Battles Magazine #3

ISSUE #3 JANUARY 2019 REVIEWS

010 017 026 040 044 049 056 076 085 090 094

Richard III Ici C’est La France Atlantic Navies Bull Run 1861 Bulge 20 PQ 17 1805 Sea Of Glory Where There Is Discord Field Commander: Alexander Ranger Struggle For The Galactic Empire

PANORAMAS

066 Operational Studies Group

ANALYSIS

098 Pursuit Of Glory 102 Liberty Roads

SCENARIOS

120 ASLSK, ASL, CC, L’nL

MOST WANTED

105 The designers talk about their coming games

A WEEK IN HELL

124 Historical article - Rules of Play

INTERVIEWS

Chris Janiec 053 Jerry Taylor 012 Pascal Da Silva 116

THE IDEAL GAME COLLECTION

112 Air Cav

AND ALSO....

032 Warfare affair 024 Site 138 Alexander The Statistician 083 All about publishing 048 The Workshop 064 OhNo! 111 Computer Games

“Une brute qui marche ira toujours plus loin que deux intellectuels assis”

Publisher, Editor, Artistic Director, Nightwatcher and all the stuff : Olivier Revenu Cover Art : Adapted from Full Metal Jacket Translators : Eric Grenier, Angus Clarcke, Claire Jomier Revenu Web Wizard: Claude Leroy (a big thanks to you, again, again)

THE MIDDLEWEIGHT BRIGADE (HURRAH! HURRAH! HURRAH!)

1,2,3... It’s starting to look like something.

The game in this magazine is the first game by Laurent and we’re really happy to publish it. The Battle of Hue is not an easy one to simulate. Laurent has done a good job by including many intelligent and original ideas into his design. I’d like to see soon Laurent’s next creations (in the meantime, francophones can read his regularly-published e-zine at www.errata.fr). David and Daniel worked their graphical kung-fu, and the result is, in my opinion, top notch. The counters for this game are more than twice as thick as those in the previous issue. Our printer did a great job. If I wasn’t so unduly modest, I’d be able to tell you how these are among the best-looking and best-printed counters I’ve ever seen. I’m a happy publisher.

For the magazine itself, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the other solitaire games available on the market today.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of them. We were only able to cover a few (D-Day at Omaha Beach was also reviewed in our previous issue).

I don’t have much else to add except, well, maybe... Just this small image above, meant for those on the forums who, in response to the announcement of the end of publication of Fire & Movement*, doctrinally lecture on the inevitable end of print media, on the obsolescence of wargaming magazines in the age of the internet, and on the near-dictatorial necessity of having it all, always more, and right away... As far as we’re concerned, you still have another 139 pages to get through and you can take your time.

Aside from that, all is well!

Until next time, merci à tous, Olivier *I learnt English by reading the magazine F&M (and the three tomes of AD&D), that I borrowed from my neighbour’s elder brother, more than 25 years ago (the first I read was about G.I Anvil Of Victory and I still remember the cover).

Battles would surelynot exist if there hadn’t been this first meeting.

Steve Berger Nicolas Beudin Frédéric Bey Julien Bonnard Buxeria Laurent Closier Amaury de Vandiere Arnaud Della Siega Matt Foster François Xavier Euzet Laurent Guenette Dominique Guillemin Brant Guillory David Hughes Philip Jelley Matthew Kirschenbaumm Hermann Lutmann Gael Marchand Laurent Martin Philippe Naud Elias Nordling Luc Olivier Thomas Pouchin S. Rawling Nicolas Rident Richard Simon Pascal Toupy Charles Vasey

Battles Magazine contains advertisements. We sincerely thank those who support us by buying ad space in our pages.

They make the publication of this magazine easier, and we hope that the magazine will help them let others know about their games. But one thing is for certain: the presence or absence of an advertisement will never influence the content of this magazine.

I said.

Battles Magazine Allée du Campas 64240 Urt - FRANCE http://www.battlemagazine.com Commission paritaire : en cours N°ISSN : en cours Made in France - Proudly Printed in Euskadi

WWW.BATTLESMAGAZINE.COM

Publishers ! If you want your products figure on these pages, it’s just very simple : send them to us. All the products we will

we received... receive will be shorly presented here and will be on the priority list of the games to be rewieved, analysed etc... De nada !

CLASH OF ARMS

Wallace’s War ALong-awaited by fans of Baron’s War,

the first from this series of medieval battles published by Clash of Arms and designed by Rob Markham, Wallace’s War has finally been released and simulates the battles of Stirling Bridge (1297) and Falkirk (1298). As in BW, the components (250 5/8” counters, two 17”x22” maps, and several cardstock charts) show good taste.

A printing error on the counter sheet should be rapidly fixed as CoA should be producing stickers to replace the erroneous counters.

The rules for WW have been re-worked since the last game in the series and are perfectly playable. No more

ambiguities like in BW. The system uses a game sequence without turns, relying on the allocation of Command Chits to the various leaders before and during play. These allow troops to act more or less quickly and more or less strongly during the course of the battle. It is a very elegant system which puts the emphasis on the difficulty of command during battle.

An emphasis which was also made in the previous tactical medieval combat series of Rob Markham.

We’ll publish a complete review of Wallace’s War in Battles #4.

(Written by a Scot, of course !)

LNLP

Lock’n Load A Ring Of Hill

We’re off to the Falkands (where, we now know, there is discord...) with 170 magnificent counters (by David Julien again) and five geomorphic maps. This expansion for Lock’n Load (Band of Heroes required) has also been long-awaited by fans of the series. This time, commandos, Marines, and Argentinean conscripts face-off against British paratroopers 006 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

in 12 scenarios. For those who don’t already know LnL, it is a system of low to moderate difficulty, permitting players to re-create tactical combat between infantry, armour, and air support. The game sequence is based around alternating impulses with no dead time. With synthetic rules, LnL insists upon the importance of timing, the good co-ordination of combat groups, and the quality of adaptation needed by all good commanders.

We’ll publish a complete review of A Ring Of Hills in Battles #4.

VAE VICTIS

Aspern Essling 1809 AAfter Arnhem 1944, Vae Victis, the

French magazine of “jeux d’Histoire”, has published its second hors-série game. This is a new game from the

magazine’s Jours de Gloire series

by Frédéric Bey conceived out of the foundations of Triumph & Glory by R.H. Berg. JdG is used in the Trophée du Bicentenaire tournament that has been held now for 13 years, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Napoleonic battles, and organized by the designer (we will take a look at this event in the next issue).

So, this year, the Battle of Aspern Essling, part of Napoleon’s plan to cross the Danube and finish the Austrians for good. The melees in the villages, the crucial importance of bridges, and the heroic resistance of one against three by Massena and Lannes (who die after the battle), this game seems to have

all of the ingredients of this tense and interesting battle, recounted in the excellent La Bataille by Patrick Rambaud (a must-read).

The components are at a very high level of quality, including 216 die-cut counters, an evocative and elegant map (without a doubt the best by Pascal Da Silva to date - see p.116), a rule book, all in a nicely illustrated cardboard pocket. An Englishlanguage version is available.

We’ll publish a complete review of Aspern Esling in Battles #4.

BELLICA THIRD GENERATION

Roads To Stalingrad Bellica Third Generation is a promising Spanish publisher. This game is the first of the Campaign

Commander series. Roads to Stalingrad takes place between the summer of 1942 and the spring of 1943, simulating the Stalingrad campaign. Axis forces are represented at the corps level and Soviet forces at the army level. The map (divided into zones), the counters, and the cards are sobre and elegant.

The game system (8 pages of rules) is simple and original. There is no turns or game sequence, but rather a succession of impulses where players secretly and simultaneously choose a card from their hand and decide whether to play its strategic effect or launch an offensive on the map. If the two players choose an operation, only one of them takes place (according to initiative, various modifiers, and a roll of the die). Bluff thus plays a major role. The game ends when players have used all of their cards. Units have three values: cohesion, movement, and tactical. The last is crucial for combat, as it determines the number of available Combat Chits. The effects of these randomly chosen chits are revealed at the beginning of combat and applied one at a time until the zone is evacuated by one side or the other.

Among them, we find things like “Air Strike”, “Combined Arms”, “Human Waves”, “Flank Attack”, etc.

The importance of resources is also a major component. Each operation costs one resource point (giving six supply points), spent in accordance of the cost of each action.

After a first reading of the rules, RtS fills you with enthusiasm and makes you want to play right away. Which is what I will do next. An Englishlanguage version is available.

We’ll publish a complete review of Roads To Stalingrad in Battles #4.

B

we received...

Tomb for An Empire Another game from Bellica Third

Generation, and again the first of a new series: Age of Muskets.

The game is presented in a nice and very full box (two area-based maps representing Spain, six counter sheets, several rulebooks, scenario books, and player aids), allowing you to play out the war in Spain from 1808 to 1814 (in its entirety or in 24 campaign scenarios).

It seems to successfully and exhaustively mix all of the strategic, operational, and tactical aspects of the war with precision and originality.

A fuller description cannot be given at this time. It seems very complete and complex, and deserves a closer look, which we will do soon.

An English-language version is available.

We’ll publish a complete review of Tomb for An Empire in Battles #4 or #5.

VICTORY POINT GAMES

Ancient Battles Deluxe

Ancient Battles, originally published by 3W, has as its goal to simulate any battle that took place before the invention of gunpowder with a system that is simple and fun. Considering the changes that have been made for this 008 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

deluxe version, it seems to be more than a simple re-printing. The IGOUGO activation mechanism has been replaced by a system of command points, the use of which often requires making radical choices. The system is astute and avoids the bizarre results that we see sometimes, where certain units are activated again and again while others seem to stay put for the entire the game. The CRT of the original edition has disappeared. For firing, it has been replaced by the comparison of an attack die and a defense die. For melees, it has been replaced by a die roll, modified by the attacker’s strength and the nature of the terrain, checked against the Melee Combat Table.

The system has been greatly improved by these changes and the game remains simple and fluid. It’s ideal for players looking for a quick game or

for initiating new wargamers.

Ancient Battles Deluxe allows you to simulate the battles of Kadesh, Leuctra, Chaeroea, Granicus, Legnano, Hattin, Arsouf, and Bannockburn (from 1288 BCE to 1314 CE).

Two maps, three counter sheets, eight scenario cards, player aids, and a rulebook. The ziplock bag is packed tight.

DECISION GAMES

Struggle for the Galactic Empire Complete review p.94

LAST MINUTE! GRY LEONARDO

The Eagle And The Star

We’ve just received this game from the polish publisher Gry Leonardo, covering the war between Poland and the Soviet Union in 1920. It is a CDG with blocks, combat is

resolved without dice, the map is point-to-point and the components are very well done. And, it looks very interesting. As we’re off to the printers in a few hours, we can’t say any more. But...

We’ll publish a complete review of The Eagles And the Star in Battles #4.

VICTORY POINT GAMES

The Barbarossa Campaign

The Barbarossa Campaign is a solitaire game simulating the entire campaign at the strategic level from the perspective of the Axis Powers.

Unfortunately, we can’t say any more about it (as I write, the printer is trying to rip this page from my hands so he can get to work). After skimming through the rules, they appear to be well thought-out. We’ll have more about it in our next issue.

We’ll publish a complete review of The Barbarossa Campaign in Battles #4.

REVIEW

by Nicolas Beudin Designer Tom Dalgliesh, Jerry Taylor Graphics Mark Mahaffey, Tom Dalgliesh, Leona Preston Publisher COLUMBIA GAMES

RICHARDIII the war of the roses

New King on the Block The Middle Ages encompass one of the most exciting periods in English History and one of the most important historical events of the Medieval era : the Wars of the Roses.

Richard III: The Wars of the Roses is the newest 2009 release from Columbia Games, an epic two-player block-game that recreates the 15th century and the long and bloody dynastic struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England. The game depicts both the vicious military campaigns and the rich political struggles that surrounded the late rule of the mad-king Henry VI, the Yorkist usurper Edward IV, the bloody rule of Richard III, and the early years of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. It was designed by Jerry Taylor and developed by Grant and Tom Dalgliesh. Players familiar with the mechanics of Columbia’s successful Hammer of the Scots (HoTS) or Crusader Rex (CR), by the same designer, will pick up Richard III in less time than it takes to read this overview.

HISTORY

The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1487 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the white rose for the Yorkists. Although the roses were occasionally used as symbols during the wars, most of the participants wore badges associated with their immediate feudal lords or protectors. The Wars of the Roses lasted thirty-two years, from 1455–86.

However, it was not a continuous war. It is generally accepted to have been fought in several spasmodic episodes between 1455 and 1487. Battles tended to be bloody, and neither side could afford to

018

Battles Magazine # 3 - 011

REVIEW RICHARDIII maintain a permanent army of any size. Most military campaigns lasted only a few months, separated by 6-12 years of fragile peace.

The main causes of this dynastic struggle were: 1) a disputed succession dating back to the overthrow of Richard II (York) by Henry Bolingbroke (Lancaster) in 1399; 2) the breakdown of royal authority during Henry VI’s bouts of mental illness and the latter stages of the Hundred Years’ War; and 3) the rise of large independent noble armies with little or no direct loyalty to the crown. This is of course a simplified explanation of the contributing factors leading up to these wars. Royal authority was restored after Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 to be crowned Henry VII. The game does a great job of focusing on these political aspects since the object of play is to eliminate all five enemy heirs, or win control of the powerful nobles of England (to keep or usurp the crown). The Lancastrians start the game holding the throne, and the Yorkists are in exile ready to invade. Kingship can be won or lost several times during the game. Will Richard III emerge triumphant, or will he perish in battle as he did historically?

As said earlier, the game basic mechanics are very similar to the other two Jerry Taylor games, HotS and CR. Taking off where these last two left, the game system employed in Richard III adds innovative new rules to reflect the political intrigues and enriches the card deck. This is nevertheless a highly approachable game that can be taught in about half an hour, even to a complete novice. If you’re looking to get into this genre, this is an absolutely great place to start.

COMPONeNTS

Production value is typical of usual Columbia standards.

The game comes in an attractive bookcase-game box. Like other Columbia games, the box is a standardized generic black clamshell box with the Columbia logo. The “cover” is a four-sided slipcover sleeve that fits over the box, with a really nice piece of art, and standard game information (playing time, complexity, sample graphics, etc.) on the back. Inside, players will find a six-panel folding map (designed by the very talented artist Mark Mahaffey), a rule book, a bag of wooden blocks, a sheet of stickers, a deck of cards, and four dice. It misses a solid mounted board. But once it lays flat (Plexiglas is your friend), it looks great. The map of England,Wales - and small parts of France, Ireland and Scotland - is divided in several regions with the nobles homes showing the respective heraldic arms (sometimes in the simplified form found on banners and worn by retainers). The warm green background tone, the emblems and other icons, the font of the areas, all look very nice and fit together very well. Areas are separated by yellow, blue or red borders. Movement of blocks from one area to another is restricted, depending on the colour of the borders - four blocks for yellow borders, three blocks for blue borders, and two blocks for red borders.

The units (nobles, heirs, levies, etc.) are large size red/white wooden blocks with data on one side and a blank face on the other; the blank face is shown to the enemy to simulate “fog of war” to a certain degree. A total of 31 white blocks (York), 31 red blocks (Lancaster) and one black block (rebels), which always fight with the side (called The Pretender in the game) that does not control the king. The blocks

012 - BATTleS Magazine

are well made, but first off, you will need to lovingly place the unit labels on the blocks, since they don’t come completely assembled (sticking instead of clipping). The graphics for these 63 block labels, as well as the 25 cards, are all appealing and easy to read.

As often with Columbia games, the rule book is written in the old-school manner (not in the typical Euro game way, with lots of graphical examples). It is divided into numeric sections, with different sub-sections dealing with the topic (2.7.1, 2.7.2...). It is only eight pages long (it tends to be the standard for CG these days), well-organized and nicely formatted so that a sidebar contains useful examples, clarifications, and historical commentary. This is a cookie for grognards, of course, but that may be a little scary for a casual gamer, or rule book haters like me. Unfortunately, there’s no extended example of play provided in the book and that may be a minor issue if you are not already familiar with any of these games. Regardless, Jerry Taylor and/or Grant Dalgliesh are always around on Consimworld and typically answer rules questions a day or two after they are posted. Hopefully Columbia will post a FAQ/turn example on its website very soon. But one thing is sure: you won’t be able to fully grasp the smooth game play, nor the subtleties of the rules by reading these eight pages.You need a table!

GAMePlAY

A typical game of Richard III promises to be furious and fast (two to three hours) since it covers three campaigns, each campaign lasting seven turns, for a total of 21 turns. Each campaign corresponds to one of the three major civil wars of the Wars of the Roses.

Lancaster begins with 11 blocks on the board (including French and Scots mercenaries in the exile areas of France and Scotland respectively).York begins with nine blocks, but they are all in exile: six in Calais and three in Ireland. Each player has a pool, containing blocks that can be recruited and deployed on your turn.

The game uses a combination of cards (first introduced in Columbia Games with Rommel in the Desert) and dice. Every campaign you receive seven cards, and then you both play a card simultaneously, to determine the initiative. Once per campaign, to minimize the luck-of-the-draw factor, you can “mulligan” a crappy hand and request a re-deal.

Most cards have Action Points (from 2 to 4) which allow you to determine group moves or to recruit and deploy blocks from your pool. The player who played the card with a higher value gets to go first (Pretender wins ties) although the player who played an Event card always gets to go first. Initiative is very important since going first means you can attack and pin down your opponent’s pieces, or that you can recruit units in a key zone. For one AP, you may activate any/all blocks in one area for land movement or allow one block to move from one coastal area to another. There are more rules concerning border limits and sea zones, but that’s the basic idea. Event cards have a special action (Surprise, Treason, Force March, etc...) defined on the card, and an AP value, and what’s cool is that both are used in this game. The card’s text is executed, from a special group move with higher border limits, to a sea attack (where those are normally impossible), to a plague that descends upon one area and hits every block in its

BATTleS Magazine # 2 - 021

REVIEW RICHARDIII

INTeRVIeW WITH

J e r r Y taY L o r

path… Requiring limited actions each round, downtime is negligible.

After you have both used your APs or event cards, players take part in resolving the battles.

Jerry, who are you ?

I son.

I have wife and a six year-old Six sided dice are used to determine comI am a 46 year-old man living in Alexandria, Virginia. tank. bat results. I really enjoy the streamlined work in public policy think Columbia combat system: the combat rat? ing for each unit is indicated by a letter and How, when & why did you come to play wargames 1970s and was brought-up on Avalon number, such as A2 or B3. The letter (initiaI have been wargaming since I was a teenager in the play – first Tactics II, then Stalingrad, to how me t taugh n cousi tive) determines when a block has a battle older My s. game SPI Hill and the races I went. I gave up wargaming turn. All A blocks go first, then all B blocks, then Blitzkrieg (all Avalon Hill products), and off to until around 1990. I have always liked then all C blocks. The number (firepower) when I went to college and did not begin playing again as I’ve gotten older. While I once wed mello have s taste my indicates the maximum roll that will score but etc.) , cards s, (ches s game , and games that took days to finish to a hit (unlike a lot of games, here you want used to gravitate to monster rulebooks, complexity s I can start and finish in one thing and s, game block s, game r to roll low). The current strength of a block lighte r prefe now I completion, is the number of diamonds on the top edge night. and determines how many dice are thrown ? / in which design process were ames warg n desig to for a block in combat. When a unit takes come you did why & How, when s ? what do you enjoy the most about damage there’s no record keeping involved, you involved so far ? why are you in love with block simply rotate the block to show the new Columbia approach ? be well I play. Otherwise, I might as when war of fog the want I strength value. It’s a simple and smooth se becau s game block I like ay, I have liked Columbia’s products ever system. playing chess with dice. And chess is more fun. Anyw n Hill – back in the 1970s. When I Avalo by shed publi then – There are also a number of minor rules leon Napo up d since I first picke , the first thing I did was go out and buy that can really change the outcome of the got back into wargaming after my hiatus in the 1980s in the day. I was immediately hooked back battle: pinning blocks, blocking retreat EastFront because I was so impressed by Napoleon was. I had played a lot of eastern aking ion-m decis the rich how areas, adding reserves are very enjoyable and play to was EF by how fun s of comparison – and man, did EF blow manoeuvres in most of the CG offerings. front games up until that point so I had a ready mean ined way to the counter-based games susta Richard III keeps these basics and adds them all away! I have really never gone back in any s now and again). game lock non-b some some tricky options like treachery, heir charges, and specific hit allocaplay do I ugh (altho then since my first convention and met Tom Dalgliesh tion: I got into design when in the early 1990s I went to inspired to read a book on the got , heart Brave seen just had I .

- Treachery: Some nobles were unreliable on the battlefield and booth s Game at the Columbia great block game and he ought to tackle that several upset victories resulted from treachery. Thus, some blocks may topic, and told Tom that I thought it would make a good ideas out there than there is time and defect to the other side (however this is much more difficult and risky for his next design project. He said there are more y trying to get rid of me, but I decided to simpl than in HotS). In a battle involving the King, the Pretender or Warwick suggested that I try my hand at it. I think he was with my very first design – Hammer of the done nally fi was I block, you can, instead of fighting, try to make a treachery roll. If you give it a go and, seven years later, received Hammer was and Crusader Rex was succeed, your opponent loses a noble while you gain one. “Gamey”?

Scots. I decided to try design again given how well third. my is Maybe, but fun!

III rd Richa . game d my secon - Unlike most block games (where you can divide them up among ? from come d perio the your strongest units), all hits from one firing block are applied to the for est inter Where does your and quite enjoyed the setting (if not the game; strongest enemy block at the beginning of combat. Only if that block is I played Avalon Hill’s Kingmaker back in the 1970s medieval warfare system down with Hammer eliminated do surplus hits carry over to the next strongest block. This I like it better now than I did then). Once we got the meder to be the grand-daddy of all consi I what e tackl to al can result in one key enemy block being crippled by one devastating natur ed seem it Rex, der and Crusa always something on the short list of things die roll! dieval conflicts – the Wars of the Roses. That was block game on exactly that topic, I moved this - Heir charge: in order to avoid the above mentioned rule and pick to do, but when I heard that GMT had just signed a opportunity. et mark a lose to not as up a weaker block in order to absorb hits, the friendly senior heir in so pile the of top the to ct proje a battle has the option to Charge. Beware: if the target survives the announced, was it difficult to was game the since ) years two charge, it gets one free extra shot at the charging block immediately! be (may while There’s been a your main goals on this design ? For you, Should the King die, the next heir in line inherits the crown (and achieve the final version of the game ? What were simulation ? the same goes for the title of Pretender). If all heirs from one side are where is the line between a good game and a good where, in the course of development, good ss proce ry tiona evolu an eliminated, the opponent achieves an instant victory. Game over! h thoug goes n desig Every game new ideas are incorporated, and rules ambiguiOnce all battles have been completed, you go to the supply phase ideas are improved upon, bad ideas are jettisoned, path that Richard III followed was for the most in which you check any areas that hold more than four blocks. If that ties are resolved. This game was no different. The s. What I submitted to Columbia was pretty game is the case, any block over 4 strength loses one point strength from part the same path that was traveled by my other development work by Tom and Grant went into of lot A ed. surviv attrition. good and 80% or so of that game . game the Finally, at the end of every campaign, you have the political turn, of 20% ining perfecting the rema representing the years of peace, in which The Pretender may usurp loping” the game. the throne: players count how many nobles and heirs they own Tell us about Grant (Dalgliesh), and his role in “deve I submitted it in a program of constant after times so or 60 d (church blocks and occupation of London - a key zone - also count aroun bly proba it d playe He and Tom actually work, what won’t, and what adds to as one toward the total) in order to determine the current King. The experimentation. It’s the only way to know what will oper is akin to the role of an editor. And a devel Pretender needs to have more than the King in order to usurp the the game and what does not. In short, the role of better for it. plays III rd Richa rs. throne and become the new King. If that occurs, the senior heir beedito ssive aggre are Grant Tom and

Interestingly enough, three games dealing with this theme are set to be released soon (from GMT and Z-man). Columbia Games has narrowly emerged from the pack of these three newest games by being the first to get Richard III into print. It will be interesting to see how the other games dealing with this same historical period compare. On the GMT website Crown of Roses, presented as a two players/three-hour blockgame too, has made the cut and deals with the exact same topic, adding a four-players option. I’ve had the opportunity to ask the designer, Stephen A. Cuyler, about the differences between his game and Richard III: The Wars of the Roses.

Crown of Roses first began as a rebuild of Kingmaker - nothing fancy, just a bigger map and updated components. As Stephen went along, he realized that he wasn’t satisfied with the combat system and reworked that. Early on in the design process (2004-2005) he used a CG style block coupled with some CDG elements to see how well they worked together. The CG blocks worked fine with the CDGs, but didn’t give the right feel in combat because of the agility rating.

Armies of the period were largely identical in terms of troop types, so one group being able to attack first seemed artificial in some way.

So the first difference in combat is that all damage is simultaneous.

The second difference was the adoption of Commands and Colors style icons, which allowed the expansion of the level of granularity without getting overly complex.

The third difference is the inclusion of rules to fight battles by section (left/ right/center). This rule has remained, albeit, as a player option, as it does increase complexity in battles.

Difference number four is that battle forces have a limited number of blocks in them, based on the command rating of the leader unit. Anything above that limit (leader blocks don’t count towards the limit) sits in the reserve for later use.

Leaders in battle are determined by who has the highest rank, so its not always the best unit possible.

The most recent change was to drop the iconic CC:A dice in favour of more standard pipped dice. The troop symbols on the blocks did not change, however.

In practice they work well together, with each symbol being a different color, so that all of a player’s combat dice are rolled together. Routs are folded into the die rolls also. Hits and routs are assessed after all rolls have been made.

Example: Your unit has a combat value of two Blue Triangles and one Red Square. You roll two blue dice and one red die. Red hits on a 4 or more, Blue hits on a 5 or more. Green Circles (not present) hit on a 6. Routs happen on a 1.

Last but not least, the players can use some cards during combat. Players will have cards that can be played before, during, or after combat to do things like cancel the combat or retreat your royal heirs to safety (no possibility of capture). comes King and the former King is deposed and must go to exile as the new Pretender…

You have to stay focused to remember which nobles are on the map.

Indeed, you can really mess with them by occupying their home region (a lot of those are home to more than one noble…) Since the Pretender moves his nobles back home first, it can happen that some of the King’s nobles can’t go back home if the area is already occupied by the enemy!

Finally, all blocks on the map are raised to full strength, and face down blocks in the pool are turned face up at full strength and can be recruited in the next campaign. Cards are shuffled and each player gets another seven for the next campaign. Whoever is King at the end of the third Campaign wins the game, but remember you can get an instant victory if you eliminate all five enemy heirs.

HoTS, CR & now RIII seem to share the same basic mechanics : what are the main differences ?

There are no real differences in the basic mechanics. There are differences, however, in some of the details associated with combat, loyalty, event cards, and the draw pool. All three games play rather differently, but the underlying system is for the most part the same.

Richard III: The Wars of the Roses was formerly known simply as Wars of the Roses : why did you change the name of the game ? Could you tell us more about your Shakespearian projects ?

Tom thought that the game would sell better titled Richard III than Wars of the Roses. I rather doubt that it makes any difference, but he thinks there is a good opportunity to market a Shakespearean line of games from Columbia. He’s working on MacBeth at the moment – a game that would rely on the Hammer/CRex/R3 system – and I’m considering a game called Henry V that would pioneer a Napoleon-style operational level game (referring here to the Columbia Game about the Waterloo campaign) for medieval conflicts. Not sure about that though – there are a couple of other design projects that I will likely be tackling first.

Charles Vasey wrote an interesting article for Battles #2 about something he calls “History-Lite” games. He thinks Hammer/CRex/Richard III are perfect examples of “History-Lite” games but, for all of their virtues, they are a decidedly mixed blessing.

Charles writes, “What concerns me is how we are going to avoid ending up in a hobby with history-lite games designed by the ever-excellent Jerry Taylor. How do we persuade folks to go for more history without wearying them?” Thoughts?

I think Charles is spot-on regarding the issues and trade-offs associated with both designing and marketing what he calls “History-Lite” games. My only disagreement is a rather minor one related to his suggestion that providing advantages to a defender in a 15th century battle is dubious. I think it is quite defensible and in fact correct, but that is a tertiary matter relative to the more interesting issues that he raises.

For what it’s worth, I – like Charles – would prefer to see history at a more granular level in these games than we do. All three designs that I have submitted to Columbia have been rather more historically rigorous than what eventually emerged upon publication. The reason for that is related to the fact that Tom Dalgliesh – my co-designer and the owner of Columbia Games – thinks that too-rigorous an allegiance to history can often reduce the fun-factor in these games. If games are not fun to play, he doesn’t want to play them. And if they are not fun to play, he fears that they will be difficult to sell (no minor matter given that Columbia Games is a for-profit institution). Whenever there is a conflict between what makes for the most fun gameplay experience and what makes for the most historically correct game mechanic, Tom’s inclination is to the embrace the former as long as the that option can be plausibly (if not persuasively) defended from some historical perspective.

Now, Tom is largely correct that the more fun a game is to play, the better it will sell.

And the games that I have designed are far more fun to play than they would have been hade my original designs been sent directly to the printers. That said, everyone’s “sweet spot” regarding the perfect mix of history and gameplay fun is a bit different. Mine – like Charles’ – are a bit different from Tom’s, but mine is not too far-off from what Columbia publishes.

Besides the game design, Jerry Taylor is among the most widely cited and influential critics of federal energy and environmental policy in the USA. He is the author or coauthor of numerous policy studies addressing energy taxes, the oil market, electricity regulation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable development, and trade and the environment.

This is said about many new games. This one has been aggressively playtested and refined for years, so it is too early to proclaim the game“unbalanced”. Jerry Taylor’s designs usually have a very different approach and feel for each side, which require some experience to play well. With experience, strong specific strategies will unfold for the players. Do not confuse symmetry with balance.

Players, including myself, who enjoyed HotS and CR, will no doubt enjoy this worthy successor in the line. The era depicted in this game hasn’t been designed to death, on this strategic level, for two players (AH’s respectable Kingmaker is multi-player…and 30 years old). Richard III : The Wars of the Roses provides tension and smoothly captures the military and political inStill being a virgin at this game, I can’t go deep into the open-ended strategic tricacies of this period with a light set of rules and minimal bookkeeping. It is possibilities and I’m really tired of the usual early criticisms about “balance”. quick and competitive; it has a strong theme, full of Shakespearian “drama”;

SO WHAT?

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REVIEW RICHARDIII it has the asymmetry in the game play you can expect from a historical wargame.

Richard III obviously bends towards the “History-Lite” trend, as Charles Vasey put it in his brilliant article from Battles #2. Clearly, the fun factor of this game outweighs the “simulation” factor and some might argue that, in its latest releases, CG has been light on “realism” while strong on theme and ease of play, rehashing the same engine over and over, regardless of the era/scale/specific forces of the conflict (you can’t deny that the mechanics of each CG block game -Liberty, Texas Glory, Athens vs Sparta,… to name a few - are fairly standard).

So, the old argument once again: Playability vs. Historical accuracy, “Cookie-cutter” systems doctored up for different time periods, etc. My personal opinion is that most gamers want a system that is “clean”, ie. easy-to-understand rules with few exceptions and quick playing time. They also want to have at least a decent chance of playing out along the historical lines if the players aim to swing it that way.

This doesn’t mean that every game ends as it did historically, only that it can indeed do so. Those types of games sell. Of course, we’d all like to play a “longest day monsterish-game” once a week in the basement, we’d all wish to recreate a long military campaign in its details with all the chrome, we’d all love to have the time to read and understand the ASL rule book before we die… History-Lite games are the “in” thing right now simply because they fit the market’s

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needs and, above all, the regular wargamer’s everyday life obligations. Like most of us, you may have realized that you own a lot of wargames but played very few of them. Jerry Taylor is one of those few designers that took the best from the streamlined designs and went directly to the History books section, producing games that combine the elegance of Euros with the asymmetry of the historical wargame, creating a great gaming experience within the constraints of historical possibility.Yes, the game system is based on the tried-andtrue design of Hammer of the Scots, and yet there is rich attention to detail and chrome that reflects the unique historical period of the War of the Roses. One only needs to read Jerry Taylor’s extensive Design Notes to get an idea of the incredible research and historical detail that has gone into the making.When the boxes finally hit the shelves, the results are fun games with very shallow mechanical learning curves that are still enjoyable to play on week nights and hard to master in the long term. In short, wargames that challenge without the extras that can make such a frustrating hobby. B Notes : • Players have the option to start the game with Campaign 2 or Campaign 3 for historical interest or just to play a shorter game. Scenarios can be found for these on the CG website.

• Richard III is the first of a series of games about Shakespeare’s historical plays. Other titles may include Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Henry V.

REVIEW

by Julien Bonnard DESIGNER KIM KANGER GRAPHICS KIM KANGER PUBLISHER LEGION WARGAMES

ICI C’EST

LA FRANCE !

The Algerian War of Independence 1954-62 Contemporary history of the main western European countries has been marked, after World War II, by wars of decolonization in the process of granting independence to the newly emergent nations of the Third World.

Immediately after the war, France was first involved in Indochina, nowadays Vietnam, until the infamous defeat of Dien Bien Phu, and the accords of Geneva in 1954, that resulted in France’s retreat to the remainder of its shaken Empire. But the worst was to come...

The FLN (National Liberation Front), emboldened by the French defeat, openly made its try for the Algerian independence. France’s reaction was immediate, and already traumatized by the disaster of Dien Bien Phu, its army was determined not to lose its main colony, with its population of a million Pieds-noirs, of metropolitan origin amidst 8 millions of muslims inhabitants. A fierce war begun, only to stop 8 years after, having provoked utter havoc in Algeria itself, but also in metropolitan France, with the fall of the fourth Republic and the advent of General De Gaulle’s fifth Republic, mainly because of the Algerian War. Kim Kanger, with his game, Ici, c’est la France! (Here, it’s France!), published by the young Legion Company, aims to simulate this war unlike all others.

What made this war so singular was the predominance of guerrilla warfare, waged by irregular forces whose military prowess was far less important than the real disruption to the civil society they inflicted. The victor is not necessarily the

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side with the bigger or better army. This aspect is fairly hard to model in an accurate way while keeping the game system playable and first of all enjoyable. We will see if Mr Kanger managed this “tour de force” in Ici, c’est la France! (hereafter Ici).

The first noticeable element is that Ici has a rather short rulebook of only ten pages, clearly written: Ici is not a complicated game, but it’s also not simplistic at all.

The components of the game are rather well done. The map is detailed and colorful, showing Algeria’s geographic and administrative boundaries. The country is divided in great provinces called Wilaya, which are further divided in 2 to 6 Regions. Also shown are the towns and cities and the three major cities of Oran, Constantine and of course the capital, Algiers. Each Region and major cities has a number of Population symbols (from one to three) according to its density of settlements. The counters, more sober in design with nicely done soldiers drawing, are clearly visible on the map. They are really reminiscent of the Eskubi-style. Three player’s aid sheets complete the material found in Ici. The only fault I found in the components is the the thinness of the map, making it a little too fragile.

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A POLITICAL WAR

The Algerian war of independence was eminently political. In spite of battlefield victories, France had to concede defeat due to various political pressures, both internal and international. This aspect of the war is simulated in Ici by the use of political markers. Each side has a pool of 28 specific chits.

At the set-up of the game, each side chooses 4 chits and draw randomly an additional 5. Those 9 chits are their initial pool, that will be augmented by one each turn, except during winter, drawn randomly. Each chit has a range of years during which it may be played. Those chits simulate the influence of events outside the military sphere and are very divers. From the intervention of Kennedy, to the independence of neighboring Tunisia and Morocco, and various repressions committed by the French army, all the main political events are aptly simulated by the 56 chits. They have in general a major impact on the game, notably by impacting the loyalty of the population toward France and the FLN or the reaction of the Pieds-Noirs toward the governmental actions.

A WAR OF HEARTS AND MINDS

Those two systems are central to the game and a player cannot win the game while ignoring them. The most important one is the population loyalty track. Each Region and the three major cities have a marker indicating the

sentiments of the population toward the main protagonists.

This track is divided in twenty steps, and between 1 to 10, the population supports the FLN, whereas between 11 to 20, it’s France. This loyalty has a paramount impact on the game, for Regions favoring the FLN will be favorite recruiting grounds for this organization. The final victory is usually determined by a referendum, and the FLN player must roll higher than the loyalty value of the Region with three 6-sided dice in order to obtain its votes. Political events are the main tools to influence the Regions loyalty, and some chits has the effect of moving all the population markers by one or two steps, altering considerably the political situation.

The other system is the Pieds-noirs feeling toward France. This one-million strong minority was very vocal during the war and feared that France would not do the utmost to protect them and keep Algeria as a French territory at all cost. According to the political chits played, the Pieds-noirs marker will move up or done one or two steps and may provoke a political crisis if it reaches the seventh space of the track. The first one brings to power Charles de Gaulle and the fifth one ends the game with a FLN victory.

The feeling of the Pieds-noirs is not be ignored and the French

player will have to be careful not to let the situation deteriorate too rapidly.

During the political phase, both side will receive Operation Points. Those precious points are used to recruit and to do various activities during the turn, such as troops movement and combat and insurgency or counterinsurgency operations. France receives at the beginning of the game 10 points and will receive one more point each turn until it has 20 points a turn. FLN receives too 10 points but adds to that the number of population symbols of each Region it controls or contests, minus the value of the FLN marker, which represents the logistical pressure the organization is under applied by France.

AUX ARMES!

The second phase of a turn consists of reinforcement and replacement one. The FLN recruits first. In each Region where the FLN has at least one combat unit, called a failek, the FLN player may recruit a number of troops equal to the population symbol in the Region but this recruitment is not free. The FLN must pay each failek recruited with its Operation Points (OP), and according to the FLN marker and the Population marker of the Region, the cost will range from 0,5 to 2 points. The goal of the FLN will be obviously to prepare its recruitments by lowering the population markers of chosen Regions via political chits and “structure attacks”, that is

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attacks on the French civil infrastructures. Faileks are further divided in three sorts, the green moussebilines (the first unit to be recruited in a Region), the seasoned moudjahidine and the elite zonal commandos.

An interesting and simple mechanism is that the last FLN recruitment may be done anywhere on the map, allowing its player to start a new insurgency front in an unexpected location.

The French player doesn’t recruit new troops but rather receive reinforcement from Metropolitan France during the two first years, of the war, each unit consuming 0,5 OP of his reserve and arriving in a port. French units are mainly divided in three categories: large regiments of moderate quality, small mechanized units and elite units of highly trained soldiers such as the Légionnaires. Overall, the French army is of an excellent quality compared to the highly motivated but poorly equipped faileks.

OPERATION SEARCH AND DESTROY

Following the recruitment is a Move and Attack Phase. Due to the long period of time a turn stands for - three months - movement is normally unlimited and OP free. The FLN player, who is the first player to activate his troops, has nonetheless some very important restrictions to respect: a failek entering an empty Region or entering a different province, a Wilaya, must stop its move. The FLN must also pay one OP if the moving failek enters a France-controlled Region. The FLN must manage to contest the control of the Regions he wishes to enter by having a number of failek superior to at least half the number of Population marker of the Region plus the Troop Density value (between one to four). This Troop Density value represents the contingent of occupying troops and gendarmerie that France deployed as the war went on, up to 400 000 men. It begins the game at 0 and is augmented each time France plays a reinforce political chit. Using this astute system allows the map not to be clustered by too many units fulfilling only garrison duties. That way, only units really employed in an active way by France to conduct counter-insurgency actions on the field are represented by counters.

The French player is more mobile and may move his troop without restriction but must pay OP when non motorized units go through a Region controlled by the FLN. When the FLN has finished his moves, he may launch structure attacks that cost each 2 OP in order to lower the population marker of the concerned Regions. Those attacks represents attempts by the FLN to destroy the civil society by using terrorism or raids against Pieds-noirs farms, in a word to promote fear and mistrust toward France. Up to four failek may each throw a 6-sided die and if at least one manage to roll five or better, the attack is successful and lowers the population marker one step. Those structure attacks are crucial for the FLN for France has no capacity to oppose them.

The French player, after the FLN actions, may now move his units, and make search and attacks missions costing two OP each. In fact, finding the failek is the hard part of those missions, as the FLN units use terrain and popular support to hide from the marauding French units. In order to find the faileks, the French units must first roll up to 4 dice, according to the number of deployed units and the Troop Density value, and must roll 5 or better on each die in order to find a failek. This roll is harder in Regions politically controlled by the FLN and of course easier in a Region supporting France. Once a failek is found, a French unit must engage it. Combat is generally fatal to the failek: each fighting unit throws between one die (for the failek) to two or four dice for the French unit, and a 5 or 6 result inflicts a hit on the enemy. The failek has only one step

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loss whereas the French units possess two steps. Furthermore, the French army superior training is represented by quality ratings superior to those of the failek and by the differential being added to the die rolls, combat is usually a brutal and one sided affair... Interestingly, eliminating the last failek in a Region is not usually a good idea as its destruction entails a one step movement of the population marker of the Region toward pro-FLN, as the surviving fighters go back to their villages and spread the independence propaganda. Another meaningful aspect of the game is that the FLN may never attack directly French units, simulating perfectly well that the moudjahidines never intended to wage a conventional war against an opposing army.

A WAR OF WORDS...

The turn is concluded by an Insurgency Phase. Both players will be able to conduct insurgency or counter-insurgency (for the French), in Regions they control or, for the FLN, that are contested. Those actions are costly (three OP each) but nevertheless crucial to ensure the loyalty of the Regions to the Cause (whatever it may be...).

A Region political status may be of four different levels: a Region may be pro-FLN, at the Purge level (it begins to lean toward the FLN, the pro-French activists having been eliminated), at the Activist level (the Region’s population is leaning toward France) and finally at the Support level (the Region totally supports France politically). An insurgency or counter-insurgency action changes the political status (and its population marker) of the Region one step in the favor of the acting player. At the beginning of the game, the Regions are at the Purge level and both the FLN and the French player will have to intelligently choose which Regions they will invest OP in. It’s far more difficult to invest an enemy FLN or Support Region. Furthermore, France has interest in bringing to its side the densely populated coastal Regions, which will give France additional OP if at the Support Level. This political aspect of the game requires many game turn of investment before each political base is formed.

Both aspects of the population management, the population marker and the political level of the Region are different aspects of the same issue and should not be misunderstood: a Region may well be politically controlled by the FLN, while its population marker is at 11 or 12, leaning rather in the French way...

VICTORY OR DEATH!

Ici, c’est la France! is a very astute game. Kim Kanger managed to simulate in a pregnant way this war of independence in a pointillist way: each mechanism is hardly complicated or at the first glance, sophisticated. Each nonetheless supports the system in a subtle way, while keeping the game engine extremely simple. An example among many: only one failek unit may cross the boundary between two Wilaya. This simple rule has a great influence on the operational capacity of the FLN, restricting its capacity to invest a neighboring Wilaya once all the Regions of a chosen Wilaya have been invested. Its simple, but terribly efficient, and if the FLN player doesn’t realize that fact early in the game, he is in big trouble.

The FLN marker is another example of the “design for effect” philosophy of Mr Kanger: this marker simulates the effectiveness of the organization of the FLN as a structure. When a structure attack is conducted by the FLN, the FLN player must roll higher than this rating in order to obtain the explosive and operational capacity to undertake this attack. Certain events have the effect of augmenting this level or diminishing it. This simple rating manages to

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convey perfectly how the FLN is going. Nearing 0, we can easily portray a FLN free to act as it wills, with a disintegration of the inner security nets in Algeria proper, and the fatigue of the French service secret charged with destabilizing it. Past 10, it’s another picture, one of an organization pursued in its last bastions, its agents arrested and its operative nets dismantled.

This intelligence in the design process makes for a fascinating game, which nonetheless has a steep learning curve. You must forget what you learned in other more traditional wargames. Here, in Ici, it’s another logic that prevails, one of an insurgency war where firepower is not the Alpha and the Omega.

As the FLN player, you will have to mind your development in several different Wilaya in order to destabilize the French player, while contesting enough Regions in order to obtain enough precious OP. As the French player, you have to learn to defend only the essential, mainly the densely populated Regions, and let go of what you cannot keep. An intelligent use of military operations and propaganda will allow you to hope for the final victory.

Another quality of the game is Ici’s historicity. Mr Kanger did manifestly a lot of historic research as everything in the game drips history: the name of the FLN and French units, the Phases appellations, etc. His work was nicely done. Mr Kanger doesn’t hesitate also to simulate the darker side of the war, with the infamous habits of some French units to use torture to obtain intelligence, or the FLN terror campaign.

If I had a critique to emit, that would be that the events, which have a profound impact on the game, are somewhat randomly determined, and bad luck in the drawing can make it very hard for a player to win the game. The game is also a long one, lasting between 6 to 10 hours.

In conclusion, Ici c’est la France! is a formidable achievement, that manages admirably to fulfill its goals, that is simulating an insurgency war, and I await impatiently the next work of Mr Kanger on the Indochina war. Kudos to him for a job well done B

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CRYHAVOCFAN.ORG

by Buxeria

site

The URL of this site says it all: I’m a fan of the Cry Havoc series of skirmish games published in the 80’s and 90’s by various publishers: Initially Standard Games in the UK, then Eurogames in France, which released the various games in several languages. This game was quite innovative almost 30 years ago and it has kept an appeal that few consider unmatched by its modern siblings, if any. bove and foremost, the artwork is awesome: Standard Games contracted with top illustrators like Gary Chalk (the Lone Wolf series of game books by Joe Dever, Battlecars) or Peter Dennis (too many Osprey booklets to be listed here). Gary invented several artwork concepts for the maps, like the seethrough stone walls, the trees with thousands of hand-drawn leaves or the yellowish color of the terrain hexes. He also came up with innovative stances for the characters to cope with the various sizes of the counters and their health status. The game play is probably what is the most dated with this old glory.Yet, many find the mechanisms simple enough to play quickly.

About fifteen years ago, I created a few maps and counters that never got printed as the cost was prohibitive in these pre-internet times. I then wrote several scenarios and rules that were published in the Claymore fan magazine.

Later (that must be back in 1996), my focus moved to PC games and the various Cry Havoc boxes were stored in the attic for many years.

In 1993, the works of Bob Gingell, an English scholar, was posted on the web site of Alex Henderson (www.cryhavocgames.net): He had translated and adapted all the Cry Havoc material available in French. This reignited my interest for the game and I then found a Yahoo forum that helped me realize that there was still an active community of English-speaking players.

I quickly created an equivalent forum for the French community as France is the country where the game had been the most successful. After a couple of months of active exchanges with a growing number of fans, I decided to create the Cry Havoc Fan website to share my various old creations with the community. To be really global in scope, the site was made bilingual (French and English) to reach out to the largest base of players. These original maps have been grouped in extensions with varied themes, like the Caravanserai, Nefs & Galleys, the Welsh Castle and more.

Three months later, a new version of the site was released with the desire to become the definitive web site for anything related to this outstanding game: Detailed presentation of each game of the series, new extensions (from me or other community members), On Line versions (be it CyberBoard or Vassal) and other materials created by various people.

I met later on with Philippe Gaillard, owner of a publishing company named Historic’One and former author of Cry Havoc maps and scenarios published in Claymore in the 90’s. Philippe partners with professional printers and we decided to publish the original maps I had created in the Shoppe.

For several years, I have been trying to contact Duccio Vitale, the designer of the French versions of the various games who significantly enhanced the gameplay and gave Cry Havoc its

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international exposure.

Contact was finally made in 2008 and a lot of background information was made available, especially related to the last installments that never got published due to technical and economical reasons: Dragon Noir 3 and the Fortified Harbor. Duccio sent me the original artwork for the four maps of the latter as well as the various Viking and Saxon characters that were planned to come with the boxed game. Philippe Gaillard and I have been assembling the various elements over the last year and are now pleased to propose them in the Shoppe. These are real collector items for those people that have been waiting for them for so long. The Shoppe now also includes counters of 14th Century men-at-arms that were designed by Florent Vincent, an illustrator that contributes regularly to Historic’One publications. These counters are intended to be used for an extension called Chevauchées (Horse Raiders) that will mix tactical and strategic aspects.

The Magna Carta is another initiative in process to keep Cry Havoc enthusiasts excited. Its ambition is to organize and rationalize all the rules published so far, be it in the official boxes or the numerous extensions and scenarios that were released over time. A semi-final version of 160 pages was released in French last summer,but the English translation is huge undertaking that is yet to start.

Passion is a wonderful engine to restore the interest of the gaming community about a game based on rich and awesome hand-made artworks that no computer-generated graphics will ever match. Hundreds of old fans are contributing on a regular basis to the forum of Cry Havoc Fan, which proves that almost thirty years later, the energy is still intact. B

REVIEW

Led by two cruisers, a convoy of ships is attacked by the torpedoes of two German submarines. Two escorts charge...

DESIGNER LARRY BOND GRAPHICS TIM SCHLIEF PUBLISHER CLASH OF ARMS GAMES

by Dominique Guillemin

training). In this way it represents, designed in the midst of the Cold War, a very American interpretation of naval war as little more than a technical contest.

The series trends heavily towards the quantification of the capacities of the equipment involved over the qualitative aspects of the crew and life at sea. Weather is taken into account, but isn’t that as well a random factor in war, simulated in this game? While this is included, the effects of C4i, command, and crew quality are not given any importance. In other words, one has to use his imagination to sense that he is commanding sailors rather than mere missiles and torpedoes. Rule complexity is not the issue, as the last version of Harpoon simplified the rules greatly without reducing this impression.

THE BIRTH OF COMMAND AT SEA

ATLANTIC

NAVIES

ublished by Clash of Arms starting in 1994, the Command at Sea series of games covers naval warfare in the 20th century at the tactical and operational level. The seventh volume in the series, Atlantic Navies has the Atlantic powers of Germany, Great Britain, and France as its subject. Even though a lot of information on these navies has been published in earlier volumes of the series, the value of this volume is that all of this information is combined in one box within the same context. In addition, the information has been enriched and brought within the norms of the last set of rules, as Atlantic Navies marks the fourth edition of the Command at Sea system. This latest version should bring together all periods of naval warfare, from the Battle of Tsushima to contemporary combat. The analysis of this masterpiece is thus also an opportunity for a retrospective on one of the oldest family of wargames still being published today.

ORDER OF APPEARANCE HARPOON

It all started with the celebrated Harpoon. Published in 1980, it was re-published by GDW in 1987 and 1990 (in a simplified version called the Captain’s Edition) and then again by Clash of Arms in 1997 (in its fourth edition). The career of its designer, Larry Bond, who is also one of the designers of Atlantic

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Navies, makes it easier to understand the series’ reputation for realism. A former officer of the US Navy, Larry Bond then became a naval analyst, author, and game designer. His naval simulation system and his “techno-thrillers” – a genre of novels pioneered by Tom Clancy – are thus mutually inspired.

