vol18i2

8/12/2019 Vol18i2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/vol18i2 1/50

The V LON ILL

t 1981

2.50

Volume 18 Number 2

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8/12/2019 Vol18i2


GE Jco

8-1-2

A LJ;l.

4-2-3BRIDGE

~ ~ ~ ~ 6 10 4 5

This revision of a classic game you ve long awaited is the culminationof five years of intensive research and playtest. The resuit. we

believe, will provide you pleasure for many years to come.For you historical buffs, BATTLE OF T BULGE is the lastword inaccuracy. Official American and German documents, maps andactual batt le reports (many very difficult to obtain) were consuited

to ensure that both the order of battle and mapboard are correct

to the last detail. Every fact was checked and double-checked.

The reSUlt-you move the actual units over the same terrain thattheir historical counterparts di d in 1944.For the rest of you who are looking for a good, playable game,don't look any further. BULGE was designed to be FUN This

means a simple, streamlined playing system that gives you time tomake decisions instead of shuffling paper. The rules are short andclear-cut so you can ge t into play quickly and easily. Becauseimportant locations are clearly marked on the mapboard, set-up is

a snap. The Player Aid Cards are designed to handle all the detai lwork, so you have more time for play.Just because the game mechanics are easy to learn andremember, doesn't mean that BULGE is a simple game. Many

special game features provide the color and that feel of realitythat makes this an exciting recreation of the actual battle.

Fortunately, these have been carefully incorporated so as toenhance the flow of p lay instead of bogging it down in detail.

Some of the ny Special Features:

Tactical Air StrikesStrategic Bombing EffectsGerman Airborne Drop

II German InfiltrationLaunching the Fifteenth ArmyBridge DemolitionArtillery Bombardment

II Special German Rocket (Nebelwerfer) unitsBritish Participation

Several What It s Triggered by Battlefield ConditionsFuel Dumps

What s Inside . .

22 x 28 Fuli-colorMapboard of Ardennes Battlefield

Countersheet with 260 American, British and German Unitscountersheet of 117 Utility MarkersTime Record Card German Order of Appearance CardAllied Order of Appearance Card

Rules Manual

One Die

BATTLE OF T BULGE is an operational recreation of the famouArdennes battle of December, 1944-January, 1945.Each unit represents one o f the regiments that actuallyparticipated (or might have part icipated) in the battle.

n Each hex is approximately 2 miles across.f l Each turn covers twelve hours of real time.n Playing time averages between 3 and 9 hours,depending upon the scenario being played.

RecommendedfOr

anyone12years and up.

Two Scenarios

t The Tournament Scenario covers the period of the. German advance. Average playing time is two to fourhours. Designed to be played at all official AvaionHili tournaments.

The CampGign Scenario extends the TournamentScenario to include the Allied counterattacks. This is theENTIRE battle. Average playing time four to nine hours.

TTLEO TH ULGE is availablenow for 16.00 plus 10 postageandliandlingcnarges (20 for Canadians; 30 for overseas) from Avalon

Hill, 4517 Harford Rd, Baltimore, MD 21214. Maryland residents please

add 5 state sales tax.

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BL CK SPY is an i n ~ r i g u i n g cardgame fo r the whole family. The object

is to b e t he player with the lowest score

w h en o n e p la ye r goes out by getting 200

Points.

The BL CK SPY card deck iscomposed o f five suits, instead of th e

regular four. Four the suits h v e o ~ l yone spy. B u t t he black suit has sf}{.spys.Those are the guys you have to look outfor.

The rest o f t he c ar ds are other types

o f sneaky and sha dy c hara cter s:the Informer, the Interrogator, the

Infiltrator, the Sabotepr, the AssasSin,

the Agent, the Double Agent, the Code

Breaker, the Deputy DirectQ: ,and uteDirector. As with t h e s p y s , the black

suited guys a re th e ones to look out for.

All the o th e rs a re on your side.

L CK Y includes a scorepad. card deck, and discardtray and is available from Avalon Hill, 5 7 Harford Rd.,Baltimore,MD 21214 for 6.00 plUs 1 postage and hand-ling (20 for Canadians, 30 overseas). MD. residentsplease add 5 state sales tax.

You never know what will happenwhen yo u lead a t ri ck i n BL CK SPY

It s not like regular c ar d g am es where

everyone jus t follows suit. Yo u ma y find

a sp y in your midst. Or yo u m ay w in d uptaking the, trick and leading againl

The rules to the game are less thanone p ag e. Y ou ca n be playing the game

within five minutes. E ac h g am e should

last no more than an hour. Several

variations are p ro vi de d f or those wh o

waQ,t a l it tl e more strategy.

SP l

lackSPll

~ r d m e R

SNE KY

PL YERS

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IR FOR E N LYSISb y D av id B ot tg er

n Evaluation the Planes the New IR FOR E

IR FORCE is Avalon Hill s tactical simula

of aerial combat in th e European theater dur

ng World War I I. I n i ts r ev is io n, Avalon Hill has

served the best features of the original Battleline

esign w hi le c le an in g up the rules and add ing

v er al s ig ni fi ca nt n ew o ne s. T hi s a rt ic le will ex

ne these changes and then analyze the game and

aircraft portrayed with an eye toward t he f or

ofsuccessful tactics.

E NEW AIR FORCE

For those unfamiliar with the game, Dr.

sza s article T he View from th e Cockpit in

ume 17, number 3 of the GENER L describes

IRFORCE system, Avalon Hill has retained

is basic system with modifications that contribute

realism or ease of play.

Th e m os t common criticism of the Battleline

rsion centered, ironically, on the game s greatest

ngth, the simultaneous movement system. Since

ment for an entire turn m u st b e plotted in ad

n ce , n ei th er p la ye r c an r ea ct to his opponent s

neuvers until the following turn. The result has

en analogized to a pilot flying with his eyes clos ed

r ten s econds at a t im e.

Players soon discovered that there was virtuallyadvantage to b ei ng o n t he enemy s tail, s ince it

as a lm os t i mp os si bl e to stay there. This was

rceived as unrealistic, although m y r ea di ng s ug

that t he t ai l p os it io n w as less important than

believed, particularly l at e in t he w ar .

Sequential movement pres ents the same prob

m t o t he p la ye r m ov in g f ir st . The second player,

n t he other hand, k no ws t he f in al p os it io n of his

before performing a ny movement

m self. As a result, the first player keeps his blind

old while the second receives an unwarranted

To resolve this dilemma Avalon Hill apparently

th e advantage rule from SPI s IR

R T hi s r ul e p ro vi de s that an aircraf t at 2

lock to its opponent i.e., directly in front) andmore than six hexes away and 2,500 feet higher

s t e xec ut e its movement b ef or e it s opponent

o ts h is , u nl es s t he opposing aircraft is itself at a

disadvantage. In essence this rule interjects sequen

tial movement into the simultaneous movement

system but it awards th e advantage of moving

second to the player who has earned it, rather than

arbitrarily.

Two p ro bl em s arise. Fi rs t, as in standard se

quential movement g am es , t he advantaged player

knows his opponent s final position before

performing any movement himself. He als o knowst he f in al p o si ti on of all other disadvantaged air

craft, i nc lu di ng t ho se o ve r w hi ch h e d oe s not hold

an advantage.

Avalon. Hill has elegantly s olved both of these

p ro bl em s by a s in gl e r ul e r eq ui ri ng t he advantaged

aircraft t o f ol low as cl osely as p oss ib le t he m ov e

ment of th e disadvantaged p lane. Th is ru le ex

cellently recreates the historical situation of a p il ot

purs uing theenemy as he m oves, rather than simply

flying toward his final position. also prevents the

advantaged player from using his knowledge of the

movement of other disadvantaged aircraf t. He

may, of course, choose t o p ur su e a different enemy

aircraft but must first waive his advantage.

I n t hi s regan\, the Sequence of Play states that

aircraft which are neither advantaged nor disadvan

taged plot and execute their movement at t he sametime as disadvantaged aircraft and aircraft which

do not t ake their advantage option of following the

disadvantaged aircraft.

The next m ost s ignificant rule change from th e

Battleline version im poses a 100-foot altitude loss

on aircraft which end movement in a non-level bank

without having performed a non-banking

maneuver that t ur n. The a ct ual p en al ty m ay b e

several hundred feet, counting t he 2 00- 300 f eet

which most fighters can clim b without t he l oss of

s peed points. T his rule discourages the common bu t

unrealistic tactic of flying about in a perpetual right

or left bank in anticipation of future maneuvers.

The combat s ys tem has undergone significant

c ha ng es as well. As f ig ur e I s ho ws , t he n ew aircraft

gunnery table reduces armament effectiveness at alllevels e xc ep t 16-22 g un ne ry f ac to rs . T hi s is offset

somewhat at l ow er g un ne ry f ac to rs b y t he f ac t that

hit table m odifiers have a greater effect now.

For example, under the o ld s ys te m a p la ne w

five gunnery factors and a f ir e m od if ie r of t wo

t he tail of an enemy a ir cr af t with a si lh ou

modifier of two g ai ned o nl y t hr ee hi t ta bl es a

result. Under the new s ys tem , the benefit is a ful

hit tables. However, at a r an ge of four hexes

attacker in this hypothetical situation starts wi

bas ic before application of m odifiers) hit tabl

one, while under th. old s ys te m h e w ou ld starttable three. The net res ult is a g ai n of only one

table with the revis ed rules .

Air Gunnery

Total

Gun R an ge i n H ex es

Factors 1 2 3 4 5 61-2 2 2 2 I I 03-4 4 3 3 2 1 15-6 5 5 4 3 2 I7-8 7 6 5 4 2 1

9-10 9 7 6 4 3

11-12 9 7 5 3 113-15 2 8 6 4 216-18 5 2 9 7 4 219-22 6 3 10 7 5 2

23-26 7

14 8 5 227+ 9 5 2 8 6 3

2a Aircraft Gunnery Effectiveness

Total

Gun R an ge i n H ex es

Factors 1 2 3 4 5 61-2 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -3

3-4 1 0 0 -1 -2 -2

5-6 2 2 1 1 0 -1

7-8 5 4 3 2 0 -1

9-10 8 5 5 2 2 -1

11-12 8 6 4 2 013-15 9 7 6 3 116-18 5 2 9 7 4 219-22 6 3 7 5 2

23-26 8 4 8 5 327 + 20 6 3 9 7 4

Figure : Old top) a nd New Aircraft Gunnery Tables

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


6

Figure 3:

BASIC TACTICS

Key: E = Experience (roll again to determine ace), T = Training,

R = Reflex, V = Vision, • = no characteristics.

Predictably, expected hits in each catego

crease with the higherhit tables. Each categornot increase proportionally, however. From

two to 20, expected fuselage hits increase froto 1.50, or about three and one-halftimes, wh

pected engine hi ts r ise from .25 to 1.17, or a

five times.

gaining a positional advantage may find himsedamaged t o use it. Conversely, the player

thinks two, three or more turns ahead will b

cessful . In short , IR FORCE rewards thsighted.

As a corollary, players should endeavor t

each turn with a few hexes of straight move

These hexes i n the bank can pay dividendsnext turn by making a maneuver possible

sooner than would otherwise be the case. Grathis tactic takes advantage of the fact that g

divide time into separate turns, bu t it noneth

works.Beyond these broad principles, it is diffic

generalize on tactics other than to advise

players know their own and their enemy s airso that they can maximize their plane s advan

while minimizing those of their opponent. Th

of a P-47D can afford to trade shots with a

anyone; the pilot of an Me-109F cannot

maneuverability advantageenjoyed by a Spitf

against an Me-109G disappears when it meMe-109F. -

Nor is performance an absolute. Up to 1

feet the FW-I90A is slightly more maneuvthan the P-5ID, bu t from 20,000 to 24,900 fe

Mustang has the advantage. From 25,000 to 2feet they are equal while the P-51D regains th

from 30,000 feet up.The bulk of this article is devoted to suchparisons. First, however, it is necessary to t

closer look at the hit tables, where superior t

are rewarded.Table I represents such an analysis. Th

tables from one to 20 are grouped accordingnumber of hits possible, followed by a

representing all 20 tables. The columns h Proportion of Hit Types show the proport

each type of hit in each group of tables. Thus

hits comprise 230/0 of the hits in tablesthrough 12, while the percentage falls to 2

tables 13-16. Thecolumns headed Expected

show the average number of hits of each typeach hit table. On tables four-six, for examplehalf of an engine hit can be expected per die

Table 1Hit Table Analysis

Proportion of

Hit Types (pet.) Expected HitsHit

Tables F W E C L G F W E C L G ToI 17 17 0 a 0 0 .17 .17 0 0 0 0 .3

2-3 29 18 18 12 12 6 .42 .25 f .17 .08 1.34-6 27 24 20 13 9 7 .67 .61 .50 .33 .22 .17 2.57-12 25 23 18 14 12 .89 .80 .64 .50 .42 .25 3.513-16 24 22 21 12 12 7 1.08 1.00 .96 .54 .54 .33 4.4

17-19 24 23 9 12 12 9 1.3 .28 i.05 67 .67 .50 5.520 24 24 19 14 11 8 1.50 1.50 1.17 .83 .67 .50 6.1

2iJ 25 23 19 13 11 8

Central to this proposItion is the deceptively

simple rule that the number of speed factorsavailableto an aircraft each turn depends on whatit

did the previous turn. This rule makes each turn less

a discrete unit than part of a continuum. Thus

climbing and every maneuver except banking

reduces next turn s speed, while diving increases it.These principles may be illustrated by consider

ing the common situation where enemy fighters ap

proach each other head-on. At this point the

players goals are the same-maneuver into goodfiring position while avoiding enemy fire. Once they

become familiar with the game players tend toemploy the slip-turn maneuver in attempting to

reach this goal. This maneuver permits a plane toperform a slip fol lowed immediately by a turn of

two hexsides. The result is a 120 degree turn whichmay pu t the enemy directly in your line or fire.

The/ costs of this tactic are high, however. The

slip costs two speed factors and each turn another

factor, for a total loss of four speed factors. Sincemost fighters have only one o r two power factors

available to counteract this loss, next turn s speed is

reduced by two or three factors . This loss can bemade up by diving, bu t then it is valuable altitudewhich is lost.

I f serious damage can be inflicted on the enemy,the result will be wor th the pr ice. I f not, several

turns will be required to regain the lost speed oraltitude. Meanwhile the enemy has the opportunity

to climb and/or maneuver into an advantageousposition. The addition of the advantage rulecompounds the problem, since theloss of speed and

altitudewhich the slip-turn entails may allow the

enemy to get on your ta il , a pos it ion he may be un

willing to surrender. In short, this tactic resemblest he two-to-one at tack on Tobruk in FRIK

KORPS a gamble sometimes worth the risk, bu t

not to be taken lightly or used indiscriminately.The ins ightful player will conclude that the

proper tactic under these circumstances is to makeahead-on pass and then climb. And, as students of

World War aerial combat know, this is the sameconclusion reached by the actual combatants, part icularly when up against an aircraft superior in

maneuverability.The larger lesson is that every choice in IR

FORCE has its long-range consequences. The decision to maneuver, climb or dive dictates the range

of options available in future turns. The player whorisks exposing his plane to enemy fire in the hope of

RRV

ETRT

ETRVie: I ETTRV ETTRV .-=2.-=ETRV ETRV

3 ETTR TR

Players may discover for themselves the fewo the r changes inco rpo rated into the new IR

FOR E As might be expected, the graphics are

better, although it is not clear that the new aircraft

data cards are more functional than the old. Giventhe overall quality of the game, we may not see a

new game on thesubject for some time, and certainlynot a bet ter one.

Without calculating every possibility, it appearsthat generally the new combat system diminishesthe firepower of aircraft in the 1-15 gunnery factor

range at lower modifiers but increases it at higher

modifiers; has no effect in the 16-18 gunnery factorrange; and slightly increases firepower at allmodifiers for 23 gunnery factors.

The firepower effectiveness of bombers has

been reduced by a rule providing that their gunneryfactors must be applied in increments of no morethan four, whose fire must be resolved separately.

This rule dramatically affects well -armed heavybombers like the B-17 and B-24, but not without

good reason. With a minimum of eight gunnery fac

tors in every clock sector, the B-17G was more than

a match for any fighter under the old rules. Thisrevision more accurately portrays the lack of coordination among gunners.

Of the new rules, my personal favorite involvesthe opt ional Pilot Characteristics section. First,

players roll one die on the Pilot CharacteristicsDetermination Table (figure 2) and read the resultsunder the column corresponding to the year and the

nationality of their pilot. Then they consult thePilot Characteristics Table of effects (figure 3) to

discover what benefits they enjoy from their pilot ssuperior vision, reflexes, training or experience. Apilot with exceptional reflexes, for example, who

finds himself disadvantaged need only reveal onehalf of his movement plot to his pursuer. This ruleadds a needed human touch t o a game whichotherwise emphasizes machinery.

Figure 2:

PILOT CHARACTERISTICSDETERMINATION TABLE (OPT)

Find Year on Line corresponding to NationalityNationality

German 1939-42 early 43 late 43· 44 1945American late 43· 45 late 42- 43 early 42

British 39 late 1940-early 42- 45 42

IR FORCE is a game of resource management. The resources are altitude, speed, power andammunition. Maneuverability is the ability to con

sume the first three of these effectively. Victorywill

go to the player who can get the greatest output

from his resources.

r ; ; ~ T T ET·5 RV RV6 R

Vision I Modif Shift I col.R e t l e x - - n ~ o = n = e - - - i n c . ammo

by 2

On the other hand, the proportion of heach category remains virtually the

throughout the hit tables. Above table onepercentage of gun hits varies between six and

and cockpit hits from 12-14.

At most levels, fuselage hits are most lfollowed by wing, engine, cockpit, fuel tan

gun hits. Thus, the fact that three fuel tank hidown a Hurricane may be less significant thfact that five fuselage hits will accomplish the

result.

none none

none none none none nonearne- niae naTfco:r- niro;;;n:Oe--- nno ne.------n;o;n ;e;.-...

Turn lotnone

PILOT CHARACTERISTICS TABLE OF EFFECTS (OPT)Effects of Characteristics on Maneuverability Advantage Damage Quality Bombing

negate none I

one hit modif moffiT - ; ; n ; ; o n ~ e ; ; - - - - n ; : : o : : ; n : ; - ; e : - - - - - - y h i c d ; - e f c a s - ; ~ ; t - . . . . n : ; ; o ; : n ; . ; e = - - ..c-o-n- si -er- - ::n:: :o:: :ne:: : -

2MP of averageI lot

none

Spotting Firing

Training

Experlei1ce

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


EVALUATION

AIR FORCE includes 15 pure fighters conof 14 single-engine aircraft and the twin

ngine Me-262A. Although players will developvorites, they should be familiar with the strengths

weaknesses of all potential opponents in five

ortant areas: durability, firepower, maneuver

lity, power and speed.Tables 2-6 rate the 15 f ig ht er s in th ese five

tegories. Each table is organized in thesame way:

ircraft desi gn ati on on t he left, followed by th ew score in each ca teg or y, t he n p er ce nta ge

core, with the best fighter in each category rated at

percent.

Durability An aircraft s d ur ab il it y c ou ld bee pr ese nte d si mp ly by t he t ot al d am ag e it c an a bo rb. H ow ev er , as d isc uss ed a bo ve , e ac h h it t yp eoes n ot o cc ur with eq ual fre quen cy on the hitables a nd t hu s in t he g am e. F or tu na te ly t he p ro

of eac h h it remains fairly constantughout the hit tables, so that wing hits are twice

common as fuel tan k hits regardless of the

power employed.D ur ab il it y c an be e xp re sse d m or e p rec isel y,

efore, by multiplying the number of hits an air

raf t can t ak e in each a rea by th e fr eq uenc y with

hich t ha t h it t yp e o cc ur s on t he h it t ab le s, t he ntalling these products. The r es ul t, ca lle d t he

ability Index (D.l.), is computed as follows,

ing the Me-109G as an example:

6 x .23) 5 x .25) 3 x .19)

3 x .13) 4 x .11) 4.05

Gun hits are not included in the D.l. f or t woeasons: (I ) elimination of all guns does not destroy

e aircraft but m er ely r es ul ts in excess g un hi tsecoming fuselage hits, which are already included

n the f or mul a, a nd 2) g un hits a re so i nf re qu en t

that in most cases an air cra ft will be shot down

before losing all of its guns.T ab le 2 p re se nt s t he D.l. f or all AIR FORCE

fighters. Not surprisingly, the P-47D heads the list.More surprisingly, two German mainstays, the Me

109E and F, b ri ng u p t he r ea r, wi th th e Me- 26 2Anot far ahead. Allthree are weak in the fuselage and

wings, which, as Table I shows, are the most com

mon hits.

T ab le 2

Durability IndexRaw

Score5.28

5.035.03

4.304.30

4.304.17

4.054.053.92

3.883 6 9 ~ · · ~ ~3.693.443.44

TEN IR FORCE SCEN RIOSThe following historical or quasi-historical scenarios are offered for those who have exhausted th

few historically-based scenarios accompanying these games and who have tired of throwing randomlselected aircraft into battle. Scenarios 1, 2 and 9 employ aircraft from AIR FORCE scenarios 5, 8 and

10 aircraft from DA UNTLESS and scenarios 3 and 4 a ir cr af t f ro m STURMOVIK formerly AIR

FORCEIDA UNTLESS Expansion Kit). Scenario 6 requires planes from DA UNTLESS and STUR

MOVIK and scenario 7 requires planes from all three.All of these scenarios were designed for two players. Scenarios 4 and 8 are well suited for solitair

play, however, and scenarios 5 and 10 would make good multi-player games.

These scenarios were selected not because they are perfectly balanced, although they should b

reasonably even. Rather, in accord with the comments under Creating Your Own Scenarios in thAIR FORCE rulebook, they were picked in the hope that they will be interesting to the players.

All standard and at the players option) optional rules apply unless stated otherwise. All scenarioare twenty turns long.

Scenario Meeting Over MetzBritish 3 Hurricane I at 12,000 feet enter along board edge I on turn I

German 2 ME-109E at 12,000 feet enter along board edge 4 on turn I

Victory ConditionsBritish Destroy at least one more enemy aircraft than own lossesGerman Avoid British victory

Special Rules

Any aircraft not in the original six board sections at the end of turn twenty is considered destroyefor the purpose of determining victory.

Commentary

Thisscenario depicts the first combat between the Hawker Hurricane and the Messerschmitt Bf-109O n M ar ch 29, 1940, t hr ee H ur ri ca ne s of No. I Squadron encountered two ME-109 s of JG 53 neaMetz. Flying Officer Ritchey scored the only kill, downing one German. These two aircraft would mee

many more times before the issue was decided.

Scenario The attle of ritainBritish 4 S pi tf ir e I a t 1 4, 00 0 feet e nt er a lo ng b oa rd e dg e 2 3 or 5-6 on turn I all must enter alon

same edge)German 3 loaded Ju-88A at 15,000 feet enter along board edge I on turn I

Victory ConditionsGerman Exit at least one loaded Ju-88A from board edge 4British Avoid German victory

Special RulesNeither Ju-88A may bedowned by ramming. Opposing aircraft which end movement in the samehe

at the same altitude are assumed to have missed each other.

Commentary

Before being shot down on January 28, 1942, outside Boulogne, Dick Tuck, D.S.O., D.F.C., tallie30 kills officially, 36 by his own count. He survived German POW camps until January 1945 when hescaped to Russia, then escaped from the Russians to the British Embassy in Moscow.

In August 1940 a section of 92 Squadron led by Tuck intercepted three Ju-88 s eight miles north o

Cardiff. Although one Spitfire was quickly put out of action by a bullet in the radiator, the remainingthree destroyed the invaders, Tuck personally flaming ~ w o

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Scenario The efense of GreeceBritish: 3 Gladiators at 14,000 feet begin turn I anywhereItalian: 2 C R- 42 , I SM- 79 l oa de d) at 12,500 feet enter along board ed ge I o n t ur n I

Victory ConditionsItalian: Exit loaded SM-79 from board edge 4

British: Avoid Italian victory

Special RulesTh e SM-79 may no t be downed by ramming. See special rules for scenario 2.

Firepower-Firepower is a f un cti on of tnumber of fire factors, the range at which they mbe applied, an d ammunition supply. Table 3 lithe Firepower Index F.I.), computed as tproduct of t he se t hr ee f ac to rs , f or t he 15 fighteThe earlier fighters are predictably concentratedthe lower half of the table, while the later mod

appear primarily in the upper half. Once again t

Me- 109 se ri es r at es p oo rl y. Th e Me-262A o

distances the field by a substantial margin.

CommentaryNo o ne k no ws h ow m an y v ict or ie s Marmaduke St. John Pattie of the RA F scored during World

War II. Estimates range from 28 to o ve r 40.I n 1940 P at ti e was a m em be r of 80 Squadron stationed at Sidi Barrani, Libya. In November the

squadron was sent to Paramythia in northwest Greece near the Albanian frontier to oppose the Italianinvasion of Greece. This hypothetical scenario depicts a typical encounter between 80 Squadron and an

Italian bombing mission.

100626255

55

52

3933

31

29

27

26

24

17

17

F.1.768480480

420

4204003

256 4

220210204

184128

128

Table 3

Firepower IndexRaw

ScoreircraftMe-262ATempest V

P-47DP-51D

FW-190AP-47BSpit. IX

Hurri.

P-51B

Me-109GMe-109EMe-109FSpit.

