Matrix Games

For those of you who are tired of tactical board games that are long on rules and short on fun, we present Mark H. Walker’s Lock ‘n Load: Band of Heroes, the tactical simulation that is “more game, less guff.”

Mark H. Walker’s Lock ‘n Load: Band of Heroes is the second complete module in the Lock ‘n Load game system and it covers the battles of America's airborne troops during June of 1944.

It’s an easy system to learn and even better, gamers who are familiar with the Lock ‘n Load system can jump right in. As with the original game, each hex is 50 meters and turns are a few moments; counters represent squads, leaders, heroes, medics and even the occasional chaplain or scout. The module includes, SS Panzergrenadiers, Fallschirmjager, straight stick Wehrmacht, U.S. Airborne (both 82^nd and 101^st), Airborne Glider troops, StuG IIIG, PzIIIJ, Marder I, Pz35-S, Tiger I (ya gotta have a Tiger), M4A1, M10, M5A1, Jeeps, 88mm, 57mm, and 60mm and 81mm mortar Weapon Teams, MG42, MG34, M1919A4 .30 cal, BAR, 16 brand new Skill Cards that provide Leaders and Heroes with unique abilities, six mounted map boards, 480+ counters with Niko Eskubi’s fabulous art, and 16 gut-wrenching scenarios.
The scenarios play to LnL's strong suit... story telling. We have the battle of XYZ... where two paratroopers (later supported by a platoon) took down an entire German artillery battalion. The Alamo depicts the final battle in Saving Private Ryan, Flash... Thunder demonstrates the chaotic struggle of the first scattered paratroopers as Germans and Americans randomly appear, and still another (The Call of Duty) dishes up some tough choices for the commander of the 327th Glider Regiment. There are also straight up, tactical firefights such as Coming Through... a meeting engagement between elements of the 37th Regiment 17th SS Panzergrenadiers and the 502^nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, The Road to Foucarville, where the 502nd attacks toward Foucarville through the 1057th Regiment of the 91st ID, Ewell's Charge, in which the 501st PIR attempts to flank the 6th Fallschirmjager at Dead Man's Corner.

• 6 lush MOUNTED geomorphic maps. 480+ beautiful counters, some as large as 7/8”, representing the men and equipment from the 82nd, 101st, 17th SS Panzergrenadier, 6th Fallschirmjager, 91st Airlanding, and 352nd Infantry Divisions. 16 New Skill Cards, providing Leaders and Heroes with special abilities. 16 Scenarios: From the fight for the XYZ Complex, to the defense of Neuville, all the famous American Airborne actions that occurred during the invasion of Normandy are faithfully depicted. Player’s charts. 2 six-sided die Perhaps the best board game graphics ever. Just take a look at these counters and maps. An innovative impulse system that keeps both players engaged, excited, and coming back for more. Squad-based, intense tactical battles. Single men who make a difference —Leaders, heroes, medics, and even chaplains inspire their men; leading them to feats of heroic bravery. Random events triggered during play add to the “you-are-there” feeling. Ambushes spring unannounced, squads panic in unforeseen circumstances, and unexpected air support saves the day. It’s all here, in a game that plays much like a good military adventure novel. A Charles S. Roberts award winner, International Gamers Awards Game of the Year, and voted by Game Magazine as one of the top five conflict simulations. Everyone is playing Lock ‘n Load. Shouldn’t you be doing the same?

Xtreme-Gamer
"Whether you’re an old-school grognard currently pressed for time or a newcomer to the genre, Band of Heroes is the perfect solution when you’re craving a squad-based WWII scrap."

The Wargamer
Its visual detail is stunning.... gamers will want to show off to their friends. The mechanics make for a very playable game. The varying options of movement, firing, and assault movement keep players planning on the fly...