According to Clancy himself, The Hunt for Red October, his first novel of the genre, was inspired by Harpoon. He then co-authored Red Storm Rising with Larry Bond. Also, Harpoon has been officially incorporated into the initial training of the Naval Academy in Annapolis as well as for the training of reserve officers for the US Navy. Such a distinction from the military world for a wargame is rare to find, and seen from the other side of the Atlantic, we can only applaud this openness of the Navy toward simulationists. What wargamer has not been interested in the way military officers “play” their case studies? What wargamer has not wondered about the realism of the wargame on the table?

Harpoon and its derivatives thus carry with them a lot of credibility, both from the viewpoint of their game mechanisms as well as their technical and historical information. However, one reproach can be made upon the series, which is one that is unfortunately often leveled at naval simulation as a whole: the “hardware” is given priority over personnel considerations (such as questions of morale) and material conditions (reliability, supply,

In 1994, Larry Bond returned to the wargaming world with a new publisher and a new series: Command at Sea (CaS). Dedicated to the Second World War, the series now contains seven games or game supplements, covering the war up to 1943. The period between 1944 and 1945 will probably be covered by at least two games (one for the Pacific theatre and one for t h e European). Like Harpoon, the series has continued to present an encyclopedic array of materials. But the series is also beginning to orient the rules towards management of fleets rather than j u s t each individual armaments or the means of detection on a ship. This evolution has become necessary because of the density of armaments on ships from the Second World War, as compared to those of today. For example, a frigate today does not carry more than two or three anti-aircraft systems while a cruiser 60 years ago had a few dozen different guns. It is much easier, then, to treat them together rather than individually. The distance between ships in an engagement has also become reduced when air units are not involved, and the series has become a boon to naval figurinists.

FEAR GOD & DREAD NOUGHT

Fear God & Dread Nought covers the period from 1905 to 1918, with files on the warships involved at the Battle of Jutland. Dawn of the Rising Sun covers the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 1905, ending with the Battle of Tsushima.

This is a welcome module on the pre-dreadnought age, when neither submarines nor aircraft complicated matters. Numerous scenarios, the greatest simplicity in armaments, and heterogeneous units make this module the best to start with, despite its exotic subject.

TOWARDS THE ADMIRALTY TRILOGY

This series, and the supplements that accompany it, resulted in a variant of the CaS rules. The fourth edition of the Command at Sea rules integrated into Atlantic Navies has begun the process of a great homogenization of the rules, the next step being a fifth edition of Harpoon. Fear God & Dread Nought, Command at Sea, and Harpoon form the Admiralty Trilogy that will allow players with sea salt in their veins to simulate the entirety of 20th and 21st century naval warfare.

IN THE BOX

The box contains the following components: Version 4.0 of the rules in 60 loose pages, to be placed in a binder (not included). Jumpstart Rules, 16 pages long and including an example of play.

Three booklets of over 100 pages dedicated to the Royal Navy (Home Fleet), the German Navy (Gruppe Nord), and the French Navy (La guerre navale). All contain catalogs of all of the ships of these three navies, but only Home Fleet does not contain scenarios. La guerre navale is accompanied by a history of the French fleet, as it is less well known than the other two. 420 over-sized counters representing the warships and 280 normal counters for aircraft and other markers. The counters, showing the ships vertically, are splendid and contain the name of the ship or its class. As with figurines, counters are placed on a surface representing the sea for tactical engagements. So, no map is required.

However, the operational scenarios require that grand scale maps be printed so that long-distance movement can be planned out. The maps included in the scenario booklets are rather simple and minimal research is needed to find something better. Why are there not any authentic reproductions of naval charts included? Lastly, you need to have a D6, D10, and D20 (not included) to play.

GAME MECHANICS THE GAME TURN

The game is divided into 30-minute operational turns or 3-minute tactical turns. Operational turns are reserved for long-distance movement, outside of the range of the enemy’s guns. The operational turn is divided into a coding phase (movement is plotted), a movement phase, a detection phase, and an abstracted land-combat phase in the case of an amphibious operation. At operational scale, the game is difficult to play without a referee who can compare each side’s movements and inform each side of the detection of enemy ships, while maintaining the fog of war. Combat is not part of this turn, as it is meant for pre-battle movement. If units engage each other in combat, then tactical turns begin. A tactical turn contains the following phases: • Movement plotting • Movement • Planned fire (targets are chosen) • Detection • Reaction fire (guns that have not yet fired may now do so, for example at units newly detected) • Resolution (damage control) A game of Atlantic Navies can be limited to only one tactical encounter, with or without a referee to optimize player uncertainty.

REFERENCES

The heart of the system is the reference tables completed for each class of ship or model of aircraft included in each scenario. Preparing for a game requires the completion of the tables for each unit involved in the scenario, a procedure which can be laborious as players must find the individual characteristics of each ship as described in the booklets. In a large scenario, the time required is not negligible! Certainly, regular players will already have their tables completed for each class of ship, navy, or scenario when they begin to play, but it is surprising that the publisher, who has recognized the size of the task as they have made available completed tables for the Battle of Jutland (Jutland Forms), has not also put pre-completed tables online for all units. Those that exist are dispersed in Naval SITREPs, in the different formats of the different game editions.An example of one of these tables has been provided to demonstrate some of the mechanisms of the game. The mechanisms will be presented by the three important dimensions of naval combat: surface combat, submarine combat, and air-naval combat.

The mechanisms of surface combat have been given the most attention as it is the easiest way to enter the series. The other facets of naval combat can be added as players become more familiar with the system.

SURFACE COMBAT

• Movement Movement for the next turn is first plotted, then conducted on the operational map, then detailed on a separate sheet indicating the initial speed of the ship, direction and then direction changes, the ship’s acceleration and deceleration, and finally the ship’s speed at the end of the turn.

Each change of direction by 45 degrees requires movement in a straight line for a certain number of yards (2,000 yards = 1 nautical mile) and the loss of speed according to the tonnage of the ship. In the case of the Algérie, every change of direction costs two knots and 300 yards. A ship can turn as many times as it likes as long as there is speed remaining.

Each ship moves the equivalent of its speed in knots x 100 in yards per tactical turn. So, the Algérie at full speed advances 3,200 yards per turn. Suppose

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 027

Battleships and battlecruisers. The heyday of these giants, evolved from the first Dreadnought, is over with the development of the aircraft carrier.

The HMS King George V, its counter and profile from Flotte de combats, 1940.

observed, the height of the observer’s ship, visibility conditions (from 100% to 0%), and a randomizing factor of -20% to +15%. The result gives the detection range of the observer in nautical miles.

If the unit being observed is within that range, it is detected. A roll of a die checked against another table determines whether a “boat” has been observed (without any further details) or a specific ship.

Radar detection, which became a factor during the Second World War, uses an astute system to represent the clutter on a radar screen. Waves, rain, and shorelines can distort radar detection but the ability to determine what is on the screen improved as the technology improved. Radar is defined by its generation and its range, and the clutter value is determined by these two factors. The final clutter value modifies the range of the radar, where a unit has a 60% (first generation) or a 70% (second generation) chance of being detected. So, a first generation radar set (clutter rejection = 2), ordered to detect an enemy ship in difficult waters (strength 4 = clutter value of 3) in light rain (clutter value 2) would be affected by a clutter value of 2 + 3 - 2 = 3, as well as 60% of its range. Radar also makes firing more accurate.

COMBAT

the ship needed to make a sharp 180 degree turn. This would cost 18 knots of speed, hardly compensated by the five knots of acceleration permitted at maximum speed. Thus, the cruiser would be moving at 19 knots for the following turn. Also, a ship travelling at more than 20 knots can conduct evasion steering, reducing the chance of an enemy shot hitting, at the cost of ¼ of the distance it would travel without evasion.

• Detection Detection is done either by sight, radar, or sonar. Visual detection is calculated using tables which take into account the height of the object being

Once detected, a target can be engaged. In CaS, as in reality, guns fire as batteries directed by a central fire control. The game system perfectly reflects the “statistician” approach to naval combat: in practice, the competence of gunners does not count in centralized firing, the goal is not to rely on a succession of well-aimed hits but rather the firing of as many explosive shells as possible into a given area occupied by the target in order to increase the probability of a hit. To fire in CaS, the direction of fire is needed (most units have at least two) as well as a target within shooting range. After applying the various modifiers, such as earlier shots, ship speed, and the size of the target, the result is a percentage chance of a hit. In case of a hit, the value of damage inflicted is multiplied by a factor based on the number of barrels and the range of the firing guns.

Damage is multiplied by four at short range, three at medium range, two at long range, or one at extreme range. However, before applying this damage, it has to be checked against the armor of the target. Armor is divided into belt and deck armor. For the Algérie, these are rated at 10 and 7, respectively.

Knowing which has been hit depends on the trajectory of the shell: at short or medium range, where the trajectory is relatively flat, belt armor is hit. At long or extreme range, there is a 60% and 70% chance of hitting the deck armor, generally weaker. If the penetration value of the shell is greater than that of the armor, damage is applied in full. Otherwise, it is reduced by half. Also, damage caused by a shell is dependent on the type of shell (explosive or piercing) and the distance travelled: a shell loses some of its penetration value as it loses momentum in the air. High-explosive shells can cause a lot of damage but have low penetration value. Armor-piercing shells, on the other hand, have a high

REVIEW

penetration value but cause less damage. The art of naval combat, then, consists of placing a ship at the proper distance from its target while taking into account the armor and gunnery ratings of the enemy.

When torpedoes are fired and placed onto the map, the firing player chooses the angle, speed, and range of the torpedo from the possible options (cf.

Annex F), as well as its depth (a shallow depth can hit any ship, deeper can hit only larger ones). The torpedo counter then travels according to movement rules. The danger of the torpedo is dependent on its density and the distance it travels. For example, a salvo of three torpedoes travelling 5,000 yards is only a threat to ships within a 250 yard radius of the counter. All naval units within this radius undergo a torpedo attack regulated by the specific tables that take into account the distance to the target and its size: the result is the number of torpedoes from the salvo that hit the target. Specific rules handle the management of acoustic torpedoes.

Damage is deducted from the total damage points of the target. The amount of damage suffered (25%, 50%, 75%, or 90%) reduces the speed of the ship accordingly. At 75%, a ship can only fire its light antiaircraft weapons.

At 90%, it is defenseless. Damage can also provoke critical hits. The greater the damage suffered in a turn, the greater risk there is of suffering critical hits. Their effects are varied, but the principal threats are the ‘fire critical hit’ and the ‘flood critical hit’. Each generates a rate of damage expressed by a percentage: fire on a modern ship (built after 1925) results in a fire of 1D6% severity. All critical hits of the same nature are added together to give a sum total of severity. This is deducted from the total damage points of a ship for the next turn.

For example, three fire critical hits have caused a 10% severity fire on the Algérie. It will thus suffer a loss of 281/10 = 28 damage points next turn if these fires are not put out. To control the effects of a fire or flooding, it is necessary to calculate the severity of the damage before calculating the damage control conducted by the crew. A 10% fire critical hit on a ship as large as the Algérie is a major problem. Drawing a result from the appropriate table gives the percentage of severity points taken away or added to the problem. An uncontrollable percentage of severity quickly results in the loss of the ship.

«So much stuff we didn’t have room for dice!» Any player already well-stocked with dice will be happy with the contents

030 - BATTLES Magazine

MANAGEMENT OF SUBMARINE WARFARE

Submarine warfare adds another dimension to naval combat, taking into account the depth of a submarine as well as the difficulty in detecting it. Seven depth levels are defined in the game and a submarine can change its depth by one level per tactical turn. However, in order to attack, a submarine from the Second World War needs to be at a shallow depth so as to be able to use the periscope. Depth serves only as a way to avoid surface attack. It would be more accurate to speak of submersibles rather than real submarines, as these ships only act as small surface vessels that escape by diving below the waves.

Sonar can be active or passive, and are afflicted by blind spots (baffles) depending on the placement of the equipment on the ship. The noise of its host ship as well as its target comes into play in determining its range, resulting in a percentage of detection success: 75% at half of its range base, 50% within the range base, 25% within the range base x 1.5. Passive sonar can find a solution that improves over consecutive turns of detection. Active sonar provides a firing solution much more quickly, but makes the actively pinging ship easier to find. Firing torpedoes is done similarly as on the surface. Of course, submarines can also undergo depth charge attacks. A little like torpedoes, depth charges are calculated by the firing player according to the number of charges and their depth settings. The targeted submarine gives away two possible depths, only one of which is accurate. If the depth of the charges is the same as the actual depth of the submarine, the target undergoes an attack. To reduce the risk of being hit, a submarine can begin evasion maneuvers, which randomly change the depth and course of the ship. However, staying under the waves uses battery power. Once that has been exhausted, submarines have to surface.

MANAGEMENT OF AIR POWER

As in Harpoon, managing air power is the most complicated part of the rules in CaS, mostly because the system handles each unit individually. There can be as many as a dozen air units in a medium-sized scenario. The notions of formations and flight plans clarify aerial missions at the cost of great logistical calculations (what kind of autonomy does a flight of 24 fighter-bombers loaded with bombs have after taking off one-by-one?). Combat is resolved in ‘dogfights’: once air units get close enough to engage one another (calculated according to their speed and altitude),a dogfight can be declared whereby the air units end their movement and

resolve combat in one-minute turns – almost like tactical turns. The engagement takes into account the maneuver rating, speed, fire power, and stability of the fighting aircraft. These rules have the unfortunate effect of transforming a naval game into an aerial game. Their use should be to carefully resolve important engagements, where air involvement was invaluable or decisive. These rules tend towards simplification. In addition to the established combat rules, Atlantic Navies includes a simplified table to resolve combat by groups of air units. In anti-aircraft fire, a distinction is drawn between area anti-aircraft fire, capable of defending an entire sector, and light anti-aircraft fire, which defends the firing ship only. Of course, bombing rules allow players to try out all the different methods: horizontal bombing, dive-bombing, torpedoes, rockets, depth charges, and strafing.

MINES AND COASTAL DEFENSE

Entire chapters are dedicated to mine warfare and coastal defense. Hardly spectacular until they explode, mines are a fascinating and less well-known part of naval warfare, and it is to CaS’s credit that they are included in this game. Laying a minefield or de-mining an area can often be large tasks within a complex scenario. Coastal operations test the nerves of sailors by adding the stress of delicate navigation. As elsewhere, coastal defenses and potential raid targets are rated in terms of their strength, armor, fire power, and camouflage.

TEAM PLAY, CAMPAIGN PLAY

The game is a natural fit for team play, with each player controlling a formation or even an individual ship, depending on the size of the scenario and the player’s familiarity with the game system. In such a situation, strict conditions of communication are imaginable to simulate the difficulty of ship-to-ship communication at sea.

For a veteran of the system who is interested in playing a campaign in its entirety, CaS has nothing planned to meet this demand, thanks in part to the lack of logistical rules. CaS is not a naval series that covers one particular theatre, such as Second World War at Sea from Avalanche Press. The operational aspect of the game is meant only to position units for the naval and/or air battle, not to simulate entire campaigns. However, the re-writing of the rules would be the opportunity to put together a strategic-operational system to link together the rules that already exist for the Admiralty Trilogy.

CONCLUSION

After thirty years of constant evolution, the Admiralty Trilogy games are without a doubt the definitive games on naval tactics. However, like in most naval games, the human element and the constraints of life at sea are not very present. The games are based on the “materialist” aspects of naval warfare and confirm the reputed dryness of this genre. It should not be forgotten that this style of war is fought by men in an environment that often puts technical sophistication in its place! The abilities to endure and master life at sea are just as important as any military aspect when it comes to facing the enemy – a mere variable, perhaps, at the tactical level but a determinant factor at the operational scale. The games of this trilogy are perfect for handling scenarios at the tactical level but lack the operational rules needed to have a campaign game worthy of their tactical quality. Playing with a referee could also be better defined (in terms of rules for command and communication), over and above the old Command at Sea Referee’s Guide. For players who are new to naval gaming, Atlantic Navies is an opportunity to discover a fascinating series just as it is being reborn. The ease of getting into the game with the Jumpstart Rules allows players to play as they begin the process of familiarization with the system.

After all, who has played Advanced Squad Leader with paratroopers, air units, and the Japanese in their first attempt? Devotees of naval warfare will be happy with this series. Their historical knowledge and fascination with ships will give flesh and metal to the numbers and paper of the game’s units. An important component of adventure at sea, naval warfare maintains a strong capacity for evocation for the curious gamer. B

by Brant Guillory IN THIS WARFARE AFFAIR, I AM DEPARTING A BIT FROM DISCUSSING SPECIFIC BATTLEFIELD APPLICATIONS on the tabletop to discuss

a larger conceptual area – games and simulations for training and learning. This is a favorite topic of mine, and the Origins War College has hosted several panels over the last few years devoted specifically to the basic topic of “What is a game and what is a sim, and what can we do with them?”

In the world of military training, games and simulations have developed over the years from map exercises to elaborate digital virtual reality exercises. In many cases, the tools developed for training have come from commercial products, or were later converted into commercial products, and thus the wargaming community has the opportunity to poke, prod, and play with comparable tools to those used to train soldiers and sailors around the globe. As the world has gone digital, many of these tools and toys have moved away from tabletops and into computer monitors, but the underlying heart – the game engine – is still of great interest to gamers.

Mapping the conceptual terrain bounded by games-simulationsexercises is more than just na intellectual exercise, as it allows us all to establish a common conceptual framework and vocabulary for the future discussion of the utility of these games and sims. It also allows to discuss with more specificity our exact likes and dislikes, and level of comfort with the features and processes, and the underlying mechanisms that make them go.

When describing the use of games for training and learning purposes, there are several concepts that must first be understood, and their meanings agreed upon, before the best use of games and simulations can determined.

One of the first distinctions I try to draw is the difference between “training” and “learning.” While the exact definitions may be the subject of much long and arduous debate, for now, let us try to agree on the following: “Learning” will be described as “acquisition of a new skill” in which the learner possess no expertise, and perhaps only passing familiarity. Most American readers would probably have to “learn” the sport of team handball, as they might have stumbled across it in the Olympics, but likely have no idea what it is. “Training” will be described as “practice of an existing skill.”Using another sports analogy, once someone has learned the basics of dribbling a soccer ball, increasing the complexity of the drill with cones or live opponents would be considered ‘training’ rather than ‘learning.’

Again, as with the tasks, it is important to draw distinctions between ‘games’ and ‘simulations’. Although there may be some overlap, games are not necessarily simulations, and all simulations are not inherently games.

This confusion is evident in the interchangeability of this term: even the title of the journal Simulation & Gaming, in which articles clearly use the words as synonyms.

The key determining factors in distinguishing between simulation and gaming, or determining their overlap, are the twin concepts of competition and abstractness. Games are inherently competitive. There is

032

a defined criteria for winning, and measurable way of determining the winner.

Simulations need not have a winner, and the endpoint may be redefined as needed to meet the needs of the training, but they have a high level of detail that abstracts as little as possible within the ‘interface’.

Thus a game must have a way of determining a score. A flight simulator on a computer may be used to simply explore a landscape, with no regard to record-keeping; in fact, military terrain-overview software shares many underpinnings with flight simulators. Alternatively, it may be used to stage a race between competitors. However, it is not a game until an agreed-upon criteria for determining a winner is established.

Additionally, games need not attempt to model the actual behaviors of the task in order to be a competitive tool for learning. A quiz game could be used for learning new terminology, for example. No one expects the performance of an EMT in the field to include a quiz on the proper terminology for performing triage on a injured patient. But the use of a game in the learning of the terminology, outside of the scope of the performance of the EMT duties, may increase the motivation of learner, and increase the amount of enjoyment felt by the participants in the learning environment.

Theorists and designers as diverse as Costikyan, Prensky, and Asgari have all described detailed lists of the attributes of a game, but all three can agree on the basic tenet of ‘competition’ – you don’t have a game until there’s a way to keep score. Until you keep score, it’s just a toy.

Simulations are often far more complex than games, which may have little, if any resemblance to the actual task. In the commercial world of games, it is popular to describe almost anything as a ‘simulation’ as a way of demonstrating a product’s complexity or ‘realness’ regardless of how accurately the game reflects reality.

Chess is a game of combat. However, it is a very abstract game, with artificial constraints placed on it for the sake of balancing gameplay. Does anyone even remotely familiar with military arts really believe that knights can only move in an L-shaped pattern? Similarly, the US Army uses a computer system known as JANUS for simulating combat to train battle staffs. JANUS includes algorithms to track ammunition and fuel consumption, account for terrain in the visibility of units and the speed at which they travel, the presence of smoke or fire on the battlefield and their effects on optics, and innumerable other behind-thescenes calculations that accurately reflect the battlefield. Both Chess and JANUS

purport to represent action on a battlefield, but one is a far more complex and accurate representation of reality than the other.

Simulations seek to re-construct components of reality. The level of “reality” in these reconstructions variable, however; certain abstractions must be made in order to make the simulation compact and usable. To return to the example of the flight simulator, above: the laws of physics are recreated by the software, but the actual cockpit is abstracted and the participant uses a computer keyboard to simulate the cockpit controls.

Thus, games are by nature competitive, but may be abstract or loaded with realistic complexity. Simulations are by nature complex, but need not be competitive. As noted, there exists little differentiation between these two concepts in the existing literature; ‘game’ and ‘simulation’ are used almost interchangeably throughout.

When represented visually, games and simulations exist on two different axes: competition, and realism. Games exist at one end of the“competition”axis, but may be very realistic, or very abstract. Simulations reside on one end of the “realism” axis, and may be competitive, or non-competitive. There also exists an ‘overlap’ area, where highly-realistic, competitive products are both games and simulations.

AND THUS WE HAVE SOME TOOLS/TOYS THAT QUALIFY AS BOTH: game-sims that overlay a competitive set

of rules over a complex re-creation of some facet of reality. In overlaying a competitive framework, one must consider the end-state at which the competition will be judged. While pure games have such end-states built in, simulations converted to games need to ensure they are well-defined beforehand, lest the participants become frustrated or confused, or worse, work toward the wrong goal.

It is important to note that the end-state criteria listed for simulations need not be a competitive comparison at the end. They certainly could be, but these comparisons are presented merely to show the parallels between the possible end-points for both games and simulations.

How do these match up with the training and learning of tasks?

When first learning a new task, much of the environment in which the task

is used will be abstracted for the ease of learning. When trainees are learning radio codes for the first time, they will likely learn them in a classroom environment, in a conversation with the instructor, rather than trying to master them in a real-time environment, with multiple messages arriving over scratchy radio speakers, while background conversations are being held in the room. It is clear that learning takes place in a low-complexity environment, at the start.

With this low complexity, and clearly-defined correct/accurate outcomes, tasks at this stage are well-suited to the use of games in learning them.

Performance measures at this stage are often articulated as a part of the task, enabling new learners to measure their task performance. Overlaying a competitive framework on these performance measures is not a great conceptual leap.

As the complexity of tasks is ratcheted up, the outcomes become less cutand-dried. While there are individual tasks embedded within the larger, more realistic/complex framework of group tasks or compound-individual tasks, the overall outcomes are colored more in shades of gray than black-andwhite.

Training – the practice of known skills – thus moves into more complex terrain, and into tasks less well suited to a competitive framework. Moving along both axes from low complexity – competitive toward high complexity – non-competitive, situates training in a more realistic environment.

When overlaid on the earlier visual representation of games and simulations, a clear directional movement emerges in which learning moves toward training. As this happens, participants are moved from abstract competitive games (such as quiz games measuring rote memorization) toward more realistic, less competitive simulations in which multiple paths to success may exist.

Evaluated in a realm where the process may be more important than the outcome, training may be artificially constrained by time or location, limiting its true complex reflection of ‘reality.’ But training frequently involves the synthesis of many skills, in which the tasks being trained are complemented by other, essential, tasks that may not be the subject of the evaluations, but are nonetheless indispensable for the overall performance of the mission.

Within this rather simple set of definitions, we’ve actually seen some complex ideas evolve. Learning is an activity that is best started in small chunks – we see this wargames that introduce only a few rules at a time (such as the excellent ASL Start Kits). These types of simplified environments are perfect or a competitive exercise, as there are limited options with which to keep score. However, as the complexity increases, the abstract activity moves more towards a simulation and the participant is now juggling many different resources and decisions. It is at this level of complexity that many professionals find themselves when training, rather than playing a game. However, it is also this level of detail and fidelity that attracts historical gamers, interested in immersing themselves in the rich conflicts modeled on their tabletops. And thus gamers find themselves in that uneasy gray area where their entertainment is someone else’s training tool, and their competition is more detailed than the base learning environment of someone exposed to new tasks. And hey – we do this for fun! B

33

L L A SM #3

REALLY

games you can set up This space in the magazine is about small wargames. Really small wargames. The kinds of

by Elias Nordling in a corner of the dinner table and finish several in an evening If you’re into Really Small Wargames, that you can fit on an aircraft tray and play several in an hour, there is no better place o go than Minden Games.

For more than 10 years now, Minden Games and its driving force Gary Graber has supplied us with a steady stream of small and surprisingly innovative wargames.

you’re into Really Small Wargames, that you can fit on an aircraft tray and play several in an hour, there is no better place o go than Minden Games. For more than 10 years now, Minden Games and its driving force Gary Graber has supplied us with a steady stream of small and surprisingly innovative wargames.

Though some Minden Games can be bought as ziplocks, the primary publication is the magazine. Panzerschreck started in 1998. The first issue had short articles with variants for other games, and a small game as an insert. In time, the format expanded so that an issue would contain three, sometimes four small games.

The physical production of Panzerschreck was content over gloss, graphics were primitive, game maps were often monochrome and the counters had to be mounted (eased somewhat by the fact that the counters were usually single sided). Typically, one game would be considered the “main game” and receive a bit higher quality components.

A secondary game would have somewhat lower grade components, while a “mini-sim” (and we’re talking mini by Minden Games standards here!) would require you to photocopy the components from the magazine’s pages.

All games in Panzerschreck Magazine weren’t made by Gary Graber himself, a fair amount of games designed by outside publishers were found in the pages of the magazine. Though I have to admit I usually found the games by Gary Graber to be the most innovative and interesting.

Of the roughly 60 games I’ve played from Minden Games, some have

been trivial, some have been adequate as a short pastime, and some have been gems that I keep getting back to. What almost all of them have had in common, though, are watertight rules. I think I’ve had less than a handful of rules questions for Minden Games over the years, and I’m famous for poking holes in the best developed games. It’s not just because the games are small and simple, my experience tells me this could just as well lead to rules that leaves half the game to the player’s preconceptions. Minden Games simply makes very well written rules.

An attempt was made to bring Panzerschreck into the professional format, with full colour components and die-cut counters, in collaboration with L2 Publishing. Unfortunately, that attempt lead to what seems to be the untimely death of Panzerschreck . After a few issues, the publication rate petered out into eternity. Happily for us, Gary Graber didn’t leave it at that.

He started a new magazine, called Panzer Digest, which looked suspiciously like the original Panzerschreck Magazine, which is now chugging along at a healthy publication rate, providing us with a dose of small wargames three times a year.

Let’s flip through the pages of the (as of this writing) latest issue, shall we?

Panzer Digest #8 comes in a small ziplock, the size of the magazine is about half a letter sheet (A5 by non-US standards). It has a colour cover, but the rest of its 52 pages are in black & white. A big chunk is the rules for the games, let’s leave those for later. The articles are the editorial, an entertaining feature called Design Disasters where Jerrold Thomas sticks out his neck by telling other companies where they went wrong, a really brief historical background for one of the games, and a review block. 9 games receive thumbnail reviews over 12 pages. The reviewers show their integrity

Battles Magazine # 3 - 035

SMALL

INteRVIeW WItH

gary graBer can you briefly describe yourself and your wargaming background?

by giving the Minden Game Occupation of the Rhineland a lukewarm review (I agree with the reviewer, by the way).

The variant section is shorter this time, short campaign rules for Avalon Hill’s Firepower. While I buy Panzer Digest for the games, I wouldn’t want to be without the rest of the articles.

In addition to the magazine, there are three inserts. One letter-sized, the other half letter sized, containing maps, charts and counters for the games. There are 160 counters total, all of them single-sided on thin cardboard. Gluing them to thicker cardboard before you cut them out is recommended.

So, we have glued the counters, read the reviews and rules while the glue dried, and then cut the counters. Now, let’s play the games!

eiNDeKKer

In this solitaire game, designed by outside contributor Bob Flood, you play German fighter ace Immelman or Boelcke flying a Fokker Eindekker in the autumn of 1915, the period known as the “Fokker scourge”. The scale can be called operational, a game consists of one week of patrolling.

Each day consists of 10 turns, where you fly to your objective, patrol over it and rack up victory points for the turns you stay over the assigned area, Each turn has a random events phase which can generate events such as anti-aircraft fire or encounters with enemy aircraft. In the case of the latter, you go into a dicefest which, due to the rather primitive technology of the time, can be a bit drawn out.

The game provides a good narrative of the events of a patrol, but it is rather light in decision making. You get to choose the difficulty level of your patrol, you can choose when to abort the patrol, and in air combat you can choose to fight or flee. That’s about it, otherwise you are mostly in for the ride.

In this sense the game reminds a bit of Avalon Hill’s B-17: Queen of the Skies. That game totally lacked player decision making, and was all about the story the game generates. Some people don’t mind that. If you’re one of them, Eindekker provides a faster and simpler alternative with nice historical flavor. As for me, I don’t feel like I’ve wasted the hour or so I spent playing it, but I’m unlike to pull it out again anytime soon.

Poor BlooDy iNFaNTry

Oh, no, I’m back at the 1st day of the Somme! (see below). This time it’s on a tactical scale. PBI is a solitaire game, each counter is a single man and the objective is to rush across no man’s land and take the enemy trenches.

The game uses a regular chessboard as game board, cards and dice as randomizers (none of which are included).

The designer’s notes admit that as a game, PBI is pretty limited. Its main purpose is to teach you a history lesson. To help with the “you are there” feeling, the counters have individual names, and you have to assign one soldier as being You. To win, you need to survive personally in addition to capturing the enemy trenchline.

Before the game starts, you get a preparatory bombardment that can hit the barbed wire or the enemy MG nests, you get to choose which to prioritize. After that, it is all about moving your units across no man’s land alive. Positioning and stance (running or crawling) has some importance, especially

036 - Battles Magazine # 3

once you reach the wire, and if you use one of the optional rules, but you won’t go much wrong by running straight ahead as fast as you can while avoiding stacking more than 6 soldiers in a square.

In other words, the game is pretty light on decision making.

It does give you the desired history lesson, though. As you move on, the defenses will wake up and take its toll, leaving a trail of wounded and dead soldiers across no man’s land. And while I won my first game with relatively light losses, there are other scenarios which should border on the suicidal if you want a challenge.

Despite the limitations of this game, I find myself liking it and wanting to try it again at a higher difficulty level.

WW2 DogFighT

The last game in the issue is a set of air combat miniature rules taking up just 4 half-size pages written by James Meldrum. While no map and counters are provided, the rules uses hexes, so if you have a copy of Whistling Death collecting dust on your shelf after you’ve bashed your head against the rules, here’s your chance of getting some use out of the components.

I must admit that I have not had time to find an opponent and try out these rules before the deadline of this article, so this is more of an impression from reading the rules. The rules don’t lend themselves to solitaire play, as you plot your moves and then execute them simultaneously.

Also, since you play using a regular map and counters or miniatures, the game doesn’t really qualify as a Really Small Wargame.

The rules look like they will provide a nice quick fix of air combat without being totally simplistic. You do keep track of altitude, for example, and there are rules for rolls, immelmans and split-s maneuvers. You also keep track of damage on small protocols. Ratings for use with the rules are provided for 29 WWII fighter models. I look forward to trying out these rules sometime soon.

To sum it up, while none of the games in Panzer Digest 8 rise to the level of classic Minden Games, I certainly feel I got my money’s worth of reading and playing Really Small Wargames this time. Speaking of, you are of course eager to hear more about games from Minden that ranks as classics.

sOMe MINDeN FaVOURItes

Given the publication rate and size of the games, there is a huge back catalogue of games from Minden by now. Here are some of my favourites of old. A few of these games are unfortunately out of print. Look for them on the second hand market, or why not bug Victory Point Games to republish them? They have an agreement to that effect.

reiChSTag: Fall oF BerliN

The very first issue of Panzershreck contained a single game, a solitaire game on the Soviet assault on the central parts of Berlin, with the player being the Soviets. The map is a normal letter size, a really small game by any standard except Minden Games.

You also get your usual unit counters, 72 counters total, and a deck of small cards that drives a lot of the action, from random events to reinforcements. Only 3,5 pages of rules, counting normal size, but a lot of cleverness

on those pages. Only Russian units move on the map. The Germans set up with hidden strength, some of them are dummies.

Combat is dead simple, you roll against the unit’s defense factor to eliminate it, but there is enough chrome and special unit capabilities to keep you interested.

One interesting decision to make is the Soviat mode which can be Artillery, Aggressive and Cautious. Each has its advantages and switching comes at a price, but you probably have to do it at least once during the game.

The Russians are on a tight schedule. To win, they must score 15 or less. 1 point is scored for each Soviet unit lost, 1 point for each turn passed, and 1 point for each German important building or stronghold still left at Game’s end. These conditions are tough, and that’s what makes the game a fun challenge that you keep coming back to. The game also has a lot of variation in the Random Events, and there’s a small sub-plot showing Hitler’s mood, possibly having him try to escape instead of committing suicide.

Did I mention that you can play it in 30 minutes or less? This one’s a gem.

FirST Day oF The Somme

Another solitaire game, from Panzershreck #5. This time you’re trying to do better than the British at the first day of the Somme offensive in World War I. How can you possibly do worse, that day was a complete disaster!?

Well, you see, for all its short rules and small size, this is a realistic game, showing you WHY that fateful day was a British disaster.

First of all, due to limited communications, you have to plan ahead. In fact, you have to write down the movement of all your units beforehand. Once the game starts, you have some limited means of changing the orders for the units, but for the most part, you are stuck with your plan, helplessly watching as it goes awry.

Sure, you can try to do things differently than the real British. Take the initial artillery barrage, for example.

You can try to have a longer or shorter barrage, spread out or concentrated, but each comes with a tradeoff. Shorter means more obstacles, longer means better prepared Germans.

These tradeoffs means there is no perfect plan, just many different plans.

And it is fascinating to try a new plan and find out what can go wrong with it.

Challenging? You’re playing the British at the first day of the Somme, for crissake!

Enough said.

Since you’re doing writing already, the game also uses loss charts to keep track of the carnage. All this writing could easily be tedious if this wasn’t a really small wargame. For a Minden game,

I grew up in Arizona, and have been actively involved in wargaming since the early seventies. My entry into the hobby came through my brother, who received Avalon Hill’s WATERLOO one Christmas.

Playing that directly led to the purchase of many additional AH games, and I soon discovered other publishers, such as SPI and GDW. Though I enjoy all sorts of games, I’ve always felt more at home on the playability side of the “playability-realism” spectrum. Besides designing games, I’ve written for several hobby magazines over the years, and consider wargaming my favourite pastime.

Professionally, I received my doctorate from the University of Toronto, and teach ecclesiastical history. I’ve authored one textbook on Victorian Anglicanism, with a second in the works, so between my academic duties and gaming work with Minden, I certainly keep busy! what is the philosophy behind minden Games?

We specialize in small games that emphasize playability and historicity, ones that you can set up and play to a conclusion in a relatively short amount of time. Most of our games are solitaire designs as well. Variety is the spice of life (and in games), and we try to release titles with various subjects, scales, and playing systems. the first published wargame by you that I’m aware of is Der Kessel from Gamefix/competitive edge. was that magazine a source of inspiration for Panzerschreck magazine?

DER KESSEL was actually my third published wargame. I was co-designer of the first, BOER WAR, published by Commonwealth Games in the middle seventies, while I was still in high school.

The second, SUCCESSORS, appeared in S&T #161, which I co-designed with my brother. As far as inspiration for Minden’s magazines, though I enjoyed Gamefix, the “feel” of Don Lowry’s Panzerfaust (later, Campaign) magazine was always closer to what I was aiming for. That is, a good mix of short articles and variants on a variety of subjects, but with the addition of wargames in each issue. The motivation for launching Panzerschreck in 1998 was more practical than anything else. I discovered that it was taking two or three years for one of my designs to see the light of day after being accepted by a publisher. With a growing backlog of my own titles, I decided to publish them myself, within a magazine format, with other gaming material and articles included in each issue as well. most of your published wargames are really small. Is this by necessity, or do you see the small format as a virtue in itself?

I enjoy designing small games. When asked, “Why don’t you design bigger games?”, I sometimes respond, “I write short stories, not novels.” There are advantages to small games; they tend to play more quickly, need shorter instructions, and have a reasonable footprint, all important to many players. I could easily turn the question around and ask, “I wonder why more people don’t design small games?” There’s certainly a demand for them, especially if they are solitaire friendly! I don’t believe that bigger is necessarily better when it comes to games. I remember when DER KESSEL was first accepted, the publisher asked me if I could “fatten it up”, you know, add more counters and make the map larger, in order to fit their standard format more closely. That is, could I squeeze a “100 counter, 11”x17” map” game into a “240 counter, 17”x24” map” format! (I might add that they agreed to keep it small.) I’d argue that size in and of itself is neither a virtue nor a vice. If a good game is large, keep it large, if it’s small, keep it small. I suppose my creative niche just happens to be with smaller designs, and I’m quite happy with that.

Panzerschreck started off in hobby format, then turned professional in collaboration with l2 Publishing, where it now seems to be firmly stuck in that company’s endless backlog. meanwhile you started Panzer Digest which has turned more or less into the original Panzerschreck. Is this something you would like to comment on?

I started Panzerschreck while doing doctoral work, and found (and continue to find) designing games and editing articles to be relaxing and rewarding. Graphics are not my strong suit, though, as anyone owning early issues of Panzerschreck can attest! But graphics improved over time, we won some industry awards, and when we had the opportunity to adopt a more professional format in 2005, with die-cut counters, we jumped at the chance. After two professional issues, however, Minden has kept Panzerschreck “on ice”, more due to logistics than anything else. Minden is open to releasing (die-cut) games through it once again... but there are no plans for that at the moment. We decided to launch Panzer Digest in 2007 with a “non-die-cut” format, to pick up the slack. You’re right, there are similarities between the two magazines; after all, they share the same editor (me!). Panzer Digest has a fine volunteer staff of six contributing editors, an increased emphasis on game reviews within its pages, and adheres to a tighter publication schedule (a new issue drops through your mail slot three times a year, instead of only twice). We’re happy with how its future is shaping up!

SMALL variation, and the whole game plays in 15-20 minutes. I find this game surprisingly captivating, a real paragon of minimalist game design.

this one’s unusually pretty. The map is based on an actual period map of the area, and the counters go nicely with it.

‘Nam Diary

This one was originally printed in Panzerscheck #5. It was republished as a separate Ziplock, which, in addition to the advantage of being in print, greatly expands on the game. The Zip edition is the one to get.

‘Nam Diary is a really simple and small game on man to man skirmishing in the jungles of Vietnam. The rules could fit on one normal size sheet, and the map is half that size. The Zip edition adds more maps for different terrain, more scenarios and more optional rules.

The turn consists of each player activating a stack for movement or fire. Combat consists of fire or melee, and is a simple die-roll with a few modifiers. As a hook, each set of activation ends with an initative roll. This shows if one or both side’s units can recover from being pinned, and if the turn order switches around, giving some unpredictability.

It doesn’t have to be more complex than that to be a simulation, but it needs something more to truly hook you. In this case, both sides have hidden units, AND both sides have randomly determined hidden victory conditions. As mentioned above, there are also a bunch of optional rules for variation. It works. In the overpopulated genre of tactical wargames, it has a distinct charm of its own.

‘Nam Diary might not be the deepest wargame out there, but It is well worth your investment of time and money, which are both very small.

Fall of RöhM

This is the kind of game you suspect started off as a witty title. Ernst Röhm was the head of the SA, the Nazi paramilitary organization that helped Hitler to the power. After taking power, Hitler considered Röhm a potential threat and, in a coup, killed him and dissolved the SA. So, in this solitaire game, published in Panzerscheck #8, you are Hitler, trying to consolidate power enough to be able to axe the SA without bringing Germany into chaos. If you find this subject a bit hard to stomach, you can seek consolation in the fact that you will likely fail, and thus by losing bring down the Nazi regime several years before Hitler could start World War II. As games go, this is as small as it gets. You have a small track display for the total of 6 counters, keeping track of the status of Röhm’s location, president Hindenburg’s health (the last trappings of democracy, if he dies before Hitler has secured the smooth transition of power, the game is over) the status of the SA, SS, Army and the economy.

As Hitler, you are trying to bring the status of the SS, Army and Economy up while pushing down the SA, so you can kill Röhm before Hindenburg dies, preferably when Röhm is in a location where he is more vulnerable. Domestic politics are handled abstractly by a deck of normal playing cards, each card representing a “political issue” that needs to be resolved by supporting one fraction. Depending on the type of issue, the selected fraction will improve by varying amount, while the other fractions will drop. In effect, this abstract method gives a nice and tough juggling of interests.

Once you go for the coup, you use an algorithm to compare the strength of Röhm and the SA to your support from the SS and the army to see if the purge succeeds, and if so, it does so with little enough disruption to not bring Germany into chaos. There is a bunch of random events to add

038 - Battles Magazine # 3

Drive on Leningrad

This is a Gary Graber game of the more traditional hex-and-odds kind. The subject is the German advance of Army Group North during Barbarossa, with Leningrad as the ultimate objective. The rules are pretty simple and straightforward, nothing here that you haven’t seen in a hundred wargames since Avalon Hill made Afrika Korps. The hook is that to play, you bid for sides. The bid is the number of reinforcement units the Soviets get per turn. The beauty of this is of course that it makes the game tightly balanced per definition. This is a hook that Gary Graber has since used in several other designs, but I like this one best. For first time players, it can be hard to guess what an optimal number to bid is, but luckily the designer has provided the suggested number of 3.5 for newbies.

Drive on Leningrad gives a fair depiction of the historical campaign, and manages to be an engaging game despite the light rules weight, small size and fast playing time. I think the game compares favorably to the SPI game Leningrad, considered a classic by many and in itself not a big game.

Salvo!

Besides making Really Small Wargames, Gary Graber has provided us with a bewildering amount of games of Naval Combat in the world wars. Don’t ask me to keep track of them all. I DO know that Salvo! is the simplest of them. It is also an example of how much you can achieve with little.

This is actually a postcard game (See Battles #1), with the rules, tables and counters printed on both sides of a postcard. No map is included, nor is any needed. You only need to keep track of the relative distance between the ships.

Movement is handled abstractly. You either try to close, or distance yourself from the enemy, then roll a die to find the result. In most naval games I’ve played, there is a lot of effort in the movement rules that basically boils down to the same thing with much more process. Firing includes the familiar stuff, broadsides if you kept the distance, front or rear fire factors if you tried to close or distance yourself. Firing is rolled on tables with hit chances depending on distance, and the results come in flotation, speed or gunnery hits. There are also rules for torpedo combat. At the end of each turn you roll to see if the ships lose contact with each other. Another nice rule handled abstractly here that many more complex games with elaborate movement fail to handle at all.

In its basic configuration, you play Salvo! with one ship per side. If you want to play with more ships, you probably need to draw up a 2-dimensional display to keep track of the positions of the ships. Panzer Digest #1 contains advanced rules for Salvo!, and there is also Pacific Salvo!, Mediterranean Salvo! and a Graf Spee spinoff. There really isn’t much decision making in this game. You decide on movement, and unless you play with more ships to get some targeting decisions, that’s it. Again, I find that’s usually what more complex systems boil down to.

While it’s nice to have Salvo! if you want some quick naval bashing, I see its real potential as a simple combat resolution system for operational games like the Second World War at Sea and similar. It is certainly realistic, yet fast enough, with a minimum of rules.

The above isn’t a complete “best of Minden” by far. I could easily write up another six gems from the catalogue. But space is running out again.

Oh well, I won’t run out of subject matter for this column in a while, that’s for sure! B

REVIEW DESIGNER LAURENT MARTIN GRAPHICS PASCAL DA SILVA & CHRISTOPHE CAMILOTTE PUBLISHER VAE VICTIS

by Steve Berger

BULLRUN1861 What kind of “real” wargame should I play with a newbie? That’s a question we can read quite often on the net. Vae Victis gives an answer (and more...) to that question every two months.

For five issues, Histoire et Collection has changed its business model with the magazine Vae Victis (the magazine and the game inside are in French. It’s common to find a translation on CSW or webgrognard). The idea is, now, to offer a smaller wargame with the magazine. Smaller in terms of map, number of units, pages of rules and duration. But the fun and historical accuracy remain a priority. What a challenge for designers! Laurent Martin (see our ASLSK scenarios ) has designed the game Bull Run 1861 for the November/December 2009 edition. Let’s see if he has met the requirements.

fiXed BayoneTs!

The game is part of a magazine, so you’ll need glue, scissors and some patience (less than one hour) to mount it. The map is nice, covering the area between Centreville, Manassas Junction, Sudley Ford and Union Mills Ford. The map is divided into areas. The art is pretty fine, although the hills could have been given more contrast from the rest of the terrain. The map isn’t that big (29 cm x 21 cm), but that’s unfortunately part of the constraints of the new format of these games. You’d better photocopy the board and double its size. The units (brigades) are nicely represented by silhouettes. You play with 16 double sided units for the Union and 17 for the Confederates (leaders included).

You’ll also mount counters to track the tiredness, damage, operational movements, attacks, the units in line and the round and phase you’re playing. Three pages of rules in the magazine (set-up and variants included) are enough to explain the game. The rules are precise, and very well written with no redundancy. I just regret that the battles involving units attacking from different adjacent areas aren’t easy to manage because the paragraph isn’t that well developed. So how does a designer simulate First Bull Run with 3 pages of rules and around 50 counters?

forWard MarCh!

This battle was the first of the American Civil War and took place on 21 July 1861. In this simulation, that day is split into seven rounds, each representing around 75 minutes. Each round is divided into four phases. The first determines initiative and allows you to place units in operational movement.

The second phase is the core of the game : movement and combat. That phase is played three, four, or five times each round. The “continuation phase”, the third one, just tells you how many movement and combat phases you will play (minimum three, maximum five). That last phase is administration and movement of units placed in operational movement in the first phase.

We have here to distinguish between the ease of understanding and applying the rules and the ease of playing well.With short and well written rules, you won’t have problems managing them. My only concern is for combat resolution. Your first time out, you will have to follow the rules very carefully and be

040 - BaTTles Magazine # 3

sure not to forget a modifier (nothing frightening for a grognard). Then the mechanics will be in your mind. So, the game is easy to understand and play.

But extracting the maximum potential from this game is another story.

To master this game is not as easy as its size would let you think, probably because Laurent Martin has managed to include many variables. Each unit has its own strength and will obey only its own general. The South has two generals, but the North only one. Each commander has a radius of command.

The enemy can intercept the orders you send to your subordinates. Some units have artillery support, some Confederate brigades will have the pleasure of seeing cavalry help them, but this help is random. You can place a brigade in support in the same area of your attacking unit (stacking limited to two combat units). If you have to defend a large space, you even have the opportunity of placing a unit in a line, so protecting two areas, but at half efficiency. For each movement/combat phase, the dice will tell you how many brigades you’ll be allowed to move and engage in combat (minimum two, maximum four). The spectrum of possibilities is different according to each side.You’ll have to order your units to face the danger and try to avoid flank attacks. Entering an area near enemy forces will scare your men and stop them. The battlefield allows you to hide in the woods, to defend behind the river, to stand on top of hills, to walk faster on paths, to cross the river on a bridge or to get wet using fords. And last but not least, the game models different levels of tiredness if you do forced march or, more devastating for your line of defense, if you lose a battle. The result of battles isn’t very lethal because you can try to retreat instead of taking a hit (if you fail, you’ll take that hit but stay put).When I will tell you that the objectives are hills south of Bull Run, that you will have to conquer and hold them without losing to many men and while still protecting your home base, you will probably agree that playing this game well is far more difficult than managing the rules.

deaTh or glory

To get victory points (VP), you’ll have to achieve three objectives : minimize your losses, hold your “city base”, and conquer hills.

At the end of the game, if the differential of losses is greater than two, the player with fewer losses receives two victory points, three if the difference gives him five or more hits. The North comes from Centreville, while the South has its base in Manassas Junction. These cities have to be defended as it gives two VP to the opponent if he takes yours. The points granted for the control of the hills will very often make the difference between victory or defeat. There are six hills to target (one VP each) and five are south of Bull Run. That will force the boys in blue to cross the river, with the boys in grey wait on the other bank, taking advantage of their position.

The initial set-up of the Union is balanced, the troops being in the middle

REVIEW

BULLRUN1861 of the field. The general has a better radius of command (eight movement points). They have more artillery. And they have the advantage of playing first during the first round, knowing that the South isn’t allowed to cross the river until round two. The major weakness is probably having only one general. If you attack on one flank, your other flank may have some problems if it has to reorganize, because the general’s orders won’t reach it efficient. On the other hand, the South is led by two generals, thus allowing more flexibility. It is also better commanded. The two major problems for the Confederates are the consequence of their initial placement. Troops from the Shenandoah’s army are stacked with some of the Potomac’s army. You will have to clean up that mess if you want to take advantage of the two generals. Furthermore, almost all your men are very far from the hills. It will take time to move them to where they are needed. Evans’, Cocke’s and Stuart’s brigades will suffer in stopping the enemy’s push. That is a quick overview that is in no way exhaustive. I leave to you the pleasure of discovering all of the possible strategies.

During the first tests, I thought that the North couldn’t win because the South benefits from the protection of the river and then of the hills. I did some solo testing and took the time to study the possible opening moves. It is very interesting because you can find some holes in the Confederate defense. If you infiltrate good quality troops you can not only take some objectives but also disrupt the enemy organization by cutting the line of command or slowing down reinforcements. My feeling now is that the game is well balanced and has probably been deeply playtested.

This is history...

What will you, as a player, probably see on the board? The strengths are roughly balanced. A frontal attack across the river wouldn’t be a good idea for either side. So each player must find the appropriate solution.

The Union has to move quickly, before the Confederate’s defensive positions are set. The Union, which plays first and has four units in operational movement, must rush and cross Sudley Ford or Poplar Ford as soon as possible. The Union has to focus on this strategy and try to hold its left wing.

The left front of the Confederates is the weakest. If they want to defend the hills, they will have to put some order in their army, transfering troops there and defending with one general. The North can come close to the hills but they are unable to climb them during the first round, Their units will be tired after operational movement anyway. But, as the left of the Union is quite weak, and as McClennan isn’t able to coordinate his offensive and set his defense at the same time, the Confederates are tempted to attack there. The South has the opportunity to follow a double strategy because he has two generals.

That is, for me, a perfect example of “design for effect”. By wisely placing the objectives, the designer tends to push the players to play historically. The fight will probably happen on the left wing of the Confederates and you will maybe recreate the furious defense of “Stonewall” Jackson near Henry House Hill.

