* MOVES nr. 33, published June/July 1977 Opening Moves

The Hardcorps (sic) and the Magazines

Circulation: 9000 In Moves nr. 29 we ran an extensive set of questions dealing with readership and Edltor/Executive Art Director Redmond A. Simonsen subscribership of the various wargaming Managing Edltar Robert J. Ryer magazines and fanzines. First it should be Art Director Manfred F. Milkuhn pointed out that wargaming is, obviously, Contributing Editors not a hobby with a large population- Richard Berg, James F. Dunnigan, Frederick Georgian, although the central group of hobbyists are Phil Kosnett, Steve List, Mark Saha, Jerrold Thomas very active and visible. The pun-title of this column makes reference to this group. Strategy & Tactics, is of course, the largest MOVES Magazine is copyright @ 1977. Simulations Publications, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved. All editorial andgeneral mail should be addressed to Simulations Publications Inc., 44 East 23rd Street. N.Y.. N.Y. 10010. circulation magazine in the hobby-but even MOVES is published by-monthly. One year subscriptions (six issues) are available for 58.00 (U.S.). Back issues or S&T is fairly small compared to other singlecopiesofthecumnt issue areavailableat S2.50percopy. Pleaseremit by check ormoney order (U.S. funds only) magazines-even special interest magazines Printing and Binding by American Ress. Inc., Gordonsville. Va. of other hobbies such as boating or serious ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Readers are invited to submit articles for possible publication in MOVES Magazine. photography or personal computers. But Manuscriptsmust be typewritten. double-spaced, on 8% x 11 white bond, with generous margins. Please include your full name on each MS page, and your name and address on the cover page. If you wish your manuscript returned. S&T is not a pure wargaming magazine. include a stamped, self-addressed 9 x 12 envelope. In no instance, however, can SPI assume responsibility for True, it has a wargame in it, but it is more manuscripts and illustrations not specifically solicited. correctly characterized as a history magazine that serves wargamers. Excluding S&T, there are four main magazines that deal almost exclusively with grid-map wargaming: MOVES, the AH General, Fire & Movement, and Campaign. In this issue ... A fifth recently went to bunny-heaven (Jagd- Panther/Battlefield). Added to that are two War in Europe Steve List other related magazines: The Space Gamer (a magazine that deals exclusively with SF StarForce Scenario 10 Tony Watson wargaming as a hobby-within-a-hobby) and Wargamer's Digest (which is basically a Panzergruppe Guderian Bill Dunne, miniatures gaming magazine). The survey Mike Gunson, also asked about two representative fanzines: David Parish Signal and Europa-there is an ever- changing blizzard of others of varying Citadel John Prados degrees of quality and stability. As best as can be determined by the SPI In- Science Fiction Phil Kosnett telligence Group, MOVES has 9,000 paying October War Mark Herman readers and the AH General about the same or perhaps a little less. Fire & Movement has An NLB Campaign Tony Merridy recently grown to about 4,000, and Cam- paign has 2,500 to 3,000 paying readers. If Goeben as Dreadnought Edward Heinsman the pass-along readership factor can be -- assumed to be consistent from magazine to Opening Moves Redmond A. Simonsen magazine, then each has about two-and-a- half times as many readers as the preceding Designer's Notes SPI R&D Staff figures indicate. But it would be a gross error Your MOVES The Readers to simply sum the paying (or pass-along) readers to wind up with an estimate of the Forward Observer Richard Berg wargame magazine population. The MOVES survey showed that at that time (last Fall), Playback The Players over one-third of the subscribers to MOVES also subscribed to The General. At the time, Feedback/Playback Questions Vox Populi, Vox Dei a thousand of the F&Msubscribers were also MOVES subscribers (and most of F&M's growth took place after the survey-my estimate is that at least two-thirds of F&M Simulations Publications, Inc.. 44 East 23rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10010 subscribers subscribe to MOVES). More than half of the Campaign subscribers are also MOVES subscribers. The overlap bet- ween the magazines is significantly large. My estimate is that there is a group of about Cardboard Nazis, and the Inside Dopester/ 1,500 readers who subscribe to all four main Conspiracy Monger, et al. magazines. Logically enough, it can also be The editors and publishers would perhaps assumed that this group is the most vocal and benefit from being less provincial and ter- active group of wargamers in the whole ritorial-the Hardcorps readers could population. They buy a great number of perhaps have a wider sense of perspective games, write a lot of letters andarticles, go to and scale. We could all relax and enjoy it a conventions, and generally make their little more. presence felt to a degree far beyond what WORK IN PROGRESS their mere numbers would indicate. Another Howareya, Howareya. couple of thousand subscribe to (or regularly Please don't order any of these titles until buy) two or more of the four magazines- Comes late July 1'11 find myself in Staten their availability is announced via S&T. Island (which though technically part of New - they should also be considered as part of the Vera Cmz group. So now we have about 3,500 in the York City is a place few Manhattanites have Hardcorps. There are undoubtedly many ac- ever flown over, much less visited). The occa- The finishing touches are being put on what tive gamers that don't subscribe to any of the sion of course is Origins 77, the annual hob- has been a surprisingly satisfactory develop- four magazines-but that very fact makes by bash. I hope that as many of you as can ment period for next S&Ts issue game. The make it doattend. I'd like to at least say hello combat system has been refined, and it now >- them another distinct group. to as many of you as possible. I wish some- includes elements of morale, leadership, sup- My underscoring of this overlap is by way of one would invent teleportation so that even ply, organization and terrain in figuring out pointing out that there is some danger of the the most far-flung readers could easily get to the final ratio. This has turned out to be magazines becoming ghetto-ized or too pro- NY (then we could hold a sort of outdoor somewhat complex (not too complex), but, vincial in their outlook. The AH General is MOVES magazine). So walk right up to me as it is the only piece of complexity in the sel f-ghetto-izing: it deals exclusively with AH and introduce yourself (giving the secret whole game above a 4.0 level, it has been games and rarely speaks to the hobby in MOVES handshake, of course). And for deemed acceptable. The reasons for such a general (no pun). In large part, all the goodness sake, bring some women with you. level of complexity in figuring out what magazines are talking to the same relatively should be a simple combat ratio were man- small group of gamers. Editors are suscepti- dated by the unusual nature of the campaign. ble to the mail they get and the face-to-face Thus players will find that although they confrontations they have with this group. have the necessary strength they will also They also sometimes imagine that they need good leadership morale, otherwise a 4-1 "have" this group of readers, and no other attack can become a 1-2 disaster. Most sur- magazine has them. Regardless of the irra- prising has been the play balance. Historians tionality of this, I see the signs in myself and will be aware of the seeming ease with which in other "insiders" in the various publishing Scott accomplished the capture of Mexico houses in the Wargame Village. City. In the game it is not so easy; not only In reality, we all "have" the same small does the US player have the original prob- group. This should be kept in mind when one lems of disease, an extended supply line, writes as if the other magazines and CHANGE OF ADDRESS? guerrillas, and the loss of his volunteer publishers don't exist-or when one reviews troops - he is also faced with the fact that When changing your address we need at games, makes announcements or pro- the Mexican Player will not be as dumb as nouncements, or generally acts like they in- least two months notice to insure that you Santa Anna. So the games have been quite will receive your copy of MOVES. The Post vented sliced bread. It also should act as a tense and well-balanced, yet more than ac- useful temporizer of petty spite campaigns Office has a tendency to lose copies of ceptably within the framework of history. and indignant arm-flapping. No one's kid- MOVES that are sent to an old address. Good fun. -Berg Third class mail is not forwarded. Also in- ding anybody-we're all in the same small Campaignfor North Africa boat; all the readers know what's going on in clude in your change of address either one of all the little councils of gamedom. No one your mailing labels or the numbers on your Extended research goes on for this intensive can lock anyone out 'cause they're all inside mailing label above your name and address. game. It will not be a truly big game - in the already. All hobbies act like little universes of Give us your old address and your new ad- sense of taking up space; rather it will con- their own-and wargaming is no exception. dress, and the effective date of your new ad- centrate on problems not covered before in What I'd like to see avoided, if possible, is dress. other games, and the problem of presenting the kind of silly empire building that one Write: these in a depth never-before attempted. notices from time-to-time in our own field SPI Customer Service Thus much research on shipping tonnage, fuel usage rates, ammunition supply and use, ; and in related fields (e.g., science-fiction). 44 East 23rd Street Model railroading is something of an excep- New York, N.Y. 10010 water locations and use, etc. We have not yet tion to this tendency-by and large, model arrived on a combat system, and the game is railroading manufacturer's publishers and still in its pre-natal state, so to speak. hobbyists get along very well and benefit from a great deal of cross-fertilization of A Mighty Fortress technology, ideas, and opinions. GAME QUESTIONS POLICY Another game which is entering the final stages. We have had some problems with From what I see in them, wargaming fanzines In every set of SPI rules it clearly states that are even more fond of the idea that they balance, but most of these were solved when all game questions must be accompanied by we found that the Hapsburgs were playing somehow have their own little audience that a stamped, self-addressed envelope. If this listens only to them. Partly this is due to the the wrong rules. This created an imbalance in requirement is not fulfilled the questions will South Germany and the Lutherans were get- very nature of fanzines which are basically not be answered. The volume of games one man writing a letter (with contributing ting wiped off the board by turn 5, a rather questions makes this policy a necessity. ahistoric occurance. That has been attachments) to a small group of hobbyists Your cooperation is appreciated. with voracious reading habits. The poorer of straightened out, as has the rule concerning these efforts embody all of the worst -Mark Herman Henry VlII and the divorce question - elements of the most painful cliche Games Questions Editor which will be an option. Also an option will characters in our field: the SuperBuffs, be a series of variable victory conditions for fcontinued on page 181 OPERATIONAL ANAL YSIS WAR IN EUROPE Strategic Choices

When the SPI Art Department and I were the eliminated box. To accomplish this in- ed units must be started from 13/39 to 3/40 struggling to produce the acres and acres of crease in the course of the game requires the to be available for Sea Lion. If all goes well War in Europe, I kept asking myself 'How is German to start 18 AP and 2 ATP in the first for the German (looting of Poland and anyone going to be able to play all this in a four production cycles, at a cost of 150 pro- Swedish iron via Narvik), he will get only 500 single human lifetime?-or will the game be duction points. But even if he loots Poland production points in this period, only 278 of passed on from father to son as a trans- and gets all his Swedish iron, the German can them in 1939. A maximum naval build would generational task?' If so, Mr. List has a word scrape up only 276 points in this period. An use 242 of these, meaning little else can be of advice for your grandchildren: - RAS expenditure of 150 points is 54% of this built in that year. total. So now you know why Germany lost Even so, this leaves another 258 points for the war; she violated rule 77.6(a) and had to use through 3/40, from which a respectable The following remarks are intended to give forfeit. force could be built (for example, 20 AP, 10 players a handle on the monstrous War in Apparently, the rationale for this rule is to mechanized and 30 infantry divisions). Europe Campaign Game. This is such a huge However, the bulk of these would not be undertaking that anyone who tackles it is in keep the German from making wild varia- tions in his naval and air production, which available by the 5/40 cycle, which was when danger of losing sight of the strategic forest France was invaded historically, which for the trees. Of course, much of this discus- was physically impractical. But by tying these to a fixed fraction of total production, fluc- means that to invade France "on time" the sion will be relevant to the component games German would have to make do with his War in the West and 2nd ed. War in the East, tuation is built in if the German lets his ex- penditures vary widely. It requires a lot of Poland '39 army, slightly reinforced but and to scenarios involving either or both minus losses, garrison troops and production fronts. arithmetic to implement and results in the German sometimes being forced to build cadres. Under these conditions, the German Playel's should keep in mind two distinctions stuff he doesn't want just to raise expen- would be unlikely to even conquer France, between the campaign versions of WITW ditures to the point that he can build perhaps let alone swiftly and bloodlessly enough that and WIEu, however. For one, there is no ex- one more AP. Finally, it seems capriciously an invasion of England could then proceed. plicit way for the Germans to win the former, arbitrary that the rule is deemed necessary A decision can be made to trade off naval the Victory Conditions being phrased so that for WIEu but not for WITWby itself. I sug- units for land and air strength to ensure the only the Allies have conditions which can be gest the whole thing be ignored. fall of France, but of course any reduction objectively fulfilled (the German cannot Strategically, the German must make two from the paltry maximum naval force force them to surrender no matter how much major decisions before the game begins. Will available reduces the German's Sea Lion land he grabs). I would suggest that a suc- he invade England, and will he invade chances further. All of the above has also cessful German invasion of England, along Russia? Failure of an English invasion will assumed the German is not building U-boats, with the conquest of Metropolitan France, is probably cost him the game, while success which means that starting by 1941 the Allied a sufficient condition, but the players should will probably win it. Paradoxically, failure to reinforcement schedule would start ac- be sure to agree beforehand on what they will invade England may contain the key to vic- celerating. If England has fallen, this is of lit- accept. The second major point of difference tory. Similar considerations apply to the tle immediate concern. If she stands, the Ger- is that WITW requires that the German in- Russian invasion, but England comes first. It man will find himself in a race to build three vade Russia with considerable strength by a is a make-or-break decision that could make army groups to throw away in Russia and specific time. WIEu gives the German much the Russian operation moot. recover from his losses enough to defend his more leeway as to when he can invade and European conquests before the Allies gather does not require such an invasion at all. For the sake of argument, assume conditions enough strength to waltz in and take it from for WITWapply. The German will start the him. In short, he will be losing the war. German Approaches to Victory game with i4-mechanized divisions and about 90 infantry divisions or KGs with But, say you, that only applies to WITW. The German does not start the war with available draft replacements, and 27 AP in When playing WIEu, the German can start enough units to win it. Therefore, he must existence or production. Just to meet the the game with 1200 points worth of whatever build some more. (How do you catch a bird? minimum needs of the Barbarossa rule, he units he wants, so he can have all his naval When you get close enough, put salt on his will have to expend 434 production points. strength at the start and can concentrate on tail ...) This building of units is a major detri- Assuming historical conquests on the building air/land units. All he has gained is ment to German chances of victory, with historical schedule, looting and native some time, because now he must start the war production and military strategy coordinated resources will make available some 2000 pro- with a smaller army and air force (say 10 and kept pretty much directed on the original duction points in the time before Barbarossa mech and 70 infantry divisions, 20 AP and goal. Ill-considered changes of strategy, or of would commence, leaving nearly 1600 miscellaneous items like paratroops and strategic emphasis, were a large part of available for other purposes. This may seem ATPs plus KGs for production feedstock). Hitler's failure to subjugate the world. like a lot, but some considerations should be To build infantry from scratch requires 7 Caveat. kept in mind. No units completed after 10/40 cycles, so any started after 12/39 will not be Since German production is so important, a will be of any use for an invasion of England available at the start of the French campaign. few words on the rules governing it are not in that year (and a later invasion is unlikely), Again the pinch is there; naval strength For out of place. Certain restrictions are given in and hopefully, the invasion will be ready to the invasion of England will jeopardize the rule 77.6. One of these limits the German to go by at least 8/40, meaning France is no invasion of France. spending no more than 50% of his produc- threat even if not fully surrendered. Since As far as the actual invasion is concerned, the tion points in any one cycle on air units. The virtually all the naval strength for an English game is biased against the German anyway. German begins the game (Poland '39) with invasion must be built from scratch, they Depending on his allocation of naval forces 23 AP, 3 ATP and 4 more AP on the produc- must be initiated by 11/39 to make the star- and Allied luck with the die, he can expect his tion track. He begins the France '40 scenario ting date, and by 13/39 to be of any use at all. Surface Points to last only 3-4 turns and pro- with 40 AP and 5 ATP, plus another 5 AP in Similarly, the bulk of the AP and mechaniz- vide only about 50% production to invasion shipping in that time. He must also hold back won't have a whole lot to contest it with. Of get to Belgium. But Denmark? Similarly, shipping and naval strength to supply the course, when playing the full scale WIEu ver- stay out of the Balkans. Hitler went in it to units which do land, and these will not last sion, the German can rearrange his initial assauge his pride over Yugoslavia and bail indefinitely either. Perhaps 25-30 divisions forces and not be hampered by an arbitrary Benito out of his "Greek tragedy." But you (of which half might arrive as KGs) may be allocation of production to the East front. are Mussolini as well as Hitler and should landed and kept in supply for a time. Unless know better than to get involved in the first the defenses of England are virtually non- As another aside, care must be taken when place. The only good that came of the Balkan existent, such a force is unlikely to overrun varying the initial forces from that given in adventure was the elimination of the cream the country, and once they can no longer be the Poland '39 scenario. While it is obviously of the British army in the Med. Don't count supplied, the German lodgement will become better to build 50 6-5 divisions than 50 KGs on your opponent being as helpful as Chur- a large POW compound. and 50 draft replacements, upgrading the chill was in this regard. The Balkans were the quality of the infantry will not justify too same sort of running sore on Hitler's war ef- much of a reduction in its quantity. The fort that Spain was on Napoleon's. If you If the players have agreed to it, a German "Westwall" frontier must still be manned will note, at the start of the Barbarossa success in this invasion will end the game; against an Allied player undoubtedly more scenario, 53 German, Italian and Bulgarian otherwise, it will certainly cripple the western aggressive than the French general staff was, divisions are in garrison in the Balkans, com- allies while the German builds strength for a while Poland must be taken out quickly and pared to 34 in France and the Low Countries. Russian invasion and tries to recover lost without much loss. The sooner you can con- ground in the U-boat war, which only means centrate on the west, the less opportunity for he still has not lost. Failure at this point an Anglo-French monkey wrench to bollix Of course, some invasions may be justified should cost him the game. This is the type of your plans. Within limits, there are similar on other grounds. Possession of Narvik is situation that Rommel termed a gamble-a constraints on any army built for the inva- important to the Germans; allowing access to zero-sum masterstroke that should be used as sion of Russia. Increasing the airborne and Swedish iron provides 54 production points a last resort. mechanized units and adding rail repair units in the first winter and 60 in the second, when For those whose taste is for something short will certainly add punch to the invasion, but the Axis need is the most critical. It is of of Armageddon, there is something else to if the cost is a large part of your spear car- course worth more later, but by then the Ger- consider-the economics of U-boat warfare. riers, the 6-5 infantry, the invading force may man is getti-ng more from his safe resource To match the German historical level of ac- be too "brittle" and break in your hand. centers. tivity, i.e., to maintain a U-boat force so that Having decided about invading England, the If the German invades Norway, he must land on the average the Allied reinforcement German must similarly decide about in- troops at Narvik, even if everybody else schedule keeps pace with the time record, the vading Russia when playing WIEu. A suc- lands in the Baltic. Because of the cost of German must start to build 95 U-boat factors cessful invasion of England or concentration naval escorts, he should assume'that every in the 56 cycles prior to 1944 (an average of on U-boat warfare will prevent a strong unit sent will arrive as a battlegroup with the 1.7 per cycle), and 8 factors every 3 cycles Allied threat in the west, leaving a relatively naval transport lost. Once he .has seized (2.7 average) in 1944-45. This is a lot of pro- free hand for dealing with the Soviets. In Narvik, he should be able to hold it, at least duction, 950 points through 1943. But by these circumstances, a stalemate should not in the short term. Because he can sail into a building a measly 17 more U-boats to make be too hard to achieve and a win may even be neutral port, he can seize it in a snow month the average 2.0 per cycle (an increase in cost possible ... For those who feel Germany has so the Allies cannot reinvade. In any event, a of 17.8%) in this period, he will delay the no business tackling Russia, another conser- garrison of two supplied 1-5/KGs or four un- Allied buildup by a full 15 cycles! On 1/44, vative course is open. The German can fulfill supplied have a 5/6 chance of surviving an the Allies will get the units they would nor- 4 of his 5 victory criteria without invading Allied invasion. Since the Allies will have at mally have gotten on 12/42. The 170 produc- Russia. Of course, this means he won't be most 2 Amphibs, a two division invasion will tion points this would cost the German able to get a decisive victory in the game, and get only 4-1 odds if it survives any air-sea in- would buy 21 AP; by spending it on U-boats, he'll end up fighting the Russian anyway as terdiction the German may have. it will cost the Allies 264 AP not to mention 6 the Soviet player will have to attack him to Unfortunately, there are three other Amphibs, 13 assorted divisions, 60 draft take the Polish Wehrkreis hexes or knock Norwegian ports on the Atlantic which the replacements and almost all the strategic Rumania out of the war. But in this case, it is Allies could use to enter Norway, and the bomber force. the Russian who must be on the offensive, German will be pressed to secure them all. At this time, an aside is pertinent. Under no with only Limited War production to back They are all within 12 hexes of Oslo, which circumstances should the German player him up, which should allow the German to should be the main German port, so both agree to the use of the Allied Reaction rule, win a war of attrition. Since hindsight is so sides will be in a position to interdict each 22.4. This option would allow the Allied good at showing how unreasonable it was for others' sea communications with Norway. player to kill off your U-boats as fast as you the Germans to expect to defeat the Soviets, The effect should be to keep either side from can build them. While it would cost him 168 and since there is no real need to try in the building up enough strength to evict the AP to kill your 112 U-boats, the lack of game, an invasion of Russia is, like an inva- other and could result in Norway being a U-boat activity would result in an Allied rein- sion of England, a gamble. It may be a lot of worse drain on the Germans than the forcement rate almos't double the historical fun, but it is not optimum strategy. Balkans were. Retention of Narvik may not one, making good his losses in aircraft while As may be discerned, I am advocating a con- be worth the cost. you would have nothing to show for it. servative German strategy, completely at If the German refrains from invading Nor- Timing causes something of a problem when odds with Hitler's megalomaniacal ap- way, he may see the Allies do it anyway, in playing the WITW version. Because of the proach. Germany cannot conquer the world, which case they would hold Narvik. The Ger- mandatory Russian invasion, there are not so why try? Conquer enough to win the mans should still be able to intervene through enough production points available to the game, but not so much that you can't hold on Oslo, but the situation would be similar to German for about a year from mid '41 to '42 to it. (Of course, Hitler's plans looked good the above. For them to recapture Narvik to allow building two U-boats per cycle. This on paper too. His problem was in getting car- overland would require a clear rail line to means he must build 64 boats in the 24 cycles ried away and going off in unwise fashion. Trondheim, four supply units and a lot of prior to Barbarossa, nearly 3 per cycle. This So be sure you know what and why you are time. Once Narvik is seized, then, it is likely can be done, without even violating rule doing whenever you deviate from a precon- to stay seized. If the German wants Swedish 77.6, while allowing the army buildup to the ceived plan.) Such advice applies to the iron, he must be prepared to pay a high cost Barbarossa minimum plus a force of about operational level as well. Don't invade for it. If he thinks he can do without, it may 40 divisions and 50 AP to-garrison Europe. anyone you don't have to. You need Belgium be better to let the Allies make the first move This may not seem like much, but the Allies to control Brussels, and maybe Holland to and get caught in a Scandanavian tar baby. Another invasion which may be justifiable he may attack only Finland, Turkey, or Iran effective counteroffensives. Since the Rus- does not involve violating neutrality, and (all pointless), Germany or Rumania. At- sian will have to be responding to German ac- that is an assault on Malta. The German has tacking either of the two latter will threaten tions, more specific advice than this is not the two traditional chances to take Malta by two of the German's victory criteria, but the really useful. storm, slim and none. The island starts the Russian will be on the short end of a war of game with a garrison of 2-10 and a (1)-0 for a attrition. He must be offensive, but limited The Western Allies total of three combat strength points. war production won't allow much wastage of Like the Russian, the Anglo-French (later An air assault by three or four 2-5 parachute units, while the extensive borders must still Anglo-American) coalition is primarily reac- regiments, halved in strength would get 1-1 be guarded, further dispersing his limited ting to German moves. Germany begins the odds, and with Close Air Support to negate strength. This would invite German action in war with the initiative and will not lose it, terrain effects, there is at best a 1/3 pro- the form of "unit killing", depleting Soviet barring egregious blunders, until he is too bability of a BR, which would kill the Allied forces to impotence before triggering total weak to make use of it. This does not mean garrison as well as the attackers, while of war. the Allies can do noting; like the Russian, course any other result would kill the at- This is not to say the Russian player should they must roll with the punches and effective- tackers and leave the garrison unscathed. never attack the Axis. Bucharest, Krakow ly counter-punch, hitting "where they The problem with this is that the Allies can and Konigsberg are all very close to the fron- ain't". Until they have enough strength to then, in their turn, move a new garrison in by tier, and careless Axis deployment may make meet the German's full strength, they must sea and restore the status quo. If the German a coup de main feasible. Such a blow would face him only where the German cannot ap- uses air-sea to suppress the port, the garrison be actually a raid intended to reach the city ply his maximum effort. Besides such his- will be out of supply and allow the assaulting and render it useless for German victory pur- torical and near-historical campaigns as forces to get 2-1 odds, with a 50% chance of poses (by inactivating a Wehrkreis or driving Narvik, North Africa and Mediterranean "winning" (1 DR, 2 BR vs 3 AR on the Rumania out of the war). Whether such a Europe, several other areas suggest CRT). The attackers will still be lost though, coup succeeds or not, the Russian should be themselves. As a general guideline, the Allied even if the result is a DR, because they will be prepared to fall back deep into his heartland player should avoid violating neutral ter- out of supply at the end of the turn. Since to conserve units in the face of any strong ritory and confine himself to actions against troops cannot be landed in a suppressed German countermeasures. Attacking the Axis-held land. A major exception to this is minor port, the Allies cannot regarrison Axis may also be justified when he has both Portugal. Lisbon can be quickly taken by a unless they have an Amphib available, so the weakly garrisoned his eastern holdings and sea-borne invasion, ending all resistance and island will be open to seizure by an unoppos- has no reserves available, and is extensively giving the Allies a strong foothold on the ed Axis air assault the next turn. But the engaged with the western allies as well. This continent. Spain will lie between this Allied above method still has only a 50% chance of should be a rare set of circumstances, as enclave and German occupied France, pro- seizing the island. Another method is possi- anyone willing to play the German should be viding a buffer zone to give the Allies time to ble, by deliberately overstacking. By sup- canny enough to avoid the classic two front build up before the Germans can throw them pressing the port and using six 2-5s and four squeeze. But the threat may make him over out. The major drawback to this scheme is 14,odds of 5-1 could be obtained, which cautious and thereby indirectly aid the Allied that the German may choose to stay out of would guarantee success at the cost of all the cause, while if it should develop, the Russian Spain, forcing the Allies to invade her if they air units lost due to lack of supply. If the port would have a relatively free hand until the want to get at the Germans. Unless the Ger- is not suppressed, odds drop to 2-1, with only German could scrape up the resources to deal man is seriously distracted elsewhere, this one chance in six of any of the attackers sur- with the problem. would not be easy. viving, and only four of them would be left Assuming the Russian will remain at peace, The only other "nibbling" action the Allies after stacking is satisfied. he must fulfill certain garrison requirements can take against the Axis is prosecuting the Any approach to the capture of Malta will in his frontier military districts by 3/5/41. To strategic air war. Since German production is cost heavily in paratroops even if successful. build the units needed for this will cost 63 based on the smaller total ~f~manufacturing Beyond that, any increase of the garrison Personnel and 141 Arms points. This is less or resource centers, it is only logical to con- would eliminate even these bleak prospects. than the totals available at the start and centrate on the type of target. If there are By adding another 2-10 or raising the one which are received, leaving a surplus of 73 more Resource centers than Manufacturing, there to a division, Malta can be made im- personnel and 3 1 arms points for additional it would be senseless to waste effort on them. pregnable against the Axis. And if they took units. With this, a force of 24 infantry corps But initially, Manufacturing Centers are the it, they could not hold it forever. The rules with some 8 mechanized brigades could be only type of target that can be hit until ac- allow the Allies to air assault with divisions built. Other combinations, perhaps with curacy column 5 is reached. At that point, rather than regiments, while they have am- more AT brigades and fortified units are of concentrate on MCs located on transporta- phibious capability to apply as well. The course possible, but Peacetime production tion lines, as a transport line hit will also take game is structured to keep Malta in Allied levels will obviously not allow building an out the MC. Except through transport hits, hands. The German may find it cheaper to overpowering army. Resource Centers cannot be affected until ac- neutralize it by suppressing the port each Total War production is another matter. In curacy column 9 is reached, which means turn than by attempting to capture it. MOVES #20, Oktay Otzunali laid out a well eight MCs have been hit to this point. Unless In general, decide before invading-not only if balanced Russian production scheme for the the German has had a lot of luck repairing it is necessary but whether once you've got it first edition of WZTE. This is readily conver- MCs, the only reason to switch to RCs as you can hold it. Italian adventurism in North tible to the production mechanics of the se- targets would be that there are no MCs left in Africa is not too profitable, for instance, as cond edition by anyone willing to spend time range, but enough RCs are in range that their the Italian "sword" is both brittle and dull. drawing up some charts and counting on his total can be reduced to less than the MC Unless you are willing to make that theater fingers. The act of performing such a conver- total. In general, strategic serial warfare is more than a sideshow. be content to defend it sion is an excellent education in the in- not going to defeat the Germans by itself. and plan on its eventual loss. tricacies of the economic end of the war and In summary, the German has the initiative will allow the player to insert his own varia- for as long as he can use it. He should use this Soviet Participation tions where he may want them. But in advantage to neutralize enemies on the conti- In a three player game, the Soviet player general, the need during the first year of a nent while avoiding acquisition of too many won't have a whole lot to do unless the Ger- German invasion will be for infantry and AT liabilities, i.e., neutral countries that must be man attacks; then he may have all too much to blunt the attack. After that, more offen- garrisoned and protected from Allied inva- to do. Until that happens, he may only be at sive units, like Guards and tankhechanized sion. He can play for high stakes, trying to Peace or Limited War, and if he goes to war corps, or artillery, will be required to allow eliminate his opponents and winning [continued on page 101 OPERATIONAL ANAL YSIS STARFORCE SCENARIO 70 A Strategy for Humans by Tony Watson Being the first game that I designed from top A quick synopsis of the above shows that the Ophiuchi if your tactics are not off and for- to bottom, I havean almost unnatural affec- PHH must execute a quick initial offensive tune (the chit) isn't totally against you. Strive tion for StarForce. I pat it on its head every against the divided League while keeping a however not to lose any forces to randomiza- two months when it makes its regular ap- watchful eye on Sol. tion needlessly as the game is short and it may pearance on the SPI Bestseller list; I snarl At the onset, the PHH player must decide in take a while to get those units back into when its detractors get too close; I make play. After 36 Ophiuchi has fallen there sure it wears its galoshes in the rain; and so what direction he will attack. In most cases, he can only thrust in one direction; "up" should be enough superiority to move on 70 forth. So, sit down, have some tea, and read Ophiuchi with a relatively good chance of about it a little! Cake? - RAS against the L'Chal-Dah or over and "down" versus the Rame. The Rame are probably the success while your remaining force is hover- better choice since the PHH player can have ing off 61 Cygni or thereabouts tying up the So you're playing in Scenario 10 of StarForce StarForces adjacent to two gates (36 remaining L'Chal-Dah. as the Pan Human Hegemony and you think Ophiuchi and 70 Ophiuchi) in two turns and If, however, the L'Chal-Dah do not head for it's about time to show the uppity aliens just units adjacent to HR 7703 in three. Though it 70 Ophiuchi on turn one thus delaying the who's on top in this end of the galaxy. Not takes but one turn, with a gate-shift from earliest arrival on L'Chal-Dah to turn four, quite sure how to do it? The following may Sol, to 61 Cygni but units can not be adjacent you should be in good shape to threaten both help. to the other L'Chal-Dah systems for three 70 Ophiuchi and 36 Ophiuchi quickly and The first thing to do in any StarForce turns. The essence of this scenario is speed, simultaneously while your force at the center scenario is to look over the Order of Battle, and three turns is the fastest L'Chal-Dah of the map keeps a careful watch on the Deployment, and Victory Conditions and forces can reach 70 Ophiuchi Sigma L'Chal-Dah. The Rame player will probably judge the relative advantages and disadvan- Draconis, and attempting to reinforce either give you 36 Ophiuchi, choosing to stand at 70 tages therein. Comparison of the Order of of the other two gates will take even longer. Ophiuchi and depending on what you send to Battle is pretty simple: just compare numbers An additional incentive to attack the Rame is 36, you have 4 to 6 StarForces to battle him there to see who has the advantage. Deploy- the fact they have but three StarForces to de- there. ment, both in terms of Gates and forces allot- fend their Gates while the L'Chal-Dah have After 36 and 70 Ophiuchi have fallen, you're ted to them is a bit more involved. Exactly four. going to have to size up the relative situation where the StarForces are initially placed will Probably the best move in this situation is to to determine your next course of action. determine how fast they can get into the bat- thrust the fleet at Alpha C towards the 36 Depending on the positions of any of your tle. Deployment of the Gates will tell which Ophiuchi with a gate shift. The same should and Rame randomized StarForces, you Gates can support each other (Gate-to-Gate be done with the forces at Sol, only these might want to spin off a small task force for shift) in case of attack and also, how accessi- should be aimed at 70 Ophiuchi. You will HR 7703 and take the bulk of the remaining ble your Gates are to enemy attack. Finally, have to make a decision as to whether 10 on up to challenge the L'Chal-Dah systems. Victory Conditions might give special advan- commit all five of the Sol forces or to keep If you have been lucky and randomized the tages toeither or both sides. one back to be used with the incoming forces Rame defenders with small losses to yourself, In thecase of Scenario 10 we have: from Epsilon Indi. It goes without saying then things should not be too difficult for Order of Balfle: The PHH player has 10 that the two forces at Epsilon should be you. If not, then the whole war might hinge StarForces to the DL'S 7; a substantial ad- shifted to Sol on the first turn. on one battle at Sigma Draconis. The fact that you hold 70 Ophiuchi should make the vantage. The first turn should tell you a few things; DL player hesitant to leave Sigma Draconis Deployment: The DL player is at a disad- like whether or not the L'Chal-Dah are com- weak. The time you won with the quick vantage here since the L'Chal-Dah and Rame ing out of Sigma Draconis to reinforce their defeat of the Rame should allow you the systems are too far apart to mutually support allies. If so, shift the forces at Sol to a point turns needed to maneuver and stretch the one another. Within their respective holdings midway between Sol and 61 Cygni. There L'Chal-Dah thin and pick off his systems. the gates are mutually joined. The PHH they can provide a credible threat (especially You'll have, if things haven't gone too badly player's Gates are all connected in one move if the DL player believes the move toward the for you, a 2 to 4 StarForce superiority. The but that doesn't matter much since he Rame stars to be feints or at best attempts to units hovering off Cygni can always be used shouldn't be doing much defending in this split the League) to that star and still be in for aquick thrust into that star. scenario. The important thing to remember enhanced shift range of Sol. Not to appear too partisan, I'll offer a brief in this category is the wide split between the Down at the Rame stars, the safe plan would word on Defense League strategy. L'Chal-Dah and Rame gates. For the most be to head for 36 Ophiuchi with the forces part, deployment favors the PHH. from Sol as well as the Alpha C group. You'll First off, remember you are on the defensive Victory Conditions: This is the category that be adjacent to 36 Ophiuchi with 7 or 8 Star- and both time and the victory conditions are makes things difficult for the PHH. The Forces at the end of turn three, just as the working for you. You can afford to lose a game limit of twenty turns forces the PHH to L'Chal-Dah shift into the Rame home star. system or two saving your strength, and do things fast and not always exactly as they The maximum defense of 36 Ophiuchi will be meanest scrapping, for the crucial final bat- wish. Also the conditions themselves are not the gate and the three Rame forces; easy tles. Probably the two stars you should that easy to comply with; subjugation of enough for the force you can bring to bear. always defend are the two home systems, as both home systems or four other Gates is no In addition it is unlikely that the Rame will loss of one will put you in something of a easy task. The DL needs only to hold out, defend it so heavily (to the exlusion of 70 spot. sneak in and zap Sol quickly. The only ad- Ophiuchi) so you might even want to send a Basically you are faced with three choices: vantage accrued by the PHH is the fact that couple of units back towards 70 Ophiuchi so sending the forces of the unthreatened Epsilon Eridana and Alpha Centauri do not they can enhance the forces shifting out of 36 League member to the aid of the other; have to be guarded (since their capture Ophiuchi the next turn. Despite any Rame defending the two groups of systems with doesn't count towards a DL victory.) defense you should be able to carry 36 their own initial forces; or abandoning the [continued on page 101 OPERATIONAL ANAL YSIS PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN A Dissenting Approach by Bill Dunne, Mike Gunson, David Parish