Hurri. IS pi t. I

Scenario Attack on TarantoBritish: 6 Swordfish armed with torpedoes enter anywhere along board edge 5-6 on turn I at altitude

of British player s choiceItalian: I B B- I e ac h in hex I V- K4 , f ac in g d ir ec ti on 6 Caio Duilio , hex IV-MI5, facing 4 Andrea

Doria , hex IV -M7, facing 6 Giulio Cesare a nd hex VI -E I facing I Conte di Cavour IBB-2 e ac h in hex IV- I7, f aci ng 6 Littorio an d hex IV-II3, facing 6 Vittorio Veneto1 C A- 2 e ac h in h ex I I- G1 3, f ac in g 4 Zara , hex IV-AI facing 4 Fiume , an d hex IV-D1,

facing 4 Gorizia

I barrage balloon each in following hexes: I-MI4 I1I-M5, V-M1, V-M3, V-M5, V-M7, I1IN9, I1I-Nl5., V-N8, II-A13, II-BIl II-DIO and II-E9.

Victory ConditionsBritish: Sink Italian ships worth at least 2000 points

Italian: Avoid British victory

Special RulesAll Italian ships are a t a nc ho r a nd c an no t move. Fo r this reason, a DR M of a applies to all torpedo

a tt ac ks f ro m f or e a nd a ft a nd 2 to torpedo attacks from all other directions.Torpedoes cannot be d ro pp ed m or e t ha n six hexes from their target.Each turn before thefire phase, a die is rolled for each Italianship. On a roll of on e or two, that ship

may no t fire its antiaircraft that turn.

10095

8985

85

8481

81

808078

78

78

67

43

M.1.2.44

2.562.75

2.862.88

2.893.003.003.06

3.063.123.12

3.143.625.62

Table 4

Maneuverability IndexRaw

ScoreircraftP-47B

P-47DFW-I90A

H ur ri . IP-5IB

P-51D

Me-109ESpit. IX

Me-109FS pi t. V

Tempest VHurri.

S pi t. IMe-109G

Me-262A

Maneuverability-Maneuverability is hardequantify objectively than durability or firepowTh e airplane data cards list the number of hexes

straight movement required before each of the fmaneuvers at each altitude, bu t they cannot pred

how many maneuvers of each kind will be performi n a g am e.

As a rough approximation, theManeuverabi

Index M.I.) is the total average costs of two banone turn an d one slip. Experiencesuggests that ha

loops an d half-rolls occur relatively rarely ingame. Until AH added the rule requiringa 1 f

a lt it ud e loss f or e ac h turn of banked movem

without maneuvering, banking was a less frequan d therefore less important maneuver. This re

sion guarantees that banks will occur at least twas o ft en as an y other maneuver under normalc um st an ce s, g ivi ng t he a dv an ta ge to p lan es wlow banking requirements e.g. FW-l90A P-47an d disadvantaging otherwise maneuverable plalike the Spitfire I an d V

Commentary

On November 11, 1940,21 Swordfish from the carrier Illustrious struck a telling blow to the Italian

fleet anchored a t T ar an to . T he first wave, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Williamson, consisted of six Swordfish with torpedoes an d six with bombs an d flares. While the bombers made a diver

sionary attack on shore installations an d smaller ships, torpedoes struck the battleships Conte diCavour an d Littorio. The second wave hit Littorio again an d Caio Duilio. As a r es ul t of this attack,Conte di Cavour was put ou t of action for the war s duration and Littorio and Caio Duilio were disabled

for six months.Of the 21 attacking aircraft, only two were shot down with the loss of only one crew member. Less

than 13 months later, the Japanese naval air ar m would again demonstrate the vulnerability of a fleetat anchor.

Commentary

Accounts of the Battle of Midway rightly dwell on the successes of American carrier-based aircraft,b ut t o a l ar ge e xt en t t he se successes wer e made possible by Marine Air Group 22 based on EasternIsland, the smaller of the two islands comprising Midway. Equipped with seven F4F s 19 SBD s, 21

F2A s an d 17 Vindicators, Air Group 22 was ordered by Nimitz no t only to defend its airstrip bu t t

attack the Japanese carriers.

On June 4, 1942, 12 fighters of A.G. 22 intercepted 13 Japanese carrier-based bombers west of Midway bu t were bounced by escorting Zeros, suffering the loss of nine fighters with two more badlydamaged.

Despite these losses, the tenacious defense of Midway convinced the Japanese that a second strike

was necessary. This in turn led to the now-famous indecision by the Japanese which allowed U.S. navaldive bombers to catch their Japanese counterparts on the deck. Th e rest, as they say, is history.

Scenario 5 The attle of MidwayJapanese: 4 D 3A Val l oa de d) at 3,000 feet enter along board edge 1 o n t ur n I

2 A 6M 2 Z er o at 4,000 feet enter along board edge 2-3 or 5-6 see special rules)U.S.: 3 F2A Buffaloes, 1 F4 F Wildcat at 3,500feet enter along board edge 2-3 or 5-6 all need not

enter along same edge) on turn I

Victory ConditionsU.S.: Destroy at l ea st 2 D 3A Val and exit at l ea st 2 U .S . f ig ht er s f ro m ed ge 4

Japanese: Exit at l ea st 3 D 3A Val l oa de d f ro m board edge 4 or destroy all U.S. fighters

An y other result is a d ra wSpecial Rules

Each turn beginning with turn two the Japanese playerrolls onedie. On a roll of one, theZerosenterthat turn. Subtract o ne f ro m t he roll for ea ch t u rn a ft er t u rn two.

On the turn of entry, the Japanese player rolls another die. A n o dd number means the Zeros enteralong board edge 5-6, while an even number means they enter along edge 2-3.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Power Later fighters emphasized power, as

shown on Table 5 s l isting by Power Index P.I.).The Power Index is the product of the total number

of power factors available up to 29,900 feet an d theamo,unt of altitude gained per speed factor.

As Table 4 indicates, many of the moremaneuverable fighters saw action early in the war.

This reflects a shift in emphasis r at he r t ha n adecline in technology. As Allied pilots in the Pacific

discovered, maneuverability is an advantage only ifthe enemy agrees to dogfight, while speed,

firepower an d durability cannot be negated.

An d the Winner Is Table 7 s um ma ri ze s t he

results of Tables 2-6. Th e percentage ratings of each

f igh ter in e ac h c at eg or y a re t ot al le d, p ro vi di ng ameasure of the relative worth of these fighters. By

this admittedly subjective method the top fighter is

the P-47D Thunderbolt. Of t he t op t en f ig ht er s,

only three are German an d only threeentered actionb ef or e 1943, su rel y a t ri bu te t o t he q ua li ty of this

Commentary

On March 5, 1944three P-47s of 348th Fighter Group 5th Fighter Command conducted a sweepthe Wewark area of New Guinea. Colonel Neel Keady, who finished the war with 22 victories, accopanied by captain William D. Dunham 16) andCaptain Samuel V Blair 7), flying at 22,000 feet, sp

ted three Neils near Dagua Strip at 500 feet. In the process of downing the bombers, Colonel Keady w

bounced by an Oscar.Th e

Japanese fighter was destroyed, but not before inflicting fatal damage ontarget.

Commentary

On April 26, 1944, Major Charles H. Hansen, piloting his B-29 over the Indo-Burmese frontier w

a cargo of fuel, spotted 12 Oscars 2,000 feet below. After the Japanese pilots studied their new adversafor 15 minutes, half of their number attacked. Twenty-five minutes later, the first combat for the Sup

fortress was over, the giant bomber taking eight hits an d damaging one Oscar. Notice was served tht he B-29 wo ul d b e a f or mi da bl e opponent.

Commentary

On Jul y 30, 1942, Major John R. Alison a nd C ap ta in A lb er t T . B au mb er of the 75th FighSquadron stationed at Hengyang attempted a night interception of Japanese bombers attacking thairfield. Flying P-40 s not equipped for night combat they nontheless succeeded in downing four of t

six intruders. Fo r their exploit, Alison was awarded the D.S.O. and Baumber the D.S.C. Alison finishthe war with ten kills in the China-Burma-India theater, making him the fifth-ranking American a

there.

Scenario 8-Debut of the Superfortu S I B-29 loaded) at 16,000 feet enters from board edge I o n t ur n I

Japanese 6 KiA3 at 15,000 feet begin anywhere on boards III and/or IV on turn I

Victory ConditionsU S Exit B-29 loaded from board edge 4

Japanese Avoid U.S. victory

Special RulesTh e Japanese player may no t ram the B-29 see scenario 2 special rules).

Scenario 7 -N ew Guinea Sweepu s 3 P-47B at 1,000 feet enter from board e dg e 2-3 o n turn I

Japanese 3 G 3M Nell at 500 feet enter from board edge I on turn II KiA3 O sc ar at 1,000 feet enters from board edge 5-6 on turn 2-7 see special rules)

Victory ConditionsU S Destroy all three Japanese bombers before they exit board edge 4

Japanese Destroy at l eas t I U .S . a ir cr af t. neither or both players achieve their victory conditions, the result is a draw.

Special RulesTh e turn of entry of the KiA3 is determined bya die roll made after the movement plotting phase. O

turn two, a roll of one is required for entry; on turn three, a roll of one t wo , et c. O n t he turn of entt he J ap an es e p la ye r m ay t he n p lo t t he m ov em en t of the KiA3 for execution during the immediate

following movement execution phase.

Scenario 9-Escape Over FalaiseBritish I S pi tf ir e I X at 4,700 feetGerman 6 ME-I09G at 5,000 feet begin anywhere within 4 hexes of hex IV-A8, all facing same dir

tion

Victory ConditionsBritish Survive for duration of scenarioGerman Destroy British aircraft

Special RulesAfter the German player has plotted his movement for turn one, the starting position of the Spitf

is determined by rolling three dice. Th e first roll indicates the direction from hex IV -A8, the second r

the number of hexes in that direction, an d the third roll the Spitfire s facing. The British player th

plots his movement and play proceeds.

Th e fire phase is omitted from turn one.Th e British player is an ace and uses the concentrated fire column of the hit tables optional r

XIX).

Scenario 6-Night Mission Over Hengyangu s 2 P-40C at 14,000 feet enter anywhere along board edge 2 3 on turn I

Japanese 3 Ki.27 Sally loaded) at 15,000 feet enter anywhere along board edge 4 o n turn I

Victory ConditionsU S Destroy all Japanese aircraftJapanese Score at least 2 points of damage on U.S. airfield

Any other result is a d ra w

Special RulesThis scenario occurs at night, so optional rule XII visibility options) is in e ff ec t. No a ir cr af t a

equipped with radar.Th e U.S. airfield consists of hexes IV-A7-AIO. Th e J ap an es e b om be rs m us t m ak e o ne p ass o v

these hexes before dropping their bombs. Both the practice run and the bombing run must pass over

four airfield hexes from the same direction at the same altitude.

100

9292

92

92

85

85

85

77

77

54

51

464641

P.1.3.9

3.63.63.63.63.3

3.3

3.33.0

3.02 12.0

1.8

1.81.6

Table 5

Power IndexRaw

Scoreircraft

Tempest V

Me-109GSpit. IX

P-47D

Me-262ASp it . VP-51D

Me-109FHurd. IIP-5IB

Me-109E

FW-190ASpit. Hurd. IP-47B

Table 6

Speed IndexRaw

Aircraft Score S.1.Me-262A 10.50 100P-5IB 8.11 77

P-51D 8.00 76Tempest V 7.75 74

P-47B 7.56 72P-47D 7.50 71

FW-190A 7.12 68

Me-109G 7.00 67

Me-109F 6.87 65

Spit. IX 6.78 64Spit. V 6.37 61

Spit. I 6.28 60

Me-109E 6.25 59Hurd. 5.62 53

Hurd. I 5.57 53

Speed Finally Table 6 provides an indication

of the ability to get there, an d more importantly, toget b ack . Since mo st m ov em en t oc cu rs in e it he r

maneuver or level speed, the Speed Index S.I.) is

the a ve ra ge t op level sp eed in e ac h a lt it ud e band

which roughly reflects both maneuver an d levelspeeds. As e xp ec te d, th e Me -2 62 A l it er al ly an d

figuratively runs away from the competition.

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Commentary

August 14, 1945, marked thelast combatand the last aerialvictories for the 5th Fighter Command in

World War II. On that date, five P-38 s of the 35th Fighter Squadron providing cover for two rescueplanes over the Inland Sea between Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu were jumped b y six F ra nk s. F in al

score: four Franks downed, one P-38 lost.

Commentary

Johnnie Johnson was officially the top-scoring RAF pilot of World War II with 38 kills. A master

tactician and leader, this scenario represents the only occasion on which his aircraft was hit by enemy

fire.In June 1944, Johnson and his companions had engaged the German fighters providing air cover for

Axis troops in the Falaise Gap. His wingman had headed back to base with engine trouble, so Johnson

found himself alone. Spotting six aircraft above him, one waggling its wings, Johnson assumed theywere f ri en dl y. O nl y wh en he h ad c li mb ed t o w it hi n 3 00 feet of t he m d id h e d is co ve r his e rr or . At the

same time the Germans recognized his nationality and gave chase. Johnson finally escaped by climbingto 12,000 feet, where the supercharger of his Spitfire allowed him to outrun his pursuers.

Scenario to ast Blood for the Fifthu s 5 P-38G at 12,500 feet begin anywhere on board III or IV all on same board)

Japanese 6 Ki.84 Frank at 13,500 feet enter anywhere along board edge 2-3 and/or 5-6 on turn I

Victory ConditionsU S Destroy at least three more enemy fighters than own lossesJapanese Avoid U.S. victory

Special RulesJapanese pilots are considered novices optional rule XIX).Any Japanese aircraft not on one of the six original board sections at the conclusion of turn 20 or

which spends more than three consecutive turns not on the original six board sections is considered

destroyed for victory purposes.

Four-engine Bombers

Durability and firepower are the mainstayt he h ea vy b om be r. S pe ed and power occupy ptions of lesser importance while maneuverabili

virtually irrelevant. For this r ea so n, T ab lewhich ranks the heavy bombers, ign

maneuverability.

The B-17G scores first in three of t hecategories, second only to the Lancaster in poThe B-17G reflects improvements over the F m

in all categories but principally in firepower,the addition of a n os e t ur re t. S im il ar ly t he B

shows upgrading in firepower but also a markedp ro ve me nt in s pe ed o ve r t he D m od el .

Single-engine Bombers

IR FOR E includes only two single-en

b om be rs , t he J u- 87 B and D. T ab le 9 p ro vi de

analysis of t he ir p er fo rm an ce d at a. T he data

th ese t wo a ir cr af t as well as t he twi n- en gine

four-engine aircraft to follow are computed aswere for the fighters, with the exception

firepower. Since flexible armament has unlimammunition for game purposes, the Firepowe

dex is simply the product of fire factors and raAnd since flexible guns have varying firepowe

different clock sectors, the fire factor used for tguns is their average fire factor.

As with th e Me-109, the D mo del of the Jusacrificed maneuverability less important fo

dive bomber anyway) for durability, firepower,speed.

Twin-Engine Aircraft

T wi n- en gi ne a ir cr af t in IR FOR E ra

from the Me-262A, included above as a fightethe He-III H, a heavy bomber by Luftwaffe sta

a rd s. I n b et we en a re f ig ht er -b om be rs s uc h asMe-110 and Mosquito F.B.VL The performa

data for these planes reflect their diver

purposes.Table 10 contains data for the twin-engine

craft. The bombers dominate in durability while

fighter-bombers excel in the other categories.exception is the Mosquito B.IV, designed to a

rather than absorb punishment. Table 10 does

of course, consider payload, a prime considera

in evaluating a bomber.

Sin ce t he M e- I 10 was o ri gi na ll y i nt en de d

fighter, reviewing its data may provide somei nt o th e r easo ns f or its f ail ur e in that role. Cpared to the pure fighters, the Me-IIOC would r

13th overall with 313 index points. Although hig

durability 89 D.L), i t falls s ho rt in f ir ep ow erF.L, giving th e flexible g un 20 ammo poin

maneuverability 61 M.L), sp eed 58 S.L)

power 41 P.L).

Its successor, the Me-IIOG, fares considerb et te r as a f ig ht er , t ot al li ng 362 p oi nt s, p la ci n

just behind the P-5ID. With a Firepower Inde1306 for a new high, it rates like this in the o

categories:D.L = 94;M.L = 62;P.L = 51;S.

55.Ignoring maneuverability for the reasons st

above, the Me-llOG and C r an k f ou rt h a nd t e

r es pe ct iv el y. B as ed on their game ratitherefore, the failure of the Me-IIOC in partic

may be attributed to the way it was used ratherany inherent weaknesses in design.

Me-262A 365Tempest V 331

P-47D 325

P-51D 297Spit. IX 272P-5IB 266

Me-109G 265

P-47B 260

FW-190A 255

Hurri. II 242Me-109F 241

Spit. V 240

Me-109E 205

S pit . I 193

Hurri. I 190

T ab le 8

Composite Ratings Excluding M.I.

Aircraft Total

AH's advan tage r ule wea ke ns this a rg um en tsomewhat by placing a premium on maneuverability

as th e way to get and stay on the enemy s tail. Still,if the enemy can outrun you, the advantage is lost.

T ab le s 7 and 8 p ro vi de som e in sig ht in to t heevolution of the Me-I09. The earliest model included

in the game, the Me-109E, was roughly equivalentin durability and firepower to its successor, the MeI09F, marginally inferior in speed and marginally

superior in maneuverability. The F model showed a

marked improvement only in speed. The Me-109Gsacrificed some maneuverability for durability and

power and to a lesser extent firepower and speed.On the whole, the Me-109 series proves a mediocrefighter.

Table 7

Composite RatingsAircraft TotalP-47D 420Tempest V 409

Me-262A 408P-51D 381

P-47B 360Spit. IX 353

P-5IB 351

FW-190A 344

Me-109G 332Me-109F 321

Spit. V 320

Hurri. II 320

Me-109E 286H ur ri . I 275

S pi t. I 271

As the war progressed, maneuverability becameand less a consideration in aircraft design. To

lect the effect of t hi s s hi ft in e mp ha si s. T ab le 8es the 15 IR FOR E fighters without consider

g the Maneuverability Index. Significantly, the

st advanced fighter of t he wa r, t he Me- 262 A,ultsto the top of the list, followed by theTempest

, P-47D and P-5ID, all advanced designs. A conncing argument may be made that Table 8 rather

T ab le 7 v al id ly r at es t hese f ig ht er s b ec au seneuverability yielded no advantage against an

p on en t w ho w ou ld n ot s ta nd o r t ur n) and fight.

, the Spitfire IX, FW-I90A and Me-109F. Con

ry to conventional wisdom, the Hurricane I ratesghtly a bo ve t he S pi tf ir e I a nd th e H ur ri ca ne II

en with the Spitfire V

Ju-87B

Ju-870

Durability

0.1.)

4.17

94)

4.42

100)

T ab le 9

Single-engine BombersFirepower Maneuver Power

(F.I.) (M.I.) (P.I.)

9.75 3.46 1.0 85) 100) 100)

11.50 3.60 1.0

100) ) 100)

Speed S.I.)

4.17 74)

5.60 100)

Total

453

4

CONCLUSION

None of this myriad of numbers will guara

y ou success in y ou r next game of IR FOR

R at he r, t he y a re i nt en de d t o h ig hl ig ht t he rel a

strengths and weaknesses of the aircraft as an a

developing tactics. As in the war itself, the aircwas only one component of t he a er ia l fi gh

machine. It was and is the pilot s job to get the m

imum from his aircraft.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Table 10 Table Twin-engine Aircraft Four-engine Bombers

Durability F;repower Maneuver Power Speed Total Durabil i ty Firepower Power Speed Total(D.I.) (F.I.) (M.I.) (p.I.) (S. .) Aircraft (D. .) (F.I.) (P.I.) (S.I.)

Me-1I0G 4.97 165.5 3.92 2.00 5.83 B-17G 7.51 61.8 1 1 6.43(82) (100) (93) (100) (78) 453 (100) (100) (85) (100) 385

Mosquito 4.99 116.0 3.78 1.70 7.43 B-24J 6.92 60.0 1 1 6.33F.B.VI (82) (70) (96) (85) (100) 433 (92) (97) (85) (98) 372Ju-88C 5.95 87.0 4.64 1.80 5.57 B-I7F 7.28 53.4 1.0 6.00

(98) (52) (78) (90) (75) 393 (97) (86) (77) (93) 353Me-IIOC 4.72 45.75 4.00 1.60 6.14 B-24D 6.69 52.8 1.1 5.50

(78) (28) (93) (80) (83) 362 (89) (85) (85) (85) 344

Mosquito 4.74 0 3.64 1.60 7.43 Lancaster 6.44 20.0 1.3 6.40B.IV (78) (0) (100) (80) (100) 358 (86) (32) (100) (99) 317

He-l l lH 5.81 17.75 5.00 .80 4.83(96) (11) (73) (40) (65) 285

Ju-88A 5.83 7.25 5.11 .70 5.43(96) (4) (71) (35) (73) 279

Wellington 6.06 12.0 5.08 .50 5.50

(100) (7) (72) (25) (74) 278

7 9 RB

Merely write the winning move in thepropriate space of the contest form in this iss

insert. Ten winning entries will receive

tificates redeemable for free AH merchand

ONT ST

NO. 102

0 '

. ::.

«U

.000

No:

Moves

Type:FW-I90

START: IJS-0

1l DIRECTION: 1C > .:;; c:

ac c c

0::::::>

Type:P.47 No:

. l- •• • 000 0000

F .0000 J:- eooo I-£.

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. ::-0

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.... c .; fa. n CO .... . :

c: C c - - - Moves

6 9•• L 1

You are in the midst of a dogfight

IRFORe£ Both your P-47 and the opposFW-190 have suffered damaging hits. Using othe information provided on the log sheet bedetermine the best move for your P-47. Assuyou are using a completely simultaneous moment system instead of the advantage rules. N

that both planes have taken damage as indicaby the filled-in circles on the respective logs.

Assume tha t both a irc ra ft have execuenough forward movement in previous turnperform any maneuver. The actual versionthe ai rc raft concerned are the FWl90A

P47D.

STARSHIP TROOPERSA second ed ition rulebook is finally in the

works . Whi le I am coordinat ing this pro jec t, t he

work is being done by Jim Stahler and Chester E.

Hendricks, both enthus iast experts. Should be

done by January 1982.

CONQUISTADOR

I have also been given the AH deve lopment

chores on this SPI game, which sits fine with me

as it has long been one of my favorite games. The

revision should be extremely minor, dealing mostly

with an expansion of the counter mix. Should be

done in late 1981.

NEW GAMESI have f inal ly been turned loose to design my

own games. The f irst one out of the chute should

be afantasy board game, tentatively entitled L ND

ontinuedon Pg 35 , olumn

FORTRESS EUROPA

A PBM Kit for the game should be out in

August. Eventually we will publish a revised second

edition rulebook which will contain many clarifications, corrections, and additions. In addition, there

will be more Optional Rules and OB Charts for the Battle Of The Bulge and On To Berlin

scenarios. Although this project will be wrapped up

shortly, it may not see print for quite a while. We

will notify you when it becomes available.

FURY IN THE WEST

The revision of this game will be mostly artistic.

The rules wil l be un touched exc ep t for several

clarifications. The big changes will be a new, more

pleasing mapboard , bookcase packaging, and

beautiful new boxcover art by Rodger MacGowan.

many enemies though, because opponents are

never completely out of the game. A player who is

killed just misses a turn and then re turns as the

former player's heir, usually with revenge in mind.

This is not a game where everyone sits around

wh il e one player takes a turn. Players can play

cards, modify die rolls, and take par t in many of

the act ions dur ing their opponents ' turns. There

wil l be constant player interaction. A player can gofrom rags to riches and back again several times in

the game. The winner will never be certain t il l the

game is over.I f int rigue and t reachery are what you know

best, DOWN WITH THE KING is for you. The

beloved King wil l not be strong enough to suppress the evi l insur rect ions you wil l bring into his

k ingdom. You are the bad guys in this game, but

then maybe that's why it's so much fun. After all,

we are all pretenders to some throne or other.

To be released at GENCON EAST 81.

PHILOSOPHY Continued from Page

WITH THE KINGDOWN WITH TH KING is a game of intrigue

nd treachery in which players compete against

King and each other. Each player takes the role

f a Fandonian noble. The objec t is to build a

werful, polit ical fact ion and eventually place aof the Royal Family, loyal only to you, on

e throne.DOWN WITH THE KING is a game for two to

players that has everything that makes a game

n. Assassina tions. Duels. Scandals. Travel.iding. Romance galore, inc luding seductions,

oposals, weddings and court balls. A detai led

tice system to deal with wrongdoers, including

hearings, t rials, informers ,

dence, alibis, banishments, imprisonments, andcutions. Wars between Fandonia and foreign

tries. Natural disasters. Famines. Plagues. All

of polit ical problems. And more.Basically, players must gain prest ige and in

uence so they can recruit characters to their

use. However, the ways in which they can doare practically unlimited. At the same t ime they

also attempt to gain the suppor t of the

urch, the trade guild, the merchants, the army,

e navy, the peasants, the townsmen, and

reign countries. But even after they haveablished a strong faction, they must wait t ill the

litical climate is right. Only then will they be able

usurp the King. The penalty for failure is death.