And, if the South can hold back the attacks on their left, they probably have the opportunity to cross the stream on the right, using either McLean’s Ford or Union Mills Ford and thus hit the North in its rear and threaten Centreville.

And guess what... that was initially Beauregard’s plan.

Plan B

My only concern is re-playability. This issue is often seen when a game simulates one only battle: re-playability is not great, especially with games with few counters. For me, with the objectives around Henry Hill, the course of the game seems rather clear and maybe after a few games they will be quite

042 - Battles Magazine # 3

similar. You will then perhaps be interested in testing the variants.

Apart from the historical scenario, there is a possibility of “free” placement. With this set-up, only three brigades of the South are freely placed on the south of the stream. The other ones have to be near Manassas Junction. On the other side of Bull Run, all the brigades have to be two areas away from Centreville, five if following a road.

Also, this hypothetical scenario allows the players to cross the river wherever and whenever they feel like (see below for the historical maneuver option). As well as this optional set-up, the design has included six optional rules. You can choose the ones you want to use. Firstly, to simulate McDowell’s historical maneuver, the Union has to cross the Sudley Ford with at least four units or he loses two victory points. Secondly, the Confederates aren’t allowed to cross the river during the first round. Thirdly, the confusion option takes into account the mess at the beginning of the battle: -1 to every attacker for the first two rounds. These options form a pack and are advised in case of historical set-up. Then, instead of being split up into the different brigades, the 30th Virginia, a cavalry unit, may have its own counter. Fourthly, the North may receive three brigades (Militia, Volunteers and McCum brigade) at the end of the third round. Fifthly, the option of one more round allows the players to play… one more round. This has to be chosen at the beginning of the game and can be played only if the VP differential is less than two. Lastly, sudden death happens as soon as a player has received 10 hits if he himself has scored seven hits or less against his opponent. This option should accelerate the game and especially end it if there is nothing to hope for a player. The designer warns that it also makes the game bloodier.

The three historical options should obviously be played with the historical set-up. In my opinion, the 30th Virginia should be used individually because it speeds up the game as you don’t have to throw the dice every time you fight to see if you have a +1 support for cavalry (don’t be too sad, you’ll have other die rolls to do anyway). I think the last option is also a good idea, because it will stop the game as soon as a player has taken too much of an advantage. I advise using the Union reinforcements if the Federal player is a beginner who could be a little too shy for the first rounds. This would help the North by bringing fresh troops to guard the fords or push on the right.

end fight

Is Bull Run 1861 the perfect trap to catch newbies and give them the motivation to come into ‘our world’? These so-called crossover or gateway games are difficult to find. Between Eurogames and long and difficult wargames, there is a gap. Where is the middle? With this game. and according to the constraints of the magazine format, I would say that scales dip to the wargame side. With only two and half pages of rules, you will meet a lot of concepts specific to wargames and you will play one game in around two to three hours if there is no sudden death. A perfect trap for the eurogamers.

For the grognards, Bull Run 1861 will probably be qualified as “beer & pretzels”. But I don’t know many players capable of refusing a beer, especially when its taste is pure, straight and gives the dense flavor of a battle. And with its size, you can even drink two in the same evening.

To conclude, I am very impressed by the work of this designer: so much with so little. You will perhaps not play it twenty times, but historicity and fun are here, and at low cost in terms of duration, rules and price. The system will, I hope, be used to simulate other battles of the ACW. But meanwhile, I’m looking for the next design in Vae Victis because, along with the pleasure in playing, I’m also very interested in discovering how the next designers will create their games meeting the magazines new requirements. B

REVIEW DESIGNER JOSEPH MIRANDA GRAPHICS TIM ALLEN PUBLISHER VPG

BULGE20

by Matthew Kirschenbaumm

You can imagine the catalog entry if it was Avalon Hill forty years ago: “On a cold, mist-blanketed morning in December 1944, Hitler’s panzers stormed through the crossroads villages of the Ardennes as part of one last desperate offensive to turn the tide in the West. Now YOU are in command in this Exciting and Realistic game of . . . intelligence gathering, logistics, and rear echelon staff management.” Huuuuhh?

JOE MIRANDA BRINGS HIS FIRST EVER BULGE DESIGN to Alan Emrich’s Victory Point Games, promising a high-level look at the battle by placing the player in a theater commander’s situation room, managing unfolding events through planning, intelligence gathering, and staff work. Decades ago, Nicholas Palmer (The Best of Board Wargaming) observed that strategic-level games offer the most direct correlation between gamers and their historical counterpart because the physical postures are so easily superimposed: sitting a room and sweating over maps spread out on the tabletop. Contrast this with a tactical game, where the player’s armchair perspective differs drastically from that of a grunt under fire in a foxhole. Miranda has therefore attempted to create a gaming experience that lands players in the shoes of Eisenhower or von Rundstedt, listening to reports from the front, issuing orders to adjuncts and aides, and pushing around colored blocks with croupiers.

While still sporting a modest footprint and the requisite fewer than 20 counters per side (thus the title), this is physically the largest and most component-rich game in VPG’s list. Emrich certainly hasn’t been shy about raising expectations: “By waiting until he had something unique to offer both the subject matter and the wargaming hobby in general, Joe Miranda brings you an entirely fresh take to crown his hobby efforts . . .” Players command army groups and corps, moving and fighting them on a point to point map that stretches from the Westwall to the Channel. Cards drive the game, as every turn each player works through a hand representing the staff resources at his disposal. These are divided into G-1 (Administration), G-2 (Intelligence), G-3 (Operations), and G-4 (Logistics).

Each of the four primary card types has standardized actions associated with it, of which the player may select only a single one; some cards also have a special event, such as (you guessed it) “Engineers Blow Bridges” or “Pieper Breaks Out” or (my favorite) “Patton Prays for Good Weather.” Playing the event means you can’t select one of the other options, and most event cards can only be played once. The player’s hand is rebuilt each turn, with the number of cards he selects dictated by the clock; predictably, the German’s overall strength diminishes over the course of the eight-turn game (December 16th-January 9th) while the Allied hand gets fatter.

BEFORE PLAY BEGINS, the German player secretly chooses one of three objective cards. This determines his victory conditions. He can opt for either of two limited gambits, an attack on Aachen or a drive on Luxembourg, or he can choose to attempt the historical Wacht am Rhein. The latter option creates the possibility of sudden death for the Allies if a German army-level forma-

062 - BaTTles Magazine # 2

tion reaches Antwerp or Brussels, and also gives the Germans some additional powerful event cards to work with. The Allies, on the other hand, can commit theater-level reinforcements and Patton’s Third Army with impunity if they think the Germans are going for the knock out. The catch is, if the Allied player guesses wrong and commits his reserves (or Patton) to what he eventually learns is one of the less ambitious German objectives then he pays for it in victory points. Playing G-2 Intelligence cards allows the Allied player to discover the German’s intentions if the nature of unfolding events hasn’t sufficiently telegraphed them. There’s some interesting tension in the opening turns, and the intel-gathering is one more task the Allied player must budget his scant resources for.

So let’s say you’re the Germans and it’s December 22nd (turn 3). First of all, you’ve got your card hand, which you’d dealt to yourself after concluding your actions the previous turn.

The situation now is not exactly what you hoped it would be then, since the Allies have had an intervening turn to play a hand of their own. You have your forces, which are either on the map as armies or detached corps, or else they‘re arrayed on your off-map Order of Battle display, with corps assigned to armies (or to Army Group HQ) behind a screen which doubles as a play-aid.You’d like to reinforce the 5th Panzer Army with an infantry corps from the dormant 15th Army. So you play a G-1 card to move the unit into the HQ area of your OOB mat, out of sight of your opponent. Next turn, if you have another G-1 to play, you can attach it to its new command. Speaking of your G-1 staff, you’d like them to devote some attention to the LVIII panzer corps which was disorganized yesterday by the American counterattack at Houffalize. As long as the unit in question is in supply, you can play another G-1 card to restore it to full strength. By now, your card hand is dwindling and you have yet to conduct any offensive operations. You see you have the resources for one well-supported attack; but where will it be, the lone American corps still holding out in the St. Vith area or the American 1st Army, newly reconstituted and guarding your crossing point on the Meuse?

Regardless of which you choose, you’ll need a G-3 card to order the assault.

You’ll also need G-3 cards if you want to move any of your other armies. You’re lucky to still have some G-2 Intelligence and G-4 Logistics assets, but unfortunately there’s not the luxury to do anything creative with them: they will be supporting whichever attack you decide to order.

Once combat is declared,the action shifts to a separate battle board.Units are transferred from their army box on the OOB mat to their side of the battle display, and each player also simultaneously selects cards from their current hand

BaTTles Magazine # 3 - 045

REVIEW

BULGE20 to support their attack or defense. For example, playing a G-2 card ensures tactical superiority and means the attacker gets to roll dice for hits first, overriding the defender’s first fire, an important advantage, unless the defender negates it with a G-2 of his own. G-4 cards bump up the attack or defense strength, as do a variety of special events, such as “Volks Artillery Barrage.”

In good weather either player will also be able to call in close air support to boost their attack or defense factors unless (again) this ploy is countered by the other player’s air assets. You then roll dice equal to the modified number of attack or defense factors. Every six is a hit and every five is a retreat result.

Retreats can convert to hits if the player wants to hold his ground. All corpslevel units have two steps, so a single combat can wipe them out. Eliminated units are available for reconstitution (using a G-4 card) and may eventually reenter play (the player must dice to determine exactly when), unless they were out of supply at the time of elimination. Units which are merely disorganized as a result of combat (one step loss) can be returned to full strength through play of a G-1 card, but again only if they are in supply. The usual advance after combat is permissible only under certain circumstances; a river line will forestall it, for example. So players will sometimes have to budget an additional G-3 card if they want to get into a location they’ve just forced their opponent out of.

The combat process is quickly learned and easily resolved; indeed, many situations can be handled without the pretense of the battle board. There’s also a “Friction of War” card which players may use to bluff with as each is gathering assets to support a combat, but its use seems superfluous since cards are selected and revealed by each player simultaneously. If there’s a subtlety here, I confess we missed it (the card turned into a running joke in our games).

THE OVERALL SEQUENCE IS IGO-UGO, with the Germans playing out their hand first each turn, followed by the Allies. After you play your current hand you immediately select the cards that will go into the next one, trying to take into account what your opponent might do in the meantime. If you expect to be attacked, for example, you’ll need to build some G-1, G-2, and/or G-4 cards into your hand, and that means by the time your next turn rolls around your staff resources will have already been diminished reacting to the other player. Following each Allied turn the players also roll for weather; in this game it can change with a die toss (other Bulge games fix weather to the historical pattern). Weather primarily impacts the potency of air assets, and also gives each player an additional card to deal into their hand. (Good weather is a bit of a mixed blessing, as each player then has to budget for air superiority as they build their hands each turn.) In terms of card management, it’s worth underscoring that each player has complete freedom to select the cards that go into their hand each turn. The American and German decks vary somewhat in their distribution of staff cards, with Germans having more G-3 options at their disposal and the Allies more G-4 resources. Most events are also specific

046 - BaTTles Magazine # 3

to one side or the other. The design does a good job of creating different experiences for each player, as should be expected of a Bulge game.

Any game at such a high level is bound to produce some quirks and artifacts. Bridges can apparently be blown regardless of whether the German is in the act of crossing a river as depicted on the map (we assumed this involves waterways below the level of the game’s representation). More significantly, we found the USAAF 8th Air Force card distressingly powerful. In his design notes, Miranda specifically cites a thesis about the Bulge as “Air/ Land battle,” with interdiction and deep penetration raids playing a major role in bad weather as well as good. This particular card lets the Allied player roll three dice, each of them with a 50% success rate for plucking a random card from the German hand. Playing this card several turns in a row—until there’s good weather, the German will have only a one-time 50/50 shot at countering it by playing “Operation Bodenplatte”—can rip the heart out of a German attack plan. Regardless of the merits of the Air/Land thesis, it’s not much fun to seeing all your intricate staff planning (the focal point of the design, remember) demolished by some up or down die throws and random card draws.

DESPITE THIS ONE INEQUITY, we found the game to be markedly pro-German in its outlook. Bastogne will always fall on turn 1 if the German devotes the resources. Most playings should see panzers on the Meuse by turn 3. This is partly a function of the fragility of the initial American line: those two-step corps are only going to absorb so much punishment, and competent German play will achieve a breakthrough. Depending on the choice of German objective, the game then evolves into either a slugging match for Aachen, Patton’s counterattack into Belgium, or a German lunge for the channel ports. To some extent, excesses of the German advance may be a function of the game’s large scale but limited footprint—the historical “bulge” is defined by penetrations only two or three spaces deep on the map, and that’s unlikely to offer much satisfaction to gamers. So what we finally have may be less a Bulge game per se than a look at alternative possibilities for the Western theater at the end of 1944. I can live with that in a quick-playing game, but some may find German successes strain credulity.

Less excusable, however, are the victory conditions which make it all but a certainty that the Germans will score at least a draw with either of the two limited objectives. To win, the Allies need to not only defend successfully and guess right as to German intentions, but also inflict disproportionate casualties on the Wehrmacht. We therefore concluded that the best strategy for competitive play would be the German’s choosing one of the lesser slams and then digging in to wait out the endgame. Fortunately, however, this imbalance may be just as easily remedied, either by changing draw results to a German loss or by docking them a Victory Level for failing to achieve their objectives in the two limited scenarios. These changes ought to open things up considerably. And as my gaming buddy put it, there was “no such thing as a draw for the Germans in December ‘44.”

People will want to know about solitaire suit-

ability. You can certainly try it and exercise the mechanics, but you’re going to be missing a lot: the initial Allied uncertainty as to German intentions, the fog of war that comes from not knowing the other player’s exact disposition of forces or the extent of his combat resources. There are no game-breakers here, but let’s face it, there’s also no lack of other Bulge games and in many of them the lack of an opponent matters a lot less.

PHYSICALLY THE COMPONENTS ARE FINE. Tim Allen’s graphics are aimed at making you feel like you’re standing in the command bunker, and while the overall style is a bit busy for my taste it’s clear that a lot of effort went into visual appeal. The 11x17” map is a point-to-point network overlaid on top of a theater map of the Ardennes. The die-cut counters (about 60 in all) are attractive and serviceable. However there’s no doubt the game is expensive for what you get. It lists for $39.95 on the VPG Web site, which puts it into the realm of the boxed and shrinkwrapped productions from the majors.As many readers will already know,VPG is a cottage enterprise, with each individual copy of a game printed and assembled to order. Between the different sized maps and displays, the cards, the counters (themselves different shapes and sizes) and the various rules inserts (including designer’s notes and an example of play) one can imagine it’s a lot of fuss and bustle to get a complete copy laser printed and into a ziplock. The cards and screens are medium paper stock, nothing more; you have to trim the bottom edges of the play-aid screens yourself. There is no die. There is no box. The rulebook, while in color, isn’t stapled. Is Bulge 20 worth the investment? For my money, a pricey game that gets played is always better value than a game priced competitively that sits on the shelf. Potential buyers will have to make their own decision.

BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THAT HYPE? Is Bulge 20 a giant-killer, a paradigmshifter? Will REMFs now be the envy of panzer pushers everywhere? We found Bulge 20 to be a fast playing game that produces an engaging narrative in two hours or less with lots of good decision making along the way. It accomplishes this by being a cleverly designed (and well-developed) card-based resource management game.You move, you attack, you support your attacks in various ways, and you rally and reinforce your troops. The “staff work” is most prominent in the G-1 cards, which interact with an off-map display that manages unit assignments (kept hidden from the other player). Much of the game consists in attaching and detaching corps-level units to their Army Headquarters, and this process takes some practice to master. Few other games make you work so hard to detach a single lousy corps to reinforce Aachen. That’s a good thing: as Miranda wants to show, yanking 40,000 men off of a fighting front and marching them 50 miles in the face of the enemy was a feat of arms in itself. You find yourself studying the map, pouring over the road net (potential axes of advance) and the hand of staff cards you delegated to yourself the previous turn, before the present situation had fully emerged. You can only do so much. You must make choices, decisions. In short, you must command. This is why we play wargames, and this one does its job of generating the kind of dilemmas that keep us coming back to the gaming table.

But no, it’s not a revolution in hobby design. The card mechanics will be familiar to anyone who has played CDGs over the last decade and a half, and for all of the War College trappings the four basic card types could have as easily been called something like Command, Recon, Assault, and Resupply. I say this not to take away from what’s been achieved here but merely to help players locate Bulge 20 in the hobby’s constellations of choices. This is not a Kriegspiel-style map exercise, nor is it the kind of earnest and overwrought headquarters simulation that NATO Division Commander once sought to give us. It’s also not as constrained as the old One-Page Bulge or Brian Train’s Autumn Mist, two other Bulge games with similar small footprints. It’s a smart design with broad-brush history and the potential for some real fun.

That may or may not make it Joe Miranda’s magnum opus, but it does make it a wargame worth trying. B

REVIEW

by François Xavier Euzet

by Matt Foster

here’s the catch: their games. But to g in lat re t en nt me - isn’t ‘just’ a of co - despite their na Games Workshop are Games Workshop Group PLC, ey k game company. Th pany listed on the London Stoc m co lly d ho de w tra ith oup w a publiclymulti-national gr a y, e an ar rm ey Ge , Th . ce ge da, Fran Exchan uct s in the US, Cana owned subsidiarie and Italy. They move plenty of prod y n bb pa ho Ja , 0 an 35 Spain, Australia also own more th retailers, but they t en nd pe de in h eek.com throug ey from bsite Boardgameg ent of centers. make a LOT of mon their we ey e th th , n es ni ru pa ho m w co s to partm e folk ‘game’ s generate related The other day, th e & Desist letter from the legal de Unlike most other ent they themselve y - but revenues from lated to nt re co t as e en Ce th nt tle m co lit fro ed a d at d an er bb receive er-gen licensing rs’ still the gaming ho In response, all us oved from BGG. eir core business is ng (as you can read in their investo Th . es m Games Workshop. re m ga en be s e ha di eir tim ts an Th uc xt xp ”. od Ne -e ff pr er tu g? p ev “s in e ho itt ng selli ent ar ssing and sp Games Works er related cont revenues aren’t just generated from ll-developed IP. lots of howling, hi ick into the Gam we eir st of e Th al ). ng You want to hear leg ra rts d ng po lo oa re a br o, poke oted in a natives Zo ro e ly le th e ep op de ’ve got to deal Pe tim is e is el th th , od gs sit m an you vi business of the thin they ns treat the I mean, m e o. on e tw or n, or m er nc ist up co g tw l a in na risdictio at’s stirr Cage and give it As a multi-natio nt national legal ju to protect their os. It’s an event th ash Debates or the re ng ffe bo di e ys th g wa in nt ng re g are really ba the Ameritr with is the diffe A company seekin l n and vitriol than tellectual property. strating active, broad defense of al in of e ns emotional discussio er came close to. fe de e on g at m in or de be rp by er Co ev g ng also a former Bi n never go wrong operties are no lo Banhammer Wars AM a gamer. But I’m rticipated in Big Corporate IP ca operties. Even if some of those pr ng as they are agressively I’m not a lawyer. I pr lo pa n, eir as e than one occasio fense of our th loped or supported in production, likely ever to consider those wonk who, on mor rporate lawyers engaged in the de ve is n de io ct di ris ju Co e company, no th by ed meetings with Big ual property rights. lic po llect ated content ned.

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Be ck you ba siness.

Welcom ’ creation hop it’s all just bu For Games Works es actively encourage ‘community nityfire.com mpani published on opportu This article was first of other game co

048 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

There are not many strategic naval simulations available in wargaming today, and if World War II regroups a bunch of these games, there are not that many covering operations in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. GMT’s Decision at Sea series is now filling a gap with its first game: PQ-17, which covers operations on these seas from August 1941 to December 1943.

When you open the box you can be puzzled as you discover what is supposed to be part of different systems. You have blocks, cards, unit display sheets and counters of different sizes and forms. Let’s first separate the different types of materials and see what they are for.

THE BASICS

In PQ-17 the blocks, which are quite tiny compared to Columbia’s blocks, are there to model fog-of-war for the naval forces, and represent Task Forces (TF),Wolfpacks, convoys or dummies.When on the map, they are face down when in ports, on the edge when at sea and undiscovered, and face up when discovered by enemy forces. When face up, they also indicate the level of identification achieved by the opponent (from 1 to 4), each level having a sum of information linked with it (number of capital ships, presence of an aircraft carrier, etc.), that you must tell to your opponent when he is discovering a TF or increase one’s identification level. Because indeed the naval counters are not on the map, standing instead on a hidden display sheet representing all of your blocks and tracking their fuel levels. There are lots of counters in this game, five counter-sheets to be precise, of different types and sizes, depending on what they represent. The square counters depict naval units, each representing one large ship (battleship, aircraft carrier), one cruiser, or a group of small ships (destroyers, merchant ships). These coun-

DESIGNER CHRIS JANIEC GRAPHICS CHARLES KIBLER, MARK SIMONITCH, NICOLÁS ESKUBI,RODGER B. MACGOWAN PUBLISHER GMT

ters never stand on the map, they always stay on your task force display. The only counters that stay on the map are the circular counters, depicting air units by squadron (bombers, fighters, reconnaissance). Those are located on special boxes on the map, representing the different airports in Norway, UK, the Soviet Union or Iceland. Of course all those planes don’t have the same possibilities, and torpedo bombers, floatplanes, anti-submarine planes, and reconnaissance planes, among others, are all present in the game, and ready to pursue the ships passing by.

Last but not least, two decks of 40 cards each are there for two purposes: naval search and random damage. Each time you try to discover an enemy naval force you must draw a card, each card containing a day search table and a night search table. You then cross index the weather level (Fair, reduced visibility, storm or Fog/Gale) with what is searching (naval, air or both) to determine if you have discovered what you were searching for, or if you improved your identification level, provided you have already discovered this force before. This can be modified by three icons leaving undiscovered the searched force if you have them on the card and if it complies with what is needed. If you get a plane symbol your force is still undiscovered if you have an aircraft carrier in the TF. If you only have Soviet units searching and get a Soviet Navy ensign, your opponent successfully evades. And if you are searching a wolfpack and you get a submarine symbol, the wolfpack remains undiscovered. Of course this gives small information to your opponent about what’s in this block, but your force is not counted as discovered, and thus cannot be attacked.

049

(from the Allies side) - PQ13 (C1 block), shadowed

by German Air and submarines, is under attack from 4 German bomber squadron...

... (from the German side) and this is just the begining as German wolfpacks are waiting around Bear Island for it to come

REVIEW PQ17

INTERVIEW WITH

CHRIS JANIEC

Who are you Chris Janiec? arck came out in 1962, and have I’ve been a wargamer since Avalon Hill’s original Bism playtester, proofreader, and general a as years ten worked on a number of titles in the last irs & Hellcats, contributed a scenario for gadfly. I was heavily involved with Zero! and Corsa my first published game as a de7 is Downtown, and developed Clash of Monarchs. PQ-1 t Officer, flying S-3 Vikings before I (and Fligh Naval US a signer. A millenium ago I was also they) were put out to pasture.

And how did you came to wargaming? can remember, and since my father was in My family always played board games as long as I ry history. While visiting my aunt and milita of lot a the service, I was interested in and read d their copy of Parker Brothers’ 1863. We uncle in 1961, my brother and I discovered and playe we were allowed to open and play on that always used to receive a game as a Christmas gift Heritage Game of the Civil War (later retitled Christmas Eve, and that year it was The American my enjoyment of games and military history, Battle Cry). I had found something that combined and have been playing ever since. s by yourself?

What made you cross the line and design game home variants, and after retiring from with red Time, more than anything. I had always tinke research and complete a design of my government service, finally had enough time to fully own.

Decision at sea? After all, most series Why choose an unconventional theme to begin battlefields like the Salomon or the sell, begin with more “traditional”, and easy to Mediterranean.

I chose the Arctic theater because of the When first developing what became Decision at Sea, It’s also an extreme test case, because ed. involv ft relatively limited number of ships and aircra ht, changing ice conditions, long distances, the terrible weather, widely varying hours of daylig system. Add in S-boats in the (forthcoming) and extended operations challenge the limits of the Zeppelin, and I was able to test all the Norway 1940 variant and the hypothetical carrier Graf elements of the system. hidden display and counter, which is Decision at Sea is a model using blocs, cards, n? quite unusual. How did you came to this desig Games’ EuroFront in 1994, but realized it bia Colum for ms syste naval a with up come to I tried d. Cruisers needed to be named rather than wouldn’t have enough detail for the “flavor” I wante design my own operational system instead. generic as in most strategic games, so I decided to forces, with the numbers around the sent repre to s The breakthrough idea was to use block and accurately that force was located, rather circumference of the block showing how recently Instead, each block would have a space in an . than its strength as in a “traditional” block game ships in that force. off-map hidden display, where counters show the ed during creation on DaS? What was the biggest problem you experienc al idea was to search by rolling a 20-sided origin My . anics mech ance Streamlining the reconnaiss eventually memorized the most common ones die, with a list of modifiers as long as your arm. You new players. Andy Lewis suggested cards for when playing, but it was tedious and quite daunting not be prohibitively expensive, the final would this rmed confi GMT when might work better, and system was the result. war, how will you insert the ground aspect DaS is entirely focused on naval aspects of the landing...)? us that should arise in the Narvik addon (amphibio actly using modified Planning Sheets and abstr ed handl be will aign Progress of the ground camp er of battalions landed at ports and Allied Random Events Tables. Players will track the numb factor in as die roll modifiers when Random will ers numb Bastions on their planning sheets. These aign, as well as at the end of each fortnight.

Events call for progress checks of the ground camp sheets. ing Actual ground progress will be tracked on the plann

052 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

With this search table, each card also has a damage indicator used to resolve random damages, each time you get hit by a gale, storm or ice pack. PQ-17 is definitely not a card driven game, but what can appear as a futile gadget is a real addition to it. If you had a random table instead of those cards to do searches, you could also try to calculate your chances of success.

Here it is impossible to really know what will come out of any reconnaissance mission. Of course you do know that it will be easier to locate enemy forces in daylight in fair weather than by night in a storm, but even at best you still can miss what you are searching for, and you cannot calculate before searching what are your chances, as it was impossible back then to know the rate of success of a reconnaissance mission before launching it. Now that we know what is in the box, let’s see how we can use it.

DO WE SET SAIL, CAPTAIN?

In PQ-17 you begin a game by setting up your ships and planes, and then write on a planning sheet your TF’s planned route and at what time they depart from port.

It is a bit silly to say this, as you always begin a game by setting it up, but in PQ-17 it also means something else as you won’t use all the assets at your disposal, at least in capital ships, as the more you’re using, the more it costs you. At the start of a scenario you have a number of command points given to you, and points are spent each time you deploy a capital ship or a cruiser outside a port to use it on a TF. The more points you use, the more victory points (VP) you give to your opponent. Each capital ship costs one command point and each cruiser costs half a point, so if you put out to sea with the HMS Renown (battle cruiser), the HMS Victorious (aircraft carrier) and two cruisers, you already have spent three command points of the Home Fleet, knowing that you only have a maximum of eight. Up to three command points it costs you only 1 VP as the Allies, but it could go to a five VP modifier at the end of the game if you use all eight command points. As a German player it is worse as you have a maximum of three command points, depending o n the scenario, and each command point used costs you three VP. So take out the Tirpitz (battleship) and you already have lost three VP. You can imagine that you won’t put it to sea just to see if you could, maybe, use it. Taking out big ships must be done for good reason and strongly thought out beforehand by the German player. And this has also another effect as your opponent never knows exactly what you did put out to sea and against what he will fight. You do know what is in your opponent’s pool,

but not what will be used, and cannot plan your strategy as exactly as a mathematician. If a player is cautious he will use a lot of forces to escort, but he can also bet that you will not have the guts to get your big ships out and gain VP by not playing them and rely almost entirely on small ships to concentrate on submarines.

To reinforce this uncertainty, both players can also have a secret mission to carry out during the game, giving a stronger fog of war on what could come.

At the start of each game each player draws a chit associated with an event or a mission, allowing him to do things forbidden in a normal game, or to carry out a mission rewarded in VP, but sometimes also costing VP if not achieved at the end of the game. The most interesting are the German Atlantic Breakout, allowing you to try to launch a raid in the North Atlantic with capital ships or cruisers, the Axis Convoy which forces the German to run a small convoy from Tromso to Kirkenes, the Allied Carrier Raid on a Norwegian port or base, forcing each available carrier to raid its target as not doing so will cost five VP at the end of the game, and the operations possible by each side (Sizilien, Wunderland, Archery or Title). This gives you an unknown asset in your hand, and you always have to think twice before acting if you don’t know the opponent’s objectives yet. For example, if the German player gets the Atlantic Breakout mission, you know you will have to intercept his ships before they reach the Atlantic. You have two heavy cruisers patrolling in the Denmark Strait, but it won’t be enough if the Tirpitz is out. Unless you already know the German’s mission, or you know it is not the Atlantic Breakout, you must keep some capital ships in Scapa Flow or Iceland, ready to rush out in case a breakout is happening.

IS THERE A CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE?

So you are ready to cast off now. Each game can last to a maximum of 15 days, each one divided into two turns, one of night, one of day, or two of night or two of day, depending on the season (you are in the Arctic, remember). Each turn begins by a weather check, influenced by the season you are playing in, after which the Allied player begins his movement. Each block can move between one and three hexes, depending on the speed used. Of course the merchant ships can only go at slow speed and move one hex each turn.

Most warships can move at moderate speed (two hexes) or at high speed (three hexes). Moving at moderate speed does not have a real impact for a warship, but moving at high speed is costly in fuel, and must be used correctly. Each TF has a fuel warning indicator placed six days ahead, if small ships are present, or 10 days if only heavy ships are in the TF. Once the turn indicator reaches this counter, it is replaced by a Low Fuel counter placed three turns ahead (1.5 days). If the TF is not in a friendly port by this time, it will switch to Critical Fuel status, meaning

you can only move at slow speed and with disadvantages in combat. So you don’t have to track ship by ship the fuel level, but still be careful in using your ships wisely as small ships have only short legs, and cannot go from Iceland to the Soviet Union with a convoy without refuelling. The only way is to refuel, if you have an oiler, which is not always the case, or to organise waves of ships to relieve the ones with a low fuel value. To do this, as the warships go faster without problem, you can schedule an escort TF to leave the UK or Iceland some days after the convoy has left port, and exchange ships as the new TF reaches the convoy. If you exchange ships, the fuel counter will also switch from one TF to the other, leaving more fuel to the target TF, while the other one goes back at normal speed to a friendly port.

As the Allies you must then correctly plan, not only your convoy, not only your escort, but also your fuel level and the replacement ships to put on station, especially since the Soviet ports provide only a small amount of fuel and space, allowing only a few destroyers and a cruiser to enter them. The escort ships will then have to go back to the West after accompanying the convoy, leaving the last part of the work to the Soviet destroyers, which cannot go very far.

These Soviet ships cannot go outside the Soviet air radius limit printed on the map, and must spend Soviet command points each time they go one hex over the limit (at least the Soviet command points do not cost VP). They won’t go far away from the USSR and have a low combat value so don’t count on them except in the vicinity of Murmansk or Archangelsk.

And from a German point of view it could even be worse. They don’t have convoys (or only a small one if you get the mission), but they do not have fuel either. Most of the scenarios begin with an Axis fuel shortage, meaning they cannot get out from port before an Allied convoy is discovered, and if they do get out, they will only have six days of fuel even if they only have heavy ships.

The only way to bypass this is to deploy from the Germany box or to have the Atlantic Breakout mission.

When you add that going at high speed costs three turns’ worth of fuel per turn, and combat (surface, air or ASW) costs from one to two turns’s worth of fuel, you realize that fuel IS a problem. It could look a bit complicated at first but it is actually a fine and simple way to count fuel as a critical resource, while not having to track ship by ship their expenditure, which would be boring and add no value to the game.

DO WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW U-BOAT?

Now that we are at sea the real turns start, beginning with a random event which is not necessarily good. You can indeed have a good one, like information from Ultra, letting you discover the special mission of the German player or a block, or you can also have a collision between some of your ships. You then move your forces, the dummy block

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 053

REVIEW PQ17 moving along with no restriction and can move up to three hexes to simulate heavy ships, and then pass on to the aerial phase. In PQ-17, air units can conduct many missions, from ASW to photo reconnaissance. But, like for naval forces, they cannot attack any force that is not already discovered. So the recon mission is especially important as it is the precondition to launching attacks just after, but of course, squadrons on reconnaissance duty won’t be able to launch any attacks. For reconnaissance purposes you can also benefit from the air sectors. There are three German air sectors (Barents, Trondheim and North Sea) and two Allied air sectors (Iceland and Soviet), each one getting a number of search counters (from one to three) at the start of the scenario, usable in the named sector limit drawn on the map. Once a naval force is discovered by a reconnaissance plane or a sector, it can be shadowed by it, not to lose its reconnaissance level, which is quite useful as each time a block is moving while not shadowed, it loses one level of identification (from two to one, for example). Once at zero identification level the block will be risen up on the edge at the start of the next turn, and a dummy will be added to the hex, so that the enemy does not know where the real force went.

Once a force is discovered it can then be the target of air attack, and then submarine attack. Air attacks are resolved by waves, each ship being the target of one or two squadrons. The ships then fire with AA guns, and the planes drop their bombs or try to launch torpedoes if they are capable of it. Of course torpedoes can be more devastating, but they are also more difficult to launch successfully and are hampered by ice packs and bad weather. But where you’ll need more than one bomb to sink a battleship, a single torpedo can do the entire job at once, and sink more than one merchant ship at a time.

The torpedo procedure is the same as if a submarine is attacking a convoy, except that the anti-submarine escort can surprise, and strike first, or be surprised, and be stricken first. When a submarine is attacking, since he doesn’t know exactly what is in the TF, he announces what he is attacking (merchant ship, cruiser, etc.) and launches his torpedo, if he is not contained by the escort.

Of course the torpedo is more interesting as a destructor of ships, but the problem for submarines is that they must not have moved during the turn to attack. It means that you have to gather more than one submarine block to force the convoy to pass by your hex. The easiest way is to have a single submarine shadowing the target convoy while the others are waiting around Bear Island, between the Spitzbergen Islands and Norway, as at this point the map has only one hex free of ice at all times. The next hex to the south is filled with Axis ports, and the three on the north can be full of floating ice, the status of each strip of ice pack being determined each turn if not free or in a solid pack for the scenario. As the Titanic’s Captain can testify, ice packs are dangerous for ships.

Of course, in summer there is less ice but still it leaves you a two-hex route free of ice most of the time. This narrow zone is where the submarines will be most

054 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

HMS Sheffield and HMS Jamaica are screening convoy JW-51B from Admiral Hipper and Lützow during battle of Barents sea, while British torpedo boats launch a torpedo attack on the evading German ships. The torpedo will miss but the cruisers will succeed, forcing the Germans to withdraw from battle dangerous, usually at night. Airplanes then do the same during the day, while your U-Boats are rushing to get ahead of the convoy to be in position for the next night turn. This zone is really the danger zone as it is also out of reach of Allied planes. Antisubmarine planes have the possibility to project an air radius on a hex, forcing a submarine force to move at slow speed to be sure to cross, else it must do a die roll to pass through with success. But in this zone you are on your own, and the aircraft carrier’s planes are not suited for this kind of action. The north of Norway is a really dangerous place, and it is the region that will cost you the most as an Allied player.

TIRPITZ OR NOT TIRPITZ?

The last thing to see is the surface combat. If the German player manages to locate a force, or is intercepted by a surface British force, there is a surface combat.

Surface combat is played on a separate display sheet where you have four zones of action, representing the actions taken by ships: torpedo attack, screening, deployment or withdrawal. The way surface battles are handled is abstract (no orientation or separate display) but it suits the rest of the system perfectly. You can order your light ships to screen your heavy ships, do a torpedo attack, and try to hit the opponent’s ships with big guns, all in a simple way. The problem is that this display won’t be used much due to the restrictions placed on the Germans. To sum up, the heavy German ships will have a hard time leaving port as all the Allied aircraft carriers listed in the scenario must be identified before, and even if it can set sail, a German TF can only attack a weaker force, containing no un-hit heavy ships and with small destroyer or torpedo boat forces, and fewer cruisers if no German battleship or battlecruiser is available.

And even then, as soon as a German ship has lost a step, the entire TF must try to withdraw from battle.

Only if you play a specific scenario stating you are not tied to Hitler’s restrictions, or if you draw the special mission/advantage at the start of the game, cancelling those restrictions, you will be able to try something. Otherwise, your big guns won’t be of much help, except playing the role of the Scarecrow.

The best effect of a German surface force is causing a convoy to scatter, lowering the effect of the surface force but increasing the effect of the submarines, if no warship is there to escort them. But unless you have a lot of luck, this won’t happen very often.

Or maybe you will play with the optional ships? In a campaign game, this could mean having the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier or the HMS Furious aircraft carrier, and then there could be some nasty fights as the British will have to be a lot more cautious. And you better make the

How will it be published (gamete, C3I...)? to do both. A ziploc expanThis is still being worked out with GMT, but I hope will go on P500, while aign camp sion including three scenarios and the full scenario would be ion) invas an (Germ NG RÜBU a slightly abbreviated WESE published in C3i magazine. e II), will it focus as Concerning the Mediterranean volume (DaS volum much on convoy than PQ-17? convoys, sometimes in the Not quite. Unlike PQ-17, both sides will have major PQ-17 such as transfers, same scenario. And missions that are peripheral in feature more prominently will ent air strikes, minelaying, and shore bombardm in Volume II. cal scenarios and ships Will it stick to history or will there be hypotheti for example)? a Malt of ion invas an or er carri (the Italian aircraft PQ-17, with mostly in as game core the in same the about be will The mix ns such as Aquila. optio al hetic hypot of ul historical scenarios and a handf 1942 Siege of Malta. The There will probably be two campaigns, Crete and the ‘Random’ scenario will be much simpler. opus?

What will be the chronological limits of this final yet. Based on counter to close isn’t I’m afraid the selection of scenarios mber 1940 through August mix considerations, my best estimate is from Nove 1942 (JUDGEMENT through PEDESTAL).

Thank you for answering all this questions and may PQ-17 have a lot of succes presence of these ships profitable, as they cost a lot of VP to make them enter play. These two ahistorical ships are among many optional rules available to you to add realism if you want, and if you feel that having more rules is an alright thing. You can then have untrained units in campaign games, Soviet endurance, training, coordinated air strikes, etc.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM, LAD?

In PQ-17 you have 11 scenarios, a generator of random scenarios and a campaign game. The scenarios are all convoy scenarios but at different times of the year, and with different ships available. For example you have the PQ-12 scenario which has two convoys, no restrictions on the Tirpitz and an aircraft carrier, but no oiler on the Allied side. There is the PQ-17 scenario with a lot of ships and submarines on both sides, or the PQ-15 scenario with mostly subs on the German side.You will have a lot to do in different situations, but there is always one or two convoys involved.

As for the campaign, it is played as a series of linked scenarios, each one lasting 15 days and going from 1 March 1942 to 1 January 1943. And if after all this you still want to play there is a random scenario generator that can continue play indefinitely.

PQ-17 is a very fine game and one with an operational side, which is not always the case in naval games. Here you will lead ships on operations and have a level of detail allowing you to perceive the problems experienced at that time (fuel, operational value of German ships, etc.). More details would have broken the fluidity of the game with no real added game value.

The rules are not easy to learn as they are not easily readable, but it is worth the effort, and the index at the end of the rulebook is especially useful and a really good idea, which could be followed by other games.

To conclude, I can say that PQ-17 is an excellent game, full of surprises and leading to really tense sessions, in a length of time allowing you to play a game in a full day or even an afternoon. The only regret is that all scenarios are made up of one or two convoys, with almost the same destinations, limiting the variations of such a good system. And because of this, I will particularly look forward to the Mediterranean and Narvik addons that will appear in the future, as they should open up new types of operations and ways to play.

Have a good time playing PQ-17, it is worth it. B

BATTLES Magazine # 2 - 021

REVIEW

by David Hughes Designer PHIL FRY Graphics Mark Mahaffey, Rodger B. MacGowan Publisher GMT

1805 Sea of glory

it was

Putting the Block in Blockade

a hard life in Nelson’s Navy. Rum, buggery and the lash – and that was on the good days. On bad days you could be kidnapped by a hot pressgang to spend years at sea away from home and family, existing on weevil-infested biscuit and foul water, all the while at risk of disease, shipwreck, or hideous obliteration by a 32 pound cannonball. These stoic sea dogs would endure amputation without a whimper – truly men of oak. Yet even they hated blockade duty. It took a lot to make Admiral Cornwallis complain, but you can hear the whinge in the commander of the Channel Fleet’s letter to the a friend, “Their idea is that we are like sentinels standing by a door, who must intercept all who attempt to go into it…little considering that every one of the (weather) blasts which we endure lessens the security of the country.” Cornwallis was so sickened – mentally and physically - by months of blockade duty that he asked for and was granted some months ashore to recover. The dangers of battle did not daunt them, shipwreck and plague were disdained as occupational hazards, but unrelenting blockade wore down wooden ships and iron men alike.

GMT’s 1805, covering fleet operations in the year of Trafalgar , truly puts the players in the Admirals’ britches. And like the Admirals, they will come to loathe and detest the challenges and frustrations of blockade duty. They will also experience vacillating political directives, desperate stern chases, and the supreme drama of decisive battle. In 1805, blockade is the currency with which excitement is purchased.

Whether the fun is worth the coin, however, is open to question.

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1805 is one of a trio of naval-themed block games released by GMT in mid to late 2009. Here the blocks are virtually identical to the fleet markers found in many naval games, with the exception that each edge represents a different destination. Both sides will rarely have more than 15 blocks on board, so the oceans are pretty empty. This is just as well, as the blocks are a little bigger than the hexes. Low block density means this is not a problem. Speaking of the ocean…on the map it is a curious deep purple shade, surrounding featureless green land. Not to my taste. Ships of the line are represented by individual units which do not appear on the map – they are placed on the players’ fleet and port displays – and are rated for firepower and defence. There is plenty of room for debate about the ratings – while British 74s are 7-5 or 7-4, French are 5-3 and those of the Spanish are a miserable 2-2. So the designer has certainly bought into the superiority of the Royal Navy, with British Jack Tars rated 3 to 4 times as effective as their Spanish counterparts. I doubt many people would take issue with the principle, but the extent of the difference is startling. This has a significant impact on play, giving the Allies a crippling disadvantage whenever similarly-sized fleets engage.

Minor quibbles aside, 1805 is a classic GMT game, components-wise. Its game system is positively bursting with new and clever mechanics, based largely on an intricate chit-pull mechanic. 19 chits are drawn each (10 day) turn – wind direction chits for movement, bonus chits for more movement, weather chits for bad weather, and initiative chits which control turn length and the order of player moves. The interaction of these define the game. Lets have a look at how it works.

REVIEW 1805

“SHoW tHe eNeMy tHat WItH IMPUgNIty tHey CaNNot CoMe oUtSIDe tHeIr PortS.”

First and foremost, 1805 is a game about blockade. It starts with Allied (French and Spanish) fleets holed up in ports of Brest, Rochefort, Ferrol, Cadiz and Toulon. Ports have a patrol zone with three areas – inshore, loose blockade and off station – which give blockading fleets a (decreasing) opportunity to spot and bring to battle an enemy fleet which sorties. However, keeping a blockading fleet at sea during winter in the storm-tossed waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic is fraught with danger, and 1805 integrates this into the chit pull system in a simple and elegant way. There are four weather chits in the pot, the northern seas will be impacted most often, and the resulting weather will range from merely squally – making spotting harder – through gales, and storms to full fledged hurricanes, all of which to various degrees damage ships at sea, sink frigates and force blockaders off station. A run of bad weather can devastate the Royal Navy; it is perfectly possible for the Channel fleet to have half or more of its ships damaged in January alone.

As the British fleets tend to be overwhelmingly superior in firepower and defence factors, at least before the weather has its say, combat is usually a losing game for the Allies; evasion, not battle, is the key. However, escaping the Royal Navy’s death grip is easier said than done. First, the wind has to be set fair.

Some key ports, such as Brest need the wind to be blowing from a specific direction. When the Nor’easter blows, the French can escape. However, if the Royal Navy is waiting on blockade the odds are high that they will spot and intercept the fleeing French, with probably unfortunate results.

At start, Cornwallis faces the main French fleet in Brest with a stronger ships and better leadership, and powerful reinforcements from Plymouth and Portsmouth will join him soon. This is where weather is as much Napoleon’s ally as the hapless Spanish 74s. As well as battering British ships at sea when the weather is foul, gales and storms will blow blockaders off station, where there chances of spotting are low, and they cannot intercept. The Allies want a turn where bad weather is followed immediately by the right wind.

The spotting die roll when ships leave a blockaded port is a key moment for both players. For the French player, choosing the right moment is vital. If the French player sets sail from Brest in Winter, after foul weather has blown the enemy off station, he will slip past undetected on anything but a double 6. If the blockaders are inshore, during summer, when the weather has been set fair, then he will be spotted on all but snake eyes. Most of the time the roll needed for success is less extreme but no matter what, this is a heart-in-mouth moment for both players, as the payoff is high. Not only does an undetected fleet escape combat, it places two dummy blocks, which are desperately needed if the fleeing admiral is to confuse and mislead his opponent, and avoid being chased down in mid ocean. Because even if the Allies escape, unspotted and unharmed, if the British player has the initiative then they will probably move next, and catch up with the Allied fleet sooner or later.

The uncertainty of the spotting roll means that the Allies want to put clear blue water be-

058 - BattleS Magazine # 3

tween them and their foe, so they also prefer the breakout to happen just before they retake initiative and when there are more Allied than British bonus chits left in the pot. . Not only that, before sailing an Allied fleet must be provisioned – a 2 in 5 chance in the winter months – so as you can see, a number of stars must align before the French will put to sea.

Now, this perfect combination of circumstances does not occur very often, and so the Allies will be forced to set sail under less than ideal conditions eventually. Sometimes, this means that they will have to fight.

“oUr SHIPS are to Deal DeStrUCtIoN. No DelICaCy CaN Be oBSerVeD oN tHIS great oCCaSIoN”

As befits an operational scale game, combat in 1805 is abstract. However, it does have some clever wrinkles, many of which I have not seen before at this scale. There is a fair amount of process involved, though battles are infrequent, and so the burden is not high. First, the fleets need to find each other – far from certain on the wide expanse of the oceans – at which point straining lookouts will count masts , providing estimates of the number of enemy ships which have to be faced. Next, Admirals’ pennants are flown, so that you know your enemy. Players now roll for the weather gauge, to determine the windward fleet. The seamanship rating of the contending admirals is a key modifier, and this is a vital roll – as it should, wind position gives significant advantage in battle. For example, the windward player can immediately refuse battle - to the great relief of the Allies on many an occasion. If the battle is to be fought, its length is now is determined by die roll, from 1 to 4 rounds.Again, this is a big and dramatic roll, especially in key encounters – the weaker fleet does not want to see a 4-round bloodbath.

At this point tactics come into play, driven by a two dimensional matrix system. Fleets will have a sail state, and a fighting instruction. Both fleets begin at “Easy Sail” and “Form Line of Battle,” but the admirals can attempt to change these in secret before each round. To do so, they must roll less than their command rating on a (modified) D6; for example, Nelson is “5,” and when facing the one-armed admiral,Villeneuve is “2.” Results on the matrix mainly provide an extra one or two DRs in combat. To put this in perspective, a 2 DR benefit for a 15 ship British fleet is roughly equivalent to the firepower of another 15 ships . So the players determine the outcome of battle as much as the CRT does. The combat matrix also provides opportunities for a fleet to withdraw, before and after combat rounds, usually with adverse consequences, but often this is better than seeing your entire fleet captured as prizes.

Combat resolution itself is admirably direct. Calculate your fleet’s firepower and find the appropriate CRT column, roll 2 dice plus any extras from the combat matrix, add a single DRM (+1 for every 20 Firepower points in excess of 100) , and read off the resulting damage done to your hapless opponent (who of course fires back simultaneously.) Damage is absorbed by damaging a ship (flipping it,) then wrecking it (denoted by a marker.) Each step reduces the amount of damage to be applied by an amount equal to the ship’s defensive rating. For example, suppose a 15 ship British fleet fires on the 75-100 firepower table with 2 additional dice for being the windward fleet in a Pell Mell battle, rolling 14. This would cause 34 damage points.A typical 15 ship French fleet at full strength would have around 50 defensive factors, with say 10 74s at 3 DFs each. So a single round of combat could see 2/3 of the fleet damaged, or 1/3 wrecked.

The carnage does not end there. Indifferent chance has one more role to play – the after-battle fate roll. Ships cannot be sunk in battle – they are made of wood, after all – but after the battle they can founder, or be taken as prizes. The severity is determined by the result of the battle. For ex-

THe aTLanTic arounD Turn 8, aFTer an aggressiVe aLLieD oPening.

The rochefort fleet and 3 Fog of war Blocks are on the atlantic chart, pursued by half a dozen ships of the Downs fleet. This has guessed the wrong destination (Jamaica instead of antigua) so there is a good chance the allies can make at least one successful raid. The Brest Fleet is in the gibraltar narrows, shadowed by a Frigate. it is as yet undiscovered – the British suspect it is real, but do not know for certain. The Brest Fleet is headed for alexandria, and what turned out to be 20 VPs. nelson is blockading Toulon, and cannot leave while there are enemy ships in the port. Les rosbifs are in trouble!

BattleS Magazine # 2 - 021

THE BATTLE OFF CAPE FINISTERRE (see AAR) Despite being outnumbered 20 ships to 15, the British have a 117 to 86 firepower advantage, which they put to good use. A more aggressive Admiral increases the chance of additional rounds of battle – which the Royal Navy really needed in this battle. In reality a combination of fog and timidity on both sides led to the historical inconclusive action, which so damaged Calder’s reputation.

ample, if a fleet withdraws without being defeated, roughly one third of its wrecked and damaged ships will suffer – and it can be much, much worse.

In one game the French Rochefort squadron of five ships successfully raided Bantry Bay, gaining 12 Victory Points. A few days later they were caught at sea by a larger British fleet who extracted vengeance in full – after pounding the French to matchsticks for two rounds, 2 ships were captured, and 3 sunk, giving the British player…12 points!

There is one clear moral to this story – the Allies should only fight when the numbers are overwhelmingly in their favour.

“tHe freNCH WIll Not VeNtUre tHe atteMPt at laNDINg IN eNglaND. IrelaND IS tHeIr oBJeCt, aND egyPt.”

Sailing and fighting is all well and good, but it is not an end in itself – there is always a strategic context. This is an aspect which 1805 hits out the park.