Now I ask you, do I get the Nelson Noble two infantry divisions to hex 1014 and 3. Roslavland the Nom~nat~onor don't I? Here I go prlntlng In Koniev to the Smolensk area. If the 16th Ar- South- West Reinforcements my own magazlne an artlcle, by three men my can move, then it moves two infantry The Roslavl area can be strongly defended by from the Mother Country, that directly divisions from Smolensk to hex 0513; the using all the South-West reinforcements, the refutes my own thes~son how to win In 20th Army infantry division previously 21st Army, and Remezov who moved by Panzergruppe Guder~an(one of my favor1te deployed at hex 05 13 is moved to hex 05 18 train in Turn Two. The use of all the South- games) -and they make a convlnclng case and one of the armor divisions that was West reinforcements (and the 15 victory Luck~ly,there's 5000km of br~neatwlxt us originally deployed here now moves to points this gives the German) means that the - RAS strengthen hex 07 11. Russian cannot afford to be overrun by the German. However, the presence of these We read Mr. Simonsen's article on If the 19th and 16th Armies are free then the units can help to prevent this. The actual Panzergruppe Guderian (MOVES No. 29) German should get not more than 2-1 in any defense of Roslavl may be either a tight with some interest since we play this game first turn attack on this egg (assuming enclave centered around Roslavl, using the frequently and get a great deal of enjoyment average strength stacks - an assumption woods for defense or a line based on the from it. His description of tactics is compre- that puts grey hairs on every Russian player). southern edge of the map and hooking to the hensive, however we disagree with the strate- Subsequent play depends on whether the North and East of Roslavl. gies outlined by him. A Russian defense im- German breaks into this formation. If he posing a greater delay on the German ad- does not then the "egg" proper is formed. 4. The "Gap " vance and making more use of the terrain is a Any armor that is free, is removed to the tougher nut to crack. The deployment of Until now nothing has been said about the Smolensk area and replaced by locally deployment between Roslavl and Smolensk. such a defense alters the result of the game so available infantry. The remaining infantry that, under the old victory conditions, it This great expanse of clear terrain, with its moves to the South and East of the egg to poor East-West lines of communication and becomes a contest as to whether the Russian complete the formation, again using woods or German obtains a marginal victory. Also the need to deploy many treble stacks to and rivers for defense. If the German breaks form a defensible line, constitutes a death this defense demands a different approach in, the Russian pins the German armor (still from the German. The combination of these trap for the Russian player. This pitfall is using terrain wherever possible), attempts to avoided by not deploying in the area, form- two strategies makes for a close and deman- put it out of supply, and to delay any ad- ding game. ing the "gap." From Turn Three onwards vance along the road to Smolensk. In short, part of the Russian reinforcements are THE RUSSIAN DEFENSE one just makes everything as awkward as directed South from the railway to form a possible for the German! More units should line running East from Smolensk. Again, this The whole Russian defense will depend on be fed into this area only in exceptional cir- his early game strategy as this constrains his uses rough terrain to ensure the German cumstances since everything here is certain to faces a tough defensive line. later choices of action. The main objective of die. If the Russian carries out these forward this strategy is to buy time for the Russian to delaying tactics, the German should be 5. Russian Air Interdiction Marker deploy his major groups of resistance. Below delayed for three or, more probably, four This is perhaps the greatest single factor hin- is set out a series of techniques which should turns. dering the German advance in the middle achieve this end. stages of the game. Once the "egg" has been 1. The 'Wg" 2. The North Flank destroyed the German supply route along the This is a forward enclave involving around roads can generally only be interrupted using In the North the Russian should form a this marker. It should be placed on the road twenty divisions and a leader with a four straight line from hex 2002 to hex 2015, again rating, all of whom are written-off as soon as as near to the edge (hex 0120) as possible. making the best possible use of the terrain. When this is done German supply will not they take up position. The first move in the This deployment should prevent any effec- formation of this "egg" can be defined ex- reach much beyond the Smolensk-Roslavl tive German outflanking moves to the North. line. If the German advances beyond his sup- actly, whereas subsequent moves vary accor- The line should be formed by the end of ding to combat results and the German ply he is easily pinned since his mobility and Game-Turn Two or at the latest Game-Turn strength are halved. Consequently the Ger- deployment. Initially the 20th Army deploys Three. Troops for this line come from the two armored divisions to hex 071 1, two in- man isunable to exploit the "gap" left by the 22nd and 24th Armies (the latter having mov- Russian player. The Air Interdiction Marker fantry divisions to hex 0512, one infantry ed in by rail on Turn One). In the woods to division to hex 0513, three infantry divisions should be used all three times in the mid- the North most of the stacks only contain game (probably soon after the "egg" has to hex 0515, two armored divisions to 0518 two units, but if these have average strengths and Kurochkin to kex 0715. Meanwhile the been broken) thus giving the Russian player (that dangerous assumption again!) the Ger- more time to prepare for the showdown. 13th Army deploys one armored division to man will only be able to get 2-1 on any stack, hex 0518, three infantry divisions to hex until his infantry arrives. Most of the line has 6. Summary of Russian Position 0420, three infantry divisions to 0521, one in- a stack every alternate hex, except in the The combination of these techniques should fantry division to 0322, and Remezov to open to the South and around Smolensk. result in delay of the German and growing 0621. Here triple stacks are deployed adjacent to Russian strength. The "egg" and the Air In- This position has the effect of at least doubl- each other (shoulder to shoulder in the true terdiction Marker should prevent the Ger- ing the defensive strength of the Russian Socialist tradition). Behind this line the avail- man from effectively attacking the main Rus- units and is impossible to effectively outflank able armor should form a reserve so as to be sian defenses until they are too strong for on the first turn. able to reinforce dangerous situations or him. The straight Northern line prevents any Should the 19th Army be able to move, it make sallies during the middle and end outflanking in this direction. If attacked by deploys two infantry divisions to hex 0912, games. the main bulk of German forces it should hold long enough to be reinforced, making Western edge of the board as his defenses are look as porous as a sieve. We now hope to penetrations ineffective. The "gap" enables usually unscathed. show that to do this he must quickly concen- the Russian to concentrate on defending the One should hope that the use of terrain will trate his armor into clearing his supply route. major German objectives on defensible ter- so decrease the German kill rate that large Then using one vast concentration of armor, rain. Also the presence of this feature in the forces will be available to meet German end- he must secure his next objective. defense attracts the German forces by offer- game attacks, despite the fact that twenty 1. Initial Moves ing the possibility of a deep penetration. units were written off initially. However such a move is usually fruitless as At first the German is faced with three main few Russian units are killed and when unsup- alternatives which are to ignore and bypass plied the German will not have the mobility THE GERMAN ATTACK the egg; to attack it; or to mix these two and strength to take his geographical objec- Although we have described the Russian policies. Eventually, the Russian must be tives. Furthermore should these be taken the defense as though it were watertight, the Ger- cleared from his forward positions so that Russian may well seal him off from the man does in fact have a chance of making it subsequent major attacks can be supplied. Any deep penetrations in the first two turns choose from: he can move to the Northern may become overextended (and unsupplied will result in the German units being pinned Section, the "gap," Smolensk or Roslavl. himself) which can lead to disaster. down and the forward Russian positions be- Whichever he chooses must be attacked with We feel the choice of target depends on the ing unharmed. So, the German player will be the bulk of his forces, to the exclusion of any exact situation which must be assessed sepa- caught between his two objectives of break- other attacks since he needs total armor con- rately for each game. Whichever the German ing the forward and the back positions centration to gain victory. chooses to do, he must protect himself from without enough force to doeither effectively. If he goes North, there is no possibility of a sallies from the other center of resistance. He is now committed and dispersed for the direct outflanking maneuver. Also the ter- These will attempt to pin, encircle and rest of the game and should lose. A mixed rain is such that it is difficult to dislodge the perhaps destroy him. Remember a Panzer policy will achieve even less and probably Russian, while the German can be pinned division in the open and surrounded is quite disperse his forces more. So, the German down. Furthermore, the terrain allows the weak, although with all those steps it will be must attack the egg which brings us to the Russian to form strong subsidiary lines of "an unconsciounable time a-dying.'' The basic precept of German play - concentra- defense to prevent exploitation. One sup- German protects himself by sheer weight of tion! In fact all the first three turns reinforce- plied division in the right place can stop a numbers and by using mechanized infantry ment should be used to break this forward whole advance. Trying to overrun untried divisions as a screen. enclave. These forces should ensure the divisions in woods is a heart-stopping prac- In the End Game it may be possible to secure demise of the enclave by the end of Turn tice for the Germans (and should not strictly Vyasma, Roslavl, or Yel'nya from Smo- Four. and possibly Turn Three. be attempted) since this is more than likely to lensk, while from Roslavl the German can The German's best chance of cracking the be a 1-2 attack. take Yel'nya but should then turn back to "egg" in the first two turns lies on its North Should the German attack the gap, he is faced take Smolensk. If he moves further East, side. If penetration is achieved the Russian there will inevitably be counterattacks from commander should be overrun to unsupply with the opposite problem in that there is nothing firm to grasp. If he is not careful he the side of the gap he has not attacked. These the enclave. The German has to be careful objectives will occupy him for the rest of the not to be pinned by forces moving into adja- will flail around ineffectually and without supply. However, the gap does have the po- game. cent wood hexes. Again, this will generally CONCLUSION result from dispersion of German forces. On tential as a pathway for outflanking either Game Turn Three the 46th and 47th Panzer Smolensk or Roslavl. The game will now de- Unlike the old victory conditions the fall of Corps attack the South and West of the pend on how the Russian has protected his Smolensk or both Roslavl and Yel'nya "egg." The 24th Panzer Corps moves to flanks on each side of the gap. There are ad- should give the German a marginal victory threaten both Smolensk and Roslavl, taking vantages to attacking either city. In the case (depending on how many divisions he has up a position so that it can move back if more of Smolensk the target is quickly accessible lost). We feel the game is so finely balanced force is needed to finish off the "egg." to the majority of the German forces, par- that the old victory conditions are still ap- ticularly the infantry which are his most ef- plicable. Under the new conditions the best 2. The Middle Game fective combat units. The major disadvan- result the German can achieve is a draw. Like Having disposed of the "egg" the German is tage is that Smolensk is easily reinforced. On all the best board wargames this game brings now faced with a decision; where should he the other hand, Roslavl can be isolated from out the three principles of Logistics, use of go to get the greatest advantage. There are the rest of the Russian forces and may even Terrain and, of course, timing. We feel it is four possibilities for the German player to be unsupplied. However, here the German bound to become a classic. .

