that if you've been playing it for 20 years have probably become major irritants, but coming to it fresh, I say again - it's actually fun.
Yes, you'll have to read the manual (although there are some excellent content creators out there who can help ease you into the mechanics), but whilst most games these days merely induce low-level rage, this one somehow manages to make me laugh out loud on a regular basis.

The realism and gameplay is amazing, the graphics look like they are from about 2006. If you want the best and most realistic ww2 tactical game out there this is the one for you, if you like graphics, this isn't for you.

Highly, highly recommended. While the graphics are a little dated, there is no other wargame that is remotely as realistic as the Combat Mission series. Graviteam Tactics is close, but they are quite different games, and it only covers the Eastern Front. I played Combat Mission a lot several years ago, and it's great discovering all the DLC (Market Garden, etc.) that has been added. A timeless game that has never been superseded!

“Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”
- James Mattis
This game, no, this warfare simulator is achieving perfection if you can go beyond the aging graphics.
This simulator is so perfect that the battlefield conditions will make you have to change your tactics.
Is the terrain too damp for a tank to pass there? is it too windy for my snipers to take a shot a 300m? brightness of the battlefield, etc...
Caliber used, weapon system against type of unit.
The spotting system alone is insane, depending on the distance, the veterancy of the unit AND VETERANCY OF ENEMY SQUAD, the TOOLS used, the brightness, the tiredness of your unit and is there a way for them to actually communicate information to others squad? via voice or radio. Is the enemy squad running, crawling, immobile. A soldier can see an enemy soldier and engage it but maybe the squad 100m away cannot since they have no way to know where he is and cannot communicate with the spotter. its perfect!
So the game basically play like that : You tell your guys to do this and that, capture, shoot there... you know how it work... then you press play, your unit will then try their very best for a full minute to do what you told them with absolutely no way for you to stop the carnage, you have to live with your fumble for the rest of the battle! if you didnt spot the MG42 on the treeline and your whole squad get fucked, its on you... but you soldiers are not totally retarded! under heavy fire, they will get down, try to sneak away, run away from the firing line try their best a returning fire (there is a stress gauge for each unit that will help make them either good or bad a shooting at targets). But the enemy will do the same, they will play on the same rules as you, sometimes you will see them slowly crawl right in front of your perfectly placed Browning and you will see them getting melted like ice cream under the sun! its beautiful. bring tears to my eyes.
So the game is Semi turn base, they call it WEGO i think, like you place your moves, they place their moves and when you press play everything unfold at the same time for both parties.
9.8/10
Oh yeah, if your squads get into a CQB (20m radius) they will automatically start to toss grenades at each other making the engagement swift and deadly. Just learned that like now...