No tw o games wil l ever be the same. There

just too many different things that can happen.must cooperate to some extent against

King, but must a lways be wary o f the stab in

e back. A player cannot afford to make too

Adorned with one of Rodger MacGowan's

est, the game gets even bet te r once inside the

ox. There is a redone mounted 44 x 28 map

oard. There are 1300 counters including every

that saw act ion in the Pacif ic in 1942. There

two log sheet pads that together form a 45

of the mapboard for easy plotting of

i ts. There are seven playing aid cards for easy

The rules, though only slight ly changed in con

nt, have changed dramatically in style and

to allow a complex game to be

esented as easily as possible. The hidden move

nt system has been modified to allow planes as

as ships to move on the log sheets, thus

eating a game with total secrecy. The observaon procedures have been simplified to streamline

lay. More opt ional rules have been added. The

sult is the ultimate game on carrier warfare, and

ybe even the ultimate gaming experience.

To be released at GENCON EAST 81.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


2

23

Fake

llC 3 3 7 Fake

ll IZ

DESERT DECEPTION byR.J.Gutenkunst

ING THE TRUE ROLE OF RECONN ISS NCE TO FRIK KORPS

Back in the days when A valon Hill was the onlyargame company in existence and non-Avalon

die-cut counters were scarcer than hen s teeth,

hard Gutenkunst was the only source of decentriant counters existence at least to my

wledge. I still rememberthe thrillofopening therst set of STALINGRAD variant counters fromchard with their upgunned panzer corps and

erman airpower in the form of stuka countersus explaining my deja vu feelings upon seeing

IAN CAMPAIGN for the first time). Well,en years later Richard is still at it producing

for A valon Hill games with quality com

at ridiculous prices. Not onlyhas hesharedof them with ushere, he is also going to provide

u with the die-cut counters necessary to play it ifu are interested. You ll find ordering informa

on at the end of the article. Let us know if thistion to buy aspect variant article appeals to

u as Richard is just full of good ideas.

Wargamers are blessed with perfect intelligencet the point where they re uncomfortable withe fact. We all have to besmart to play these games

t I t hi nk you know w ha t I m talking about: youow exactly where your opponent is and exactly

h at his s tr en gt h is. I t m ay be n o c on so la ti on , b ut

ur opponent knows the same about you.If you re playing a historical game, that is, one

ich attempts to recreate a historical campaign ort tl e, t ry in g to r ec re at e t he s it ua ti on where t he

didn t know w hat each o th er had an dere they had it is verydifficult. TheWorld War II

rth African campaign is an exception in thisgard. Both sides knew pretty much what forma

ons were available to the other. However, exactly

they were was s omet hi ng else. Both t oo kat pains to mislead each other. It s h ar d t o hi de ait in the desert, but you can do all kinds of things

o m ak e a u ni t l oo k like s om et hi ng else disguise

your tanks as trucks and your trucks as tanks) andmake the enemy think it s someplace else. AFRIKA

KORPS can easily be converted to a game with theemphasis on deception and reconnaissance-with

the addition of a few rules and counters of course.

THE DECEPTION COUNTERSN ot e t he Al lied a nd Axis Dec ep ti on Cou nt er

Cards. Each consists of six pairs of fakes , A a nd

B fo r t he Axis, Yand Z for theAllies. Each fake has

a co rr es po ndi ng b oa rd c ou nt er . T o use a fake, acounter or counter stack is removed from the board

and replaced with a fake counter pair. Put the realunit or units on the upper or lower fake on theDeception Counter Card. You can now move each

fake counter subject to the limitations of the realunit or units.

Note that movement factors and unit types areprinted on the fake counters. These are for convenience only. It is easier to use a fake counter with thesame movement factor and type as the real counter,

but the characteristics of the fake are governed bythe real counters they represent. You can have all

twelve of your counters represent infantry with amovement factor of six, for instance.

As so on as t he fakes get int o c om ba t, th e on er ep res en ti ng t he real u ni t has to be rev ealed . O neway to do this is to write the designation of the fakec ou nt er t ha t r ep res en ts t he rea l u ni t on a slip of

paper, put it f nfo rm at ion side d ow n, and t ur n it

over when one of the fake pairs gets into combat.However, there is another way, which I think is

more fun. A commander rarely has the full controlover his units that the wargamer enjoys. You can

simulate this lack of control by using these deception counters. What you do is roll the die when it stime to reveal a fake. If the fake represents a

German unit or a mixed German-Italian unit stack,the Axis player chooses which counter represents

t he re al u ni t o r u ni ts , rem ov es t he fakes f ro m t heboard and replaces them with the real unit or units.

That is, if he rolls anything but a In that caseAllied player chooses which fake is real. the f

represent pure Italian forces, the Axis plchooses which fake is real unless he rolls a I o r

the fakes are Allied units, the Allied player cho

which fake is real unless he rolls a I or a 2. For tof you who want to be historical, you can varyAllied die roll with the respective commander

charge. For instance, Montgomery was so car

of his unit assignments that you might wan

eliminate the die roll altogether when he arriveThe foregoing assumes you are using fake p

If y ou d esi re, yo u c an use y ou r fake c ou nt er

r ep re sen t a u ni t o r un it s. Wi th f ou r fa ke cou nstanding in for your real units you put the real u

at the junctureof the four fakes you aregoing to on your Deception Counter Card). You roll thto decide if the fake going into combat is real or

it is an actual fake it is removed from the boWhen you are reduced to two fakes representin

unit or units, go back to pair rules.

With four piece fakes, the odds have to

changed in favor of the owner of the fakes. Thbecause his opponent can declare the piece in cbat real, thereby eliminating the other three fa

C on se qu ent ly, when using a three o r f ou r pfake, if the owner of the fake loses the roll

o pp on en t m us t ro ll an o dd n um be r b ef or e hedeclare the fake in question real or not. Other

the choice reverts to the owner.One point needs emphasizing. A fake mu

resolved as soon as an enemy unit comes in conwith it. If a fake is attacked, the attacker can b

up reinforcements if it s real. If i t s a t ru e fakeattacking piece can keep on going to the limit omovement factor. So plan your moves careful

W hen a s ta ckof

unitsis

represented by fayou can split the units between paired fakes w

revealed, b ut when there are three o r fourpieces, one piece must represent all the units in

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


XIS DE EPTION OUNTER RD

LLIED DE EPTION OUNTER RD

f§ ~ WV al e

y 2 Y Y ~ Y

77

6 6 2

If rz i ftZ t> 5W Z Z Z 6 Z

7 6 6 1 2

time. That is, w he n it b es t su it s g am e p la ya b

The II Hussars were available at the beginni

t he g am e, b u t t he y w er e n ot c om pl et el y e qu i

T he y w er e e qu ip pe d b y June however, with S

African Marmon-Harrington armored

H ow ev er , t he y we re c om pl et el y r ef it te d w it

superior Humber armored c ar s f or t he N ov eCrusader offensive. yo u opt for the latest aryou can consider the Hussars as part of the S

African armored c ar f orm at io ns to whichMarmon-Harringtons reverted upon their co

s io n t o Humbers.

1/12 Lancers 1-1-12 This unit is broughto

board the first Allied move in November, 194

l/Royal Dragoons 1-1-12 T hi s u ni t is p

on the board t he f ir st A ll ie d m ov e in D ec em

1941.

I012DY 1-1-12 The 2nd Derby

Y eo ma nr y. T hi s u ni t is brought on the boar

first Allied move in August, 1942.IO/HeR 1-1-12 The Household Cavalry

m en t. T hi s u ni t is brought on the board theAllied move in October, 1942. .

LRDG 1-0-14 The Long Raqge Desert G

Use this in the main like an ordinary reconnais

unit. The zero defense factor means it cadestroyed by anyenemy unit with a non-zero afactor, and t he e ne my u ni t doesn t have to

su pp ly u ni t t o d o so. The LRDG cannot b e u s

screen a friendly unit. is independent of sup

except for attacks. c an n ot t ra ve l b y s ea . w ish , y ou c an a ll ow t he LRDG to destroy Rom

if he is not stacked with an Axis unit. Thefull m

ment factor of this unit is 28, d on e in t wo p ha 4each. This is so it c an use o ne p ha se t o g et o vescarpment. This unit starts at the Allied home

at initial placement.

ADDITIONAL ALLIED UNITS2/KDG 1-1-12 The King s Dragoon Guards

Also facetiously kno wn as the King s Dan cing

Girls). This unit is stacked with 2/3 4-4-7)at initial

placement.7/II Hussars -1-12 This unit can be started at

t he Al li ed h om e b as e at initial placement, brought

on the board with the June 94 reinforcements or

brought on with the November 94 reinforcements. Why the choice of arrival times? The

idea is to put it on t he b oa rd at its effective arrival

armored car units on reconnaissance. Therefore, if

we consider all the Allied recon units supported by

Jock c ol um ns , t he y h av e e no ug h combat value tos ho w u p as a c ou nt er .

Perhaps the seemingly non-historical weaknessof the Allied 1-1-6 infantry brigades bothers you.

One reason they re so weak is to relieve you of cont in uo us ly p ul li ng t he m in and out of t he g am e.Also, some of the divisions represent almost com

plete national armies. Historically the Britishhad to

be v er y c ar ef ul about t he se . Sin ce a nation s wareffort was g ea re d t o t he se u ni ts , l et ti ng t he m take

crippling casualties could knock t he p a re nt n at io nout of t he wa r f or p rac ti cal p ur po se s. S tr en gt h

could be assigned to these units by counting

rifles , but a ll ow in g f or t he h in dr an ce to t he ir use

and p ul ling t he m in and out of the battle in ahistorical fashion would be a nightmare. However,

now that y o u ve g ot t he b es t part of some of the in

f an tr y b rig ad es s up po rt in g t he r ec on na iss an ce

units, the 1-1-6 sshould be easier to live with. I find

it so anyway.

A deception-reconnaissance version ofAFRIKA KORPS is a new g am e and consequently

needs new counters to make i t work. The following

are descriptions and arrival data for these counters.

is quite possibleto play the game with the fake

ounters alone, with the victory going to the

akiest personality, but r ec on na is sa nc e a dd s a

ole new skill.Reconnaissance ability is limited to RECCE

e counters. Recon counters are moved first on a

n. They perform reconnaissance by entering theof control of a f ak e. a f ak e is not screened

ou go through the steps to reveal a fake. If its

v emen t f ac to r a llo ws, th e r ec on u ni t c an th en

ave the zone of control it entered, but it must leavethe same hexagon it entered the zone of control

Right. Can t h av e t he se f as t c ha ra ct er s g oi ng

hind the lines destroying supply units and cutting

lines of retreat. A recon unit is only allowed one

connaissance mission per move, but i t c an m ovecombat afterwards if it has enough of a move

nt factor left. This of course could also reveal a

To simplify this rule, consider a recon unit tove only one back-out or disengagement privileger move.

If the fakes get reduced to two pieces by fakel im in at io n, p ai re d f ak e r ul es h ol d and you ca nen divide the units. However, the player who sets

p the fakes may declare them non-splittable when

ma kes t he i ni ti al s ub st it ut io n. I n t hi s ca se, o ne

ake must represent all the units in the stack. To incate this put your bottom-most counter on the

Counter Card upside down. Your

owest counter should be on top.

y ou p la n t o a tt ac k w it h t he u ni ts r ep re se nt ed

a set of your fake counters you roll the die for the

unters in question before you move. you losee roll for a three or f ou r fake, y ou r opponent

moves thecounter he mostdesires to be false. Yourolling until your real position has been decided.

a fake has a friendly recon naissance u nitthin two hexagons one hexagon between the two

its) it is considered screened.You will note that a reconnaissance unit can be

position to screen more than o ne fak e. W he n a n

nemy r ec on u ni t tries to r ec on no it er a f ake , t heke s owner then declares which units are screen

g t he f ak e i n q ue st io n. A ft er t he r ec on na is sa nc et em pt ha s b een r es ol ve d, t he s cr ee ni ng u ni ts a re

p or ar ily t ur ne d u psid e d ow n t o i nd ic at e t ha t

ey c an no t be used t o screen o th er u ni ts f or that

To assure a successful reconnaissance against

screened unit, you must have at l ea st t hr ee t o o ne

ds against the screening unit s). At two to oneds, the reconnaissance is successful if an odd

is r ol le d o n t he d ie. At o ne to o ne o dd s or

the reconnaissance fails.To have fun with reconnaissance, it can be seenyou re g oin g t o n eed a l ot m or e Allied r eco n

i ss an ce u ni ts . F or tu na te ly t he y had scads of

e m. T he r ea so n t he y wer e l ef t out of the originalme was t ha t t he y w er e p u re a rm or e d c ar f or ma

ons, with plenty of snoop ability but very little

t value. The corresponding German unit was

m uc h m or e b al an ce d f or ce that included motorcle infantry, engineers and anti-tank guns with

e a rm or ed cars. Ligh t AA guns mount ed on

ftracks murderous against infantry) and 88 smurderous against tanks) were normally attached.

However, enter the Jock columns.

Jock ColumnsThe Jock columns were originated by Major

Jock Campbell, the commander of the

tish Seventh Armored Division. They were fastv in g a d h oc u ni ts u su al ly c on si st in g of a fu lly

ile battalion of infantry and a b at te ry of 25field guns supported by anti-tank and anti

craft guns. The material and m an po we r was

ually o bt ai ne d by c he rr y p ick in g th e i nf an tr y

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


XIS ORDER OF PPE R N E

MARCH

I t ~ ~

1941 2 1 ~ 5 2183 I t t e J · ~ I t ~ ~ I t ~ ~ I t ~ 5 c=J1AGHEILA

Q< II>

0 0 12 7 7 10 . 2 2 12 4-5-6 2-3-4 2-3-4 2-2-4 2-2-4 0-0-10

2 1 ~ 1 0 4 ~ 2 0 0I t rXr

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OR 1 -

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MAY SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

1941 1 5 ~ 8 1941 1941 I t ~ ~

1 5 ~ 3 3 ~ 3 0 0 I t ~ . ~ c :JArko ~ T i i104

It

3-4-61- 2-0-6 1 1 9 7-7-10 2 2 12 1-1-4 2-3-4 ...

1 5 ~ 1 1 5 9 0 ~ 1 5 5 9 0 ~ 5 5 9 0 ~ 3 8 1

OR2 1 ~ 1 0 4 I t ~ ; t l X l i

3-3-10 3-3-10 2 2 10 2-2-7 3 3 7 1.1-6 2 2 4 ~FEBRUARY JUNE AUGUST

1942 9 0 ~ 2 0 0 90tEt 580

1942 Cl 1942 Cl

I t ~ ~ ~ 5 1 I t lQl ;

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u

2-2-4 a 4-5-6 ::; 2 7 2-2-4 4-4-7

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SUBSTITUTEs v ~ ~ 4 3 3 ~ B 2 2 0 I t ~ ~88 5 COUNTER

2 2 10 0 3 ~ 2-2-7 2-2-7 2-2-7 1 1 12 1 1 7

4-4-10

LLIED ORDER OF PPE R N EMARCH ELALAMEIN HOME BASE MATRUH TOBRUCH1941

on I ~ ISUBSTITUTE~ . ; ~ 5 ~ ~ 7 ~ ~ 1 1 ~ ~ C I H 7 ~ ~ ~ L R D G ~ ~ 1 ~ 1 2 5 l 2l M

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1 1 6 = 1 1 6 1 1 6 1-1-6 1 1 8 1 1 1 2 ~ 1-0-14 1 1 6 1 1 6 4-4-6u

~ ~ 2 0 c=J1

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TOBRUCHALUM kSJGds

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~ ~JULY1941·r---.--.-----.----

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JUNE1941 i - - - - . - - ~ - -

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1 1 1 2 ~~ ~ 2 3 7 ~ o ~ ~ r1 1 6 1 1 6

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DECEMBER1941

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NOVEMBER1941

i i i ~ 2 9 7 0 ~ 2 31-1-6 1 1 6

AUGUST1941 r r

i i i ~ 91 1 6

AUGUST1942 r r r

10@23 1 0 ~ YMAY1942

1 1 6JULY

1942 3 3 7 3-3-7 1 1 12

OCTOBER

1942

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i i i ~ 1 8 212121 ~ ~ 2 51-1-6 1 1 6 1 1 6

< 4bI in i vO l ~ C a v .1 1 10

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8/12/2019 Vol18i2


7/4 SAAC 1-1-12) and 6 SAAC 1-1-12) The

th and 6th South African Armored Car regiments.

ese are the correct designations of7/4 SA Motor

an d 50/6 SA Motor 1-1-6). These were

bablyused as 1-1-6 s to get a reasonable strength

r the S ou th A fr ic an Infantry divisions without

ving them 2-2-6 counters. However, since the emis now on reconnaissance substitute the

1-12 s as needed.

7 7 S.C. 2-2-7) The 7th Armored Division s

pport group. It contained two infantry bat

lions, 2 RB and I KR RC , plus th e divisionalant i- tank , ant i- ai rc ra ft , and field

tillery. T he 2 nd Armored Division s support

oup had exactly half this strength in Libya, whichwhy the 7 th support group is assigned a 2-2-7.

then, I KR RC was available at the Alliedme base) Mar ch 29, 1941, but 2 RB wasn t.

erefore, for the purposes of this variant we can

very flexible. 7/ 7 S.G. can be brought on in

1941 as a 1-1-7 or a 2-2-7. Another option

ouldbe to start itas a 1-1-7 at the Allied home basethe b eg in ni ng of t he g am e. it is not in an

olated surrounded) position change it to a 2-2-7

June, 1941. the 1-1-7 gets eliminated before

1941 bring 7/7 S.G. on a ga in as a 1-1-7.70/16 1-1-6) you change your South African

tor regiments to 1-1-12 s you may need this unit.arrives July, 1941. Only 70123 was included in theginal game because the division was pulled out of

bya in December of 1941. Right. One of those ind-out units that give game designers royal pains.

2NZ Div Cav 1-1-10 The divisional cavalry

of the 2nd New Zealand division. This was

light tank a nd B re n g un c ar ri er f or ma ti on . I t h as

a rm or ed c av al ry t yp e d es ig na ti on b ec au se y ounot want to give it full reconnaissance powers

d allow it screening ability only. It arrivesmber, 1941.

9A Div Cav. 1-1-10 The same type of unit as

/Div.Cav. 1-1-10). It arrives July, 1942.

9A 4-4-6) T he 9 th A us tr al ia n Infantry Divi

on. This is a substitution counter that can only exit

Tobruk. I t c an c on si st of 9A120 2-2-6), 7A/Iand 7A12 1-1-6) o r 9A/18 2-2-6) and

2-2-6). The arrivalof 9A/18 and 9A124 can

accelerated to have them be in Tobruk on initial

acement. After November 1941 its use s ho ul dably be discontinued. Its use is strictlyo ptional

d depends on which additional units you add toe game.

31Motor 1-1-8) and4I1CIH 1-1-8) These units

n be used instead of7/3I Motor 2-2-6). 31 motor

of three Indian Cavalry Regiments. As itd no artillery or support units, attack and defense

of one are probably more realistic. 4I/CIH

tral India Horse) was the divisional cavalry for

Fourth Indian Infantry D iv is io n. N o r ec on ssance vehicles were available for these units so

ey h ad t o make do with trucks. Happily this givesan excuse to use them as needed in the

reconnaissance units that a re c om

r ative ly slow. T he y c an keep y ou i nf or me d of

ha t th e Axis p lay er h as , but are not really fasto ug h t o m ak e d an ge ro us e nd r un s. To counter

nce the use of these two units, the Italian Trenta

ivision 2-3-4) sho ul d be replaced by T re nt o-2-4) and 7 Bers. 1-1-6).

DITIONAL AXIS UNITS

300 OASIS 1-2-6) The 300th Oasis battalion.is u ni t o pe ra te d as s ep ar at e c om pa ni es t o g ar

s on s tr on g p oi nt s. T he re wer e at least five com

ies 2,6,10,12,13) and possibly a maximum of

irteen. Well supported by 88 s and heavy

eap on s they were t ou gh n ut s to c ra ck . Arriv es

y, 1941.

255 1-1-4) This was one of five separate in

ntry ba ttali on s sent t o Afr ica. Most of them

ticular battalion combined with sv 288 t o b ec om e

Panzergrenadier Regiment Afr ika at the end of

October, 1942. Until then it guarded the rear areas.

With all the Allied 1-1-12 s running around this is

what y ou l l h av e it d oi ng . A rr iv es M ay , 1941.

Arko 104 2-0-6 All of the G er man heavyartillery was lumped under this unit. t f ou gh t as a

separate entity, perhaps more familiarly known as

Group Boettcher or Group Mickl. German combat

u ni ts c an be s ta ck ed f ou r high i f this u ni t is on e of

t he m. I t h as an attack and defense factor of 2 whenstacked with another combat unit, 0 when it is alone

or with only Rommel or a supply unit. The presence

of this unit was historically critical to a successful

attack on Tobruk. T he re fo re , since m uc h of an

a rm o re d u n it s s tr en gt h d ep en ds on its mobility,y ou c an h av e Arko 104 cancel the defensive doubl

ing of anyone armored unit it attacks. i t wer e t o

attack two 4-4-7s in Tobruk, the combined defensef ac to r w ou ld b e 12. I n t hi s c as e y ou w ou ld w an t t o

use th e 9 A 4-4-6) s ub st it ut io n c ou nt er . Ar rivesNovember, 1941.

sv 288 2-2-10 S on de rv er ba nd 288. T hi s was a

special completely self-sufficient motorized unit

all arms that was originally scheduled to be sent toI ra q. I t u su ally f ou gh t u nd er th e command of the

90th Ligh t Division. Since it ha d str ong reco n

naissance elements it can be used as a reconnaissance unit. Arrives February 1942.

90/155 2-2-10 This regiment of the 90th Light

Division was completely motorized in February of

1942. If you need its speed, you can substitute it for

90/55 2-2-7) in February, 1942. Actually, this unitwavavailable in it s i nc om pl et el y m ot or iz ed f or m

f or t he C ru sa de r o ff en si ve . For p la y b al an ce y ouc an b ri ng 9 0/ 55 2 -2-7) and 90/361 3-3-7) on the

board i n S ep te mb er of 1941-al so th e I ta li an

Trieste division if you have to. Trade 90/155 2-2-10) for 90/55 2-2-7) in February of 1942 if it

survives.

164/220 1-1-12) The reconnaissance unitof the

164th Light Division. It is doubtful i f it ever was

ad equ ately equ ip pe d. It c an be brought on theboard June 1942 if t he Axis p la ye r uses o n e of his

replacement points.

It CaF 0-1-3 This unit represents about three

battalions of I ta li an f ro nt ie r g ua rd s s up po rt ed b y

the Genova machine gun battalion. They eventually wound up as the Bardia Garrison in

November of 1941. Starts at Axis h om e b ase at

initial placement.

It CC FF 1-1-6 The Giovani Fascisti or YoungFascist division. This was an Italian armored divi

sion that was never supplied with tanks. It did havethree battalions of m ot or iz ed i nf an tr y, o ne of

which was a heavy weapo ns u ni t as in a standard

Italian armored division. However, the battalions

were independent and not formed into a bersaglieriregiment as in the o th er armored divisions. The

Young Fascists did have their divisional artillery,although it wasn t up to the material given to Ariete

and Trieste. The original game It/Fascist 2-3-4)division actually represents this unit plus quite a few

odds and ends of reinforcements that the Italians

received. You can use the new unit instead of the old

one or include them both and use the old one as a

replacement draft. That is, when an Italian infantrydivision is destroyed you can bring it back by

trading the It/Fascist 2-3-4) unit for it. nothing

else you get a little m or e realism. A ft er all, youdon t plan to use any of your replacement points for

I ta li an i nf an tr y d o y ou ? B ot h t he o ld and the newunit arrive November 1941.

It RECAM 1-1-9) The reconnaissance unit for the

Italian Armored C o rp s C AM ). I t is brought on the

board by bein g p lac ed on t he Ar ie te d iv isio n in

It San Marco 0-1-3 One of t he n um

Italian San Marco Marine battalions. This onassigned to garrison Benghazi and h ad q ui te a

h ea vy w ea po nr y t o support i t. Arrives Febr

1942.

200 2-2-10 Both of the German armored

sions 15 a nd 21) a re in t he ir 1942 c on fi gu ra tThis is n o t h ow t he y a rr iv ed . y ou wish , y ou

use this counter to get an arrival variation. Bri

t he 2 1st P an ze r o r 5 th L ig ht as it was k no wnas 2 1/ 5 7-7-10), 2 1/ 3 2-2-12) and 200 2-2

Br in g t he 15th P an ze r on as 1 5 /8 7 -7-10 ), 1 2 -2 -1 2) , 2 1/ 10 4 3-3-10) and 90/155 2-2

90/155 is s ta nd in g in f or 1 5/1 15 2-2 -10) . 2 1

was originally a two b at ta li on unit of t he

Panzer. The division s motorcycle battalion is a

t o it h er e t o m ak e it a 3-3-10. I n F eb ru ar y of

200 2-2-10) b ec om es 901200 2 -2 -7) , 9

becomes 15/115 3-3-10) and 90/55 bec90/155 2-2-10) if you wish.

4-4-10 Originally this was the brigade

mand for the 15th Panzer D iv isi on sPan zer gr en ad ier regiments. It was used by

Germans for numerous command duties. You

give the Germans yet more clout by using it

s ub st it ut io n c ou nt er . T he combat factors o

substituted units must add up to 4 and the m

m en t f ac to rs m us t b e 10 or more. Alternatelycan pu t t he s ub st it ut ed f ou r c ou nt er s asideg ov er n th e 15th B ri ga de counter s speed by

slowest unit substituted for.