Napoleon wrote that if he had mastery of the Channel for 6 hours, England would cease to exist. 1805 is considerably more realistic, though perhaps still optimistic. If the Allies are masters of the Channel for 2 turns, (and roll high enough) then they win an automatic victory. My playing experience suggests that it’s not going to happen, at least not very often, as the Royal Navy will station too many powerful ships in the vicinity, able to intervene, but the threat of invasion will keep the British player honest. Luckily, the allies can also win by wreaking havoc on British commercial and political interests scattered round the globe.

To represent this, there are a number of strategic locations on the map – Bantry Bay, Naples, Alexandria, the West Indies etc. Both sides have Victory Point chits, which are randomly drawn at the start of the game, and placed face down on the VP locations. Each side knows his own, but not his opponent’s.

Whether or not a side gains these markers depends on the Allies success or failure in invading or raiding the location. If invaded, the Allies score both side’s VP markers, If raided, they score only their own, but the British VP marker is lost. If the location is neither raided or invaded, the British player scores his own marker. The possible VPs are not symmetric; those of the Allies total 35 (3,4,5,6,7,10,) those of the British 22 (0,1,2,3,6,10.) This approach brings two huge pluses; every game is different, and

060

neither side has much of a clue whether they are winning or losing for much of the game. And as the results of raids are hidden from the British, and the Allies can even fake a raid with Fog of War blocks, there is plenty of groping in the dark.

On top of VPs from raids, the Allies also have a randomly-drawn “Emperor’s Directive” chit, which adds 6 VPs for one location, and can be changed by Random Event. Four times per game the British player must dance to the tune of an Admiralty Event – such as sending an expedition to Jamaica – which if unfulfilled will usually gift the Allies 3 or 5 VPs. The result of all this is that an Allied player who successfully raids two of his top objectives and meets one Emperor’s Directive will typically have scored 22 or 23 points; he will have prevented the British from scoring on average 8 points, leaving 14. However, the remaining Pitt VPs could be as high as 21, there is no margin for error, especially as ships sunk cost at least 2 points, and prizes garner 3 points. As a result, many games will find the French player facing a late game dilemma as the final winter approaches; go for one last raid to make victory secure, in the face of the worsening weather and a fully armed and alerted Royal Navy; or hunker down and hope for the best, placing one’s fate in the hands of the weather gods? This is excellent stuff. It certainly appears to work in a game sense. In roughly a dozen games which I have either played in or heard of, there have been no blow outs whatever. All have been close – some on a knife’s edge. If you are after a tense, competitive effort, 1805 delivers.

“tIMe IS eVerytHINg; fIVe MINUteS CaN MaKe tHe DIffereNCe BetWeeN VICtory aND Defeat.”

As ever, the proof of the pudding is in the playing. As described above, the random victory conditions and ever-changing objectives make the game different every play. The following after action report presents one possible history. Pregame, the Napoleon and Pitt objectives fell as follows: Allies British Bantry Bay 5 West Indies 10 0 North Sea Raids 10 Naples 7 3 Malta 4 2 Alexandria 3 6 Spanish Gold 6 1 The Emperor’s first directive was West Indies. During January, two severity 8 storms batter the Western Approaches, damaging 6 ships of the Channel Fleet, and driving it off station. But unfavourable winds keep Guantaume and the Brest fleet bottled up in port. Further south, Missiessy and the Rochefort squadron slip out into the Atlantic, evading detection.

Fog of War blocks head north and south, and the British, concerned about the damage to their fleets, the invasion threat and the political importance of the North Sea, decline to pursue. There is a brief outbreak of fever in

the West Indies, but this lasts less than a fortnight. Villeneuve sorties from Toulon, but is spotted by an English frigate, patrolling close ashore. Fearing the wrath of an alerted Nelson, he sails back to port, awaiting a better opportunity for escape. This does not come for some time.

Missiessy reaches the West Indies at the end of February, and raids Antigua, without success. Fog of War blocks raid Barbados and Trinidad, forcing the British West Indies fleet to chase shadows. Elsewhere, lack of provisions, unfavourable winds, poor odds and general timidity keep the Allied fleets in port. Storms continue to pound the Royal Navy, and the dockyards of Plymouth and Portsmouth are kept busy effecting repairs. The Admiralty Event HMS Diamond Rock is drawn, but the British player fears the diversion of so many ships away from the Channel area, and declines to fulfill it. So Diamond Rock falls to the French, and with it, much British naval prestige (3 VPs.) Missiessy remains in the West Indies during March, and continues to plague British commerce near Antigua, this time with success. (10 VPs.) He sails on to Barbados to comply with his emperor’s wishes, but just before he can raid, the despot’s whim changes, and Alexandria is the new goal. Missiessy therefore sails for Europe. The very next turn, Napoleon changes his mind yet again. The new directive – the West Indies once more! Across the Atlantic, a small squadron under Calder sails from Portsmouth to take over command of the Ferrol blockaders. On the last turn of the month, Nelson is unable to maintain station off Toulon in a rare Mediterranean gale, and Villeneuve takes his chance to escape west towards the Atlantic. Fog of War blocks sail south for Malta and East for Alexandria. Nelson, knowing the importance of Egypt to his political masters, follows in that direction.

April begins with the relief of Admiral Cornwallis, who, worn out by arduous duty and care, seeks and is granted shore leave. On the first Mediterranean wind Nelson catches the Fog of War block heading for Alexandria, as Villeneuve passes Gibraltar. The players trade bonus chits – Nelson discovers that he has chased a rumour, and Villeneuve, happy to chance battle with the outnumbered Orde, slips into Cadiz to join Gravina, where they combine forces and set sail once more for the West Indies. Though his search is successful, Orde is unable to follow, as his orders require him to maintain the blockade; wily Admiral Gravina has left three useless Spanish 74s in Cadiz. . On seeing the “Protect Caribbean Interests”Admiralty event, the British player decides to kill two birds with one stone and sends Nelson west in pursuit of Villeneuve.

The focus of attention in May is the Atlantic track. Villeneuve exits on the last turn of May, and raids Barbados. Despite a fleet firepower now just under 100, he rolls a miserable double 1, and the raid fails.

June is a comedy of errors. First, the Emperor changes his mind yet again; Bantry Bay is the imperial objective – for now. As Villeneuve no longer has a reason to stay in the Caribbean, he heads back to Europe,

empty-handed. Meanwhile, Nelson exits the Atlantic track just as Villeneuve enters it; however, he has to stop in the Antigua patrol zone to fulfill his orders, and so misses his first chance of immortality. Not by much, and not for long.

Elsewhere,Allemand replaces Missiessy in charge of the Rochefort squadron – a great blow to Allied hopes. In the dying days of the month, Nelson uses a bonus chit to reach the Atlantic Track, heading for Cadiz, where another Spanish Fleet is under construction; he claims to believe that this is where Villeneuve is heading, but as ever, Nelson’s instincts - not to mention 11 unguarded British VPs - lie in the Med. Already the year is half over, and not a whiff of gunfire has disturbed the oceans. As it stands, the Allies have 13 VPs to the British 22.

Insidious despair infects the Allied leaders…

July sees the first real action. The Emperor suddenly realises that time is not on his side, and decides to stake everything on a cross-channel invasion while Nelson is stuck in the middle of the Atlantic – it’s time to plant the tricolour on the Tower of London! As Villeneuve heads into Ferrol to bolster his fleet in preparation for the inevitable channel battle to come, he is spotted by Calder’s 15 ship squadron. Although outnumbered 4 to 3, the Royal Navy has a 20% firepower advantage, and loud cheers can be heard as they secure the weather gauge. The cheers turn to sighs, however, when a single round battle is rolled. With both fleets at full sail, forming lines of battle, the Allies choose to roll 3 dice, while Calder, belying his subsequent reputation for timidity, rolls two, hoping to gain VPs by capturing prizes. Fortune favours the brave, the Allies roll low, and the RN roll high. At the cost of 3 ships damaged, the RN turn their full attention on the courageous and honourable Spanish fleet. San Rafael. Firma and Espana are wrecked, and five other ships damaged (three of them Spanish.) Fate forsook brave Spain in this battle– in the aftermath of the struggle, San Rafael and Firma struck, and were taken as British prizes. As the battle was drawn, Villeneuve limps into port, and Calder resumes his blockade.

By comparison,August and September were uneventful. With 50 Allied warships within reach of the channel, the Admiralty directed Nelson north,to join Cornwallis and the Channel fleet.At Ferrol,lack of provisions and fair weather conspire to keep the dilatory Villeneuve firmly a t anchor, to the mounting frustration of the Emperor. At the end of August, his patience snaps! The invasion is cancelled, and the troops of the Grand Armee begin their march east, toward Austerlitz, and eternal glory. Before leaving Paris the Emperor dictates a peremptory order for the Combined Fleet - Wrest Naples from the clutches of Perfidious Albion! In response, Villeneuve sails south to Cadiz, skillfully avoiding detection, to take advantage of the port facilities there. Now disaster struck the Allies. Although the Mediterranean lay open, almost defenseless, three consecutive turns passed without a provisions chit, and on the last wind of September Nelson arrived off Cadiz, taking command of the Mediterranean fleet, now numbering 27 battleships – a formidable force!

There is little new to say about the events of that famous October. Knowing that the only hope of victory lay in seizing Naples, the Allies set sail from Cadiz, hoping against hope to escape undetected. Their prayers went unheeded.

Nelson, with a 185 to 130 firepower advantage, spotted the combined fleet off Cape Trafalgar, brought them to battle, and gained the wind. The gods granted a four round battle, and British gunfire did the rest. The after battle roll brought yet more carnage for the Allies, and behind by 40 points, with their hopes in tatters, the Allies conceded.

Now, if you’ve paid even the slightest attention to this AAR, you’ll know it did not really happen. Instead, I have storyboarded the actual campaign in game terms, and did it with remarkable ease. 1805’s designer Phil Fry is a fan of the period, who set out to create an operational game set during the age of sail, and as the storyboard shows, he has more than succeeded.

The vagaries of the chit-pulls, the random events and the variable VP placement mean that in all likelihood the historical sequence

BattleS Magazine # 3 - 061

REVIEW 1805 of events will not happen. But they could occur, and if they did, then the game system encourages players to make historical choices, which if chosen, are very likely to lead to historical outcomes. I ask little more of a wargame than this.

“a Peerage, or WeStMINSter aBBey?”

1805 undoubtedly does a lot of things very well indeed; attractive components, well-written rules, tense, balanced contests, replayability and a well-realised historical model.You don’t find this every day.

So, is this game destined for a peerage? Sadly, I don’t believe so. Three faults plague the design. Two of them are minor to be sure. The rules lack an index, and so play grinds to a halt on the (admittedly infrequent) occasions when a question arises in play. And the French player has a disproportionate share of the fun – he makes the running, he has the choices, and he calls the shots. The larger, powerful Royal Navy spends much of the game reacting, either to the Allies, the weather or the Admiralty.

Now, if these were the only flaws, 1805 would be sitting in the House of Lords tomorrow. However, there is a further, much more serious issue. For much of the game, nothing happens. As the AAR shows, in the historical campaign the Allies made only three sorties – one every four months – or one every 12 game turns. In history there were three battles, and one of those was a skirmish which took place in December, when the outcome was not in doubt.

That’s one proper battle every 18 game turns. So if you model this campaign, and avoid generating an ahistoric, accelerated tempo to events, then the players are going to spend a lot of time sitting on their hands. This is absolutely the 1805 experience, and the design’s granularity exacerbates the problem.

Each turn you will draw as many as 19 action chits – probably 13 or 14 on average; with 3 turns per month, that’s 40 or so separate processes per game month, around 500 for the complete game. During many of these turns, no movement or combat can actually occur. For an Allied fleet to sortie, it needs a provisions chit, and during winter turns it is very possible not to see one.

Nevertheless, you still draw action chits – one after another – until the end of the turn puts you out of your misery. Even what little action does take place during these turns can be tedious – damaging ships, counting masts, and for the British, shuttling damaged ships from blockade to dockyard and back. Because of all this process, the game takes a very long time to play. We wrapped up my first game after 4 hours and 7 turns – about an 18 hour pace to complete the game. After 4 more plays, I was down to a 9 hour clip. I’d estimate that we had two hours of fun, last time through. Now those hours of fun were

very good fun indeed, but not enough to compensate for the seven hours of needless chit draw.

And much of it does indeed appear to be needless. For example, with three turns per month, and 13 movement chits per turn (counting bonus chits,) you have the potential for in excess of 450 distinct movement segments in a complete game. A single block can theoretically make more than a dozen moves in a month, many of which will be uninterrupted, in a straight line. You’d think there must be a way to deliver the same effect with much less effort. In fact there is – right there in the game! Once a ship hits the Atlantic track it moves one box per turn – a 90% reduction in process, for the same basic effect. Surely a similar approach could be applied to other sea lanes on the map?

A similar problem besets the game’s weather systems, enjoyable though they sometimes are. For much of the early game the British player’s only involvement is to apply weather damage, automatically return the damaged ships to port, and sail replacements out to the fleet. It’s dull, unnecessary, make-work which seems to have very little impact on the game – the British have plenty of serviceable cannon still afloat, after all. There are four weather chits per turn; you could probably get much the same effect from a table and a single die roll per turn.

Battles are the same; the semi-tactical elements are enjoyable, but do we really need four rounds per battle? Or the chance of withdrawal every round?

Or to withdraw before battle starts, but after the ships have been set up on the battle display? Indeed, do we really need individual ship counters? Much the same effect could be provide by tracking the strength of the fleets, and routines such as mast counting and damage allocation would be easier by far.

Now, the more you play, the more you see the subtle effects of all the process.

For example, it does not take many storms to wear down the Channel fleet to the point where the French in Brest have a firepower advantage. If both players are aware of this, and are keeping track of movements to and from the fleet, then the sequence of the various weather and movement draws is important – not dull. When you know what you’re doing, the bluff and counterbluff involved in the Fog of War blocks give many of the movement segments additional interest. It’s not all bad. But if it takes half a dozen plays of a 12 hour game to find the fun, how many players will make the journey? so How Does iT aLL aDD uP? Despite my reservations, I’ve had plenty of entertainment from 1805. The more I play, the more I enjoy it. It’s easy to play, and when it’s fun, it really is fun. Maybe it’s inevitable that a successful blockade game has periods of tedium. 1805 may be a glorious, tragic failure – a game which succeeds too well in reflecting its topic. I suspect that Phil Fry would not be too unhappy with such a verdict. B

THe BriTisH FLeeT DisPLaY MiD-winTer. The channel fleet has been decimated by storms, and needs to be reinforced urgently.

062

ave you heard the common motto us ed a series of games is having success? when Recently, when MMP reveale d could hear “Ho no his next preorder list, you , not again a Storm over like”, but these last year it not again a card dr could have been “Ho no, ive this to all success sto n”, and you could apply ry en like, storm over for a system (Card drivlike, chit pulling lik game like,...), the belongings games e, bloc fina ing referred to as a whole without di lly bestinction, and praised or ha ng tem intrinsically ed out to dry, as if a sysmakes a good or bad But I’m wonderin g, why is using a sy game. stem that proved itself so m uch a If you get back to bad thing? the old days (SPI AH...), most of th , VG, e ga kind of system (h mes were using the same exag You go, move then ons, zone of control, I go fi considered as a de ght...), And this was not fect, so why woul d it be so now? Some peop future choice will le would sa be re the card driven pr duced as I don’t like this system”. Ok y “this mean my od ay the game produced uction, to take a telling example, ne , but at it’s peak, ver exceeded 5% in a year, even if yo of tion (GMT, MMP, u Avalanche press… look only at big company’s produc small fraction of the game produced ). So whatever you like, this is still a each year, leaving you prefer other sy you 95% available ste if before, I bet no on ms. And more than that, seeing th e quantity produc e can say he played ed all the interesting ing the last 30 year games produced du s. So I guess I can rdeduct that no on without interesting e will ever be left games to buy. over But let’s take the pr system is released, oblem differently. Every tim ea th tested?” and more e one question you could ask yournew game with a new self is “was it enou than this “What ad gh ds th worth it?” as new do es not mean bette is system to the existing systems? Is it r.A designer makin system must equa lly ga the system by itself concentrate on the game itself (the game with a new , to avoid any winn game balance) an d in energy to get to th e point, with a high g formula. It demands twice as muc h why is creating a risk of latent defec system as a whole ts. And with all th so important if an is, done the same as other one would ha well? ve On the contrary, I hesitation to re-use would say if the system suits well, there should be no it and focus on the playability and al ga l what’s makes a go me balance, the fun, the od game. As this already tested, com syste m are sure to use som ented, sometimes amended by gam m is ers, you ething that works an to concentrate on what’s really matte d to have all your energy r. If games appearing with a winning sid this could mean no more e designated befo the counters on th re placing e map Of course the othe , well I’m signing right now. r sid e of th e coin ing system too m uch as your subjec is not to tweak an existt should match at it first. Add too m 90% uch you’re just ruinin chrome rules and you don’t reuse a with g it, and your gam system, e carefully the syste m to the situation, with it. But if you choose add maybe a pers equilibrate the ga onal to me the best way to m to make it tense and fun, well to m uch, ake a real good ga e this is m games as good as Twillight Struggle, e. After all this produces Hammer of the Sc over Stalingrad… ots, Storm No, really, when I see what known system, I’m kind of pearl can appear on a saying “Yes again, give me more

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ASPERN ESSLING 23 €

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ALL THINGS ZOMBIE 49,99 €

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WALLACE’S WAR 39,99 €

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serial gamer

066

osG

by Jean Jodoin

pReaMBle

At one point of my wargaming career I owned 200+ games of all types and topics. Obviously this was too many to actually play and the decision was taken to focus on the games/series that I truly loved and to part with the rest.

Through soul searching I elected 4 series from 2 manufacturers: OCS and TCS from The Gamers (now MMP); La Bataille and BAR from Clash of Arms.

Through judicious online acquisitions I came to own every title published.

here was yet another source of games to be explored: games designed by Kevin Zucker under the banner of Operational Study Group (OSG) and Clash of Arms (CoA). The fact that Kevin Zucker knew so much on things Napoleonic was a welcomed bonus. I then decided to add a 5th series to my collection. This article addresses my experience with OSG (Napoleonic) products and how they came to fill a niche in my wargaming experience.

I hope that this article will motivate some of you to reach out for these fine products and acquire then before they disappear from circulation forever.

In the first portion on this article, I am presenting concepts and mechanics found predominantly in the Campaign of Napoleon System (CNS) games: Habit of Victory (x2 series), Napoleon at the Crossroads (x2 series), Sun of Austerlitz, Highway to the Kremlin (x5 series), Bonaparte in Italy, Napoleon at Bay, 1807: The Eagles Turn East (Clash of Arms) Many of the same design elements are present in the Days System games which are addressed in the second section: Four Lost Battles, The Seven Days of 1809, Last Days of the Grande Armee, 1806: Rossbach Avenged, Six Days of Glory (Clash of Arms)

wHat is tHeRe to liKe aBoUt Cns GaMes?

WARNING: This section deals with my personal preferences with respect to wargames, and I make no apologies for this. I will state categorically what I look for in wargames, how OSG products fulfill these needs, and how I came about to appreciate Kevin Zucker products. If your taste differs from mine, you may still get some appreciation of what Kevin Zucker brought to the wargaming community.

There is plenty to like with respect to OSG Napoleonic products. Below I enumerate the mechanics involved, elaborate on how each one is implemented in Kevin’s products, and how they affect the resulting gaming experience.

The following design concepts are what I am looking for in any design, in combination and/or permutation: • The need for reconnaissance and/or the presence of uncertainty(a.k.a.

Fog of War); • Rewards for having reserve (versus “tout le monde a la bataille”); • Split combat results (attacker and defender affected alike); • Combat losses are incremental in nature versus all-or-nothing; • Rewarding manoeuvrability (versus head-to-head slog match); • Logistics have a significant impact on operations;

• Command & Control dictates what armies can realistically achieve; • Unit type differentiation, by this I mean that infantry – cavalry – artillery units do NOT behave in identical fashion. The game mechanics assign different roles/capabilities to each unit type (no cookie cutter units please!)

• Quality (leadership/troop) should have a major impact upon operations/ combats ; As readers can appreciate I expect a lot from my wargames. Gaming time is precious, yours as well as mine, and if and when I spend it gaming I want the experience to be enriching and rewarding. The good news is: OSG delivers on all counts! Read on!.

ReConnaissanCe (tHe foRGotten ‘aRt’)

Gamers are usually cursed with having far too much intelligence at their disposal. Why cursed? Because so much information robs them of the opportunity to play under realistic conditions which demand that they make decisions based upon incomplete, when not in fact incorrect, information.

One mechanic used consists of placing only one counter (leader) to represent a force on-map. Combat units are placed on a separate Organization Chart. Even in Campaign Games where combat counters are placed on-map, their true strength is recorded elsewhere so that an opponent can not deduce a force’s strength based upon the stack’s height and/or upon the identity of the

Battles Magazine # 3 - 067

serial gamer units involved. Another mechanic consists of inverting counters so that only a national flag is shown on the reverse. Therefore not only is the strength of the stack hidden but also its identity.

A player should also screen one’s force(s) with cavalry/vedette detachments whenever available to make reconnaissance as problematic as possible, while engaging in aggressive reconnaissance himself.

This completes the picture: players are faced with a host of counters showing national flags, with no information as to identity, possible strength, not even the nature of the force (cavalry, vedette, or corps+).

Impact Assessment (how does this impact playing the game?): The defender has to come up with a plan to try and sow confusion as to the true disposition of its force. First and foremost this means screening one’s dispositions with vedettes/cavalry. Back these up with foot units to give them support and to prevent an aggressive enemy from simply bursting through a weak screen. Do the unexpected. Set traps whenever possible. Avoid direct confrontations along the expected Line of Advance.

The aggressor has to feel one’s way amidst screening forces, weak support units, to finally locate, pin, and hopefully engage the enemy’s main force in open battle (or bypass it completely). First and foremost this requires the aggressive use of vedettes to identify the enemy’s vedette/cavalry screen. Use a small (cavalry?) force to repulse screening units to gain access to the enemy’s main force(s). Once located, the enemy’s main force can be dealt with, preferably through manoeuvre (more on this later). REALISM: HIGH.

ReseRVes

Many wargames do not do enough to reward the use of reserves. OSG rewards the formation and preservation of reserves, or more appropriately ‘unengaged formations’. Unengaged forces that pass their initiative roll can react after completion of the enemy’s Movement Phase by performing a Forced March. However forces using forced marches may only enter an enemy zone of influence (ZOI) if that hex is adjacent to or occupied by a friendly force adjacent to an enemy force.

Impact Assessment: If a player locates all forces ‘up front’ there is the pos-

sibility that they will become pinned by adjacent enemy forces and become unable to react to the developing situation. Better to locate the reserve a few hexes behind one’s line to react appropriately to developments.

An important consideration is that the reserve must pass their initiative roll to react at all. In practice this means that reserves should be commanded by a leader who has a half-decent probability of reacting. This means that players must pay attention to the ‘personalities’ involved. Not all leaders are created equal. REALISM: APPROPRIATE.

split CoMBat ResUlts

Gone forever should be the days where one side may come out of a combat result totally unscathed! In the real world, even the most successful attacker/ defender takes losses when engaged in combat. Over time, a unit’s performance degrades as a result of combat, eventually rendering it combat ineffective. Thus, if and when players push their force(s) hard, they will end up with a much depleted force, even while victorious.

Impact Assessment: Split combat results make players hesitate before engaging in combat indiscriminately, especially if the advantage resides with the defender at low odds. Players are forced to try and achieve a clear preponderance of forces when committing to battle. This will lead to … manoeuvring …

REALISM: APPROPRIATE, however I would have preferred a CRT with more than 6 outcomes: I am a fan of the 10-sided dice or at least the 2d6 approach.

ManoeUVRaBility

Fans of Napoleonic warfare expect to be engaged in manoeuvres leading up to climactic engagements where their superior skills will generate an advantage for their troops. An even better outcome would be the defeat of the foe without having to resort to fighting at all. Is any/all of this possible?

Indeed it is. What are the mechanics that place such a premium on manoeuvre versus actual combat? First and foremost is the impact of Administration Points (APs) on movement. Spend an AP within range of

the Center of Operations (COP) and any force is guaranteed to move that turn. Thus positioning of the COP becomes essential to manoeuvrability especially if we take into account the fact that its effect has a limited range.

Next comes the Initiative Rating (IR) of the force leader. Forces unable or unwilling to spend an AP to move must roll at or below their IR in order to move. This mechanic places a premium on leader quality above all else. After all, a force that cannot move is in serious trouble.

Impact Assessment: Players must first decide where to locate their COP. The location will dictate the Area of Operation where the various armies/ corps will enjoy predictable manoeuvrability. Outside of this area, forces are exposed to the vagaries of initiative rolls and leadership. Not all forces can reasonably be expected to move each turn. Which forces get to move and which ones do not is critical to the outcome.

This forces players to allocate their combat units/strength very carefully, trying to have their best leaders (with the highest IR) leading the best/most troops. As was historically valid, the Foes would do well to give ground whenever Napoleon is located nearby, and focus their effort elsewhere.

REALISM: HIGH.

loGistiCs

Here you are entering one of my favourite realms: logistics. Why logistics you ask? Because logistics, or the lack thereof, dictates what armies can/cannot do, and what are the penalties for failing to heed logistics.

OSG imparts two outcomes to logistics, both of which have a tremendous impact on game play. Armies receive APs in accordance with the distance of the COP to the Supply Source. The closer it is, the greater the number of APs received each turn. Players may elect to forego the benefits of short Lines of Communication (LOC) but do so at their own peril. Accumulating a reserve of APs to sustain multi-force operations over several turns is essential. Then comes the all important issue of AP allocation: You have accumulated APs but now you face the dilemma of which force gets them and which commander can be trusted to move on their own. Burning up APs too fast may leave (relatively) immobile at a critical juncture in the campaign. This introduces the concept of ‘pacing’ which can be so important in real world events but which is sorely lacking in most game designs.

The second impact of logistics takes the form of March Attrition. Basically, the larger a force is, and the farther it travels, the greater the possibility of losing valuable Strength Points (SPs) to the March Attrition Table. The number of accumulated/spent APs impacts march losses: this is a stroke of genius.

This means that not only this turn’s level of activities matters, but also the cumulative effect of previous turns’ activities.

Impact Assessment: Logistics force players to decide how aggressively or methodically they will behave. Push hard and outmanoeuvre the opposition but at the cost of higher march attrition losses. Move methodically (slowly?) to minimize march losses and risk losing the initiative to the other side.

REALISM: HIGH (especially March Attrition)

068 - Battles Magazine # 3

CoMMand & ContRol (C&C)

Gone are the days where players have unrestricted control of their units.

OSG implements quality differentiation in commander’s IR. IR act as ‘force multipliers’ since they control the probability of any force being able to move without the expenditure of an AP, or its ability to react to enemy moves. Any force that cannot manoeuvre on any given turn is ineffective at best, and is at risk of subsequent defeat. The side with the best commanders can expect to use its forces more often than its opponents and to better effect.

Impact Assessment: The side with the lower IRs will be at a severe disadvantage when operating outside the COP range. Therefore great care must be taken by the disadvantaged side to restrict operations to within the COP range. The advantaged side (usually but not always the French) has the option to forego its own COP support in order to operate freely, bypassing its less flexible opponent.

When facing enemy commanders with low IR, players will be encouraged to act aggressively backed by the knowledge that the odds are low that a force in jeopardy is unlikely to be supported by nearby forces. They will also be rewarded when manoeuvring outside the enemy’s COP range.

REALISM: HIGH.

Unit type diffeRentiation

Unit differentiation, or ‘typing’, means that each type has strong and unique characteristics or attributes. As can be expected from a Napoleonic wargame, OSG has infantry – cavalry – artillery. Leaders are represented prominently to enable the all important C&C mechanisms. It also introduces a type not often seen: vedettes. Does each type have unique characteristic(s)?

Infantry forms the backbone of any army and defines the baseline by which all other types are judged by. It marches, holds ground, fights, and dies. Because infantry holds the vast majority of the army’s strength it can be expected to absorb attrition and battle losses. A sub-type, garrison, has all the infantry attributes save for the total lack of movement allowance.

An interesting note is that infantry Major Generals have an IR of ‘1’ while cavalry Major Generals have an IR of ‘2’, making them half as likely to move through initiative.

Cavalry being endowed with a faster movement allowance is very useful when performing the army’s long-range scouting and/or screening. While performing this role, its strength should allow it to defeat any vedette it might encounter. More importantly, when a force enjoys ‘cavalry superiority’ over an adjacent enemy force, it receives a valuable drm when attempting to disengage or conversely to prevent the foe from disengaging. Its presence/absence can also influence any post-battle pursuit.

Artillery, the third main type, is not dominant in OSG strategic-level games.

Numerically artillery represents but a very small fraction or any army’s strength. Most artillery has been ‘factored in’ the strength of infantry formations, a decision I understand but regret greatly. I would have much preferred to see artillery SPs rendered separately. This is possibly the greatest criticism of the OSG strategic-level games that I can come up with.

Battles Magazine # 3 - 069

serial gamer When artillery is present it does not add to the army’s overall strength in a battle but, rightly so in my opinion, is used in a pre-combat barrage in an attempt to inflict casualties. If artillery strength had not been integrated, this could have led to more numerous barrage losses, representing accurately (?) the artillery’s attritional effect prevalent in Napoleonic warfare.

Lastly we have vedettes. Vedettes represent small groups of horsemen detached from cavalry units to perform scouting/screening function.

Possibly their greatest asset is that they are (generally) capable of self-regeneration! Destroy them and they are simply re-created at the closest friendly HQ, if within range of that HQ. Vedettes are the fastest units available. Their ability to withdraw before combat, but after having revealed the contacted force’s identity, is what allows vedettes to perform their essential reconnaissance duty. They cannot hold ground, destroy/repair bridges, add their strength to any force (they must fight alone), and have but a very weak ZOI. Given that their intended role is reconnaissance, these weak attributes are not as detrimental as one might expect.

The heart and soul of OSG Napoleonic forces are its leaders. Nothing happens without leadership. No force may move or fight, without orders from someone in the chain of command. Either a force commander receives an AP to allow him to move, or he must pass its IR roll. With IR varying from 1 (lowest as with infantry Major General) to 5 (Napoleon) on a scale of 1-6 you can see that nothing can be taken for granted.

It is hard for any army outside of its COP radius to execute well-coordinated manoeuvres. One or more leader can always miss their IR roll and be left stranded leading to golden opportunities for the opponent. One always tries to have its best leader lead the main force but leaders with the best IR are not always capable of leading many troops.

That’s because every leader is rated as to the number of troops he can manage as well as for initiative. In addition, leaders can always incorporate other leader’s force into their own force. However, each leader has a Subordination Rating (SR). Thus if a leader has a SR of ‘3’, any would be commander wishing to control him must have a Command Span (CS) value of 3+. If greater than 3, the CS would allow that commander to control both the other leader and one or more combat units.

The whole concept takes a little while to assimilate but once you get familiar with the Chain of Command it becomes second nature and play flows smoothly. In other words, Army Commanders have to deal with ‘personalities’ with far ranging attributes. Who to trust with an independent command is a difficult question to answer accurately under combat stress. Not every leader is capable to cope with an independent command while operating outside the COP range.

Impact Assessment: Players must think like their Napoleonic counterparts. If endowed with a high IR one can be bold and take risks, confident that he can outmanoeuvre their less capable opposition, when operating under initiative versus AP allocation.

Nothing is known for sure. Reconnaissance must be performed using vedettes/cavalry to identify the enemy’s center of gravity; manoeuvre is performed to outflank the opponent, cutting off its LOC at every opportunity; march attrition losses are accepted as a fact of life (especially for the French); and battles should be sought only under the most favourable situation.

Normally combat odds are not very high meaning that combat results can have dramatically different outcome depending on the die roll. Risking it all on a single die roll should become second nature, and being mentally prepared for a negative outcome will help you in the long run. Hope for the best; assume the worst.

REALISM: VERY HIGH.

070 - Battles Magazine # 3

QUality VeRsUs QUantity

I subscribe to the theory that quantity is good in and of itself.

Most combat units are expected to be of ‘standard’ quality and can be expected to perform adequately under most circumstances: holding ground for a given amount of time, being able to reconnoitre adequately, inflicting casualties according to their firepower, etc. All else being equal, numbers should prevail. Napoleon himself was very aware of the need for adequate mass. The Duke himself (Wellington), while fighting in Spain, especially in the early formative years was extremely aware and concerned with numerical advantage and was reluctant to engage any French force unless enjoying a numerical superiority or under very advantageous conditions that would nullify the French’s superiority. In other words, Wellington was acutely aware of ‘force multipliers’.

On the other side of this equation we have the quality factor. I belong to the school of thought that in certain critical situation/moments, the use of a smaller but better force can create conditions for success that do not rely solely on numbers, but rather on quality and/or élan. Masters of warfare are able to identify those rare opportunities and have the determination to commit their best troops to seize the fleeting opportunity to create positive results rather than hope that things will go their way based upon other factors, such as numerical advantage.

In OSG, the quality factor is not to be found in the troops themselves: these are pretty ‘generic’ after all. One SP is just as good as another SP. The sole exception is the mandatory allusion to the inherent superiority of the Old Guard.

Giving the French Old Guard a drm advantage when committed to combat is de rigueur after all.

We find instead that the qualitative edge is implemented via each army’s leaders. As discussed above, the army with the best leaders, especially those with the higher IR, can be expected to outmanoeuvre its less capable opponent when operating within the support of APs. Thus the better army has to create the conditions whereas either the opponent does not have sufficient APs to manoeuvre its entire army, and/or operate totally outside the range of their respective COP. Once either of these conditions has been achieved, the superior army is ready to impose its will of the foe.

Impact Assessment: What does that mean in operational terms? This means that one should manoeuvre and threaten the foe so that he commits more APs than you have, in order to react to a fast developing situation.

Eventually an AP deficit will develop creating conditions under which the enemy is no longer able to react to your moves. At that point, the enemy can retreat headlong to save his army, or accept defeat in the field.

Thus OSG creates conditions under which the Indirect Approach can and should succeed far more often than a headlong rush at the enemy.

REALISM: HIGH.

days GaMes

In Days the scope is much reduced from the Campaign series both in terms in time period and distances. The Four Lost Battles game deals with four 1-day battles, possibly extending into a second day (at best). The Last Days of the Grande Armee covers the 4 days of the Low Countries Campaign.

The Seven Days of 1809 game covers … well … 7 days. The 1806 Rossbach Avenged game lasts the longest: possibly up to 12 days but the ‘decision’ is reached before then, while the opening 2-3 days see only the arrival of the various forces involved. All Days games are based upon the well known Napoleon’s Last Four Battles system, including the return to combat of reduced units after some regrouping, but with modifications. In particular, Four Last Battles introduced action cards into the mix as a means of making each game experience unique. The play of cards

Battles Magazine # 2 - 021

nCs GaMes

• HABIT OF VICTORY (x2 series) The latest (and last) of the CNS series introduced card play to combine Administrative and Operational matters into a single mechanism. The mechanic has great potential but due to Kevin retirement from game design we might never know what might have been.

This game re-visits 1807 but at a different scale: x2 versus x1.

• NAPOLEON AT THE CROSSROADS (x2 series) Napoleon occupies a Central Position at Dresden and squares off against 3 x convergent Allied Armies.

L’Empereur cannot be everywhere at once and must face tough decisions: which foe to defeat first?

How can the Allies best take advantage of the absence of Napoleon? This is a tense contest requiring nerves of steel.

• SUN OF AUSTERLITZ This is a short campaign expected to culminate into a climatic battle at or near Brunn. Everything revolves around how and when the climatic battle is brought about. The Russo-Austrian forces must use rivers to their best advantage to negate Napoleon’s advantage.

• HIGHWAY TO THE KREMLIN (x5 series) Can you spell: Cossacks? This campaign is a tough challenge even for Napoleon as this a Highway to Hell, a frozen hell to boot!

French forces especially in the precious cavalry and vedettes simply melt away as they approach Moscow. Russians are tough and the country itself is even tougher.

Expect severe March Attrition and threats from all directions as Cossacks and small Russian forces appear as if from nowhere.

• BONAPARTE IN ITALY Napoleon in his youth faces off against numerically far superior forces. The logistics are abysmal; distances are great; the foes are many; there are fortresses seemingly everywhere; and the Austrians seem to relish a policy of sheer attrition. The order of the day is: manoeuvre or die!

• NAPOLEON AT BAY 1814 is a year when Napoleon regained some of his famed operational skills, leading to fine victories. Unfortunately it

was ultimately all in vain. The artwork is a little primitive but there is some room for manoeuvre. A challenge to would-be Napoleon’s out there.

• 1807 The Eagles Turn East (Clash of Arms): Napoleon after having defeated the Prussians the year before embarks on an Eastern Campaign where hard fighting awaits him and the Grande Armee.

days GaMes

• FOUR LOST BATTLES These are 4 individual games with cards to spice up replay value. The Emperor is nowhere to be found. The same cannot be said of the foes that appear to be in strength everywhere. If you have been suffering at the hands of French forces seemingly your entire Napoleonic career, this is the opportunity you have been waiting for: Beat up on the French with extreme prejudice! The time for revenge is finally at hand.

• THE SEVEN DAYS OF 1809 Abensberg – Eckmuhl campaign played at the x1 scale (versus x2 and x5 of later games).

• LAST DAYS OF THE GRANDE ARMEE

Haven’t played this rendition of this campaign.

• 1806: ROSSBACH AVENGED

As the Prussians you are expected to lose in the historical sense. Beating the 1806 French Armee led

by Napoleon is almost out of the question unless the French act recklessly.

When face with a well-led French Armee, the writing is on the wall. The Prussians can win by playing a very careful game, inflicting casualties upon the French by judicious offensive actions. Everything else is mere wish on your part.

• SIX DAYS OF GLORY (Clash of Arms) A small Frebch Armee led by a very capable Nopoleon regains some of its former glory is a 6-day Blitz against numerous Foes. Rapid manoeuvring followed by sharp engagements is the order of the day. He who hesitates is lost. Risk it all or lose it all!

serial gamer isn’t exactly earth shattering but it does introduce an element of randomness into the proceeding. Given the fact that each player can choose between 3 available cards, some flexibility is available during each turn The one element that distresses me the most in these Days games is the CRT based upon the old but awful AR-DR-EX-AE-DE system. At least Kevin did introduced two seemingly small yet critical changes. The most significant is that units destroyed by being unable to retreat have a good chance of being regrouped (at their lower strength) later on. They do not simply vanish from play forever.

The second change is that on an exchange, the weaker side is totally eliminated while the stronger side loses at least 50% of the weaker side’s strength. What does that seemingly small change do?

Impact Assessment: It places the emphasis squarely on the attack. The attacker, by ensuring that he is somewhat numerically superior, even marginally, can ensure that its losses will be lower than those of the defender.

Thus players are strongly motivated to take to the attack even when facing a stronger opponent opponent. Simply sitting immobile while on the defensive is tantamount to long-term suicide. Such a player can reasonably expect to be destroyed by attrition at the very least.

This is a far departure from the usual 3-1 odds gaming system out there (circa 70’s). Days uses a very similar approach to that taken by Dean Essig (The Gamers/MMP) of TCS/OCS fame. Those who seize/hold the initiative can dictate terms to their reactionary opponents, even (especially?) if they are the weaker side.

Another significant departure from CNS is the total absence of APs. Some commanders have an IR of [1] which allows them to activate every turn. The French do possess more of these leaders than their foes (on average). Other leaders must roll against their IR to activate making them ‘unreliable’ at the best of times.

Impact Assessment: The Army with the best leader has a large advantage versus their opponents, unless that opponent doesn’t have to manoeuvre much (Allied @ Mont St Jean?). The onus of manoeuvre/attack rests squarely with the best leaders with all others providing ‘support’ as best they can, whenever they can. As several leaders have truly awful IRs (1 or 2), it is better in several instance to let individual units try and activate individually than having an entire formation becoming stuck fast.

RatinGs

Just how well received are those games out there, where it really counts? I have pulled the following ratings from Board Game Geek (BGG) web site on September 2nd, 2009: Title BGG Rating Av. Rating Habit of Victory (x2 series) N/A 7.85 Napoleon at the Crossroads (x2 series) 5.80 7.48 Sun of Austerlitz 5.71 7.11 Highway to the Kremlin (x5 series) 5.72 7.72 Bonaparte in Italy 5.83 7.13 Napoleon at Bay 5.82 7.55 1807: The Eagles Turn East (Clash of Arms) 5.75 6.95 Four Lost Battles 5.86 7.31 The Seven Days of 1809 5.89 8.01 Last Days of the Grande Armee 5.71 6.64 1806: Rossbach Avenged 5.69 6.97 Six Days of Glory (Clash of Arms) 5.77 6.81 As you can see, 2 out of 3 titles rate 7+, with 2 more titles rating 6.95+. While there are better individual game ratings out there, if we take the sum of these 12 titles as a whole we see that Kevin Zucker has done a stellar job, time and time again.

serial gamer

How do they play?

I will address the CNS series here. I hold it to be a self-evident truth that the majority of readers have been exposed to NLB or a close derivative. I will leave that subject to others to investigate.

CNS games are dominated by feints, reconnaissance, march attrition, and usually culminate into a few (as few as one!) critical battles, especially if Napoleon has his wish come true. The Foes of Napoleon on the other hand would gladly settle for an attritional type of game, with several non-critical battles, whereas the French can be whittled down over time, preferably in the absence of the Empereur himself.

To minimize March Attrition, armies are broken down in smaller components, as troop density sharply increases the risk of attrition, manoeuvred in relative proximity to each other in order to provide support should one force be surprised into battle, and marches are kept short again to minimize March Attrition, at least by the Foes of Napoleon.

By keeping the Center of Gravity static as close as possible to the Source of Supply, Administrative Points (APs) can be accumulated at the best rate possible. Why is this good? That’s because APs are required to put armies in motion with absolute certainty. Otherwise, army leaders must pass their Initiative Check in order for them to move their forces. Nothing is more dangerous than relying on Initiative in the face of an opponent who is within reach of an abundant source of APs. Eventually, an Initiative Check will fail and then … all hell will brake loose.

On the other hand, forces must manoeuvre within the Center of Gravity’s range in order to be allocated APs. Thus players are forces into an ominous choice: accumulate APs by keeping the Center of Gravity close to the Source of Supply, or support forces by placing the Center of Gravity where it can reach as many of them as possible. I never said that playing CNS was easy.

In addition to normal movement, APs are needed to attempt to execute Extended Marches, enabling a force to reach locales otherwise too far away.

Often Extended Marches are required to force an unwilling foe into battles on favourable terms. For these reason, the management of APs, both the getting and the spending, should be foremost in your mind. Woe to he who scorns logistics in CNS! Due to the need to project a Center of Gravity’s AP as far as possible; players will manoeuvre along major roads and will be all too aware of possible bottlenecks, such as bridges and/or cities/fortresses. Game flow will be channelled along major avenues and historically important locations will be the site of many a contest of will, if not of actual violence. Learning why historical commanders behaved in a certain way, constrained as they were by local geography and logistics is one of my gaming goals and CNS helps me achieve this. Kudos to Kevin Zucker for recreating this through his products.

Vedettes are a commander’s best friends. Swarms of vedettes can (hopefully) screen your movements from the foes’ prying eyes while allowing you to scout their forces at the same time. Whoever has a vedette and/or cavalry advantage possesses an intelligence advantage which must be used ruthlessly to force the enemy into compromising situations. CNS is a series where the threat of force is often better than the actual use of it! You need not destroy an opponent, SP by SP. I deem it the epitome of good play to cause the enemy’s forces destruction (at least attrition) by forcing them into Extended Marches and/or Reaction where they are very likely to suffer March Attrition.

Players can measure their aggressiveness while manoeuvring by keeping tabs on their March Attrition losses. A low count may at first appear to be beneficial but it can also mean that you are not pushing hard enough, thereby not creating enough pressure of the foe to achieve significant results.

The French especially should manoeuvre aggressively as they normally have a clear leader initiative advantage. This advantage needs to be translated into enemy attrition losses to matter. Manoeuvring too cautiously means that mere numbers and time will eventually prevail and these are usually in favour of the Foes of Napoleon.

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When all is said and done, and manoeuvre has brought about a decisive battle opportunity, a commander must move boldly and decisively: bring all possible forces to the field of battle. Leave nobody idle. Accept attrition losses if needed. Assuming that you are initiating the battle with enemy forces nearby, make sure that these are pinned by your own forces. Nothing spoils a plan like an enemy force reinforcing the target force at the last moment. What the attacker needs is a clear preponderance of force at the point of impact.

Involve as much cavalry in the attacking force as possible. This will make it harder for the foe to try and break off the engagement. Should a pursuit ensue, you will be in a good position to inflict maximum damage on the retreating foe. In other words: cavalry is good. Don’t be caught without it when it counts.

Place your best commander in charge, preferably one with a large initiative rating and command capacity. The command capacity means that your commander can handle more troops in the same hex: this is what I call troop density. Often a side can have more troops than the other side but if the leadership is of poor quality, the troops cannot be concentrated into one or two hexes.

Troop density at the point of impact is of considerable importance. Initiative plays a role in the attempt to break off combat and in pursuit results.

Did I mention that Napoleon has the best Initiative and Command ratings? Do I even need to mention it? You would do well to remember the Allied doctrine: retreat when Napoleon is present, fight when he is absent. Knowing where Napoleon is currently means everything to the Foes.As the French, you could use this knowledge to decoy the otherwise cautious Allied commander by placing Napoleon where the French are not on the offensive.

Battles are risky at best. Even a clear numerical advantage is no guarantee of success as the Combat Result table (CRT) favours the defence. Napoleon and the commitment of the Guard add 1 drm and often those seemingly small contributions can mean the difference between success and failure.

Because pursuit can be devastating when pressed by a good leader with the help of cavalry, it is a wise commander that guards against the possibility of defeat and takes steps to minimize pursuit by placing blocking forces along the path of anticipated retreat.

Then there are minor concerns such as damaging bridges as you retreat, and/or leaving small forlorn hopes to delay the enemy while your main forces makes good its escape. When fortresses are available for that purpose they should be used. How many SPs to leave behind is a tricky question indeed.

Too many and you will weaken your forces; too few and they will not be able to achieve your goal.

Thus NCS play is a blend of force pressure, logistics, fog of war, moving divided, fighting united, and risking it all on one or a few battles. Have you got the nerves this requires?

Unfulfilled Potential

Due to personal reasons Kevin Zucker has ceased work on his designs/ games. That is a real tragedy for Napoleonic fans everywhere. I wish the best for Kevin in his new endeavour and his personal life and I want him to know that I support his decision: real life comes first.

What was Kevin working on when the boom was lowered? What could have been had he chosen (been able?) to continue? Looking at OSG web site we se the following tantalizing pre-order titles: Highway to Madrid (Highway x5 series), Highway to Berlin (Highway x5 series), Bonaparte Expansion (1x series), Struggle of Nations (1x series), Bautzen Battle (Days), Smolensk Quad (Days), Marengo Quad (Days) As you can read there was plenty in the pipeline to choose from and all these titles will be sorely missed, as if I needed ‘one more title’. A minor upside to the story is that can reasonably manage to own the entire collection since it has ceased to expand, many older titles are still readily available, and Kevin is still selling his remaining games online. B

REVIEW

by Richard Simon

Where There is

DESIGNER DANIEL HODGES GRAPHICS MARK MAHAFFEY PUBLISHER FIFTH COLUMN GAMES

DisCorD !!islas de condenados!!

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olitaire games are peculiar. In a sense they are almost redundant; while their primary purpose seems to be to provide an opponent when none is present, the rise of the Internet (and game-play programs) would seem to make such games almost unnecessary.

Further, repeated play has revealed that a number of these run to type. In some, the game basically tells a story and you are primarily along for the ride; the player’s primary function is basically a random number generator. In others, players are given a system to follow and many of the player’s decisions are formatted by the system as much/instead of the situation. And then, of course, there are computer games, many of which feature reasonably (and ever more) sophisticated solitaire play options. Is it any wonder that solitaire board games have fallen out of favor in the past decade? So it is somewhat surprising that 2009 has seen the release of four or five notable solitaire games! It’s déjà vu, all over again!

In this group is Where There is Discord from Fifth Column Games. Designed, as what can only be called a labor of love, by Daniel Hodges, the game puts you squarely in the role of Admiral Sandy Woodward, commander of the South Atlantic Task Force, in the Falklands/ Malvinas conflict. Very much a Design For Effect (“DFE”), the design intent appears to interpret events primarily in terms of that role. What that means is that if you are looking for a game on 2nd Para’s attack on Goose Green, for example, or the aerial tactics of Harriers against Mirages, this is not the game for you. Although the Designer’s Notes do make note of the multiple player levels, this is honored more in the breach than in fact. I don’t find that a minus.

Much has been made of what can only be called the opulence of the game’s components and rightfully so. When the game was delivered to the family castle, I thought a mid-size appliance had arrived by mistake. About the only thing missing from the game is the forklift required to lift it! The game is played on two, mounted 28 by 40 inch (approx) maps that can, in a pinch, be used as an extension for a banquet table. The 176 counters, each as thick as a bathroom tile, represent the various aircraft types (four planes each for the five Argentine types as well as 15 Harriers), British ships (individually) that participated, Argentine task forces, British brigades and Argentine commands, individual submarines of both sides, markers for every conceivable thing, and a partridge in a pear tree. In addition, there are 60 cards, two player aid cards, an Intelligence Briefing

Book, a large-size rulebook and twenty dice! Everything is top drawer. Even She Who Must Be Obeyed (a non-gamer) remarked how gorgeous the game was.

CoMMaNDer oF The saTF

The essence of the game is that, as commander of the SATF, you have to get your task force to San Carlos Sound (this is predetermined) and land your troops as effectively sand economically as possible. The Argentine forces, governed by the game system, will do their damndest to prevent this. As if this were not enough, outside events, both foreign and domestic, will intrude upon the campaign, often critically.

The game proceeds in 28 daily turns, beginning May 1. Each turn essentially consists of drawing an event card from deck to find out what the world has in store for your task force this day. You then receive a morning briefing, represented by a Sit. Rep. card, which will provide a rough idea of the Argentine air effort for the day (i.e. how much and how often). These cards, which represent your physical progress toward the islands, are consecutively numbered and are drawn sequentially, with the chances of raids generally increasing with each passing day (i.e. card). From this information, you then deploy the ships in your task force (including your submarines), assign any (initial) Combat Air Patrol, launch supply interdiction missions (optional), and position your Special Air Service forces. After determining Argentine naval deployment, play then proceeds to possible naval combat. Then, potential air raids are resolved, including air-to-air, surface-to-air, and bombing runs (including the dreaded Exocet launches). Commencing on May 21, ground operations are added to the mix as the Argentine land forces start to deploy and your own troops can invade (if in position).

