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The K o m m a n d eu r V olum e 40 N um ber 4 A Publication of A H IKS A ugust 2005 to push actual cardboard. I had my From the President W hat I Did This Sum m er dice-and-card-game on demo status in the Open Gaming room and had a know this will come as a pear at ORIGINS next year at some blast. shock to most of you, but I sort of function acknowledging the All in all, it was the most amazing I actually took my own advice history of our hobby. As the first or- shot in the arm I've had in I and went to our premiere event: the ganization that also just happens to be don't know how long. Gentlemen, the WBC. Man, has it been a long time! the last one standing, AHIKS, he WBC is our Officially Sponsored As I was flying out, it hit me just how seems to think, has something to of- Convention for a reason—it's all many years my life has been out of fer the hobby. I agree. We'll see. about playing the games we love. whack vis-à-vis the gaming world in Get out of the house, guys. Rub general and attending cons in particu- shoulders with people just like you. lar. You deserve it more than you know. Was the con good? Oh, yeah. To start with, I not only got to Your Buddy, Chester room with Randy Heller, I actually talked him into accepting the post of Vice President! Rumors of best 2 out of 3 “wrassling” are entirely un- true. I've been trying to get Randy Editor’s Corner into the Officer Corps for a long time. While he is a bit rough on the The next issue (Vol. 40, #5) will edges (read: he can appear to be be delayed until the middle of Octo- gruff, but his motives have ber. I will be away until Oct. 10; then integrity), I hope to have him it will take time to unpack and get the smoothed out in no time. One thing issue together. Randy brings to the OC is drive. At the WBC, AHIKS had a table Randy is the kind of guy who Makes in the registration area where we had Things Happen. We just need to ease a sign-in sheet and notice board for him into how things work. Stay members, and application forms and tuned. Official photo of Our Leader. old Kommandeurs for prospective An amazing thing happened at the Signed, 8 by 10 glossies are avail- members. A noticeable number of the WBC. The group known in the hobby able at terms to fit any pocketbook. latter were taken; we will have to as GAMA sent a delegate to our wait and see if anyone joins. Those meeting. He wanted to meet and dis- The AHIKS get-together was members I came across I photo- cuss some things and to ask if small, but I brought goodies for all graphed, although I forgot to get a AHIKS could help. The first words the guys, and I think everybody had a photo of Chris Hancock. Those that out of his mouth were, “Forget every- good time. I know I was very hum- signed in but I did not see were Tom thing you ever knew about GAMA. bled by Randy's dinner in my honor Thornsen, Rod Coffey, and Bill We are all new people, all new atti- and I was very excited to make the Watkins. Undoubtedly there were tude, and all new approach.” I re- acquaintance of all the Gents who some members who did not sign in. plied, “You've got a lot to live showed up (including Murray Cowles Don Greenwood and his crew did down.” I was just being honest in the from AHIKS Europe across the another magnificent job in organizing spirit of how he started his presenta- pond), and I am told I put on a fairly the convention. It seems a mind- tion, and he didn't flinch a bit. He good show. I will attribute it to the boggling task to me to schedule and picked up the ball and ran with it. I freebies I handed out. They all got a place the many different games and must admit I was impressed. A wea- few shocks themselves. to find people to game master. They sel would have taken umbrage, and a Gamewise, I entered Titan, Af- did a great job. phony would have gotten defensive. rika Korps, and The Russian Cam- I had a chat with Richard Mataka A man with conviction stands his paign. My clean sweep of dying hor- at the con. He has a web site that is ground and makes sure he is heard. ribly in the first round of all three worth a look. Among other things, he This gentleman was all that. He games is a testament to the amount of offers a free download of Jim Dunni- wants someone from AHIKS to ap- time it's been since I've had a chance (Continued on page 6) 2 The Kom m andeur G am e N ew s from A lan