It Trento 2-2-4) and It 7 Bers. 1-1-6) T

u ni ts c an r ep lac e It/Trenta 2-3-4). The I

Trento d iv is io n was s up po se d t o b e a fully m

ized division like Trieste. Like Trieste, it had

regiments instead of the n or ma l t wo in a stan

I ta li an i nf an tr y d iv isio n. H ow ev er , o nl y the

Bersaglieri was motorized. The 7th Bersagliere ve nt ua ll y d et ac he d f or use as a c or ps u ni t l e

the rest of Trento the composition of a n or m

fantry division. The substitution of these twofor It/Trenta 2-3-4) is n or ma ll y p er fo rm e

counter-balance the Allied use of 31 Motor and 4I/CIH 1-1-8).

GETTING GOING

y ou n ow h av e t he i mp re ss io n y ou h av e

extra counters than y ou l l e ve r n ee d you re

These counters are cut easiest in sets of 12 and

why give you blanks?

If y ou t ry t o use all t he c ou nt er s i mm edy ou l l bog d own in a welter of c on fu si on . A

gested start is a maximum of four fake counteplayer. Substitute the4and 6 SAAC 1-1-12uni

th e t wo S A Motor 1-1-6 u ni ts a nd y ou h av e a

beginning. Once you have experience you can t

in u ni ts as y ou d es ir e. y ou b al an ce a u ni t bon t he o th er s id e brought on at approximatel

s am e t im e, t hi ng s s ho ul d s ta y p re tt y e ven . I nt io n t o b al an ci ng th e u ni ts , fo r every e xt ra A

unit added, the Axis player gets an extra supplyto eliminate it. This is done bygiving the Axis p

a can cel f or a bad supply roll for every extra A

unit a dd ed . T hu s, if th e Allied player takes

e xt ra u ni ts , t he Axis p la yer gets su ppl ies f or

t ur ns he n or ma ll y w ou ld n ot .

As m or e and more Allied reconaissanceget added to the game, the more the Axis playeh av e t o c on te nd with end runs in t he s ou

part of the board. this gets out of hand, can

reconnaissance unit s defensive doubling if itw it hi n five s qu ar es of a supply unit or a

s qu ar e. D ue t o its i ni ti al p os it io n 2/KDG 1-

c an be p ar ti cu la rl y p es ky in t hi s r eg ar d. I n a

fact, historically it had its hands full screening 4-4-7). Therefore, until 2/3 reaches Tobruk

can require 2/KDG t o e nd its m ov em en t in scing position of 2 /3 o r on e of the fakes represe

it if used. If the Allied player neglects to do thi

A xis p la ye r c an m ov e 2/KDG b ac k t o its s ta

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


By Larry Bucher

The Third THIRD REICH

YS S5 A 56 EffRng

PEN 4 9

HPWt

A Tour of the MapboardIt doesn't look all that different at first glan

You have to look closely to spot the s ignifica

changes, but they are there. AJI coastlines have be

redrawn and sharpened so that there should

longer be doubt as to whether land (or sea) mov

ment between hex A and hex B is legal. In perhap

dozen cases the coastline was drawn exactly to co

cide with the intersection of three hexes, these sp

are specified in the rulebook. Hexes with twomore fragments of unconnected land-wheth

mainland and island, or bits of mainland-ha

been eliminated. Troublesome islands (such as

stage I felt, N ow they're surely perfect-or nea

so no one could find any moreerrors or omissio

of much consequence.

I've been wrong five times. And as will be se

below, there areat least two things (concerning su

ply and Spain) that should have been clarified in t

final product. I will take r efuge in t he quotati

taped to my typewriter: Nothingwould be doneall if a man waited till he could do it so well that

one could f ind fau lt with it. (That's ascribed

one John Henry Newman; I confess to never havi

heard of him.) An imperfect THIRD REICH1981 beats a perfect RISING SUN in 19-whenev

There seemed to be a majority opinion-thoug

a shaky one, and without eloquent dissenters-th

the Axis had somewhat the better of play balance

number of changes do a ffec t p lay balance ; a

many, but not all, are pro-Allied. Only time will t

whether the shifts go too far, not far enough, or a

just right.The new edition contains only one body

standard rules. There is no advanced game

there are no optionals .This reflects a prejud

of my own, for which I advance two arguments

th tendency of recent games to include ba

and advanced (and sometimes intermediate) v

sions,each perhaps with it s own set of option

rules, does have it s rat iona le . P laye rs are f reepick and choose among rules that s tr ike them

good, bad , t oo complex, too simple, or whatev

and tailor the rules they use exactly to their tas te

think the trend is inevitable, but its accompanyi

drawbacks should be recognized: no two playersa

likely to agree right down the line, and each new o

ponent playedentailsa new round of discussion a

compromise over the rules to be used. It th

becomes all but impossible to play the same gaagainstmore than oneopponent. The acquisition

expertise is hampered, and the les sons lea rnagainst one opponen t may have to be painfu

unlearned when using a different rule mix agai

another foe.

in a broad sense, all rules are optional and

not need to be labeled as such. Whenever playcan agree to ignore a rule, to modify it, or to ins

one of their own inspiration, they are perfectly f

to do so without seeking advance sanction fro

Baltimore. The key word is agree . It is wh

players do not agree that the official rules shou

be treated as gospel.

SIGN

Larry Bucher w s both the main instigatorbehind the THIRD REICH revisions and the chief

contributor thereto. Not only has he been the inspiration and main guiding light of the third edition but he has also handled the THIRD REICH

nutmail chores eversince theproject got underwayover ayear ago. I f anyone has a beller understanding than myself of how badly those rules neededrevision it is Larry. And while we both share a greatfeeling ofaccomplishment in the house cleaning we

did on those oldrules I m not altogether sure that I

believe him when he says his recent overseasreassignment with thestatedepartment in Haiti w spurely coincidental.

a pol l were ever to be taken in t he category

MostMystifying Rules of an Avalon Hill Game

THIRD REICH would surely be on the bal lo t, in

the company of the original ANZIO, 1914, and

Uudging solely from RBG ratings) GETTYSBURG

'77and MA GIC REALM. I would no t want to call

a winner. That THIRDREICHshould have attained

its populari ty, and won it s awards, despi te those

rules, speaks volumes for the other qualities of the

game. I certainly found it intriguing that the game,

now seven years old, fared no less than third in the

first WhatAre You Playing? survey.

I would take mild issue with a phrase of a few

GENERALS ago that described THIRD REICH

'81 as completely new . I do no t feel that the

change is that great. There are perhaps four brand

new rules, half a dozen rule areas that are drastically

different, and a myr iad of differences that some

will see as changes and some as clarifications-with

no two playe rs able fully to agree on which are

which.Until 1978 I harbored misconceptions that

Leningrad s tood on an equal footing with Moscow

as a Russian supply source, and that fleets of less

than nine fac to rs cou ld not perform the supply

function. In 1979 I encountered players-good

players-who played that Italy and Germany did

not take their turn in unison until they were allied.

Such examples could continue. The point is that

many third edition rules that s tr ike me as no morethan a formalization of the way it alwayswas are

sure to strike others somewhere as changes, rever

sals of tradition. And vice versa.What began as s imply an effort to rewrite the

existing rules and their interpretations for c lari tyand completeness generated a fascinating give and

take deba te on the possibilities for improvement

and innovat ion, and far more changes were in the

end incorporated than I had originally envisioned.

To describe it in terms which will be more familiar

to many, I think the degree of change to THIRD

REICH approximately equals the changes to the

current editions of D-DAYand BLITZKRIEG. For

argument's sake, assume that first edition rules =

60, second edition rules = 65, and perfection =

100. granted my assumptions, I believe 8

will score at about 95.Why can't I c la im 100 after all the effort? Ex

perience The new rules have gone through at least

five stages of rewrite (I've lost count) and at each

Listed: 170 Total Responses: 934Rank TimesLast on Freq.

k Title Pub Time List Ratio

1. Leader AH 3 7.32. Third Reich AH 4 3 4.13. TRC AH 3 3 3.84. COl AH 6 3 3.35. D D TSR 8 3 2.56. FE AH 5 3 2.57. Stalingrad AH 15 3 2.38. l'anzer Leader AH II 3 2.29. COD AH 10 3 2.2VITP AH 9 3 2.1

I. Afrika Korps AH 12 3 1.7War At Sea AH 4 3 1.6Panzerblitz AH 13 3 1.4War Peace AH 3 3

5. Air Force AH I 1.26. WS IM AH 17 3 1.2Diplomacy AH I 1.1D-Day H I LO

9. Midway AH 16 3 1.00. CM AH 2 2 1.0

Until you think you can handle it, do not allow

kes in the fortresses of Benghazi and Tobruk.

I' d also like to soapbox about AFRIKA KORPS

l it tl e b it . I feel that luck is too much of a factor.

supp ly rolls f or i nst ance c an make the d if

rence between a win or a los s. I would like to sug

st the following alternate: The German gets only

e supply unit per month (every other turn) from

1941 to November 1941. From April 1941 to

1941, the Allied Player can p reven t a newsupply uni t f rom appearing three times,

the German can cancel one of these. From

1941 to the end of the game the Allied

can declare an arbitrary sunk 5 times, two of

the German can cance l. Thi s gives you the

age result of the die rol l a ll the t ime. Also, sup

are most likely to be sunk when the Allies put

aximum eff or t i nt o it. If the German is in

perate need of supplies he will put maximum

for t i nto convoy protection. Note that this

can be adjusted for perfect game balance.

The Frequency Ratio is derived by dividing theof votes received by the number of votes for the

place entry. Ties in rank are resolved in favor of theer title. The Times on List category is based on on-

preceding times on the list; not total

The startling turn-around in the ranking of CIRCUSseems to indicate the very heavy influence of

GENERAL s content on what you're playing. Lasta feature presentation on CM that game

to second place from all the way off the chart. Onlyissue later it has slid all the way to the bottom rung.

on the other hand, posted the biggestby climbing eight places to 7th following its featurele status in Vol. 17 No.6.

NG INSTRUCTIONS

You can order precut counters and deceptioncharts fo r this variant directlyfrom:

Richard GutenkunstBox 3301 Traffic StationMPLS MN 55403Cost is 1.00 plus a sturdy stamped selfdressed envelope bearing 18¢ postage. The

self-addressed envelope is vital fo r samey service. If you have quest ions that can beswered in a few words or a simpleyes or no the

swers can be included with the counters.

SO THAT'S WHATBEEN PLAYING

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


o-hex island near Athens) and bits of mainland·

ve been blacked out in the process of correct

this problem.Switzerland and the unplayable hexes around

e board edge have been grayed out . Tradi

onal hex-grid coordinates have been printed along

e mapboard edges.A crossing arrow in Scotland has been replacedriver, and all others appear clearly on hexsides

l iminat ing former rule difficult ies arising fromossing arrows within a hex. Scotland, Wales, and

e Balkans contain some added mountains. Thever Thames appears south of London.

Ire land has been separated into Bri tish Uls terwo hexes) and neutral Eire (zero BRPs). A beach

has been added, and thus the rules no longerto wrestle with islands without beaches .

The Hague has migra ted a hex nor thwest (and

ance has been given tw replacement counters at

art, to compensate for what this does to her 1939The Vichy border has been more

curately placed, to encompass Lyons and touch

itzerland. Tunis has gained port status whileengasi has lost it. Sevastopol has become a

and is in Russian hands at 1942 scenario

art. Istanbul is another new port. And it, and

i bral ta r, become full two-f ront por ts with the

me privileges as Kiel. The West Wall appears one map in a gray shade, and the sometime capital ,

is a gray s tar.

e Scenario Cards . . .

. contain comparatively few changes of

bstance, but do include a good bit more informa

ion and cross- referenc ing to the rulebook than

viously. France and the U.S. have separatecardsow, with assort ed useful t ab les printed on the

of each. Russia is reduced to two fleets inthe

944 scenario; Germany gets six factors of Italian

rtial naval counters. (The latter is t o cure a 1944atch-22 for Germany-she controls several

diterranean islands , but had no way to supply a

t placed on one. For the same reason, Germanyis able to seize a remnant of the Italian fleet

hen Italy departs the war in other scenarios.) Surplus SW appears on 1942 and 1944 cards.

const ruct ion may now take place before theof these scenarios; the surplus represents subsand SAC (1944) left over from the previous

to the Rulebook:

There is no essential difference in the rules forand multi-player games other than the

ctory condi tions. A two-player game may see amake any 'diploma tic agreements between

ions he controls, or with the enemy, that would

e allowable in a multi-player game.In a two-player campaign game, the Alliesmust

both Germany and Italy to fulfill theirtory conditions. If the Axis fulfil l one of their

ictory condi tions the game doesn t necessarilyd, unless the Allied player wishes to concede-it

still theoretically possible, no matter how unlikely,r the Allies to attain an equal or higher level of

While on th is subject , p laye rs might enjoy a

that was posed in the recent nutmail: twoayer campaign game; Italy already gone. Allies,ving second in summer 1945, occupy Berlin. Do

ey win a marginal victory? Answer: no, because aajor does not fall until its opportunity to

unterat tack its capital fai ls. This cannot occur

til fall; the Axis are not conquered in Summer.The cor res ponden t did not explain how the

lies could have been moving second under suchPerhaps the players had agreed not

France now achieves stalemate if she is not conquered unt il Fall 1940, a marginal victory if she is

not conquered until winter, tactical for not falling

until Summer 1941, and a decisive victory if she survives the ent ire campaign game or 939 scenario.

Similarly Ita ly (in 1942 and campaign) achievesstalemate by not falling until Winter 943 and amargina l v ictory by not falling prior to Summer

1944. In the 1942scenario she can attain tactical victory by not falling before the Winter 1944 turn and

decisive victory by surviving the game to the t ime

l imit , but in the campaign game she needs , respectively, three and four objective hexes. Note tha t i f

Rome is occupied in the second half of a Winter

1944 turn tha t th e 1942 scenario would end in adecisive I ta li an victory even i f the Allied playercould prove there is no way that the Axis could

recontrol Rome the following turn, because theItalian chance to reoccupy would come in the

SpriAg 945 turn-after the scenario time limit. Inessence, the I ta li an player has been saved by the

bell.Neutral objectives are no longer counted when

determining 1944 scenario victory conditions.

Scenario card deployment limits are clarified.

The specified forces may be added to, wheres tacking/bas ing limits permit, but never altered.

Thus Bri ta in could not s tart 1939 with a 5-4 air uni tin Malta in place of the mandatory 1-4, but shecould place a second ground uni t there to augmentthe 1-3. S ta rt ing a 4 5 armor in Egypt would not

release the 2 5 WDF to start elsewhere. And let'sclose a couple more loopholes at Malta while on the

subject: Britain can t start more air there by placingan airbase counter; Malta can never base more than

five factors, period. Britain can t break down a 5-4a ir in order to start another partial in Malta; usingpartials during setup has been newly prohibited.

Fortress hexes, except for Malta and Gibraltor,now lose their fortress status permanently as soon

as occupied byan enemy unit. Thiscuresa couple of

former ills: if the Axis occupied a Maginot hex theywere themselves quadrupled against Allied attack,

and they could explo it f rom it impervious to the

ZOC of any adjacent Allied armor. If the Maginothexes haven t been entered at all by the Axis, they

still lose their status when France falls.Overs tacking when retreat ing during an att ri

tion is no longer at the retreater's option-it is

allowed only if he has no other choice.When an entirely cross-river attack is made on a

fortress hex, a bridgehead counter may be placedeven though the defense was quadrupled rathe rthan t ripled. A BH counter may also be placed

when a cross-river attack is untripled solely by anairborne drop, t hus not penal izing a tt acker for

using his a irborne. Attacker mus t place his BH

counter when his first ground unit advances into an

eligible hex; he can t change his mind and place itl ate r. A player may place a BH counter , provided

his side has unused ones, with or without the concurrence of his allies but a neutral Russia or I taly

may place only one such counter with concurrence.

A BH counter y be removed whenever the

player who placed it desires, even if he s run ou t of

counters and wants to reuse it immediately. It mustbe removed whenever no longer needed to provide

supply to any uni t and no enemy ground units are

within four hexes by land. removal leaves an

overstack at the end of the player turn, the owner

must eliminate units of his choice.ASW now eliminates 1Y subs per factor in

1943, two per factor from 1944 on.

Whenever SAC inflicts any BRP losses, Ger

many must remove a 5-4 air uni t from the board. It

is not placed in the German force pool (it is out of

the game,at

least for a year but Germany gets fiveadditional interceptor factors for next year start. Germany again loses BRPs to SAC, she loses

another 5-4 similarly. But if she does not , she may

ceptor factors for it. Germany has to give upbut doesn t have one on the board, she must bone in Spring and immediately exchange it for

interceptors.The above SW changes were inserted with

eye on play balance and the other on putting sguesswork back into the SW building, whichbecome a stereotyped all -subs, a ll -ASW affa

suspect that the end result, when players

digested the changes, will be another stereoty

which Germany builds just enough intercepto

offset any possible Allied SAC; while the Alliespecting Germany to do exactly that, st ill bui lASW in the early years and improve their long-

BRP situation. But the opportunities to burn o

opponent or perhaps get burnt by departingthat stereotype should be significantly increas

10.46 If BRP totals areclose enough that SW expend

could have an effect on which side plays f irst in the co

Spring turn, each side must write their spending dec

on a sheet of paper, revealing them to each

simultaneously.

In 1945, SW builds are revealed at theend o

Spring 945 turn. Losses are determined, quart

(rounded down) and deducted at t he end of

game turn that year.Except in the 1944 scenar io , the Axis al

play first in the first turn regardless of any vacounters affecting BRPs. any turn shouldwith BRP levels exact ly equal , the order of

from the previous turn remains unchanged.

12.13 I ta li an BRPs are always included in the Axis

and Germany and Italy conduct their turn together wh

or not I ta ly has entered the war. Russi an and Ame

BRPs are not included in the All ied total unt il they

war with Germany. However, Russia and thewestern

conduct their turn together throughout t he game, eve

neutral Russia has a larger BRP total than the Axis.

This alleviates the unwanted initiative p

lem for Russia, previously pointed out by DBottger in Vol. 14, No.3. Germany could forma rr ange to move last in Winter 1940 and firSpring 1941, getting two devastating moves ag

the Russian defense. It has not been m

impossible-but Germany mus t now spend mmore freely and get her Winte r 1940 BRP fbelow that of Britain in order to pull it of

Britain seeks to match German spending, shenot have enough reserve left to absorb SW lo

and will then su ff er the consequent BRP

reduction.In order to take an attrition option on a f ro

nation no longer need end movement wit

ground uni ts in contact with enemy ground uThe only penal ty for failing to do so is inabili

roll on the Attri tion Table (which, incidennow reads 1-10 vice 0-10 in the first column).pass option will consequently be more rare, bu

still be needed when a player doesn t join his a

offensive.When allies can t agree on what opt ion to u

a front , the player des ir ing an offensive prevBut a nat ion choosing an offensive must, on

front, either make at least one ground attacconduct one air or naval mission. This is t o de

BRP-rich and anti-social player from spendinan offensive on a frontwherehe has few or nou

solely to inconvenience his ally who wants totion. For similar reasons, Russia, once at war

the Axis, always determines the Allied option

used on the asternFront. Until Italy is at war

the Allies, she may take an offensive option

front where Germany takes attrition and vicevUnits may be voluntarily destr oyed by

owner, but this can be done only just befor

m@vement phase begins. This can t be usedto ethe permanent loss of an a irborne uni t ( therestrictions apply as if it were lost in combat)avoid the e ffect s of i solation (isolated uni

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


For obvious reasons , French units can t be

destroyed under this rule.

All air and naval units are inverted immediately

after use (or after being counteraired, or designated

to provide supply) and are placed on the board in

verted when constructed; all arethen faced upat the

end of each game turn. Although a rule, thi s is ac

tually more of a bookkeeping device or playing

aid . is easy for a pl ayer t o unintentionally use

these units for more than one purpose in t he com

plexities and confusions of combat, particularly so

in the case of supply fleets. In ft f play i t is all too

easy for the opponent to fail to notice such lapses.

Fleets providing supply must be based on the

same side of the water as the supply source (rather

than being anywhere on the front as previously).

The supply line must run by land from the source to

the fleet s base. I t is possible for a movement-phase

base change t o open a sea supply l ine to otherwise

unsupplied units . Such units are then considered

supplied at the start of their turn and able to move.

Conversely, it is possible for such a base change to

put units out of supply at the start of their turn. For

these reasons fleets are now requi red to move firstduring the movement phase, before ground and air

unit movement. is also possible to have SR of a

supply fleet open a supply path to unsupplied units

which are otherwise about to be eliminated.

A detai led sequence of play chart has been

placed on the back of the new rulebook. The offen

sive option combat phase sequence is particularly

worthy of attention:

1 Attacker announces ll naval and air

missions (excepting only possible interceptions and

exploitation missions).

2. Counterair is resolved and losses removed.

3. Defe nde r a nnou nc es a ny defensive air

support , attacks on naval forces at sea, and naval

interceptions.

4. Attacker announces any air intercept ions ,any naval counter interceptions, and any air attacks

on naval interceptors at sea.

5. Steps 3 and 4 can be repea ted indef in it elywhere naval units are involved, until one side or the

other wishes to commit no more units or has none.

Combats are then resolved in the reverse order they

were announced.

6. Successful sea transport missions are con

cluded and the naval uni ts returned to base.

7. Airborne drops. (May a lso be made during

movement phase.)

8. Attacker announces and resolves his attacks.He may resolve each attack before announcing his

next one-thus being able to cancel a planned

attack i f it is made undes irable by the success or

failure of earlier attacks. he committed ground

support t o a ny hex, he must make a legal attack on

that hex or lose his air units there.

9. Post-combat advance s may be made aft er

each attack, bridgehead counters may be placed

where ent it led. All invading and shore bombard

ment fleets return to base.

10 Exploit ing unit s move to breakthrough

hexes.

II . Air attacks on naval uni ts in port are re

solved. As before, this is so that air can t reduce a

9-factor fleet in t ime to permi t an invasion.

12. Exploitation movement, a ir act iv ity, a ir

drops, and combat.

When two or more allies have ground forces

participating in an attack, they must agree on which

one of them will control a vacat ed hex prior to

occupying i t after combat . unable to agree,

neither one may advance. This becomes particularly

relevan t when the hex to be occupied is a BRPproducing capital or an objective hex-such hexes

may no longer be transferred from the control of

one ally to the control of another.

During exp lo it at ion, the f ir st exp lo it ing uni t

may not move more than two hexes . Each subse

quent exploiter may do the same, or may duplicate

exactly the move of a previous exploiter then move

two additional hexes of its own. (The unit s move

ment factor remains a speed limit of course, and

enemy ZOC has i ts usual effect. ) Thanks are due

Marcus Watney for the duplicate exactly word

ing which expressed perfectly the idea I d been try

ing to get across in much less understandable

fashion. The rule restricts somewhat the number of

behind-the-lines hexes that exploiting units are ableto place under their control , and thereby makes

units encircled by exploiters a bit more susceptible

to rescue.

When exploiting units cross a front boundary,

they must conform to whatever option their owner

chose for the entered front. it s a pass-option

front, they could exploit only over hexes controlled

at the start of the turn, couldn t pass adjacent to

enemy units and couldn t attack. i t s an attri tion

option front, the exploiters could even add their

factors to the attrition total there if they re able to

advance next to enemy nd provided their owner

had the foresight (or luck) to conduct the combat

phase on the offensive-option front before turning

to the attrition front

Breakthrough and exploitation can now beachieved by attacking any vacant hex. (This was

previously possible when invading an undefended

be ch hex.) This is intended to allow a player with

armor to spare to advance more rapidly across a

vacant area (e.g. North Africa); I dare say inventive

players will find additional uses for the tactic.

Russia can no longer receive BRPs, by either

Murmansk or Lend-Lease, until she s a t war with

the Axis. The cost of opening the Lend-Lease route

can t be paid until then either. In most games, this

will prevent the unrealistic Allied ploy of having

France spend her soon-to-vanish BRPs for this pur

pose early in the game.

Russia gets some free construction. She may

place four ground units (from her at-start force

pool only) free in Winter 1941, three more (from

her ent ire force poo l) in Spr ing 1942, two more inSummer and one in fall. These represent transfers

from Siberia. The number of armor taken in each

turn can t exceed the number of infantry; no air

borne c an be t aken . Bu t there s a catch: if Russia

avails herself of this option, her victory conditions

(Allied conditions in a two-player game) are raised

by one objective hex or season as appropriate. In

the multi-player campaign game only, they are

raised by two objective hexes.

Britain s SRs have been raised from six to seven.

Since BRPs travel from capital to capital, they

can t be SR d i f an enemy unit is adjacent to either

capital. Russia is excepted, naturally.

U.S. initially deploying units may go to France

on an equa l footing with Britain France has not

been conquered. (A 1917 situation.) If Britain

and France both fall, but one or both falls after

U.S. entry, initial deployment may go through any

Atlantic port still in U.S. hands. Initial deployment

may even be made by sea transport the only ports

the U.S. controls are ineligible to receive sea escort

SRs because of adjacency of Axis units.

It is worth mentioning, also, that U.S. fleets in

vading, sea transporting, or bombarding from the

U.S. box do not themselves deploy. They perform a

mission from their U.S . base and return there.