As if it’s not enough that you need to worry about the Argentines, you also have to track World and Domestic Opinion, as well. These are recorded on via tracks, running from ten (best) to zero. After determining weather, the first action a player takes each day is to draw an Event Card, read the Event Number, and get the result from the Intelligence Briefing Booklet. There are forty events, some that actually occurred and some that could have occurred. So, for instance, while Operation Mikado (an SAS raid on the Etendards at Rio Grande) never happened, in the game, it can (at your option). Or, the British can suspect that the Soviet airliner that wandered into the area is, in reality, providing intelligence to the Argentines, and shoot it down. However, there is a distinct possibility that these actions will cost you in International Opinion, Domestic Opinion, or both! This is important because, as your reputation sinks (i.e. goes toward zero), bad things start occurring, from losing the support of South America to, at worst, losing the support of the US. Each time world opinion drops to an even number on the track, you will suffer an increasingly severe penalty. Similarly, maintaining favorable Domestic Opinion is crucial; if it goes to zero, you lose the game, outright! (You not only lose DO from events but also by having ships sunk). Some of the events will, no doubt, be controversial and it could be argued that some were highly improbable. (I confess that my analysis is limited because I only examined the events that I drew in playing – I didn’t look ahead). This was done deliberately as a balancing mechanism and to enhance replayability.

After Random Events, you get to position your ships, which is done, ominously, on a bulls-eye type display. Your carriers, transports, and support ships go in the center; the remainder you distribute to surrounding zones. Each of these is numbered and used when air raids are resolved. The ships themselves are identified by Name and Type (important), with an appropriate icon on the counter. Important to the game, the ship’s anti-air capability, if any, is found on the back of the counter (along with other helpful reminders).

Naturally enough, how you position your anti-air defenses can prove crucial.

Save for land resolution, the general combat routines usually involve a series of two or three die rolls. In pure naval combat, this involves an initial die roll to locate your target

REVIEW

The task force display with the main ships in the center and the 8 approach zones around to intercept argentinian ships and planes before they reach the heart of the task force

The British units loaded in the transport ships. 3 have already leaved the Taskforce, either because their ships were sunk, or they already landed in San Carlos and if successful, you roll to see if you sunk/damaged it. Anti-air combat is similarly resolved: ships roll to obtain radar detection on the raid before they can fire. If successful, they roll an appropriate die for each target to get a radar lock number, then roll again to see if they hit the target; if the roll matches the lock number, target destroyed. (Air-to-air combat is similar, save there is no roll to obtain radar identification.) But one twist is that there are ten pair of dice: four, six, eight, ten, and twelve-sided. The combat routine is essentially a “to hit” system, with the number of die faces as a criterion. For instance, attempting to get a radar lock on a Canberra, a 1950’s era light bomber, a Harrier gets to roll a d4; against a more modern Mirage, you’d roll a d10. The chances of shooting down an aircraft directly correlating with the “size” of the die, you can see that it’s far easier to shoot down a Canberra than a Mirage (as it should be). Throughout the game, this type of logic drives the combat system. (By the way, Mirages and Daggers get to fire back) But that’s not all there is to it. As indicated, the Effect designed for is that of the Task Force Commander and a “to hit” system just won’t do it. So a range factor was added to surface-to-air engagements, via a four-combat round system. The first round starts at a range of 30 miles and decreases each subsequent round (20, 10, and one mile, respectively). Each combat ship in the task force is rated for combat effectiveness at these ranges, via the type of die they

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The Aicraft Carriers Display where the player manages the Harriers squadrons roll. As the raid closes with the ships in the designated target zone, the player may choose to engage at that range or let the planes move closer, hoping for a higher percentage shot. But this is complicated by the fact that ships can fire just once per raid and require a radar identification to be able to do so, which is no sure thing. Do you fire now, when you can, or wait for a higher percentage launch and maybe lose the opportunity altogether? Further, some ships, like the Type 42 Frigate, have no close-in capabilities while others, like the Type 21, can’t fire at long range. Ideally, you’d like to pair these ship types for total but, initially, you simply don’t have enough frigates to do so; sometimes, you are stuck with a sub-optimum situation.

FlYiNG Fish

And then, of course, there are the Exocets. The Argentines start with five, which are delivered by Etendards, based at Rio Grande. Unlike other raiders, Etendards only strike in pairs, never close, and only one of the duo actually carries the Exocet (initially, you don’t know which). The surface-to-air procedure is modified in that you engage the jets at 30 miles (only). If you don’t shoot down the missile-carrier, it is deemed to have launched the missile and the jets go home. Now, the Exocet runs the gauntlet with the proviso that it is much harder to detect. And your chances of being hit increase as the missile

The War Opinion Display tracking both national and international satisfaction level closes: you have a 33% chance of being hit if you can detect it at 30 miles (i.e.; at launch), an 83% chance if you don’t detect it at all.

The beauty of this, of course, is that not only does this provide player choice, it provides drama as well! One can readily imagine a commander watching the situation unfold on the command radar screen as a flight of, say, four Skyhawks bores in. You actually experience the emotional highs and lows as the gutsy Argentine pilots either fall from the sky or fight their way through.

And once they do, you have to watch helplessly as they line up their targets, make their run, and drop their ordnance.

But you don’t have to rely solely on your ships’ surface-to-air capabilities; you also get Harriers to play with and how you manage them will do much to determine the success of your mission. Unlike the FAA, which, relatively speaking, have an unlimited quantity of aircraft (see below), you only get fifteen, total, and these operate under restriction.

First off, once used, they take 24 hours to recycle – the Harrier you use today is unusable, tomorrow. Second, your ability to utilize your Harriers is most-often governed by your Intelligence. Just because you have them doesn’t

The San Carlos Display. Already crowded with units of both sides.

The number of spaces you control determines your victory level mean you get to use them. Third, you need Harriers to support land operations – via supply interdiction before the landings and keeping the Pucaras suppressed after them. Due to these restrictions, you can’t mindlessly commit your Harriers, even if your Intelligence allows it. Initially, Intel is a threeheaded: Nimrod aircraft (signals intelligence) will provide you with precise information as to timing and destination of raids; your SAS force on the ground will tell you what’s coming; and the Chilean Government, (IO allowing) will tell you that they’re coming. The latter is fickle and will stop relatively q u i c k l y, once the situation deteriorates. Due to the information precision, the Nimrods are the best

but there is only a (theoretical) one-third chance of it working properly (and probably less than that, in practice). The SAS is dependable (when they’re not out on a raid) but the information they provide is limited; in practice, we kept them parked outside Rio Grande (where the Etendards are based) to make sure we knew when they were coming. Generally, your ability to commit your Harriers is undependable.

FiNallY...

...there is the object of the exercise – landing the troops. Unlike the real thing, in Discord, this is predetermined to be San Carlos Sound. Displayed in its own track, this is subdivided into ten areas, each bearing the insignia of the British regiment assigned to take it, along with a sea zone attached to it. When you get close enough to the island (i.e. you have drawn your 16th Sit rep Card), on or after May 21, you have the option of launching Operation Sutton – the actual invasion. (Since the Victory Conditions are determined by how many beaches the British control, the option refers to the timing of the landings, not whether or not you will actually launch them.) The landings, themselves, are a two-part process: getting ashore and staying ashore.

The former can be viewed as a realistic chore: you have to get your troops ashore with maximum combat equipment as quickly and efficiently as possible. The latter, maintaining your troops ashore, is essentially a fudge as the resulting land combat bears virtually no relation to the actual campaign on East Falkland. Still, adverse effects on land may influence your later actions as the TF commander; e.g. rescheduling landing sites and landing units.

(Plus, the land “battles” are fairly painless to work through) In terms of air combat, once British ships or land units enter the San Carlos map, the Sound acts as another Target Zone, albeit with a large chance of being a target. Once the Sound comes into play, the targeting dice are made with two different-colored d6. If the red die is greater than/equal to the white die, the target becomes San Carlos Sound (which means that just under 60% of the raids will be targeting San Carlos) and individual targets are determined by a different set of criteria. Still, the primary emphasis is still on maximizing the combat power of your land units while protecting your forces from Argentine air raids.

Army units of both sides have different, single, values on either side of their counters, representing the die they roll. The higher number represents the unit operating with full equipment/combat supply; the lower, lack of same. The British can utilize full equipment if they have the support of one of their two Landing Ships (HMS Fearless and Intrepid) while the Argentines obtain supply by what is “left over” from British Interdiction raids once Operation Sutton commences. Land combat, itself, is simple: both sides roll a die – high number inflicts one step loss so you want to make sure that you are rolling the

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highest die possible. Rolling a d8 is much better than rolling a d4. Each land unit had four steps and receives extra “steps” from such things as being dug in, receiving naval gunfire support, Elite status, and, for the Argentines, Pucara support. This latter is negated if the British have an active Harrier when the land combat routine commences, which makes committing Harriers in defense of the Sound problematical; you don’t know if you will get a chance to send up additional CAP over the sound. In addition, the surfaceair relationship is altered; ships don’t need a radar ID before firing and raiders have to run the gauntlet of British Rapiers. On the other hand, aided by the restricted waters of the sound, Argentine bombing accuracy also improves.

As your troop ships enter the sound to offload, they need anti-air support (as well as your fleet), and you also have to factor in time. You don’t want to leave any troops aboard ship, if you can help it, because victory is measured by how many beaches you control. The land shoot-out may be nonsense from a strictly historical perspective, but, in a macro way, it kind of works. You have a schedule to maintain, you have units to land with their equipment, yet you have little control of what happens ashore, save to take advantage of events or pick up the pieces.

All told, there are a lot of pieces to this game and effectively coordinating them may appear daunting initially, especially since the implications of your early actions on later turns may not be apparent. In part, this is deliberate.

The Designer’s Notes specifically note that“some historical elements have had to be tweaked in order to improve playability and balance.” While you might (correctly) make the argument that some events were more or less likely, the answer is that we know that now. None that I saw (and I did not examine all the events) appeared that outlandish although one or two were certainly teeth-gnashingly annoying. You might not realize how important those early supply interdiction missions are to your ground game, for example, until you get close to launching Operation Sutton and the difference between fighting supplied and unsupplied Argentines becomes apparent. The initial lack of response of the Argentine Air Force may lull you into some false tactics.

CalCulaTeD risK

The British in Discord are governed by the principal of “Calculated Risk”; your course of action will be governed by how much risk you are willing to undertake. Initially, for instance, you don’t have enough frigates to operate in pairs (see above) so you have to decide what target zones you will leave vulnerable (or even undefended). Since the initial raids will be relatively few (and consist mostly of Canberras), you can be lulled into a false sense of security that your Harriers can cover the vulnerable areas. But you’ll soon discover that having only fifteen Harriers imposes limitations. First off, since Harriers take 24 hours to refit, you can effectively employ only half your Harrier force per day (or run the risk of not having enough, tomorrow). Second, if you are going to send Harriers off on supply interdiction, you’ll probably need to send two or, more likely three, to be successful, which effectively leaves you with four or five Harriers to fight off as many as five raids. At the start of each day, you know how many raids the Argentines can launch but this is not the same as how many they will launch – this is determined in the Scramble Phase, determined raid by raid. Commit your Harriers to early raids and you may not have enough later. And since Harrier commitment depends on accurate Intelligence, which may not be forthcoming, just having sufficient Harriers available may not be sufficient!

You may have enough warning to know a raid

ALL WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT

by S. Rawling

The turn track showing the Argentinian exocet and supply level, and some British reinforcements

is coming but not where or by which planes. The Argentine Navy is another problem. While not generally aggressive, they are more of a nuisance than an actual threat. Still, if the Veinticinco de Mayo launches a four-Skyhawk strike and it happens to target the zone where your carriers and troops ships live, as it did with me (statistically unlikely though it might have been), this will be of small comfort. As will an enemy submarine that contacts the Task Force.

There i Was...

A land battle on the Combat Display between an attacking British unit against a dugged-in Argentinian one.

The Naval Patrol Boxes where British submarines are lurking around the Argentinian tasks forces

One trait that I think most acclaimed games share is that they have a “There I was” moment; the kind of situation that arises that can be relived anecdotally long after the fact. (“There I was, needing to roll anything but snake eyes for the win and what did I roll?”) Gamers love this and I don’t think you’ll find Discord disappoints in this department. While many games are lucky to have one of these, there were several occasions where the tension was palpable, to the point where I had get up and walk around before making the critical (at the time) roll. These moments are rare enough when there’s a human opponent; they’re almost unheard of in solitaire games. But it’s not enough to dodge the big safe falling from the sky. There has to be a reason why the safe was there in the first place. In general, I found that the game’s narrative was compelling and that the decisions I made were situational. I never felt I was “playing the system,” taking actions because the game’s mechanism, rather than the situation. Even the AAF sortie rate was well within historical boundaries. In my games, I averaged about 55 Argentine sorties over the 28 days (In the actual six week campaign, the Argentines made about 475, excluding ground attack and helicopter) and even in the climactic final (game) week, there were several days with no air activity. My losses were extremely close to historical: four frigates and a Landing Ship (Intrepid), compared with four frigates and two other ships, historically.

This doesn’t mean that everything was sweetness and light, however. The first week or so of game turns will go fairly quickly as raids are small in number and it takes awhile for the Argentine Navy to get out to sea (if they ever do). But as the game goes on, the number of daily raids generally increases and with them, so does the die rolling. Once the landings commence, you will be rolling a considerable number of dice. I found that breaking the game into one or two turn sessions kept it from getting tedious. I also found that differentiating between the dice sometimes got annoying, particularly trying to tell eight-sided from ten-sided dice. As far as the game mechanisms go, I did find the air-to-air system a bit “hinky” since combat success was proportional to the number of bombing aircraft”; given a constant number of defending Harriers, the more attackers there are, the easier it is to shoot one (or more) down. Lastly, of course, it’s not cheap and takes up a bit of room.

Having said all that, I enjoyed the hell out of this game. The rules are clear, if not concise; the components are fabulous; the mechanisms are clean; the story line is compelling, consistent, and reasonable. Of course, if you are a processoriented gamer or someone looking for a situational simulation, rather than a decision-making one, you might justifiably take exception to this point of view.

As of this writing (December, 2009), the game is out of print but a new run is planned. If you don’t fall into these two categories, I suggest you not let the opportunity pass and snag a copy. I don’t think you’ll remotely regret it. B

3 «WILL THAT BE PAPER, OR PLASTIC?» IN WAR, it is said that amateurs study tactics, while professionals study logistics. In a similar vein, while designers study game mechanics, publishers need to study and understand packaging to be successful. Let’s look at what options are available to package your product for today’s marketplace.

GoiNG NaKeD

However, zip locks do nothing to resist being mangled when shipped or sitting on store shelves unless some sort of stiffener is inserted - though having a sheet of mounted die- cut counters can help here. If stored or displayed upright, eventually your zip locked product will wilt, or develop the “bendies” which is the kiss of death to anyone reselling your game at a store or show.

One way around this is to buy the type of reclosable zip lock bag that has a reinforced top strip with a hole punched through so stores can hang them from hooks on display racks.

A variation on this the zip lock approach is the shrink-wrap-only covering, where all the game components are held together by a layer of shrinkwrap. This has all the advantages and disadvantages of zip locks, but is not reusable and requires shrink- wrapping equipment to boot. But it’s harder to remove components from a shrink-wrapped game than one in a zip lock, a consideration that store owners may take into account.

In either case, zips or shrinkwrap being a transparent material, a publisher is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to provide an attractive cover sheet for store shelves or at game shows to attract the public’s eye. That Probably the most common form of game packaging today,“Zip locks” can add to costs. are cheap, going as low as 4 cents per thousand for the 9” x12” (standard US) size of 2 mil thickness. Zip locks are lightweight, watertight and store easily. Today’s zip locks should be good for 20 years or so before they start crazing in any way. Zip locks are interchangeable, if one game sells better This is a very attractive option for publishers just starting out. Examples than another,no extra cash is tied up in more expensive formal packaging. here include early SPI games with the generic white box with just a different Zip locks allow the publisher to show off the most striking components red title label slapped on each game. More recently, both the Columbia Games inside as well by judicious placement of parts when assembling. Got a and Grenier Games lines utilize a stiff reclosable white box surrounded by great looki n g map?

Put it on the bottom s o when a buyer turns it over, that’s what h e sees.

The cheapest decision is simply to dispense with any sort of packaging at all, or a best a minimalist approach. Think of Just Plain Wargames with their plain white envelope. As a rule this works best if there is no competition to your product (as a corollary, if there’s no competition for your product, there’s probably no market for it either, in which case why are you doing this?), or if you’re planning a mail order only operation, or if you already possess a “brand name” that makes people want to acquire your games. For example, early BSO Games got by with some real minimalist packaging due to the “name strength” of the owner/designer.

In general, if you want your efforts to be seen as something more than just a homebrew, going naked is not a good option. Your game parts can be easily damaged when going through the postal system and retailers will be reluctant to carry your goods as they will take up valuable shelf space but not catch any eyes.

The reClosaBle PlasTiC BaG

The GeNeriC PaPer Box

ating separate paper top and bottom wraps and gluing those to the box. Typically the whole box has some sort of printing on every side and this space can be used to good effect to tell the buyer all about the battle the game depicts, its components, and other meta-data about the game (complexity, playing time, etc.).

A subtype called “pop up” full color paper boxes (popularized by The Gamers early on) can themselves store flat until assembled but always look slightly rounded and bulged as the box assumes its correct shape under pressure.

Like generics above, full color paper boxes are vulnerable to water and the non-pop-up variety takes up a lot of space. They are seldom generic enough to reuse in any way, and the publisher must take extra care to make sure his box and other game parts counts is roughly the same or he’ll be paying for parts he can’t sell.

The Plastic Box

a color wrap, or stick on label. These boxes are both stiff and durable. They are generally referred to as “literature mailers” in supply catalogs like ULINE (www.uline.com). A 9” by 12” by 2” box will run around $60.00 per hundred, dropping to $500.00 for 1000.

These boxes ship well through the mail (provided there are enclosed inside a large box but unlike zip locks, are solid and force the publisher to decide how to show the prospective buyer what’s inside. Solutions here include the use of a “wrap” around sleeve with some nice color printing on it to hold the package together or a simple top and bottom label glued on.A layer of shrinkwrap provides the final protection needed.

Generic paper boxes have some downsides as well. They may or may not stack flat, in which case you’ll need a place to store them if you acquire a large quantity. Being made of paper, they are subject to water damage or even extreme humidity. Still, a very good option overall.

The Full Color Paper Box

Probably the crème de la crème in packaging, this approach was pioneered by The Avalon Hill Game Company and is still a sign that a publisher has“made it”into the ranks.

This approach is easily most exciting visually to a prospective buyer but also costs the most. Box quality itself can very from basically thickened paper to 200 pound resistant test stock.

Printing options include printing the ink right onto the box surface to cre-

A powerful alternative to the full color box, plastic boxes offer stiffening when going through the mail and if also combined with shrink-wrap, provide good security against parts pilfering on store shelves. Plastic boxes are long lasting and generally wear well. Plastic boxes are reusable; if your first game does poorly you can put your second game in the very same boxes.

But, like the generic paper box, a publisher will have to provide some sort of cover sheet or wrap to attract the eye.

While plastic ignores most cold and humidity conditions, it can be vulnerable to high heat and direct sunlight.When it comes to obtaining plastic boxes, you can go to a plastics manufacturer and have some done up custom (which can be pricey - set aside $7,000 to $10,000 dollars to pay for molds and tooling, plus extra for set-up and then the product itself) or more generic plastic “clamshell” boxes can be purchased from places like PLACON (www.placon.com) at a reasonable cost of 60 to 75 cents per box.

What Does the Future Hold?

Regrettably, all the solutions above are not very “green.” So far, no publisher has yet come up with an ecological friendly reusable canvas sack for wargames, but the door is always open for your new idea about packaging! B

REVIEW

by Arnaud Della Siega Designer Dan VersSen Graphics Wanny Choo Publisher DVG

field Commander

alexander After Field Commander: Rommel, one of the very nice surprises of 2008, DVG returns in 2009 with another masterpiece designed by Dan Verssen but this time dedicated to Alexander the Great. Recall that the Field Commander series proposes that we bring to life, in solitaire play, the campaigns of the great generals of history. Alexander, considered one of the greatest if not the greatest of all time, could not be left aside and had to be the subject of one of the games in this series.

The quality of the components has been greatly increased. The box contains four maps (one for each campaign) in A3 format and mounted on hard cardboard – just like during the Avalon Hill era. These maps are magnificent, colourful, and very practical. All information needed for setup and during play are present on the map, which saves a lot of time.

The 176 counters are of a comparable quality and are colored blue and red, indicating their allegiance.

The silhouettes are very good and easily differentiate the different unit types: archers, peltasts, heavy and light cavalry, elephants, chariots, infantry, phalanxes, and siege engines. The markers are also very pleasing to the eye and are in the style of the time. DVG, rather than publishing a ‘simple’ game, has made it a point of honor to create a product with attractive and immersive artwork.

While no critique can be made of the components, what of the rules and the game’s playability?

The rulebook is also very agreeable to read. Certainly, it is thicker than that of FCR (16 pages in total, with example of play), but the rules are not much more complicated. While they are relatively simple to get into for the first time, a few (rare) points will cause the player to ask a few questions.

Thankfully, errata exists on Boardgamegeek.com. The essentials of the series’ system are repeated in this game, but it is necessary to note the differences used to better simulate the art of war in Antiquity.

FCA is played at two scales: strategic and tactical. At the strategic level, the player needs to manage his treasury as well as his reputation, and determine the priority of his geographical objectives. At the tactical level, the player needs to build his army and work out the best battle plans in order to defeat his adversary. It

Battles Magazine # 3 - 085

REVIEW

Positions of the units on the battlefield. The battle begins fron left to right, accorting to the speed factor (i the upper right corner of the counter). On the right: the battleplans available for each army. And Hephaïston, on the Alexander’s side.

is at this level that FCA is particularly interesting as the different unit types of the time are represented, each with their own special abilities.

The degree of tactical simulation in this game is not at the level of a series like GMT’s Great Battles of History, but that was not the original intention of the designer.

In FCA you take on the role of that great Macedonian general to the extent that you often get the impression of actually re-living his campaigns. The entire game system is based around its central figure, even more so than FCR. In this game, an Alexander counter is included and its elimination means the end of the game. This “Alexander-centric” focus manifests itself also in the amount of actions available to the player. The decisions that must be taken are numerous as well as varied. You can: • Buy new units to reinforcement your army • Conduct battle, face prestigious generals, and use the best tactics in order to be victorious • Capture strong points by force or intimidation • Conquer regions and decide whether to govern them or pillage them • Build temples and cities • Choose the advisors around you • Fulfill prophecies • Use your insight to obtain useful advantages • Win glory and riches

tHe Game seQUenCe

After pushing forward the turn marker, the player can, at the cost of a few pieces of gold, replenish units that were reduced during the previous turn. The player then rolls a die for each unconquered strong point, taking into account the distance of Alexander’s Army. The result can lead to the building of a fortress, the arrival of a garrison or the creation of treasure (Glory or Gold) in a fortress, the loss of gold for Alexander, or the reduction of some of Alexander’s troops. Then, an Operation marker is drawn to determine whether an enemy operation is launched or if the enemy army continues its formation (which means it will become a little stronger). In FCA, enemy operations are purely defensive: they determine the units to place in a fortress, defined ahead of time or randomly. Veterans of FCR will thus not be tested with the stress of a newly arriving, powerful enemy army that is looking for a fight. Also, in FCA, the player can, by spending gold, cancel the drawing of new enemy forces entirely.

The player can then move his army to an adjacent zone. Depending on the circumstances, he needs to spend gold or see his forces diminished.

When Alexander’s army enters particular regions, the player has the opportunity to consult an oracle. If he does so, he must fulfill the prophecy that is delivered in the as-

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signed time. The integration and importance of prophecies in a military simulation can seem strange, but it is an intelligent addition if we keep in mind the importance of spiritualism on the battlefield in the thoughts of those at the time. In game terms, these are nothing more than military objectives that move the player to gain Glorification (an experience level) if he completes the contract. These Glorifications are necessary to make Alexander more powerful and capable of surmounting obstacles as he makes his way to India: he will gain the ability to attack earlier and with greater force in battle, as well as give him more Battle Plan options.

If enemy units are located in the region into which Alexander’s army moves, battle begins. If the region contains a fortress, you can use Intimidation to force the occupants to surrender. This result is not easy to achieve (you need to have a great numerical advantage, govern several provinces, get a good die roll and, if all of that is not enough, spend Glory points to reach the needed 11). In case of a success, the defenses fall and the army enters the fortress victorious, without loss. Otherwise, battle is engaged, as will be explained below.

If the result of the battle is a victory, the region can be governed or burnt to the ground. A scorched-earth policy is beneficial in the short-term, as it gives the player a lot of resources at once. In the long term, it is better to govern as governed provinces provide money each turn and make Intimidation more likely to succeed.

The player can then decide to move his army to a new region. Otherwise, he determines the amount of gold raised during the turn (according to the number of governed regions and enemy units destroyed) and can spend it to buy new units, a temple, or a city that will garner him with more troops and victory points. At this point, the turn is complete.

Battles

Concerning battles, it is quickly realised that great effort was put into simulating them easily and accurately. Battles are decided based upon the speed and special characteristics of the units involved. Units roll their attack dies in a precise order, depending on their speed factor. For example, archers fire first but are relatively weak in attack and especially on defense (as they are eliminated with the first losses suffered), while heavy phalanxes are slow but powerful. Between these two extremes there are units like cavalry, which can cause two step losses per attack but can, without the right Battle Plan, be limited to fighting once out of every two turns (simulating the need to regroup before attacking again). Against enemy fortifications, only siege engines are effective. Losses inflicted are determined by rolling a die and comparing the result to the units’ attack strength. It is up to the player to determine which units suffer losses. Alexander himself can go up against the opposing general, gaining more glory

REVIEW of Alexander will remain in the memory of men. It’s best to try and win the maximum amount of victory points, meaning the use of the more difficult option rules.

FCA does not play exactly like FCR, and owners of both will not feel like they are playing the same game. First of all, while in FCR the Allies attack the Germans, in FCA only the Macedonian general goes on the offensive. Other nations and empires are in a strictly defensive posture. Also, you only have one army to manage: Alexander’s.

In other words, no simultaneous attacks all over the map. Another change is that movement allowance is not the limiting factor: Alexander can move across as many regions as he likes, as long as he has enough fresh troops and gold to “pay” for it.

The number of decisions to make is greater than in FCR, thanks to new concepts like Prophecies and the building of cities, but we get the impression that the decisions that must be made are not unsolvable dilemmas. For example, the player does not have to make crucial decisions in terms of the order that regions will be conquered. Alexander’s schedule is quite open, and it makes most sense to simply go after the new fortresses that present themselves as they appear. In this, we are in historical reality. in the process if the duel is successful. However, in the case of an upset the campaign can stop then and there or be severely compromised. It can be real gamble. Legend has its price. It is interesting to note that in this way the game can appeal to timid players as well as those who like to take risks.

Battle Plans, the best part of FCR, were kept for this design. They represent the different tactics used by the opposing sides in combat.Will you try to turn their flank, envelop them, charge them, or sacrifice your units? You can even select all of these options and more, if the value of your Alexander counter allows you to. The number of Battle Plans that your adversary can choose is limited by the number of units involved in the battle. The opponent’s Battle Plans can be very powerful (sometimes more powerful than your own, such as the one that gives a +2 bonus to its infantry in the first turn) and he often has more options than you. For this reason, the advisor Parmenion, one of Alexander’s officers, is very useful (too useful, some say) as he can counter three enemy Battle Plans.

We have seen that Prophecies permit the acquisition of Glorifications that make Alexander more powerful.

Glory points, with which you can buy Insight points and Advisors, are another way to make your campaigning easier. Obtained as a result of victories, this Glory will give Alexander some very interesting bonuses. Insight counters can only be used once but are very effective. Advisors represent those who were in Alexander’s entourage. They are chosen at the begin-

ning of the campaign or can be bought at the cost of Glory points.

They will give the player significant advantages throughout the game.

tHe Game’s aPPeal

The four campaigns included are: Granicus, Issus, Tyre, and Gaugamela/Hydaspes. In each campaign, the goal is to capture all of the important regions indicated on the map.

FCR has the reputation of pushing players to their last man, and a bad die roll can result in terrible consequences for the remainder of the game. It seems much easier to win the campaigns of FCA. But nothing stops players from using the option rules specific to each campaign. These make the game more difficult but award more victory points. The optional rules rooted in history (for example, the effects of Memnon’s fleet during the Battles of Granicus and Issus, or the eclipse of 331 BCE) and are not inserted just for kicks.

One of the most interesting aspects of FCA is the ability to link all of the smaller campaigns together in order to make a “mega-campaign” covering all of Alexander’s military career. When linked, the course of one campaign affects the course of the next as your troops, advisors, and Intuition markers are carried over. This makes players change their strategy, as they need to keep an eye on the long term. For instance, you would be more likely to build cities rather than buy new troops. By the end of this mega-campaign, the total number of victory points will decide the number of years that the name

flaWs?

FCA is perhaps a little too dependent on the roll the die (enemy orders, battle resolution, etc.), much like FCR. It is still frustrating to see your army annihilated by a bad roll. But, could that be the excuse of those who haven’t been able to win? The best strategy should always be able to adapt to new obstacles and problems. In any case, this aspect inserts a touch of uncertainty to the game.

Another small critique to be made of FCA is the static nature of the enemy. In this game,Alexander doesn’t have to worry about enemy offensives that could throw a wrench in his plans.

So he can, for example, hold in one spot as his army gains in strength and his treasury gains in gold. However, this ability needs to be put into context: in a mega-campaign, the player should not stand still for too long as the length of time it takes to finish each campaign plays a role in determining victory points at the end of the game. Remember also that it was Alexander who was always on the offensive while his adversaries were on the defensive; think of Darius III at Issus and Gaugamela. In reality, enemy activities are indirectly represented in the game through the optional rules and die roll modifiers. Also, the scorched-earth policy of Memnon during the Granicus campaign makes the movement of Alexander’s army more costly. In the same fashion, his diversions in Greece increase the cost of new units.

to ConClUde...

FCA wants to be a simple game that allows us to re-live the career of Alexander the Great – a grandiose vision, educational, with multiple refer-

tHe CamPaiGns

• The Granicus Campaign is not very complicated or difficult and victory should be achieved before the Turn marker reaches the last box.

Without special rules and with a road running all along the coast, the campaign is a good introduction.

• In the issus Campaign, will the player take a detour and cut the Gordian Knot, or will he content himself with the military objective of defeating Darius III? This is a dilemma that really isn’t one at all. This campaign is interesting because units purchased outside of a coastal city cost twice as much as usual, requiring a closer management of troops. Fortresses are also stronger.

• The Tyre Campaign is attractive in that it is very different from the others and includes warships, transport ships, and siege ships. Alexander must break down the walls of Tyre (nicely represented on the map, by the way) and complete the construction of a land bridge in order to bring men and siege equipment to the city. Once the walls have tumbled down, control of the city is decided by a battle. The role of the player is to decide how to manage his resources between constructing the causeway and destroying the enemy’s warships and transports. Once Tyre is captured, the player’s next target is Gaza.

• The gaugamela Campaign may be the most interesting. The player needs to reach as far as the Indus River before returning to Babylon. The route to follow is not as strictly pre-ordained as in the other campaigns, especially if the player uses the “Harsh Desert” rule which makes movement through the desert more difficulty. In this scenario, the player has the delight of facing Darius III as well as Porus and his elephants. ences to the Macedonian. At first, I was a little disappointed with the playability of FCA. After enjoying FCR, it goes without saying that I was expecting even better. The game is easy to learn and play (once you’ve cleared up the two or three questionable sections of the rules), but despite the numerous decisions to be made during the game, I was left with the unpleasant impression of being a bit of a prisoner of the game system, which has only one route to follow and where all other paths are but a waste of time. However, when you look into the game a little deeper, you discover that a lot of design work was put into it that makes it more of a history lesson than just a game. If you played this game and did not like it, I invite you to re-immerse yourself in the history of Alexander the Great as you then come to the game with a different appreciation. The design concepts and mechanisms all have their foundations in history. They are more than chrome.

To conclude, while FCAhas, like all games, some minor issues (subjective ones that can be justified by history), it also has some great assets. The material and graphical quality of the components is as good as it gets. An even greater success than its excellent predecessor, better-looking and more educational, it should be in the collection of every solitaire gamer, as well as anyone who wants to re-live the campaigns of Alexander from Macedonia to the Indus. B

note that you can download the rulebook and various player aids from www.dvg.com. Also note that Field Commander: Napoleon is in the works and should be released some time in 2010. Here again, Dan Verssen will take things even further (where will he stop?) as it is the entire career of the Emperor that will be simulated with the help of six maps, all mounted.

And, as always with DVG, if you pre-order a game you’ll get your name on the box! It is a way of thanking those who support this small publisher that releases good,magazine accessible Battles # 2 games.

- 021

REVIEW

ranger

by Luc Olivier

Designer Bill Gibbs Publisher omega games

Ranger is a solo wargame simulating, in a Role-Playing way, Ranger missions in a hypothetical Latin American country named the Republic of Puerto Oro. The player takes command of a squad or a platoon of heavily trained US Rangers in recon, ambush or raid actions against enemy guerillas. The game is a special one in the Hobby, and was first released in 1985.

In 2002 it reached its fourth edition with streamlined mechanics and with highly improved graphics. It is a very nice game, easy to learn, very didactic and quite fast to play. A full mission can be finished in 2-3 hours with a lot of fun with healthy doses of movie atmosphere and technical military slang.

Ranger is special because no game counters or markers are provided and even the map contains no hexes or areas. In fact, you get a very nice laminated satellite picture map and a dry eraser pen as the main tools to play the game.

This is a solo game where the player will select a political situation among three options, then randomly (or not) draw a Mission card and, while following the events of the Tactical Events Booklet, will set up the mission and execute it. The player indicates the starting point (insertion), the Objective, the leaving point (extraction) and draws the path using the dry-eraser pen on the laminated map. Drawing the path can be quite rough on the square pattern map with the large pen but there is a plastic transparent Tactical Template to make it more accurate and, anyway, the precision is not required at this level.

The objective of the game is really to put the player in the shoes of a Patrol Leader fulfilling his mission, planning and taking the right decisions, rather than playing out the combat of a Ranger team.

Before getting into the game system, let me ask you this: do you know why my maps smell like after-shave? Read on for the answer.

The Basic Engine Under the Hood

The latest boxed version is the 4th edition and features top notch graphics, especially the two maps and the laminated Patrol Log. They are easy to use. The box also contains three booklets (Rules of Play, Tactical Events and Patrolling Tactics), two six-sided dice, six Play Aid Cards and 24 Mission Cards. Released in 1993 and improved in 2005, two extensions enhance the game: AO Sierra and AO Victor, both adding two new laminated maps and 24 Mission Cards each. Even if sold separately, the mission’s special features and events are already included in the Tactical Event Booklet.

The Rules of Play booklet is quite short and easy to read.

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The rules are intuitive and as the game is a bit abstract you don’t have tricky mechanisms and will not read them often while playing.

The Tactical Events booklet is the heart of the game and will be used throughout play but, of course, it is not recommended to read it from beginning to end before playing.

The Patrolling Tactics booklet is not mandatory in order to play the game but is very useful to play well! It is really amazing to see how just presenting the real life tactics and events of a patrol provides important insights and hints on how to have success in this game.

Missions and Movement

Ranger provides no counters and no hexes; the player will follow the events to select a mission and execute it. It is obvious that the game was designed by a professional soldier coming from the Rangers. Even for a non-professional player, you can sense the Role-Playing aspect and enjoy the feeling of being a fierce Ranger officer leading a sort of commando mission. There are three main kinds of missions delivered in 72 cards offered with the main game and the two extensions. The first 24 missions, provided with the standard book, use only one or the two of the jungle/swamp maps provided. The next 36 missions given with the two extensions can use between one and four maps adding more swamps, jungle and extending the trail network and the river. The six maps can be assembled to provide a large area showing a coast on the east with a river, swamps and jungle. The area extends to the west with a rectangle of two by three map sheets. It will be used for Extended Patrolling which allows players to link single mission patrols in a series through the establishment of a Patrol Base to rest and resupply between each individual mission. The missions are selected according to the Tactical Events Booklet with the special Extended Missions Section.

Recon mission: here you lead a squad of 12 soldiers with an

MG team to stealthily observe an enemy site which can be an ammo dump, artillery or mortar position, communication or command post… The deal is to avoid fighting, just insert on site, walk into the objective, set up the recon procedure to get the data and get back until extraction. With just a squad it is easier and better to avoid enemy contact.

Ambush mission: here you lead a full platoon of 34 Rangers in three squads and two MG teams with the objective being to kill the enemy… cry havoc!

There are four kinds of ambushes: against personel, trucks, armor and riverine boats. The pattern is quite the same, you have to infiltrate to the position, wait, which can be long and even fruitless, but if you are lucky somebody will come and you can destroy them… However, sometimes it is not the right target, so you have to choose if you go for a kill or wait, perhaps for nothing.

Usually you have the firepower of a heavy cruiser that will easily destroy any kind of target. Again it can be better to avoid the enemy, at least before being on target. On the return trip, you can have fun!

Raid mission: Again you lead a full platoon of 34 fully-equipped and highly-trained Rangers and this time, you are going to destroy the objective.

Globally you have the same kind of objectives as for a recon mission, so you can imagine you go to destroy the one you just reconned some days before.As in every other mission, you will divide your unit into Security, Support and Assault teams to organize the action on site. Also, with the devastating firepower, success is sure, if you set up your assault by the book. Just be careful, when you search and secure the position, you can have some bad surprises.

Special missions: there are a few special missions for players fed up with recon, ambushes and assaults. There are airplane and helicopter wreck search missions and two pilot search and rescue missions.

Without counters and hexes, moving a unit is quite simple. During the planning phase, the route is plotted on the map with the pen, and during the execution phase the patrol just follows the planned road. The player marks regularly the position of the team on the planned road according to the distance travelled, indicated by the event and, also, marks the time expended, usually segments of 15 minutes, onto the Patrol Log. The move length will depend on the terrain travelled and the Patrol Movement Formation. File or Travelling are fine to go faster but not to receive an ambush, Travelling Overwatch and Bounding Overwatch are perfect when an enemy is expected but really not good to be on time.

So even without counters or hexes, the player will have to adapt the formation to the terrain and to the enemy’s attitude. Frequently the unit will have do a Security Halt, first to rest the soldiers (pure role playing) but mainly before crossing a trail or a river and when you arrive at the objective on the Objective Rally Point.

Fire & assaults

Speaking about enemy attitude, there is some times where the fight will come to you; mainly during ambushes and raids, but also with enemy

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encounters when the patrol is moving. This can be anything from a full enemy patrol of ten soldiers with MG to just a sniper, more difficult to destroy.

Depending on the size, the position and the distance of the enemy, it will be possible to run away, to disengage, to assault it or to stay and fire mad (usually the most efficient to avoid losses). Combat is easy to resolve: the enemy fires first on the CRT with a firepower level from A to V, as determined by the event. The result can be very low or very high, triggering from no to tremendous losses. The table and a die give a number of casualties which the player will attribute according to a distribution table. After that, for every casualty, the player rolls a die to see the gravity of the hit from superficial, to lightly wounded, to severely wounded, or to Killed in Action. With a severe wound, you will have to dedicate two soldiers for carrying the wounded man or you will call the helos for a medevac. A death is easier to handle, you just have to bury him, get the dog tag and share his equipment.

One MissiOn in DeTail BrieFing

“Your company commander has ordered you to lead a patrol into enemy territory…” This is the beginning of Event 1 of the Tactical Events Booklet.

When you start playing the game you read Event 1 and just follow the events paragraphs according to some dice and your choices.

First you select a Situation Briefing among the three provided. This will give you the political and military background, with a sketch map showing the naval and air support you can hope for and, for one situation, the friendly lines. You then draw a Mission Card available for the situation, or select the one you want, which is better for me. Then following the Mission Card information, you will know what mission you have to execute, what is the starting time, which you will record on the Patrol Record Log, and the Enemy Contact Level, again recorded on the Patrol Record Log (it is missing in the log but you just have to write it somewhere on the sheet). Then you go to Event 2.

“You return to your command post and start the planning process…” is the beginning of Event 2. Now you take the maps indicated on the Mission card and, with the pen, you plot the objective and the start and end points. All kinds of insertions are possible: airborne, helicopters, ropes, small boats, walking from friendly lines… same for extraction, all options are available. I suspect the designer to have provided all the options possible on the Mission Cards to keep the gamer interested!

Then again some plottings for the Objective Rally Point (ORP) just next to the real objective, then the full intended route from the insertion, to the ORP, to the extraction point. The player can do what he wants. Reading the Patrolling Tactics Handbook can be interesting to understand how it is done in the real life and the player should do the same.

He should also plot an Alternate Route and some Reference Points to help navigate the patrol. At the end on the Event, the player must expend 30 minutes, meaning he will check two boxes on the Patrol Record Log beginning with the starting time indicated on the Mission Card. Then the player will follow Events 3 to 7 to organize his mission according

to the Army Procedure: the size of the patrol (Squad or platoon), its composition with special equipments and teams (Support, Security and Assaults, MG, Anti Tank or night vision devices), waking up the team, some inspection and rehearsal, very important, and readying for insertion.

Some events are pure role-playing actions, such as when you are woken up in the middle of the night by the battalion PC.You then go to sit at the base of a tree to issue your orders. But most events are important to the mission like the organization of the team, the equipments and rehearsal of specific actions. It is especially useful to rehearse the Enemy Contact and actions at the Objective. Others will depend on the time, decided by a die roll. After some hours of preparation, it is time for insertion and the beginning of the mission. the insertion

As explained, there are different kinds of insertions, surely very usual for Ranger soldiers but interesting to learn for the casual Ranger gamer. Insertion is usually easy and the boys are soon ready to move. Again, the player follows the Events.“The helicopters hug the jungle canopy while you follow their route on your map… The Rangers leap to the ground, run clear of the aircraft… load a magazine of ammunition in their weapon. The helicopters quickly lift off and clear the area… Expend thirty minutes (events 11 and 12)”. Usually after a security position to check the team, everybody is ready to move; the player selects a formation. Then the player follows the Events again, rolling dice to see how far he can move, recording it on the map with the pen and the Tactical Template tool. If he has a bad encounter, he resolves. Even if it seems easy, take time to plot your route as the terrain is important for encounters, especially when you are close to the objective and when you have to cross the river and any trails. All is really done to make yourself feel as if you are a Ranger team commander. Moving without encounters is perhaps the most boring part of the game as the event paragraphs are quite repetitive, you will loop between 2 or 3 events, moving between 250 and 1250 metres, according to the terrain, the formation, the visibility (day or night) and a die. But the good news is that it is fast and easy: just roll a die, go to the right paragraph, record the move segment on the map, the time expended and do it again until the ORP is reached or an encounter is triggered.“As the patrol moves through the jungle terrain, movement is not extremely difficult or slow… You ensure the patrol is maintaining noise discipline.. Roll two dice (event 59)… You have been attacked from behind by an enemy patrol. You quickly determine a course of action… Decide your reaction: break contact, Hold positions and engage enemy by direct fire, request fire support, assault immediately, attack by fire and maneuver, disengage… (event 104)” the oBjective

When the ORP is reached, it is time for a Security Halt before going for the Objective. Again the Events explain clearly what to do. The player usually must choose how to set up his different teams but it is quite obvious to set up first the security team on the flanks with the famous claymore mines to obliterate any intruders. Then the support team with usually the MG and strong weapons and at the end, the assault/recon team who will go to view the site or destroy the enemy according to the mission. If the player wants more details, it is possible to use the back of the Patrolling Tactics book to plot the Actions at the Objective of the different teams in greater detail but there are no tactical rules to use afterwards. It is just a good exercise for Ranger candidates. In all the missions I played, the enemy had been destroyed but sometimes with Ranger losses when it was time to go on site for getting data and info. With the firepower of the Rangers, usually the poor guerilleros are a

poor match… Only ambushes have a likelihood of failure with unlucky rolls. “Moving up to view the objective you see several rockets stacked under the tree… You crawl up and back to view the target from several vantage points. The other recon team does the same from the other side of the enemy position (event 345)…

The assault element has moved into the assault position selected during the leaders’ recon.You are located in the center of the assault position. The surveillance team has rejoined the assault element… Determine if the enemy detects the patrol, roll two dice… (event 356)”. After the fun, it is time to return home. the eXtraction

Normally the team follows the plotted route to reach the extraction point, which can be a helicopter, small boats or friendly lines. It is possible to follow an alternate route if the normal one is no longer suitable or if the player simply wants to change it. The route going to the extraction is handled the same as before, following the events and moving according to the formation and the terrain. Again the enemy can be encountered but now that the mission has been accomplished it is possible to be more aggressive. Avoiding losses is better for the success of the mission. When the extraction point is reached and the friendly lines crossed by whatever means, it is time for the mission assessment and the Patrol Evaluation Section of the Tactical Events Booklet.

A successful mission gives 100 points, and then points are removed for casualties, trails crossed, and a lot of other reasons usually caused by not following the by-the-book Patrol Procedure.Again the player feels he is evaluated like in a real military exercise.

“The sound of the approaching helicopters fills the air… The helicopter touches down and the patrol scrambles aboard… The aircraft lift off and head toward friendly lines. The patrol is returned to friendly territory for debriefing, refit and resupply. If a Recon patrol, go to 488, if a Combat patrol, go to 489 … (event 276)”

a VerY UniQUe gaMe

All in all, Ranger is a very good game to play: easy, simple, fast and really a good learning tool to understand Special Forces missions. The designer used his real experience to show the life and the job of a patrol leader, and has the good taste not to dive into useless tactical details. As a solo game, it is a big success with a mission that can be finished in one evening that gives a lot of role-playing and real feeling about fulfilling a Ranger patrol mission.

Considering the 72 possible missions, there is a lot of choice!

As a simulation of Low Intensity Conflicts (LIC), it is also a success in showing the real life and actions of a Ranger soldier in a rather nice way, being fast but not skipping the boring part of patrolling in the swamp and jungle with random unlucky encounters. With the material, the vocabulary and the description of the events, the player can really learn something about LIC and their missions. The only complaint I have - an usual one for a solo game - is that the randomness of the game can trigger repetitive sessions.

The missions are all different, but moving with always the same events and the randomness of the enemy encounters can be boring after some playthroughs. Hopefully with very simple rules and fast missions, it is easy to come back between two larger games when you’re left alone.

And as to why my maps smell like after-shave, well, in France it is not easy to find a dry eraser pen. I only found a pen that is not so easy to erase. So, I used some kind of alcohol to clean the map. The best one was my after-shave - as I learnt when I was in the Army! B

BaTTles Magazine # 3 - 093

REVIEW

by Luc Olivier

You are the Empire ruling the whole Milky Way, reigning over hundred billions of inhabitants in hundreds of planets since a long time… but now the good time is over and the Chaos reigns… You are alone to tackle a poor situation and fight to improve it. Struggle for the Empire is a solo Science Fiction game published by Decision Games, to put you in this situation. Depending of the scenario the situation will be bad or really bad, but in any case you have to handle the crisis and restore hope in the Empire…

All the classical elements of Science Fiction has been assembled in a syncretism way in this game and even if there is not a very deep background provided, any SF fan will recognize easily the classical books from Asimov or Van Vogt for instance.

The game is played solo and the player takes the role of an old Empire starting to crumble. The situation will look like the End of the Roman Empire with some reminiscence of “The Fall of the Rome” published in old S&T. All revolves around the Chaos Index varying from 1 (the best for the Empire) to 100 (an automatic defeat of the player). The level of the Index starts very high defined by the scenario played and the player will do it best to decreases it. Some events and the results of the battles will move the cursor up and down, but usually, unless really unlucky bad events at the beginning, it is more a question of time to improve the situation.

The components provided are perfectly suitable for a science-fi game with a strategic map of the Galaxy, two identical counter sheets (it is not a mistake), some player’s aids, a D10 and a rule booklet. The map is a representation of the galaxy in a round or spiral

way, cuts in 73 sectors indicating a name and, in some sector, a system symbol where the player will usually put a System marker at the beginning of the game and after re-colonization. The center of the galaxy is called the Core and is important to control for decreasing Chaos and earning more victory points at the end.

The counters are either game units or markers. The markers are provided mainly for managing the chaotic events and will be randomly pull from the usual opaque container. There are also some markers to indicate the independent empires and some special markers for the Empire: Stargates, Nexus, Repression and Illumination. The game units are the classical spaceships and systems. They all show four values: Military Combat, Morphogenetic Combat, Resource Value and Movement Potential. All the units are back-printed: on the front of the counters, they are blue for the Empire and on the back, red for the Chaos. Some events or actions will flip them on the enemy side. Nine kinds of units are provided in a very typical SF way: • Alpha Fleets: the best military units, move fast, hit hard but vulnerable to Morphogenetic enemies.

• Starfleets: the standard military units, less expensive to build and maintain but less powerful.

• Control Groups: the standard Morphogenetic Designer joseph miranda units, perfect to convert the enemy systems and Publisher Decision games military units.

• Imperial Order: The elite units dedicated to the Empire, will never betray and are good for both kinds of combat but expensive to maintain.

• Colonization Fleets: not really a combat unit but necessary to rebuild systems after destruction.

Battles Magazine # 3 - 095

• World Ships: Something like a mix of everything, both kinds of combats and colonization… expensive to build.

• Transhumans: a kind of superhuman, initially available by special events or scenario, their combat values are depending on the Chaos level and they can teleport anywhere on the map.

• Systems: Placed on the systems symbol on the map, they represent the colonization of the system and can be destroyed and rebuilt. They are randomly selected in a pool. The control of the systems is important for the production and, at the end, for the victory.

• And Leaders, who are not really a unit having just a leadership value but will be very helpful to provide dice bonus for a lot of actions. They have both sides like all units.

The rules are not too long and quite easy to understand, considering all the solo routines for handling none player enemy units and actions.

There are some optional rules adding some spice and SF chrome. I recommend to add them all as soon as the basic mechanisms are understood, means on the second game. A lot of tables are used for the system and most of them are directly printed on the map with just few things on two player’s aids. All in all, the room needed to play the game is well thought for a solo gamer with everything holding on a kitchen table and, as a scenario is quite short, can be played in one sitting.

gOD saVes The eMPire!

The game is played easily with straightforward mechanisms. The sequence of play contains a lot of phases but they are logical and easy to follow on a track on the map. The player picks up randomly some Chaotic Events depending of the Chaos level and plays them one by one, then he randomly decides the actions of the Chaos units present on the map. Then he collects the resources available, spend them and move and fight with the Empire units.

The Chaotic side is not something united against the Empire but more disorganized threats to react and tackle.

First the Chaotic events can be good or bad, but more of-

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ten bad… They can increase or decrease directly the chaos level, do something specific for the current turn or longer and adds some enemies to fight like: • Usurpers, who are randomly selected among the combat units of one system, will head on the Core of the Galaxy to challenge the Emperor.

