Perhaps this was a Brexit stimulated (aka panic mode) purchase as "who knows" what European shipping costs and 'posting chaos' will be in the days, weeks, months and years to come! Lame excuse? After a Google Search I had spotted this on on the French NUTS board game website:
https://www.nutspublishing.com/eshop/our-games/urban-operations-en
Back History: Now I had eyed-up the prototype version of this game way back at Connections UK 2016 where the designer Sebastian de Peyret (a serving French Infantry Infantry Officer/Instructor specialising in urban combat) was running its prototype as a demonstration game next to my table (where I was demonstrating Phil Sabin's FireMove WWII battalion attack simulation). I was intrigued - particularly because of the respect given from combat veterans and serving military as to its realism. This and from watching the game play on Sebastian's table (it looked good and was the source of intense DSTL conversation around the table), I made a point in my mind to definitely watch out for it when it came available on the commercial market (see below):
Here it is unboxed in its glory! It came from France before the Bexit blockades were erected and it certainly is one fancy box of tricks (see below, displeasing to the wife a large box and the amount of stuff [see the spread across teh kitchen table]! Can you smell Fog of War, Random Events, Impetus based sequence of play and Command and Control limitations - and that's just flicking through the rule book):
I do have an idea to convert it to miniatures (once I have learn and play tested the rules) - which means all those 20mm soft plastics were collected for a reason after all or maybe I should be thinking ;)
Initial Impressions:
Five star rating on initial look and feel, plus excellent production value. Not cheap at €75 but nevertheless good value IMHO (subject matter expertise creaks out of the game). Watch this space for some game-play and AARs!