Counters removed as attrition losses must

belong to a defending nat ion that had ground units

actually in contact with the enemy on the front.

Partisans, active minor allies, units of a minor in

which a major has intervened, all count as if they

were the major s units for this rule, but no more of13ritish replacements being taken as Western Front

attrition losses when the BEF hasn t even landed in

France.

Attacker may not advance across a cross

arrow hexside to gain an attri tion option hex.

Attrition sequence has been altered somew

when the attacker gets more than one hex. Atta

first selects all hexes he wants, then defender m

all his retreats, f inal ly attacker makes all his

vances. Defender still can t retreat more than

hex.

2 4 A major power that declares war on a minor muthe turn of declaration, either move forces into that mor conduct an Offensive or Attrition Option attack agthat minor s forces If a nation finds itself unable to cowith this rule, its DoWis revoked and the BRPs lostminor is at peace with all powers and may not be attackthe future without a new 10 BRP DoW expenditure.

This was adopted to counter subterfuges suc

France declaring war on Norway or Portugal w

Britain does the work and reaps the BRP benefi

doesn t completely prevent such monkey busin

but does make it a bit more inconvenient.

A nation that declares war on a minor must

35 BRPs instead of 10 if the declara tion

automatically pu t it at war with a major. Th

hope, closes all conceivable loopholes. Germ

and Italy can t attack the sameminor until Italy

war with Allies; Russia and the Western Allies c

attack the sameminor until Russia is at war with

Axis. When war is declared on a minor, the minunits are set up before front options are announ

As previously, upon initial conquest of a m

country its hexes automatically pass to the

queror s control at the end of his combat phase

excep tion ·has now been app lied to mino r a

(unless they were act ivated by All ied attack

Axis in terven tion) . Th is pr event s Russia f

barging into the Balkans in 1944 and claiming

trol of all vacant hexes of a minor ally because

technical first conquest .

As previously, minor country (except m

ally) ground units may not move outside their h

country; they may attack across its borders but

not advance. Minor air and naval uni ts are

restricted to basing only in their home country

may operate freely from their in-country bases

24 23 If hostile major power ground units are in thequered country, and can still trace a line of supply aend of the conqueror s Combat phase, the hexes they aand the hexes of their supply Hne do not pass to thequeror s control. The owner of the units in quechooses exactly which hexes will be his supply routroutes ifmore than one is needed), but the routes mustfew and as short as possible and must go to the nearestor controlled friendly border. The conqueror controother hexes He may not cut the supply route(s) by Sarmor adjacent to them until a later turn.

This provides some specifics for a BEF trap

in conquered France as well as assorted o

predicaments. is intended to allow a reason

chance for uni ts to extricate without denying

conqueror an inordinate amount of real estate.

rule above quoted is for uni ts trapped in m

countries; in majors the principles are the sam

cept that there are no restrictions on conquer

SRs (these become irrelevant because a major

during its own side s player turn).Examples to clarify some often confusing s

tions: Germany conquers Belgium. France

occupies Brussels on the last half of the winter t

oth Germany and Fr ance receive the Be

BRPs at year start-Germany because of the

turn-to-recapture principle; France because s

the actual physical possessor (nine points of

law, remember). Germany will immediately ha

deduct BRPs if she fails to retakeBrussels in sp

she does retake it, this of course places Fran

the same recapture-or-deduct situation. One na

or the other will eventually have to subtract

dually-awarded BRPs-probably. In theory,trol of Brussels could continue to seesaw for a

tire game year, and another dual award could o

in the following .year start.

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However if Germany occupies Paris in the lastof a winter turn, t he ten th point of t he law

evails. Germany gets nothing-because conquest

the major c anno t occu r until th e followingring, when France's counterattack on her capital

And another however: i f the Allies get Par is

ck from Germany in the last half of a winter turn,

t any time after the fall of France, a dual award is

Capture of Paris in the 1942and 1944 scenarios,

of Rome in the 1944 scenario, does yield 42andBRPs -respectively to the All ies at year s tart .ose captures were previously of no BRP value

cause the rules had specified that you got half theP value a major started the scenario with; in theted cases that meant zero.The principle that you can t lose BRPs for a

rritory you controlled at scenario start has beenlaxed in one instance: loss of a capital to partisans

the 1942 and 1944 scenarios. The partisan threatmuch diminished in those scenarios becausecouldn t cost Germany any BRPs if they did

eize their capital.Major powers may not transfer controlled hexes

the control of an ally. Thus:

I taly may allow German units l occupy any or all

banian hexes. but those hexes and Albania remain under lIalian fthe Allies conquer Albania and the Axis reconquer it

ther Germany or lIaly could control Albania. Neither country

d receive BRPs for i

Italy a lone a llacks Yugoslavia; occupying and

efore controlling Belgrade. Italy later leaves Belgradeand allows

German uni t to enter . Thi s doesn give Germany any Yugoslav

nor does aher the status of elgradeas an Italian controlled

tive hex.

The Axis make a CooperativeConquest ofYugos]avia.

her nation maycontrol Belgrade whichever one occupied it; and

Yugoslav BRPs may be split in any agreed manner Regardless of

manner in which Yugoslavia was conquered if the Allies subse-

entlyoccupy Belgrade and holdit for oneAxis turn and one Axis

tion alone reconquers Belgrade that nation receives all of the

oslav BRPs and controls Belgrade However if the other Axis

has units in or makes an attack on any Yugoslav hex the

is Cooperativeand the resulting BRPsmay be split in any

wly agreed manner Belgradestill goes to the nation that occupies

BRPs derived from a cooperativeconquest mayshared in any manner the conquerors agree on;

ey are split evenly only if allies fail to agree. Thusf Britain and France conquer Libya together, theyn allot five BRPs to France at year start and none

Britain, or vice versa, or three or four to one andhe remainder to the other. they can t agree, they

ach get two and the odd BRP is lost. Once set, theivision cannot be changed from year to year .

of the allies is conquered by the Axis later, the

rvivorwould get all five BRPsif he still controlled the Axis reconquered Libya, and still laterand Bri ta in should conquer it again, they

ld agree on a new split of the Libyan BRPs. Let

say British convince France to aid in theconquestpromising her all five BRPs. Bri ta in could, at

ear s tart , break the agreement and insist on her(two) of the BRPs

If Spain or Turkey is attacked by either side,her will automatically become a minor ally of any

that intervenes.Intervention is automat ic and immediate i f a

minor ally is attacked by the Allies. The

xis could therefore commit DAS against the initiallied attack, if able. The same would apply i f an

active Vichy, attacked by the Allies, had an Axisit present in Vichy territory.

Somegeographical limitations have been placedthe deployment of minor ally units, in addition

those previously in effect for Finland. In addion to their home country, uni ts may only be usedareas as follows:

-Bulgaria: Yugoslavia, Greece and European

-Rumania: Yugoslavia, East Eur op e and

-Hungary: Yugoslavia, Poland, East Europe

and Russia.-Spain and Turkey: the Mediterranean Front

and Russia.

-Iraqis: Persia, Lebanon-Syria , Pales tine,Transjordan and Arabia.

Spanish uni ts may also be in East Europe, and

may SR through the Western Front to reach EastEurope/Russia.

Minor ally air and naval units must base asshown, but may opera te freely f rom their bases.

Spanish fleets in northern Spain could operate inthe Atlantic-so, conceivably, could Turkish fleets

if able to transit or base at Gibraltar.

NOTE: If Spain because of xis attackbecomes an Allied minor ally her geographicallimitations change to Mediterranean Front and

Western Front This provision did not make therulebook

Germany may not place a garrison unit in

Bessarabia before summer 1940 unless she is at warwith Russia. This prevents Germany from claiming

she has denied Eas t Europe s BRPs to Russia by

doing so.The 20-factor maximum which Germany may

place in her minor allies while inactive has been re

tained. An added restriction is th at no more than

five of the 20 may be in Finland.I ta ly can now be made to surrender, somewhat

as in the real war. The rule was plagiarized (butmodified considerably) from a proposal by DavidRitchie in Vol. 15, No.3. Italy surrenders if all of

the following apply: supplied Allied ground unit (not airborne) is

in mainland Italy at the end of an Axis combat

phase.-there are no Axis forces in Africa (unac

tivated Vichy don t count).-Allies control every hex of Sicily, or of both

Sardinia and Corsica.-Allies moved first in the current game turn.While Paris is Axis-controlled, France may at

tack hexes other than Paris success could conceivably permit exploitation movement into, or a

2 or better attack on, Paris. Similarly a 3 or

4French attack on Paris may be made if an EX

resul t would remove all Axis ground uni ts fromParis, and other units, exploiting or paradropping,could conceivably then occupy it. France can t

counterair except against Axis air units in positionto interfere with a legal French ground attack, can ttake an offensive anywhere but theWestern Front,

can t attrition anywhere, and can t declare war on

anyone.Britain can t normally recapture Paris, because

she 's banned f rom the hex unti l F rance falls. Butit s theoretically possible for a British unit to prevent the fall of France by moving through a vacant,Axis-controlled Paris.

The Axis still gain, and Russia loses, 5 BRPs

each from the capture of Leningrad and Moscow.This is clari fied as a one-t ime event ; there is no

further gain or loss if control of a city seesaws backand forth. But 5BRPs percityare subtracted fromRussia and added to Germany at each year s tart

when appropriate.In o rder to force Russian su rrender , Russia

must now be reduced to ground and air factors.

This shrinks the role of the Russian navy, the con

tinued existenceof which had often been vital to theRussian player-a situation somewhat at odds withhistory. Axis factors must nowexceed Russia's by a

3-2 ratio to force surrender. The Axis factors must

be inside Russia's original borders ; the Russianfactors may be anywhere on the mapboard.

Tunis and Beirut are supply sources for Frenchunits only (including Vichy and Free French). The

U.S. is a supply source , but only i f both London

and Paris are Axis-controlled or isolated from

Atlantic ports . Bri ta in can thus supply a counattack on an occupied London if she can m

naval factors to the U.S. box (before U.S. entrymay be suppli ed by U.S. fleets a ft er U.S. en

Konigsberg and Durazzo are supply sources at

start of the 1939or CampaignGame scenarios;

lose their statu s as soon as the Axis open asupply route to East Pruss ia and Albania .

The supply rule contains a hazy area

escaped notice until too late to clarify:

27.22 A uni t is in supply if it can trace a l ine of contro

hexes, free of enemy zoe between i ts el f and a su

source. Enemy zoe over the uni t and/or the source

not block this supply l ine as long as all hexes in the su

linebetweenthe unit and thesource are freeof enemy Z

Units adjacent to a supp ly source a re always in su

unless both the supply source and the adjacent uni t a

zoe of the enemy unit.

hex A is not control led by red, Red is cleunsupplied because of the unless phrase of

last sentence. But wha t i f Red does control heand it is not in enemy ZOC? Answer: Red i

supply. The first two sentences override the un

clause.A word about supply from bridgeheads ma

in order, because the old rules mentio

bridgeheads as supply sources. But they never w

really-the t rue source was across the water . Senemy armor is adjacent to a bridgehead, that e

the supply line. The bridgehead hex i tsel f cansupplied by sea, but the line cannot continue ouit. The same principle applies at a port, of cou

Armor and airborne units which

automat ical ly in supply by virtue of havingploited or dropped lose their privileged statu

they are moved by SR.Airbase counters may be used only by air u

of their own nationality during the player turn

are initially placed on the board. This is intende

hamper an Axis player who places Italian airbprimarily for German use, or an Allied player

places American airbases for British use.Air combat has been thoroughly revised. E

combatant rolls a die. The roll is modifiednationality: -I for Italy, France and Russia, -2

all minors, and zero for the other three majors.also modif ied for super iori ty , the superior

getting I for each fac tor of excess.The loser of the modified roll loses air fac

equal to the difference between rol ls; the wieliminates half as many (rounded down). itie , a third die rol l is made and each side eliminthat many factors (but never more than w

present in the smaller force).Counterair attackers are no longer require

equal the factors being attacked, success is simmade unlikely. If defender had the larger force

won the air combat, any of his surviving factorsnot considered to have been counteraired andt inue to be available for use.Only uninverted air units defend again

counterair attack, but any inverted units presentaken as casualties also, if the face-up factors ar

sufficient to meet the verdict of the die rolls. Acontaining only inverted air may be counteraiDefender has zero factors defending, the die romodified for attacker s superiority above zero,

no nationality modification is applied to defenInterception air combat is identical, and

before surviving defenders may be applied to Dor may return to base at their opt ion. When bnaval and air uni ts are in an attacked hex, attaneed only win the counterair combat in order t

tack the naval uni ts. He does not necessarily h

to eliminate all defending air present.Attacks on naval units are themselves chan

one die roll is made for each attacking air factoport, I or 2 eliminates a naval factor, 5 o

eliminates the air factor. At sea, I eliminates na

6 eliminates air.

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A l im it at io n h as be en p ut o n DAS . L ik e ground

s up po rt , it m ay n ot exce ed t hr ee t im es t he n um be rof ground factors defending.

Moving on t o naval m at te rs, I st an bu l s two

f ro nt p or t s ta tu s now allows t he T ur ki sh Nav y to

o pe ra te in t he Black Se a. F or S ea -E sc or te d S R or

sea supply lines to pass all the way th ro ug h theTurkish straits, all four hexes adjacent to the cross

ing arrows must be controlled.

Fleets at t wo -f ro nt p or ts m ay es cap e t o e it he rf ro nt i f t heir port is o ve rr un . Yo u, th e German

player, enter Gibraltar. Force H heads forPl ym ou th . You h op ef ul ly p oi nt ou t that Free

French Oran is much closer. Sorry-you lose. The

owner of the fleets has his choice of front within

the chosen front he mu st then flee to the closestfriendly base.

At all straits containing crossing arrows, fleets

may n ot m ov e t hr ou gh unless b ot h l an d sides a reu nd er friend ly c on tr ol . T he y m ay mov e into as

distinct from through, an uncontrolled strait to ex

ecute a mission.Fle et s b ase d in t he U .S . b ox m ay :

-invade and bombard only if no friendly port

exists on the Western Front. se t ra ns po rt o nl y wh en Axis u ni ts a re adja

cent to all friendly Atlantic ports thus making seaescort impossible).

-carry su pp ly o nly if b ot h L on do n a nd P ar is

are Axis-controlled or isolated from Atlantic ports.-intercept at maximum range, after U.S.

entry.

A U. S. fleet m ay initially mo ve fr om th e U .S .box to Europe only during SR, as an initially

d ep lo yi ng u ni t. O nc e h av in g d on e so , it a nd o th erAllied fleets) may freely move to and from the U.S.

b ox d ur in g m ov em en t o r S R p ha se . It is not againcounted as an initially deploying unit if it returns toth e U .S. bo x and subsequently leaves there by SR.U .S . fleets wh ic h h av e n ot yet i nit ial ly d ep lo ye d

may nevertheless sail during combat or SR phase,but m ust r et ur n t o th e bo x at the end of the phase.

Shorebombardment

has been sharply curtailed.It may be used only against hexes being invaded bysea, fortresses, and one-hex islands. To kill off amisconception that has plagued rule decipherers:

fleets never bombard into an adjacent hex-rather,they enter the water portion of the same coastal hexthey are bombarding. French and British fleets cannot, as some previous articles have implied, bomb ar d th e same hex befor e 1942 by r em ai ni ng in

separate, adjacent hexes.

B ot h p or ts involved in a sea transport missionmust have been friendly at the start of the playerturn. The paradrop followed by sea transport tactic is dead.) A given sea transport mission may load

units at m or e t ha n o ne port, bu t it may dischargethem at only one port. Attacker can of course move

more than one such mission. Embarkation costs

ground u ni ts n o m ov em en t f ac to rs , d eb ar ka ti oncosts one-but enemy armor adjacent to the port of

embarkation limits movement normally; embarka

t io n w ou ld c ost 2 MF in such circumstance, even ifb ot h na val u nit a nd t ra ns po rt ed unit begin th eirturn in the same port hex. Unsupplied units can't besea transported because of the debarkation cost.Transported air units must have started their turn in

the port of e mb ar ka ti on ; th ey t re at th e p or t of

d eb ar ka ti on as th ei r new ai r b ase b ut cannot flycounterair missions therefrom sequence of playproblems result otherwise), and a ny i nte nd ed

ground support mission or a tt ac k o n n av al u ni ts inport must be announced when attacker announceshis other air missions.

Invading fleets may use any surplus factors not

required to carry their ground units) for bombardment. Invading units muststart their turn in a port,

and the fleet that c ar ri es t he m m us t be b as ed in t hesame port. It could change base during movement

phase to get there.)

EX MPLE Two 9w factor fleets carry a 4 5 armorunit and a 3

n t y unit. Only 5 naval facotrs are required to carry the ground

units the other three may provide one factor of Shore Bombard-

ment.

Moving fleets may be intercepted, or attackedby air, at their base hex since they enter the water

portion of that hex as soon asthey leave port), or attheir target hex, or at any intervening hex. Their

ta rge t hex is their new base in the case of

mo vem en t- ph as e base changes), th e port of

debarkation sea transport), the invaded hex, or the

hex being bombarded.

EX MPLE An lIalian fleet attempts Sea Transport from Taranlo

lO Tripoli One British fleet from Gibraltarandtwo from Alexandria

attempt to intercept in theTripoli hex. The Interceptiondie roll for

Gibraltar fails bUI the one for Alexandria succeeds. haly now

atlempts to Counter· Intercept the Ale xandri a f le et at 1124 with a

secondTaranto Oeel and succeeds. Italy now announces anair attack

by a unit from Tobruk on the Alexandria fleet in 1124. France then

tries to Counter· Intercept the second Italian fleet at FF24 with

fleets from Marseilles and succeeds. Italian fleets from Naples now

try t o an d do Counter Intercept the French at O DI 8. T wo British

fleets from Gibraltar try to and do Counter Intercept the Naples

fleets at CC19. Finally an Italian fleet from Livorno manages to in-

tercept the Gibraltar fleets at CC 7 .

The combats are resolved in reverse order of the listing above;

beginning with the Livorna fleet vs the Gibraltar fleets and ending

with the surviving factors of the Alexandria fleets vs {heoriginal Sea

Transpon mission.

The British although they have one remaining uncommilted

fleet in Gibraltar cannot attempr to intercept rhe Livorno fleet with

it because of rule 29 54. The earlier Interception failure by some ofthe Gibraltar fleets however does not prevent theother Britishfleets

there from making their successful attempt against the Naples fleets.

The airand naval attacks in 24 can be resolved in either order

the Italian player chooses. H ad the nee t bee n allacked by naval and

air in separate hexes the order would depend on which altack the

fleet encountered first along its course.

If the Alexandria Interception die roll or any later one had.

failed Counter Interception opportunities would haveended. A side

may announce an attempt roll the die then announce another

against that same target.

The revision of interception naval combat is inmany ways similar to revised air c omb at. The

s up er io r s ide gets + 1 i f i t h as 1 /3 m or e f ac to rs t ha nt he o pp os it io n, + 2 f or 2/3, + 3 for a 2-1 edge, + 4for 3- I and + 5 for 4-1 or better. The nationality

modifiers are +2 Germany; + 1 U.S., Britain and

Sweden; 0 France; -I Italy; -2 all others. Italy drops

to-2

inany battle northof

the N row, reflecting thefact that her ships were designed for Mediterraneanconditions rather than the North Sea.

The intercepting fleet wins any tie, but neither

side takes any casualties. Otherwise the losing side slosses a re mu lti pl ied by t he n um be r of 9-factor

fleets or equivalent) it had in c om ba t. L et s say t hedifference between the modified die rolls was three:

the loser eliminates three factors if hehad 17 factorsor less p rese nt; six i f he h ad 18-26; n ine i f he h ad

27-35; etc. As in air combat, winner eliminates half ro un de d d own ) as m an y as d ef end er. The loser

must immediately return to port.A fleet on an interception mission-only-can

choose, beforedie rolls are made, to break of f com

b at . Die r ol ls a re still m ad e; t he i nt er ce pt in g fleetautomatically loses the combat regardless of the

r esu lt, b ut its losses a re halved r ou nd ed d own )f ro m w ha t t he y w ou ld o th er wi se h av e b ee n a nd inno case can it lose more than hal f of its f ac to r

strength. The winner s losses a re reduced correspondingly.

Replacement counters are not counted in attrition factor totals. This is guaranteed t be the final

word on the conflicting rulings of the past.An airborne u ni t t ha t h as d ro pp ed , and wishes

to drop again in the following turn, m us t be a bl e t ot ra ce a n or ma l s up pl y li ne t o d o so . I t can't use thehex it just dropped on to supply it for this purpose,even if a capital.

Partisan construction is allowed in Italy (I ) andBritain 3 if they leave the war. Partisans may not

be constructed in nor move into Vichy France untilVichy has been activated or deactivated.

When Allies disagree on w ho g ets t o c on st ru ct

p ar ti sa ns where, t he n at io n with ground forcesclosest as the crow flies) to the country in question

m en t. Russia a nd B ri tai n b ot h want to buildt isa ns in Gr ee ce. B ri ta in h as ground units cl

Sh e g e ts t o b ui ld t wo and has first and third cof placement; Russia gets one and second choi

partisan unit is controlled and moved by the nthat constructed it. Russian and Western

tisans can't stack or attack together. A partcontrolled hex is controlled by no one for vi

condition purposes.

So h ow d o y ou get rid of a partisan on an o

tive hex? Unless you constructed it and thercan move it, you don't This allowsu nd er ha nd ed p la y in a cl ose m ul ti -p la ye r g Russian partisans sitting in Marseilles or Lto d eny it t o th e West er n Allies; Western

tisans in Belgrade to frustrate the Soviets. Thi

be regarded as simulating in a small way the sgles within the liberation movements for pos

political control. The Axis may alsochoices-given the relative victory prospects o

opponents, it may sometimes be better to passchance to attack a particular partisan.

Axis variant 2 Irish resistance) now has n

fect if a ny part of Ireland is under Axis cowhen it is played.

In order for variant 4 Spain) to be played,

must be at war with a major power and Francehave been conquered.

Variant 5 can now activate all four Axis mearly. It is no longer played at a specific time p

G er ma ny m ust hav e c on qu er ed Fr an ce a ndwar with Russia.

Variant 8 reduction of U.S. initial deploymis playable if submarines outnumber ASW by

r at io . This was lowered f rom 2-1 because o

strategic warfare changes.

Variant 10 Uet fighters) has the additional eof raising the German air combat roll modifi+1 .

Allied variant 3 Free French) is void if Fr

falls b ef or e win ter 1940, a nd i f it is played,French armor, air and naval units may no

reconstructed if lost in combat.Al li ed 5 had d ra wn s om e c rit ici sm : all o

v ar ia nt s r ep re se nt ed s om et hi ng t ha t m ig ht

happened-but this one represented somethingdid happen, and Britain unfairly was being depof her 50 four-stackers. On the other hand, Br

normally can build only four rarely five) AS1940. The ancient destroyers can hardly be sa

h av e t ri pl ed h er A SW c ap ac it y, as t he y u sed

the game. The outcome:

U.S. Navy makes full commitment to pshipments to Britain from unrestricted submarine waAllies lose only two BRPs instead of three for everviving submarine factor in Strategic Warfare resolutiothe remainder of the game. Play only in 1941 YSS fomediate resolution.

Al li ed 6 U .S . Nav y in A tl an ti c) h as t hetional effect of r ai si ng t he U .S . n av al c om ba

roll mo di fi er t o + 2.I ll have mo re to say on the subject of va

counters when we publish our THIR REfeature issue. Making the variant counters pat he game as o pp osed to an op tio nal rule has

viously increased their importance. To countthis increased role we feel t he re s ho ul d b e an

wider selection of v ar ia nt s which mi gh t o- thus decreasing the likelihood of any partione being drawn-and we h av e a n um be r of

o ne s t o a dd to t he c ur re nt list.

The intelligence rule is completely new and

its existance at least in part to a desire to give pla chance to overcome the increased role of fatc om pa ss ed in t he n ow mandatory Variant Ev

O ne p lay er p er side m ay s pe nd five B RP s dueach c on str uctio n phase to roll two dice on

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dicer results12+ The opponent's variant counter is nullified if not

yet played. It cannot be replaced. The opponent's variant counter must be disclosed.10 Anation of your choice loses an amount of foreign

aid equal to (but not exceeding the amount of aidalready given) the roll of a die in anyone MinorCountry of your choice.

9 You may draw one unused variant counter. Thisvariant counter must be returned to the unusedvariant counter pile for a possible redraw by eitherside. Thecounter has no effect beyond itsvalue as a

clue regarding the possible identity of the opponent s variant

Opponent must reveal the contents of his SW box.Opponent must reveal the contents of hisMurmansk box.

6,5 No Effect.4 Your intelligence network has been compromised.

Your side may not use the Intelligence Table next

turn.Same as dice roll 4 and the next Intelligenceeffort by your side will cost 10 BRPs.Same as dice roll 4 and the next two Intelligenceefforts by your side will cost 10 BRPs.

The U.S . can't roll while neutral, Russia and

can. When two or mor e players o n t he same

wan t to roll, they set tle it by die rol l. the die

ll ties, the player with mos t BRPs wins.

The opposition can spend five BRPs on

they do, one is subtracted

the intelligence roll; if they don't, one is

The rolling player may select any lower result in

of the resul t he actual ly rolls. He may keep

information gained to himself, or may share it

th his allies. He may even choose to use the result

the roll against a fractious or untrustworthy ally

than against the enemy.