StarForce Scenario 10 War in Europe [continued from page 71 [continued from page 61 defenses of either the Rame stars or the decisively; he can try to eke out a lesser vic- L'Chal-Dah systems to the exclusive defense tory by pulling their fangs and digging in to of the others. In option one you're trying to beat off their eventual counter attacks. He FEEDBACK RESULTS, MOVES 31 stop the PHH early and not let them get must decide on a strategy initially, and stick anything cheap, while in option two you with it in broad terms or court disaster. Rank Article Rating should attempt to inflict loses and slow down 1. Designer's Notes 6.98 The Soviet and Western Allied players have 2. Forward Observer 6.66 the advance with the defending forces. Op- little choice initially but to absorb the damage tion three is not as strange or stupid as it the German inflicts on them, hit him where it 3. Conquistador! 6.64 might sound, for remember the victory con- hurts at as little cost to themselves as possible, 4. Frederick the Great 6.54 ditions force the PHH to occupy systems in and when he is eventually weak enough, go for 5. Trouble Areas in TSS 6.53 both of the respective league member his jugular. In general terms, the campaign 6. We Love Them ... holdings. I saw this done (to good advantage) game WIEu should bear a family resemblance We Love Them Not 6.53 in a game where the Rame StarForces headed to WWII. However, the details will certainly 7. Napoleon's Last Battles 6.51 for 61 Cygni at the outset. The PHH player, change, and one of the most significant of 8. Opening MOVES 6.31 smelling a trap, advanced too slowly through these is the ultimate winner. 9. Torgau 6.31 the Rame stars, and didn't have adequate . 10. Footnotes 6.18 time to defend the combined units in the 11. FireFight 6.01 L'Chal-Dah system. If you do this however, don't be too obvious with your abandon- 12. Playback 5.83 ment; bluff him a bit. 13. Dissecting a Combat Results Table 5.21 Probably the most important tactic the DL This Issue (overall) 6.75 possess is to occasionally threaten Sol if things get a bit too hot for you elsewhere. Staging at 61 Cygni is excellent as you can be adjacent with one shift. He'll have to call his forces back, for if he loses Sol he loses the game. . GAME PROFIL E CITADEL GD W at Dien Bien Phu by John Prados

Last issue, we ran an article written by so- Material below is a reproduction of the counter- Then there are the Moroccans and Tunisians, meone else about a game John Prados legend from thecitadel rules. which have been done in variations on the designed. This issue, we run an article by theme of dark brown (white and black letter- John Prados about a game someone else Information on combat infantry class units: ing). Finally, the ARVN appear in light designed. We've got to find out who 'so- brown and black (these include partisans, in- meone else' is and why they keep getting fantry, and some additional parachute space in this magazine. Seriously, Citadel Size-' I :m.wType I troops). French naval aircraft have white sounds like an interesting simulation-that I Parent unit- 3-4p~n~t silhouettes on their bright blue counters. may play after my first game of War in Dien Bien Phu indeed looks like a bustling Europe is through. - RAS Strength /-\ Morale entrenched camp when these pieces have all Being the anniversary of the fall of Dien Bien Note mat combat infantry unih are back been set up. Phu to the Viet Minh in May 1954, now is prin red. Citadel can be gotten direct from Game an auspicious time to begin an examination Designers' Workshop (203 North Street, of a new game on that subject. Citadel, a Information on hvyweapons class unlts : Normal, Illinois, 71671) for $8.75. March release from Game Designers' Workshop, is a detailed tactical game which Size covers the fighting for the jungle fortress The Game That Is Unit whose fall ended the Franco-Vietnamese war Don Lowry has called Citadel "a very in- with a solid victory for the Vietnamese. This Strength teresting, innovative and challenging tactical is one historical period that has been passed modern warfare game" (in his "Thumbnail over, by and large, and it is good to see in- Note mot heavy wnsclars units are not Analysis," Campaign #77). Having played terest finally coming around to the subject. backprin led. the game a bit, this writer is inclined to agree Garners should notice it given that Dien Bien with Lowry's assessment. Citadel is highly Phu - a pitched battle involving all the Information on tank units. involved mechanically, with an interactive modern types of military equipment - was an player-turn and a lot of action. That the extraordinary tactical situation, and was combat system is innovative definitely after all one of the decisive battles since follows, as Lowry remarks, from the com- World War 11. Silhouette plete lack of movement allowances in the game. The reasoning for this design decision Physical Description Strength $gMorale rnd~fier Citadel is an impressive production job. The is best seen in the terms presented by the game comes in a zip-lock bag. It has two Note mat tank units are beckprinfed, me designer himself. mapboards, each 22" x 28" in size. Two revem giving meir value when disabled. In his Designer's Notes, Frank Chadwick counter sheets total out to about 500 pieces in draws an analogy to PanzerBIitz [a Russian the game, representing markers, such as tren- Front tactical game done by SPI for AH in ches and piece-strength indicators, and 19701. The scales of the game are very various types of combat formations. Combat CHART 3 - Air Units similar, Chadwick recounts, but in a turn- units include infantry, artillery and heavy length such as in his game, a PanzerBIitz weapons, anti-aircraft, planes, and in- piece would have quasi-infinite movement dividual tanks. The rules, including scenario Silhouette (960 hexes). The key is the 24-hour length of listings, equal about fifteen pages printed in the turns in Chadwick's Citadel, a measure a rulebook format, an improvement (over Defense- which he sees as necessary to make the game their earlier format) introduced by GDW in Value Value feasible. Chadwick illustrates the applicabili- their Midway game last year. All visual infor- ty of the turn-length by noting the set-piece mation is presented on the back cover. In ad- character of the assault on Dien Bien Phu dition, there are five sheets of organization and its defense, and he calls this insight the boxes and charts such as CRTs needed in first real breakthrough in the design. Frank playing the game. Rodger Macaowan has writes: done his usual fine job in providing a front- cover illustration for the rulebook/game- "Why it took me so long to come up with what in retrospect seems like such a simple cover. Rich Banner has done his best work with the and obvious solution is beyond me. Pre- The mapboard sections cover, respectively, counters, however. Their bright colors show sumably, it was due to the biases I carried the main strongpoint complex at Dien Bien well against the buff of the map. The myriad with me from other game systems. Within the Phu and the southern outpost strongpoint colors in which the French Union forces are scope of the situation [at Dien Bien Phul, Isabelle. Colors are gray, green, brown and done give a nice feeling of the multinational units moved until they encountered sufficient blue, with clear terrain in white, representing flavor of the French army in Indochina. 'The resistance to stop them, either in the form of altogether some twelve types of terrain. The Viet Minh are printed in bright red. French directed firepower (opportunity fire) or the board is patterned loosely after the maps in Metropolitan troops in blue with black letter- presence of enemy blocking forces (zones of Bernard Fall's Hell in a Very Small Place ing (these include aircraft, paratroopers, control). If a unit was brought to ground due to fire, the timing of the attack was disrupted (pp. 92. 117, 166). At first glance the armor and engineer troops). French colonials sufficiently that either the attack was called hexagon-size was rather large (22mm hexes are in light blue (paras, artillery and some off, or the attack went in without the unit. In with normal size pieces), but this turned out weapons units) while Foreign Legion come in either event, the unit was out of consideration to be very useful given the stacking rules. gray (infantry, more paras, and weapons). as an offensive tool for the rest of the day." Here is seen the kernel of the combat system forces. However, the Viet Minh ako have the Viet Minh from newly won positions. As a in Citadel. To see why it is necessary to take a capability to build entrenchments, and no consequence, and given the one-battalion per brief look at the turn-sequence. unit in an entrenchment is ever considered to hex stacking limit for infantry, it is crucial Leaving aside bookkeeping and supply have reached a vulnerability point. Thus for the French to ensure that only reduced segments for the sake of discussion even driving approach trenches right up to French strength Viet Minh battalions can finally oc- though they play a major role in the game, ZOCs is the optimum method to avoid in- cupy their strongpoints. This consideration Citadel runs through a series of movement- terference and reach close assault positions must play a major part in French decisions opportunity fire subroutines, in which forces without substantial strength reductions. In about opportunity fire during the Viet Minh are exposed to artillery and heavy weapons addition, once the Viet Minh have completed player-turn. In particular, with the game's fire as they reach successive "vulnerability a trench system that surrounds the entire melee and morale rules, once the Viet Minh points" determined by the terrain. This French center of resistance, they achieve the units have been knocked down to reduced repetition of sequence continues for as long capability for unlimited shuttling of forces strength status and suffer morale reductions as the player wishes to continue moving his around the camp, allowing them to take ad- the French ability to regain positions with pieces, although the defender eventually runs vantage of promising attack opportunities. few losses of their own is greatly increased. out of artillery available to shoot. After Finally, the Viet Minh may also construct Finally, the French tanks (of which there are movement, combat begins with a direct fire weapons pits, which give their weapons-class ten) offer such tremendous morale advan- segment, and only then, in the melee segment units good possibilities for direct fire in sup- tages to a counterattacking force as to sug- when the attackers reach hand-to-hand port of attacks. gest that the designer conceived of Viet Minh range, do the payoff attacks and occupation Tactically, it is the French player who is fac- defenders largely routing in panic at the sight of hexes occur. The effect, to take a Viet ed with a wider array of spot-decisions result- of tank-tipped French assault forces. Minh attack as an example, is one of a series ing from his profusion of means of employ- Now a word on the close assault sequence. of rushes in which attackers move to final ing firepower. With air support, medium and Once surviving formations reach the ZOC of assault positions and then engage in close heavy artillery, heavy and light mortars, and their opponents the melee takes place. The combat. The French player initially watches quad-.50 caliber machinegun units, the process of resolving a melee is somewhat in- with great fear while numbers of high com- French have quite a few methods of reducing volved in Citadel. First there is a con- bat strength Viet Minh battalions are success- a Viet Minh attack. The problem lies in ventional totalling of combat odds called ively pinned, taking no further part in the at- deciding which attacks are most threatening "raw odds determination." But each combat tack, and reducing Viet Minh strength when to his own position, and what degree of unit also has a second value for moraIe. All it comes down to close combat. The battalion reduction of such attacks will give his own units participating in the melee total and limit on infantry stacking within the hex adds strongpoints the best chance of holding out. average their morale values and determine a to the Viet Minh problem and normally It is easy for the French to fall into the trap of "morale check number" by the roll of a die means that massive attacks must be assayed complacency regarding Viet Minh attacking and the addition of that result with the in order to bring sufficient attack strength to possibilites, much as actually happened at averaged morale. Either sides' pieces may bear in the ultimate melee phase. Dien Bien Phu. By concentration of fire- rout and flee the battle if their morale check Chadwick's Dien Bien Phu is not completely power, the French can no doubt completely number is exceeded by that of their op- a matter of "human wave" tactics, however. disrupt given Viet Minh attacks and inflict ponents by more than the printed morale Some sophistication in tactical techniques is huge losses. However, this would lead to an value on the respective players' pieces. The available to both players. For the Viet Minh almost total lack of opposition to other Viet combat odds are then recomputed based on the crucial element is the expanse of open Minh assaults occuring simultaneously. the units still participating, with some die- ground that must be crossed to close with a Not only is it incumbent upon the French to roll modifications earlier injected based on strongpoint. The wider the expanse of "kill- reduce the strength of attacking forces, but it odds differences and CRT column modifica- ing ground," the more vulnerability points is of vital importance to them to realize that tions based upon terrain. Combat is then must be crossed, and the more opportunities not all strongpoints can be defended success- resolved on the Melee Combat Results Table. the French have to fire artillery and mortars, fully. This means that a policy of immediate It must be said that the notion of morale as it along with aircraft, to stymie the assault counterattack is necessary to dislodge the is used in melee combat is a fine touch from designer Chadwick. It allows simulation of such features as the desertion of the Thai and other low reliability forces that fought on the TABLE I: Citadel Scenarios French side and the brittle morale of the Algerian and Moroccan forces present. Also Scenario and Dates Turns Reinfrcmnts Victory it duplicates another interesting feature of A-Day: Destruction of Beatrice 4 Fr only Viet Minh to win, losses the battle at Dien Bien Phu: it happens that and Gabrielle 13-16.3.54 count against them as French units were reduced in strength their The Flak Raid 28.3.54 % None French to win by des- close combat ability actually improved as troying AA batteries was demonstrated numerous times when First Battles for the Five Hills 5 Fr only Viet Minh to win, losses hundred-man assault groups of paratroopers and the Huguettes 30.3-3.4.54 count against them ejected full Viet Minh battalions from vital positions. Apparently this phenomenon oc- Second Battle for the Five Hills 7 Fr only Viet Minh to win, losses and First Battle for the Huguettes count against them cured because the French units tended to lose (Part 21 4-10.4.54 their least-capable elements early in the battle and consequently became close-knit battle- Second Battle for the Huguettes 7 VM only Viet Minh to win by hold- (Part 1) 12-18.4.54 ing strongpoints hardened formations as time went on. In Citadel, this is simulated by the fact that Second Battle for the Huguettes 5 None Viet Minh to win by hold- paratroop morale actually increases as the (Part 2) 19-23.4.54 ing strongpoints companies of men reach their "critical loss Apocalypse: The Destruction of 7 Fr only Viet Minh to win by taking level" and are converted to reduced strength Dien Bien Phu 1-7.5.54 all of DBP, Losses count against them status. Citadel: The Battle of Dien Bien 55 Both Viet Minh to win by tak- The major complaint with the morale ar- Phu 13.3-7.5.54 ing all DBP, losses count rangement must be the way it has been ap- against them plied to the Viet Minh. No Viet Minh unit in- creases in morale as it reaches the "critical strongpoints, which had been reduced only we will consider various game mechanics and This runs contrary to the actual battle, in marginally in strength by Viet Minh fires. physical components. These remarks will be which numerous reorganizations were car- The combination of air and artillery smashed limited to thegame itself as it is. There will be ried out. To take an example, at one point, the entire Viet Minh attack on Dominique-2. some discussion of alternate Dien Bien Phu's the two Foreign Legion paratroop battalions which totally failed to reach assault posi- below. were reorganized into one, close-to-full- tions. On the other hand, the Viet Minh suc- One oversight seems to lie in the replacement strength unit. Players might consider such a cessfully captured half of Eliane-2, along rules. It should already have become clear provision as an optional rule to be added to with Claudine-3, Huguette-6 and Huguette- that the Viet Minh, at least, take enormous their games when they play. 7. One French force routed and ended up in losses in the course of Citadel. The March 30 An artistic comment is in order on the map. an interior strongpoint. Four strongpoint losses from the game described above, 63 As a matter of preference, the map could hexes fell to the Viet Minh at the cost of some steps, amount to 3,150 casualties at the have been even more attractive than it is 63 casualties. assessed level of fifty men per combat simply by the addition of broad black The French on their turn concentrated all strength point. At such loss rates the Viet outlines for each of the strongpoint complex- available forces for counterattacks but could Minh would soon lose far more than the es. In addition, something has been lost by gather enough to make only three with 22,700 they did during the entire siege, a rate the failure to write out the full names of the reasonable chance of success. These went in that works out to 412 men per day. The loss various strongpoints on the mapboard. against Eliane-2, Claudine-3, and Huguette- rates result in what is basically a scenario pro- Figures like E-2 and H-7, without other iden- 6. Two of the counterattacks had tank blem: the players have a limited future, cam- tification, establish only a tenuous relation- elements committed in support. All had paign players a more extended one. In many ship to the strongpoints Eliane and some air support. All the French attacks scenario games that link into campaign Huguette. reached melee range and all succeeded. In games, loss rates in individual scenarios ac- both cases where armor was engaged the Viet tually would exhaust the combatants. This With respect to marker counters, the Minh routed. Overall, they took another 34 could be largely resolved in Citadel by mak- countermix also falls short. An industrious casualties during the French player turn. The ing provision for the 35,000 replacements Viet Minh trench digger will soon find French lost a cumulative total of 10 strength which the Viet Minh actually added to their himself without any trench markers left and points in casualties through the entire turn. battle force during the course of the battle. with the need to make up more of his own. Such is Citadelas it exists. It remains only to A related problem is that of reorganization. Further, a nice visual touch was missed by make a few points about what is left out or No player in Citadelis allowed to redistribute the failure to provide specific counters for could be better with the game that is. In turn his losses by means of unit reorganization. Viet Minh weapons bunkers which could

A section of the Citadel map have made up an analogue to the French presumptive "mobile" character it might Meanwhile, the specific tactical tenchiques: strongpoints. have had. Basically, French armor should movement/opportunity fire and then melee The entrenching rules themselves leave not be allowed unlimited additions to the combat, also come close to giving a feel for something to be desired. They suggest that morale of troops in melee combat. what Dien Bien Phu must have been like. the Viet Minh can entrench as rapidly as they French players sit behind their wire en- can march cross-country or assault. Further, The Battle That Was tanglements watching as huge Viet Minh they suggest that trenches can be dug with How closely does Citadel portray the battle assault groups move across the "killing equal rapidity without regard to the terrain of Dien Bien Phu? ground" to reach close range while taking great losses. Then Viet Minh remnants melee through which the trench is dug. Then again, In spite of the remarks above on various there are no provisions for the French to dig with French remnants left over from earlier omissions, oversights and misconceptions, attacks, with one degree of success or their own trenches although the French did a Citadeldoes quite a creditable job with Dien good deal of this and even established an en- another. After that, the French muster Bien Phu. This is because the game presents scratch reserve forces with slim armor sup- tire new strongpoint, "Sparrowhawk" while the dynamics of the battle, perhaps excepting the battle was in progress. port in desperate attempts to recapture their its tank usages, in a strong and forthright lost positions. The French player is truly In terms of play aids, a sheet for air missions way. Indeed, anyone with a desire to recap- caught between Dien Bien Phu and the devil, could usefully have been included. Along ture the feeling of Dien Bien Phu would be for there is no retreat for a French Expedi- with this there is a need for supply inventory well advised to play Citadel. tionary Corps force that is esconced in a charts to eliminate the paperwork necessary In point of fact, the French moved into the valley-two hhdred miles from its bases and to keep track of supply expenditure and valley of Dien Bien Phu on 20 November surrounded by jungle that is dominated by resupply operations. This might not 1953. They installed some 10,000 troops the Viet Minh. eliminate all possible paperwork, but any ef- there and spent four months perfecting a fort in that direction would be useful. For ex- defensive system. The Viet Minh attacked on The Game That Could Be ample, it is conceptually simple, but in prac- 13 March, and in the following week cap- tice difficult, for the player to achieve op- Designer Chadwick's Dien Bien Phu is thus tured the outlying strongpoints of Beatrice seen to be a plausible one, close to the com- timum use of artillery capabilities given the and Gabrielle. In these actions they took lack of a system to monitor which units have bat dynamics of the event and with a number casualties of 2,600 killed and about double of fine touches in both the design and visual exercised their option to fire on a previous that number in wounded. These loss rates round of opportunity fire. departments. Nonetheless it is appropriate to convinced General Vo Nguyen Giap, com- ask what can be added to Chadwick's Dien Some comments can be made also about the mander of the Viet-Nam People's Army, Bien Phu to make it even better. The answer forces in the game. The French center of that overpowering tactics would not work. that occurs to this writer has two com- resistance appears to be short of one battery It was then, in the fourth week of March, ponents, one of which refers back to the of 105mm artillery. For their part, the Viet that the Viet Minh began to build their trench basic design of the game, and the second of Minh started the battle with twenty-four system. Once they got this idea of nibbling which relates principally to additional op- 105mm (six pieces) and doubled during the away at the French positions, the Viet Minh tions for the play of the game that people battle. Only nine such pieces are included in had conceived the formula that would lead to might want to add or that the Workshop the Viet Minh countermix, however, leaving eventual victory at Dien Bien Phu. Essential- them short by twelve 105mm howitzers. In might consider when they do a second edition ly the methods used were to drive approach of Citadel. aircraft, the French seem to be grossly over- trenches up close to the French positions supplied with C-119 planes, having the In regard to the basic design component, one which could be used as jump-off positions wonders why the design of Citadel makes no equivalent of 44 aircraft when strongest in for assaults on the strongpoints. At the same the game, as against a historical total of 24 distinction between night and day. This ques- time, artillery fire was used constantly to tion is more than trivial: French forces could C-119s that was only reached in July 1954, wear down the French defenders and to in- two months after the fall of Dien Bien Phu. operate at full capacity during the day, when hibit their defensive moves. From that time, artillery and aircraft spotting was much For its part, Viet Minh antiaircraft strength the battle went through successive stages un- seems a little low, while their AA available on easier, than at night. For a concrete example, til the fall of the entrenched camp on 7 May French fighter-bombers could not operate at the lines of communication is devastating. 1954. Finally there is the subject of armor. In night-the only air support then would be One can see in this short description of the provided by B-26s and PB4Ys. In the game Citadel the effects of French tanks are such history of the Dien Bien Phu battle all the there are 360 air strength points of fighter- that few but the highest morale, full-strength major elements of Citadel in play. Any Viet bombers that would not be usable on night Viet Minh units can stand against them. In- Minh player who opts for big ground attacks turns. On the other side there is also the fact deed, given the morale rules, the French can in the early stages in preference to digging that most Viet Minh attacks occured at night ensure an automatic rout in any given attack trenches will be rudely surprised at the extent so that some distinction between day and simply by including a sufficient number of of the losses he suffers to the different sorts their tanks with the assault force. One New night would seem to be appropriate. of French firepower. Thus players are forced Secondly, there is the question of the hill York player, Dan Palter, has remarked that into the pattern of the battle itself. this "has made it obvious that what the line. In Citadel, the low hills within the French needed at Dien Bien Phu was a On the French side a key in the game is to re- French positions are portrayed but the map Foreign Legion panzer brigade." It is not main in a counterattack posture. This is then tapers off into the jungle which is undif- disputed that French armor played a vital necessary to attempt the recapture of strong- ferentiated and gives the impression of being role at Dien Bien Phu. In fact, armor en- points that inevitably fall to the Viet Minh. completely flat. This would not be important sured the success of many counterattacks. This too is true to the battle as history. The since the French forces rarely venture off in- But the armor rules permit incorrect con- French did well for as long as they cared to to the jungle, but mechanically there are clusions to be drawn from Dien Bien Phu. "remain on the offensive" as their some unseen implications. In a game where Clearly the mechanics show that the French paratrooper Colonel Langlais put it. Toward direct fire uses a line-of-sight requirement, needed a mobile defense based upon ar- the end of April, when French manpower Viet Minh weapons units in a jungle hex mored attacks. This of course was precisely levels had fallen to such small numbers that which may be at a high altitude would have the misconception that the French mounting counterattacks became more and their fire blocked by the actually lower hills commander-in-chief, Navarre, had in com- more difficult, then the French began in- within the French position. mitting his forces to the valley. Indeed, creasingly to lose positions with no hope of Perhaps the most disappointing omission in Chadwick himself alludes to the set-piece getting them back. This presaged the end of Citadel, however, is the lack of real play op- nature of the battle rather than to any the entrenched camp. tions. From reading accounts of the battle [continued on page 281 FIELD REPORT SCIENCE FICTION Games in Print by Phil Kosnett

