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$2.50 The AVALON HILL September-October 1981 Volume 18, 'Number 3 2 1~[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiAiiiiiiiviiiiiiiaiiiiiiiloiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiliiiiiiiPiiiiiiihiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiloiiiiiiisiiiiiiiOiiiiiiiPiiiiiiihYiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiPiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiriiiiiiit iiiiiii8iiiiiii7iiiiiiiiiiiiiii~11 *The AVALON HILL GENERAL The Game Players Magazine ORIGINS PAST AND PRESENT The old adage that if you can't say something vention to the original bid presented by the The Avalon Hill GENERAL is dedicated to the presenta tron of authoritative articles on the strategy, tactics. and nice about someone, don't say anything at all is Pacificon organizers at ORIGINS '80 ended there. variation of Avalon Hill wargames. Historical articles are generally good advice and I was sorely tempted to The first indication of the troubles to come was included only insomuch as they provide lJseful background do just that when the subject of our annual the lack of any information from PACIFICON on information on current Avalon Hill titles. The GENERAL is pUblished by the Avalon Hill Game Company solely for the coverage of the national gaming convention was how to go about sponsoring tournaments, etc. cultural edification of the serious game aficionado, in the broached. However, after all due consideration of Aside from an initial mailing advising manufacturers hopes of improving the game owner's proficiency of play and the situation, I came to the conclusion that such a of costs for exhibition space there was only silence providing services not otherwise available to the Avalon Hill stance would be a cop out and a disservice to those from California. Now you must understand that the game buff. Avalon Hill is a division of Monarch Avalon Industries, Inc., a wholely owned subsidiary of Monarch Avalon. Inc. The of our readers with a genuine interest in what takes manufacturers of this little industry are for the most shares of Monarch Avalon, Inc. are publicly traded on the place at ORIGINS every year. Here then, is just one part a pretty slothful lot and much to their discredit NASDAQ System under the symbol MAHI. For information man's opinion. they generally have to be cajoled and coerced into about the company write to Harold Cohen at the executive of~ fices of the company. 4517 Harford Rd .• Baltimore, MD 21214. The weather for Pacific Origins was truly taking action on such mundane tasks as reserving Publication is bi-monthly with mailings made close to beautiful and the Dunfey Hotel was indeed a lux exhibit and advertising space, sponsoring events, the end of February. April, June, August, October and urious site with special reduced rates for the con etc. Thus, in the past, the sponsors of the various December. All editorial and general mail should be sent to the Avalon Hill Game Company. 4517 Harford Road, vention which were very reasonable. Unfortunate Baltimore, MD 21214. One year subscriptions are $9.00. ly, in my opinion, any semblance of the actual con- Continued on Page 4 1, Column 1 Two year subscriptions are $14,00. Previous subscription rates of $7 .50 and $12.00 will be accepted as 5 and 8 issue terms respectively. All domestic subscriptions sent via bulk permit. Domestic First Class Delivery and all subscriptions to Canada and Mexico must pay an additional $9.00 per year postage charge. All overseas subscriptions must add an addi tional $12.00 per year postage charge. Send checks or money orders only. AH is not responsible forcash lost in transit. Those with a current American Express, VISA, or Master Charge card may call 800-638-9292 toll free to renew subscriptions Or order merchandise. Absolutely no complaints or questions will be handled on this number. Any business other than a credit card purchase must be handled by maiL Address changes must be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance to guarantee delivery. Paid advertising is not accepted, but news of impor tance to the gaming community is solicited. Convention an~ nouncernents must be received at least 3 months in advance and contain information pertaining to AH games in use. Articles from subscribers are considered for publication at the discretion of our editorial staff. Articles should be typewritten, double-spaced, and embrace the tenets of good English usage. There is no limitto word length. Accompany~ ing examples and diagrams should be neatlydone in black or red ink. Photographs should have caption and credit line written on back. Rejected articles will be returned whenever possible. EDITOR: Donald J. Greenwood ASS'T EDITOR: Alan R. Moon GRAPHICS: Jean Baer. Dale Sheaffer. Charles Kibler. Rodger MacGowan, Stephanie Czech Cover Art: Rodger MacGowan AREA Technicians: Jack Dolt & Robin Bara GENER'AL SUbscriptions: Gertrude Zombro Purchases of Games. PBM kits and parts: Christy Shaw FOREIGN