• Independent Empires, who are also randomly set on an Empire System, that becomes their Home System. They will have an autonomous life, settling on all adjacent systems to their Home System. They will build units and systems but stay in their limits.

• Invaders, just appear from nowhere in any system sector on the map and will move quite randomly to bring destruction all around.

• Rebels, who are just all chaotic units (red side) that are not something else. Usually they don’t move and can disappear through attrition or become Independent Empires. They are selected randomly through the Imperial fleets and systems when required.

• Aliens, seven types, usually they will not move just triggering something good or bad in the system where they arrive randomly. One, called The Messiah, can be very tricky as he can spreads on the whole map, forbidding any combat… usually he will disappear quite quickly, but nothing is sure…

All those kinds of enemies have their special rules for acting and reacting, which add diversity and spice to the game. The player will have to use his few fleets to remove all these threats. What is very tricky is usually most of these enemies will be chosen among the Empire units… So sometimes you build a big fleet ready to destroy all enemy just to see it flipped on the Chaotic side!

As a good advice for new players, it is important to notice the way the enemy appears and to spread the imperial forces all over the map avoiding big military stacks if possible…

The player will do all the Chaotic actions first in the turn, seeing his Empire crumbling bit by bit and then will produce, move and fight to try to tackle the situation. Usually the first turn of the scenario asks the player to double or triple the number of Chaos Events pulled, so the situation will looks like terrible and totally chaotic, but then in a methodical way, the player will recovers slowly… If he is totally unlucky he can lose the game in two turns with random events bringing Chaos above 100, otherwise the situation will be improved turn by turn.

The movement is given by the move capacity and is usually slow unless you teleport like transhumans. It is usually faster and easier to build a new fleet close to the enemy to destroy than bring it from the other side of the galaxy. There is no stacking limit, just a production limit par system per turn. The combats are totally free with any combination the player wants and in two types: the military combat is the standard destructive one with elimination of the losers and the morphogenetic combat, which convert, means flip, the units and systems. Both are possible in sequence and usually the units are better in one type.

The morphogenetic combat simulates psy, mental attacks and propaganda; it is usually better against system to avoid the destruction and colonization process unless the system is very poor in production or has a very high morphogenetic defense.

After the battles, there is a special Empire Extropy Phase, where the player can expend Resource Points (one per friendly system) if the Core system is friendly to roll on a special table that can increase or, more often with a good leader, a Nexus and Illumination markers, decreases seriously the Chaos Index.

Sometimes the leader can die through an overload or Transhuman appears with an Omega Upload… This is the best way to reduce the Chaos but can be expensive if the player controls a lot of systems.

In the Designer’s Notes, Joe Miranda explains a lot of rational about the technology and the reason of some mechanisms, saying that to create and control such Empire, you cannot think with a 21st century logic but with more powerful and less constrained reality. I totally agree with him, in such a solo game, less constraint is nice

for the player who will manage the fun and not the frustration. So no stacking limits, easy production, not mandatory combat and totally free attacks organization among the different friends and foes is perfect… Everything is done for the joy of the solo player… Then the game is really a question of planning, choice, good reaction and a bit of luck that the player will have to enjoy.

The optional rules bring a lot of interesting options to the player like the Nexus, kinds of central systems, joined with Illumination and Repression markers that will help to avoid the Chaos appearance. The Transhumans and Imperial Order units are available and will bring fun and options. Then the stargates can help to go faster to any part of the galaxy but with some risks.

The important thing is that these powerful units cost a lot to maintain and the player will have to do terrible choices among the new units to build with most of the budget used for maintenance. The good news is that the player will have a bit more control on the Chaos appearance through good choice, being able to build powerful Imperial dedicated centers on some strategic places on the map. The Expeditions offered by random events to find some special planets and strange exotic things in a very Science-Fi Star Trek way are very nice too and follow the same idea to give more variety to the player.

ePisODe Vii

Seven scenarios are offered by the game. They display typical situations of space opera books. The first presents the Empire controlling all the systems, but with a lot of random events at start to bring chaos everywhere. It is the easiest one and perfect to discover the game in 10 turns. The second is the Civil War, bringing half of the Galaxy against the other, trickier to handle, again in 10 turns. The third one is more military with two independent Empires to reduce and only 5 turns available…. Fast to play but easy to lose. The fourth presents a mixed situation in 15 turns but with the Leviathan Emperor: a kind of God ruler, less sensitive to Chaos variation. The fifth introduces the Transhumans revolting against segregation in 15 turns, the Leviathan is also there. The sixth puts again the Transhumans but this time starting to create a Second Empire in a total chaos in 10 turns. Finally the last scenario is a kind of unlimited game based on any previous one but without turn limits, the player must control all the 32 systems and have Chaos index under 10… Can be long but is mainly a question of time!

To win all this scenarios, the Empire must control a maximum of systems and decreases the Chaos Index, all bringing victory points at the end of the game. The level of victory is given by the scenario from big defeat to big victory in five levels.

Struggle for the Galaxy is a unique game in its category; no other boardgame exists to rule a whole Galaxy alone with map and counters. Any other option is a computer game; with of course better graphics and more complete mechanisms but not the pleasure of a paper wargame. Struggle for the Galaxy, at the same time, offers a lot of options typical of the SF world but in keeping everything simple and quite fast to play. Of course, the management of the Chaos is “chaotic” and random, which is the usual way to set solo games and keep them replayable and unpredictable, but at the same time the player will first react and then be able to define a kind of strategy, especially when using the optional rules. The only critic I saw until then is that the game is quite easy to win or at least to be able to handle the situation and decreases regularly the Chaos Index, but unless the player is totally masochist, for me it is better than the opposite. The last point, very positive for me, is the openness of the game that makes it very easy to modify the rules or add extensions to make it more complex or modeling specific SF backgrounds. B

We published 3 new cards in our precedent issue. You can download them on www.battlesmagazine.com

STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

by Thomas Pouchin PART 2/2

PURSUITOF

VANQUISHING THE SUBLIME PORTE FOR THE TSAR!

he Allied player starts the game in an unbalanced situation. On the Caucasus front, he or she is in possession of a strong Russian Army of considerable size which will potentially increase in strength during 1915. On the other hand, in Mesopotamia and in Egypt the British and Indian units are few in number and vulnerable. Luckily, the increase in strength of these armies is as rapid as it is impressive, but it does not become a factor until several seasons have passed since the start of the war.

The Russians thus have to take on the burden of the initial Allied offensive with two equally important objectives. The first is to pin-down as many Ottoman units as possible in order to allow the British to build up their strength. The second is to gain as many victory points as possible in order to delay the inevitable Russian Revolution. SEE FIG.5 The Russian task is arduous but without risk.

Arduous, as the terrain is abominable and is suited for the defense. Without risk, because the Russian Army is, in the end, condemned to destruction.

The fall of the Tsar and the rise of the Bolsheviks cannot be prevented without a complete collapse of the Turks or some other miracle. The Allied player thus has to use this grand and powerful Russian Army with the objective of pushing it to its limits while making it survive as long as possible. Indeed, with the coming of revolution the army will progressively, and certainly, fall apart. It would be a foolish waste to have the Bolsheviks take over a complete, intact Russian Army. Better to destroy it in an offensive against the Turks than to have it slowly die in the hands of the Reds.

The Russian offensive will take place along two axes: the Caucasus and Persia.

The first can only be attacked frontally as its flanks are protected by the Black Sea and neutral Persia. While it is hopeless to break a Turkish player who knows how to defend, it is absolutely necessary to pin-

098 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

down as many units as possible by launching vast attritional battles - and win a few victory points in the process. In that context, only Van seems reachable, the three others (Erzincan is protected by the two fortresses of Trabzon and Erzurum) being too difficult to conquer.

The Russians have three particularly powerful cards to play on this front. The first, of atomic bomb proportions, is Enver Goes East, which forces the Turks to attack Russian units. Played in one of the first activations of a winter turn, this event is devastating as the attacker loses one step per unit before even attacking in mountainous terrain. Guaranteed to create a graveyard of Turkish troops, it is generally avoided by placing a thin line of useless troops at the front. The Turkish player can even profit from the situation with this strategy by using Save Tiflis as a CC in order to re-conquer the territories lost in the previous activation. The second card is the Russian Winter Offensive which authorizes, in the middle of the winter, an offensive without a Severe Weather Check, and provides a +1 to the die roll and avoids defending fortresses. Monstrous by itself, this event can be played in the winter of 1916 just after Enver Goes East with absolutely devastating consequences. Difficult to put this sequence together, but terrifying if managed. The third card is the Armenian Uprising which, well played, can seriously limit Turkish movement (not to mention the chance to capture the port of Alexandretta, and all that entails). The landing of the Black Sea Division can also cause a bit of a diversion or threaten an encirclement. SEE FIG.6 The second axis of advance is that of Persia, whose penalty for violating its neutrality (one jihad point) is paid back in spades. A well-placed Russian cavalry unit will not only recuperate the lost jihad point by capturing Qum, but can also capture the victory points at Hamadan and Teheran (delaying the Revolution by six months), or even Isfahan if dared.While this new front can be easily contained by the Turks at Suleymaniye-Sehneh and KarindKermanshah, it has the double benefit of pinningdown Ottoman units and raises hopes of placing Warm Water Port (at Kuwait, for example). That alone delays the Revolution by another six months.

Though the Turks can prepare for an invasion of Persia with the placement of jihad tribes, the Russians can optimize their chances in the region by playing Grand Duke to Tiflis.

SABOTAGE

While the Russians take the spotlight, the British need to start their long task of undermining the Ottoman Empire. To do so, the British player has

two effective weapons at his or her disposal.

The first to play, and undoubtedly the one that will have the most long-term effects, is the Royal Navy Blockade, which gives one victory point in the winter but also imposes a maximum of 25 Turkish RP for the rest of the game. In conjunction with an attritional war on the Russian front and a campaign in the Balkans to keep the BerlinConstantinople rail link cut, the consequences can be a collapse of the Ottoman Army in 1917.

The second weapon is to quickly play Arab Revolt (before the jihad level reaches seven, which keeps the Holy War under control) and to increase the war status at a constant rate that will allow the Allies to play some of the most important events.

This last point is very important, as a war status that rises too quickly can create a thick deck by game’s end, making the correct chronological playing of events difficult. The Arab revolt will weaken the Arab units of the Ottoman Army in two ways: first by obliging the Turks to use reduced reinforcements and secondly by the playing of Arab Desertion, ending the support of these Arab units for the Ottoman cause. To play this very powerful event the war status must be at 30, which also allows the playing of Turkish War Weariness, a terrific bludgeoning of the Ottomans that will begin the decomposition of their forces.

If these sabotage operations do not bring about spectacular effects during the first two years of war, they will begin to bear fruit in 1917 on the condition that they have been patiently managed.

BARK BIGGER THAN BITE

When the British player is considering his or her invasion options, a lesson can be drawn from the game of chess: the threat of action can be worth more than the action itself. Firstly, invasions can very quickly become, at best, quagmires in which useful units are wasted on beachheads or, at worst, disasters where the Turks are able to throw the invaders back into the sea (two jihad points and RPs). Secondly, because the threat of invasion alone can put pressure on the Ottomans at little cost, obliging the Turk to garrison his or her shores and allowing the British to redeploy troops initially intended for invasion to other fronts where they can be put to better use. SEE FIG.7 The threat comes from two surprise invasion cards: Project Alexandria and Kitchener’s Invasion.

The strategy is thus to keep these cards until the Turks play Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (no more invasions) or according to the circumstances of the game if the troops of Kitchener’s Invasion are needed elsewhere. Until these two cards have been played, not only does the Central Powers

player need to keep large garrisons along his or her shores, but he or she needs to be very careful when conducting SR (a surprise invasion played at the right moment just after a Turkish SR can be fatal).

If the Allies really want to conduct an invasion, they have several possibilities: if he or she manages to catch the Ottoman player off-guard (or if he or she is facing a negligent defender), where trenches have not been dug or beaches have not been garrisoned, or if the bombardment of the Dardanelles forts has been extremely lucky (32% chance of hitting, 16% if we count the Bosphorus fort). In this unlikely situation, it would be possible to attempt an invasion of Izmir, Adana, Seddul Bahr, and/or Kum Kale. With some success, the newly opened front can become a huge consumer of Turkish units at little cost to the British.

If the coasts are well defended, they need to be

taken by force. The only way to have a chance of success is to conduct a saturation invasion, that is to say by keeping a maximum of Beachheads in reserve (three or four) and to play them together during the same activation. Certainly, surprise is difficult to achieve because of the time required to assemble the necessary forces, but even prepared the Turks will have great difficulty in repulsing this kind of offensive. Launched in the Gallipoli or Levantine regions, it can saturate the local defenses and really hurt the Ottomans. On the other hand, once contained the landed troops are at great risk of finding themselves in a difficult situation. A saturation invasion is an option, but should only be done in favourable circumstances and with great prudence.

The most effective and least risky strategy is to maintain the threat of invasion. In this context,

Fig.5 Prendre Van est à portée des Russes, pour le reste, la tâche est vraiment ardue !

STRATEGIC ANALYSIS Fig.6 Obligé d’attaquer en hiver, les ottomans décimés par le sever weather check se lancent à l’assaut

Project Alexandria and Kitchener’s Invasion should be kept in reserve in the deck and the two other invasion cards, Salonika Invasion and Gallipoli Invasion, should be played to reinforce the landbased strategy which we will look at next.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

The land-based strategy that will be used by the British - and their sometimes-powerful allies like France - will see a slow progression until really starting to have some effects in 1916. This slow beginning is due to the weakness of the French and British in 1914 as well as the logistical limitations that only time can resolve. This latter problem is caused by the impossibility of deploying a sufficient number of corps units (LCU) in theatres on the periphery thanks to their sorry state of transport infrastructure. Some regions like the Sinai are impassable until the construction of the Sinai Railroad. The British player must patiently

THINGS TO REMEMBER

progress from Limited War to Total War to see the number of possible LCUs rise from two to three (maximum limit). Thus, planning for the arrival and deployment of reinforcements to the different fronts is an essential part of Allied strategy. The assignment of units can follow the below timetable.

Mesopotamia is reserved for the Indian corps (2nd, 3rd, and Tigris), relatively weak units that here hold a secondary front without much importance, aside from the capture of Baghdad and the defense of Arabistan, tasks which they can alone accomplish without much trouble. It is also possible to send these units to different fronts in order to optimize the use of RP and to limit the impact (which can be considerable) of an Indian revolt.

The two corps of the Gallipoli Invasion (ANZAC and VIII British) should be played as reinforcements in Egypt, to be later further reinforced by the ANZAC Desert Corps. The placement of these units can

Fig.7 Les invasions peuvent vite se transformer en désastres

wait until the construction of the Sinai Railroad, unless the region is threatened.

The two corps of the French Army Orient as well as the British corps of the Salonika Invasion (XII and XVI) should be sent to Salonika.

The excellent LCUs that remain, the IX (Kitchener’s Invasion), XX, and XXI (Allenby) Corps, should be allocated to one of the fronts or to a surprise invasion according to the situation. SEE FIG.8 The employment of these forces will follow, at start, a timetable dictated in large part by cards and events, but this will become less plotted as time goes on. At first, the British have the tasks of reinforcing and protecting their Egyptian and Mesopotamian bases and if possible to begin attacking (particularly in the latter region, as with the absence of the Sinai Railroad an advance is impossible in Egypt). The disembarkment at Salonika should not be delayed for too long in order to prepare for the Austrian and German offensives. Ideally, a rapid deployment of the

JIHAD: Do not let the jihad level surpass seven points under any circumstances. A level of five is optimal.

WAR STATUS: Reach Total War as quickly as possible, but be sure to play all of the important events in the deck beforehand.

WINTER: Try to play Enver Goes East in the two first activations of winter 1915, follow-up with an attack.

INVASION: Keep Alexandria Project and Kitchener’s Invasion in the deck as long as possible, play the other cards as reinforcements.

STRATEGIC REDEPLOYMENT: Try to surprise the Turkish player right after an SR with a surprise invasion or an offensive on an isolated front.

CARDS: Immediately play Royal Navy Blockade, Churchill Prevails and Egyptian Coup in mobilization, Lawrence and Arab Revolt during limited war, and Lloyd George Takes Command, Allenby, and D’Esperey during Total War. 082 - BATTLES Magazine # 2

expeditionary corps in Greece permits the playing of Romania before Bulgaria as well as giving more time to prepare the country for defense (the arrival of troops pre-programmed on the Turn Track and the re-positioning of Romanian units).

The immediate reinforcement of the Serbian Army with British and French troops is generally a very good idea, and a few OPS should suffice to send them from Greece to the mountains of Serbia (consider using an OPS to dig a trench at Belgrade just after Bulgaria is played).

The remainder of the strategy depends on the construction of the Sinai Railroad (not to be delayed!) and especially the beginning of Total War. This last point is fundamental to success and it is key to enter into this phase of the game. The Allied war status must reach eleven points as quickly as possible while playing the maximum available events (reinforcements, Churchill Prevails, Royal Navy Blockade, Secret Treaty, Egyptian Coup, Lawrence, Arab Revolt...). A quick entry into Total War around 1916, with a deck emptied of important events, gives hope of playing Lloyd George Takes Command early on, a pivotal event as it authorizes D’Esperey and above all the very powerful Allenby (and its three terrifying CCs: March and Countermarch, Haversack Ruse, and the terrible Push to the Breaking Point).

As the war drags on, the impressive reinforcements of the Allied war machine will allow a series of

Fig.8 La progression en Mésopotamie est longue et coûteuse

grand offensives on all fronts - alternatively at first, but simultaneously later on.

The war’s end, if the Turks are still standing, generally resembles a race between a Central Powers at their last breath, desperately trying to gain more time (Withdrawal, jihad tribes, Sandstorm & Mosquitoes), and the Allies continuously trying to advance faster. The earlier this race begins, the greater the chances of Allied victory.

THE HOLY WAR SHALL NOT OCCUR

The Allied player must constantly work to keep the jihad under control, otherwise an asymetrical and uncontrollable second front will open. The task is not too arduous as we have seen, since raising the jihad level above seven points is very difficult for the Ottomans.

Controlling the jihad is done in two stages. The first consists of playing Egyptian Coup and taking Qum before the Turks, the jihad point conceded by the Secret Treaty thus being immediately recuperated.

This reduction of the jihad level by two points should suffice to wait for Lawrence and Arab Revolt, cards which should be played immediately.

The first reduces the jihad level by one point, as does the second by allowing for the taking of Mecca. This easily achieved chain of events is theoretically enough to keep jihad under control and below seven points, blocking any chance

of revolt and preventing the Turks from playing events like Jihad Offensive or Jihad Supremacy (a jihad level kept at five points prevents even the powerful Army of Islam).

Controlling the jihad can also be done by vigilantly refusing to concede a single jihad point, no matter what the cost. The elimination of Allied units by attrition or the capture of a beachhead are doubly penalizing (military defeat and jihad points) and must be avoided. Also, if Churchill Prevails brings an Allied fleet to Constantinople, under no circumstances should the city be bombarded.

The trade of one victory point for a jihad point is unbalanced in favour of the Central Powers. A ratio of two or three to one is far more permissible.

On this point, it is interesting to note that unlike its illustrious ancestor Paths of Glory, the fluctuation of victory points in Pursuit of Glory is greater, making it a less crucial element of the game.

The loss of victory points via ignored Mandated Offensives or other events is not as important in this game, as long as it is kept within certain limits (for example, the impact of Verdun can be reduced to one victory point, but to concede two would be excessive).

Keep the jihad under control, maintain strong pressure from the Russians at first and the British later on, enter total war under the right conditions as quickly as possible, and attack on all fronts these are the best ways to ensure a victory that is far from a foregone conclusion. B

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 101

by Nicolas Rident designer of Liberty Roads

A classic landing in Normandy.

Cherbourg is isolated but the Germans have put up a solid defensive position in the bocage. addition, a Tiger or Nebelwerfer support played in the first turn could have catastrophic consequences for the weak Allied bridgehead.

This option, thus, is reserved for those who like to gamble.

THE MEDITERRANEAN TOO SOON TO ENJOY THE RIVIERA

Basically, there is no reason to make a first landing in the south. The Allied player doesn’t have enough troops in the Med Box, the axes of advance are limited and predictable, and Fortitude ends nearly immediately. In brief, it is definitely a bad choice.

However, it is an excellent option for a second landing.During my most recent game,I discovered, at my expense, that the Allies can achieve a major victory in this sector with an optimal landing.

LIBERTY ROADS

HITTINGTHE HITTING HITTINGTHEBEACHES THEBEACHES BEACHES

One of the strengths of Liberty Roads (LR) is the freedom given to players to choose their landing beaches. Indeed, each hex, with the exception of estuaries, can be the object of an assault, allowing players the opportunity to dream up the most audacious and original plans. In Battles Magazine #2, we examined the landing in Brittany and in the Vendée. Let’s see now the other options.

PART 2/2 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS LANDING IN HOLLAND THE GREAT DISILLUSION

Landing in Holland can appear to be an attractive option at first glance: the beaches are weakly defended, two major ports are nearby and Germany is right next door.

But this is all too good to be true.In the rear of the shoreline, the terrain is absolutely un-exploitable due to marshes and rivers. All the Germans have to do is hold two or three hexes, in particular hex 4106 (Utrecht), in order to definitively block the Allies. The marshes prohibit all exploitation and allow defenders to ignore retreats. Even Patton is

102 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

useless against them! On the other hand, Holland could be, depending on how the game unfolds, a good option for a second landing if the Germans haven’t reinforced this sector.

NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS YES YOU CAN!

Yes, it is possible to land in the north of France in Liberty Roads. The rules don’t prohibit a landing here in any artificial way. Under certain conditions, a landing here has a good chance of success. The Allied player only has to use two Beachheads and concentrate all of the D-Day markers and assault

troops there. With a combination of D-Day / Atlantikwall, the two landings can very well be successful.

But it is after the landings that problems begin. The density of German units in this sector is so great as to cause some serious problems for the Allies to deploy. An astute German player could possibly manage to deny any followup troops from landing because of over-stacking! In

PICARDY A CHALLENGE FOR BOTH PLAYERS

In the same way that beginners are seduced

by Brittany for the first landing, Picardy (with beaches between Le Havre and Abbeville) has a strong attraction for players with a few landings already under their belts.

Once again, we’ll take a look at the map to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this landing option. First of all, it is obvious that the landing will be much more delicate. Coastal defenses are at a level 4, minimum, and reach level 5, including hexes without a port. These hexes are nearly unassailable, limiting the possible landing zones to the region between Le Havre and Dieppe on the one hand and between Dieppe and Abbeville on the other. This presents another difficulty as it obliges the Allied player to make an early choice whether to: • Place the three Beachheads to the east of Dieppe and land in one mass in order to have a

compact front, but also abandoning any threat to Le Havre • Place the Beachheads on either side of Dieppe, in order to encircle Le Havre as soon as possible and put pressure on the Somme. This is a risky choice as Dieppe, a strong German central position, cuts the Allied front in two.

The initial difficulties are thus significant, but the potential advantages are clear. First of all, the

After breaking through, the Allied player must now face strong positions to the east of the Seine. The crossing of the river at Paris and Rouen will require a lot of resources. strategic position is very interesting. A landing in Picardy allows you to avoid the important obstacle of the Seine and only puts the Somme and the hilly Bray between you and the Belgian plain. Secondly, Le Havre can also be quickly isolated, though the situation is not as simple as at Cherbourg.

THREE NEW SUPPORTS FOR LIBERTY ROADS

You can find these three counters on the sheet that is included with this magazine.

These Support counters, which give a slight advantage to the Allies, are optional, and are used with the attribution of sides rules available on Hexasim’s website.

Support POW – This support has to be played immediately once it is drawn by the German player. The player roles a die for each German unit that is “Out of Supply” and situated at more than five hexes away from a friendly, supplied unit.

On a result of 4 to 6, the unit takes a step

loss. Also, any German unit at Festung status and adjacent to an enemy unit takes a step loss on a result of 6.

Support Engineers – The Allied player can use this support counter in two ways: • Crossing a River – At any moment during

the player’s turn, the Allies can place this support counter on to a friendly combat unit that is adjacent to a river. Thus, this support acts in the same manner as an HQ in pontoon mode in that it cancels out the river for the purposes of supply and movement on all the hexsides adjacent to this support.

• Fortifications Assault – The support counter is placed during the Allied combat phase on a unit attacking a Festung or a hex of the Siegfried Line. The Allied player receives a bonus of +2 on die rolls for combat only. This support can not be used in the exploitation phase.

STRATEGIC ANALYSIS A daring opening by the Allied player. The landing was a success and the British positions are strong. But the Germans were able to heavily reinforce Le Havre and have multiplied the threat to the Allied front with Panzers all along the line.

In turn 4, the Allies’ luck holds out. Thanks to an effective airborne landing on the other side of the Somme, all German units in the Pays de Bray find themselves out of supply. In the west, Dieppe has fallen and Le Havre is under siege. The Allied flank is protected by the Seine.

Lastly, there are multiple opportunities to lower the Fuhrer’s Satisfaction: major cities, major and minor ports, Paris, and especially the numerous V1 sites.

The initial placement of PLUTO depends on Allied objectives but should be somewhere around Rouen where the west, east, and south can all be threatened. If the Allied player chooses to ignore Le Havre, PLUTO should be placed more to the east (in hex 2809) with the objective of crossing the Somme and capturing Boulogne and Calais.

The gaming interest in a landing in Picardy is that it offers many tactical and strategic options for both sides. In contrast to landings in Normandy or Brittany where the German player can only react to the decisions of the Allies, in Picardy he can set the tempo for the first few turns and represent a real threat to the Allies. Will the Germans counterattack immediately with the four Panzer divisions close at hand (21 Pz, 12H, 116 Pz, 2 Pz)? Will they hang on to Dieppe in order to maintain pressure on the Allied beachheads? Will he abandon western France by profiting from an early end to Fortitude and save his army? The Allied player will

104 - BATTLES Magazine # 3

need to adapt his strategy and change his plans in order to counter a German player who is leading the dance.

The possibilities are numerous and the players’ strategy will probably be impacted by tactical elements. For example, drawing a Tiger or Nebelwerfer support in the first turn can radically change the course of the game by eliminating a

beachhead in turn 1 or 2.

Certainly, the Allied player is playing with fire by landing in Picardy. He has to manage a combination of elements that he can’t control: drawing of Atlantikwall markers, the first German support, the weather in turn 2, etc. If one of these elements goes sour, the entire Allied landing could be compromised. B

MOST WANTED

The designers talk - This section is a place for designers to talk about their games. They will be asked about all of their games, from those about to be printed, or those in P500, to those in developement or barely starting playtests. As there are many games planned, only a selection of some of the ones we are most eager to see coming out will be covered.

tattered Flags VICTORY POINT GAMES

by Hermann Lutmann (designer)

the 15MM SOldierS OF the 57th liGNe (“le terriBle”) StaNd at atteNtiON ON MY deSKtOP aNd Stare at Me iN aNtiCiPatiON, wondering

when they will again be deployed onto some lichen-strewn tabletop. Unknown to them, they are condemned to be forever “in reserve.” Formerly numbering in the hundreds, my wonderful little French Napoleonic army was not defeated by battle, but rather by the rigors of real life. For me, it is a passion that has rested dormant now for many years. So, when Alan Emrich of Victory Point Games challenged me to design a game emulating the old “System 7” cardboard-miniatures game, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.

Alan envisioned a hybrid miniatures/board wargame that would both elicit the visceral immersion and flexibility of a miniatures game while also providing the playability and convenience of a boardgame. Almost immediately, I was frantically searching for a parachute! I’ve never had a design actually published and this was a very unusual project for any game designer to take on. Alan and I agreed upon the American Civil War as the game’s epoch and, specifically, the Battle of Gettysburg. I eventually zeroed in on General Sickles’ adventure into the infamous Rose Farm “Wheatfield” area on the second day. This

relatively small patch of ground met the proscribed dimensions of the game map very nicely and the frenzied battle for the Wheatfield provided both sides opportunities for attack and defense.

I grabbed a copy of my old in-house, home brewed Civil War miniatures rules, Tattered Flags, and started rifling through them. The first project was to hack them down from their forty-plus pages to, yes, eight pages (including examples)!

Remembering the scope of the game, I removed any rules and procedures that were not relevant to the Wheatfield battle. Goodbye cavalry rules, supply procedures, corps command, etc. The challenge was to make a mechanically simple game without making it generic and drab. In order to maintain the right feel of a Civil War battlefield, many of the advanced and more flavorful rules were condensed, abstracted, and represented on Battle Cards. These cards not only allowed for the inclusion of more rules (on the cards themselves), but also provide a fun“gotcha”game play mechanic (a common feature in many VPG games).

Another element that makes Tattered Flags different from pure miniatures games is the use of a pre-printed battlefield map (like a boardgame).

This gives the game a distinctive Kriegspiel feel and is a key ingredient to the game’s “look.” Rick Barber was recruited as the game’s cartographer, and produced a true work of map art. With the map in hand, an appropriate movement system was needed to work within this distinctly nonminiatures feature. Again avoiding cumbersome mechanics, I opted for a clean, simple but realistic system. Basically, a unit may conduct its maximum

move, regardless of terrain. However, it suffers “Disorder” results as it crosses encumbering terrain, and a unit moving full speed can suffer severe Disorder.Players have the option to move the unit at half-speed to decrease this Disorder. There are only three Obstruction Levels in the game, so moving a unit is simple once a player decides how much Disorder he wishes it to ultimately absorb.

Another major feature of the game is the way it recreates the battlefield confusion and inevitable “fog of war,” especially as it concerns the elements of command. As a player, I like being challenged to “control the chaos” of battle. It makes a game more interesting and is far more realistic than having chess-like control over your units. In Tattered Flags, orders are given to brigades and these establish parameters of operation utilizing a kind of merit system. Units that follow the spirit of their Order are rewarded in their capabilities while those that don’t are penalized. Here is another aspect where the Battle Cards are invaluable, as some are designed specifically to cause command headaches for the opponent.

Playtest components

MOST Fighting Formations WANTED

Units are rated by their experience level, with better units having more actions available to them than inferior units. For example, a “Green” unit could march one move and issue a desultory fire while a “Veteran” unit could move likewise but issue a far more intensive fire. This is a measurement of effectiveness, not of time passage.

The combat mechanics of the game reflect another personal bias of mine. I hate trolling through volumes of combat tables and long modifier lists. I much prefer user-friendly combat rules, essentially limited to a few relevant modifiers and a straight-forward procedure to determine losses. To that end, combat is resolved by simply rolling multiple six-sided dice and striving to roll the Hit Number. The modifiers increase or decrease the number of dice rolled, so there are no annoying adjustments of columns or number-fudging to remember. Bayonet Combat is especially fun as both players roll directly against one another. If both units pass their Morale Tests, another combat round is rolled, and this can go on for many rounds with each unit’s condition fluctuating up and down as the melee continues; believe me, this yields a very tense and exciting gaming experience!

The morale system is also handled simply, with Morale Tests being resolved by rolling on a Morale Test Table. Units can be Confident (the unit’s morale increases), Shaken (the unit is hesitant and nervous) and Broken (the unit loses cohesion and heads for the rear). Units can also be forced to Go to Ground or do a limited Withdraw move. All these various results yield a fluid battlefield that ebbs and flows and challenges a player to maintain control of his forces.

Finally, the units themselves are designed to look the part of Civil War formations. They hark back to the “System 7” pieces as their coloring reflects the basic uniform palette of the two armies and the necessary game information is well displayed for easy reference.

This has been a fun project and I hope that Tattered Flags succeeds in giving players the unique experience of combining an accurate simulation with a fun game. Hermann Luttmann B

GMT GAMES

by Kai Jensen (co-designer) FiGhtiNG FOrMatiONS iS iNteNded tO Be aN ONGOiNG SerieS OF WarGaMeS COVeriNG WWii taCtiCal COMBiNed-arMS COMBat at the PlatOON aNd Squad leVelS. Each game

in the series will feature a distinct combat unit, highlighting battles in which that unit participated as well as its particular order of battle and fighting characteristics.

The scale of the game is 75 meters per hex with turns representing about 5 minutes of real time. Units represent infantry squads, guns with their inherent crews, and individual vehicles.

Platoons are also employed. Leaders are abstractly represented by Command markers, each one coordinating the actions of friendly units within a scenario-defined radius.

In each scenario, one player will take command of elements of the featured unit while the other assumes control of the opposing forces. These two players will alternate giving orders, activating

lilliburlero AGAINST THE ODDS

by Phil Jelley (designer)

lilliBurlerO iS aN area/iMPulSe GaMe OF the 1690 Battle OF the BOYNe, in which the King

James II was defeated by his nephew, son-in-law and usurper William of Orange. I was aware of the Boyne for political reasons as it is celebrated by the Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland, but the battle itself appeared to be a one-sided affair with the Williamites forcing their way over the River Boyne with greatly superior numbers. I bought the Osprey book on the Boyne one day when I was flying out of Heathrow. As I read it I thought that the Jacobites could have won the battle, given better generalship and a slice of luck. I had much admired Michael Rinella’s Not War But Murder (ATO) depicting Grant’s crossing of a the Santa Anna River and thought that William’s crossing the River Boyne on his could be presented in the same style. There is no published game on the subject and I was inspired by ATO’s remit of covering ‘a truly desperate situation where one side is facing military, political or cultural annihilation’, which pretty much summed up what happened to the Catholics after the battle.

Even though it was designed for games on

their units on the map for various military functions. Players attempt to achieve victory by moving their combat units across the game map to attack their opponent’s units and to achieve as many scenario objectives as possible. The degree to which a player succeeds or fails is measured by a scenario’s specific victory conditions— the destruction of enemy units, the taking of vital mapboard objectives, or the exiting of friendly units off the opponent’s map edge.

So far, this looks like your typical wargame.

Maps – check. Counters – check. Historical background – check. Variable turn order – ch… what?

Fighting Formations is not the typical IgoYougo fare with a strict sequence of play.

Instead, the base game engine is an impulsetype back and forth mechanic whereby the various Orders carry with them a certain cost in Initiative. The game has a “pool” of 40 Initiative that is spent to give orders and then to activate units for those orders. At the start of each scenario, players start somewhere close to the middle of the pool as if facing off in a tug-of-war contest, with one player having the edge in terms of Initiative. He chooses to spend Initiative to conduct one or more orders

and, in response, the opponent can also spend Initiative to conduct both Opportunity Fire (at moving units) or Reactive Fire (at firing units).

At the end of every order, the player with the most Initiative is able to give the next order.

The Order Matrix and the Command structure keep the game in the hands of the players, allowing them an array of choices at every turn. When deciding which order to use, the player with the Initiative may choose to remove any cube from the Order Matrix and pay its Initiative cost. Then he may choose to utilize the order on the row from which the cube was removed or any order below it on the Matrix. As both players share the common Order Matrix, the choice of which order cube to use is not always obvious.

When deciding what units to activate for the chosen order, the player again has choices to make. Every unit the player has on the map can be activated to carry out the chosen order – at a cost in Initiative. Command markers will reduce the cost and can be placed onto the map at any time.

Deciding when and where to place command markers and which units to activate allows a player flexibility in maintaining the balance between pushing toward his victory conditions and maintaining Initiative in order to better control the flow of battle.

WW2 I decided to use the area/impulse system as the sheer size of the battle demanded simplicity.

Some 60,000 men fought in the battle, arguably the largest fought in the British Isles, over an area of 80 square miles. It could not, therefore, be dealt with by conventional 17th century rules. I worked out that if was on the same scale as Lion of the North (GMT) I would need nine A1 sized mapsheets, clearly impossible. On a more realistic level in the battle five battalions were able to deploy in the loop of the Boyne with the river to either side of them, which would need to be five hexes wide, but this would still need two maps. As most of the fighting took place around Oldbridge I drew a map concentrating on that area, using movement boxes to cover the flank march to Slane, but it looked most unrealistic. I made a new map covering the entire battlefield on cream cardboard so that it would look more like a 17th Century map. Initially it had over a hundred areas - even the river islands were separate areas - but playtesting showed that this was too many and I cut it down to 58. The map is dominated by the River Boyne, a steepbanked tidal river whose two bridges and five fords are vital in the game. A Tide marker moves up and down the river, making it more difficult to cross and the Williamite assaults must be timed to coincide with the receding river. Only one battalion with a general (and artillery support) may cross the river into an enemy-controlled area and the defender is similarly limited, so good quality units

is vital to holding the fords. If the attack succeeds others can cross the ford behind it, up to the difference between their modified die rolls, if not the vanguard is on his own until the next impulse.

King James reviewed his army a week before the battle and King William a week later, but eye-witnesses disagree on the number and size of their regiments and compiling an OOB and countersheet proved to be a long and arduous task. Old fashioned attitudes towards spelling didn’t help, especially in William’s multinational force. Nievenhuise’s Regiment, Nieuwenhuy’s Horse and Neiuhanse’s Dragoons were all the same unit, but sources disagreed as to whether it was commanded by Robert van Nyenhuis or Hendrik van Nieuwenhuys. In the end I found that Nieuwenhuys only became a colonel two months after the Boyne, and his regiment never went to Ireland, so it must have been Nyenhuis. Another point of confusion was that Lieutenant-General James Douglas was the colonel of the Scots Guards and was at the battle with his regiment, but this was his English regiment. The other was in Flanders with Marlborough, but several sources still claim that the Scots Guards fought in the battle, and one has the entire Brigade of Guards despite extensive regimental histories to the contrary.I have included these regiments as optional counters for evening the odds, and did the same with several Irish regiments where eye-witnesses could not agree whether they had one, two or three battalions.

The game has Asset cards -- including smoke, artillery, air support, man-portable support weapons and demolitions -- but is not card-driven.

Each Asset will either take the place of a standard order or provide the player with some form of reactionary capability during an order.

During playtesting, one of the things that really struck me was the level of interaction between both players and the events unfolding on the map.

The active player has to manage a balancing act – Initiative spent on an order and on activating units, Initiative regained as the enemy responds.

The inactive player is watching for opportunities for Op Fire or Reactive Fire, weighing the Initiative point expenditure on those activities against the final level of Initiative at the end of the Order for a possible counterstrike. Most of what the active player does (Move, Assault, Fire – either directly or in melee) can be responded to by the inactive player. Another thing that really struck me is how the common Order Matrix allows both players to come up with a plan – that is, they have some sense of control of time and space, while they both often surprise each other by the sequence of choices. The intertwined activities channeled through the Order Matrix provide a flow to the conflict, keeping both players mentally engaged, while maintaining a structure to the play itself

that makes it easy to follow. Once familiar with the rules, players will find the items needed for quick reference during play, step-by-step instructions for Direct Fire, Barrage and Melee procedures, the Terrain Chart and other helpful reminders on four cardstock pages. Another thing I noticed during playtesting and demos is that players memorized most of the key die modifiers almost immediately and easily picked up the die-rolling mechanisms used to resolve Orders. Trips back to the rulebook should be few and far between.

The first title in the series is“Grossdeutschland Infantry Division” (FF:GD). FF:GD is a standalone game in the Fighting Formations game series. While utilizing the basic rules, FF:GD’s playbook includes specific terrain, fortification and unit special action rules in order to more accurately portray tactical warfare as experienced by the participants in Russia during this time period. In keeping with the central design focus on “the formation”, the playbook provides detailed notes about the different kinds of weapons capabilities used by the unit as well as a thoroughly researched Table of Organization, which allows readers to see how units in the game actually map into the complete historical organization of the unit.

And, yes… it’s got tanks! B

Playtest components

There was some difficulty in translating the area/impulse system to the age of pike and musket.

I wanted to emphasis the leadership of the generals (or lack of it) and the differences between cavalry, infantry and artillery. Fortunately this works quite well as each regiment has a basic combat strength

and an attack bonus. Irish Cavalry have a high attack bonus as they were trained to charge with élan, the Williamite cavalry are more numerous, but less aggressive. Cavalry are weak in defence, but have the ability to withdraw before combat and at the end of their turn, so they can rally and

Battles Magazine # 3 - 107

MOST Field Commander: Napoleon WANTED

DVG

by Dan Verssen (designer)

Field COMMaNder NaPOleON Will Be the third iN Our SerieS of Field Commander games.

charge again, a powerful combination on the battlefield. Most English regiments were newly raised or lukewarm and the Irish were ill-armed and worse trained, so they have a deficit of -1 when attacking. The Huguenots and Scots-Irish are the only infantry with a positive attack bonus to reflect their keenness in battle, but the Dutch have the highest combat factors as they were armed the latest military hardware - flintlocks and bayonets.

Artillery can support troops in combat in the same or an adjacent area, but are slow to move and useless when fatigued. They can bombard, adding their combat factors and the number of enemy units in the target area, but rolling one die instead of two, even so a useful softeningup process against an area packed with enemy troops. Although players activate areas as normal they have to roll a die to see how many activation points they receive, adding the command ability of a general and receiving bonuses for a activating only Foot and Artillery or Horse and Dragoons, or only regiments from one brigade. He may then activate units in the area for one activation point, or adjacent areas for two points. The general himself moves for free and adds his combat bonus when attacking or defending, at the risk of being wounded - William of Orange was struck by a cannonball the day before the battle and General Schomberg was killed by the Jacobite Horse Guards with three sword cuts to the head and a bullet in the brain.

The game has more playing pieces than NWBM, but its 150 combat pieces are usually stacked in brigades, two in each area. The activation die rolls mean players will sometimes have to attack with a few regiments, wait for better luck in their next impulse or sacrifice the initiative for a re-roll.

Victory Points are won by capturing important areas, routing enemy regiments or forcing them to retreat off the board. Given their greater numbers, better generalship and superior artillery the Williamites need an outright victory to win the game, with the Jacobites treating a tactical draw as a minor victory, they might even decide to live and fight another day, and a skilful retreat can win the game if they are not hotly pursued. A more aggressive Jacobite may use his Irish Horse and French Brigade to catch the Williamites piecemeal as they struggle across the river, and make Battle of the Boyne a Catholic victory. B

108 - Battles Magazine # 3

The first game Rommel followed the three WWII campaigns of General Erwin Rommel: France 1940, North Africa, and France Post D-Day. The second game Alexander detailed the life of Alexander the Great on four mounted maps from his quelling of the Greek rebellion through his death in Babylon with four mounted maps.

Napoleon will be a huge game. It will include six 11” x 17” mounted maps and will recreate all of his history altering campaigns. There will be 10 campaigns in all, from Italy in 1796 to the 100 Days in 1815.Each campaign will have its own unique set of army counters that depicts the unit troop quality at that point in history. As time passed, many French units degraded in quality as training times shortened. The game works on the division level with each counter representing an infantry or cavalry division along with its officers and cannons. Each campaign will have 20 to 40 unit counters on the map at any given time. This keeps the games easily manageable, while still giving plenty of options for strategic decision-making. To accurately represent all these forces in the game, we will probably need to expand the game to include 2 counter sheets. To date, each Field Commander game has required only one sheet of counters.

The player commands Napoleon’s forces, while the game’s systems control the opposing armies.

Each campaign has specific historical victory conditions as well as vital areas that gain the owner political advantages. The player must decide how to best advance his war to both gain victory and maximize his political advantages.

Wan Chiu will be creating the artwork for the game. Wan previously created the artwork for our Field Commander Alexander game, our Frontline WWII infantry card game, and the box art for our Phantom Leader air war game. He has already created the box art for Napoleon, and I think it’s one of our best boxes ever. Napoleon will follow the series standards of providing the core game rules in the rulebook, and the rules specific to each campaign on their maps. This makes playing the games very easy with a minimum of rules referencing.Our goal is to keep core rules consistent from game to game within the Field Commander series. This makes learning each new game much easier. Once you’ve learned one game, you’ll be able to pick-up the next game and focus on the game play rather than learning the rules. Because of this, we use a standardize set of mechanics for some sections like supply. The supply rules for all the

Field Commander games will be very similar, but we then add or subtract rule sections as needed for each game. This is one of the ways we give a unique feel and flavor to each game in the series.

For Rommel we needed rules for shore invasions, so they were created and used as needed. In Alexander, we needed a destiny system so we created the rules for temples and prophecies. We try to zero-in on what makes each commander’s situation interesting and unique, then create the rules needed to represent that within the system.

For Napoleon and other Generals in his day, battle planning and battlefield control were vital.

Commanders would enter a battle with a general plan, but the timing for when to put each part of the plan into motion was vital. Also, the ability to anticipate and react to battlefield conditions was vital. Napoleonic battles were huge, sometimes covering miles. This led to a significant delay between when an order was given, when it was received, and when it could be put into motion. To represent this in the game, we are testing a delayed order system that gives the player some insight on what is happening, but still requires him to anticipate what will happen. In short, the player needs to use his skills to issue the best orders he can based on what he thinks the situation will become. Even with all these enhancements and additions, each campaign will still be playable in one to two hours. A major design goal of the Field Commander series is to keep the games playable.

There are many great games, but they often suffer from long hours of set-up and play, so they never actually get played. In this series, each campaign takes only 10 minutes of set-up. This makes each campaign very playable in a single sitting.

I have been happy to see the ease in which players have been able to introduce new people to the Field Commander series at game conventions.

More than once, I have seen a person playing one of our Field Commander games in a common gaming room and have a person walk up to see what’s happening. The person playing will look up and explain,“I have a choice. I can either move here and attack, or move these forces to defend…” This instantly engages the interest of the new person because they can easily see the available choices and the possible outcomes. The coolness improves when they are actually able to see the results of their decisions in only a few minutes due to the speedy game play. Before long, the new person has drug-up a chair to act as a co-commander.

Field Commander Napoleon will begin preordering in January 2010, and like our other DVG products, each person who pre-orders through our web site can have their name printed on all the game boxes. B

the lion’s sword VAE VICTIS - SPECIAL ISSUE

by Frédéric Bey (designer) Now that Vae Victis has released its own collection of games published independently from the magazine and boasting die-cut counters, now is the opportunity (finally – some would say) to publish the titles in this terrific series in the new format. Following Aspern-Essling 1809 (Jours de Gloire series), published in December 2009, Nicolas Stratigos (the editor-in-chief of Vae Victis) asked me to develop a new module of the Au Fil de l’Epée series (see Battles #1) for release in June 2010. The requirements were very precise: no more than 216 counters and one 2 x A3 map that could be printed on both sides. With these specifications in hand, I set out to search for a theme that could be adapted to this format while also keeping true to the principles of the AFdE series, with the hope that I could create a module that could include several battles. iNSPiratiON

In the back of my mind, I had kept the memory of two titles I had played before, published by a small French firm, Délires SARL: Bouvines 1214 (by Jean-Marie Leuckx and Patrick Daugé, 1994) and Arsouf 1191 (by Eric Dumont and Patrick Daugé, 1996). While the first was featured in the 13th French championships in 1994 and was a success, the second is much less known. This simulation, which was simple enough, made me fascinated in the very particular situation of the battle of Arsuf: an attack on a column of Richard the Lionheart’s men by a swarm of Saladin’s cavalry, the development of several multi-faceted counter-

legion of Honor CLASH OF ARMS

by Lt. Col. Richard J. Kane, Sr., U.S. Army, Retired (designer) leGiON OF hONOr iS a Card-BaSed rOle-PlaYiNG GaMe that dePiCtS the liFe OF a FreNCh SOldier duriNG the NaPOleONiC era, from 1792 to 1815.

In the game, players vie and cooperate with one another to attain fame and fortune. In this article, one of the co-designers describes the beginnings of the game as a concept and its evolution, to be published soon by Clash of Arms Games.

West Berlin, 1982. Stationed in that then walled city, a confluence of events came together to inspire

attacks, and the importance of charging Crusader cavalry. This is what pushed me to have the Battle of Arsuf (7 September 1911) as the principal battle of the new module and, in the hope of dedicating it entirely to King Richard, to find a second battle that could complete the module. In order to recycle counters and use the same Crusader units in both battles, I searched for an engagement that took place during the same campaign. I decided upon the Battle of Tremetusia (21 May 1191). This battle took place on the island of Cyprus, a prelude to the Third Crusade to the Holy Land. It opposed the cavalry of Richard the Lionheart and the army under the Byzantine governor, Isaac Komnenos, and resulted in the Crusader conquest of Cyprus. realiZatiON

The Third Crusade, led by three prestigious kings (Philip II, Frederick Barbarossa, and Richard the Lionheart), has a rich historiography.

Sources, abundant for the Battle of Arsuf, are rare for the Cypriot campaign that came before it. To develop this game, I relied upon the classic general histories: L’épopée des Croisades by Grousset, A History of the Crusades by Ruciman, and L’Histoire des Croisades and its various complements, by Michaud. The excellent work

by Philippe Lamarque and Claire Constans in La salle des Croisades du château de Versailles alone provided more information than was necessary on the subject of armour for use on the counters! Also note that thanks to the work done by historians like Reinaud in Extraits de historiens arabes relatifs aux guerres des Croisades, it is possible to have access to translations of the principal Arabic sources on the subject. As for Richard the Lionheart, the recent work of Jean Flori (1999) constitutes a perfect summary of this “knight-king”.With these sources, it was possible to determine the make-up

the inception of Legion of Honor. First, there was the ascent of Dungeons and Dragons, which I remember first seeing at Origins I at a single table. While never to be a fantasy gamer, the idea intrigued me. Then there was the publication of En Garde! by GDW, which I enjoyed but felt that there was ample scope to streamline mechanics. Third, there was the1977 movie, The Duellists, with all its panache, period color, and premise of incessant personal enemies. Lastly, I was introduced to the follies of Arthur Conan Doyle’s likable character, Brigadier Gerard. In discussions with my fellow wargamers, we thought, “Why not a Napoleonic role-playing game?” That is as far as the idea would progress for 17 years.

Fast forward to 1999. My thoughts about the game were rekindled by my now current wargame club with its particular interest in

of the forces involved with an acceptable level of precision and to translate that into units for Au Fil de l’Epée. Accounts of the battle itself (such as that of Joinville, for example) make it possible to judge the value of each unit involved according to how they behaved in the battle. The principal leaders who took part in the battle are well known, but to model their value in game terms required a bit of personal interpretation. In any case, the combat bonus given to the important banner-leaders in the series could be argued and discussed for hours without any definitive or incontestable conclusion.

The rules in the Au Fil de l’Epee series will be given a good tidying-up in the spring as part of the release of this new module. I am in the process of analyzing and assessing all of the remarks and critiques I’ve accumulated since the release of Epés Normandes. This review involves re-organizing the rulebook itself and adding more examples of play in order to make approaching the series even more smooth. In its development, The Lion’s Sword (the name is not definitive yet) borrows from Epées et Croisades due to the similarity of the armies involved. In particular, I am thinking of the rules that deal with attacking waves of Muslim cavalry. The design of the map and the counters is in the hands of Pascal Da Silva, in keeping with the style of his earlier designs. The counters (one strength point per 100 men) include both images of figures and coat-of-arms in order to identify their banners.