The feedback questions asked in last issue Jacksonville (1997), the Beaches of Doom range, local fauna, mines/homing missiles, revealed that quite a number of you are very (JP , $6, ziplock, P) Operational (mostly preservation, tactical doctrine, and a link interested in science fiction. To serve that in- battaliodbrigade) game of Soviet Floridian game with StarForce. 25th Century. 400 terea, we present a list of science fiction invasion. Very detailed, succeeding in show- counters, 22x34 map, three-color. games currently available. The list is bound ing complex interrelationships in modern to grow and grow ...'Doctor, you've created air/land/sea warfare. Cruise missiles, Bl's, SPACESHIP, TACTICAL a monster!' he said. - RAS Backfires, helicopters, hovercraft, missile in- Alien Space (LZ, $5, ziplock, P) Boardless, fantry, lasers, nuclear aircraft carriers, semi-miniature game with 3" square card- "smart" artillery, off-map bases and raids, stock counters., No die rolling for combat airmobile and paratroops, SAM'S, airspace results. Zero-sum energy point allocation for intrusion. Much more. Intricate sequence of phasers, torpedoes, shields, engines, and play and lots of SF flavor. 17x28 two-color various special weapons. Phaser accuracy This list covers Science Fiction games cur- map, 216 two-color counters. depends on Player's skill at judging firing rently in print or in some cases out of print Minuteman (SPI, $9, boxed, P) Power angle, and other weapons have effects on but still widely available. Games are rated as Politics. Basic scenario is underground each other - for example, if a "tentical Professional (mounted counters, two or revolution against an oppressive US govern- beam" intercepts a "gapper zapper," one is three-colored map, high quality, experienced ment, circa 2000. Other scenarios include eliminated and the other continues to target. design), Amateur (unmounted counters, partisan revolt, multi-player civil war. Ac- Basically 2-D, with optional vertical move- black and white map, inexperienced design cent on die-rolling and organization/expan- ment. Basic game has eight different ship work), or Semi-pro (in the middle, with em- sion of underground as well as government counters, with deluxe versions up to 56. phasis on design rather than professional countermeasures. Little actual combat. Uni- Formalhaut II (Attack, $7, ziplock, S) finish). Games on historical almost-events que mechanics and cute unit code names Various ship types (battle-cruisers, such as the invasions of Britain 1940 and (Kirk, Spock, Spiderman). 400 counters, transports, assault craft) and ground units in Cuba 1962 are omitted. Please let me know 23x35 map, three-color. 3-D combat. Record sheets for each ship, what games I miss; MOVES may run a sup- two types of non-contiguous "jump" move- plement: write Phil Kosnett c/o SPI. GROUND CONFLICT: ment and conventional movement. Combat POST 20th CENTURY with missiles, guns, and shields, planetary GROUND CONFLICT: PRE-AD 2000 Ogre (Metagaming, $2.98, ziplock, S) 112 assaults. Some plotting in advance. Terrain After the Holocaust (SPI, $12, boxed, P) b&w counters, 9x12 b&w map. See review includes stars, gravity wells, and gas clouds. Power Politics. Redevelopment and possible this issue. Multi-player scenarios, up to 34 (yeah, sure) reunification of several North American na- Rift Trooper (Attack, $8, ziplock, S) Indi- players. 100 hand-drawn two-color counters, tions after WWIII. Accent on multi-player vidual man-to-Bug based on Heinlein's novel four-color 22x28 "fluorescent" map. trade and alliances. Basically economic Starship Troopers(see below). Sketchier than Galactic War (Heritage , $4, ziplock, A) (labor, agriculture, mechanization, fuel) and AH version. Three maps, Queen bug cap- 30th Century. Simple game, with cardstock a wargame only if a player starts an arms ture, conventional and nuclear-armed miniature-type counters, no map. Designed race. No technological SF mechanics, but Mobile infantry. Range attenuation, tunnels for tabletop, fun, and not much in the way of flavorful. 400 counters, 22x34 mounted and elim/disrupt CRT. 22x24 maps (two sophisticated mechanics. map, three color. two-color, one b&w blank), 100 multi- UFO(Daugherty, $5, envelope, A) 20th Cen- Atlantis, 12,500 BC (Excalibre, $3.69, colored counters. 22nd Century. tury. Simove, with hex-to-hex movement ziplock bag, S) Covering all Earth, game Starship Troopers (AH, $10, bookcase box, and adjacent combat. UFO's try to reach shows strategic war between Atlantis and P) "Official" game. Much more detailed Earth by infiltrating Satellite Recon and Mu/Greece Alliance. Laser defenses, an- than Rift. Human, Arachnid, Humanoid avoiding or killing Interceptors. 3-D move- tigrav saucers, jets, as well as fantasy: gods, units, individual Human Mobile Infantry. ment. Orbiting moon. Solitaire scenario. sea monsters, continent-drowning quakes. Combat engineers, air cars, nuclear missiles Plastic counters and 10x14, laminated, one- 70 counters, 17x22 map, two color. and demolitions, land mines, subterranean color map. Based on ITC TV series. Dixie (SPI, folio, P) 1930's war between Bug tunnels, limited intelligence, tunneling, Warriors of the Dark Star in the Age of USA and Confederate States of America. Bug Brains and Brain capture, missile laun- Neutron Wars (Taurus, $10.95, ziplock, A) Standard attack superiority CRT, brigade/ chers and beam tanks, nerve gas, sensors and Combat without chance between 9,000 mile division level. Administration Points needed listening posts, ESP Special Talents (the diameter Omega ships and other craft. Rays, to do anything; limits player actions per "S&TW counter), retrieval boats and orbital projectiles, computers. Possible link to Bat- Turn. Map covers Eastern USA/CSA from paratroop landing sequence, installations, tle for Andromeda. Black and white map and Detroit to Florida. 100 two-color counters, radiation, wound/suit damage CRT, casual- counters. A fairly simple gape, a little con- 22x17 two-color map. ty pickup, 504 counters, 22x34 mounted voluted in points, and possible to play with a Invasion America (SPI, $1 2, boxed, P) map, three-color. 22nd Century. lot of ships. One-color map and counters. Corps level, with air and naval units, cover- Starsoldier (SPI, $9, boxed, P) Individual ing International Socialist invasion of North level. Human, L'Chal-Dah, Rame, Xeno- America circa 2000. Extensive amphibious phobe races. Simove, combat tasks by zero- Battlefleet Mars (SPI, $9, boxed, P) Late rules, B1 bombers, air superiority, hover- sum energy point allocation. High-energy 21st Century. Game of Martian Colony craft, militia, partisans. First game with Un- lasers, guided and unguided missiles, elec- revolt against Ares Corporation. Map covers tried Unit Strength. Modified Kursk move- tronic countermeasures, Heavy Weapons Solar Systems from Sol out to Jupiter, in- ment/combat system. 400 two-color platforms, androids, civilians, Opacity cluding major asteroids as individuals. Or- counters, 35x46 three-color map. "static" grenades, leadership, command biting planets. Political restrictions, Earth Government intervention, morale, truces, Post-StarForce rationale, with telesthetic populations can be eliminated or captured. arbitration, point-to-point movement be- jump movement in 2-D. Units represent The game gets more complex as it goes along tween planets. Plus tactical game in planar millions of people and supporting society, and technology is developed. 17x22 six-color 3-D, with lasers, guided missiles, and fighter with goal being to expand empire and in- plastic map, 400 one-color counters. craft launched from ships. .Fuel capacity, crease Civilization Level, the latter by expan- War of the Star Slavers (Attack, $13, damage control, target acquisition and ding economic base and resources, or by ziplock, S) Game covers a star cluster. Ac- range. 400 three-color counters, strategic and ripping-off technology from the other races. cent on piracy and smuggling. Several war- tactical 22x34 maps. Interplayer relationships determine ships, freighters, liners, planet defenses. Triplanetary (GDW, $8, rolled in tube, P) economic and movement abilities. Non- Combat with guns and shields, at range. 21st Century. Not dissimilar to BfMin space Player forces appear randomly. Navigation Hyperjumps, 3-D. Outlaws, pirates, ship opera flavor or scale. Sol to Jupiter, but with by giant Beacon Stars, Center of galaxy is repairs and mercenary crews. Also empires stationary planets, asteroids, and moons. home of "Wisdom of Ancients." 800 three- and invasions. Players win by making money Movement is by 2-D vector, with grease pen- color counters, 23x35 four-color map. on standardized smuggling routes or by cil plotting on map, and gravity wells and StarForce (SPI, boxed, P) 25th-27 Century. raiding shipping lane transports, of Empire slings combine to create a very different Map covers a 40-light-year-diameter sphere player wins by crushing pirates. Diplomacy movement system. Combat is with mines, centered on Sol, in full plotted 3-D. Ships with backstabbing encouraged. First game to torpedoes, guns, missiles, boardingand ram- simove, by telesthetic teleportation. Possible use "raw sex" on cover sheet. Gas clouds ming (!). A wide variety of ship types from random scatter in long range movement. and gravity wells. Two 22x34 five-color liners to dreadnoughts, with tankers to refuel Combat on tactical display to randomize maps, poorly hand-drawn two-color other vessels. Many scenarios, 72 three-color ships or neutralize telesthetic StarGates counters. counters, two-color, acetate-protected map. around stars. Zero-sum allocation for Offen- War of the Worlds II (Rand, $5?, folio, P) sive and Defensive psi-energy. Four races in- MINIATURES Year 2000, Solar System. Flagships, combat clude Xenophobes, who incinerate star systems. 200 counters, 22x34 map including Star Command (Clavius, $5, booklet, A) ships, transports, space stations. Orbiting 22nd Century. Comes with 40 cardstock planets. Combat only at planets. Not very strategic and tactical display, two-colors on colored stock. counters, but Zocchi miniatures recommend- realistic mechanics. Two to four players. ed. Multi-player options, possible tie-in with Two-color map, oversized two-color Starstrike. Campaign game. Simple tactical counters. Starlord (Flying Buffalo, $5, ziplock, P) For 2-4 players. )ach player has a copy of a game, ostensibly at speed 6000 times light 25-system star map, and plots ship move- d.I (Metag 4 ng, $8, ziplock, P) Based on (taw'7'. Poul Anderson's People of the Wind. Terran ment with a grease pencil. Exploration/ Star Fleet Battle Manual (LZ, $6, ziplock, P) Empire invasion of planet Avalon, home of colonization, ship construction, civilian in- Star Trek game, said to be five years in the Human and hawkoid Ythri settlers. Space dustrial diversion, space pirates, merchants, making. Phasers, photon torpedoes, plasma combat with Supernova dreadnoughts, and diplomats. Combat by zero-sum alloca- beams, Tholian webbing, cloaking devices, cruisers, and transports, Guardian armed tion, no luck. No counters, four maps and Klingon disruptor bolts, boarding by tran- satellites, moon defenses. Planetary invasion plastic map protectors. porter, dilithium crystal burnout. Designed sequence with atmosphere craft, Bounce Star Probe(TSR, $6, ziplock, S) Exploration for one player per starship, using Zocchi troops (mobile infantry), and flying Ythri game with accent on contact with the locals. plastic ships, some of which have been made militia. Very simple game. Spacecraft elimi- Ship movement by hyperspace jump, with available. Hit records, compass cards. In nation CRT, planetary losses by strength possible malfunction or hazard in moving. many ways a new edition of Alien Space, point, retreat result. Morale, optional hidden Matrix combat. Determination of local with similar zero-sum allocations. movement, surface-to-orbit beams. Possible fauna technology, possible Race-to-Race Everything but Saurian brandy for the losers. Ythria Domain intervention. 242 two-color combat, or negotiations, ecological hazards. Ships available now are Scout, Destroyer, counters, 17x14 b&w Space map, 17x18 four- Resource gains. 21x22 b&w map, ten card- Cruiser (Enterprise-class), all $2, and $2.50 color Avalon map. stock counters. Dreadnought. Star Raider (Attack, $7, ziplock, S) Different Starstrike (LZ, $5, ziplock, P) 22nd Century ship clzsses, ground forces, standard combat tactical infantry rules. Humans and aliens. Battle for Andromeda (Taurus, $1 1.95, zip- and CRT. Exploration and system value Suited MI, beams, missiles, sonic weapons, lock, A) Strategic companion to Warriors of cards to determine victory point worth. Inva- distortion fields. Includes cardstock the Dark Star. Map is a b&w photo of An- sions, deep-space combat, three-player counters. Similar to Starship Troopers. dromeda Galaxy, without differing effects scenario, neutrals, boarding and ship cap- for concentration of stars within a hex. Giant Attack Wargaming has about thirty metal ture. 300 three-color counters, 22x34 four- Star Trek series ships in production at varied Omega ships wipe out thousands of suns per color map. turn, Barrier Bastions, hex-to-hex move- prices. Contact them for detailed list. ment, rather conventional 2-D system. One- Starship & Empire (R2, $10, ziplock, A) color counters and map. Cartesian grid for 3-D strategic movement, stellar system recon and exploration. Fuel ROLE PLAYING Empire I(Battleflag*, $6, ziplock, S) For two restrictions, fleet organization, hyperspace Metamorphosis Alpha (TSR, $7, booklet,P) to four players, the game covers several jump. Tactical map for combat with missiles; Quests and battles on drifting generation- parsecs in 2-D, with accent on colonization gravity wells, planets and momentum. type space ship. Humans, mutant humanoids and resources, ship construction and repair, Satellites and planetary invasions. Three- and animals, radiation and telepathy, man- with combat standard, abstract. Two-color color counters, four 15x15 strategic maps, eating plants, robots, ancient technology, map and counters. AKA Fourth Galactic one 34x22 tactical map, one color. chemicals and drugs, small arms and hand- War. Stellar Conquest (Metagaming, $9, ziplock, to-hand combat. By the people who brought GodsFire (Metagaming, $15, envelope, P) P) The game of interstellar exploration and you Dungeons andDragons. Two 22x34 two-color strategic maps, 1008 colonization! Different classes of ships, from Space Patrol(LZ, $5, booklet,S) Quests and two-color counters, 616 paper money mini- scouts up to dreadnoughts. Star cards give such on planet surface, or beaming onto nters, fift n system datasheetdplane- information on system value, and systems alie ships. Conflict with aliens of superior maps. See'T eview this issue. are limited as to population. Industry, or i If erior technology. Outreach (SPI, $9, boxed, P) 30th Century. technological R&D, and level of weapons Starfaring (Metagaming, $6, booklet,P) About % of the Milky Way Galaxy is and engine technology is developed indepen- Campaigns in outer space with only pen, covered, with different star density per hex. dently by players in races, and planets and paper, and umpire. Brand new. COMPUTER sheet, replete with two scantily clad women APPEAL: What doyou like in a science fic- Flying Buffalo runs a variety of Play-by-Mail (no leather) in hand-to-hand combat, might tion game? Innovative mechanics, flavorful games moderated by personnel and com- be a sign that they need to boost sales any graphics, space opera adventure, lots of puter. In past games have been strategic col- way they can. I wonder who they're attrac- aliens? What do you think would make good onization, spaceship tactical, Lunar ground ting into the hobby. situations for SF games? What are your combat, and lots of other things. Players From Metagaming, two very different favorite SF games? Just as importantly, what generally take the role of one commander or games. Ogre is the first in a series of pocket- do you dklike about SF games in general and spacer. Contact them for current informa- sized, simple-to-learn minigames designed to specific games? And what do you think of tion on openings and per-turn costs. be simple without being childishly simplistic. Outreach? Outreach was feedbacked as a Physically the game is worth no more than game about the exploration of the Solar ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHERS the $2.98, consisting of a small numbered System, in detail, and became an abstract *A number of companies listed here (Bat- black and white map, black, white, and gray game of expansion in the galaxy. Would you tleflag, Jagdpanther, Rand) are out of thinboard counters, and a small rules folder. have preferred it the other way? Write me. business. The first two's products are now (Winchell Chung has done some fine draw- I'll do a column talking about and excerpting available from Lou Zocchi Associates (AKA ings for the rules and cover, though.) The ti- your letters. In the past the Editor has sound- Gamescience) and Rand's still in some hobby tle refers to a computer-directed supertank ed off about what he likes in an SF game: a shops and other retail sources. Also, bristling with missiles and guns, all nuclear, believable, reasonable background with a Heritage seems to be affiliated with LZ and which dominateb a 22nd Century battlefield. reason for the war to take place: "no space- available only there. This idea was lifted, and is acknowledged, nazis, no slave-takers with automated laser ATTACK INTERNATIONAL: 3 14 Edgely from Keith Laumer's "Bolo" stories. Now, I batteries." I've sounded off: innovative Ave;, Glenside, PA, 19038. don't believe for a moment that this is a mechanics that apply to the situation and viable weapon system; no matter how much don't just replay the Battle of the Bulge in AVALON HILL: 4517 Harford Rd., 'biphase carbide armor" you give it, it's still deep space, and flavor that creates the illu- Baltimore, MD, 21214. easier to nuke out than a flock of tiny sion that you're out there, just like a good SF CLAVIUS: P.O. Box 721, Forest Park, GA, vehicles with the same unlimited firepower. story should. PK 30050. Partly in acknowledgement of this, partly to DAUGHERTY: 4412 Cathy Circle, Glen- make a better game, designer Steve Jackson dale, AZ, 85308. has added small gun and missile tanks, EXCALIBRE: Box 29171, Brooklyn Center, hovercraft, artillery and Mobile Infantry. Designer's NOtes lcontinued/rom page 31 MN, 55429. And it is a good game, fast and bloody, with each player (except the Lutheran and FLYING BUFFALO: Box 1467, Scottsdale, elimination for small units and Bolos being perhaps the Papacy). which will enable AZ, 85252. shot apart piece by piece. At the price you players to hide their intentions from the GAME DESIGNERS WORKSHOP: 203 can't go wrong. others. It particularly helps Sulieman and the North Street, Normal, IL, 61761. GodsFire is at the other end of the line, an in- Ottomans, who now have much less channel- LOU ZOCCHI: 7604 H. Newton Drive, terstellar/planetary assault game. The basic ed front. It additionally gave England more Biloxi, Miss., 39532. game is no big deal, a simple action oriented to dothan simply put pressure on the French. METAGAMING: Box 15346, Austin, TX, invasion/space battle game with starships, The basic system still remains remarkably 78761. planetary defense forces, and planetary simple - and the strategy of the game still re- R2 GAMES: Box 8314, Salt Lake City, UH, assault troops. As the game is set in a closely tains its Byzantine complexity. -Berg 84108. clustered star group, the problems of faster- SPI: 44 East 23rd Street, New York, N.Y. than-light travel are less important than Drive on Stalingrad 10010 usual, and the movement rules are very sim- (Formerly known as Road to Ruin) TAURUS: Box 1109. Evanston, IL, 60204. ple. The advanced game is something else, a There's bad news and good news to report on TSR: Box 756, Lake Geneva, WI, 53147. political economist's dream, up to six players the Southern Front. First the bad news: this in ten scenarios, with taxation, inflation, game is going to be four to six weeks late NEW SF GAMES recession, subversion, local elections, debt, relative to its originally announced avail- borrowing, and money minicounters that fly ability date (August 1977). Now the good Four new Science Fiction games have been from sun to sun: A data sheet for each in- news: it's going to be worth the wait. The published, and in their way they're all in- habited planet keeps track of everything. A game has been expanded in scope to cover teresting. Three of them are even good! lot of thought has gone into this, and most of the campaign in the Southern USSR in the TSR's Metamorphosis Alpha is as im- it is new to wargames. The economics tend to latter half of 1942 in its entirety, and will now aginative and open-ended as Dm.$7 is a lot overwhelm the military aspect of the game. include two maps and sell for twelve dollars. for a 32-page MOVES-sized magazine, but Perhaps this was intended, though, and the This expansion has been made for two the game will never play the same way twice. revolution/subversion bit does tend to make reasons. First, the size of the area encom- The rules suggest innumerable life forms and things jumpier and players less complacent passed by the German summer offensive is cover trivia down to mutated tree sap! Not about their rear. Designer Lynn Willis and such that at the scale required by the Panzer- for solitaire play, but a DdiD cell or any the others have made much of this optional, gruppe Guderian system, one map could group intrigued by the format but disliking to their everlasting credit. And there is one simply not cover the required geography. fantasy might like it a lot. Designed by James really nice touch. . .GodsFire. This is a giant Even at 16 kilometers to the hex (PGG was Ward. star which threatens to burst through into 10.5) it is only barely possible to fit Kharkov, The sad news comes from Attack. They keep realspace from another galaxy, destroying Voronezh, Rostov, and Stalingrad on one trying, but seem to be making the error so every ship and wiping out half the planetary map - and at that, the Sea of Azov is the many SF-film producers have; they're doing populations in the cluster. This occurs only if southern boundary, leaving off the entire all their research with sources from 1934. too much energy is released in one spot in Caucasus. One map "tilted" to run from the There's nothing wrong with an occasional space, if a battle is too large. This serves three northwest to the southeast can take in some space opera/space pirate yarn, but they're purposes. It keeps stacking down and units of the area south of the Don - but the obsessed with it-Star Raider, Formalhaut dispersed, so a single battle doesn't decide crucial rail line running south along the Cas- II, now Star Slavers! If they put as much care too much. It provides the rationale for the pian from Astrakhan can only be included at into their design, development and rules chaotic situation in the scenarios, as it did the exclusion of Vornezh and the entire area writing as they put into their maps, they happen once, beginning a period of redevel- of the initial German assault. And the map could put out fine games. And just once, a opment and war. And it provides the game still fails to go far enough south to include serious background? Star Slaver's cover with a very eye-catching title. the limits of the German historical advance. [continued on page 291 MOPPING UP OCTOBER WAR Errata and Elaboration by Mark Herman

October War was a popular issue game [12.2] (correction) If fired upon during the [14.5] PULL BACK developed by a neophyte R&D staffer, Mark Indirect Fire Phase, a unit in an improved COMMENTARY: Herman. As with manv new developers, his Dosition is treated as a hard target- type.- Vehicles in hull down position that are reach exceeded his grasp- in some respects. [14.3] DUMMIES behind covering terrain after firing will He heredoes penance by supplying you with a follow-up on the game's rough spots plus COMMENTARY: usually pull back behind the covering terrain some new scenarios. - RAS Due to the type of soil in the Middle East to avoid return fire. whenever vehicles or bodies of men move GENERAL RULE: through this type of terrain they kick up a lot Any unit that fires from behind Covering of dust. I felt that even though you may not Terrain (see 5.3), after firing and receiving know the type and number of the moving Ovenvatch or return fire may at the end of units, the observing unit would still know the phase revert to a Hidden state if no October War was my first game, and from that an enemy unit was in that vicinity. This enemy units are within observation range (see the mail I have been receiving it has been fair- is why all hidden units on the map represent 5.15). Example: Using the example from 14.4 ly well received. I personally like this gameso real units. The intention of the Hidden unit if no Israeli units were within 1 hex of hex I will attempt to keep it up to date and cur- rules are to disguise the type of unit only. But 3415 after receiving the Overwatch fire the rent as much as my publishing schedule will when infantry is dug in (represented by im- Arab unit in that hex could again resume a allow. All rules and Scenarios in this article proved positions) they are harder to locate. Hidden state and would not be eligible as a are to be viewed as Official. For those of you who like the feel of not target during the next Direct fire phase unless [5.15] (correction) Observation Range Table knowing whether a unit is real or not I pro- it fired again. is mislabeled 15.15; it should be 5.15. pose the following rule: [14.6] SUPPRESSION OF [7.42] (addition) Dismounting costs 2 Move- GENERAL RULE: ARMORED VEHICLES ment points. For any Scenario where one side starts the GENERAL RULE: [9.19] (addition) Units receiving Indirect Fire game on the map with personnel in improved A class units may fire at Hard Target types. receive a terrain benefit if they are in Grove positions, add to the counter mix one dummy To perform this type of combat you take the or Village hexes; the benefit is a - 2 from the counter for every six personnel units in the attack strength of the firing unit and subtract die roll. Scenario Set-up (round fractions down). Use the defense strength of the target yielding an [9.22] (correction) Smoke must be fired in a vehicle counters that are not used in the attack superiority number. The attacking tight pattern and therefore affects only the scenario as dummy counters, when these are player then resolves the attack on the anti- impact hex. Place an unused marker on that sighted they are removed permanently from personnel combat results, modifying the die hex (Note: Smoke markers are not included play. Assume the dummy counters are also in roll for terrain. If any result other than no ef- in the game, this was not an oversight but a improved position for observation range fect is achieved, the defending Hard target typographical error). purposes. They can button up when receiving type is placed in an S1 state. A class units [9.25] (addition) Loose pattern H fire attacks indirect fire to conceal their identity. Dum- may fire at Hard Target types up to 3 hex each hex with one-half of the original H con- my counters may never move. range using suppressive fire. centration (round fractions up). [16.1; Deployment] (correction) Syrian Player on and east of Hills 3,s. and 7. [9.5] (addition) The effect of suppression on [14,41 OVERWATCH FIRE M113's is identical to the effect on BMP's, [16.5] (addition to Special Rule 2) A Bridge BTR-60's and BRDM's. GENERAL RULE: is a hard target type with a current strength of [9.6] (addition) The effect of suppression on During the Movement Phase, a Player may Dl and a defense strength of [l 11. soft targets is a reduction of 3 attack strength fire at an Enemy unit which has itself fired [16.6] (correction to Victory Conditions) points for each suppression state, and the during the current Movement Phase. In Case The Israeli must clear the road of enemy unit may not move until the suppression is 6.4 you could only fire at a unit which was units by Game-Turn 15 from hex 2501 to removed; suppression states in excess of S2, moving; now a player may fire at a unit 3827. against soft target types only are possible. which is moving or at a unit which has just fired opportunity fire. The overwatch fire [17.5] (correction. starting column I, line [9.71] (addition) Armored vehicles may not must be executed immediately. Example: An 16). . . the range of 1 hex; an N is the result. button up when being attacked by Close Air Israeli M60 platoon moves into hex 3013 and The INF unit has an attack strength of 10. Support. They are attacked on the + 8 col- receives fire from an Arab T62 in hex 3415. Moving to the Full Strength Combat Results umn of the D2 CRT. An Israeli M60 unit in hex 2613 could then Table the Attack Superiority is computed to [9.72] The only terrain benefits a target unit Overwatch fire at hex 3415 immediately. be - 2 (10 - 12 = - 2). Roll one die and receives when being attacked by CAS are Overwatch fire if not conducted immediately modify it for the Wadi hexside (- 3). The die identical with 9.19. could not be directed against the above hex roll is 6, so with the modification it is a 3 for the rest of that movement phase. (6- 3 = 3). Cross indexing the - 2 column [11.0; Procedure] [correction, starting line with the 3 line, you get a result of (2). The 151. . .(2) leave his unit in the hex. If he [14.41] In order for a unit to be eligible to Israeli Player rolls a 2 on the die, so the result chooses the second option, another Overrun fire Overwatch Fire it must fulfill the follow- isaD1. Firefight must take place immediately, ing conditions. It may not have moved that repeating the same procedure. game turn. It may not have fired in that game [14.7] NIGHT [11.5] At the end of a game turn no units turn. COMMENTARY: from opposing sides should be in the same [14.42] A unit may only Overwatch Fire During the 1973 Middle East War several hex. once per game-turn. large scale Night actions occured. Night [continued on page 25I AFTER ACTION REPORT AN NLB CAMPAIGN The Game Writes History by Tony Merridy