Also completely new is the ForeignAid rule,

which BRPs may be granted to various minor

to reduce or enhance the chance of their

Both Germany and Britain may grant

s to the four standard Axis minor allies, and

Turkey, Spain, Vichy, Ireland, and Iraq. Italy

y grant to Spa in and I raq only; Russiamay grant

Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania . (But Russia is

to use the option with Rumania, the grants

e void if Russia occupies Bessarabia, which she

do if she wishes the East Europe BRPs.)

The granted BRPs actually evaporate, since the

nor s h av e n o independent BRP levels or force

of their own. Grant s to minors a re limited to

10 of the granting power's year start BRP total.

are transferred by SR, each destination count

one against SR total s, and requi re sea escort

applicable. Fo r this rule only, neutral hexes

e treated as i controlled, even in garrisoned,

minor allies. Thus Britain could send BRPs

Hungary via sea escor t-Athens-Bulgaria

and could do so even if a German gar

unit was in Budapes t. Germany can send

to Ireland via Dublin, and Britain orrmany can send to Finland via Helsinki, but us

these non-ports costs double SR.

Whenever a minor ally is due t o activate-be it

of the four that normally activate in summer

or one that is to be act ivated by variant

activating player must roll one or

with one die. Each BRP mor that the minor

s received f rom the oppos it ion s ub tr ac ts one

om the die roll. (Germany has given two BRPs to

Bri tain has given four-there is a net

of -2.) Thus there is no need f or th e

die rol l unl ss the opposi t ion has granted

e BRPs than has the would-be act ivator .

In the case of Vichy, the modifications are done

above if theAxis holdvariant 3 Otherwise, they

e inc luded in the modifica tions to the Vichy

die rolls. Excess Allied aid

Ireland can in the same way affect the play of

variant 2 When a player tries to activate a

minor by variant counter and fails, he can keep try

ing. Although the Spain variant is normally played

only in Spring'41, i t can be retained and tried again

if Allied foreign aid prevents its play that turn.

Through much of the war both sides devoted a

good deal of diplomatic effort to courting Turkey.

Turkey finally did enter the war in February 1945,

when Axis forces were no longer on her border and

no o ne b ut Hitler doubted the outcome. Turkey

may now become a Bri ti sh minor ally under the

right circumstances:

-All ied ground factors in the Mediterranean

Front exceed Axis ground, and Allied naval factors

based on the Med exceed Axis naval. (Italy counts

as Axis, whether neutral or not.)

-Allies control a t least seven of the Mediterra

nean Front objective hexes.

- Turkey is still neutral.

(As mentioned earlier, Turkey, i f a tt ac ked,

automatically becomes a minor ally of y interven

ing power.)

35.5 A sea supply route through one or more of the following ports: Antioch, Beirut, Haifa, and Port Said, wouldalso be limited to a maximum of 18 factors and this limitwould include Italian and Spanish units as well. The 18 factor limits do not apply to factors which can trace anoverland supply route to any non-Libyan port source (i.e.through Turkey or Persia to some source of supply). TheAllies can decrease this maximum limit in a similar manner

to which Malta acts on Libyan supply sources if they havean air unit on Cyprus, Crete or Rhodes or more naval factors stationed in the Mediterranean east of the Suez Canalthan the Axis. Should the above situation arise the amountof supply the German could draw through one or more ofthe above ports is limited to the 18 factor limit minus onefactor for each Allied air factor onCyprus, Creteor Rhodesor within four hexes of the Axis port, and minus one factorfor each Allied naval factor stationed east of the SuezCanal. Note that ifthe Allies stationed two 9-factor fleets inthe Mediterranean east I the Suez Canal no Axis unitscould be supplied through the port.NOT Axis unitsare never automatically in supply solely because they arewithin the limits of this rule. Supply must still be providedby Axis fleets to the respective ports.

Loss of Gibraltar or of Suez/Alexandria now

costs Britain 25 BRPs each-if she loses both, she

loses 50 BRPs altogether . If Gibraltar is lost,

Egypt 's por ts may suppor t only four ground units

and four air/naval counters. These limits wouldn't

apply to units in the Mediterranean that were able

to trace supply to some other source, for example a

controlled Ankara o r Madrid, or a sea supply line

from Britain to a north Spanish port and across

Spain. But the limits do app ly to units at Malta,

even though Malta is a for tress.

Uni ts may SR through the s trai t if Gibraltar is

controlled, regardless of enemy forces on any hex

near Gibra ltar. This is unchanged. They may also

SR into Gibraltar (remaining there) regardless of

adjacent units. The converse is no t true; enemy

units may not SR into hex Z8. Gibraltar may be

bombarded or invaded f rom e ithe r f ront and sea

transport missions from either front may landthere.

At Suez city, displaced fleets must escape t o t he

Mediterranean if thecanal is usable and Gibraltar is

no t hostile. If either condition does no t apply, they

may escape to the Western Front, but they don't

reappear until their side's next SR phase , and then

at SR cost.

Whenever a hostile unit enters a canal-side hex,

the canal becomes inoperable and canno t be used

again until one side or the other has controlled

canal-side hexes for two ompl t game turns. (This

rule also applies to the canal a t Kiel- the two ports

are usable, bu t only as one-front ports until the

damage is repaired.) Either side may use th e Suez

Western Front Sea Escort SR route (throughout the

game) at double SR cost, bu t the Allies may prevent

the Axis from using it by removing one 9-factor

fleet from play. (This simulates a Red Sea blockade

force.)

Iraq has been labeled a British col

Technically it was independent (from 1932)

technically so was Egypt (from 1922). World W

e ra maps generally showed Iraq in the pink o

British Empire; British bases and forces

present much as in Egypt. The Iraqi revolt varia

still quite playable; if British forces are in Mo

the rebels have one turn to capture it for their sup

BRPs cannot be SR'd through I raq. The pro

tion became necessa ry to prevent cost-free

cumvention of the Lend-Lease route.

Even t hough Per si a is l ocat ed within

Mediterranean Front, a player who pays the L

Lease activation costs does not thereby gain a

fensive option throughout that entire front. In

the o ld declarationof war and offensive opt

phrasing has been abandoned entirely in favor

flat 25 BRP charge.

Lend-Lease BRPs have been reduced to a m

imum of 20 per turn. They require sea escort

f or t he first turn of the two-turn transfer pro

They a re cha rged against SRs dur ing both tu

bu t are charged against American in

deployments (if coming from the U.S.) only o

first of the two turns.

BRPs in the Lend-Lease box can be moved

to the West instead of on to Russia if surrend

Russia, cutting of the Lend-Lease route, un

Bolshevik commentary on Western shortcomor some other development causes the grant

change his mind. Or they can remain in the L

Lease box for additional turns (to await a hoped

reopening of a closed route or a diplom

apology, perhaps).

an eastern Mediterranean port-plus-land

route through Turkey is friendly, it may be use

Lend-Lease without paying any activation cost

is subject to t he s ame two -t urn de lay a s is

Pers ian route . Th e BRPs are considered to

reached the port a t t he end of the first turn an

Axis may des troy them the re if they ar e ab

occupy the port before the BRPs move on.

Extensive changes have been made to Murm

convoy rules. All (vice 90 of) unopposed co

BRPs reach Russia. Submarines may oppose

voys even if Germany does not control Norway

eliminate one less BRP per factor than they o

wise would. And:

42.42 Axis fleet strength opposing the convoy is comto Allied fleet strength. (The latter includes the unitEscorting the BRPs as well as any extra convoy protefleets.) the Axis-to-Allied naval ratio is less thannothing happens. For 1-3 and higher ratios a diemade; results are as follows:

1-3: On die roll of 1 ,Axis fleets feint sortie-coscatters and loses an extra BRP for each factor of

marine and air attacks.

1-2: On die rolls I , or 2 Axis fleets sortie, drAllied reaction. Convoy scatters and automaticallyI0 7. of its BRPs (fractions rounded down) plus anBRP for each factor of submarine and air attacks.

I -I : On die rolls 1 , 2 and 3 Axis fleets sortie.voy scatters and loses 20 7. of its BRPs plus an extrafor each factor of submarine and air attacks.

3-2: On die rolls of 1 through 4 Axis fleets sConvoyscatters and loses 30 7.1 its BRPs plusan extrafor each factor of submarine and air attacks.

Any ratio greater than 3-2 is treated as 3-2. Thesefrom surface naval opposition are determined first bany further BRP deductions are made for successfulsubmarine opposition. If the Axis fleets sortie, bothroll a die to determine ifa naval battlewill occur. Theprolling the higher numbermay decide whether to joinor not (Axis player wins ties). If battle is joined, navalare extracted in the normal manner. Regardless of

losses suffered (if any), the percentage convoy BRPnot affected.

42.43 For each air factor in the Murmansk box a die i

ed with the resulting number indicating the BRPs lost

the convoy. (There is a 1die roll modifier if the coscatters and a -I die roll modifier for every excess 9-ffleet beyond those needed to transport the BRPs if thevoy does not scatter. After each air factor attacks an

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


is rolled to see if the air factor survives. The air factoron any die roll less than 6 .There is a + I die roll

for every accompanying 9-fastor fleet providingction (i.e. not needed for transport of BRPs) if the

does not scatter.For each submarine factor in excess of escortingfactors, 3 BRPs are lost from the convoy 4 if convoy

atters). Submarine and ASW counters are mutuallyas in SW resolution in whatever ratio was in

during the YSS of the current year.

Germany's required 25-factor commitment to

e Eastern Front has been reduced to 20, but must

composed of ground andair only. t must be met

the end of each German movement phase and

turn. (The same principle has been applied to

10 factors in Ireland when the IRA variant

played, and to the 45-factor Axis post-conquest

in Russia.) This pretty well ends the Gern tactic of basingair in the east, staging it west toce and then SRing back; although it is still per

for Germany to move or SR units into the

in order to allow other units to exit during the

phase. The penalty for a German shortfall is

of the prohibition on Russian declarations of

Germany falls short of the 45-factor requirethe penalty is more elaborate: Germany must

one Eas te rn Front objective hex of her

and return it t o the Russian player, must lose

BRPs as penalty, a nd may not use SR for anyother than to correct the shortage until the

factors have been reinstated.

Russia may not cross the partition line in Poland

til atwar with Germany. Germanymay, but must

to her own side as soon as Poland falls.

If a reckless Nazi declares war on Russia before

ssia declares war on East Europe, Russia may

any part of Poland without further ceremony.

er Russia nor Germany may enter the Baltic

es until one of them spends 10 BRPs to declareon that area. Bessarabia remains a permanent

of Rumania.

neither Russia nor Germany deigns to declare

ar on East Europe by the end of spring 1940,Poland belongs to whoever controls War

The Baltic States become a separate area

25 BRPs, and Bessarabia again remains partRumania.

PreviouslyGermany could evade much or all of

e effect of the Russian Winter rule by arranging to

war on a fall or winter turn and having few

no uni ts across the original Russian frontier at

onset of winter. This rule is now applied to the

rst winter following German declaration of war

Russia, and Russia may even then be able to

the f irst winter effec ts . Four dice are

at the beginning of the first winter followingof war. the d ice sum exceeds the

of non-Finnish Axis units east of the

border, Russia may choose to postpone

rst winter effects until the following winter.

All pre-1942 res tr ic tions on France-British

apply equally to cooperation betweenand the Western Allies, throughout the

The prohibition on combining to attack the

hex is retained. Neither may give the otherany

of ai r or naval support, neither may dr aw

from a source controlled by the o ther , and

may use air/naval bases controlled by t he

her . No more than ten factors of Western Alliedmay ever be in Russia, and even these would

to be able to trace the ir own supply from a

source.

the Axis declare war on their fellow fascists intheir good will with other authoritarian

ed regimes plummets. Axis variants 1,3,5 and

are cancelled i f not yet played, and the Axis must

ll six or higher with one die (as opposed to to

ivate a minor ally.Corsica becomes Vichy upon the fall of France.

Free French colonies yield BRPs to

tain, Vichy colonies do not yield BRPs to the

BRP CALCULATIONS

The BRP calculations necessary in a yearstart sequence are one of the more difficultportions o f the rules-both old and newrules-for a new player to grasp. They have notbeen changed, and are summarized here:

Previous BaseADD previous year's leftover BRPs

multiplied by the nation's growth rate (omit thisin 1 94 0 Y SS )

SUBTRACT any BR P deficit resulting from

SW lossesN EW B AS E

ADD BRPvalueof appropriateminor countries, conquests, etc. Germany only: add Moscow/Leningrad BRPs if controlled.

AD D in 1940 only) 1939 s leftover BRPsmultiplied by growth rate.

SUBTRACT any BRP deficit not caused bySW losses.

Russia only: SUBTRACT Moscow/

Leningrad BRPs if not controlled.YEAR START TOTAL

SUBTRACT any BRPs spent for SW constru t on

Divide by two, dropping any fraction. (Thisgives the spending limit r rnfor the comingyear.)

Axis upon Vichy activation. a French colony had

been conquered by the Axis before France fell, or if

a Vichy colony was los t to the Allies and recon

quered by the Axis, t hen the Axis could receiveBRPs.

Vichy ceases to exist, and her units are removed,

when the Allies enter Vichy city, or when Germany

fails to r ecap tu re an Allied-controlled Paris. Par

tisans in either city don't result in the deactivation

of Vichy.

A few changes have been made to the Vichy ac

tivation table. The I f or all co lon ies Vichy hasbeen dropped. The 2 for Gibraltar or Suez/Alexandria has been clarified; there can be a total 4addition if the Axis control both areas. There is a-2

i f t he Axis declare war on Spain. Several -I 's a re

clarified: i all French colonies are under Allied con

trol. i Axis forces have violated Vichy territory,

except during the first Axis player turn after the fallof France, and except when intervening against an

Allied attack on Vichy.

i no Axis units are in Africa.

Gibraltar, Norway, Sicily (and all other islands)don't count as a bridgehead or port on the

European continent. No por t or bridgehead counts

if held solely by airborne.

In the 1942 scenario, Axis units may not set up

in Vichy territory. (This eases Britain's defensiveproblems a bit by making Gibraltar lessvulnerable.) Britain controls Tobruk and the desert

to the south and east a t the s ta rt of this scenario.

In multi-playergames, a player may never move

his ground units over hexes controlled by an ally

without consenl, nor may he base his air/naval

units at a base controlled by an ally without con

s en t. A p laye r may not however, refuse to let an

ally trace supply from a source the player controls.

51.5 Whenever on the same turn two allies wish to attackthe same minor country or colony, or to intervene in thesame minor country, and cannot reach agreement on howto proceed, a coin is flipped. Winner of the flip may moveone unit into, or adjacent to the forces of, the territory inquestion. The loser then moves one unit, and they continueto alternate until one or the other does not desire to m ov eany more units in that vicinity. This procedure m ay b e usedeither during Movement, Combat, Exploitation, or SR;and may be adapted for theother instances where allies cannot reach agreement on how to proceed. Since such

disagreements indicate a strain on the alliance, units of thealliesconcerned may not stack togetheron that front for theremainder of that player turn-though units already stacked together could remain so if they did not move.

Those who playtested the new edition have becredited in the rulebook and praised in these pagand rightly so. I wish also to credit some unknowi

participants-those who sent in questions about

rules. If during the past year or so you receive

reply with a star next to some of your questions, ymay have had a hand in the new game. Such starr

questions often, although not always, resul ted i

change or an addition to the new rules; at the v

least they sent me back to the manuscript to pond

and review what had been done. I will concludew

my favorite:Q: Berlin falls, can I SR to Argentina?

A: Yes, if the Russian player doesn't SR youSiberia first.

THIRD REICH 8

Few wargames have maintained th

popularity over the years as well as THIR

REICH the winner of various hobby Be

awards, and to this day the holder of M

P IGN magazine's BestGame of all Tim

honors. This popularity is even more remarkab

in light of the game's admittedly poorly developrules. In recognition of the special qualitiesof thtitle, Avalon Hill has put THIRD REI H throu

the development process again. A teamTHIRD REI H enthusiasts from all around tglobe was assembled to test the revised editio

Years of experience with the earlier edition helpformulate the revision during a b lind play te

session. The results have been more than gratifing with ou r most enthusiastic testing responever.

THIRD REI H 8 is much mor e than

cleaned up version of the old game, although t

rules presentation itself is much improved ovthe first edition. Among the changes is a completely revised mapboard with terrain chang

that have profound effects on the game, whbeing both more functional (no ambiguous hexe

and attractive. The scenario cards have beenvised to provide more useful information at t

player's fingertips and also provide the U.S. aFrench players with their own separate cards.

However, the biggest change is in th e rulthemselves. Not only are they more complete a

better organized, but they contain many desichanges which drastically improve play of tgame. Paramount among these changes are

visions to the Strategic Warfare rules which bri

the U-boats under control by 1944 and accou

for the Luftwaffe's absence f rom the battlefieas they are withdrawn t o p ro tect the Reich fro

Allied strategic bombing. A free Russian Replacment rule portrays the influx of Siberian forcesthe crucial point of the Eastern Front, and maj

changes t o the Murmansk Convoy rules make thaspect of the game almost a game in its own righA completely new innovation is provided in tform of Intelligence and Foreign Aid rules whi

allow more political maneuvering outside tpurely military sphere of the game.

THIRD REI H 8 is available now in a rvised 3rd edition box for 16.00 plus 10 200

Canadian; 30 overseas) postage charges froAvalon Hill. Those wishing only to update the

old g ame may o rd er the parts separately (maboard 8.00, rules 2.00, scenario cards 2.(

Maryland residents please add 5 state sales ta

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


ST TE OF THE RT TO RUKBy Lorrin Bird

guns, suffered one of the rudest awakenings of the

war equal to the T34's introduction to Barbarossa)

when 88's first opened up on them in 94 Africa.

The German Flak 8 not only stopped the vaunted

Matilda, bu t p ro ce ed ed t o d is ma nt le t he ir turrets

and terrorize British armor crews. tappeared that

even the 80mm t hi ck hide of the Matilda was no

match f or t he panzer wonderweapon, which must

have made the cruisercrews protected by 15-40mm

of plate) a bit nervous.

To our way of thinking, the tendency of rounds

to bounceof f armor due to angle of hit is a functionof shell penetration to armor relationships, and the

general procedure of havi ng hit s ricochet without

distinction was too simple.

This, of course, requires an adjustment to the

hit determination and shell damage charts, bu t for

tunately i t was rel at ivel y simpl e. Instead of a di f

ferent hit chart for every tank, our group decided

on a common chart for everyone. The issue of

ricochets, since it is very particular and is a function

of tank armor, w ou ld be i nc lu de d in the damage

resolution procedure.

We de cided to use the following for hit

determination:

In our system, front, side and rear hits would all use

the same chart, whi ch is a gross si mpli ficati on bu t

speeds things up considerably.

The simplified handling of turret mantlet and

frontal face hits will be handled as part of the

damage determination, whe re a l ot of the separate

s te ps p re vi ou sl y r eq ui re d will b e wrapped into a

number of very basic assumptions.

Having done away with the automatic ricochets,

the n ex t s te p is to work them into the damage

system. As previ ousl y not ed, t he t endency of shellsto bounce should b e a f un ct io n of how much theirpenetration exceeded the armor they hit. More part ic ul ar ly , c on si de r t he f ol lo wi ng d ata th at was

If a shell c an penetrate an armor plate out

given range when hitting head on, towards the o

limits of that range there will be a tendencbounce of f d ue t o a ng le hi ts .

In game t erms, we just assumed thatat the o

six hexes where penetration is possible, one thi

all h it s will bounce of f besi des angl e effectsdividual rounds a lwa ys de vi at e a little from

average penetration f ig ur e) . T hi s m ea ns that

50mmL/42 shell can damage a tank out to 2 he

from 7-12 hexes one third of the hits will ricoc

Six hexes was c hos en since it represe nts

met ers, a dist ance wit hi n whi ch shell s usual ly lgood share of their penetration, and the one-

ricochet factor was p ic ke d so that a fair sh arnon-bouncing hit s woul d accrue.

So, if our 50mmL/42 did hit at II hexes a p

of armor it wa s o nl y capable of damaging out t

hexes, after the hit one die would be rolled. On aof five or six, t he shot fai led t o damage this

provides for penetrations that got into the tank

did nothing).

The end result is that th e fav ore d 88,

hi tti ng a Stuart front at any r an ge , will nricochet a change my British opponents will nforget or forgive). Besides being a bit more logthings like this will help speed up play, s

ricochets helped build the number of rolls neede

knockout a t arget vehicle.

30

25 1

450

7 1

60

16 1

A 40mm plat e, when hit at an angle of 30 deg

from t he p er pe nd ic ul ar see f igur e o ne ), re

penetration as if it were 25 7 thicker, or 50m

t hi ckness. Whi le a shell capable of wasting 13

of armor wouldn't feel too much more resistan

a 30 de gr ee a ngl e, a round with 45mm penetra

would p robabl y ricochet since the effecarmor exceeds t he shell penetration. So ricoc

should be a f un ct io n of penetra tion to armor,

how do we pop t hi s i nt o our game system

playable manner?

Resorting to t he o ld g ro ss assumption too

for a quick and d ir ty method, the follo

policy was formulated:

~

igure A s ang le of shell incidence increases, the armor

penetrated also increases

Increase in

Angle of Hit Armor Resistance

Target Aspect Definition

As defi ned in TOBRUK where the vehicles

t he f la t part of a hex f ig ur e 2), t he a ngl e of f

hits is limited to 30 degrees either side of t he t a

direction. While this selection simplifies the fro

angles that might conceivably come u p, it m aktoo simple to s co re a f la nk h it , and dist orts t he

mor rating system.

Aspect Hit

TurretUpper Hull

Lower Hull

Suspension or Track

2-5

6-7

8-9

10-12

Die Roll

After reading about t he 88 s t ot al domination of

many battles, and how nothing could really turn

away its shells, we were taken by storm when 88mm

hits of Stuarts in TOBR UK failed to damage. Doinga little math, we discovered that almost 60 of the

88 hits on the front of a Stuart do nothing at all.

Gett i ng i nt o t he armor mechanics of t he t hi ng,

one finds further proof that something is amiss. At

525 meters, or about seven hexes i n TOBRUK an

88 can penetrate 130mm of armor hit h ea d on.Stuarts, according to our data, have about 40mm of

frontal armor, so the 88 c an bla st through threetimes the Stuart armor at seven hexes. E ve n

accounting f or a ng le d h it s, t he re is v er y l it tl e l o gi c

that suggests that 88 h it s will bounce a wa y t hr ee

t imes i n every five hit s.

Of course, one could always assume that the

rounds blew through t he t arget tank, bu t without

hitting anything? An 88mm shell is about 3.5 inches

across, and even if it didn't hit anyt hi ng, t hemet al i t

would throw around the tank interior would cer

tainly make t hi ng s a li tt le uncomfortable, i f not

totally chaotic wo uld you s ta y in a t ank t hat had

been porth ole d b y a gun, and woul d cert ai nl y be i n

store for more rounds if you didn't give some sign

t ha t the tank was out of action-like bailing out).

When TOBRUK first came out in 1975, manyof

e ideas included in the game were among the most

vanced concept s i n armor miniatures gaming.

ver t he l ast fi ve years, however, innovations and

p ro ve me nt s i n t he w or ld of armor simulation

ve rendered many of TOBRUK s rules relatively

t-of-date. This article investigates several of the

or rules where current thinking has evolved to

e p oi nt w he re a r ev is io n m ig ht h el p, and offers

ional solutions.

When our group first played TOBRUKback in

977, t here was no doubt in a ny of our minds that

e game represented t he ul ti mat e i n armor gamingn the I: I scale one tank equals one tank, unlike

LEADER wh er e a tank counter was a

From t he rel at ive rate of f ir e w hi chmany a sore wri st the next day for the British

to the different armor thicknesses over the

of a tank u pp er hull, lower hull, turret

tlet, etc.), this game had it all, and in a s im pl er

than many of the fancy miniatures rules.

As t ime went on, and we experimented with the

rious mi ni atures rul es that started to be com e

ailable, problems with TOBRUK came to light.

les for miniature tank batt les wit h scale model s

many shortcuts which served t shorten

aying time, although t hey did overl y general ize

of the combat steps. We occasionally found

e forty turn TOBRUK scenario a little unwieldy,felt that we were actually sitting out t here i n t he

elt ering desert as t he hours t ic ke d b y w ith dice

predominating. We all agreed that the game

ld use some streamlining.Combat resul ts also hel d a few rel at ive misgi v

gs, as some of the determinations conflicted with

or miniatures rules and what thinking we could

um up regarding the issue. In particular, the large

of automatic ricochets on f ronta l hits

metimes left one feeling odd, as the ferocious

8 rounds trickled of f of t he t inni est armor

Whyfore, we brazenly asked?

Since TOBRUK will always remain dear to our

and really detailed games or rules coveringe 1942 North African conflict are in short supply,

decided to take all of the most recent design in

and see if t he old game) warhorse could

instilled with new blood. To our satisfaction, wethat TOBRUK s system was lively enough to

ept a number of revisions without crumbling or

coming a monsterof unplayability , and the

lowing represents our findings and suggested

le updates.

88 Phenomena

Based on our readings on North African battles,

ere was no doubt tha t the German 88 millimeter

n was t he most feared and productive part of the

ika Korps battle plan. Whether on the defense,

here t he y we re use d to cut apart British armor

r theywere lured into a t rap, or used offensively

bl ow a wa y a ny e ne my tanks at l ong range that

r ed t o counterattack, 8 8 s we re the most lethalpon i n Afri ca.