DISTRIBUTORS: Overseas;readers ar~ urged to make subscription arrangements with· the appropriate agent. THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN 5 AUSTRALIA: Jedko Games, 1B Fonceca St" Mordialloc, 3195, Application of the Grand Strategy to GUNS OF AUGUST By Wayne E. Helie Victoria; DENMARK: Jorn Eriksen. Sondertoften 209, OK 2630 Taastrup; GREAT BRITAIN: Avalon Hill (UKI LTD, 650 High Rd., THE DECISIONS OF AUGUST North Finchley. London N. 12. ONL; GREECE: American Book & 8 News, 6B Syngrou Ave, Athens 403; JAPAN: Post Hobby, 1-38 A Plan of Attack for the Central Powers in GUNS OF AUGUST By John H. Berry Yoyogi. Shibura-KU, Tokyo; SINGAPORE: Wong International Entr., 6 Jalan Sinar Bulan; Singapore 1750; SOUTH AFRICA: DESIGN ANALYSIS 10 Gamma Games Ltd, P.O. Box 2904. Capetown BOOO; SWEDEN: GUNS OF AUGUST Designer's Notes By Robert Beyma Playground HB, Skarpskyttevagen 2 F; S-222 42 Lund Or A. B. Rojama, P.O. Box 22£)77. S-l04 35 Stockholm. STEPPING STONE TO SUEZ 18 The Proposed Air Assault on Cyprus By Vance von Borries Rules Questions: R&D. NOTE: all questions should be diagrammed. No Questions can be answered which are unaccompanied by a self· addressed, stamped envelope. Questions must be based on OPERATION TORCHLIGHTER 22 rules of play (not historical or design matters) and be based on the The End Game in AFRIKA KORPS By Frank Preissle current rules edition. Questions on more than one game must be listed on separate pages and accompanied by a separate SASE MORE REALISM FOR VITP 27 for each game. A Collection of Optional Rules for VITP By Robert Caleater IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS: inform us immed, ·ately. The Post Office destroys magazines even if you leave a SQUAD LEADER CLINIC 28 forwarding address. AH ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY Minefields and Boobytraps By Jon Mishcon FOR ISSUES LOST DUE TO AN INVALID ADDRESS. Please state both your new and old address. STRACHAN VS. DUMANOIR 30 A WS&IM Series Replay By L. Carpenter, J. Burtt, & M. Uhl Till! Copyright 1981 ® ,{tVALONHILL~o WOODEN SHIPS BY MAIL 37 A PBM System for WS&IM By Leonard Carpenter /~ Ga"U! CO'''pflny TACTICS IN DIPLOMACY 39 4517 Harford Road, ~~C Part III of a Four Part Series on the Game with No Dice By Lewis Pulsipher Baltimore, Md. 21214 \!I LI 3 STORM OVER ARNHEM c:ir;:tn,= 506 i ~L!!Q.J~_ III - ~.~~..' .cE . ,". CC- ...PzkwYlf 2-6-5 6-1-1 if (4),·· 'K. "In attack most daring, in defense most cunning, in endurance most steadfast, they block, but from house to house and room to room. Gains were measured performed a feat of arms which will be remembered and recounted as long as the vir in feet, not miles. Outnumbered, short of food, water, ammunition, and tues of courage and resolution have power to move the hearts of men." medical supplies, the paratroops nonetheless fought on and extracted a fearful toll in German lives for their steadily dwindling perimeter. Armor ... Winston Churchill, September 28th, 1944 and artillery were called in to flatten the city, but failed to lessen the resolve of those manning the redoubt. Finally, on September 21st, three On the morning of September 17th, 1944, from airfields all days after they were supposed to have been relieved by the tanks of XXX over southern England, the greatest armada of troop carrying air Corps one last wireless message originated from the smoking ruins of craft ever assembled for a military operation took to the air ... Arnhem ... "Out of ammunition ... God Save the King". What re mained of the gallant defenders of Arnhem bridge had broken into twos over 7500 aircraft which would drop an entire Allied airborne and threes and attempted to slip away in the night. army behind German lines to seize and hold a series of supposedly STORM OVER ARNHEM recreates four days in the struggle for weakly-defended bridges until relieved by an armored thrust Arnhem bridge with an innovative game system that preserves the "feel" through the front lines. Unbeknownst to the Allied High Com of simultaneous movement games without the bother of written moves, mand, however, two SS Panzer Divisions were stationed near while maintaining the action-reaction capabilities of more traditional se Arnhem-the last bridge in the chain, and the British 1st Air quential movement games. Player interaction is constant-thus yielding a borne Division was about to drop into a living hell. high excitement level throughout. The mapboard faithfully recreates that section of Arnhem over which the fiercest fighting for the bridge took place at a scale of I inch equals I()() feet. Each unit represents 12 men or So began Operation Market Garden, a daring and grandiose gamble several of the armored fighting vehicles which vied for control of the to end the war with one swift thrust into Hitler's crumbling Reich. The bridge. Unburdened by a maze of complex rules, it is an intrinsically sim battle which ensued would be the most dramatic and bitterly contested ac ple game to learn, but an extremely difficult one to master.