This is a game I would recommend to Gosselies, in thesouthwest, to Waterloo,and trated at all times. No more shifting in- anyone, without reservation. It maintains the from Corroy-le-Chateau, in the southwest, dividual units indiscriminantly across the simplicity of the quad format and adds a north to Wavre. length and breadth of the map. With the ad- layer of elegance that lifts it above the mun- ~h~ scale is at 480 meters per hex, with one dition of the optional cavalry Retreat- dam. If You don't have it, get it-and if You G~~~-T~~~equal to an hour of real time. Before-Combat rule, the campaign rules do have it, but don't play it, do. Got it? Basic units are infantry and artillery brigades make One the excitingand tense - RAS and cavalry divisions for the French, infantry games I have played in many years. Victory and cavalry brigades and artillery battalions in until the last few game-turns. for the Allies, and infantry regiments and What follows now is a day-by-day account of cavalry brigades for the Prussians. a recent game with all campaign rules and the previously mentioned optional cavalry rule Major emphasis is given to command control in effect. That cavalry rule should really be a Of the campaigns and battles and reorganization; in fact, these rules deter- history, none has gained more attention standard rule. It very accurately reflects the mine the Outcome the game. Armies are use of cavalry in the delaying and screening and than the campaign divided into their primary maneuver roles. it will soon be noticed, use of that in the battle in elements, corps for the French and Prussians cavalry can completely block a pursuit that is the lSth June, 1815. Name the and divisions for the Allies. These forma- first battle you ever heard of in any detail? not itself spearheaded by cavalry, thereby lions are given their historical commanding giving a weakened and disorganized oppoo- (I'll bet it wasn't the battle Of 'Orktown officers. Each army also has its historical nent a chance to withdraw and regroup his either). and have to be leaders; Wellington and the Prince of Orange forces for future operations ~h~ prussians, the most studied generals in history. for the British; Napoleon, N~Yand Grouchy especially, will benefit from this as they are Because the campaign is so well known, war- for the French; and Blucher for the Prus- normally forced to retreat from ~i~~~ sooner garners were given a chance to examine it ear- sians. Each of these leaders has a numerical or later. M~ opponent and I often wished we ly on in Avalon Hill's Waterloo: the first in a rating showing how many formations he can had more cavalry as many situations arose long series of games by different publishers command in a given turn (Napoleon can demanding their use. ~~~h of us suffered ac- on this battle. SPl's Napoleon at Waterloo command three units and/or corps on any cordingly when it was not available or was was next and gave rise to the most well- turn) as well as how many combat units he improperly employed, known and copied system in game design. can control at the same time. Each combat The game starts with the 2nd Netherlands Game Designer Workshop's 1815: The unit has a corps designation and must be division (Perponcher) in position south of Waterloo Campaign was the first to take into within range of its corps commander in order Quatre Bras astride the road to Brussels. The account such aspects as the different offen- to attack on any turn. The corps commander 5th division (Picton) and the Brunswick sive and defensive strengths of the respective must be within range of a leader to be able to Corps (the Duke of Brunswick) are on the forces as well as cavalry shock action. control a formation on any turn. road within two turns' march of Quatre All of these games had several flaws, at least Corps/division commanders also serve the Bras. Wellington (41-10, and the Prince of from the point of historical accuracy, and function of reorganizing units of their for- Orange, (1)-10. 1 Corps (D'Erlon) is in therefore left much to be desired by anyone mations that were destroyed in combat. Such Gosselies; 111 Cavalry Corps (Kellerman) is who studied the campaign before playing the units are returned to play at a reduced near Grand Champ (1522). games. This condition is alleviated in large strength and - if destroyed again - are lost On the right, Blucher (2)-101 has three part, by SPI's Napoleon 's Last Battles. forever. (Ziethen, Pirch 1 and Thielman) in position behind streams and in the towns of Ligny As part of the QuadriGame series, Players will find that attacks, once staged, (1022, 1122), St. Amand (w23, 0524 and Napoleon's Last Battles (or NLB for short) must be carried out as it is no longer an easy 0624) and Boignee (1725 and ,825). consists of four separate games. Each game thing to shift units across the map. Also, who Napoleon (3)-10, and Grouchy (2)-10, face covers one of the battles in the Hundred commands an assault now counts as much (if the Prussians with 111 Corps (Vandamme), Games Campaign: Ligny, Quatre Bras, not more) as where he is in relation to his IV Corps (Gerard), (Pajol), ,, (Exelmans) Wavre and, of course, Waterloo itself. This troops. This can be a real problem for the and 1V (Milhaud)Cavalry corps and the Im- last one is called La Belle Alliance, after the Prussians as they have three large corps and perial Guard (Drouot). The Guard and IV little town south of the actual battlefield only one leader: Blucher. As leaders and of- Cavalry Corps are concentrated near where Napoleon had his headquarters. Of ficers can be killed in action, the loss of one F~~~~~~;Corps faces Ligny; I and II course, the game mechanics are based (as are leader can render an entire formation totally Cavalry Corps ("CC" from here on) cover all Quads) on the now-classic NAW system. useless for offensive purposes. Such out-of- the French right flank south and east of Here the similarities end. NLB has two main command units may move and defend nor- Boignee. The 7th division, assigned to II mally. features not found in any other Quad. First, Corps, starts the game in the 111 Corps' area it can be played as a full campaign game by A special goody in the game involves of operations and is out of command at the linking all four maps together, and it con- demoralization. Each corps in the French start (several units are initially out of com- tains a really beautiful set of rules for com- and Prussian armies and each nationality in mand; all others are within at least one turn's mand control and reorganization found the Allied army i$ given a demoralization movement of their corps officers or an army now here else. level which is reached by accumulating com- Ieader). Because the four battles depicted took place bat losses (counted in strength points). A lot It is 1400 hours, 16 June (turn 1) as the in the same general area over a relatively of rather subtle penalties are heaped on such French begin their assault on the Allied and short period (three days), integrating all four Prussian positions. The Dutch near Quatre games into one was feasible. The combined What these rules do, in total, is force the Bras are forced to retreat; Gemincourt is map covers the actual battle area from player to keep his strength fairly concen- taken by 1500. One brigade is destroyed and

[continued from paRe 211 one's relative position and see that every- Prussian player who was understandably In an intense combined-arms assault, the thing was in readiness for the climax on the ecstatic about the arrival of IV Corps. These Guard forces the Prussians out of Mousty 18th. troops were concentrated east and south of and Ottignies, making its way across the On the left, I and I I Corps & I11 cavalry corps Dion le Mont by 0300, 18 June. Needless to Dyle. Two more Prussian brigades are deployed along the front from east of say, IV CC was hardly in a position to hold destroyed on the east bank of the river. The Couture (2017 on the La Belle Alliance map) off an entire Prussian corps and by 0600 had Guard takes heavy casualties in the heavy to just south of Bruyere Woods (0928, same be~unto drop back toward Wavre. IV CC cavalry division, however. The Prussian COs map). I1 Corps' CO arrived at Genappe to was being supported by the Guard light move north to reorganize their shattered reorganize more troops during the afternoon cavalry and horse artillery; they also began to cavalry brigades. and evening. The Allies extended their line fall back to the Dyle river crossings. Prepara- IV Corps' commander, having gone south to northeast to Lasne (21 14 on the La Belle A/- tions for the day's operations went on Wilroux (1602 on the Ligny map) to reorga- liance map) and southwest to west of Hilain- through 0900, the French player finally nize a cavalry division, returns with that divi- court Wood (0528, same map). 6th division deciding to send 11 CC to Lasne on the ex- sion to the front in time for the rain that will and one cavalry brigade are pulled out of the treme eastern end of the Allied line. The end the day's fighting. VI Corps, in the line to act as reserves. Hanoverians of 6th Division arrived in Mont St. Jean as two brigades of cavalry and horse meantime, has finally taken its place in the IV CC reaches the Dyle crossing east of artillery headed for Lasne. The Netherlands line, northeast of Blanmont. Bierges (I I08 on the Wavre map), causing a Cavalry and Infantry divisions are pulled The Prussian 111 Corps CO returns to his near panic as the Prussians rush cavalry back north of Hilaincourt Wood to seal the toward Dion le Mont (2310 on the Wavre troops with two reduced cavalry brigades; I1 exposed southwestern flank. Cor~scommander goes to Vieux Sart (2015 map) to stop the French cavalry from getting into the rear of I1 Corps. At the same time, on .the Wavre mip) to reorganize more It is 1100 now, and time is short for both the Guard crosses the Dyle with the CO re- troops for his threatened flank. I1 Corps sides. The Allies are pretty weak at this point, maining in Mousty to reorganize the heavy begins forming a new line east of the Dyle but can fight a good delaying action if the artillery. 111 Corps follows in the wake of the river with the hope of holding the French Im- Prussians can get through with at least one retreating Prussian 11 Corps. perial Guard until the arrival of IV Corps corps to help. The Prussians, though, are (Bulow), expected early on the morning of By nightfall (2100), all movement had ceased rather hard pressed themselves with two the 18th. with the sole exception of the French I1 CC corps seriously understrength and one fresh 1500 (turn 18) saw rain falling, bringing an which had begun moving west toward Mous- corps being held up on the Dyle at Wavre by end to all offensive action for the day. There ty. The Prussians lost the race for Dion le French cavalry in strong defensive positions. was no doubt in either player's mind that the Mont, but secured their supply lines and the The French have taken a beating themselves, bad weather saved both the Allied and Prus- entry hexes for IV Corps, whose cavalry link- but still have something of an edge. Whether sian armies to fight again on the final day. ed up with the I1 Corps east of Dion le Mont. or not they can turn that edge into a victory But now was the time to reorganize every- By 2400 all was quiet except for I1 CC and the before theday is out is thequestion.

End of 6/17 The Prussian commander made a hard deci- into a running battle with the Netherlands IV and VI Corps destroy two infantry sion at this point: he decided to abandon his north of Hilaincourt Wood. The Allies rein- regiments and one cavalry brigade with IV I1 and 111 Corps to their fate, in the hope that force the cavalry in Lasne as 6th division Corps losing an infantry brigade and the these units would keep the French forces in relieves the 1st in Maison-du-Roi. Ist, 4th, a corps' cavalry in the heaviest fighting so far. the area busy long enough for the IV Corps Netherlands division, and some cavalry at- But four Prussian regiments are isolated in to break through the French cavalry screen tack an exposed French brigade and smash it. and north of Mont St. Guibert and theentire and reach the Allied lines. To this end On the right, 111 Corps attacks the Prussians southern flank is collapsing. The units in the Blucher (2)-10 is moved north to join IV north of Mont St. Guibert, IV and VI Corps town evacuate, attempting to get behind the Corps as it prepares to assault the French in storm the Prussian positions east of the town French lines east of Mousty. Wavre. and three regiments are isolated there. The At 1400.11 Corps and I1 CC attack the Allied On the left, I1 CC has reached the outskirts Prussians somehow manage to break the ring cavalry and 2nd division east of Couture, of Lasne as I Corps and 111 CC attack the very quickly. They also manage to sneak a forcing their way across the stream and Allied units around Maison-du-Roi under cavalry brigade over the Dyle south of destroying two British and K.G.L. cavalry the command of Napoleon himself. I and I1 Limale as IV Corps begins the assault on brigades and an artillery battalion. I1 CC is Corps' COs are headed back to their forma- Wavre. More 11 Corps troops are returned to demoralized after losing an entire division in tions with reinforcements. The Allies aban- the front. the battle. I Corps destroys an infantry don Couture as the position was too easily I Corps and 111 CC finally crush resistance in brigade near Maison-du-Roi, causing the cut off. llxbridge heads for Lasne with two and around Maison-du-Roi, killing the 6th final demoralization of the entire Allied ar- reorganized cavalry brigades as the rest of the division CO in the process. An infantry my. The Allies pull their left flank back 6th division enters Mont St. Jean. brigade chases the last of the Brunswick toward the line Ohain (1912 on the La Belle 1V CC has retreated into Wavre with the Corps across the stream west of Placenoit. Alliance map) Papellote (1315, same map) Guard horse artillery crossing the Dyle east The Duke of Brunswick is killed in this ac- and attempt to disengage their 2nd division. of Bierges. The reorganized Guard heavy tion. The Allied 5th and 6th divisions try and The rest of the line disintegrates and units cavalry reaches Mousty en route to the front. fail to contain the French breakthrough, and begin moving north. IV and VI Corps attack the positions of the the now thoroughly demoralized Nether- On the right, the Prussians finally force their Prussian 111 Corps, forcing their way across landers fall back before the French cavalry. way across the Dyle to stay. I1 and 111 Corps, the stream east of Mont St. Guibert. The IV CC and IV Prussian Corps are heavily however, are being slowly cut to pieces by the Prussians counterattacked with their pinned engaged in a battle for the Dyle crossings in combined forces of Ney and Grouchy's units in an attempt to contain the French and around Wavre with the Prussians forcing troops. breakthrough. Two reorganized brigades of their way into the town several times, only to It is 1500 now, and time is rapidly running I1 Corps are rushed back to the front lines. be forced out again. The Guard CO finally out with only six turns remaining in the By 1300 I1 CC was deployed east of Lasne. rejoins his formation. I11 Corps becomes game. The French are faced with the problem 111 CC and elements of I Corps had entered heavily engaged north of Mont St. Guibert. of hacking their way through the demoraliz- End of 6/18 ed Allied troops (these troops can still defend Corps near La Hulpe (2402 on the La Belle fulfill their victory conditions. The Prussians and could possibly delay the advance in- Alliance map) and Chappelle St. Lambert attack the rearguard and destroy two divi- definitely unless the French can somehow (2412, same map). The Allies tried placing sions in Lasne and Ransbeek, but are much blitz their way through) and exiting the map rearguard units in Hougomont and La Haye too late. The Allied army has been deci- north of Waterloo before the Prussians can Saint (0617 and 0918 on the La Belle Alliance mated, and all that is left to do now is count reach the Brussels road in strength. It is a real map), but the French merely went around up the victory points. As the French have ex- race now as the only force capable of stop- these positions so they were withdrawn, ited Napoleon off the north edge with three ping 1V Corps is tied down killing off the though too late to do any good. The rest of corps, the French will get points for the ex- units of I1 and 111 Corps east of the Dyle and the Allied force prepares a last stand in ited units, as well as for all the units could not possibly disengage in time to reach Waterloo and Mont St. Jean. destroyed along the way. The final totals an enemy marching west. In the east, I CC starts westward. The Guard, were: 238 points for the French to 33 points I1 Corps and I1 CC surround the British 2nd 111 and IV Corps are mopping up the remains for the Allied/Prussian forces. Keep in mind division and destroy it as 11 CC's commander of 11 and 111 Prussian Corps, taking Vieux that these totals are for exited units and rides for Hute (2124 on the La Belle Alliance Sart. The Guard artillery and 111 Corps in- destroyed enemy units. The French, of map) to reorganize his lost division. The fantry take heavy casualties as the Prussians course, lost points for any strength points Allies continue falling back in tolerable try to disengage their troops and get off the eliminated (including any units in either order, concentrating on Mont St. Jean. map to the east. Destroyed Units box). As the French were fairly quick to reorganize their lost units, On the right, the Guard horse artillery and a At 1900 the 'French post their rearguard to there were not too many points subtracted division of IV CC are destroyed attempting the east of the Brussels road. This consists of from their victory point total. The Allied tc disengage from the Prussians near Wavre. I1 CC, 1V CC, the Guard cavalry, and two in- player certainly erred in not reorganizing his Meanwhile,. the Guard, 111 and 1V Corps fantry divisions. These are posted on the line units more rapidly; but then he also lost a crush several infantry regiments, an artillery Soigne Wood (1308 on the La Belle Alliance very large percentage of his commanders, brigade and two cavalry brigades, with the map)-Ransbeeek (1 5 10, same map)-Paris without whom no reorganization can take Chasseurs taking heavy casualties in the Wood (1815, same map). I CC will support place. I won't go to the trouble of giving a assault. The I1 and 111 Prussian Corps are these units near Lasne. La Belle Alliance has critique of either side's play during the game demoralized in this attack, however, enabl- been overrun, and 11 Corps has entered Mont as whoever reads this will draw his own con- ing the French player to avoid the effects of St. Jean; elements of this and I Corps have clusions anyway. It has been said that the rules Case 22.5. Prussian IV Corps moves bludgeoned their way into Waterloo itself. French cannot win this game under any cir- west toward Froidmont (0409 on the Wavre The Allied army now consists of three cumstances. Obviously, this is hardly the map). brigades which have been forced into the case. As with any simulation, who is playing By 1700 (turn 32), I1 Corps was moving northernmost Waterloo hex and off the map counts just as much as what they are playing, rapidly toward Mont St. Jean with I1 CC to the north. All units under Grouchy and and in this instance there are too many pros moving up in support (the CO of I1 CC had Ney are marching west. The Prussian IV and cons to playing either side. I advise finished his reorganization, releasing his Corps is closing on the French rearguard anyone who disagrees with what happened in Corps from demoralization). I Corps and 111 with all possible speed, but they have been this particular game to try it out themselves; CC finish off British 1st division, killing the delayed just long enough. at the very least, you should have a good time commander. The Guard cavalry and IV CC At 2000 (turn 35), the French exit I, 11 Corps, doing it and that's what its all about, right? are screening the advance of the Prussian 1V and 111 CC off the north edge of the map to

[18.0] ADDITIONAL SCENARIOS Game Length - 20 Game-Turns. October War (contmuedfrom poge 19, 118.11 Tel Maschara, October 12,1973 [18.2] Tel Shaar, October 13,1973 combat restricts LOS, Range, and Command Control. INITIAL FORCES: GENERAL RULE: INITIAL FORCES: Israeli Player: 19th Bde. - 9(M51), 6(CNT), During Scenarios specified as Night actions Israeli Player: 79th Bde. - 9(CNT), 3(M51), 3(M113), 6(M3), 9(1NF), 3(MC), OMA: the following restrictions are in effect. Max- 6(M113), 3(M3), 9(INF), 3(MC), OMA: 4(5H). imum LOS is 10 hexes. Maximum range of 2(5H). Iraqi Player: Elements of the 3rd Armored all weapons is 5 hexes. All Arab units sub- Iraqi Player: Elements of the 3rd Armored Division - 18(T55), 6(BTR), 6(1NF), OMA: tract 3 from their Panic die-roll results. All Division - 18(T55), 6(BTR), 6(INF), OMA: 3(4H). Israeli units subract 1 from their Panic die- 2(4H). Deployment: roll results. Deployment: lsraeli Player - On or west of Hills 3, 5, 7 [14.71] The maximum LOS that a unit may Israeli Player: deploy on the map from hex- before Game-Turn 1. trace can be no longer than 10 hexes in Iraqi Player - Enter the east edge of the map length. row 0023 north, inclusive, before Game- Turn 1. on Game-Turn 1. [14.72] Any sighting ranges on the Observa- Iraqi Player: enter South edge of map on Special Rules: tion Range Table that are listed as greater hexes 0134-3534, inclusive on Game-Turn I. than 10 hexes are now 10 hexes. 1. The lsraeli Player deploys first. Special Rules: 2. The Canal/Ditch is considered clear ter- [14.73] Indirect fire can only be plotted for a 1. The Israeli Player deploys first. rain. hex that is 10 hexes or less from a friendly 3. This scenario takes place at night (see unit that has a LOS to that hex. 2. The Canal/Ditch is considered clear ter- rain. 14.7). [14.74] The maxiumum range of all weapons Victory Conditions: is 5 hexes. Victory Conditions: I. Whoever controls the village (on or adja- [14.75] Subtract 3 from all Arab Panic die 1. The Iraqi Player must exit I5 vehicles off the north edge of the map. APC's count cent to h& 2422) by the end of the game wins roll results. Example: If a 10 was rolled then a Decisive Victory. the die roll would be a 7. toward this total only if infantry are mounted on them. If they fail to meet this re- 2. Control means to be the only player with [14.76] Subtract 1 from all Israeli Panic die- quirement, it is an Israeli Decisive Victory. units in the village. roll results. 2. If the Iraqi Player fulfills the re- 3. If both players have units in the village the [14.77] Except for the above cases there are quirements of condition 1, it is an Iraqi game is an Iraqi Marginal Victory. no other effects of Night. Decisive Victory. Game Length: 18 Game-Turns. . SCENARIOS AND VARIANTS GOEBEN AS DREADNOUGHT Might-Have-Beens in the Mediterranean by ~dGardHeinsman