The e qu al ly f ea re d (for a while, anyway)

i lda, whose armor was beyond the m ea ns of

It is hard to believe that anyone wouldchallengerealism of TOBRUK Playability or excitement

sure but the historicity? Designer Hal Hochought more impressive credentials to his design

anyone else before or since. We re not sayingBird is correct; we l l let you decide his

hanges give the game a beller feel .

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Figure S: Movement mechanics

re4: Alternativetarget aspect system(movement intoone of two

rontal hexes)

4 hexes YS. TU R

4 hexes YS. LH3 hexes YS. LH20 hexes YS. LH4 hexes YS. UH16 vs. LH

II hexes YS. UH LH, 10 YS. T

3 YS. UH, 7 YS. TUR

Treat LH UH the same7 hexes YS. LH, 9 YS. TUR

9 hexes YS. UH LH

3 YS. LH UH, 12 YS. TUR 3 YS. LH UH, YS. TUR

7 hexes YS. UH LH

7 hexes YS. TUR7 YS. UH, II YS. LH, 9 vs. TUR

16 YS. LH UH, 3 vs. TUR

Maximum Effective Rangeno KG YS. turret any rangeUse TUR for LH 3 hexes against LHNo KG vs. TUR at any range16 hexes vs. LH UH12 hexes vs. TUR17 hexes vs. LH UH12 hexes YS. TURAutOmatic K/C3 YS. LH

All50mm Short

(APCR)50mm Long50mm Short

(APCR)50mm Longide

Matilda FrontFront

FrontSide

Rate Of FireThis, as far as we could tell, was on e of the w

causes of the W R T SE atmosphere t

permeated most of the dice throwing TO R

games. Throwing for 3-11 shots per weapon, tar

section hits an d then damage was justtoo much.a long comes another one of those beautsimplifications that will make the game m

playable.

Front 50mmShort

(APCR)50mmLong50mmLong

(APCR)

These changes are basically major prob

areas that were discovered while pouring over evarmor statistic an d gun capability. Given the en

mous amounts of research that were required to

the game together, we assume that somewhalong the line a few mis takes were input into

machinery. Fo r instance, the Valentine60-65mm of frontal armor, with 65mm on the tu

front. T he G er ma n 50mm long cou ld penet78mm at 500 meters, so should be able to destro

Valentine frontally beyond the 225 meter range

TOBRUK now allows.

Th e PzKw IIIh changes are somewhat more stle, since they ar e based on the relative mix of

various Mark I II models in the deser t.

Th e Af ri ka Korps could never claim stadherence to a firm mix of tank models, since attime of Gazala the pz III s were made up of III

an d h models, each with differing armor. And ethe IIIH s could dif fer, s ince a sol id 75mm hitthe frontal spaced armor would probably blowplate to bits (most of the IIIj s t h atare shown in

tures don t retain the turret spaced armor, the lik

victim of a 6 pd r. or 75mm hit). What is include

ou r optional changes is a fair commonground uwhich to determine likely damage results, and

claim to strict purity is advanced.

We did no t try to get into the different level

t an k d am a ge that TOBRUK does with ou r r

sions, bu t would suggest that players treat dam

ing hit s as KO s for simplicity sake.

PzKw IIIh

Aspect GunFront 2 pdr.

Front 37mm

Front 6 pdr.

Front 75mm

Front 25 pdr.

PzKw IIIj

Front 2 pdr.Front 37mmFront 6 pdr.Front 75mm

Valentine

Front 50mm Short(APCR)

Front 50mm LongSide 50mm Short

APCR)Side 50mm Long

Notes2-4

Roll toImmobilize

ATR sWeapon Type

20mm Breda,PzKw gun

Up to 41mm 2-5 2pdr., BoforsUp to 57mm 2-8 6pdr.Up to 90mm 2-10 Included here is 25 pdr.

Th e added lethality oflarger shells is d ue t o theirsize, weight (75mm rounds scale o ut at a bo ut 15

pounds, while 40mm rounds ar e under 2 pounds),

an d explosive charge (they have more chance of

blowing of f a wheel, or bending an axle).

Armor an d Shell RevisionsWhile the various sources commonly used fo r

armor gaming almost always dif fer in their armor

thicknesses an d shell penetration, we prefer sources

that give different results from TO RUKUsing Von Senger an d Etterlin an d the T NK

CH RTS set of armor minia ture s rules, we

modified the following damage ranges:

Suspension Hits

If TOBRUK were taken literally, the answer to

the King Tiger would ha d to have been the Bofors

anti-aircraft gun. What bet te r t ac tic cou ld one

think of than attacking the most heavily armored

beast on th e battlefield, on e which could defeat hitsby an y gun, with a weapon that almost always

wou ld blow the t racks of f th e Tiger II. Once the

g iant were immobi li zed, t he assaul t wou ld pe ter

o ut , a nd artil lery could bury the enemy panzer.

As it s tands now, t rack hit s always immobilize,

which is a very simplified version of the truth, ifever there were one.Logic wou ld tell us, ri ght of f the b at , t ha t a

track capable of carting around a seventy t on t an k

would sometimes be able to ward of f hits by Y inchanti-tank rifle shells, letalone shells with practically

no penetrating capabil ity at all. While nothing inNorth Africa approached a King Tiger (or even half

of one), the assumption that Bofors, anti-tank rifle

an d 20mm hits would always tear apart tracks an d

bust wheels is just to o general an d weak.Without getting into considerations of relative

track strengths, one ca n pu t together a reasonablydetailed an d realistic model by assuming the follow

ing:

High Explosive Tank Fire

While the Grant is on e of the most inaccuratelong distance tanks when it comes to firing its 75mm

gun, the rules indicatethat

the 75mmHE

factorswill always l and in the t arge t hex. A 75 meter wide

hex may be a big area about 250 feet across), bu t

hav ing a gun incapab le of hitting a tank at 1300

meters landing an HE shell inside a 75 meter circle

at that range boggles the mind. An d this is more

than a moot point, since the Grant can immobilizetrucks, halftracks an d infantry in the open with

those unusually accurate HE blasts.

If a tank gun can t land a direct hit inside that 75

meter hex, we don t see how th e fragmentation fac

tors will ever hurt anybody. While on e can always

pu t for th the fac t that HE shots don t have to h itdirectly, bu t only l and nearby, we ca n reply with

two facts;

I. HE shell lethal areas ar e usually less than 30

meters, meaning they have to be accurate inside of

the hex.2. HE shells are fired at slower velocities than

armor piercing rounds and therefore are more inaccurate.

With quite a bit of logic on our side, we can

safely say that HE f ragmentation factors fromdirec t fire weapons should have to undergo the

same hit/miss procedure as ant i- tank f ire but notarget size modifiers in deference t o t h e lethalradius

of HE rounds).

REAR

SIDE SHOT

FRONT

SHOTS

What this all suggests is that the arc of flank

be reduced, both to more realistically reflect

at const itutes a side hit (at 60 degrees f ro m t he

de perpendicular, many hits would land on the

rontal armor, a problem we would l ike to glanceer for playabili ty purposes), an d to resolve the

gle effects issue with the least offensive assump

tions possible.

FRONT

Th e solution appears to be, at its simplest level,

to ape the SQU D LE DER system a nd p oi nt

tanks towards the corners of the hex. This greatlyreduces the ease with which on e previously scored a

flank hit, an d while avoiding a direct confrontation

with angle effects (which would really fill ou t the

playing hours with die rolls an d mathematical gyrat ions), gives us a more reasonable model of target

aspect problems. While things ar e still too simplistic

for the purity freaks,TOBRUK s

primary concernshould be a playable game a nd n ot something that

Einstein would have trouble finding fault with (let

alone playing a game inside of a light year).

ure3: The TO RUK nank sho definition allowsside hils at 60°

What compounds the large flank arc is the effecta rm or resistance of allowing hits at 60 degrees

om head on to be treated as perpendicular flank

ots . Figure 3 shows a target PzKw IIIh being hitjust inside the flank arc , a round that will

KO the t an k d ue to the flimsy side armor.

reality, at that angle of shot, the flank armor will

sist penetration as if it were 2. 6 times its basickness (due to the effects of angled hits that were

iously described).Instead of being a chintzy 30mm thick, the side

the panzer III will react to armor piercing shot as

it were 78mm thick, th e equivalent of a Matilda

s front.

To get into it a little deeper, the a rc in which

ank shots are def ined extends for a range of 120ees, twice that of th e frontal arc. Sincegetting a

ank hit often spells doom for the poor target, theatively liberal range of flank hits makes careless

acement a deadly game.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Instead of rol ling for every shot, why not rollbut allow for multiple hits?For example, a weapon with one shot rolls oncea hit, but if two shots are cal led for, rol ling thescore obtains one hit, but rolling two above thescore results in two hits. Three above the hitreallows three hits (given a ROF of 3, of course),Say a PzKw IIIh is firing on an acquiredusader, and needs a hit score of 6 for a successfulot. Then here is how the dice rolls would be inter

Roll Number of Hits2 5 None6 7 One Hit8 Two Hits9 Three Hits

1O l2 Four Hits

the ROF had gone up to six, then the chart

have been extended.Note that while this chart does not strictlyrelateprobabilities of throwing individual rolls to thecentages presented on the table, it has enough

graces to excuse the differences. For oneing, a weapon with 35 shots will never score moren six or seven hits (depending on the hit score),

not only saves your wrist from futurehritis pains, but assumes multiple hits on onerget section will not createthe additional mayhem

at more rolls would require. Cutting down on theof hits has got to liven things up.

On the negative side, an awful lot of shot throwsresult in hits , which may be a wild assump

on considering that six shots may be involved.in mind, however, that this will really speed

ings up and will even bring a little suspense intogame (it 's now a totally h it or miss affair. t

intuitively brings into play the duel concept,if all six shots miss with one roll, one can

that the enemy hit the tank befo re the maof rounds could be fired of f (ifit is done in).tank combat is a wild and wooly affair, and is

ot easily simulated (a few Churchill tanks onceerran a horde of firing 8 8 s , PzKw Ill s and

's and 75mm anti-tank guns, a feat none of mymes ever duplicated), assumptions really can t beoved or disproved with any degree of certainty.In fact, carrying this a bit f ur the r, the use of

tank fire in TOBRUK is an assumptionat aids in the play but has no relat ionsh ip toality. No tank is going to wait untilthe other tanksfired of f all of their rounds before opening up.

he use of one roll to simula te many sho ts is no i n the wrong than alternate tank shots, and

is upon this gross assumption that the use of

y shots rol led into one systems are based.is a game, and assumes things for or should have that are not technically

rrect. So there, nitpickersWhile on the subject of alternating fire, here's

additional rule to consider.Instead of alternating fire, tank by t ank, why

ot use a priority system that bases who fires firstROF, crew morale, and a random roll. Beforembat starts (but after movement), each side rollssix-sided dice, with the higher score giving the

rower the first shot based on the following

Higher ROF always goes first if they've acired a target.2. Higher roll fires all his units first, i fno tanksve acquired a target, or many have (higher rolleaks acquisition tie).3. Anti-tank guns always fire first.Modifiers: - I to roll if British and defending. two PzKw IIIh are firing on a Matilda, andpz III and the Matilda are fir ing on acquired

and the roll is higher for the panzers (or is a, which goes to the DAK), the firing order is:

IIIh with acquisi tion, Matilda, remaining

Instead of playing these sort of games, we usuallyl imit tanks to their ini tial rate of fire (battlefieldsare confused, dusty and panic stricken, and provingground ROF may be too high), and whoever rollshigher fires of f all their weapons first. Allowing forno hits helps to reduce the overwhelming advantagefirst fire might otherwise allow. Players can experiment with this further, and assume their own conventions, but anything that quickens play will be abig plus.

VisibilityWhile the good old 88 s quite capable of hitting

targets out to 1600 meters and beyond, manyBritish tankers commented on the fact that glare,dust and whatever often limited visibility to 1000meters. In addition, some targets, like infantry on

foot, justcan t be seen beyond 500 meters, especiallyif they re stationary. Add on to this the fact thathedgehogs, weapon pits and other defensive posit ions were often camouflaged, and one can appreciate the fact that Rommel did not look on hisTOBRUK board and count hexes to see where histroops were to go.

The following rules are very basic, and simple,but help to bring the problems of visibility into thegame;

I. No fire may be directed at weapons inhedgehogs, weapon pits or other depressed coveruntil the turn after they open fire.2. Camouflaged weapons that are in depressed

cover will not be detected until the enemy is in thesame hex.

3. Towed weapons in the open cannot be firedupon unti l the nearest radio equipped unit is tenhexes away ( 88s and other large guns are treatedas vehicles in the open, and guns in the open whenthey're in depressed cover).4. Infantry on foot are invis ible if more than

eight hexes from an enemy unit.

Range Measuring RulerCounting hexes can sometimes be a real drag,

and range determinations are really speeded up byusing a ruler. Just take a piece of cardboard, about

16 inches long and I-liz inches wide, and using oneof the maps layout the one-hex intervals (basing thelengths on center-to-center dis tances). Whenmeasuring, anything more than a full hex is roundedupwards.This is a relatively simple thing, but when all of

the end runs mentioned in this art icle are used, theend result is a streamlined game of TOBRUK that

becomes c onsidera bly more playable and

enjoyable.

Machine Guns On Tanks

TOBRUK is presently one of the few WWII

systems that state that the turret MG was morelethal than the hull version. This is open todiscussion.

Turret MGs depend on the rotation of the turretfor sweep and accuracy, which is more constrainingthan a bal l mounted hull machine gun. There alsoappears to be better visibility from the hull. On theother hand, turret models won t vibrate as much, sothe fire will be more accurate.

Our final arbiter, in this issue, was CROSS OF

IRON where hullMG s generally get twice asmany

factors as turret models . So be it.Therefore, we quartered the turret MG factors,

and halved the hull MG effects, since our play indicated tha t tank machine guns were having toolethal an impact at long range and while groups ofvehicles were firing on the move. Once again,players are urged to experiment with this on theirown, since these things are subjective to a grea t

ConclusionAs this article has stated several times, these

gested revisions are put fort h primar ily toplayers into an experimenting mode, and are notended to be the final word on the subjects. Wtime, any system will naturally grow old, stalebehind the times, and by occasionally reviewincent accomplishments and concepts the old carevived, and brought into a competitive poswith the best of the new.

MICROCOMPUTER GAME

UP TE

TheMicrocomputer Game Division of AvaHill has expanded its line to provide cassprograms for the ATARI 800 as well as diskefor the TRS-80 II , APPLE II, and ATARI

computers.All fou r cassette versions come in the s

package; unless specified otherwise below; thTRS-80 II, APPLE II, PET, and ATARI 800sions are spaced at intervals on the same tDiskette versions come with only one versionpackage so it is important that you specifycomput er you intend to use the program fowell as noting the varying memory requiremof the different programs. A complete listinMicrocomputer offerings follows.

B-1 NUCLE R BOMBER is available incassettes for all four computers for $15.00. Adiskette is available for the TRS-80 and APP

and a 24K version for the ATARI for $20.MIDW Y C MP IGN is available in

cassettes for the TRS-80, APPLE, and PET

32K for theATARI for $15. 32K diskette versare available for the TRS-80 and APPLE, a40K version for the ATARI for $20.

NORTH A T L N Tl C C ON VOY R ID

and NUKEW Rare available in 16K cassetteall four computers for 15 each. 32K Diskette

the TRS-80 and APPLE, and a 24K versionthe ATARI are available for $20.

PL NETMINERS is available in 16K cassfor the TRS-80, APPLE, and PET and a 24Ksion for the ATARI for $15. 32K disket tesavailable for the TRS-80, APPLE, and AT

for $20.00 each.LORDS OF K RM is available in

cassette for the TRS-80, 32K for the APPLE

PET, and 40K for the ATARI for $20.00.diskette versions are available for the TRS-80APPLE only for $25.

COMPUTER CQUIREis available incassettes for the TRS-80, APPLE , and PET

$20. 32K disket tes are available for the TRand APPLE for $25.

CONFLICT 2500 is available in 16K cassfor the TRS-80, APPLE and PET, and a 32Ksion for the ATARI for $15.00. 32K diskettesavailable for the TRS-80 and APPLE, and aversion for the ATARI for $20.

M JOR L E GUE B SEB LL is availin a 16K cassette version for the TRS-80, an32K version for the APPLE for $25.00. Adiskette for the TRS-80 and a 48K diskette foAPPLE are available for $30.00.

EMPIRE OF THE OVERMIND is availin 48K cassettes for theTRS-80 andAPPLE a40K version for the ATARI for $30.00.diskettes for the TRS-80 and APPLE

available for 35 each.T NKTlCS is available in 16K cassettes

the TRS-80, APPLE , and PET and 24K forATARI for $24. 32K diskettes for theTRS-80APPLE, and a 40K version for the ATARI

available for $29.00.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


AIW POINT BY POINT By James C. Gordon

OR LOOK WHAT YOU VE STARTED TOM OLESONI

In the chart below are li sted the modifying

and the changes that they enact.

If imitation is truly the sincerestform offlattery,

m Oleson has to be feeling prelly good by now.e premise for his 97 article Situation 13 has

s tered more spin-of fs than Mary Tyler MooreD D combined. The concept should begetting

bit tired by now, but on the off chance that someIW enthusiast out there is frustrated because

meone hasn' t applied the formula to his game,we go again .

Since tanks and A type tank destroyers are

basic weapon in all three games, that is again the

art ing point for summing the basic factors. The

capability of the tanks and TD's, whenir factors are combined into a single total, is the

del against which al l other AFVs will be com

and modified.

Contrasting the earlier articles, all tanks, plus

e Arab SU-lOO, add two to their AF andMFfor

rruns. representing the addition to the die roll

d the movement points required. The RF remains

same, and the DF is raised for Hull Down (two

the Israelis, one for the Arabs), and for Smoke

f the unit is capable). All Arab uni ts, plus t he

TDs, are without Split-Fire-and-Movement

d Carrying abilities. both lowering the MF by

-quarter. (The base MF is lowered by one

twice, before the two is added for

The light armor category contains a mixture of

n its, with t he common element being mobil ity

nd Hul l Down) . The light tanks are totalled as

t anks , a lth ough th e Israeli AMX-13 is

thout Car ry ; the Arab PT-76 is missing Carry,

In t he spi ri t of Tom Oleson's Situat ion 13

E GENERAL Vol. 8, No. I) and Robert

AbstractPanzer Leader (Vol. 14, No.

, this is a third generation article. The objective is

re-es tabl ish the sys tem for 'free unit selection

ena rios us ing the same basic concept of 'unit

totals'. A single point value is derived for al l

ts in th e game, and each player is allowed to

oose whichever uni ts he desires as l ong as t he

number of points expended does not exceed anupon maximum.

Although al l three games are s imilar , each has

own unique pieces and game sys tem which

cessitate developing new standards for

ulating the point totals. In AIW there are new

capabilities to con si de r, a long with t he new

types that have arisen in modern armies, and a

of changes in these weapons' effectiveness.

difference between AIW and the earlier

is the increased participation of ai r units, in

and Advanced capacities, allowing a number

weapon types to be carried.

For most units, the four basic factors (AF, RF,

, MF) are summed with allowances and

odifications for twelve capabilities (or in

some of which are in contrast to the

s tems devised in the earlier art ic les. A few unitsve specific modifiers that app ly only to that

t ype , which will be exp la in ed with t he ir

ctive categories.

Minefields are total led by adding all relev

factors; specifically, the odds they a tt ack a t,

number of favorable results, and the fac to rs

volved in removing them: the odds that engine

attack at to remove them, t he ir chance s fo

favorable result, and the minimum number of tu

for this activity. The three types of minefields,

2 1 and 3 1 have three , five and six chances fo

result of some kind, respectively. Engineers alw

attack at2-1 odds (giving them two chances f

result), and must attack at least twice to disarm

entire field.

Neutr al count ers a re also included in

calculations, and given point totals appropriate

their participation in the game. Fort counters s

with their DF of ten, and add two for the die rol l

dit ion, and four more for the improvement on

morale table, for infantry types. The last two to

also apply to Improved Position counters.

Assessing th e t ota ls f or Basic A ir Str ik es

similar to that for Off-board art il lery. F irst ,

AFs are taken f rom the game scenarios; the Ar

can use 1 or 16, while the Israelis choose from21 or 22. All attacks are class A .Next, thesta

ard range for Bas ic s tr ikes is one, but there is

option to shift the targe t hex by one on the turn

attack, making the RF two. Combining the c

A weapon and the range of two on the W

doubles theAF for all strikes. There is no DFor

involved in the Basic rules , and each s tr ike can

used only once.

Advanced Air Strikes differ f rom the Basic

that they use jet and helicopter counters, and

carry a varie ty of weapon types, attack strengt

and corresponding range factors . In addition,

Israeli helicopters have organic weapons, and b

sides have units capable of transporting infan

types.

The Israeli Huey Cobra, with an A cweapon, is totalled as an anti-tank weapon, reta

ing all four f act or s as they appear . The UH

mounts an I weapon, but retains its total

against (st rict ly) non-armored tar ge ts. B

transport unit s, t he UH-I and the Arab M

double their MF for their Carry 31 ability.

uni ts have a DF, but not any MF because of th

unlimited movement. They can be placed o n

hex on any turn.

The AF and RF for a ir s tr ikes carried by th

units varies according to the weapon type and

WECo Indiv idua l point total s for the A ,

and H/(H) class AFs are restricted to those u

in the game scenarios. Class A s tr ikes use

same AFs as the Basic game (doubled), plus an

of three. The Israeli G strikes have an AF of

whi le the Arabs use 30, with a range factortwelve. With H/(H) attacks, the Israelis use

the Arabs 20, and the range is zero. The AF

G strikes is total led at face value , while the

type is halved; jet units add their DF,

helicopters also add their MF. Like Basic s tr ik

Advanced s tr ikes can only be used once (al thou

the hel icopters can use their organic weapons

number of times).

Block and Trench counters each cost five po

for their relative effect on movement, and

engineering requirements to remove them. Ass

Boats, though not included as counters, have co

for the ir DF (I), their singular usage ( I) , and

costs (x3) in transporting units across the canal

Art il le ry comes in four varie ties : towed (in

cluding mortars), self-propelled, off-board, and

anti-aircraft. Beyond the standard DF and MF

modifications (disregarding SMF and Carry).

regular art il lery is factored mainly for indirect f ire

ability, counting RF- (the usable percentage) and

AF Y (strength against armored targets); AA units

use Y AF if the RF is over six. Off-board AFscome

from the game scenarios, and is combined with

3AF f or t he RF.

Eng inee r vehicles p re sent a uni que p robl em

because their standard factors do not include any

allowance for special engineering abi li ties . The

basic factors are totalled like other units, except

that no points are los t for lacking an ability, and

then an individual modifier is applied to each unit

to cover its engineering specialty. The flail tanks

add V2MF for fla il ing abi li ty; the AVLB bridgersadd 3MF I, to include the single turn expenditure

in laying a br idge and the maximum of three per

game tha t can be ins ta ll ed . Fer ry uni ts a re Am

phibious, and must expend their entire MF twice to

transfer one unit; their MF is total led as 2 (2MF-I).

Final ly, the Arab PMP bridgeplayer and MLG

minelayer are total led exact ly the same, each mov

ing at the Truck rate, and doubling their MF for

engineering abilities.

SMF and Smoke, but it is Amphibious. The

recoilless rifle jeeps have a modification for Cross

Country movement only. The Israeli armored in

fantry and scout j eep mount I class weapons,counting their RF asone, with the armored infantry

also possessing Smoke and Amphibious movement.

Regular infantry units raise their AF by two for

Close Assault Tactics, while combat engineers add

three, accounting for die roll modifications (as with,

Overrun). The RF is one, since that's the only effec

tive range for CAT attacks. All i nfan try and

engineer units have Hull Down and Smoke, and the

regular infantry types also have Special Infantry

capabilities.

Only the Arabs are equipped with infantry anti

tank weapons of an A class, and against

armored targets the spl it in effectiveness is at a

range of six hexes, rather than the V2RF cut-offs

in the earlier games. If the RF is greater than six, the

AF is halved, otherwise the total AF is used. Theonly other modifier is Hull Down, raising the DF.

The major new weapon type included inAIW is

the G class missile, including infantry anti-tank

weapons and mobile tank des troyers, which can

only attack armored targets. All units use their total

AF, and subtract two from the ir RF, excep t for the

Israeli TOW MI13AI ( the only uni ts which can be

used at ranges of one or two hexes). Wireguided fire

direction and Hull Down alter the DF. and various

units move with Cross Country or Amphibious

abilities, or at the Truck rate.

Transportation is provided by trucks and

several types of armored personnel carriers, carry

ing I and A class weapons , and moving at

various rates . The BMP and OT62, with A

weapons, are treated as mobile TDs, retaining the

total AF because their RF is under six. All other

units total these factors as infantry (AF, RF or one).