While there won’t be any revolutionary aspects in the AFdE rules for these two battles, which are the 31st and 32nd in the series (already), the fact that the game will be appearing for the first time with professional components and die-cut counters has pushed me to keep an eye on their development very closely, with a level of dedication that, I hope, will please fans of the series. B

Legion Of Honor Cover Illustration

REVIEW

by Bruno Moal

dien bien phu Squad Battles Series Publisher HPS SIMULATIONS

Speaking of solitaire gaming, it would seem to make sense to look at what computer games have to offer.

Napoleonics. With one published game under my belt and another soon to come, I was positioned and inspired to devote some time and mental energy to the project.

Most fundamental was the question as to how to structure the game. I wanted to follow the real historical outline yet provide for some variation in play. Tied to this was how to achieve simplicity in mechanics. These considerations led directly to the decision to use cards to drive game play.

Obviously, the game would have to recreate the high points in army life and history by depicting the great battles of the era. However, as an army veteran, I also sought to recreate the more humdrum aspects of military life – mounting guard, long marches, staff work, etc.

The result was to break the game down into a series of rounds (read “hands of cards”) of two types, In Garrison and On Campaign rounds. These were grouped into campaign seasons consisting of variable numbers of each type of round. While each campaign season was aligned to certain years or groups of years of the Napoleonic Era, rounds and campaign seasons were not required to literally equate to specific time periods. Event cards would be assigned to certain rounds of certain campaign seasons, thereby achieving the unfolding script of history.

With all this in mind, I was returning home with my wargame friends from Origins 2000 when I mentioned to my now co-designer, Michael Ruttle, “Michael. I’veB been thinking about this game.” I then described the basic concept of the game, how it would operate, and

110 - Battles Magazine # 3

the above game structure. As a Napoleonic enthusiast of the first order, he responded immediately with a torrent of ideas as to the composition of the cards and events. I wrote down this stream of consciousness as we drove back home along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and around eight hours later, the game was largely designed in concept. All the basic flesh was put on the game structure bones.

Given that history unfolds in chronological order through the salient political and military events, there is no variability as to when an event takes place. It must occur in its assigned round through the placement of its card in the specified round. To create variability, what varies is the command (armies or, later, corps) to which a player is assigned. A key feature of play, therefore, is to jockey oneself into those commands “where the action is” (what we call the “Forrest Gump” factor in the game). Players therefore navigate history using the Opportunity Sheet as their chronological road map to be in the right command at the right moment.

There are four ways to obtain victory points to win the game: achieving the highest level in the Legion of Honor, obtaining the most glory, achieving the highest rank, and accumulating the most money. These multiple conditions of victory, along with the Forest Gump factor, ensure that there is no single, obvious path to success.

Moreover, there is a down side to almost every opportunity or strategy. Responding to an early criticism of the prototype game, we increased player interactivity so that players directly compete or cooperate as suits their interests. All these features further increase the variability in

game play. Thus, winning is not tied to history, for this is a given but, rather, what one makes of the opportunities that Fate presents. As we like to say, “Victory is on everyone’s lips, but glory is on everyone’s minds.”

Period feel is paramount to Legion of Honor, and this is evoked in various ways, from the artwork to the card events to the dark humor written into the rules. It is therefore routine for players to lapse into Franglais during play. Duels between players and non-player characters are also an important feature, again evoking The Duellists. Even the jesting and “woofing” between players can translate into a cause for a duel.

Legion of Honor is not a beer and pretzels game (the rules as of this writing are at 28 pages, including examples of play). However, the use of cards and the Rules Summary Sheet enable anyone to step into game play. Moreover, the game has a definite attraction for nonwargamers.

While I have said that the game follows the sequence of history, there is actually one possible “small” departure from the historical record. This was introduced at the insistence of my Francophile co-designer, but which also adds a “Hail Mary” opportunity to co-win for those players who fall behind. Will that momentous battle of 1815 be forever known as “Waterloo” or “Mont Saint Jean?” B

By way of explanation to wargamers who have spent the last ten years in hibernation, the Squad Battles series from HPS Simulations, dedicated to tactical combat, covers very different conflicts, from the Spanish Civil War to the RussoAfghan War of 1979. The Second World War has received most attention, with five of the 11 games currently available. The scale used by this series is that of the squad. Support weapons, such as machine guns and artillery, are serviced by two or three men apiece. Each vehicle represents one unit. One hex is the equivalent of 40 meters and a turn corresponds to five minutes. Fans of ASL, LnL, or CoH will find themselves on familiar ground.

In Dien Bien Phu, the eleventh game of the Squad Battles series, HPS Simulations presents a look at the French Indochina War of 1946-1954.

The quality of the sounds associated with the various weapons immerses players into the combat of the time. However, from a graphics standpoint, the game engine has not evolved much from the first game of the series, released in 2001.

They are serviceable, but are far below current standards. As graphics are not the principal interest in a simulation of this genre, let us look at the heart of the matter and find out more about the scenarios and mechanisms of the game.

With 20 maps, 70 scenarios, and seven campaigns, Dien Bien Phu has, along with Korean War, the most content of all games in the series.

The scenarios are different and more or less long to play, depending on the size of the map and the amount of units to manage, lasting between eight and 108 turns. They perfectly handle the configuration of the French Indochina War. Scenarios include ambushes against French convoys, notably the tragic episode of route coloniale quatre (RC4), but also assaults on fortified positions, such as the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Battle of Na San. Patrols into the jungles and rice patties, into the Delta with large amphibious vehicle support, the famous “crabs” and “alligators”, have not been forgotten. This

Dien Bien Phu: Gabrielle’s position will not hold until dawn.

allows the French The voyage is long and the player to escape potential for ambush is great from being stuck in on the RC4. defensive actions only.

The exotic characteristics of the diverse units and the equipment used at the time by the French expeditionary corps have been carried over to the platform well. In the game we find paratroopers, Algerian On the coast, the Alligators and the Crabs have emerged. infantry, Moroccans, Vietnamese partisans and, of course, the French Legion, dressed in their stereotypical white kepis.

As for the playability of the scenarios, it is necessary to point out that certain engagements are very difficult for the French player. Line-of-sight in jungle terrain is very limited, which makes it difficult for support weapons to become involved. In general, the terrain offers good protection from mortar and artillery fire, and gives significant advantages to ambushes.

However, assaults over minefields and barbed wire are very bloody for the Vietnamese, though the benefits of massed assault and nighttime infiltrations compensate for this problem.

As victory is determined by points associated with objectives on the map but also losses suffered, it is necessary for each player to avoid engaging his units carelessly.

Despite a high price, an old graphics engine and a few small, but persistent, imperfections, the Squad Battles series remains worthy of interest for fans of tactical combat simulations. Dien Bien Phu follows the standards established by its predecessors and adapts them well to the war in Indochina. While the changes in gameplay are not radical, the consideration given to the specific conditions of what the French call the “sale guerre” (dirty war) gives a distinct flavor to this installment, extending the series’ already long life. B

Battles Magazine # 3 - 111

tHe sItuatIon

by Laurent Closier

This image is taken from the introductory scenario #1.

Without any real anti-aircraft capability (only one ZSU23), the Soviets will suffer at the hands of the American Cobras and their TOW missiles. Don’t be fooled by this seemingly barren terrain. The LOS rules take into account the effects of plateaus and cause numerous trouble spots.

aIr Cav

The mid-1980s saw the release of several tactical games focused on a hypothetical NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict: Air & Armor, MBT, the Assault Series, Battleground: Europe, Tac Air. Today, it’s very difficult to find these games on a table. The complexity of MBT, with its endless set of charts, reserved it for the elite. The Assault Series has a large enough number of fans that they’ve created a Yahoo! Group dedicated to the series, but its notoriety has inflated the price of its modules in the second-hand market. As for Battleground: Europe and Air & Armor, they have left behind few memories of their existence. That leaves Tac Air with its attractive map and especially Air Cav, its box cover featuring an American AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter.

It was before Craig Grando...

aIr Cav, or HelICoPter fasHIon vICtIM

Air Cav is a unique game and it is for that reason that it has its own place in this category. It stands out from the others as it is the only one that, at the scale of one counter per vehicle, gives place to this particular weapon of modern tactical combat: the attack helicopter. The entire game is based around this vehicle, though many other elements of combat are included (infantry, armoured vehicles of all kinds, and artillery). One of the game’s designers, Terry Merridy, had designed a game with the same theme several years earlier – Air Cobra – but it was of greater complexity, ala Air War. This was a fashionable topic at the time: perhaps you remember the film Blue Thunder in which the heroes travel over Los Angeles during the night in a helicopter filled with electronics and sensors of all kinds (in fact, it was a French Gazelle type helicopter re-painted for use in the film). At the same time, the “exploits” of the powerful Russian Mi-24 Hind in Afghanistan were putting attack helicopters in the spotlight. And everyone knew about the legendary morning scene in Apocalypse Now. It would make sense that the small world of wargaming would be swept up in the fad, but only Air Cav appeared. Perhaps it was considered too difficult to include this aircraft in a game of moderate complexity in a realistic manner, or perhaps the release of Air Cav killed other projects before they saw the light of day. In any case, the result is that Air Cav is the only game covering this subject and its game system (the basic rules occupy only eight pages) is still pertinent.

an uGlY duCKlInG?

The recurring critiques of Air Cav that can be found are concerned with the mediocre graphical quality of the maps, the generic-looking counters, and the recourse to many tables and charts during play. Concerning the first point, the map is at the same level of quality as the early Tactical Combat Series maps, which satisfied many players (some of the maps are even compatible in terms of scale – 100 metres per hex and a 10 metre difference between two levels).As for the second point, the silhouettes as seen from above are fine (much like those used in MBT) and their generic quality allows for the representation of all types available in the world without the need for 10 counter sheets. Lastly, the use of multiple tables permits the quick reference of a lot

112 - Battles Magazine # 3

The Soviet BMP-1s and their 73mm guns try to get within firing range (14 hexes) of the helicopter that is covering the two bridges. They utilize the forest and the relief of the terrain to remain outside of the LOS of the helicopter.

of information that could not be represented on the counters. Though referencing them can seem cumbersome, this is made easier by extracting only the information needed for the scenario you wish to play (see the player aids proposed at the end of this article).

The only real criticisms we can have of Air Cav is the long playing time of the larger scenarios due to the interactive game system and the surprising design choices made (see below).

tHe MarK of J. BalKosKI

Air Cav is the collaborative result of Joseph Balkoski (cf. the article in Battles Magazine #2) and Terry Merridy, an ex-helicopter-gunner from the US Army. The game uses the cycle of activations of varying length dear to this designer, but pushed to its limits. The result is a very high level of interaction between the two players. Initiative is determined in the classic way of a die roll, the winner being designated the active player. He can activate his units one at a time and then pass the turn to his adversary, who then becomes the active player. When all units have been activated or when there are two consecutive passes, the game turn is over. This is the theoretical unfolding of a turn but initiative can change hands at any moment. In fact, if an activated unit is eliminated, the unit that caused the elimination becomes the active unit and its owner the active player. This player can then continue with the activation of this victorious unit and eventually activate other units as well, until the turn returns to the other player – which can occur as the result of another unit elimination! The game turn can thus become the scene of a lot of back-and-forth, and the tension keeps players on their toes!

This AH-1S Cobra at low altitude hits the Soviet convoy approaching the first bridge with enfilading fire. The smoking wreck of the ZSU-23 stands as testament to the delicate situation the troops will be facing. The helicopter’s high altitude gives it a complete view of the battlefield.

The second Cobra in NOE mode covers the road and the two bridges, protected by a wood

tHe KInG of tHe BattlefIeld

Logically, helicopters in this game are treated in a more detailed manner than other combat units. Firstly, they can fly at two different altitudes: low level and ‘Nap of Earth’ (NOE). In the first case, they move via the mega-hexes that each occupy seven normal hexes, representing their higher speed as com-

Battles Magazine # 2 - 107

AH-1S COBRA # of shots

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

DM

MFC

SFC

NV

ECM

1975

A-RH

–

E

–3

–

LR/BC

BC

ALE

RJ/RD/IRJ/IRS/LDR

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

8

(M) TOW ATGM

1975

1/37

8

10

10

10

10

9

8

–3

–1

0

0

0

0

–3

–2

–1

–1

–4

4

(M) ECAS Rkts

1975

4/40

–

9

10

10

10

9

9

–4

–3

–2

–1

0

0

–1

–2

–2

0

NA

∞

(S) 20mm Cannon

1975

0/20

10

10

10

8

6

–

–

–6

–5

–3

–2

–2

0

–1

–2

–1

0

–1

AH-64 APACHE # of shots

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

DM

MFC

SFC

NV

ECM

1984

A-RH

–

D

–3

–

LR/LD/BC

BC

TI/ALE

RJ/RD/IRJ/IRS/LDR

# of shots

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

DM

MFC

SFC

NV

ECM

1982

A-RH

1S

D

–2

–

LR/LD/BC

BC

TI/ALE

RD/IRJ/IRS

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

4

(M) AT-6 ATGM

1979

2/60

3

8

10

10

10

9

9

–2

–1

0

0

0

0

–3

–2

–1

–1

–4

8

(M) 57mm Rockets

1975

5/30

–

8

10

10

9

9

8

–6

–4

–3

–2

–1

0

–1

–2

–3

0

NA

∞

(S) Gatling MG

1975

0/15

10

9

7

6

–

–

–

–9

–9

–6

–4

–1

0

–1

–3

–1

–1

–2

ZSU-23

AeT

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

SM

DM

MCM

OV/CAM

MFC

SFC

NV

1975

TLAV

–

D

–2

0

–2

–

3

R

OS

IRSL/WLSL

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

(M) Hellfire ATGM

1984

1/50

9

10

10

10

10

10

9

–2

–1

0

0

0

0

–2

–2

–1

0

–4

# of shots

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

(M) Hellfire POST

1986

1/60

9

10

10

10

10

10

10

–2

–1

0

0

0

0

–1

–2

–1

0

–3

∞

(M) 4× 23mm Cannon 1975

0/25

10

10

8

7

7

6

–

–8

–6

–4

–3

–1

0

–2

–2

–1

–2

0

4

(M) ECAS Rkts

1975

4/40

–

9

10

10

10

9

9

–4

–3

–2

–1

0

0

–1

–2

–2

0

NA

∞

(S) 7.62mm MG

0/8

10

7

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–8

–2

–2

–2

–3

–2

–2

–2

∞

(S) 30mm Cannon1

1984

0/20

10

10

10

9

7

–

–

–6

–5

–3

–1

–1

0

–1

–2

–1

0

–1

8 (either)

M-150 # of shots

AeT

Type

TC

TT

EVM

SM

DM

MCM

OV/CAM

MFC

SFC

NV

1975

TLAV

–

D

–3

–4

–5

–

–

OS

–

IRSL/WLSL/TI

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

10

(M) TOW ATGM

1975

1/37

8

10

10

10

10

9

8

–3

–1

0

0

0

0

–3

–2

–1

–1

–4

∞

(S) 7.62mm MG

1975

0/8

10

7

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–8

–2

–2

–2

–3

–2

–2

–2

# of shots 6 (either) ∞

# of shots

Date

Type

TT

SM

DM

CAM

MFC

NV

1975

INF

F

–5

–6

0

OS

TI

Date 1975

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

(M) Stinger SAM

1982

1/39

10

10

10

10

9

9

8

NA

NA

NA

–3

–2

0

NA

NA

–1

0

0

(M) Stinger POST

1986

1/50

10

10

10

10

10

9

9

NA

NA

NA

–2

–1

0

NA

NA

–1

0

0

(S) M-16 AR

1975

0/3

9

–

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–6

–2

–2

–3

–4

–1

–2

0

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

SM

DM

MCM

OV/CAM

MFC

SFC

NV

1982

Tank

–

A

–3

–1

–4

–

2

LR/BC

BC

ALE/TI

# of shots

AeT

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

SM

DM

MCM

OV/CAM

MFC

SFC

NV

1975

TLAV

1S

D

–2

–3

–3

–3

2

OS

OS

WLSL/IRSL

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

∞

(M) 73mm Gun

1975

0/13

10

8

6

–

–

–

–

–6

–4

–2

–1

X

0

–2

–2

–2

–3

–7

5

(M) Sagger ATGM

1975

5/30

–

9

9

9

9

8

8

–3

–2

0

0

0

0

–4

–2

–2

–2

–5

∞

(S) 7.62mm MG

1975

0/8

10

7

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–8

–2

–2

–2

–3

–2

–2

–2

Soviet Team (ATGM)

Weapons (Main/Sec)

M-1 ABRAMS

Weapons (Main/Sec)

BMP-1

Date

US Team (SAM)

# of shots 2 (either) ∞

Date

Type

TT

SM

DM

CAM

MFC

NV

1975

INF

F

–6

–5

0

OS

–

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

(M) Sagger ATGM

1975

5/30

–

9

9

9

9

8

8

–3

–2

0

0

0

0

–4

–2

–2

–2

–5

(M) AT-4 ATGM

1978

1/20

9

10

10

9

8

–

–

–4

–3

–1

0

0

0

–3

–2

–1

–2

–4

(S) AKS AR

1975

0/3

9

–

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–6

–2

–2

–3

–4

–1

–2

0

T-62

AeT

Date

Type

TC

TT

EVM

SM

DM

MCM

OV/CAM

MFC

SFC

NV

1975

Tank

–

B

–1

–3

–3

–

2

OS

OS

WLSL/IRSL

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

# of shots

Weapons (Main/Sec)

Date

Mn/Mx

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30 +

A

B

C

D

E

F

Wd/S

Tn

OpF

MvT

AeT

∞

(M) 120mm Gun

1975

0/32

10

10

10

10

9

8

6

–2

–1

0

0

X

0

–1

–2

–1

–1

–3

∞

(M) 115mm Gun

1975

0/30

10

10

8

5

3

2

1

–3

–1

0

0

X

0

–1

–1

–2

–4

–4

∞

(S) 12.7mm MG

1975

0/13

10

8

6

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–8

–7

–2

–1

–1

–2

–2

–1

–1

∞

(S) 12.7mm MG

1975

0/13

10

8

6

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–8

–7

–2

–1

–1

–2

–2

–1

–1

∞

(S) 7.62mm MG

1975

0/8

10

7

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–8

–2

–2

–2

–3

–2

–2

–2

∞

(S) 7.62mm MG

1975

0/8

10

7

–

–

–

–

–

–10

–10

–9

–8

–2

–2

–2

–3

–2

–2

–2

Player aid

You will find in this proposed player aids the number of missiles available for each unit/ formation (‘# of shots’ column). In addition, you will note that the Hind-E has been put up to date as per the current capabilities of this helicopter (transport capacity and armament). pared to the other units on the map. At this altitude they are more vulnerable as they can be attacked by ground-to-air missiles. On the other hand, at NOE level, the helicopters move along the normal hexes and so are at a reduced speed. Flying at virtually ground level allows them to follow the terrain and keep themselves in relative security from ground-to-air missiles. For combat, they can use the Pop-Up fire tactic which allows them to fire their missiles while maintaining cover without the need to see the target, as it is designated by another friendly unit.

If I Can See You, I Can Kill You!

At the beginning of the game, every unit is unknown to the opponent (counters flipped). Before engaging in combat, it is necessary to locate the target. To do so, the firing unit needs to have an unobstructed line of sight (LOS) to the target (except for Pop-Up fire) but also be within the maximum observation range. This range is determined by the nature of the target and its location. For example, a vehicle in clear terrain is visible from

114 - Battles Magazine # 3

MI-24V HIND-E

30 hexes away (as long as LOS is unobstructed, of course). The same goes for a helicopter at NOE level in clear terrain. However, a vehicle in wooded terrain is only visible from four hexes away or less. It is possible to see the target without being spotted, as long as the target is destroyed as a firing unit is visible from 40 hexes away. So, be wary of return fire! An active unit can also be seen by an inactive unit that it, in turn, cannot see. So, return fire can come from a third unit unseen by the original attacking unit. This notion of maximum observation range varies according to the period of the day (day or night) and the weather (storm, snow, etc.). It also varies according to the optical equipment (infrared goggles, thermal imaging, etc.) each unit has (cf. advanced rules).

Modern tactical combat is lethal. Every hit on a targeted unit results in the destruction or the knocking of the unit out of combat. And as this destruction can switch the initiative from one player to the other, players have to carefully plan out in what order they will activate their units.

Each unit has 12 Operation Points (OP) which are spent by conduct three types of operations: movement, firing, and reaction. An active unit can conduct all three operations while an inactive unit can only conduct the latter two. During a game turn, all units on the map can spend their OP to act (active unit) and react (inactive units). Once activation is completed, a unit can still spend its OP (if any are left) as an inactive unit. In short, each unit can act (i.e., spend OP) at any moment during the turn: before, during, and after its activation. For example, an inactive tank chosen as a target by a helicopter

can get itself into cover (reaction) then, if it survives the attack, it can move during its activation (movement) and fire on a troop transport (fire). Then, finally, after its activation it can return fire following an attack by an anti-tank team (fire). You quickly realize that it is very difficult to plan out all of a unit’s movement and action beforehand, and that instead it is better to decide upon general objectives. Saving some OP after activation should be a priority in order for a unit to be able to react (evasive movement, firing of smoke shells, defensive fire) during the rest of the turn.

Advanced Rules

These cover several different themes and take-up only five pages. Some of the advanced rules are extensions of the basic rules (for example, observation of units) while others are new aspects of modern combat (such as artillery support). Electronic counter-measures (ECM), for another example, make their appearance here. They are only part of a helicopter’s defense and take the form of die roll modifiers during the resolution of attacks. In certain cases, they prevent the detection of a unit (for example, radar jamming). The unit formations also make an appearance and permit the activation of several units at once.

A ‘60s Western

Obviously, Air Cav isn’t exempt from reproach. The main problem is the absence of any management of missiles. So, despite being equipped with only

eight missiles, nothing prevents an Apache helicopter from firing dozens of times during a game! It’s like an old Western movie where characters fire for prolonged periods without reloading their six-shooters. Thus, it seems imperative to keep track of them. In doing so, units will not fire on everything that moves but will instead save their precious missiles for the higher-value units of their adversary.

Another problematic rule involves Pop-Up fire. Any unit on the map can designate a target for a helicopter, as if the lowest sergeant is in direct and constant contact with the co-pilot! The simplicity of this rule hampers the realism of the game.

Finally, we can also criticise the credibility of some of the scenarios in terms of order of battle.

Conclusion

Air Cav is far from perfect but should be in the gaming library of any serious wargamer. The possibility to create custom scenarios (using some of the maps from TCS, I’m thinking of “Bloody 110” and “Objective Schmidt” to represent the former Yugoslavia and “Strike Force Eagle” for the Middle East), is a positive aspect that can’t be ignored. Personally, I purchased my unpunched copy for less than 20 € in France, and it can regularly be found on eBay for less than $20. For this minor sum, and with minimal setup, you can experience modern tactical combat within the framework of a game system with plenty of surprises. B

Battles Magazine # 3 - 115

Da Silva Pascal

MAESTROS

Voltigeur de Ligne

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m about to reach my half-century mark, I’m married and a father (two adolescents). I have a degree from the ESC Rouen, where I met Frédéric Bey. I have occupied various posts in marketing, principally in industry, and today I am marketing director at Histoire & Collections.

In my spare time, I have several different hobbies like ship and railroad model building, miniatures, music, and I am a fan of comic books and fantasy novels (I was even a GM of AD&D in my youth). Of course, I was a wargamer in the 1980s and 1990s but I don’t have much time to be a counter pusher these days.

You started Canons en Cartons with Frédéric Bey and you’ve worked with Vae Victis for several years. What are your responsibilities with these companies?

Firstly, I should point out that Canons en Cartons is not a company, but simply a commercial label. With my CeC hat on I’m responsible for all of the artwork, production, and management of orders. Considering our catalog, this job takes up quite a bit of time!

With Histoires & Collections my role is that of marketing and sales in the very large sense of the word. I’m also responsible for subscriptions and mail orders and professional distribution. And as I have a little bit of experience with graphic art, I produce internal publications: magazine advertisements, catalogs, etc.

Were you a wargamer before an artist, or vice versa? How have these two activities been linked in your life? Do you use your graphical talents outside of the wargaming world?

From the beginning, I’ve always been attracted by all things military. I played a lot with Airfix soldiers and tried to create game rules for them (without knowing things like this already existed!), but I really got into military history for the purposes of learning how to correctly paint the 54mm models from Historex. Since the discov-

The French Touch

ery of desktop publishing for professional purposes in 1989, I’ve slowly gone from the paintbrush to the mouse.

After 15 years working professionally - even though it wasn’t originally my area of expertise (a product manager who knew how to do catalogs by DTP is rare in the industry) - my two interests were linked with Histoire & Collections.

I’ve also produced a few maps for articles in Revue Napoléon.

I’ve followed your work for a few years now and with every new creation I always admire the way you’ve consistently progressed. Your latest counters for CeC and your latest maps in general demonstrate a great leap forward as compared to your first CeC games (which were already quite nice). What is your working method? Do you work from photos? Do you spend a lot of time designing counters?

The evolution of my work is directly related to the amount of time spent learning the programs that allow me to design! I do all of the designs with Illustrator and I still haven’t learned all of its functions. From one job to another, you learn more and the result gets better and better. This is especially noticeable with my maps as I am using more and more special effects. My objective is to approach a level that appears to be done by hand, so that it doesn’t look like a video game.

As to how I design counters, I work from a model, whether it is a drawing or a photo. I’ll admit that I don’t have the time to draw the silhouettes myself, which would require me to scan the drawings and then re-design them with vectors. It would take too much time.

The amount of time spent designing the counter depends on the counter in question. A face takes me about two hours. Cavalry, much longer. Thankfully, the program allows you to re-use images and this saves a lot of time. The look of infantry is pretty much always the same. You can imagine that I have mannequins in various stances, which I then dress according to necessity.

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 117

Croatian Militia

Your counters use silhouettes, but your style is very different from someone like Nicolas Eskubi, who many have mimicked. Your style looks very“personal”. What are your principal sources of inspiration?

Everything that I can find. But I have a background based more in comics than art history, and to design wargame counters I’m inspired more by figurines than drawings of uniforms which I find too static.

I work with the lighting of silhouettes a lot. This gives the effect of relief.

Unfortunately on a 15mm counter, you don’t always see it. So, I’ve stopped wasting my time on microscopic details that no one can see, like the unique numbers of a regiment, the colour of a braid or the shape of a pocket!

I like to have some freedom with the background of the counter, but this depends on game requirements and the mode of production. Die-cut counters, for example, require a larger margin so that things aren’t cut off by the die, which lowers the space available. That can be frustrating.

But whenever possible, I try to add a few decorative elements, such as with the base of a figurine.

You’ve recently worked with Lock ’n Load Publishing. Will you be working with publishers other than CeC and VV? Would that interest you?

It isn’t impossible, I’d like it if it was my sole job but the problem is that this is in addition to my “real” job. I just don’t have the time!

What’s coming from CeC? When will we see a game with die-cut counters?

We’ve just finished Gospitch & Ocana in the Jours de Gloire series. Next we’re planning a Jours de Gloire campaign game and then Bussaco for the Trophée du Bicentenaire. As for die-cut counters, we’re thinking about it but nothing definite at this point. It would put us at another level in terms of cost and production.

Vae Victis went through some difficulties last year, but it seems that the new formula has re-launched the franchise. Can you tell us more about it?

The difficulties didn’t start yesterday. The publishing business in general is going through rough times. Vae Victis has tried a few different things, like themes or half-wargame, half-history issues, but without any great success. Histoire & Collections is a business with business objectives. Vae Victis is one of its products. Once a product is no longer profitable, it is in danger. The axe didn’t fall last year, and a wellknown market study (that many would like to see the results of) indicated that there was a possibility to save the magazine. Obviously, the study didn’t offer any miracle solutions. There were several options to choose from, and a choice was made. Some think we made the right decisions, others don’t. It’s normal, it’s impossible to please everybody. I won’t go into it in detail, but after three quarters the magazine is out of the red. There is still a lot of work to be done. One thing is for sure, the editorial team (even if they don’t communicate directly) is much more receptive to the public’s comments and suggestions than they were before. We hope that 2010 will confirm the good results from 2009 and offer some new possibilities for 2011. B

120 - BATTLES Magazine # 1

The Canons en Carton products are available at www.fredbey.com

ASL

ASLSK

SUMMER STORMS

ASL B2 SCENARIO

ASLSK B3 SCENARIO Scenario Design : Laurent Martin Thanks : Laurent Tinture

LA VALBONNE, FRANCE, 31 AUGUST 1944

Following the succesful Riviera landings, began a race between the German forces in Southern France and the US troops. The 19.Armee escape following the Rhône valley and, despite heavy losses, succeeded in forcing the Montelimar bottleneck and heading north. Also hampered by new supply problems, the US 45th and 36th Infantry Divisions followed, with the first French units of « Armée B ». Lyon is their most important objective. But the German command will still try to gain time.

On August 31, the efficient 11th Panzer-Division counter-attacks the most dangerous allied spearhead around Meximieux, northeast of Lyon. The most dangerous threat is for the 179th Infantry Regiment, supported by the local Resistance. An especially tough fight occurrs around la Valbonne, a French army camp near a small village. The GI’s fought with Compagnie Giraud, an experienced « maquisard » outfit, reinforced by some machine-guns and bazookas from recent airdrops and enjoying the cover of some air-protection trenches. Following a quick briefing, the Allied commanders prepare for the German onslaugth.

VICTORY CONDITIONS: Germans win if there is < 1 Good Order Allied Squad/Equivalent In Buildings < 3 hexs of 56Q6 and 48Q5 at Game end. Allied units must have a LOS towards 56Q6/48Q5 in order to count.

56

33

48

(note 16) 2

2-2-7

7

4

9-1

3-3-7

LMG

2

2

2

RADIO

?

8

?

FOXHOLE 1 squad

9

2

TRENCH

5

8 M15/ 42(i)

(note 28)

on Board 48

enter on Turn 1 by 33R9

4-6-7

5

2 LMG

1

2

3

4

5

6

SPECIAL RULES: 1) All buildings are stone buildings. 2) German may use HIP for two guns and two squads with or without SW. 3) Gurkha units set up everywhere on maps V and X except half hexes; two Gurkha leaders must set up on map V and the two others on map X. 4) Gurkha Support group (4 338 1 HMG 3 MTR) can’t drop deliberately or transfer his SW 5) Gurkha units 648/338 not suffer Cower and ELR ; have a DRM -1 for ambush AND Close Combat. 6) German determined defense : if german lost 2 squad-equivalents, german ELR becomes 4 ; if German lost 4 squad Elements of the 2/8th and 2/10th Gurkha Rifles with support group, to set up on maps V and X, see SSR 3

E 2

6-4-8

2

10

4 PSK

Gurkha moves first

BALANCE: Gurkha : Delete SSR 6 - German : Delete one Gurkha

4

8-0

8-1

2

Germansets up first

on Board 56

Elements of Panzergrenadiere-Regiment.111 (ELR 3) and armor of Panzer-Regiment.15, set up/enter as indicated : (SAN 3) (SSR 1 and 5) set up on Board Lt MMG LMG MTR 16 and 33, west of Hexrow Y included 5-4-8 4-6-7 2-4-7 2-2-8

7-0

PZIII

Lt MTR

BAZ 44 US

9-1

(note 2)

BAZ 44

MMG US

9-1

81* MTR

MMG

2

6

7-0

(note 23)

7-0

6-6-6

8-0

Reinforced elements of F Company, 179th Infantry Regiment (ELR 4) and Compagnie FFI Giraud (ELR 5), set up as indicated: (SAN 4) (SSR 1 to 4)

VICTORY CONDITIONS: Gurkha player wins instantly if he currently controls four multi-hex buildings on hills.

X

only hexrows R-GG on Board 16 and 33 are playables Allied sets up first German moves first BALANCE: Allied : exchange the M15/42 (i) for a PzJgr I- German : exchange the M15/42 (i) for a Pz IIIN and a 8-1 Armor Leader SPECIAL RULES: 1) EC are Moderate with no Wind at start. Grains are Open Ground. All Board 48 Buildings have a First level and an inherent stairwell. 2) The M 10 GMC, the US SMC Possessing the Radio and one Partisan MMC – and all SMC/SW stacked with – may set up using HIP. 3) The Radio gives access to a 100 + OBA – with Normal Ammo, delete a black chit. 4) All 337/127 and 227 HS are Partisans (A25.24). Only Partisan SMC and the 227 HS use US MMG and BAZ without penalties.

All 337 have Assault Fire (A7.36). 5) German have a 100 + OBA (HE) directed by an Off-Board Observer secretly placed at Level 2 on the West edge of Board 16 with Automatic Initial Battery Access – delete a black chit.

M10 GMC

N

DC

2-7

30-1

2

E 3-3-8

2

HMG

MTR

6-14 51

4

3

Remnants of the 20th Luftwaffefeldivision, to set up on map W except half hexes

1

2

4-6-7

4-4-7

2-2-8

4

5

2

1

enter on Turn 6 by the same North edge road hex – and the adjacent ones

LMG

ELR : 5

9

V

8

W

7

7-0

6

8-0

5

8-0

4

9-1

3

8-1

2

N 16

9-2

1

AVANTI GURKHAS

SANTARCANGELO (NEAR RIMINI), ITALY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1944 After the fall of Rome in June, 1944, the Germans withdraw behind the Apennines to form a new defensive line, The Gothic Line from La Spezia on the West until Pesaro on the Adriatic. The operation «Olive», the offensive of the 8th British Army on theGothic Line, is launched the 24th of August and involve tens of thousand men. The fights are violent on all the front and although the allied offensive is slowed down by the arrival of the German reserves. The port of Rimini falls the 20th of September. The offensive continues northward where German move back in order and offer a certain resistance. It is the case for Santarcangelo whom Gurkhas from the 4th Indian division gets ready to take in the morning of the 22nd of September.

MMG

LMG

5-12

3-8

2

2

AA

AA

M10

*20L

M8

ELR : 3

Scenario Design : Philippe Naud

37L

2

AFTERMATH: German artillery opened the way for an infantry attack. The Panzergrenadiere then stopped when they realized the strength of the opposition. With some armor support, they attacked again.

They were getting in the first houses when a Panzer of Italian origin – the 11.Pz.Div. got some old vehicles when it was reconstitued in Southern France – exposed itself to a M10. Taking no chances, the US tank destroyer quickly destroyed its opponent. Following that loss, the two PzKpfw III beats a hasty retreat. But other Panzergrenadiers came from the north and the GI’s soon found themselves in dire straits. Then, a terrifying storm breaks over the village ! Torrents of water clogged the machine guns, mud slowed the infantry and rain reduce visibility to a few meters. Facing the wrath of nature, the two sides ends the fight … for the day. Next morning, the German forces overran the Allied defenders.

AFTERMATH: Santarcangelo falls definitively to the hands of the Allied the 23rd of September ; in the village and in the area, Gurkhas underwent heavy losses; so, a military cemetery reserved for these Nepalese soldiers of elite was settled to Rimini. The offensive on the Gothic Line forced the Germans to keep 23 divisions of fights in Italy while the Allies strengthened their bridgehead in Normandy.

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 121

COMBATCOMMANDER

LNL

Scenario Design : Pascal Toupy

CC B1 SCENARIO

START

YEAR MARKER: “1945“ space

VP MARKER: “10“ space (Axis side)

x1

AXIS

ALLIES

OBJECTIVE CHITS: OPEN= X and Special Rule 14 ALLIES= random - AXIS= random

POSTURE: Allies=Attack - Axis=Defend - INITIATIVE CARD=Allies OBJECTIVE CONTROL: Allies=#1 - Axis=#2,3,4,5

1-REINFORCEMENTS : Place Lt Bijak and his men into the « 2 » space of the Time Track

x1

x5

x1 13

x3

x1 13

x5

x1

x1

x2

x1

x2 2

x3

x2 2

x1

x2

x51

x1

x11 “14“

x1 x1 3 x1 3 x1

TROOP QUALITY/#ORDER: Allies: Elite/4 Axis: Line/3

SETUP: Allies= last; 1 hex deep - Axis= first; 14 hexes deep

SPECIAL RULES:

x1

x1

1

TIME TRACK: time= “0“ space - Sudden Death=“7“ space

3

x5 15 x2 4 x10 9 “8”

2-VATERLAND : The two Volksturm units must be placed in the foxholes hexes.

3-BURIED PANTHER : The IG33 gun counter +Pillbox counter represent a buried Panther tank. The two counters must be stacked together. If the gun breaks, both counters are eliminated.

It may only be manipulated by an Elite German Team (thus it cannot be used by the Allied player).

4-ACHTUNG MINEN : Mines are at « 8-FP » instead of the default 6-FP. G40 and G41 cards (hidden wire) are played as a G32 Card (hidden mines).

(official rule ST1.1 is not in effect).

9-RUBBLE B : Axis player must place wire in or adjacent to Building Objective hexes.

10-HAND TO HAND COMBAT : Hand grenade actions may be used immediately prior to a melee roll to add +2 to the melee total 11-FALL OF THE REICH : If the Axis player has to roll on the German Support Table, no radio is available, hence he has to reroll.

12-Allied player takes the first Turn

7-DEBRIS & CRATERS : Roads do not exist. Ignore the presence of printed roads for all purposes. Road hexes are considered Open Ground. (= ST4 official rule)

13-SECRET MEDICAL COMPLEX : Before his set up, the Axis player must secretly note one hex of one Objective Building to be Schreiber’s lab (bunker counter). It will be revealed if the Axis player activates Schreiber (Cpl Winkler counter) or a unit stacked with him, or if an Allied unit moves or advances adjacent to the secretly noted lab hex. The scientist will never leave the medical complex (the objective building containing the secretly noted lab hex); Schreiber is working until the last minute on the Übersoldier project or is trying to save his files.

Sturmzombies cannot enter the laboratory hex (bunker hex) which is like a sanctuarium for them.

8-RUBBLE A : All single hexes buildings (Example : B7, L6, D10) represent rubble. Rubble hexes’ Movement Cost is 2, Cover is 2, and they block LOS but have no Rubble Effect

14-NAZI SCIENTIST HUNT : Special scenario objective : capturing (not killing) the Nazi scientist is worth 10 VP. A Russian unit stacked with Kapitan Egorov (or another leader if

5-SECURE THE AREA : Do not add chit W to the draw cup. In addition, neither player may gain exit VPs : any unit exiting the map for any reason is eliminated.

6-RUINS : Do not add chit R to the draw cup.

Egorov is eliminated) that advances into a hex containing Schreiber, captures him automatically if there are no other German units in the hex or after eliminating in Melee any German unit stacked with him. If Schreiber is captured, the counter is immediatly removed from the map.

15-STURMZOMBIES • Initially placed and newly-created Sturmzombie units are represented by US paratrooper counters (or your own counters if you are an artist).

• The Sturmzombies are 8-0-X / 8 units where 8 is their Firepower, 0 is the Range factor (yes they only eat -sorry- hit in melee, X is their Movement factor, and 8 is their Morale. When Sturmzombies break, they maintain these factors.

• Axis player may move ONE Sturmzombie unit with any Advance, Fire, or Move order. Sturmzombies may only move 1 hex per order ; they are not runners. They cannot be activated by an officer order. The Sturmzombies’ 1 hex move is subject to opportunity fire (subject to rules specified below).

• Each time a Fire order OR action is played by either player or a mine counter is activated or a SR is placed, the nearest Sturmzombie unit to the FIRST firer (base unit in case of a firegroup, mine counter, or SR counter) is moved 1 hex in the direction of this firer by the Axis player (yes towards German units too...brains are brains....). The Sturmzombie unit is moved after all the Fire rolls activated by this order have been resolved. This instinctive move is NOT subject to

melee are added together. Yes, they attack all together: family spirit!

• When a German unit melees with Sturmzombies, the Axis player’s deck is used for all dice rolls.

• CONTAMINATION : Whenever a unit is eliminated by a Sturmzombie unit in a melee, this defeated unit has to immediately roll a Morale test (equivalent to Rout test WITHOUT considering cover factors). If the roll fails (the roll is greater than broken Morale), the unit becomes a Sturmzombie unit too. Replace its counter with a US Paratroop counter. The replaced counter (Russian or German) is placed on the casualty track and counts towards VPs and Surrender conditions.

• Any eliminated Sturmzombie unit gives 4VPs (objective X included) to the Allied player, but do not count on the surrender track.

• Sturmzombies are NOT affected by Recover and Rout orders, nor are they affected by Concealment action.

• They benefit from Cover as all other units, except from foxholes .

• They cannot be Veteran nor Suppressed.

• No Quarter German action has no effect on Sturmzombie units surviving a Melee • Axis player must place the 5 Sturmzombie units AFTER the Allied player has finished setting up his forces. For each unit, determine a Random Hex using the German Fate Deck and place the unit in that hex. If

the hex is already occupied by any unit, then redraw. After setting up the 5 Sturmzombie units, reshuffle the deck.

• FEAR & HORROR A : (Optional rule) : during the first three turns, all units firing on Sturmzombies roll for Morale (equivalent to Rout test WITHOUT considering cover factors) after all the firing sequence has been resolved. If the roll fails (roll is greater than Morale), the unit breaks.

• FEAR & HORROR B : (Optional rule) : Throughout the entire game, all units advancing to melee with a Sturmzombie unit roll for Morale (equivalent to Rout test WITHOUT considering cover factors). If the roll fails (roll is greater than Morale), the unit does not advance.

You need Heroes of the Blitzkrieg and Band of Heroes to play this scenario A first version of this scenario was published in Vae Victis HS #6

LNLB4 SCENARIO

1940, MAY 20, MORMAL FOREST, LOCQUIGNOL GLADE, FRANCE -

While the German Panzerdivisions begin their famous «sickle cut», the French armies south of Maubeuge attempt to establish a coherent front behind the Sambre river with their scattered divisions. During about ten days, it will be a series of chaotic fights, ambushes and «coup de main».

Villages, bridges, crossroads and hills will be taken and lost during volent assaults and murdering counter-attacks. On 20 May, the 5th DINA (North African Infantry Division) is in charge to clear the Mortmal Forest one of the important strongpoint on the Sambre front. The 6th RTM (Morrocan Rifle Regiment) and a bunch of survivng tanks of the 39th BCC (Combat Tank batailon) leads the central offensive. As soon as his first elements enter the Locquignl glade, they meet the avant-guard of the 4th PzD, ... Olivier Revenu

FRENCH

Remnants elements of the 6th RTM of the 5th DINA and of the 39th BCC; enter on turn 1 by the west edge of the map • 9 x 1-6-4 • 2 x FM 24/29

• 1 x Hero (Bachir) • 1 x Lt Jalenques w/Assaulter Skill Card

• 1 x Adj. Beaujolais • 3 x R35

• 1 x Adj. Descostes

N

GERMANS

Elements of the 12nd Schutzen Rgt of the 4th Pzd; - setup within 1 hex of K3 • 2 x 0-5-4 • 1 x Wz. 1928 • 1 x PzB39 • 1 x Medic - setup within 2 hexes of F2 • 1 x 1-6-4 • 1 x Hero (Player’s choice) w/Tank Killer Skill Card - setup within 2 hexes of D6 • 1 x 1-6-4 • 1 x MG34 • Lt Hermann - enter at turn 1 by the East edge of the map • 1 x PzjIB

SCENARIO LENGTH AND VICTORY CONDITIONS 7 turns Initiative : French The French wins if he exit at least 6 units (MMC, SMC or vehicles) by the East edge of the map OR if he controls the hexes J3, K3, F5 and D6 at the end of the game

SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES • All the Bocage elements are considered Hedges.

EVENTS • Place Event A (Los) on H8: French activation only.

When activated, read Paragraph One.

• Paragraph One: roll 1D. Even result: Read Paragraph Two. Odd result: Read Paragraph Three • Paragraph Two: German reinforcements enter the battle to slow down the French. 3 x 1-6-4, 1 x MG 34, 1 x Lt von Martial enter by the East edge of the map during any of the following German impulse • Paragraph Three: The command of the 4th Pzd want to get back the initiative. Counter-attack! Objective LeQuesnoy! 6 x 1-6-4, 1 x MG34, 1 x Lt von Martial and 2x PZIIC enter by the East edge of the map during any of the following German impulse. The victory conditions change: the German wins if he exits at least 6 units by the West edge of the map (MMC, SMC or vehicle) OR if he controls the hexes J3, K3, F5 and D6 at the end of the game. Add 4 turns to the scenario lenght to the current turn (For example: if the event is triggered at turn 4, the scenario length is 8 turns)

A DAY IN THE ABYSS

SITUATION REPORT - BERLIN, GERMANY, 26 APRIL 1945 - As Chuikov’s 8th Guards Army fought their way through the southern suburbs of Berlin, Kapitan Egorov was ordered to lead a detachment near Tempelhof Airport to look for a medical complex. More importantly, he was under orders to capture a high-ranking Nazi scientist named Heinrich Schreiber. Schreiber was known by the Russian secret services for conducting experiments on humans.

In fact he had specialized his research to create a new kind of soldier: a soldier with an overwhelming force, without fear, one who would neither tire nor feel emotion : the Übersoldier. He very recently thought he had finally achieved his goal: the few dozens of dead soldiers submitted to his treatment came to life, but unfortunately these re-animated corpses became uncontrollable and a bit too attracted to human flesh... As the Allied troops were marching on Berlin, Schreiber used every remaining minute to refine his formula in the quest of his ultimate goal, until finally in a last bid for more time, he ordered his « failed experiments » to walk the streets of Berlin and stop the fast encroaching « red plague ».

Opportunity fire.

• Furthermore, whenever a « Time !» trigger is rolled, ALL Sturmzombie units (except those engaged in melee) MUST be moved 1 hex by the Axis player (any direction is allowed). This move occurs after all the « Dig In » actions have been played. Any melee resulting from this move is immediatly resolved. This move is a bonus: Sturmzombie units are not considered activated.

• When moving, Sturmzombies are considered a moving target.

• Sturmzombie units can be stacked but their Morale is reduced by 1 for each additional unit. Stacked Sturmzombie units may be moved together with only 1 order card. FP of ALL stacked Sturmzombies in a

This Alpha/1/1 Marine displays two holes in his helmet, the only result of a February 1 run-in with a NVA sniper near the MACV Compound © USMC

by Laurent Guenette

THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE BATTLE OF HUE the summer of 1967, the Vietnamese Communists appeared to be on the brink of losing the Vietnam War. Their moral was as low as ever. Their tactics did not seem to be working, and the Americans had inflicted serious blows upon the North Vietnamese. If the future was to be red, it was only because of the color of blood. So, the Communist leaders decided to get together and plan for the next stage of the war. While American intelligence believed this to be the beginnings of a cease-fire, it turned out to be nothing of the sort.

PREPARATION

With inspiration from General Giap, the North Vietnamese decide upon a general offensive.

Though the goals of this offensive remain vague to this day, it seems that the North Vietnamese leaders believed that a success, even a partial one, would push the South Vietnamese towards insurrection and, eventually, victory over the Americans.

The targets chosen for this offensive were symbolic locations that had not yet been touched by combat. Two targets were particularly important to the offensive: Saigon, capital of South Vietnam, and Hue, the ancient imperial city.

The date chosen for the offensive was that of the Tet holiday.

Over six months, the offensive was prepared with great care: the axes of advance worked out, planning of combat done, reconnaissance conducted (North Vietnamese went themselves to the future battlefields), priority lists of enemy units to be wiped out were written, and the creation of supply dumps closer to the action was completed. All was done while continuing the fighting that was on-going without giving away their plans.

The Tet holiday was not a date chosen at random. Traditionally, during this

The average age of an infantryman fighting in Vietnam was 19.

Vietnamese New Year, combat has been suspended.

Many soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) had gotten permission to spend the holiday with their families. For American troops, this was a time of rest. The traditional 48-hour cease fire beginning on 29 January had been reduced to 36 hours (the South Vietnamese were unwilling to make it any shorter). On the 30th, General William Westmoreland’s HQ put out a general alert. But it was too late. American and South Vietnamese troops either did not receive the alert or ignored it, as the entire population was more concerned with celebrating the new year. That night, the North Vietnamese went into action. The sound of firecrackers was soon replaced by the sound of automatic weapon fire.

OBJECTIVE: HUE

Hue is a symbolic city for the Vietnamese. The ancient imperial city, cut in two by the Perfume River, is one of the most venerated locations in the country. On the south bank, the newer town contained all of the city’s administrative buildings as well as the Military Army Command,Vietnam (MACV) Compound, where American and Australian military experts rested between missions and planned for the next. This was also a base for journalists, and had all of the equipment, particularly for communication, of a small HQ. The old city is located on the north bank. It is dominated by the famous Citadel, built in the style of the Forbidden City in China and boasting palaces and gardens. The HQ of Ngo Quang Truaong, commander of the 1st ARVN Division, was located in a corner of the Citadel. This commander received the American warning and placed the few troops he had on maximum alert.

These two HQs would be on the frontline when the enemy entered the city.

But Hue was not only a symbol; it also straddled Highway 1, the most important supply route running from the north to the south of the country.

In particular, the two bridges crossing the river (the road bridge close to the

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launched a counter-attack in order to lower the enemy’s pressure and take back control of the northern corner of the Citadel. Meanwhile, the Communists fortified the territory already conquered.

At the MACV Compound, hearing the sound of gunfire the veteran soldiers picked up their M-16s and took up defensive positions.As soon as they did, shells began to fall on them. Once the smoke had cleared but a little, the NVA attacked. However, this assault was quickly broken up by the defenders with the help of an M-60 machine gun positioned in a tower overlooking the North Vietnamese axis of advance.

At dawn on the 31st, as a thick fog floated over the city, the Communists troops were well ensconced in Hue, as planned. But two important objectives had not fallen: the MACV Compound and the HQ of the 1st ARVN Division. These two locations would be the entry point for the reinforcements that would re-conquer the city.

MACV Compound as well as the rail bridge to the west) were important targets for the Communist troops. If both of them were destroyed, it would disrupt the entire supply system of South Vietnam.

FIGHTING IN HUE ACT 1 – INFILTRATION

The fighting in Hue can be divided into four stages. The first is the offensive

by North Vietnamese troops. The first gunshots were heard in Hue at 2200 on 30 January 1968. The 4th, 5th, and 6th North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Regiments entered the city.With them were the 12th NVA Sappers, rocket-launchers, and many Vietcong (some of whom were present in the city since the morning). Each company had a precise objective: neutralize the local police, attack the positions of the ARVN, arrest important individuals, take control of

certain buildings, etc. Nothing was left to chance.

While infiltration south of the river was achieved without much trouble (the few resistance points would be isolated and snuffed out in the next few days), the NVA had more difficulty in the north. There, the troops of the 1st ARVN Division resisted and even counter-attacked.