Quite a while ago, SPI did a game called Lord Winston Churchill's words) that even complished by their (the Germans') com- Flightof the Goeben which, for itsday, wasa when it was apparent that the Goeben and mander.. ." After the war, Winston Chur- pleasant little bit of unique design (by Dave Breslau were headed east away from the con- chill acknowledged that the Goeben's adven- Williams, incidentally). A lot of the game, voy, the British squadron, including the bat- ture resulted in "more misery, more however, depended upon having a luck- tlecruisers Inflexible, Indomitable and Inde- slaughter and more ruin than has ever before lock. Here, Mr. Heinsman presents us with fatigable, hung back to intercept the antici- been borne within the compass of a ship." Dreadnought situations that have placed pated German turn about, thus missing Yet, C.S. Forester points out, in his in- most of that luck offstage, as it were. several opportunities to bring the Germans rroduction to Richard Hough's Dread- - RAS to battle. nought, that as bitter a disappointment and In fact, after shelling the French North Afri- politically important as the Goeben's arrival can ports of Phillippeville and Bone, the task in Constantinople was, a battle during those As any devotee of Simulation Publication's of the German Mediterranean squadron first days of the war might have proven even Dreadnought knows, the inventory of actual changed considerably. On the eve of war, more significant. A smaller and less powerful encounters between the steel monsters of the Germany and the Ottoman Empire had con- sister of the Goeben, the Von der Tann, battleship era is a bit thin. As George Lyon cluded a treaty which made Turkey a demolished the Indefatigable in a one-on- so aptly put it in his article "A Mediter- member of the Central Powers. Germany one encounter during the battle of Jutland. ranean Excursion" (Moves #30), the ad- hoped to close the Dardenelles to Russia, cut- Had Souchon turned on his British pursuers mirals of 1906-1946 failed to take the needs ting off Russia's only year round ice free or broken into the North African Corp's of today's wargamer into account in plan- western connection with her allies. The convoy and scored a stunning victory in the ning and executing their operations. While Turks wanted help against an expected Rus- Mediterranean, in the first week of the war, very true, this need not limit the Dread- sian effort to use a European war to satisfy the consequences, to quote Forester, "defy nought player to an exceedingly small her age-old desire to control the Black Sea's calculation." number of scenarios. European history for outlet to the Mediterranean. On the declara- The following scenarios portray some of the the first half of the twentieth century tion of war, August 4, 1914, Souchon was possible situations which might easily have abounds with "near misses" and "might ordered to Constantinople to reinforce the occurred in those early days of August, 1914. have been" situations which could very easily Turks and seal off the Dardenelles. Players can leave to their imaginations the have resulted in a clash of dreadnoughts on Souchon chose to ignore this order to carry consequences of the results from these bat- the high seas. Such historical situations, with out the above mentioned bombardments. By tles. a little research, can lead to some very in- the time he had turned eastward for Constan- SCENARIOS teresting Dreadnought scenarios. tinople, theGerman High Command found 0930 Hours August 4,1914 One "near miss" situation fraught with that it had a recalcitrant ally on its hands. German Player hex/facing/speed "might have been" consequences occurred When the reality of a war arrived, the Turks Goeben (672) El IO5/NE/6 in the Mediterranean Sea during the opening had second thoughts and did not declare war. Advised by wireless that entry into Constant- Breslau (L5 1) E 1005/NE/6 hours of World War I. The German Mediter- British Player ranean squadron, commanded by Admiral tinople was temporarily inadvisable due to Indomitable (193) BIOI l/SW/6 Wilhelm Souchon, captured the imagination political considerations, Souchon decided to Indefatigable (201) Bll I I/SW/6 and headlines of the world at the outbreak of again disobey orders and, as he put it "force the war. Souchon's command consisted of the Turks, even against their will, to spread GAME LENGTH: 15 turns two new fast ships, the battlecruiser Goeben the war to the Black Sea against their ancient BASE VISIBILITY: 9 hexes and the light cruiser Breslau. Originally enemy, Russia." The German squadron was VICTORY CONDITIONS: well on its way to Constantinople before it ordered into the Mediterranean to establish a German Player must wreck or sink both dawned upon the British that the enemy was German naval presence there, the German British ships, or exit both Goeben and naval command had envisioned the not heading west for the French troop con- voy but fleeing eastward instead. Unsure of Breslau into the North Safe Zone (Messina). Goeben's task in the event of war as a com- Souchon's motives, hampered by Italian British Player must wreck or sink both Ger- merce raiding one. Specifically, the Goeben neutrality which was to be strictly observed, man ships. was to use her speed to evade French escorts and make for the troop convoy carrying the confused by orders from Churchill not to Historical Notes: French North African Corps from Algeria to risk battle with a 'superior' enemy force, and This is the most likely of all the scenarios to fearful of being cut off from their home base the Western Front. Plans being what they have really occurred. At 0930 hours on were in 1914, the timing of the movement of by an Austrian descent from the Adriatic, the August 4, 1914, the Goeben and the Breslau, British commanders, Admirals Milne and every corps down to the minute was vital to on their way east after bombarding Phillip- the French Plan 17. The very thought of the Troubridge, gave chase. Although the light peville and Bone, passed within 8.000 yards cruiser Gloucester did exchange shots with delay or destruction of the oversized North of the Indomitable and the Indefatigable, the Germans, the Goeben and Breslau outran African Corps (80,000 men) struck paraly- who had been dispatched by Milne to find the British and entered Constantinople on zing fear into the hearts of Entente military the Germans. Both sides trained their guns, August 10. Both eventually became part of planners. So concerned were British and declined the customary salute to each other, the Turkish navy, precipitating Turkey's en- French military leaders about the Goeben be- but passed silently. Prime Minister Grey's ing "easily able to avoid the French battle try into the war on November 5. ultimatum to Germany still had twelve and squadrons and brushing aside or outstrip- Barbara Tuchmann, in Guns of August, one half hours to run, and the British were ping their cruisers, break in upon the trans- wrote of the Goeben incident that "no other under strict orders not to open fire until the ports and sink one after another of these single exploit of the war cast so long a full time limit of the ultimatum had lapsed. vessels crammed with soldiers" (First Sea shadow upon the world as the voyage ac- The British turned to trail the Germans, but due to boiler problems were unable to keep destroyers. To make this scenario possible, it advantage had been lost. Fearing that the up. When the time limit of the ultimatum ran is assumed that French paranoia about the Goeben would simply remain outside of the out at midnight, they had lost contact. North African troop convoy had reached the range of his ships and pick them off one at a Actually, Grey had not dispatched his ulti- point where both squadrons of dreadnoughts time, Troubridge concluded that the Goeben matum to Germany until several hours after had been transferred to Toulon. constituted a 'superior force' and he retired he had announced it in Parliament. Had As the scenario stands, the German player to his Adriatic picket post. Troubridge was Grey been more prompt or less irresolute, will have a tough time "outstripping" the court-martialled for his action and although this meeting would have been the war's first French escort and reaching the convoy as acquitted was never again given an active naval clash. This scenario assumes that Bri- Churchill feared. The French fleet is strong, command. This scenario allows players to tain considered herself at war with Germany and German supply problems with coal judge Troubridge's discretion for and attempted to destroy German naval limited the time and distance they could go to themselves. presence in the Mediterranean. avoid the French. Hence, the 20 turn time Players Notes: Players Notes: limit. The British are really up against it in this This is a surprisingly even, if usually short, There are several ways this scenario can be scenario. In the position of Troubridge, the scenario. The German advantage in speed balanced to aid either player. 0 e of the British player has quite a formidable chore. and armor, not to mention hitting power, is French dreadnought squadrons could be left The British will need either a lucky shot, a offset by the fact that the Breslau is no match in Brest and deleted from the order of battle. suicide destroyer torpedo attack, or a good for the British battlecruisers. The Germans On the Allied side, Churchill pressed Grey defense lawyer for the court-martial. must cripple the British quickly and head for authorization to allow the British battle- - - north. The British must slow the Goeben cruisers to aid the French in the event the 1500 Hours August 7, 1914 down and use their two to one advantage. Germans opened fire on the transports. German-Austrian Player hex/facing/speed Assuming this permission had been given, a. Austrian Battle Fleet add the lndomitable (193) and the ln- Viribus Unitas (55 1) B 1107/S/5 1300 Hours August 14.1914 defatigable (201) to the French force, at Tegetthof (552) B 1106/S/5 hexes F1715 and F1815 respectively. Heading Prinz Eugen (553) Bl lOS/S/5 German Player hex/facing/speed and speed for both is NW/6. Goeben (672) Cl 11 l/SE/6 Szent Istvan (554) B1104/S/5 Breslau (L51) C1210/SE/6 L52 B1109/S/5 C5 1 B1108/S/5 French Player 0600 Hours August 7,1914 German Player hex/facing/speed b. German Mediterranean Squadron Coubert (501) F1108/NW/4 Goeben (672) Jean Bart (502) F1208/NW/4 Goeben (672) E 1807/NE/6 Breslau (L5 1) E1907/NE/6 Breslau (L5 1) France (503) F1309/NW/4 Enters on game turn three at speed 7 on Paris (504) F1409/NW/4 British Player any eastern map hex at German players Provence (51 1) F1009/NW/4 Dl 1 B1411/SE/5 discretion. Bretagne (5 12) F11 lO/NW/4 Dl2 B1115/SE/5 British Player hex/facing/speed Lorraine (5 13) F1210/NW/4 CI 1 (Black Prince, Inflexible (192) C0412/NE/6 Dl4 F0805/NW/4 Defence B1313/SE/5 Indomitable (193) C0301 /NE/6 Dl5 F0606/NW /4 C12 (Duke of Edin- Indefatigable (201) C0213/NE/6 Dl6 F0608/NW/4 burgh, Warrior) B1213/SE/5 Dl 1 C091O/NE/6 L12 F0807/NW/4 GAME LENGTH: 15 turns Dl2 C05 10/NE/6 C13 F1007/NW/4 BASE VISIBILITY: 12 hexes Dl3 C07 13/NE/6 C14 F0910/NW/4 VICTORY CONDITIONS: L11 C07 1 1/NE/6 German Player must wreck or sink the C11 C0611/NE/6 GAME LENGTH: 20 turns C12 COS 13/NE/6 BASE VISIBILITY: 11 hexes British armored cruisers, or exit into the GAME LENGTH: 20 turns VICTORY CONDITIONS: North Safe Zone. British Player must prevent the Goeben and BASE VISIBILITY: 10 hexes As per Dreadnought rule (1 1.4) the Breslau from exiting into the North Safe VICTORY CONDITIONS: CamapignUC," the Convoy. Germans are Zone. German-Austrian Player must wreck or sink the North force, French the South. French Historical Notes: all three British battlecruisers and score more convoy is worth 17 points. victory points than the British. Historical Notes While Milne's battlecruisers were dashing about the Western Mediterranean trying to British Player must wreck or sink the Twice during the entire Goeben episode, find the Goeben. the 1st Cruiser Squadron Goeben, or exit all three battlecruisers into Souchon ignored orders. When originally (armored cruisers Defence, Black Prince, the South Safe Zone. ordered to Constantinople, he chose to bom- Warrior and Duke of Edinburgh), com- Hktorical Notes: bard Phillippeville and Bone. The British manded by Admiral Sir Ernest Troubridge, and French assumed that the Germans would At 1400 hours on August 8, Milne's pursuit was patrolling the southern Adriatic to block of the Goeben was abruptly halted when he remain in the Western Mediterranean and go any attempted sortie by the Austrian navy. for the North African troop convoy. Allied received a signal from the Admiralty that On the evening of August 6, when the Admi- Austria had declared war on England. Fear- actions for the next two days were based on rality realized that Souchon was headed east, this premise. In fact, Souchon haddecided to ing an Austrian sortie which could cut him Troubridge was ordered to intercept the Ger- off from his base at Malta and pin him be- head for Constantinople, against orders. man squadron and prevent them from enter- This scenario assumes that he proceeded as tween two enemy forces, Milne turned about ing the Adriatic and linking up with the and took up a position to intercept and fore- the Allies expected and did try for the troop Austrians. convoy. stall the Austrians. Ten hours later, the Ad- Realizing that he was badly outclassed, miralty informed Milne that the previous Players Notes: Troubridge decided to seek ,battle at dawn. day's signal had been a bureaucratic foul up. In August 1914, the French dreadnoughts from the west, when the first light of sunrise Austria was not yet at war with England and were in Brest, the French being content to would offset his disadvantage in range. he was free to continue his chase of the dominate the Mediterranean numerically When he failed to locate the Germans by Goeben. The lost hours, however, doomed with 16 old battleships, 6 cruisers, and 24 daylight, he decided all hope for gaining an any hope of ever catching the Germans. 28