Poulter (grognard@ grognard.com ) driven game on the Russian Revolu- tion and the first such game from this This is a compilation of information No surprises perhaps in the games company. Its lineage descends from gleaned chiefly from Consimworld that won the CSR Awards. Awards Paths of Glory,but there are enough (www.consimworld.com) and Web- normally disagree on best games, but unique rules (especially covering Grognards (www.grognard.com). this year this was not the case. The politics) to set it apart. Designer is The material was correct at time of International Gamers Award for the David Dockter. A second edition of th writing: 9 August 2005 2005 Historical Simulation category La Bataille de les Quatre Bras, in went to Sword of Rome (GMT). the famed La Bataille tactical Napo- Alan Poulter www.internationalgamersawards.net/ leonic games series, is out. Although In the Origins Awards 2005 the it contains some 600 unit counters Game Awards Best Historical Board Game Award (including every Anglo/Allied unit The 2004 Charles S. Roberts went to Sword of Rome again! found at Waterloo two days later), the Award winners were announced re- www.aagad.originsgames.com/ small size of the battle makes it ideal cently at the 2005 World for players to learn the La Bataille Boardgaming Championships: New Company system. www.clashofarms.com Paul Rohrbaugh and Perry Moore, Best Pre-World War II Boardgame both designers of a number of pub- Columbia Games Sword of Rome (GMT Games LLC) lished games, have created a new Crusader Rex, covering the 3rd wargame company, Firefight Games, Crusade (1187-1192), is a new design Best World War II Boardgame to produce DTP (desk-top published) by Jerry Taylor, who designed Ham- ASL Starter Kit #1 (Multi-Man games. Their first two games are mer of the Scots. Although the game Publishing) likely to be Battle of Long Tan 1966 system is derived from Hammer of and Hitler's Stalingrad: Breslau the Scots, it is yet more streamlined. Best Modern Era Boardgame 1945. www.firefightgames.com It is a two player game (Franks ver- Downtown (GMT Games LLC) sus Saracens) in which the objective NEW BOARD WARGAMES is to control important victory cities Best Magazine-Published Boardgame such as Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus, Fortress Berlin (Against the Odds) Avalanche and Antioch. A large cast of charac- Alsace 1945 covers the American ters (Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Best DTP-Produced Boardgame offensives of November and Decem- Barbarossa, etc.) bring colour to the Louisiana Tigers (BSO Games) ber 1944 and the desperate German game. www.columbiagames.com counterattack in January. Three sce- Best Wargame Graphics narios cover these battles, and a Dan Verssen Games Downtown (GMT Games LLC) fourth covers a hypothetical German Dan Verssen is the designer of attack launched in conjunction with such well-received card games as Best Professional Wargame the Ardennes (“Battle of the Bulge”) Lightning Midway, Hornet Leader, Magazine offensive to the north and capable of Rise of the Luftwaffe, Zero!, and (tie) Against The Odds and Strategy being played alone or with America Modern Naval Battles. He has & Tactics Triumphant. Gazala 1942 covers launched a new gaming concept, the critical battle in the summer of games which can either be printed Best Amateur Wargame Magazine ’42 that led to the fall of Tobruk and and played or played online or both. Panzerschreck (Minden Games) the arrival of the Axis armies at the Online play is provided by software gates to the Nile delta, in three sce- called Vassal, which runs on any Best Historical or Scenario Article narios. Both games are based on the computer. Four games have been S&T “Sedan,” by Ty Bomba game system used in America Tri- released : Special Forces (man to umphant. www.avalanchepress.com man combat), Hornet Leader II James F. Dunnigan Award (tactical air combat), Earth Gone To a Game Designer, Developer, Clash of Arms Mad, and Star Force Terra (both on Graphic Artist, or Game for out- Struggle for Europe—The Med science fictional topics). All games standing achievement is the third and final game in the are quick playing and come with a Lee Brimmicombe Wood for Down- Struggle for Europe series, the other free scenario to allow players to “try town (GMT Games LLC) two games being Brute Force and before they buy.” www.dvg.com War Without Mercy.