Serious fighting took place in the morning of the 31st at the small airport inside the Citadel. After a few hours of resistance, the ARVN troops began to fall back to their HQ at the edge of the Citadel. With these troops, the HQ

The North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong that invested most of the city of Hue during the night of January 30-31 were composed of highly trained elite soldiers considered among the very best their side had in the field 114

ACT 2 – RE-CONQUEST OF THE CITY SOUTH OF THE RIVER

South of the city, a few kilometres down the Highway 1, was located the Phu Bai military base. On the morning of 31 January, it seemed that nobody knew exactly what was going on in Hue. Certainly, the MACV could communicate with the outside world. But what else could they report than that they had been attacked and could hear gunfire throughout the city? The soldiers in the compound were too few to conduct any sort of reconnaissance, let alone make any sense of the chaos coming through on the airwaves. At this time, many sites all over the country had been attacked by the enemy. It was difficult to make any sense of it all.

The commander at Phu Bai decided to send troops to the MACV Compound (seemingly still unoccupied by the enemy) in order to find out what is going on. The first reports were that something had happened during the night, but that everything now seemed to be under control. The only available troops were the men of A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

These soldiers got into trucks and were ordered to make their way to the compound.

As soon as they made their way out of the base, the soldiers knew something was up. The road was empty. In Vietnam, there were always children around to greet passing convoys. This morning, every door was closed.

The convoy received a new order via radio. Once they had reached the MACV Compound, they were to continue along Highway 1 to the HQ of the 1st ARVN Division. At about 1030, the Marines reached a bridge three kilometres away from the MACV Compound. There they found five M-48 tanks, whose drivers had decided to wait here rather than enter the city alone. The Marines were pleased to be accompanied by tanks in terrain they did not know and where ambushes could come from anywhere. After crossing the bridge, the Americans passed a few ARVN tanks, nothing more than burning hulks at this point. With danger now apparent, the Marines got out of their trucks, deployed themselves among the vehicles, and slowly advanced. A few hundred metres later they were ambushed, their lead tank being destroyed by an RPG. The first Marines who perished in the Battle of Hue died here. The convoy forced its way through and made it to the MACV Compound at 1445.

Shortly thereafter, the 1/1 CP and G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Division arrived from Phu Bai. They had departed long after A Company but had more luck along the route.

Though the first reinforcements were just arriving, the day’s fighting was just beginning. The standing orders were still to head to the HQ of the 1st ARVN Division on the other side of the river in the Citadel. With these new arrivals, and a few volunteers from the MACV Compound, the first steps to reach their objective were taken. First of all, the secure zone around the MACV was enlarged. Next, they took up position in the Doc Lao Park, a few hundred

metres away from the MACV and at one end of the Nguyen Hoang Bridge over the Perfume River. This was the only place where helicopters, carrying supplies and reinforcements in and wounded soldiers out, could be landed.

G Company, which suffered fewer losses along Highway 1 than A Company, headed out for the South Vietnamese HQ. After some serious fighting while crossing the bridge, they finally reached the Thuong Tu Gate, entryway into the Citadel. But the terrain was too difficult and the enemy too numerous and entrenched. The Americans are unable to force their way in. By 1900, G Company was back inside the confines of the MACV Compound.

By the end of the day on the 31st, the American commanders had good information about the situation in Hue. An entire week of combat would be needed for the Marines to take control of the city south of the river. Urban fighting, the first for the Marines since Korea, was terrible. Only the officers had basic training for this sort of combat, and the Marines needed to learn as they were fighting. Combat was concentrated on a few points, centered around important buildings: the Treasury, the French Cultural Center, Hue University, and the Hospital Complex. Each had to be fought over, one by one, without allowing the enemy to re-infiltrate the southern part of the city.

The tactics were the same everywhere: take the building by storm, mop it up before night fall, evacuate the wounded and civilians (which emerged from their hiding spots after the Marines took control), and prepare for the assault on the next building.

By 6 February 1968, the hardest bit of fighting was complete. Mopping-up operations continued for a few more days, but the intensity of combat had dropped. However, the Communists had not wasted their time south of the river. They had inflicted heavy losses on the Marines and also eliminated many civilians and officials. Mass graves were later located throughout the city, and it is estimated that 2,000 people were killed by the Communists during this time.

ACT 3 – THE ISOLATION OF HUE

The American commanders then decided to isolate the city of Hue in order to make its re-conquest easier. For the men who had failed to train their soldiers in urban combat, this would be a new tragedy.

This job was given to the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Cavalry. This battalion was the only one available for this kind of operation, and on 2 February the battalion’s men boarded their helicopters. They were headed for the village of Thon La Chu, from where they would head to Thon Que Chu, an entry point for supplies and reinforcements heading to the North Vietnamese in Hue. As there was no artillery support available at the time, the men of the 2nd Battalion would have to fight by themselves. The soldiers quickly realized that in order to accomplish their mission they would have to cross 200 metres of open ground in the face of an entrenched enemy. The 2nd Battalion managed to capture its objective by 3 February, but at a heavy price. What’s more, once they had reached their destination they found themselves surrounded

127

A Scout Carrier of the 2nd Durham Light Infantry Regim ent en route to Dainville

Lieutnant Leo Myers counts off his first platoon of Hotel/2/5 as it charges single file into the tear-gas cloud covering the approach to the day’s main objective, the Thua Thien Provincial Administrative Center ©USMC by the enemy. Here again, the American commanders had under-estimated the strength of the Communists, and the battalion was trapped in the middle of the defensive zone of the 5th NVA Regiment. On the night of 4 February, it was necessary to leave their dead soldiers on the field in order to evacuate the living. During that night, the battalion was able to extricate itself from the hornet’s nest into which they were sent. By 5 February they were back in safety. However, their action was not without its uses, as they had cut the rear lines of the NVA and, in so doing, aided the Marines fighting in Hue. But this operation is another demonstration of the errors made by American commanders during the Battle of Hue. More men would be needed to definitively cut supplies going to the NVA in Hue.

ACT 4 – THE FIGHT FOR THE CITADEL

Once the fighting was virtually completed south of the Perfume River, the Americans were able to cross the river and attempt to reach the beleaguered 1st ARVN Division in the Citadel, which was unable to secure the northern side of the river alone. The 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Division was charged with the task. The Marines would leave Phu Bai for the MACV Compound, from where they would cross the river on boats in order to reach the 1st ARVN Division on 13 February and face the troops of the NVA, who would have had 15 days to prepare their defenses.

American commanders ordered that the Marines and ARVN were not to fight together, in order to minimize the risk of friendly-fire. The soldiers of the ARVN would have to mop-up the area to the west of the imperial palace, an immense building south of the Citadel. The pincers would be closed by the Marines, who would attack to the east of the palace. Due to the importance of the palace, the Americans and South Vietnamese would have to fight without air or artillery support, in order to reduce collateral damage. Finally, from a political and diplomatic point of view, it was considered

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A pair of snipers attached to Alpha/1/1 in a building overlooking the NVA positions in the Jeanne d’Arc School ©USMC preferable that the South Vietnamese liberate the palace itself. The Marines went through hell in the Citadel. It took ten days to clear an area smaller than a square kilometre. Like their fellow soldiers on the southern bank of the river, the Marines would learn the horrors of urban combat for the first time, but with even greater difficulty. The buildings here were more solid, closer together, and gave the defenders advantageous positions and enfilading fire from the fortified gates overlooking the roads. It took several days for the Marines to realize that firing at upper windows would do nothing. The enemy was positioned much closer to the ground, firing through holes drilled through the thick walls.

Finally, the American commanders ordered heavy artillery and aerial support, and it took a lot of blood and courage for the Marines to liberate the Citadel completely. On 24 February the ARVN finally took the imperial palace as well. Despite the great effort they had given, the men of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were not permitted to lower the North Vietnamese flag flying from the Citadel. This honor was given to the South Vietnamese. The next day, the Marines left the Citadel without looking back.

Marines in the stret of Hue covered by an M48 tank © USMC

THE BATTLE OF HUE – CONCLUSION

On 26 February 1968, Hue was officially declared to be secure. Losses on both sides were heavy, and there was great damage to the city and many deaths among the local population. The victory was paid for dearly by the Americans and South Vietnamese. The Tet Offensive, a military defeat for the Communists, turned into a media victory in North Vietnam. The images of fallen Marines in Hue and Saigon had more of an affect than their M-16s. By 1975, with the fall of Saigon, Hue was mostly rebuilt, though the thousands of civilians murdered by the Communists are killed during the fighting were not there to see it. B

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RULES OF PLAY CREDITS DESIGNER

Laurent Guenette aka Jonas : See www.errata.fr DEVELOPER

Laurent Closier & Olivier Revenu GRAPHICS

MAP: Daniel Herbera COUNTERS SILHOUETTES : David Julien (Thanks Guys!)

ADDITIONAL STUFF : Olivier Revenu TRANSLATER

Angus «Speedy» Clarke PLAYTESTING

Guillaume Adelet, Eneko Echegarrai, Jean-Marie Urlacher © Battles Magazine (Beware!)

A Week in Hell is a solitaire game which simulates the fighting in the centre of Hue, in South Vietnam, from the 31st of January to the 6th of February 1968. The player takes command of the American troops and must try to force the North Vietnamese troops (NVA) off the map.

Three differently coloured 6 sided dice are needed to play the game. An opaque container is required to draw the NVA markers randomly.

1.0 THE MAP 1.1 SCALE

1 cm represents approximately 25m.

1.2 ZONES.

The map represents the centre of the city of Hue, south and north of the Perfume River. It is divided into zones. Each zone has a value (a figure printed on a coloured circle) which is used for combat resolution. Certain special zones are also marked by a letter. Historical Note: The US troops cleared the town block by block. Delineating the zones was therefore quite straightforward

1.2.1 BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ZONES Two zones are adjacent if they share a common boundary. Two zones that touch only at a corner are not considered adjacent. Zone boundaries are represented either by a solid or a dotted line.

1.2.2 TYPES OF ZONE • Zone status: There are four types of zone: controlled zones, enemy zones, zones being cleared and neutral zones.

- Controlled zones : these are the white, red or green zones which have been emptied of enemy troops and cleared by US troops. The zone has a marker with an American flag, with the words “US Control” facing the player.

- Enemy zones : these are the white, red or green zones which are not controlled by the player, and do not contain a “US Control” marker.

- Zones being cleared : these are enemy zones cleared of NVA troops after combat, containing at least one US platoon and an “End fight” marker.

- Neutral zones : these are zones which have a value of 0 inside a yellow circle. No NVA units may enter a neutral zone. US troops may enter a neutral zone, but must retreat from it at nightfall.

• Zone Colour: - The red zones are the mandatory victory zones which the player has to control at the end of the game in order to win.

- The two red zones outlined in white are optional victory zones. Their control is not compulsory, but nonetheless wins a Victory Point (see 12.1.2) - The yellow zones are neutral zones (see above) - The white zones have no special characteristics.

- The green zones are subject to a special rule when playing the historical scenario. They are considered as white zones when playing the alternative scenario.

• Zone Values : the figure inside the coloured circles in each zone represents the difficulty required to capture it. The higher this value is, the more difficult will be the assault. This value is taken into account on the Combat Results Table.

purple band are called Green Units. All units start the game as Green Units.

Exception 1 : The MACV platoon is single sided and starts the game with Veteran status.

Exception 2 : The platoons from B/1/1 Company are single sided and never become Veteran. (The value of this company, which was for the most part formed from non-combatant personnel, was extremely doubtful and it had very little impact on the fighting.)

Note 1 : The terms “ green ” and “ veteran ” are used a little inexactly in the game, for practical reasons of differentiation.

Note 2 : The support available to the US troops was varied : bazookas, armoured vehicles (including the famous Ontos), a range of artillery… All this support is factored into the infantry counters. There are therefore no armour counters in this game Each company is represented by a marker.

When a company enters the game its marker is placed on the Command Table, in the “ Waiting for Orders ” box. (see 9.2.4 and 9.3.3) “A” Company Marker

2.2 CP

The CP (Command Post) counters represent the company commanders and their HQ personnel. The relevant counters are the MACV CP, 1/1CP and 2/5CP. These units command the companies and are necessary in the game to transmit orders to the platoons.

1.2.3 STACKING There is no stacking limit in the zones.

2.0 US UNITS 2.1 PLATOONS

• The US troops operate in companies of 3 platoons each. Each platoon counter has a vertical coloured band which indicates its parent company (also shown as a letter). Also indicated are the platoon’s number and its combat value • Certain platoons are double-sided. The reverse of the counter has a narrow horizontal purple stripe. Units displaying this purple band are called Veteran Units, platoons without the

3.0 NVA TROOPS

The NVA (North Vietnamese Army) units are represented by markers which are drawn at random. They have a main combat value (the highest value) and secondary combat values ranging from 0 to 3. They are placed in an opaque container at the start of the game (a mug or a wasabi cup, whatever...). When the marker has been drawn at random, it is placed on the map with its main combat value facing the player. Each time the NVA troops represented by the counter suffer a hit, rotate the counter 90° clockwise. The value now facing the player is the new combat value of the NVA troops.

NVA unit with a Same NVA unit after one hit Combat Value of 3 with a Combat Value of 2

4.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY

The game is divided into 7 turns (one turn lasts 24 hours). Each turn is itself divided into a varying number of daytime phases and one night time phase. The player must follow the sequence of play step by step.

DAYTIME PHASES : - D1 : Test for final daytime phase (phase 7 and + only) - D2 : Orders - D3 : Zone clearing - D4 : CP movement and/or activation of those companies selected in D2 - D5 : Reinforcements - D6 : Advance the Phase Turn Marker

NIGHT TIME PHASE: - N1 : Regroup - N2 : Infiltration by NVA troops - N3 : Isolated troops - N4 : Update Victory and Defeat Points - N5 : Removal of status markers from US troops (apart from isolated platoons) and possible flipping of platoon counters - N6 : Withdraw all NVA markers from the map (except isolated troops) - N7 : Advance Game Turn Marker

5.0 D1: TEST FOR FINAL DAYTIME PHASE

At the start of phase 7 in each turn, and at the start of every subsequent phase, the player rolls a die. If the result is higher than or equal to the figure in red on the “ phase track ”, in the space which corresponds to the current game turn, the following phase is the night time phase.

Example : at the start of phase 7, if the result of the die roll is 6, the player continues the phase as normal, but the subsequent phase will be the night time phase.

6.0 D2: ORDERS

HN : Radios were practically useless in Hue. It was simply not possible to transmit long distances in the middle of built up zones. Orders were either transmitted directly by the officers or sent by runner.

The CPs give the companies their orders. A company which has not received any orders will not be activated during that phase.

6.1 - 1/1CP may only command the companies of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (A/1/1 and B/1/1). 2/5CP the companies of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (F/2/5,

G/2/5 and H/2/5). The MACV may command any company.

Exception : until 2/5CP is in play, 1/1CP may command any company.

6.2 - The number of orders each CP may give during a phase is displayed through the number of Orders Boxes above it in the Command Table (on the map).

Example: the MACV may only give one order, 2/5CP may give 3 orders.

6.3 – If a player wants to move a CP in D4, he places the marker “ CP mvt ” on one of the CP’s Orders Boxes on the Command Table. A CP with a “ CP mvt ” in one of its Orders Boxes may not give any orders during this phase.

6.4 - GIVING ORDERS

A CP can only give orders to a company whose marker is in the “ Waiting for Orders ” box of the Command Table (paying due attention to 6.1).

6.4.1 – To give an order to a company, the CP must be able to trace a line no longer than three zones to a platoon of that company. The line may traverse only neutral or controlled zones.

6.4.2 – The platoon which received the order may in its turn transmit the order to the platoons of its own company which are in the same, or an adjacent, zone. A platoon which has not received any orders, from a CP or from another platoon, is rotated through 180° and may not act during this phase.

6.4.3 – When a CP gives an order to a company, place the marker for the company in one of the Orders Boxes for that CP on the Command Table.

by Luc Olivier 7.0 D3 ZONE CLEARING TEST

An enemy zone is controlled when it has been emptied of its NVA troops as the result of combat and when it has been “cleared”.

7.1- When (a) unit(s) eliminate the NVA troops in an enemy zone after a combat result, and if at least one US platoon is in that zone, the NVA marker is turned over to its US flag side and placed with the “End fight” side facing the player.

The company marker is immediately placed in the “ Clearing Zones ” box of the Command Table.

No orders may be given to a company whose marker is in the “ Clearing Zones ” box.

Note : Clearing a zone may never be voluntarily interrupted.

BATTLES Magazine # 3 - 131

7.2- The following phase, in D3, the player rolls a die. Add 1 to the die roll if 2 platoons are in the zone, and 2 if 3 platoons are in the zone.

or until the player decides, or is forced, to break off the fight.

• A zone may be attacked by one, two or three platoons from the same company. The first platoon is designated the assault platoon, the second, if there is one, the support platoon and the third, if any, the reserve platoon. Only the combat strengths of the assault and support platoons will be taken into account for combat resolution.

HN: The attack frontage was always narrow, and the simultaneous use of all of a company’s platoons in the assault was limited in an attempt to reduce the risk of friendly fire.

7.2.1- If the result is greater than the zone’s value, the zone becomes controlled and the player rotates the US flag marker so that the “US Control” side is facing him. The zone is considered a controlled zone. The company marker is put back in the “ Waiting for Orders ” box.

7.2.2- If the result is equal to or lower than the zone’s value, the test is failed. A platoon from the same company and in an adjacent zone may immediately move into the zone being cleared. The company marker remains in the “ Clearing Zones ” box, and the test is attempted again, in D3 of the subsequent phase.

8.2.2 – SEQUENCE OF COMBAT

7.3- Only units from the company actually engaged in clearing operations may enter a zone being cleared.

Exception : the MACV platoon may help any company engaged in clearing operations, as long as it abides by the restrictions laid down in 8.1.1

8.0 D4 UNIT ACTIVATION

Only those units which received an order in D2 may be activated.

Exception : The MACV platoon may be activated with any company, as if it were a platoon of that company. It only requires to be in the zone of the platoon receiving the order, or in an adjacent zone to that platoon (see 6.4.2,). It then acts like a platoon belonging to that company, abiding by the restrictions of 8.1.1 Units are activated company by company. All the units activated from a company must carry out the same action : move or attack an adjacent enemy zone.

8.1 – MOVEMENT

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 1: G Company will attack one of the zones of the Hospital Complex. The player assigns the 1st Platoon to be the Assault Platoon, the second Platoon to be the Support Platoon, and the 3rd Platoon to be the Reserve Platoon.

As the attacked zone is a victory zone, the player draws two NVA markers from the cup (instead of one for a nonvictory zone). He keeps the one with the highest main combat value (3, in this case) and places the other in the cup. All is ready now for resolution of the first round of combat.

Fig 2: The players rolls for the America attack: the US combat value is 4 (Combat value of the Assault platoon + Combat value of the Support Platoon), and the value of the combat zone is 3. The roll is 2, which on the US result table gives one hit for the NVA unit. The player will now roll for the NVA attack. The combat value is 3, the value of the combat zone is 3, and the roll is 3, which gives on the NVA CRT no hits for the Assault Platoon and one hit for the Support Platoon.

The assault platoon survives its first assault and is then placed in the combat zone. The player places a green hit marker on the support unit (one hit). The NVA unit counter is turned once at 90° (because the NVA unit took one hit). The player decides to place the 2nd Platoon in reserve and to place his 3rd Platoon in support.

Fig 3: Combat continues... US attack: the combat value is still 4, the roll is 5, which gives two hits to the NVA unit.

NVA Attack: the combat value is 2, the roll is 6, which gives two hits for the Assault Platoon and one hit for the Support Platoon. The NVA unit is eliminated, combat is over. The player decides that the Support Platoon will join the Assault Platoon in the combat zone. He places an End Fight Marker in the attacked zone. At the next phase, during D3, G platoon will attempt to clear the combat zone.

8.1.1- MOVING ACTIVATED PLATOONS • Platoons may move a maximum of 3 zones, and only through neutral or controlled zones.

Exception : the MACV platoon may only move in the MACV zone or in zones adjacent to the MACV. HN : The men of the MACV were all experienced soldiers who had been posted to Hue. Therefore they knew the city perfectly. However, if on the one hand they were ready to help, on the other hand their mission in Vietnam wasn’t to fight but rather to train South Vietnamese troops. These men were precious and the General Staff did not want to lose them uselessly in the fighting for Hue. Hence the restrictions upon their use.

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• A platoon may not enter an enemy zone.

• A platoon which is moving must stop as soon as it enters an zone adjacent to an enemy zone with a value greater or equal to 3. It is however possible to leave such an zone at the start of movement.

8.1.2 - MOVING CPS • If the “ CP mvt ” is in one of the Orders Boxes of a CP on the Command Table, the CP may move like a platoon. Supplementary Restriction: a CP may not enter an zone which does not contain any platoons and which is adjacent to an enemy zone. A CP may not enter an zone which is

being cleared.

Exception : the CP of the MACV may not move.

8.2 COMBAT 8.2.1 BASICS • The activated platoons of a company may attack an adjacent enemy zone. To attack an enemy zone together, the platoons must be in the same zone, called the jump off zone. The attacked ennemy zone is called the combat zone.

• Combat is divided into several rounds which succeed each other until the enemy is eliminated

A – 1st Round of combat : • Platoon Activation : In the first round the player selects his assault platoon, by placing an “assault” marker on it. If a second platoon is taking part in the attack, the player places a “support” marker on it. If a third platoon is taking part in the attack, the player places a “reserve” marker on it.

• Enemy Activation : An NVA marker is drawn from the cup and placed in the zone to be attacked, with its main combat value (the highest value) facing the player.

If the zone being attacked is a victory zone (a red zone), two markers are drawn, with the stronger one being placed on the map.

• Combat Resolution : The player rolls two dice, one for the platoon(s) engaged in the attack, the other for the NVA troops. If both die rolls are equal, the player first of all consults the Table of Events (see 11.1).

The player then consults the US Combat Results Table. The first column corresponds to the total combat strengths of the assault platoon and the support platoon (if any). The second corresponds to the combat zone’s value. The top line corresponds to the die roll. The intersection of line/column indicates the number of hits suffered by the NVA. The player consults the NVA Combat Results Table in the same way : on the NVA CRT the number on the left gives the number of hits suffered by the assault platoon, the number on the right the hits suffered by the support platoon. If there was no support platoon involved in the attack, the assault platoon suffers the higher of the two results.

Note : Combat is simultaneous. Losses are only applied after both sides have resolved their combat results.

• If the boundary between the jump off zone and the combat zone is a solid line, and if the assault platoon suffers a hit and is a green unit, and if the NVA troops are not eliminated in this round, the player follows the procedure outlined in 8.2.6 (Wounded Marines).

• If the assault platoon receives a red Hit marker, it remains in its jump off zone, and the attack starts again with another first round.

• If neither of the above two events occurs, the assault platoon is placed in the combat zone and the attack continues as outlined below.

B – Subsequent Rounds: • The player re-rolls the dice until the combat is finished. The attack finishes if all the NVA troops are eliminated, or if all the platoons have a red Hit marker, or if the player decides to break off the attack (to do this he must first retreat the assault platoon if it is in the combat zone. see 8.2.4) • At the start of each round the player may decide, if necessary, to move the support platoon into reserve and vice versa.

• If the assault platoon receives a red Hit marker, it must retreat back into its jump off zone (see 8.2.4) • If the NVA troops are eliminated, and if the assault platoon is in the combat zone, the NVA counter is immediately turned to its US flag face with the “ End fight ” side facing the player. The support platoon can automatically join the assault platoon in the combat zone. The company marker is immediately placed in the “ Clearing Zones ” box in the Command Table.

• If the NVA troops are eliminated but the assault platoon is not in the combat zone, the NVA counter is removed from the zone and returned to the container. The zone remains an enemy zone.

• a platoon with a red Hit marker may neither fight any more nor take part in recovering a Wounded Marines marker (8.2.5). If the platoon is in a combat zone when it receives the marker it must immediately retreat (see 8.2.4) to its jump off zone.

• when an NVA counter loses its last strength point it is eliminated.

8.2.5 – RETREAT • The player may decide at any moment to retreat his assault platoon from the combat zone back to the jump off zone. He must retreat the platoon if it suffers a red Hit. • In both cases retreat is automatic, and the platoon is placed back in its jump off zone. If the platoon has a red Hit marker, the remainder of the attack, should it continue, is played out with a -1 DRM for the US troops. If the platoon does not have ‘red’ status, the player rolls a die. If the result is lower than or equal to the value of the NVA counter, the retreating platoon suffers a loss. If the platoon suffers a loss, and is a ‘green’ unit, and if the boundary between the two zones is a solid line, a Wounded Marines marker is immediately placed on the boundary between the two zones (see 8.2.6).

Fig 4

8.2.3- APPLYING LOSSES • Applying US losses : Place a green “ Hit ” marker on a platoon which suffers one loss, a yellow “ Hit ” marker on a platoon which suffers two losses, and a red “ Hit ” marker on a platoon which suffers three losses.

Note 1: A platoon which is already under a green Hit marker and which suffers a new loss is placed under a yellow Hit marker, or under a red Hit marker if it suffers 2 losses etc…

Note 2 : If a platoon with a red Hit marker suffers another loss, no extra penalty is applied. A platoon may never be eliminated.

• Applying NVA losses : For each loss suffered by NVA troops, the counter is rotated 90° clockwise. The value facing the player is the new combat value of the NVA troops in the attacked zone.

8.2.4- CONSEQUENCES OF LOSSES • a platoon with a green Hit marker acts normally.

• a platoon with a yellow Hit marker loses 1 from its combat strength.

Fig 5 Fig 4: The fight has been bloody. The two platoons in the jump off zone are under a red hit marker, and the Assault platoon in the combat zone is under a yellow hit marker. The player decides to break the fight and to retreat his assault platoon. Roll is 5, which is higher than the combat value of the NVA unit (3), and the Assault platoon safely reaches the Jump off zone (Fig 5)

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8.2.6 – WOUNDED MARINES HN : The worst thing for US troops was to leave the bodies of their fallen comrades behind them.

A marine never abandons a comrade, even if that comrade is dead. Unfortunately the search for missing bodies often meant that fresh casualties were taken. Some officers, aware of the losses caused by this, did not hesitate to forbid the practice with the aim of reducing casualties.

• If an assault platoon suffers a loss during the first round of combat, and if it is a “ green ” unit, and if the boundary between the jump off zone and the combat zone is a solid line, and if the NVA troops have not been eliminated, then the assault platoon remains in its jump off zone and a “Wounded Marines” marker is placed on the boundary between the two zones. This marker represents wounded Marines lying in the open between the two zones. The player must now do his utmost to find them and return them to the jump off zone.

• The player puts an “Assault” marker on the platoon from the company concerned which is to go in search of the wounded Marines. He may also place a “Support” marker on another platoon of same company which is also present in the jump off zone. He then rolls a die on the NVA CRT, using the value of the attacked zone as the zone value, and applies the results immediately (as usual, if there is no support platoon, the assault platoon suffers the worse of the two results).

• If the assault platoon receives a red Hit marker, the “Wounded Marines” marker remains where it is, and the player must repeat the procedure. If all the platoons in the jump off zone have a red Hit marker, the rescue is no longer possible.

The “Wounded Marines” marker is removed and a Defeat Point is immediately added to the DP track.

• If the assault platoon does not suffer a red Hit, the “Wounded Marines” marker is removed from the map, and the attack can continue.

9 – D5 REINFORCEMENTS

Reinforcements are the same for both scenarios.

At the start of the game the player places the counters on the Reinforcement Table as follows : • 2 convoy counters with the “Phu-Bai” face uppermost on the “Convoy – Phu-Bai” spaces.

• the helicopter counter on its “Unavailable” face in the “helicopter” space.

• the 3 platoons of A/1/1 in the “Units Available” space.

• the 3 platoons of G/2/5 + the 1/1 CP in the space “Turn 1 – Phase 3” • the 3 platoons of F/2/5 in the space “Turn 2 – Phase 6” • the 3 platoons of H/2/5 in the space “Turn 3 – Phase 5”

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able Units” box, the player may place up to 3 platoons and 1 CP on the convoy counter.

9.2.2- The player rolls a die :

• 4,5,6 : the convoy advances 1 space.

• 2,3 : the convoy is delayed and does not move • 1 : the convoy is ambushed. One of the units in the convoy suffers a hit and the convoy does not move. If the convoy was not carrying any units, it is moved back one space (if it is in Phu-Bai or at the MACV, it remains where it is).

9.2.3 - The player may not move the convoy into the MACV space or have it leave the MACV space unless zones B and C are controlled. In addition, if zone D is not controlled there is a DRM of -1.

Fig 6

Fig 7

Fig 8

Fig 6: G Company attacks another zone of the Hospital Complex. US Attack: combat value is 4, and the value of the combat zone is 2. The roll is 2: one hit for the NVA unit. NVA Attack: The combat value is 4, the value of the combat zone is 2. The roll is 5: two hits for the Assault Platoon, one hit for the Support Platoon.

Fig 7: Since the Assault unit is a green unit (no purple stripe on the counter), the boundary between the jump-off zone and the attacked zone is represented by a solid line, the assault Platoon took at least one hit, and as the NVA Unit is not eliminated, the player places a Wounded Marines marker on the boundary between the two zones.

The player now has to rescue the wounded Marines. The player decides to place the 1st Platoon in Assault and the 2nd in Support. The 3rd Platoon stays in Reserve. The player resolves a new round of combat, for the NVA side only. The combat Value of the NVA Unit is 3, the value of the Jump-off zone is 3. The roll is 5: two hits for the Assault Platoon and one hit to the Support Platoon.

Fig 8: The 1st and the 2nd Platoon are now both placed under a red hit marker. They can’t participate in combat or rescue the Wounded Marines.

The 3rd Platoon, in Reserve, is now placed in Assault. And a new round of combat begins, for the NVA side only. The roll is 2: no result.

Fig 9: As the Assault Platoon did not take a hit, the Wounded Marines are rescued and the marker is removed. With only one Platoon, already marked with a yellow hit, the player decides to break off the fight for this phase.

• the 3 platoons of B/1/1 + the 2/5 CP in the space “Turn 4 – Phase 3”

9.1- REINFORCEMENTS PROCESS

The player follows this mini-sequence to process reinforcements.

• R1 = The units are placed in the “Available Units” box on the phase and turn indicated in the reinforcements boxes.

• R2 = If the Landing Zone has been secured (see 9.3), the player rolls a die. On a result of 1 to 4, the helicopters are available for the whole day, and the helicopter counter is turned onto its “CH46” face. The counter remains on this face until the night time phase (there is no need to re-roll the die for the remainder of the turn). If the result is 5 or 6, the helicopter counter remains on its “un-

available” face, and the die will have to be re-rolled in the next phase.

• R3 = Convoy Administration (9.2) • R4 = Helicopter Administration (9.3)

9.2 CONVOYS

A convoy can transport up to 3 platoons and 1 CP.

9.2.1- If a convoy counter is in the “Convoy Phu-Bai” space, and there are units in the “Avail-

9.2.4 - Once in the MACV space, the units on the convoy counter are placed directly in the MACV zone and the company marker is placed in the “Waiting for Orders” box of the Command Table. The Convoy counter is flipped on his side MACV 9.2.5 - To return the convoy to Phu-Bai, the player follows the same procedure.

9.2.6 - If a convoy is between Phu-Bai and the MACV when night falls (i.e. the night time phase), the convoy is put back in its start space.

9.3 HELICOPTERS

A helicopter can transport a platoon or a CP.

9.3.1 - In order to use helicopters the player must first of all secure the Landing Zone. The LZ is the Dac Lao Park (zone E). As soon as this is a controlled zone, the player places the “LZ OK” marker on it. The marker is withdrawn as soon as the zone is no longer controlled and replaced once control has been regained.

9.3.2 - If helicopters are available (see R2) and if there are units in the “Available Units” box, the player may place a platoon or a CP on the “CH46” counter and then rolls a die. On a result of 1 to 4, the move takes place normally and the transported unit is placed in the Dac Lao Park zone (see 9.3.3). If the result is 5 or 6, the lift has been delayed, and will have to be retested on the following phase. During the night time phase the

CH46 counter is turned onto its “unavailable” face.

If there is a unit on the counter, it is put back into the “Available Units” box.

9.3.3 - Units arriving at Dac Lao Park must first of all make their way to the MACV before they can be given any orders. They are activated automatically in D4 and must move to the MACV (zone A) (this means they do not have to have received an order to move; this is an exception to 8.0). As long as a unit which has been transported by helicopter has not yet reached the MACV, it is rotated on the map through 180° ( “head down”).

Once the unit has arrived at the MACV, it is turned back “head up”. Only those units which are “head up” may receive an order. The marker of a company which has arrived by helicopter is only placed in the “Waiting for Orders” box when at least one unit of that company is on the map in a “head up” position.

10 – NIGHT TIME 10.1 – N1 REGROUPING

Platoons and CPs which are in a neutral zone, in a zone which is being cleared, or in a zone north of the Perfume River are immediately moved to the nearest controlled zone (player’s choice, if there are several controlled zones which are equidistant, and south of the river), if they can reach that location solely by traversing neutral zones. The “End fight” markers are removed from all zones which were being cleared and which are now free of US troops. These zones immediately become enemy zones again.

If a unit cannot trace a path to a controlled zone by traversing only neutral zones, then it remains where it is and receives an “Isolated Zone” marker (see 10.3)

10.2- N2 NVA INFILTRATION

HN : Infiltration was a permanent worry for the US command. Even if it never happened on a large scale, the NVA had several possibilities of infiltration but was never able to take advantage of these chances.Note : The zones North of the Perfume River are NEVER infiltrated.

10.2.1 – Infiltration is tested for in controlled zones which do not contain a platoon (they may contain one or more CPs). From these zones the NVA must be able to trace : 1) a path to one of the red arrows on the edge of the map. This path can only pass through enemy (i.e. NVA) or neutral zones.

2) a path to another enemy (i.e. NVA) zone which only passes through neutral zones.

10.2.2- The infiltration test is only carried out

once per zone. – (and once per phase)

10.2.3 – For each zone liable to be infiltrated (10.2.1), the player draws an NVA marker and places it in the zone. He rolls a die. If the result is lower than or equal to the combat value of the NVA counter, the zone is infiltrated and becomes an enemy zone again (the player removes the US Control marker). Otherwise the zone remains controlled. In either event the NVA marker is removed and replaced in the cup.

10.2.4 – If as a result of a successful infiltration another controlled zone now fulfils the conditions of 10.2.1, the player proceeds with a new infiltration test for that zone (domino effect...).

10.2.5- If an infiltration places a CP in an enemy zone, the CP is immediately moved to the MACV zone. If it had unexecuted orders waiting to be carried out (because of an infiltration resulting from an event), these orders are immediately cancelled. The marker(s) of the company/companies concerned are put back into the “Waiting for Orders” box.

10.3 – N3 ISOLATED ZONES 10.3.1- An isolated zone is : • an enemy zone from which it is impossible to trace a path to an arrow at the edge of the map crossing only enemy or neutral zones.

• a controlled zone from which it is impossible to trace a path to the eastern edge of the map crossing only controlled or neutral zones.

• a zone in the process of being cleared from which it is impossible to trace a path to a controlled zone crossing only neutral zones.

10.3.2- The player puts an “Isolated Zone” marker on each of these zones. In addition, for each enemy zone which is isolated, the player rolls a die. On a result of 5 or 6, he also places an NVA marker in the zone if there is none.

The “Isolated Zone” marker is removed once the conditions of 10.3.1 are no longer met.

10.3.3- A CP in an isolated zone without a platoon is immediately placed in the MACV zone.

If it had unexecuted orders waiting to be carried out (because of an infiltration resulting from an event), these orders are immediately cancelled. The marker(s) of the company/companies concerned are put back into the “Waiting for Orders” box.

10.3.4 EFFECTS OF ISOLATED ZONES • The player may not remove Hit markers from units in isolated zones (see 10.5.1).

• A US unit in an isolated zone may receive an order if it is two zones from the CP giving the order, even if the zone between the CP and the

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isolated unit is an enemy zone.

• A US unit may no longer attack if it is in an isolated zone, and may only move one zone if it receives an order.

• A US unit clearing an enemy zone which has become isolated may no longer act and must move as soon as possible in D4 even if it has not received the order towards an adjacent neutral or victory zone. The zone which was being cleared becomes an enemy zone again (the “End fight” marker is removed).

• The events of “Counter Attack” or “Reinforcements” (see 11.1) during the attack of an isolated zone are considered as “no event”.

• NVA counters in an isolated zone are not withdrawn in N6 (see 10.6)

10.4 – N4 VICTORY POINTS AND DEFEAT POINTS 10.4.1 – VICTORY POINTS The player counts the number of victory zones he controls and places the VP marker on the corresponding number of the Victory Point Track.

10.4.2 – DEFEAT POINTS For each unit with a red Hit marker, the player moves the DP marker one space to the right on the Defeat Points Track.

Note : a red Hit marker may remain on the same unit for several turns; for each extra turn one more Defeat Point is added to the Defeat Points Track.

10.5 – N5 REORGANISATION 10.5.1- The player removes all the green and yellow Hit markers from those of his units which are not in isolated zones. For each unit with a red Hit marker which is not in an isolated zone, the player rolls a die. If the result is from 1 to 4, the marker is removed. If the result is 5 or 6, the marker remains in place.

Units in isolated zones do not have their Hit markers removed.

10.5.2- Green units which have had a Hit marker removed are immediately turned onto their “veteran” face. They remain like that until the end of the game.

Exception : This only applies to units already on the map. Units which incur losses due to being ambushed while in convoy do not progress to Veteran status.

HN : The American troops had received no training in fighting in built up areas before arriving in Hue. They therefore had a hard learning experience in this type of fighting, for which they lacked both experience and equipment. The increase in the US troops’ combat values, once they have had their first challenging experience of urban combat, seeks to model this process.

136 - BATTLES Magazine #3

10.5.3 - The CH-46 counter is flipped on his side “Unavailble”.

10.6 –N6 NVA MOVEMENT

All NVA markers which are not in an isolated zone are removed from the map.

11- SPECIAL RULES 11.1- EVENTS

When the US and NVA die rolls are equal during a combat, an event may occur. The player rolls a third die, which he adds to the sum of the two previous dice, and consults the Events Table. The references Be and Af on the table indicate whether the event takes place Before or After combat resolution. The reference Sp requires referral to the paragraphs below.

11.1.1- NVA REINFORCEMENTS The player applies any losses to the US troops only not to the NVA troops. He draws a new NVA marker. If the new marker has a higher combat value than the NVA counter already present in the zone, it replaces the previous marker immediately.

Otherwise the marker is replaced in the cup.

zone where the assault platoon is. Then he re-rolls a die and consults the CRT taking account only the value of the assault unit and applies the result to the NVA troops as normal. Any losses caused by the NVA are applied as normal (added to those caused by friendly fire, if there were any)

11.2- E-8 GAS

NH : E-8 US pack-mounted 35mm tear-gas grenade launchers were discovered hidden away in the MACV. But few men knew how to use them.

11.2.1 – At the start of the game the player has two E-8 Gas markers. He may decide to use a gas marker at the start of an assault and rolls a die : • On a result of 6 the gas has no effect and the marker is permanently removed.

• On a result of 5, the E-8 Gas marker is placed in the adjacent zone south of the zone being attacked, displaying its “Drifted” face. If there are several possibilities the player chooses the zone which shares the longest boundary with the zone being attacked.

• On a result of 1 to 4, the E-8 Gas marker is placed in the combat zone, displaying its “Gas Attack !” face.

11.1.2 - NVA COUNTER ATTACK The player applies any losses to the US troops only not to the NVA troops. He draws a new NVA marker which immediately replaces the NVA counter already in the zone, no matter the value.

The player rolls an attack die for the new NVA counter and applies the result immediately.

11.1.3- INFILTRATION The player applies losses as normal. The attack is suspended and an infiltration phase immediately takes place as outlined in 10.2 with the following difference : The player does not roll to test for infiltration. The infiltration succeeds automatically if the NVA marker drawn has a combat value of 4, and fails for any other value.

11.1.4- SNIPER ! See table.

11.1.5 - NVA RETREAT See table.

11.1.6- ENFILADING FIRE See table.

11.1.7- CIVILIANS See table.

11.2.2 – EFFECTS OF GAS • an enemy zone containing a “ Gas Attack!” marker has its combat value reduced by 2 (minimum = 1) and can be attacked and cleared as normal by units from the company which launched the gas. It cannot be attacked by units from another company.

• US troops may not attack an enemy zone containing a “Drifted” marker.

• US troops in a neutral or controlled zone containing a “Drifted” marker may not act. If they have received an order, their company marker is immediately placed in the “Waiting for Orders” box on the Command Table.

• Clearing up operations in a zone containing a “Drifted” marker are subject to a -2 DRM.

11.2.3 Any “Drifted” or “Gas Attack !” markers on the map are removed permanently at the end of D3.

11.1.8- RPG : See table.

11.3 – BRIDGES

11.1.9- FRIENDLY FIRE

11.3.1 – CANAL BRIDGE

If a support unit is taking part in the attack, the player cancels the US result. He re-rolls a die and consults the table, taking into account only the combat value of the support unit and applying the losses to the assault unit, using the value of the

From Turn 4 onwards, as indicated on the Turn Track, the player rolls a die at the start of D5. On a result of 5 or 6, the bridge is destroyed by NVA sappers. A “Destroyed Bridge” marker is placed on the Canal Bridge space of the Reinforcement

Table. If a convoy was en route between Phu-Bai and the MACV, the convoy is put back in its start box. The convoy markers are permanently removed from the game.

11.3.2 – NGUYEN HOANG BRIDGE (ZONE G) From turn 3 onwards, at the start of N1, the player rolls a die. On a result of 5 or 6, the bridge is destroyed. A “Destroyed Bridge” marker is placed in zone G. US units may no longer enter this zone.

If there are any US units north of the Perfume River, they are put directly in the MACV and the player immediately suffers one DP.

12 – SCENARIOS 12.1 HISTORICAL SCENARIO

SETUP : • Place the MACV platoon and the MACV CP in the MACV Compound (zone A) • Place the other units as indicated in the Reinforcement Table as indicated in 9.0

12.1.1 SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES • The first convoy counter to arrive at the MACV (Zone A) is permanently removed from play.

• The MACV platoon and the MACV CP are permanently removed from the game at the end of the night time phase of Turn 4.

• Free Zones The green zones are not considered as enemy zones for the whole of the first turn. US units may enter them without hindrance. If a US unit stops its movement in a green zone, the zone is immediately controlled ( the player immediately places a US Control marker in the zone).

The green zones may not be infiltrated during the night time phase of the first turn.

• MACV Compound The MACV Compound (zone A) is considered a controlled zone from the start of the game. It may never be infiltrated during the game.

• ARVN CP Mission HN : At the start of the fighting, the US high command had a completely erroneous picture of the situation on the ground. It therefore ordered its troops to get to the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) CP which was in the Citadel, north of the Perfume River. Even if this order was completely unrealistic given the situation in Hue, the 2/5 did in fact try to approach the Citadel. It was pushed back before being able to set foot in it…

If at the end of Turn 4 the player does not control zone F, he takes a DP. If at the end of the game the player does not control zone F, he takes another DP.

than 7 VPs, or if he has more DPs than VPs, or if he does not control all the red zones (the red zones outlined in white are not included in this category, see 1.2.2) , the result is an automatic US defeat.

• Any other case is a US victory or a draw.

Add up the values below as follows : - The player has 9 VPs : + 3 - The player has 8 VPs : +1 - The number of DPs is less than or equal to 3 : +2 - The sum of the values of the enemy zones at the end of the game is less than or equal to 5 : +2 Subtract the following values: - The sum of the values of the enemy zones at the end of the game is greater than or equal to 10 : -2 - The number of DPs is greater than or equal to 5 : -2 If the final calculation is - greater than or equal to 5 : Total victory - greater than or equal to 3 : Marginal victory - less than 3 : Draw

12.2 ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO

This scenario explores the event of the MACV being captured (historically an assault was attempted, but it was only just repelled and the MACV was not attacked again by NVA troops). In this scenario the MACV CP and the MACV platoon have been eliminated before the game starts.

SETUP: • Remove the MACV platoon from the game.

• 1)- Place the MACV CP with the A/1/1 on the reinforcement table 2)- Once in zone D, the MACV CP can not move during the game. Exception : as soon as the MACV Compound is controlled, the MACV CP is automatically placed in this zone.

• Place the remaining units on the Reinforcement Table as indicated in 9.0.

12.2.1- SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES • The first convoy counter to arrive at the MAVC (Zone A) is permanently removed from the game.

• Highway 1 - The MACV zone (zone A) is an enemy zone at the start of the game, and becomes a Victory Zone; it is considered to be a mandatory red zone.

- All the other green zones to the east of Highway 1 are enemy zones at the start of the game and are considered to be white zones.

- As long as the MACV zone is not controlled, convoys arrive in zone D, which becomes a controlled zone from the start of the game.

12.1.2 VICTORY CONDITIONS

12.2.2 VICTORY CONDITIONS

• If at the end of the game the player has less

• If at the end of the game the player has less

than 8 VPs, or if he has more DPs than VPs, or if he does not control all the red zones (the red zones outlined in white are not included in this category, see 1.2.2) ,the result is an automatic US defeat.

• Any other case is a US victory or a draw.

Add up the values below as follows : - The player has 10 VPs : + 3 - The player has 9 VPs : +1 - The number of DPs is less than or equal to 3 : +2 - The sum of the values of the enemy zones at the end of the game is less than or equal to 5: +2 Subtract the following values: - The sum of the values of the enemy zones at the end of the game is greater than or equal to 10 : -2 - The number of DPs is greater than or equal to 5 : -2 If the final calculation is - greater than or equal to 5 : Total victory - greater than or equal to 3 : Marginal victory - less than 3 : Draw

CLARIFICATIONS : • A unit can NOT move and attack in the same phase • A unit with a zero Combat Value can NOT attack • If the NVA unit is eliminated during the first round of combat: 1) the assault platoon enters the attacked zone 2) the suport platoon may join the assault platoon 3) the company marker is placed in «clearing zones» • The platoons of the same company can attack different zones during the same turn and move in different zones.

• A Gas Attack reduces by 2 the zone’s value, not the NVA unit combat’s value • When a company has finished his move, or when a company has cleared a zone, or when a company has retreated and finished a combat, place the company marker in the «Waiting for Orders» case

THE LAST PAGE

ALEXANDER THE STATISTICIAN IN THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE I WROTE ABOUT HISTORY-LITE where games are designed as games and then have a level of history “sprayed on to them”. The result is often an exciting competition and it can offer some interesting historical insights but also some rather ropey historical interpretations. But there are other ways of assembling a game: starting with the history and sweating it down to a game that is both fast and entertaining. Not so much history-lite as concentrated history.Yet even this may not be enough to allow us to have historical cake and eat it.

Recently, I was lucky enough to play three games that meet this description and to see their strengths and weaknesses as compared to history-lite. All three are by the same designer – Phil Sabin. Phil is a Professor of History in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. He teaches an MA course on game design. He is therefore professionally well qualified to ensure history is heavily in evidence. All three games have a connected theme which is ancient warfare and each is set at a different level. All of these games are well worth their own review but I want to move to a similarity in their style that may hint at a problem in designing concentrated history games. Lost Battles (Hambleton Contiuum) covers tactical warfare and for strategic warfare we have Empire . I want to take an example from Roma Invicta.

Roma Invicta is an operational game covering the first few years of the invasion of Italy by Hannibal. You can obtain it from the Society of Ancients. I was fortunate to play my game on a large relief map of Italy with 10mm figures instead of counters; and I got bashed as Hannibal.

But let’s start at the good stuff; in each game one could determine from reading the original sources and commentaries what the key issues were and, arriving at the game, exactly these problems were there waiting for one.

So in Roma Invicta it was clear to me as Hannibal that I had to batter Rome into submission by killing its legions and ravaging its lands. But it was also clear that in Rome (like in a good bridge hand) length is strength. You can bash Rome time and time again but it will respond by sending more troops instead of negotiating. A fight with Rome is going to go the distance, so that time is of the essence, I cannot fail to score in each round. If Rome could oppose numbers to my righteous cause then I had to trap their armies in crafty Punic ambushes. (Sadly I proved dreadful at this). A few of these (and perhaps encirclement in a battle) would begin to eat into even the formidable manpower of Rome.

My Roman opponent could see that he had to avoid being ambushed yet hang close to my armies denying me the opportunity to ravage his client communities I think we would all agree that this is a strong analysis and it is admirably uncluttered by hexes, factors or combat tables. Even better Phil has a tremendously ingenious system to reflect that if the Romans have taken no losses they will expect their armies to fight every time whereas if there are many mourning

140 - BATTLES Magazine #3

by Charles Vasey

mothers in the Senate they will be less concerned about a few orchards in Apulia.

Getting your activities in line with Roman public sentiment is vital for Hannibal.

One is taken immediately to the key issues before Senate and General.

Yet one side effect of this clarity is that informed decisions can be limited. It is possible to find optimum policies for each side and almost play the game on auto-pilot.Was this the historical situation or have we by making the elements clear in the design removed any or much of the strategic mystery of the actual campaign? Have we made war a Cost/Risk Analysis? Is war a Cost/Risk Analysis?

An obvious objection to a game with clear analysis is that things were not so clear in reality. Let’s say that in my new game of Storm of Stuff I can have three attempts at raiding which will earn me one victory point each, or a single battle that earns me 3 VPs, and assume the odds of victory are similar. I can choose either policy. But in reality these values may have been chosen with hindsight (and the historical results were not representative) and were in any case not known at the time. Perhaps Hannibal guessed that the raiding attempts would net him 2 VPs a go and so perceives this as the best policy. He will not know until he tries.

This can be handled by a chit draw system where you get a number of draws of victory point chits (with perhaps values between 0 and 2) and, in this case, you would draw one chit per raid and three per battle; you may find you got three zeros or three threes. This is the Suck It And See game.

But there is a game objection to this too; victory is surely entirely dependent on the chit draw? If you draw badly then you will lose. This observation applies to die-roll systems as well. What neither system can do is identify what is perhaps the reality of the skill of a great general: estimating (not just guessing) and then risking. We risk providing a puzzle any of us could work out with a bit of probability theory or a crap-shoot. We have turned a skill learned in the saddle and under the sun to a matter of pure arithmetic – Alexander The Statistician.

The problem is that analysing and simulating the history may not be enough.

We need to generate the mindsets of the two generals or nations. To recognise what was and was not known at that time and not with hindsight, and yet also to recognise the reality as it was. All generals can be lucky, Napoléon encouraged it, but how do we simulate being informed rather than lucky? That is a concept for another time but I do wonder if one of the strengths of Mark Herman’s CDG games is that as you read your cards and your opponent reads his, you both know something that the other does not. I have one design on Mediterranean Galley warfare where four event cards are drawn a turn; one the Christian read in advance, one the Turks read in advance, one both read in advance and one that neither read until it is turned over. This, rather crudely tries to cover the various routes by which events may be predicted. There may be something there worth harvesting. B

The Society of Ancients: http://www.soa.org.uk/store/store_games/ Lost Battles: http://www.soa.org.uk/store/store_games/).