This scenario assumes 1) Austria had indeed Citadel Icontmue~~romgage IS, units which comprised a substantial por- entered the war with England on August 8th. tion of the defense force. not the 12th, and 2) the Austrian fleet was and the documentation that the French have ~11these options are in addition to the pro- battle ready and energetically led. It was in left behind, it is apparent that a number of ject for an ~~~~i~~~ air intervention (opera- fact neither, but this scenario does put the possible alternatives were seen in retrospect tion vulture), which by its nature would have British commander in a nice tactical sticky that would have given the defenders of Dien been difficult to include in the ~~~k~h~~l~ wicket. The Austrians emerging on his rear Bien Phu some significantly increased game. or all of these could be incor- are slow but powerful and, for even more possibilities of holding out. None of the porated into a second edition which also pro- pressure, Souchon has turned and is dashing possibilities are presented in the game, vided for the completion of the viet ~i~hv~ back to help trap the British squadron. Al- however. These possibilities included, ,,tillery complement and for the replacement though mere survival is clearly the order of among others: of their infantry losses. the day, destruction of the Goeben would a) Placing a full armored squadron at Dien greatly improve the overall Allied position in Having said all this, it remains true that Bien Phu (this amounting to 17 tanks Frank Chadwick,s Dien Bien Phu is a good the Mediterranean, while acheck on the non- rather than 10); one. The excitement level is high due to the seafaring Austrians might discourage future b) Giving the Dien Bien phu command the extremely interactive player-turns, and few offensive naval actions from that quarter. full artillery of a division notice the passage of time that it takes to run Besides* the British command is under (this would mean three additional 105mm through complete game turns. ~h~ overall to both stop the Goeben and turn back the pieces along with two more of 155mm); game system is innovativeand no doubt there Austrians. c) ~emovingthe restrictions placed by the are a few designers who wish that they had These four scenarios, then, represent some French Paratroop Command on the drop- thought of it first. There is enough meat in of the more likely encounters in the Mediter- ping of non-jump-qualified pe~sonnelinto the game for the most dedicated of the ranean during the first week of World-War I. the valley (this would have enabled the historians among the gaming cognoscenti, Some may not be examples of well-balanced French to double, easily, the number of and there is plenty of action for the bottom scenarios, but the commander in the field is replacements availqble to them); line garners. The production is up to the not always given the opportunity to seek out d) The expansion of French air force usual high GDw standards and the rules, exactly equal opponents. Besides, in the capability in northern Viet-Nam through written in the Workshop's own format, are fourth scenario you get to use those Austrian the deployment of more fighter-bombers quite complete. Altogether a satisfying game ships that have probably been gathering dust there (the effects on tactical airpower in for a francophile who wants to feel caught in their game box tray. the game can be imagined); and, between Dien Bien Phu and the devil or for a It is suggested that MOVES subscribers refer e) Manning the garrison with high-quality prospective Viet Minh sympathizer who can to MOVES #24 and use the variable weather Legion and paratroop units only, in place see the light at the end of the entrenched and visibility charts for the Mediterranean of the less reliable North African and Thai camp. Sea. This will introduce more variability into the scenarios, possibly giving an edge to the Germans in the convoy situation or the British in the Austrian sortie scenario. Above all, remember that Admiral Milne was "retired" *and Troubridge was court- martialled because they "did forbear to chase. H.I.G.M.'s ship Goeben, being an enemy then flying." BIBLIOGRAPHY Archibald, E.H.H. The Metal Fighting Ship AT in the Royal Navy: 1860-1970. New York: h Arco Publishing Company, Inc. 1971. AUGUST I PLAYBOY Hough, Richard. Dreadnought. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc. 1964. 18-21 4%,~RESORT Padfield, Peter. The Battleship Era. New 1977 LAKE GENEVA York: David Mackay Company, Inc. 1972. WISCONSIN Parsons, lain. The Encyclopedia of Sea War- fare from the First Ironclads to the Present THE PREMIER NATIONAL WARGAME CONVENTION Day. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Com- pany, lnc. 1975. FOUR FULL DAYS OF TOURNAMENTS, GAMES, Tuchmann, Barbara. The Guns of August. EXHIBITS, MINIATURES, BOARDGAMES, FANTASY, New York: Dell Publishing Company, Inc. SCIENCE FIC'I'ION, SEMINARS, MOVIES, 1962. AUC'TIONS, CELEBRITY GUESTS! plus.. . THE 10th ANNUAL DIPLOMACY CONVENTION A MUST - PLAN NOW TO ATTEND IT! For information on Pre-Registration, Accomodations, or Program Contact GEN CON X, P.O.B. 756 4 Lake Geneva, W 1 53147 h7 41 4/248-3625 Designer's Notes [conrinuedjrom page 181 The parties contend for Issue pieces which War in the Pacifc must be returned to the "Home District." In If the initial area of the offensive were in- War in the Pacific simulates the course of order to do this the player has an OB of World War I1 in the Eastern Hemisphere. cluded on the map, then the bulk of the Ger- various constituencies, and power groups, as The playing surface consists of some seven man forces simply run off the map in a mat- well as the PM of Canada and the various maps, six of which join together to depict the ter of a month, reducing the game to a ques- Premiers of the Provinces. There are also Central and Western Pacific Ocean from tion of how effective a Russian holding ac- random events which pull specific issues to Hawaii to the Asian littoral and from tion in the north will be in tying up German the Crisis Area, cause elections and various Tasmania to the Aleutians, plus the seventh divisions, thus allowing their southern other forms of confusion. retreat to escape unscathed off the board -a which covers the Indian subcontinent and valid and theoretically crucial problem, but A11 together playtesting has proved this to be adjacent ocean areas. Continental terrain practicaIly speaking, pretty boring. The se- a remarkably well balanced game, except and that of the larger islands is divided into cond reason for expanding the scope of the possibly in the case of the Separatists, who several types based on its effects on ground game is that despite the fact that the cam- are very weak to begin with and must cause as combat and logistical activities. Some of the paign in the South was the single most deci- much confusion as possible in the early parts types include desert, jungle (or forest), sive one in the course of the Second World of the game to stand a chance in the end. Ex- rough, mountain hexsides, large rivers, and War, no game specifically depicting it in its cept perhaps for the Separatists, it is a game clear. Because of the vast area the game entirety exists. where your fortunes can turn on the play of covers the map scale varies with the distance At the moment, the- maps and the OB are one or two very damaging cards. from the equator. A broad band of hexes ly- complete. The map(s) run from Kursk and Still yet to be worked on is the Revolt seg- ing on either side of the equator average Kharkov on the east to the Caspian Sea in the ment wherein the Separatist player or the some 60 nautical miles across each hex; north west; from Tambov and Yelets in the north, Federalist player can call out the Guard, as it and south of this equatorial band are suc- to Maikop, Mosadok, and Ordzhonikidze in were, and bring the element of force into the cessive bands of hexes each 50 and 40 the south. A highly detailed German map relatively pacific political scene. Here again nautical miles across. The ability of air and dating from shortly after the war was utilized the element of chance and the double-edged naval units to move is measured in Move- to place vegetation and rivers. The map dis- weapon can play a role. If the Prime Minister ment Points with each Movement Point tinguished between "true" forest and lighter invokes the War Measures Act, will the Fran- representing the transit of 10 nauticaI miles. watershed maintenance forest areas, the lat- cophone members of the army go along? If Thus, all other things being equal, a naval ter being less of a significant military factor. the Separatist player decides to secede from unit will move a greater number of hexes per Railroads and urban areas were placed using the confederation will the people go along Naval Movement Phase in the extreme north a concensus between a period (1939) Na- with him? -Rick Umbaugh and south bands (40 miles per hex) than in tional Geographic map and the Times Atlas. the equatorial band (60 miles per hex). The The German OB was a snap, of course; we varying scale per hex is required because the had the necessary information on file in our Raid maps are based on Mercator projections. office here. The Russian OB was much more Having had this little gem dumped rather War in the Pacific emphasizes naval, air and difficult. unceremoniously on my head two weeks ago, ground activities with approximately equal However, Ed McCarthy of Massachusetts, I've just about gotten it and my jitters under weight to each. Thus it is unlike War in whose expertise on the OB of the Russo- control. Special Operations are by nature Europe in which the predominate activity German War is evidenced in his contribu- rather complex and this game must cover sev- was ground combat and movement. The tions to the War in the East book was able to eral types of such operations on the tactical playing pieces, or unit counters, reflect this provide several Russian sources, that in com- scale (fire teams). Add to this the automatic equal emphasis. There are some 1200 units bination with the German Truppen-Ueber- restrictions imposed on a magazine game representing the ground forces of Imperial sicht und Kriegsgliederungen Rote Armee (200 counters and shorter rules among other Japan, Nationalist and Communist Chinese, (Stand August 1944) which lists each Russian things I've yet to learn) and it can become a Soviet Union, United States, and British division the Germans came into contact with, problem. Having a few jitters is easy to ex- Commonwealth plus the "neutral" forces of yielded an OB in divisions and tank corps, as plain; it's also my first game. Thailand and Vichy France. The majority of well as an accurate roster of commanders I've introduced several new rules concerning ground combat units are the divisions down to the divisional level. Playtesting has leaders, command control, and tactical (flavors are infantry, armor, airborne, just begun, and so we've only started to cope radios. There are now also rules for special Marine, etc.) which bear numerical values with the design problems inherent in weapons like Napalm and the M-79 grenade for attack (and/or defense) and the simuIating the crucial influence of leadership launcher. Eventually there will be rules for regiments (combat teams) (same flavors). - both local and in Moscow and at Hitler's helicopter gunships and assault 'copters. I'm The division unit may be broken down into headquarters - on the outcome of the game, also experimenting with on-map mortar sec- three (or two) regiments plus the flip cadre as well as such effects as the Russian resolve tions with minimum firing ranges. side of the division. Each regiment flips over to retreat at the outset, the supply problems to show a regiment. of the Germans, and the exact place of the So far we've been using a Vietnam sweep "untried units" system in this game. More scenario called "Marshall Junction" (a The naval forces for all countries total some on that next time. -Hessel situation based on my own experience in 1200 counters. Capital ships (battleships and 'Nam) for playtest purposes. This scenario carriers) and cruisers will be represented by Canadian Civil War has proven to be very flexible as far as ac- individual counters; destroyers, escort car- The title of this game was decided on after commodating new rules or rules adjustments riers, and large fleet auxiliaries (oilers, the Candian Government told us that they and has shown the basic game system to be minelayers, etc.) will be in two-ship counters; already had a game "O! Canada." and no, very sound. It was my good luck to get a subs, destroyer escorts, minesweepers, they wouldn't let us use the title. Ah well, the good design the first time out (don't get a patrol craft, etc. will have counters repre- sensitivities of bureaucracies and all that. swelled head, okay Mark?) and that on a sub- senting four ships apiece. Finally merchant The game has gone through initial design and ject I know first-hand. shipping, amphibious craft, etc. wiII be given is now in development. As it presently stands I am working on several other modern scen- denominations of points, each point it is a four-player political game with each arios and the designer is researching some of representing X tons of lift capacity. player representing a particular shade of opi- the more famous World War I1 raids, as well The air forces (both ground and carrier nion on the Separatist issue. The map is an as the raid on Entebbe. Best of all, the game based) will be organized into air groups with apolitical abstraction of Canada with a cen- is almost six weeks ahead of schedule so we each gr.oup controlling varying types and tral "Crisis Area" and four "Home have plenty of time to work everything out quantities of planes. The air units will be two Districts" for the contending parties. and put it together. -Tony Merridy counter composites. One counter will bear the plane information; the other will be a the key objective of Port Arthur in the The disorganization of the beachead lan- numerical strength marker. The plane southwest. In addition, there is a small dings and the paradrops will probably be counter will show the type of plane (fighter, strategic map printed on the same mapsheet carried out on a company level for the Allies. dive bomber, etc.), the name or designation on which the strategic naval operations ofthe Once ashore, they probably will be able to of the plane (P40, Kate, etc.) a value for its war are simulated. This naval "sub-game" convert to the more efficient and easily- effectiveness in air to air combat, values for will be extremely simple but will feature in- controlled battalions. However, the design its effectiveness versus surface targets (ship dividual counters representing the individual work for this game has not really begun. It or ground) and values for its normal and battleships and cruisers assigned to the looks as if it will be a four-map game at a maximum range. The strength counter will Japanese Combined Fleet and the Russian scale of approximately one kilometer per be in whole number denominations of air Pacific Squadrons. Like the land game, the hex. points each point representing 10 airplanes. naval game will revolve largely around the in- -Joe Balkoski Thus 70 Japanese "Val" dive bombers itiative evaluation of the historical fleet com- would be represented by a "Val" counter manders. Thus, although we still forsee some placed on top of a "7" strength marker. tough problems, the initial design promises Up Scope! Some plane counters will be back printed to to deliver a lot of historical "flavor" and a show values in an alternate role. challenging situation for both Japanese and Up Scope! is well into the latter stages of its The play system consists of a monthly cycle Russian Players. design. Soon it will be handed over to Frank composed of a Strategic Turn and four -Frank Davis Davis for developmental work. What re- Game-Turns. The Strategic Turn encom- mains to be done as of now are air and con- passes Planning, Production, Submarine voy rules. Additionally, we are working up Assault on Crete Warfare, and Strategic Air Bombardment. modern submarine/destroyer statistics for The German Airdrop on Maleme, May 1941 Each Game-Turn is composed of successive contemporary and future scenarios, bringing Air, Naval. and Ground Phases during the period covered by Up Scope! from 1914 Those of you who bothered to read the which the Players alternate moving and to the middle 1980's. The game has proven to previous reports on Maleme will notice a title fighting with their units. Presently the se- be quite popular among those who have change. This was done because of the lack of quence looks as follows: Air, Naval, Air, played it. Perhaps it would be best for; a recognition value of Maleme (some people Ground, Air, Naval, Air. typical game to be described in order for the don't even know where Crete is). The rather flow of the game to be portrayed: 1 took War in the Pacific can be played on two ponderous looking title is really the title plus levels: Scenarios and Campaign Scenarios. A command of HMS Snowberry, a Flower the subtitle: in the future, I will refer to the Class corvette, while Steve Ross (one of Scenario is played on one or two maps using game as simply Assault on Crete. a limited set force mix for a short number of SPI's staff) took command of the U-551, a I have the organization of almost all of the Game-Turns. Some of the Scenarios include type VIIC submarine. The date was March units that were involved in the Maleme-Suda the Battle of Midway, Battle of Santa Cruz, 1943. Playing the corvette, I picked up a Bay area, and have a fairly good idea of what Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Campaign of "Huff-Duff" contact bearing east. I steered the countermix will look like. Sadly, the the Snowberry in that direction and soon Kohima. The Campaign Scenarios begin the game will not cover the drops at Retimo and picked up a radar contact of a sub at about game at a given date in the course of the war Herakleion, because that would necessitate with all maps and forces and rules in play. four miles. However, the U-551 dove im- the raising of the price of the game to $20. At The Campaign Scenario which begins in mediately, and I could not pick her up on present, I am looking for a detailed map of December of 1941 covers the entire war. sonar. Meanwhile, 1 proceded to search the Eastern Crete, but apparently no official -Irad B. Hardy board frantically while Ross calmly stalked sources have a suitable map. Never fear, for me. As he was getting into good firing posi- SPI has many sources from which to obtain tion, I picked up a sonar contact. Much to Red Sun Rking maps, and I should have some in my posses- my chagrin; this contact was nothing more The Russo-Japanese War sion by early June when playtesting is due to than a water-temperature inversion. For- Although we've now got a title to distinguish start. The major changes from the Highway tunately, I picked up the real U-551 on sonar our Russo-Japanese War game from to the Reich game system will include immediately afterwards. I ran in for a devth GDW's, solving the inherent design prob- Leadership, Command and Control, Air- charge run, losing contact as I approached lems (without plagiarizing GDW's game strikes and Airborne Assault. I am also toy- closer to the sub. I dropped two "diamond" system) is proving more difficult than I ex- ing around with a hidden unit pre-game set- patterns of five depth charges apiece at dif- pected. The real crux of the problem con- up to recreate the uncertainty of the location ferent depths. However, because I dropped cerns the game's time scale. The war lasted of the Commonwealth units. The game looks "blind" I missed the position of the sub by nineteen months but encompassed only three like it will be quite a bit different from its about 220 yards (one hex). At that point I major battles; Liaoyang, Sha Ho, and the predecessor. Can anyone out there tell me realized, bad commander that I am, that I climactic struggle at Mukden. The Russian where to get my hands on a copy of the NZ should have used my "hedgehogs" (an army remained inactive for several months Official History on Crete, by D. M. Davin? I ahead-throwing ASW weapon). But it was following the initial Japanese landings in would greatly appreciate it. too late. After an agonizing period of delay Korea. Since we are obligated to design a -Eric Goldberg to sonar operation (due to the disturbed, strategic game on the entire war, the most depth-charged water), I picked up the 11-551 suitable time scale is to use a Game-Turn again. This time I was confident of getting a representing one month. This, however, good hedgehog shot in. Unfortunately, all reduces the war's major engagements to the Atlantic Wall this time Ross was making absolutely certain activity of only a few Game-Turns. Con- that when he fired torpedos they would hit. versely, if we employ a one week Game- Atlantic Wall will attempt to be the most ac- He fired a spread of four G7e electric Turn, the game will only reflect many more curate and playable simulation of the D-Day torpedos from about 1,000 yards. I couldn't turns of Russian paralysis. The design work landings available in the wargam: market. spot the wake of the torpedos because they accomplished thus far employs month long This will be done on a battaIion-company were electrically-driven, and as a result, I Game-Turns with heavy emphasis on the im- scale in a manner similar to Highway to the sped right into the middle of the spread. portance of individual Russian and Japanese Reich and Wacht am Rhein. The game will Because I was going at a high-speed, steady Army level leaders. The game map uses a not be limited to June 6 only. It will include course, I couldn't avoid them. One torpedo scale of twelve mile hexes and encompasses the first ten crucial days at least, during hit directly amidships, sinking me within all of Korea north of Seoul, and all of Man- which time the invasion could have been four minutes. churia from Vladivostok in the northeast to crushed or a breakout could have been made. -Joe Balkoski Kyle Davies: I do agree wholeheartedly with the points raised in "Opening Moves" 1311. Hope it We'd Like You to does some good. All of the articles in this MOVES Write For MOVES Your were nicely done-up though there's still a bit of a lack of criticism as pointed out on Conquistador!. Most of the articles in MOVES are written by What's this continuing bit on criticism? Well if readers. So if you can write a well-organized arti- Moves you'd criticize some of the failings in your own :le about a conflict simulation that will be of in- games you'd be less open to being called a "house terest to the MOVES audience, there is a good organ". As for the "house organ" question Ifeel :hance that your article will be published. the "We LoveThem... We LoveThem Not ..." ar- rhe Topic of your article is, of course, up to your I wish I could print everyone's letters, but you ticle points out the answer to that. By having your discretion, so long as you select a subject with fair- know the answer to that one. The letters that I staff members choose their Best/Worst SPI and ly wide appeal. have chosen to exemptlsince most of them are Non-SPI games you showed that you're a 50% The Types of articles we are looking for fit essen- several pages long) deal with the negative side of "houseorgan". Fifty percent for SPI and 50% for tially into seven categories: your reactions-happlly, most of the mail I get 1s everyone else. positive-but I thought I'd select out for critical 1. Game Profie. Describes and analyzes the game remarks that raised points of general interest. The intimation that MOVES is a "house organ" with regard to system, technique of simulation, - RAS always causes little flashes of lightning to emanate and overall effectiveness of game design vis a vis from my eyes. A house organ, by its very nature, is its subject. Joseph Miranda: "We Love Them ...We Love a vehicle for glosslng the products of the owning 2. OperationalAnaIysis. Deals with the tactics and Them Not" could have been better. One expected publisher. A house organ thrives in a narrow I~ttle strategy of play in a specific game and its a more in-depth critique of the games of '76. The Panglossian universe where that publisher 1s the scenarios. factors that make a game good or bad should have "best of all possible publishers-and getting bet- ter every day". The frankness one finds in MOVES 3. Scenarios and Variants. This category is been discussed, rather than the off-hand opinions suspended until we clear up the glut of articles of presented. 1 missed the annual comments by the is hardly characteristic of a house organ. Some of this sort. game designers on what was produced in the cur- the articles in MOVES are positive about SPI rent year. The insights presented usually were games and some are much less so. It's the quality 4. Design Critique. Deals with the strengths and quite interesting, as we saw the background to of the article (and your feedback responses) that weaknesses of a game system vb o vis playability what came off. causes the article to be published - not how much and historical accuracy. that artlcle polishes SPl'sapple. The bulk of thear- 5. Field Report. Provides organized and valid in- I tried the somewhat different year-in-revlew for- ticles in MOVESdeal with SPI gamesfora number formation on some aspect ofconflict simulation of mat because so many had expressed boredom of reasons: 1) SPI publishes the majority of the general interest. games available; 21 The articles submitted by you, with the previous "true-confess~on" style. Also I 6. After-Action Reports. A well-researched treat- just wanted to give you all a rough idea of what the the readers of MOVES, are mainly about SPI ment of actual history, reflecting how the staff likes as contrasted to what they mlght have games; 3) The articles I publish about other historical event occurs on the game map. worked on in the prior year. - RAS publishers' games usually get lower ratings. Now if the only way that MOVES could not be con- 7. Footnotes. Short essays of less than 750 words sidered a house organ would be to publish only on almost any subject related to gaming in general negative material about SPI products then I would or specific games. suggest that you have a malfunction in your dic- How Articles Should Be Done. All articles should Greg Olender: Being a college student, I don't tionary If you don't believe that I, as editor of be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8% x 11" white have a lot of extra money to spend on games and MOVES, publish articles based on their merit bond paper. Each typewritten line should be no being the compulsive spender Iam, it tears my guts (rather than their rating on the Sycophant Scale) more than 65 characters long and no less than 55 out wanting to buy many of the new games but not then you should't read MOVES -RAS. characters (including word spaces). Type no more having the resources to do it. Imanage to pick one than 25 lines per manuscript page. A cover sheet up every now and then (very seldom, but still too should include the author's name, address, a often for my own good) but they're getting past me phone number; the category of the article; and the faster and faster. I have enough trouble keeping suggested title for the article. up with my S&T and MOVES subscriptions let alone more games. As it stands now, I own How Long an Article Should Be. All articles ex- somewhere between 40 and 50 simulations (who Richard Wilson: The two articles on Storsoldier cept Footnotes should be at least 1,000 words keeps count), which I keep telling myself is [MOVES 321 were very interesting, and in the long. Articles should not exceed 7,000 words. enough, but when I read about all the new and future, might even tempt me to buy the game, but What You Get For What You Write. MOVES wonderful games coming out 1 go stark raving inthe same vein, the article on After the Holocaust magazine pays an honorarium for all articles bananas. I just can't seem to resist the urge. put me right off it. SPI may publish conflict published except Footnotes. This honorarium is Especially the big ones (Wellington's Victory, simulations, but I play wargames, and could do currently $4 per running 10" column of edited text Wocht om Rhein, Highway to the Reich, etc.) without all the bookeeping of a game like ATH. (calculated to the nearest half-column). Alter- which are exceptionally bad because at $20 a However rhat is my opinion, and obviously not natively, authors may receive their honorarium in whack it really hurts the old pocketbook. everyone would agree with me (or the game would the form of SPI products. This will be rendered in not be published). The "Limits to Growth in terms of current list prices of items, and paid at I'm continually amazed by the complaint of "too Holocaust," is in itself a boring article, but as a double the rate of cash honorarium, i.e., $8 per many games". Now, admittedly one can make the good math student, Ican follow the formulas, but running column of text. Please state your analogy of puttlng a banquet in front of a man on a it, like the game, does not interest me. honorarium preference on the cover sheet of your diet-but I would th~nkyou'd havea little morewill article. Honorariums will be rendered thirty days power and exercise a llttle more selectivity when it Author's pride forces me to wish that you liked after publication. ATH. Nevertheless, your comments on comes to choosing a game to buy (or not buy). I Copyrights and Conditions. All submissions to mathematical articles raises a point that bothers can personally remember the dear-old-dead-days MOVES become the property of Simulations me: wargames are heavily dependent on when there was only Avalon Hill with one or two Publications, lnc. SPI assumes no responsibility games a year- that you bought whether you liked mathematical relationships, yet artlcles on the for submitted material. Authors who wish their it or not. I would hardly think you'd want rhat workings of these relationships seem to turn unpublished manuscripts returned should include situation again. I don't hear anyone complaining people right off. Both general and speciflc feed- a stamped, self-addressed 9 x 12" envelope. back indicates this as well as a number of letters. I that there are too many books on the market Material should not be submitted if it has been feel very strongly that to ignore the math of games Moreover, ~fSPI cut back sharply on its game pro- previously published or is currently under submis- is a big mistake-akin to a chef ignoring cooking duction, ~tmight just be the games that you, per- sion to another publisher or will be within the en- times. I'd like to hear more on this from those of sonally, like that get cut. It's only because of the suing six months. volume of our titles that we can do relatively you that don't like such articles, telling me obscure topics. Think of that all you serious specifically why you don't. -RAS Articles Should Be Submitted To: garners so fond of subjects from WWI and earlier. Redmond Simonsen (MOVES) If you've got a lim~tedbudget-and many of us Simulations Publications, Inc. do- you've got tocome to terms w~ththe fact that 44 East 23rd Street you can no longer buy everything. -RAS New York, N.Y. 10010 "grognard' and the "systems man" it is an in there who are hopelessly mired down for a excellent buy. great deal of the game; what they're doing And now to the business at hand. there Lord knows). The western edge of the game-map is the Mississippi, and the remain- 1 hesitated to review Challenge Game's New der is clear terrain criss-crossed by ditches Orleans, 1815. Not because I didn't like the and bisected by the canal and Jackson's for- game or the company, but rather because 1 tified line. The Americans start the game in seem to have been concentrating on pre-20th position on the line, with some reserves to the century games a bit too much. Perhaps I rear, while the British are scattered to the A QUESTION OF CASUALTIES should have done something on AH'S Arab- south of the line, approaching in isolated Israeli Wars, but it arrived too late. Citadel groups of 4-5 battalions. Since artillery may In the last Forward Observer column 1 pro- went by the boards (see above), and that's not move, the British batteries are stuck mised that I would talk about GDW's about it for modern stuff - except for what where they are out of cannister range Citadel in this column. However, John - SPI produces. And SPI games are verboten (although they have cannister strengths, Prados has done an extensive article on the in this column; I've been receiving enough purely for speculative purposes) although same game for this issue, and as his view- gratuitously non-benign letters questioning within counter-battery range of the Ameri- point coincides with mine for the greatest my impartiality, or lack thereof. For the can line - if they can get a clear line of sight part, I felt that to stick to my promise would record, if for no other reason, 1 would like to through their own advancing troops, which be beating a dead horse - if you'll pardon set the minds of people who have written doesn't happen too often. the metaphor. I would like to add some com- such letters at ease. The opinions in F.O. are Firing is done by taking the firing strength of ments, however. mine and totally mine. No one at SPI has a unit and cross-referencing it with the range, ever edited a single word that I have written Like John, I found the game to be quite in- rolling a die and getting a strength point loss. - for reasons other than good English - teresting and full of many good design ideas. Losses are taken a la TSS; units are reduced nor have I ever been second guessed, etc. In addition, GDW has greatly improved its by placing a strength counter under the While I am nominally an employee and rules writing - although I still can't find original, indicating its reduced firing status. designer at SPI I am not beholden to them where a particular rule is located - and their Artillery batteries do not lose strength; rather for a living, thus there is no financial string commitment to intensive simulation remains they have a suppression rating which, when attached to my column. People are free, to as strong as ever. However, their develop- passed, causes removal of the battery. It is in- be sure, to criticize the critic - and I ment work remains a trifle shoddy. Two teresting to note, in conjunction with the welcome letters with any comments, good, areas lead me to this conclusion: the Melee above information on British Cannister fire bad or otherwise. Combat System and the rate of casualty from (or lack thereof), the American artillery bat- tactical air attacks. As to the latter, I am con- Joseph Deaton's New Orleans is an ad- teries have shot ratings but may not use vinced from playing Citadel that the game mirable, if flawed, amateur effort. Physical- them. Curious. Unfortunately, no artillery was designed specifically with the shorter ly, it is heads above most of its genre: the units have a melee strength and there are no scenarios in mind, for in the campaign game map is reminiscent of a GDW game-map, rules on how to melee artillery, which can be (which would take, I should add here, about and its charts and tables are neatly printed on a bit disconcerting. 100+ hours to complete) the effect of the it. The counters are well done although they French Air Force is so devastating and over- are not too thick and only strip-cut, rather As units take losses they increase their whelming that the Viet Minh player is simply than die-cut - a modest inconvenience. The bathing in his own blood. I found in the chances of a morale break -and thus a rout. rules book is clear, with professional print- Use of leaders can lessen this, but there are a games I played that no matter what strategy ing, and the game box is sturdy and fairly the Viet Minh player used - dispersal, stag- lot of units running in the wrong direction by pleasing to the eye. I believe a small zip-lock the middle of the battle; unfortunately, most gered assaults, trench-building, close-knit bag came with the game (for the counters). organization, etc. - the French Air Force of them are British. And the British take a The game covers, of course, the anti- fearful beating. It takes several, long game- just went ahead and did a number on his climactic battle of the War of 1812 that units. In one game, by the end of the fourth turns for the British player to bring up his full resulted in an overwhelming victory for strength. In the meantime, American ar- game-turn (with at least ten times that many Andy Jackson and his boys over Packen- to go) the Viet Minh had lost one complete tillery is wreaking havoc on the British ham's regulars. Practically everybody knows forces. American cannister is at least three regiment, had five with losses of over 50%, the battle was fought some days after the ar- leaving less than half of its strength in any times as effective on British infantry as mistice had been signed (they must have used British shot is in suppressing the American form of order. The French Air Force? Mini- today's Post Office to send the news), and mal losses. And this is with a good, solid batteries. Thus, although the British infantry playing the game you wonder why the British units are, generally, twice as strong as their player (not me, folks - a friend of mine). In got themselves into such a lousy position essence, at this level I just do not buy the American counterparts (usually 8's, 9's and after the war was over! And there lies the 10's to the Americans' 3's and 4%) by the game! main fault of the game; it is too much the time they are in position for a major assault The other point is the rather overwrought simulation and too little a game. they are whittled down to manageable size. melee system. Now, I say "overwrought" The game system, nevertheless, is quite nice, And when they go to melee the Americans with the full knowledge that I am placing my and is quite tactical without being overbear- they find that units on the Fortified Line are own hand in the fire, as my own design for ing. There are two phases within each game- tripled in strength. Since friendly units in Vera Cruz (S&T 63) has a somewhat similar turn; both players have a mutual artillery fire enemy Zones of Control must melee at least system. However, Citadel's melee system, phase, then one player moves, then both one unit the British cannot afford to attack which takes into account the effects of have small-arms fire and then melee. Given piecemeal (it is too easy for the Americans to morale directly on the combat ratios, is so the relatively small number of units (maybe cover any local attack with their reserve); convoluted and so replete with back-stepping 30 on a side) the system works quite well, and they have to wait until their entire force is that I am positive that a better development play flows smoothly. ready. By the time this occurs they can afford effort would have brought forth a less tor- The terrain is interesting, and has a pro- one, possibly two full-fledged assaults. But tuous method. The basic idea is excellent and nounced effect on the play of the battle. the Americans are so firmly entrenched in the rationale strong. It is the execution that is There is a huge swamp that covers about % their position (tripled for melee, losses halv- faulty. of the eastern portion of the game-map, a ed for fire) that moving them out is a virtual In all, Citadel is a game that is definitely not swamp which severely retards movement and impossibility. In the end, the Americans hold for beginners, or those only moderately in- thus channels the British attack (although with minimal effort and the British are rip- terested in the hobby. For the buff, the there are two British West Indian battalions ped to shreds. New Orleans, 1815 is thus a true sirnulatior?: it accurately reflects both the strategies and MOVES Feedback responses. Readers have tactics of the battle, doing so in a system that been asked to rate each aspect of the games on is fairly clean and easy to understand. I a scale of I (Poor) to 9 (Excellent). For the ac- daresay the experienced gamer will not have Playback tual text of the questions, see Section B of to spend more than ten minutes with the Feedback on page 35. Publisher abbreviations: rules. This is not to say that the game is sim- READER REVIEWS SPI = Simulations Publications. Inc, ~ew plistic; far from it. It has a lot to offer, and York; AH = Avalon Hill, Baltimore, its tactical system works quite well in reflec- Playback ratings are reader evaluations of Maryland; GDW = Game Designers' ting the type of battle New Orleans was. games that are acquired through S&T and Workthop, Normal. Illinois. Garners will have some problems with the *e+= rules, however, as loopholes are present in @Q" ,"*&c-" '5 ."$-" $8 %c*0. several locations. The question of meleeingar- *"'** *d+.t-~Oq*++i-O~ $P\ +*s$( 9~*b." '#" 4 tillery has been discussed above, and the Ter- e0 4* 4* Rating rain Effects Chart is not as clear as it could be, among other items. These are mistakes Publisher SPI SPI SPI AH AH GDW Range that most amateur designers make - mis- Publication Date 8/76 11/76 10/76 7/76 7/76 4/7( takes in development, rather than design. Price 9.00 9.00 12.00 10.00 16.00 10.0 There is no problem that the experienced Nr. of Players Reviewing 434 122 175 143 111 79 gamer cannot solve, though, as the Date Reviewed 3/77 3/77 3/77 3/77 3/77 3/77 designer's intent is fairly clear. A. Map, Physical Quality 7.26 7.84 7.99 6.50 5.86 6.37 6.1-6.8 The problem, then, is that New Orleans is B. Rules, Physical Quality 7.12 6.75 7.73 7.40 6.37 5.87 6.4-7.1 just not a game. Two play-throughs resulted C. Counters, Physical 7.25 6.16 7.67 7.61 7.14 7.51 6.5-7.2 in complete, overwhelming American vic- D. Ease of Play 7.43 6.24 7.81 6.96 7.72 6.04 6.3-7.0 tories. British strategy is limited to avenues E. Rules Completeness 7.26 6.61 7.66 7.20 6.85 5.20 6.3-6.9 of approach; the Americans simply wait. F. Play Balance 7.06 7.07 7.42 6.29 6.19 6.68 6.1-6.7 Flanking is impossible, so a head-on assault G. Game Length Suitability 7.11 6.13 7.62 6.99 7.09 6.23 6.2-6.8 against an entrenched position is the only H. Set-Up Time Suitability 6.88 7.30 7.22 6.70 7.19 6.39 6.2-6.8 viable alternative. And we know where that typeof action leads us. J. Complexity Suitability 7.23 6.75 7.32 7.13 5.41 6.82 6.2-6.9 K. Realism 7.23 6.25 7.29 6.71 4.24 6.59 5.9-6.5 Still, 1 would recommend New Orleans, 1815 L. Overall Rating 7.60 6.92 7.85 7.20 6.32 6.46 6.1-6.8 - especially to the gamer-as-historian. It ac- curately reflects the battle in a clear and con- M. To Who'd still buy 87% 76% 93% 83% 72% 67% 77% cise manner, it takes a relatively short time to N. VO Rec'd money's worth 95% 81% 95% 87% 77% 78% 82% finish (maybe three hours at most) and it is an interesting and well-done system. I would be S&T SURVEY DATA more interested to see what Designer Deaton % Who've played game 74% 15% 16% 14% 9% 10% could do with a more worthwhile and Acceptability Rating 7.0 7.2 7.3 7.2 6.2 7.0 playable subject. Complexity Rating 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.5 3.0 6.0 New Orleans, 1815 is available from Came Length [Hours] 4.0 3.5 8.0 1.5 1.5 5.0 Challenge Games, P.O. Box 8861, Solitaire Playability 5.5 7.0 7.0 2.0 5.0 4.5 Greensboro, NC 27410 for $7. Richard Berg PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN WAR AT SEA Design: James F. Dunnigan Design: Jonathan Edwards Development: Richard Berg Comments: Area movement simulation of Art: Redmond A. Simonsen World War 11 naval action in the Atlantic. Comments: Regimental/divisionaI level simulation of German drive to cross the Dnepr RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR in summer 1941 and seize Smolensk. Design: Marc Miller CONVENTIONS Comments: Actually two games, available in- Up and Coming in '77 NAPOLEON'S LAST RATTLES dividually-Port Arthur and Tshushima, What follows is a list of tome scheduled con- Design: Kevin Zucker covering land and sea portions of the Russo- ventions for the latter half of this year, in- Development: J.A. Nelson Japanese war respectively. cluding place, name of con, and who to contact Art: Redmond A. Simonsen for further information. Comments: Four battles of the Campaign of 1815: Ligny, Quatre Brac. Wavre, La Belle PLAYBACK ERRATA July 16-17 Alliance. Games may be linked together for of the data included in the MO~~~ Campaign game. some TACTICON Il, at Dunfey'r Royal Coach Inn, 32 Playback were in error. Those errors Houston, Texas. Contact: Dennis Woll'f, 915 Silber Rd., #329, Houston, Texas 77024. OUTREACH are corrected herewith. Nr. of Players Design: Irad B. Hardy Reviewing should read: Revolt in the East August 12-14 Development: Brad E. Hessel (314); Terrible Swift Sword (193); North SOUTHERN CONVENTION '77, sponsored Art: Redmond A. Simonsen Africa (105); Air Force (40); Submarine by Houton Military Gaming Socicty. Con- Comments: Intra-Galactic exploration and D. (36); Caesar (50). % who'd still buy tact: Ross Callender. Southern Convention conflict, extrapolating some trends depicted in should read: in ,he (49%); '77. 2601 E.sther, Pasadcna. Texas 77502. ~~~~l(E~~~ SPl's StarForce. Terrible Swift Sword (96%); North September 16-18 Africa (81%); Air Force (86%); Sub- GPEAT LAKES CONVENTION, at thc STARSHIPTROOPERS Design: Randall Reed marine (83%); Caesar (78%). % Rec'd Sheraton Lockport. Ne~v York. Contact: money's worth should read: Revolt in the Richard J. D'Angelo. Chairman Wectern New comments:~~~~i~~l-l~~~l simulation of York Wargamers Association, 395 Sou01 Heinlein novel. Scenarios and rules written in East (69%); Terrible Swift Sword (96%); Shore Blvd.. Lackawanna, New York 1421R. graduated complexity. Much weapons dif- North Africa (89%); Air Force (93%); ferentiation, special rules, etc. Submarine (89%); Caesar (88%). 31. How long have you been playing conflict lent minimal support against the Arab simulation games? 0= less than a year; I = I year; armies, so the Israelis were doing most of the 2 = 2 years. . .8 = 8 years; 9 = 9 or more years. fighting on their own. It was a short campaign, but 32. What is the average number of hours you at the end of the war, the lsraelis were forced to Feedback spend playing simulation games each month? give the peninsula back to the Egyptians. Con- 0 = none; I = I hour or less; 2 = 2-5 hours; 3 = 6-9 quest of the Sinai will be an in-depth simulation of MOVES nr. 33, published Jun/Jul 1977 hours; 4= 10-15 hours; 5 = 16-20 hours; 6 = 21-25; a war that very people know much about. The 7 = 26-30; 8 = 3 1-40; 9 = 40 or more hours. operational aspect of desert warfare in the '50s will 33. How many simulation games (of all pub- be reflected in this one-map, 400 counter game lishers) do you possess? 1 = 1-10; 2 = 11-20; which will sell for $9. How to use the Feedback Response Card: After 3=21-30; 4=31-40; 5=41-50; 6=51-60; 39. The Road to Burma: For four years, a tensely you've finished reading this issue of MOVES,, 7=61-70;8=71-80;9=81 ormore. fought battle raged between the Japanese and the please read the Feedback questions below, and Allies in the jungles of India and Burma. It was a give us your answers by writing the answer- 34. Did you send in the feedback card for your last issue of MOVES? 1 =yes; 2 = no. struggle in which no quarter was given or taken, numbers on the card in the response boxes which one of brutal in-fighting in a hellhole of a rain- 35. Pick the ONE area about which you would correspond to each question number. See center- forest. The Japanese, being more adept at jungle fold for card. most like to see games and articles done: I =An- warfare, were victorious in theearly months of the Please be sure to answer all questions (but do not cient (Rome, Greek, Biblical, 300 BC-WAD); 2=Dark Ages and Renaissance (600 AD-1600 campaign, but were savagely beaten back in the write anything in the box for question-numbers altter months of the battle. The British, labelled "no question"). Incompletely filled-out AD); 3 =30 Years War and pre-Napoleonic (1600 Americans, Indians, and a host of minor allies = cards cannot be processed. AD-1 790); 4 =Napoleonic (1 790-1830); 5 valiantly fought against the onslaught of Civil War/l9th Century (1830-1900); 6= World Japanese. The game would include rules for In- What the numbers mean: When answering ques- War 1 (1900-1930); 7=World War 11 (1930- tions, "0" always means NO OPINION or NOT filtration, Air and Naval warfare, Paradrops, and 1945); 8=post-World War I1 (1945-present); Amphibious Invasion. To sell for $9. APPLICABLE. When the Question is a "yes or 9 = Present and future (anything goes). no" question, "I" means YES and "2" means 40. Cyprus: A Folio game dealing with the 1974 NO. When thequestion is aratingquestion, "1" is Rate the following game proposals on a scale of 1 war between Greek Cypriot forces and Turkish the WORST rating, "9" is the BEST rating, "5" is to 9, with one indicating very little intention to Army troops. Battalion level, with some elements an AVERAGE rating, and all numbers in between buy ...Iup through] nine indicating very great of the Modern Battles system, but more emphasis express various shades of approval or disapproval. likelihood of buying the game. on political events. Amphibious operations, armor/infantry differentiation, air attacks, street SECTION A 36. Napoleon's Marshals: Historians have always recognized Napoleon as the great military genius fighting, paratroops, Greek and American in- 1-3. No question. (leave blank). he has been built up to be. But they also recognize tervention, British forces, Soviet political Questions 4 through 18 ask you to rate the articles a good number of his subordinate military com- pressure, civilian casualties and the CBS news/ international opinion. Perhaps an issue game. in this issue on a scale of1 = poor, 9 = excellent; 0 manders as men of martial knowledge and innova- = no opinion). tion. Men such as Ney, Grouchy, and others too 41. Modern Battles Three Quad: Yet another numerous to mention enabled the Emperor to con- Quad covering crucial battles around the world, 4. War in Europe: Strategic Choices duct his campaigns all across the European conti- hypothetical and actual, since 1960. To be chosen 5. StarForce Scenario 10 nent. The war in ltaly was fought almost exclusive- from among the following: 1962: Invasion Cuba: 6. Panzergruppe Guderian ly by proxy (but then again, what pre-20th century Covering the battle through jungle and city to oust 7. Citadel war in ltaly wasn't?). In no place else were these Castro following a U.S. amphibious attack; Nor- way: Soviet attack by air, land, and sea forces 8. SFGames in Print men more important than in the war in Iberia. Many people have stated that they feel the war in rough terrain, terrible weather, and units from 9. October War Spain and Portugal was a foolish move on half a dozen NATO nations (the mobile reserve) in 10. An NLB Campaign Napoleon's part, but, be that as it may, it was his an effort to secure safe passage for the Atlantic 11. Goeben as Dreadnought marshals who conducted several brilliant cam- Fleet; Uganda: Kenya, Tanzania, and maybe the 12. Opening Moves paigns in that region. Napoleon's Marshals would UN launch a punitive invasion to overthrow the use a system that would glean the best out of SPl's present government. Special rules for Ugandan 13. Designer's Notes early strategic Napoleonic efforts (La grande Army revolts and civilian uprisings; Bangladesh: 14. Your MOVES Armee, Leipzig, and 1812). plus some new innova- The Indian invasion of East Pakistan in 1971; Viva 15. Forward Observer tions to accommodate conditions unique to the Bolivar!: Peru, Chile, and Bolivia fight it out for 16. Playback Spanish war. And, for the man who wants control of the Pacific Coast. An interesting con- Bonaparte, L'Empereur Petit will present himself trast between Peru's modern Soviet-supplied army 17. This issue(overall) when the occasion calls for it. To sell for $9. and Chile's WWII-era force. with variable Boli- 18. Was this issue better than the last one? Canal Zone: 37. Crimean War Quadrigame: The armies of vian alignment; Guerrillas, sabotage, - 19through 24. Noquestion. Great Britain, France, and Sardinia are pitted and conventional warfare. US ~oliticalrestraints: against the Russians in four decisive battles of the Montreal: Why not? ~anadian'vs.Quebecois and 1854-56 conflict, which was, tactically and stra- Canadian vs. US; Cyprus '72: The battles between 25. Assume that you don't subscribe to MOVES tegically, a blend between Napoleonic-style war- Turkey and the Greek Cypriots, full-scale Greek Would the quality of this issue alone motivate you fare, and the newer, industrialized war as seen in or US intervention with variable political objec- to subscribe? the American Civil War and Franco-Prussian tives, amphibious rules; Sahara: Morocco, Spain, 26. For how many issues have you had a continu- War. The four battles would be: Battle of the Mauritania, and Algeria in desert tank battles over ous subscription to MOVES? 0=I don't sub- Alma: the British and French defeat the Russians Spanish Sahara, 1975-except for Spain, these ar- scribe; 1 = This is my first issue; 2 = This is niy se- before Sevastopol. Inkerman: "The Soldier's Bat- mies did fight. Plus POLlSARlO desert guerrillas. cond or third issue; 3 =This is my fourth or fifth tle," in which a Russian counterattack is halted, Air recon, supply; Quemoy & Matsu: Chinese in- issue; 4= This is my sixth issue; 5 =This is my then repulsed, by the Allies. Balaclava: The vasion of Taiwanese island outposts, naval and seventh through eleventh issue; 6=This is my Charge of the Light Brigade, The Gallant Six Hun- amphibious rules, US intervention, ferocity and twelfth issue; 7=This is my thirteenth through dred, the Valley of Death, the valiant stand of the militia, commandoes. eighteenth issue; 8=This is my nineteenth or sub- 93rd Highlanders, and more all appear as the Rus- 42. Which of the above MOD QUAD 111 games sequent issue; 9= l am a MOVES Lifetime Sub- sians try to take the Allied base of Balaclava. do you like best? (pick one) I = Cuba, 2 = Nor- scriber (regardless of number of issues received). Tcherna Bridge: An intensely fought battle which way, 3 = Uganda, 4 = Bangladesh, 5 = Bolivar!, 27. What level of complexity do you prefer in saw the French and Sardinian Armies defeat a 6 = Canal Zone, 7 = Montreal, 8 = Cyprus, 9 = games? Rate your preference on a 1-9 scale, with Russian force. All four games will bedone similar- Sahara, 0 = Quemoy. ly to the standard SPI 19th-century Quad system, higher numbers indicating increased complexity. 43. The Seven Years War: The First Global War: with some modifications for the different tactics Use the following games as guidelines. American A two-map treatment Conquest of the Sinai will of the four armies involved. To sell for $12. . Revolution - 4; East is Red - 5, NATO - 6, bean in-depth simulation of a war that very people Patrol! - 7. know much about. The operational aspect of 28. Your age: 1 = 13 years old or younger; 38. Conquest of the Sinai: In 1956, the Israelis desert warfare in the '50s will be reflected in this 2=14-17;3=18-21;4=22-27; 5=28-35;6=36or with the aid of the British and the French staged a one-map, 400 counter game which will sell for $9. older. daring offensive against the Egyptian forces, and 44. Ethiopia: Along the northern coast of 29. Your sex: I =Male; 2 =Female. captured the entire Sinai peninsula. The Israelis Ethiopia lies the province of Eritrea. Formerly an 30. Education: 1 = 11 years or less; 2= 12 years; were staging their first large-scale offensive, and as Italian colony and sometime part of the Ethiopian 3 = 13-15 years; 4= 13-15 years and still in school; the world watched, proved their prowess in battle. Empire, Eritrea is currently engaged in armed -5 = 16 years; 6 = 17 years or more. Their European allies, the French and the British, rebellion against the military dictatorship of Ethiopia, fighting for its independence. In other curately represent the great wealth that had to be battalion level, with possible break-down into areas of Ethiopia, royalist guerrillas and troops dealt with in thecarving of China. companies. Artillery units would be batteries. continue to fight for the preservation of the Ethio- Rules would cover morale (which was a very im- 49. Albuera: A moderately-sized tactical simula- portant factor in the battle), leadership, and fire- pian monarchy against the military dictatorship tion of one of the climactic engagements of the power (including machine guns and heavy ar- that currently rules in Addis Abbaba. Various Peninsula War, fought between the British and the tillery). Hopefully, this game would represent an other areas of the nation are in armed rebellion as French in Spain in 181 1. The basic rules will be well, some in protest against the capitalistic land era few people understand in terms of military based on Wellin~lon'sVictory, but the game will history a stage that marked the end of classical reform policies of the military dictatorship, some be on a much more manageable scale. The armies - European warfare and the beginning of war as we fighting for provincial autonomy or in- at Albuera numbered only about 35,000 apiece, know it today. Four maps, 2,000counters. $20. dependence. Eritrea and the monarchical troops while the terrain fought over was not extensive. are funded by the Sudan and other Arab nations, Additionally, the battle lasted only about five 53. SPI Minialures Rules. Miniatures gaming has who hope to gain Eritrea's independence and that hours. Morale, leadership, firepower, shock always been an area of rather informal rules insure Arab domination of the Red Sea. As a power, and formations will all be covered in the writing, and as a result these rules tend to lack both result, the military government of Ethiopia funds rules. Tacticians and militarv historians have organized format and "firmness." For the Cam- Sudanese rebels in the Sudan. Elhiopia, a $9 game always recognized Albuera as a classic example of paign Club there has never been any integration covering that troubled nation, would cover this the confrontation betweena the British and French between their tactical rules and their strategic multi-partite situation in detail. With optional military systems of the Napoleonic wars. A two- rules. We would like to know if you would like us rules for multi-player control of the competing mapgame. $12. to do a set of Ancients Miniatures Rules applying revolutionary factions. Ethiopia might very well the SPI format to this area. They would probably SO. Agincourt, 1415 - During the Hundred be one of the most intriguing games on a situation be sold as two booklets at ten dollars each. The Years' War, no battle was more significant than in the world today. first booklet would be a Country Grand Tactical theepic battle fought at Agincourt. King Henry V. set of rules and the second would cover small cam- 45. ASROC: A tactical Naval game simulating the whose troops were outnumbered 5-10-1 by the paigns like Viking Raids, border skirmishes, etc., small-level Naval actions of the twentieth century. French, undertook a defense of a clearing in a and man-to-man combat. There would probably Battles to include Bismark and the Prince Eugen heavily-wooded area. In a brilliant defensive be a section for people who don't paint miniatures vs. Hood and the Prince of Wales, Graf Spee vs. maneuver, Henry chose to have his archers drive a to integrate these rules into existing map games, or Achilles, Ajax, and Exeter plus several other palisade of stakes in front of their positions. When to play on paper, and optional rules for Fantasy famous ship-to-ship combats. But the system does the French chose to go with a full-scale frontal gaming. not end here. The game will deal with modern assault, the archers successfully repulsed the ship-to-ship combat also. Cruise missiles, ECM, flower of French knighthood. Military and social 54. The Next War. In West Germany, the most Gunnery, and all the other factors that make historians have wondered for years as to what likely battleground between the largest mechaniz- today's Naval doctrine so complex. The game will would have happened if the French had chosen a ed armies ever raised. This game would basically deal with all the little factors that require a cap- wiser and more prudent strategy. With the be an update of our current NATO game, but with tain's attentions during a naval engagement. There publication of Agincourt, 1415, wargamers will be many important improvements. The game would will never be more than five ships to a side so the able to recreate this battle as never done before. A consist of three maps (scale, 10 km/hex, one or functions of each ship will be handled in great new system developed exclusively for the game will two days per turn). The areacovered would consist detail. ASROCwill sell forS12. have rules for Morale, Leaders, Cavalry (the of all of West Germany and East Germany as well 46. Typhoon: A tactical game covering "Opera- panzers of the Renaissance), Archers, and a as significant portions of all adjacent nations tion Typhoonw-the final German drive on plethora of rules dealing with the unique situation (both NATO and Warsaw Pact). This would allow Moscow which took place between November 15 at Agincourt. The game will include a 23" by 35" for far-ranging campaigns by either side. There and December 5, 1941. Typhoon would use the map of thearea in which the battle was fought, 400 would be extensive rules, to cover the use of air- Panzergruppe Guderian and Wacht am Rhein counters, and will sell for $9. An excellent subject power. Although these rules, like so many others, game systems. Rules would cover weather, supply, for an S&T game. would be usable on an optional basis. The "basic" untried units, command difficulties, and fatigue. 51. Smashing the Westwall - An operational game (consisting of the "M+ 1 Surprise Attack" Scale would be roughly five kilometers to the hex level simulation of the 1944-5 campaign of pursuit scenario) would use only the brigades (for NATO) and approximately six hours per Game-Turn. This to and action in the vicinity of the Franco-German and divisions (with a few specialized regiments) for would be the first simulation to cover.an East frontier, on one map with 400 counters. A highly the Warsaw Pact forces that are currently Front battle so extensively. Probably a four-map developed system stressing the utilization of deployed in the area. The game would have, not game. $20. reserves and the abilities of individual leaders, and just thecurrent Orders of Battle for both sides, but 47. First Strike: During the Holocaust. Since the including rules for supply, engineers, paratroops, also many potential future variations. Optional end of the First World War, it has been a truism mobile units, replacements, and airpower (depen- rules would cover untried units, nuclear weapons, that, if weapons exist, they will be used. Although dent, of course, upon weather). The game pits the gas, logistics, morale, political considerations the world has, to date, managed toavoid the use of generally superior Allied troops against the weaker (with a multi-player version of the game), air- nuclear weapons in an all-out holocaust, the possi- Germans, who must compensate with carefully mobile operations, and many others. The game bility exists that, in the not so distant future, they considered deployment to maximize the defensive map would contain a detailed terrain analysis of may be used. capacities of terrain, fortifications, and reserves. the area. Many scenarios, including single-map In First Strike, all the nuclear forces in the world While the Allied player will have to make effective situations. Would sell for $20. are utilized in a massive, all-out nuclear onslaught use of airpower and paratroopers to off-set the -a first strike by the USSR against the continen- German leadership advantages and conduct a suc- The following questions ask you in how many tal United States, and a nuclear response by the US cessful offensive, the German player will be faced complete playings of the listed games have you and allies. with the problems of pulling off successful with- participated. Answer those questions only if you drawals under severe pressure by more mobile own the game (not if you played a friend's copy of Firs! Strike will include in great detail the entire troops as well as carefully martialling his own the game). Ifyou do not own the game, write "0". spectrum of ICBM's, nuclear missile submarines, powerful elite mobile formations for concentrated If you do own thegame, but have never played it to strategic nuclear bombers, and all the current defensive (or, if the opportunity presents itself, of- a decision (whether solitaire or against an op- ECM, ABM and civil defense systems in opera- ponent) write "I". Write "2" if you've played it tion. Tosell for$12. fensive) tasks. At least five scenarios covering dif- ferent phases of the campaign in addition to the once; "3" if twice: "4" if three times; "5" if four 48. Fall of a Dynasty - Beginning with the early campaign game. $9. or five times; "6" if six or seven times; "7" if eight 1800's, the European powers and Japan carved up or nine times; "8" if ten or more times. "Playing one of the oldest and greatest civilizations the 52. Death of an Army: A tactical-level simula- to a decision" means playing until you knew which world had known: the Chinese Empire. Through tion of a period almost never covered in the war- side was going to win, not necessarily to the last many wars and conflicts, the flower of the East gaming field: The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 - turn of the game. Unless otherwise indicated, the was subjugated. The Opium Wars, the Taiping one of the climactic engagements of the "mobile games are SP1 games. Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion, the Sino-Japanese phase" of the First World War on the Western 55. War in the East (1st Edition) War and other epic battles were fought in vain as Front. In a struggle which would determine the 56. War in the East (2nd Edition) China sought to maintain its rapidly vanishing in- winner of the "race to the sea," the profession- 57. War in the West tegrity. ally-manned British Expeditionary Force and the 58. War in Europe Fall of a Dynasty will be a $12 Power Politics huge Prussian-oriented German Army met head- 59. Terrible Swift Sword Series game in which the Players (up toat least lo!) on in a remote area of Belgium. The predominant 60. Wellington's Victory will represent the various powers who seek to gain weapons of this battle were basically the rifle and 61. Highway to the Reich concessions from the Chinese, and of course one the machine-gun, as the armies had not yet degene- 62. Invasion America Player will play the Chinese. A fast-moving diplo- rated to the immobile war of trenches and barbed 63. Napoleon's Last Battles Cmpgn. Game (only) matic game spanning decades of imperialism. Fall wire. Rather, First Ypres still showed signs of 64. Global War of a DynasIy will include options for solitaire play maneuver - even cavalry was used to a great ex- 65. Wacht Am Rhein and an economic system that will be simple and ac- tent in this battle! Death of an Army would be on a 66. Bataille de la Moscova (ME or GDW) 67. DNO/Unentschieden (GDW) SECTION B THE PLOT TO ASSASSINAT 4IITL.ER 68. Russo-Japanese War (GDW) The results of the following survey are used in our 104. A(maprhee1) Ill. H(re1 tune) 69. If you've purchased any of the above listed PLAYBACK system. This system reviews games 105. B(rules) IlZ.J(corr xtty) games. what do you feel is the main value of such a by showing the response of the people who play 106. C(counter5) 113. K(rea J large game? 0 = have not purchased any; I = the games. Questions 104-188 are part of 107. D(ease of play) 114. L(ove8 I -- more components and material per dollar spent; 2 PLAYBACK. 108. E(rules completenesr) 115. M(the . 2) = more playing time per dollar spent; 3 = greater 109. F(balance) 116. N(mor,% 5 .'6,th) After each game tille there are thirteen questions detail and realism on a subject that interests me; 4 110. G(length) 117. No qu_- on Iletlered "A" through "N"]. Unless otherwise = capability of "team" play; 5 = I like game5 that take more than a day to play; 6 = I buy noled, these queslions are answered with a "1" WAR IN EUROPE ' almost every game published regardless of sire: 7 [poor1 through "9" [excellenl] rating. 118. A(mapshee0 125. H(set-up ,~m$ = some other reason not listed. Question A-What did you think of the physical 119. B(rules) 126. ~(com~:~a~ty)' 70. What do you consider the "ideal" playing quality and layout of the mapsheet? 120. C(counters) 127. K(real' 1) . time for a game, regardless of the physical size of Question B-What did you think of the physical 121. D(ease of play) 128. L(overaitj 122. E(rule5 completeners) 129. M(then & nou) that game? 0 = no opinion; I = one hour; 2 = quality and layout of the rules folder? two hou.rs; 3 = three hours (etc)... 9 = nine or 123. F(balance) 130. N(money's worth) more hours. Question C-What did you think of the physical 124. G(length) 131,132 No question quality and layout of the unit counters? 71. IT you played (to a decision) any of the large STARSOLDIER games listed in questions 55 through'68, what was Question D-What did you think of the game's 133. A(mapsl1eel) 140. H(se1-up trme) the average time spent (in hours) on each game? 0 "ease of play" (how well the game moved along)? 134. B(rules) 141. J(complexity) = have not played any; I = one hour: 2 = two to Question E-What did you think of the 135. C(counters) 142. K(realism) three hours; 3 = four or five; 4 = six toeight; 5 = "completeness" of the game's rules (was every- 136. D(ease of play) 143. L(overal1) nine to twelve; 6 = thirteen to eighteen; 7 = nine- thing thoroughly explained)? 137. E(rules completeness) 144. M(then & now) teen twenty-five; 8 = twenty-six thirty-six; 9 to to 138. F(balance) 145. N(money's worth) = thirty-seven or more. Question F-What did you think of the game's play balance (was the game interesting for both 139. G(length) 146. No question 72. What is the highest price you would consider sides)? BATTLE FOR MIDWAY (GDW) paying for a large game? 0 = don't buy them; 1 = 147. A(mapshee1) 154. H(set-up time) $15; 2 = $20; 3 = $35; 4 = $30; 5 = $40; 6 = $50; Question G-What did you think about the ap- 7 = $60;8 = $80;9 = $100. propriateness of the length of the average game? 148. B(rules) 155. J(complexily) 149. C(counters) 156. K(realism) Question H-What did you think of the amount 150. D(ease of play) 157. L(overal1) of "cet-up time" needed before you could begin 151. E(rules completeness) 158. M(then & now) playing the game? 152. F(balance) 159. N(money's worth) The following questions ask you to rate the big Question J-What did you think of the appro- 153. G(length) 160,161 No question games as to playability (write "0" if you haven't played the game): priatenesc of the complexity of this game? BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS (CG) 73. War in the East (1st Edition) ~"estionK-What did you think of this game's 162. A(mapsheet) 169. H(set-up time) 74. War in the East (2nd Edition) realism? 163. B(rules) 170. J(complexity) 75. War in Europe Question L-What did yo11 .think of this game 164. C(counters) 171. K(realism) 76. Terrible Swift Sword overall? 165. D(ease of play) 172. L(overal1) 77. Wellington's Victory 166. E(ru1e.s completeness) 173. M(then & now) 78. Highway to the Reich Question M-Would you ctill have bought this 167. F(balance) 174. N(money's worth) 79. Invasion America game if you knew what you know now about it (I 168. G(length) 175. No question 80. Napoleon's Last Battles Campaign Game = Yes; 2 = No). CODSFIRE (MCC) 81. Global War Question N-Do you think you received your 82. Wacht Am Rhein 176. A(mapsheet) 183. H(set-up time) money's worth with this game? (I = Yes; 2 = 177. B(ru1es) 184. J(complexity) 83. Bataille de la Moecova No). 84. DNO/Unentsehieden 178. C(counters) 185. K(realism) 85. Russo-Japanese War 179. D(ease of play) 186. L(overal1) 86. Do you intend to buy any large games in the We will ask you lo rate six games. If you have no1 played 180. E(ru1es completenessj 187. M(then & now) future? thesegames, or have not played them enough lo be able lo 181. F(balance) 188. N(money's worth) 87-96. No Questions. evaluate them, lhen simply place "0" in the boxes. 182. G(length) 189.1%. No question