None of these units have Smoke, but all have Hull

Down and Overrun (except the trucks). Movement

rate mod if ier s i ncl ude C ro ss Coun tr y, Am

phibious, and lack of SMF, plus the truck rate for

the BTR 152 and 60, and the trucks (surprise?),

which also double their MF for towing artillery.Cross Country MF -

Truck MF - Y

Amphibious 2MF-I

Carry T MF X 2

Special Infantry MF x 2

Wire Guidance DF - Y

DF lo r 2

DF 1

AF MF 2MF-V<

MF-V<

AF + or 3

ll Down

hout SMF

out Carry

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


configuration can r ea ll y be t ri vi al , excep t

hen the Suez Canal edge is being used, but if a die

ll index is appreciated, it exists:

first

die second die roll

roll 1 2 3 4 5 6

1 500 1100 1700 2300 2900 3500

2 600 t200 1800 2400 3000 3600

3 700 t300 1900 2500 3100 3700

4 800 1400 2000 2600 3200 3800

5 900 1500 2100 2700 3300 3900

6 1000 1600 2200 2800 3400 4000

Point totals for both sides can also be set ran

omly by the players , 500 or 1000 is the total sug

sted in earlier articles, although the pieces in IW

end to be priced somewhat higher on the

than those in P IP a systematic

is d es ir ed for setting the point total

at s tar t , the idea of a di e rol l i ndex can beplied using two die rolls, instead of one, to in

ease the possible spread of results:

Bridges have totals equal to their DF (24), ifthey

in place a t the start of the game. Otherwise, their

is according to their construction time. Normal

taking 60 turns, Infantry Bridges 5, and

uts taking 40 turns to place in the same manner.

With t he individual uni t point to ta ls estab

shed, there are still several aspects of any potential

remaining to be quali fied . These can be

i nto three sections. Fir st , t he re are the

prior to the ini tial setup, including

rale levels, number of turns to be p layed,

Of boards to be used and their configura

and , mos t importantly, the total number of

nts available to each side to use in selecting units.

e second group involves initial deployment, and

y factors that take place during play, such as late

air strikes, etc. Las tly, there are the objec

conditions, and levels of victory that each side

striving for.

19

37.5

28

31.5

35

50/52.5

22/44/46

47/69171

128

84

M3 Halftrack

Sherman Flail

M-60 AVLB

Twin 20mm on M3

251br How. OBA

t05mm How. OBA

155mm How. OBA

Basic Air

Jet A

Huey Cobra G

UH-I Transportation

There are many alternate methods for set

up , beyond th e r equir ements for specific u

noted above, that apply to the general situation

the scenario. The basic method is for each s ide

deploy all of their units on-board from the

ginning, each with a board to consider as their

ritory, and all units face up. Build ing from

setup, one or both sides can turn some of their u

upside down (except static counters, like bridg

forts , etc.), even to the extent that all units begi

a hidden state. t is quite easy for an attacke

be in the dark as to the deployment and strength

his opponent before he joins battle, just a

defender may not always know what type of forc

approaching him. I am a firm believer in hid

movement for t ac ti ca l games , not just unt il

point of sighting or con tact , but also at any t

that a unit has broken contact to the point whe

cannot be seen by any enemy units.)

The next step in deployment variation is

reserve some units off-board at start, determi

either by a percentage of the total number of

points, or simply a percentage of the total units

either side is allowed more than one board

setting up, a set percentage can be determined

each board tha t they occupy, plus an additio

total for off-board. The most logical division he

to halve the total in question, allowing one gr

on-board and the other off. While one side setsin this manner, the other can be allowed to deplo

a hidden state, g iving each s ide an advantage

some kind.

In addition to l imiting each side to one or

boards for deployment, there can be further res

tions according to area or Battlegroup desig

tions. The first is derived from examples fo

once again in the game scenarios and serves a

general restriction for deployment, while the

ond point is an extension of the first (also sugge

Infantry 23

Machinegun 19

Combat Eng. 17

Pontoon Eng. t

SSII Missile on M3 54.5

TOWMI13AI 74

COBRA 40

COBRA reload 3

81mm Mortar 23.75

120mm Mortar 33.75

Truck 8

MI13AI 28

Israeli Unit Point Totals

45

48

55

66

67

64

66

30.5

46.25

36

15.5

32.5

1 -34/85 30 BRDM-I Rocket 62 MTU-2 AVLB 32

1 -55 37 SAGGER 44 GSP Minelayer 25

T-IOM 39.5 SAGGER reload 3 PMP Carrier 15

1 -62 40 82mm Mortar 18 Shilka SPAA 32.5

Centurion III 50.5 120mm Mortar 28.75 ZPU-414.7mm 22

1 -34/100 39 251br How. 34.75 S-60 57mm 60

SU-lOO 48.5 122mm How. 46.5 122mm OBA 42

PT-76 28 140mm MRL 43.5 130mm OBA 45.5

106mm RR on jeep 32.5 Truck 8 152mm OBA 49

Infantry 22 MIl3 21 180mm OBA 73.5

Commando 19 BTR 152 16.25 240mm OBA 43.5

Combat Eng. 23 BTR 5 2 Basic Air 22/34

Const. Eng. 12 BTR60 21 Jet A 41/53

107mm RG 24 BMP 31 MI-8 G 118

l7tbr ATG 20 01 62 23.5 MI-8 (H) 86

85mm ATG 22 PT-54 Flail 36

Sherman 5

Sherman 51

Sherman 5I Hv

M-48A5

M-60AI

Centurion Vlli

Patturion

90mm ATG on M3

AMX-13

Armored In fantry

Scout Jeep

106mm RR on jeep

rab Unit Point Totals

evenly among each separa te group, fo r selecting

units; alternately, one main g roup can be allot ted

half of the point to ta l, with the remainder divided

among the remaining, smaller, support groups.

As described in the methods a bove , e ac h

element in s ett in g up the game is determined

separately, independent of the other elements.

These point s can a ls o be made interdependent so

that one die roll determines all of the aspects

covered in th e pre-deployment segment. The die is

rolled once, and indexed with each item to specify

the number of boards, their configuration, the

number of t urns , and then rol led a second t ime for

t he point tot al index. (In t hi s case, t he horizontal

line is used with the fi rs t di e rol l, so that the longer

games, with more boards, will also involve more

units.)

The second majo r g roup , involving Initial

Setup and In-Progress factors, dea ls with three

main point s. F ir st , t he re a re specific deployment

restrictions for the static unit types deployed at

start. Bridges over the Suez Canal must be placed at

least twelve hexes apart , and Cuts must be at least

three hexes away from each pair (Cuts are deployed

in pairs on either side of the Canal, with the posi

tioning signified by the location of a Trench counter

in t he canal). Another such restriction, that can be

more optional, comes from another game scenario,

in which th e Fort counters placed a t s ta rt must bewithin two hexes of each other Fort counter. This is

in tended to be used with three For ts , but can be

modified accordingly i f more are used.

Another element of deployment comes from the

association of areas to the victory conditions.

Often, when a speci fi c hex ( such as a town or road

junction) is to f igure in determining victory, one

side will be required to place specific uni ts on that

hex. This usual ly ent ai ls a fort counter and in

fantry, or perhaps artillery, unit inside it.

3-6

length

1-2

width

456

456

4

1 12 12 15 20

die roll

connected sides

of turns

roll

of boardsroll

The Morale levels to be used can also be

corded a point total , requiring each p laye r to

them as they would regular units . The

raeli player picks first, and can choose eitherA or

the Arab player can select B, Cor D. The costs of

ese levels are equal to the number of chances for

at side s uni ts to become undispersed, using the

available t o them (9, 7, 5, 3,), multiplied bywo, for the two different types of units (infantry,

on the Morale chart . An a lterna te

is to multiply the total number of units that

side selects by the percentage of favorable rolls

and use that as the Morale

an opposite approach to this item is t o app ly

he cost of the morale level chosen, not as a total

from those used to obtain units, bu t as

he starting victory point total for the opponent.

The number of boards, their configuration, and

number of turns are probably the most arbitrary

ems. This can easily be left up to the whim of the

depending on how l ar ge a scenario they

to play. I n lieu of this option, all three parts

be determined by a roll of the die:

Neutral ounters

An additional variation to this total is derived

om a battlegroup delineation, suggested by the

me scenarios. When using this idea to help deter

ne the point total, ten percent is added to the total

or each spl it within the players forces. In effect,means that ten percent is added i f two groups

to be used, twenty percent is added i f three

oups, etc. This new poi nt t ot al c an be div ided

Fort

J.P.Trench

Block

16

65

5

Assault Boats

MinefieldsBridge (At Start)

5

10/13/1524

Normal Bridge

Infantry BridgeCut

60

540

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Aside from counting just the initial unit point

in determining the respective totals, the role of

e static units, or specific hexes o n th e board, can

emphasized by awarding more points fo r

nation, occupation or location.

1 pts for assaulting IOwn held by enemy15 pts for occupying town held by enemy1 pts for assaulting enemy fort

pts for occupying enemy fortI pt for occupying road junction

2 pts for eliminating bridge3 pts for eliminating bridge with enemy unit on it

the situations given). An area restriction can be

within a certain distance from a point , or out

of the same; the most common usage of this is

r a player to deploy within x hexes of the board

nearest his side, or to be at least hexes

y from the nearest enemy unit. Areas surround

or one side of , static units or terrain features

also be used as reference points for this type of

ment restriction.

With s eparate groups bei ng u sed, each o ne

begiven a different area to deploy in, or else

different turn of entry. Obviously, the mor e

being used, t he more units being used, and

e more bat tl eg roups, s ta ti c units, and terrain

being included in the initial deployment,

e more confus ing it a ll g et s. But if that weren't

there is still t he thi rd major set of alter

late entry.

The easiest method to use for determining which

the reinforcements will arr ive on is to leave it

up to the players; units starting off-board

enter when ready. This can be used with either

both teams having units off-board, and with fur

divison into battlegroups.

A di e roll can determine the turn of entry, cor

spond ing to the results for number of boards,

e turns , e tc .:

expressed tums of entry can be used as the

turn for deployment, or they can be a

point, allowing entry either no earlier or

later than indicated. With more than one group

late, each should deploy on a different

consecutively, beginning with the turn rolled

r on the chart above.

The method of entry concerns the area along

the uni ts deploy, usual ly a specified map

bu t at times restricted to a road hex. Another

to consider is to vary the turn of entry for

within a group, which would otherwise be

ering together. Two die rol ls are used for this

though the best results are obtained by

the die only once, and then using t he s ame

twice. The number obtained determines two

ct or s, t he t ur n on which t he uni ts will begin to

and the number of units that can deploy per

rn. For example, a roll of five (being used for

h parts ) would allow five uni ts to a rr ive each

for five turns; any uni ts in excess of this total

u ld enter e ithe r on turn five or six.

The grand finale to all of this is the victory deter

just as in an actual g ame. As with the

aspects mentioned previously in this article,

can be bui lt around several alternate, often

ideas.

Victory at the base level revolves around the

of unit points, and the differential be

the total elimination by either side determines

e level of victory, as in the game scenarios. With

scenario, the spread of points look like this:

W W NT YOU

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OR R BY P ON

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EDITOR'S CHOICE article will be selected. Tauthor of this article will receive a 100 bon

an d a lifetime subscription to th e GENER

DefensivePreserving units by-passed on exitboard

Retaining possessionof specific hex;preserving unit

Retain a majorityon a speci fic board

Opponent's AirStrikes used

Offense's units notacross Canal

Exiting units offboard edge

Offensive

Attacking/capturingspecific hex or unit

Move a majority ofunits onto specific

board

r wriu n i r

Strikes not used

Moving units across

Canal

Using these activities in the victory conditions

can give the players a much harde r p robl em to

solve; one side can be given points for exiting themap and not using Air Strikes, while the opponent

aims to keep a majority of the forces (more than the

first player( on on e board and retain possession of

towns or forts on another. The combinations can go

o n a n d on with each side having any number of op

t ions to obtain points; another idea is to give each

side a Defensive goal and an Offensiveone, with the

opponent taking the respective opposites.

OffensiveExiting units off board edge

Attacking/capturing specific hex or unit

Move a majority of units Onto specific board

Prewritten Air Strikes not used

Moving units across Canal

DefensivePreserving units bypassed on exit board

Retaining possession of specific hex; preserving unit

Retain a majority on a specific board

Opponent's Air Strikes used

Offense's units not across Canal

15 pts for occupying bridge5 pts for placing bridge across canal

3 pts for ferry in position

In addition to , or i ns te ad of, counting victory

points solely from the elimination of the opposing

forces, there can be points awarded for activities,

both offensively and defensively. In most cases, for

each act ivity of one k ind (offensive) there is an

opposite (defensive) activity that the other player

can be conc ern ed with, so that in a particular

scenario each side can have its own objectives.

The uni t point tot al s can be used to evaluate the

level of victory, just as when total ing the point s

eliminated by either side, the difference being that

only those units which are successful in their activity

are counted (unless unit point elimination is also in

cluded in a combination).

One last variation on determination of victory is

the chance for an early victory, based on a ratio of

the victory points obtained a t any given time. The

players keep a running tota l of the victory points

that each has received from whatever source (unitelimination or activity), and at any time one side

can claim a victory based on the rat io with the levels

awarded as follows: less than 2 1 rat io equals a

draw, 2 1 equals marginal, 3-1 equals minor, etc.,

continuing up to 6 1 or more equalling a decisive

victory. The players might agree on a starting point

for this quick victory, such as any time after turn

five, or decide to count points af ter both players

have moved and attacked on a particular turn.

This article has covered a great deal of ground,

some of it useless perhaps , but I trust that most is

not . The possible variations of my own variat ions

are limited only by desire; the point I have tried to

make is that these might make some interesting

starting places. Contained within this article ismore

than enough information and suggestion to keepeven the most dedicated players occupied for a

while, but they probably already are.

6

1

5

7

3

Level raw

MarginalMinor

SubstantialMajor ecisive

2

0-3031 661-90

91 12121 15

151 +

Differential

of entryroll

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


PE RL H R OR DEFENDED FLEXffiLE RESPONSE TO IDE L J P NESE STR TEGY

By James M.

VI TORY IN THE P IFI is on e of the

better releases p ut o ut by Avalon Hil l in terms of

playability an d balance. It combines broad strategic

considerationsa nd s om e interesting and enjoyable

tactical components. It provides an opportunity for

many varying approaches by individual players in

efforts to defeat a particular opponent by attempt

ing to take advantage of perceived weaknesses or a

fondness for specific types o f a ct i on . F o r face-to

face play it is relatively fast-moving, even if a

somewhat t oo l on g game. t ha s in effect captured

much of th e flavor of t he w ar in th e Pacific. It ca n

be argued that it is a balanced g am e o nc e the fun

damentals h ave b een l earn ed . It h as b een su gg est ed,

however t ha t t he re is an ideal strategy, with varia

tions depending upon the p r op o n en t , t h at will en-

sure v ic to ry for t he Japanese player. Th e conclu

sion drawn from the v ario u s su bscri b ers to this

general strategy is that the game is unbalanced and

even in need o f modification. In a c tu al it y, t he

strategy put forward in its various versions is flawed. t is flawed in that some of th e as s umptions that ar e

made a re e it he r o ve rl y o pt im is ti c or result from

slight misreadings of th e rules. T h ese p o in t s, while

important, do not really negate th e strategy. More

importantly, as is th e case with most other games,

there ar e effective countermeasures that the

American player ca n take to c ou nt er t he ideal

Japanese s tr at eg y. A s a r es ul t, t he q ue s ti on is not

one of a need fo r reb al an ci n g an al read y balanced

game or introducing new ru le s b ut r at he r for-

mulating an American response that will i f n ot in-

validate the ideal s tr a te gy , a t least make it much

more hazardous f or t he Japanese p la ye r t o p ur s ue .

Whether the Japanese strategy even remains the

best al ternat iv e may v ary depending on opponents ,

but it is hardly likely to be an optimum strategy inall circumstances, an d ma y even be a very weak

course to pursue on certain occasions.

The Ideal Strategy-A Q u ic k K n oc k ou t P u n ch

T he s tr a te gy that has been put forth as an

answer to the Japanese p la y er s p ra y er s has a

number of variations, but in essence follows on e of

the following two patterns. In Turn I, the American

fleet at Pearl Harbor is destroyed. During Turns 2

and 3 th e land b as ed a ir h ol d t he perimeter and the

bulk of the Japanese fleet patrols in the Hawaiian

Islands. A ny A me ri ca n opposition is destroyed,

Pearl Harbor converts to a Japanese base, an d the

American forces t ry in g t o defend their major port

are destroyed or badly damaged in an unequal ac-

tion. Th e gains to the Japanese include a shortened

perimeter I ndonesia-South Pacific-Marshalls

Hawaiian Islands versus Indonesia-South Pacific

Marshalls-Central Pacific-North Pacific or Aleu-

tians the forcing of American fleet reinforcements

to S amoa wh ere raid s cannot penetrate to the Home

Islands an d t he d en ia l o f the repair facil it ies at

Pearl Harbor to the Americans for at least tw o

turns a n d p r ob ab l y longer. On e adjunct t ha t ha s

been suggested for this s tr a te g y r eq ui re s the

Yokosuka Marines to m o ve t o T ru k o n T ur n 1 per-

mitting th e J ap an es e c om ma nd er to invade

Jo hn son Islan d o n T ur n 2. Some o f t he J ap a ne s e

land-based air units ca n then participate in an y bat

tles for the Hawaiian Islands o n T ur n 3.

The second version of this strategy is somewhat

more risky for the Japanese player, but ap

p ro pr ia te ly c ar ri es m u ch greater rewards if suc-cessful. On Turns 2 an d 3 the Japanese player tries

to control both t he H aw ai ia n I sl an ds an d the US

Mandate. I f he succeeds in controlling both areas,

M or e i mp or ta nt ly , the major American rein-

f or c em e nt s a rr iv in g o n l at er turns ar e held of f th e

board u nt i l ei t her S am o a o r Pearl Harbor is recap

t ur ed . T he J ap an es e perimeter will be s tr on g a nd

the PO C lead will be so large that the American

player cannot win, even if land based ai r units

manage to recapture Samoa by basing in th e New

H eb ri de s p ro vi de d t ha t p or t r em ai ns American).

Th e American fleet will b e f or ce d t o c o nt e st at least

one of t he a r ea s , an d it will b e b ad ly damaged.

this s ce na ri o h ol ds u p, t he Japanese will in effect

have won the game by th e en d o f Turn 3. Th e

strategy is more r is ky f or t he Japanese player in this

version since the American fleet might emerge vic-

torious if it concentrates in on e of th e t wo a re as .

Such a concentration m ig ht p er m it the American

p l ay er t o approach parity in terms of ai r power in a

given area. If the Japanese keep t h eir carri ers as

r ai de rs , t he American placement of all l an d b as e d

ai r in Samoa to be joined by the American fleet car

riers ca n be countered by sending all th e carri ers t o

the US M a nd a te ) . T h e inevitable carri er ex chan ge

that results wo ul d d estro y th e striking power o f the

American fleet particularly since the fewer

American carri ers are at a distinct disadvantage fac-

ing a larger number of Japanese CY s a nd C YL s

with t he s a me number of shots, given th e n ee d f or a

carrier s airstrikes to attack only on e ship.

Ameri can su rface c ra f t m ig ht p os si bl y outnumber

th e Japanese surface u ni ts , b ut t he a t ta c k b o nu s o f

th e Japanese cruisers offsets this a dv an ta ge i f it

should exist.

T he a bo ve tw o strategies ar e very compelling

ones for the J apanes e commander. A cautiouscom

mander will go for the Hawaiian Islands counting

on the loss of Pearl Harbor with its POCs an drepair fac il it ies to give him t he n ee de d e dg e t o win

the game. A more aggressive J apanes e commander

will try fo r both the Hawaiian Islands an d the

Mandate. Both of these strategies have s ome minor

problems in some cases as p re s en te d , b ut m os t im

portantly, they ar e based on the American player

responding in a predictable fashion. Th e American

commander, h owever, h as more options then these

strategies would seem to permit.

Turn I Possibilities or the Chance Factor

O ne m in or f law in on e of the versions of the

strategy as it h as b ee n p re s en te d is that it assumes

that all th e American forces at Pea rl Harbor ar e

destroyed in four air raids. Even a maximum

J a pa n es e e f f or t is unlikely to bottom all th e ships

an d destroy the 7t h Ai r Force in the first two ai r

raids. An y surviving c ra ft a nd the land-based ai r

can, of co urse, retreat before the final tw o rounds

finish of f the bottomed ships. Their escape will in-

crease t h e forces t ha t t he American commander has

available to use in Turns 2 and/or 3. A good raid

will manage to sink five or six of the battleships an d

o ne o r b ot h of the cruisers. Bad luck could net fewer

ships, leaving even larger American forces available

for deployment.

Occurrences in the Central Pacific on Turn I

c a n a ls o be important. sufficient Location Uncer

tain g r ou p s a p pe a r there in strength an d h ol d t he

a re a, t he J ap an es e player has to be aware of the

possibility of American ships at Pearl Harbor

and/or Midway raiding into the Japanese Islands or

the Marianas. the M a ri a na s a re not held by th eJapanese, t h e P h il i pp i nes mu st be taken by Marine

assault or else control of Indonesia is threatened.

Thus, t he r esul ts in the Central P aci fic can be im-

sure of controlling the Central Pacific, he

w ea ke n t he r ai di ng f or ce on Pearl Harbor.

Japanese p l ay er co u ld also trust t o l uck har

preferred strategy) an d s im pl y s e nd w ea k forc

th e Central Pacific. Most of the presentations

ideal st rat eg y reco gn i ze t h e importance of t he

t ra l P ac if ic a nd a rg ue for holding it in suff

force, bu t lucky fo r t h e American ) die rolls

n eg a te t he ideal st rat egy o n Turn I.

T he American Response

Neither of the above t wo p oi nt s a re critic

the sense that t he y n eg at e t he ideal strategy fo

Japanese commander, although they m ig ht

t he H aw ai ia n I sl a nd s- M an da t e d o ub le o p ti

little riskier. But even if the Japanese p l ay er

the Central Pacific through luck or p o wer o n T

an d does extensive damage in the Pearl Harbor

the American player retains some very real op

to counter the proposed strategy. These option

i nt o t wo categories-first, judicious allocatithe L ocation Uncertain groups combined wit

mounting of serious threats t o t he Japanese

areas, an d second, th e de la ye d de fe ns e o

Hawaiian Islands an d the US M an da te . T he

options are related an d c an g o a long way to di

the ideal s t ra t eg y. A t t he very least they shoul

vent a ny J ap an es e a tt em pt to c on tr ol b ot

M a nd a te a n d the Hawaiian Islands excep t a t a

probability of failure.

The first key d eci sio n reg ard s t h e p l aceme

t he L oc a ti on Uncertain carriers an d requisite

porting s hi ps w he n t he y return t o p or t at the e

Turn I. I these c raft are mispla ced, the

s t ra t eg y m a y in fact b e co m e t ha t for the Jap

p l ay er. W h en retreating f ro m t he H a wa i ia n I s

in the face of t he P ea rl Harbor raid i ng force,o ft he carri ers, t wo or t hr ee i f possible should

to Australia with the remainder either appear

Pearl Harbor at th e beginning o f Turn 2

sent to Samoa in th e r e tu rn p ha s e of Turn I.

Australia the American carriers in conjunction

the British fleet c an p os e a s e ri ou s r a id in g t hr

I nd on e si a . T he y c a n a ls o combine with forces

Samoa or Pearl Harbor to t hr ea te n t he S

Pacific or t he M ar sh al ls us ua ll y a poor

choice). the J a pa n es e c o m ma n de r pursue

ideal strategy, he ma y lose control of In do n es

so , Lae, Singapore, and t h e P h il i pp i nes cann

converted to Japanese use until Turn 4 a

earliest except by marine assault in t he c as e o

an d t he P hi li pp in es . Th e British fleet bas

Singapore, becomes more useful an d a much

potent t hr e at t ha n on e based at Ceyl o n. Rai

the Allies into the J ap an e se H o m e Islands an

Marianas will be p o ssi bl e. Ob vi o usl y, t h e Jap

player may beef up defenses in I nd on es i a

this move ca n only come at t he e xp en se o

tempts to control the Hawaiian Islands an d th

Mandate. Negation of control in the South P

h as si mil ar advantages. Access to Indonesia an

Marianas is again enhanced f or r ai de rs . La

mains an Allied base, an d a fleet negating cont

the South Pacific could retire to La

Guadalcanal an d be even more threatening th

Australia. the Japanese player opted to s en

YOkosuka Marines to Johnson Islands, he w

have m a ri ne s a va il ab le t o a s sa ul t these bases

Turn 2 for L ae t he S a se b o M ar in es o ut of J

moving into Indonesia) an d Turn 4 for Guadal Kure s taging from Japan an d Yokosuka

Sasebo reappearing at Truk). Again, the forc

defend the South P acifi c mu st come from the f

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Th e ships based in Australia, Lae or

Guadalcanal will remai n av ai l ab l e for t h e d efen se

of the Hawaiian Islands an d the Mandate on Turn

3. Of course, if t he J ap an e se player is moving on

b ot h a re a s, t he y will probably be unable to give aid

in t he H a wa i ia n I sl an ds unless Japanese control in

t he M ar sh al ls h as a ls o been negated by raiders on

Turn 2. Some o f the o l der b att l esh ip s might fail

their speed rolls if th e decisive action is t o t ak e p la ce

in t he H aw ai ia n Islands. T he ir n um b er s will be

limited in an y event since mo st av ai l ab l e Ameri can

ships will be cruisers an d carriers which do not havean y speed roll disabilities. I the Japanese forego at

tempts to c o nt ro l t he M a nd a te , the ballieships can

always be ret urned to Samoa so as to be available

for Hawaiian Island action.

If t h e d ang ers of key raids by the American and

Bri ti sh f leet s in the s outhern areas is not enough,

ships appearing at Pearl Harbor on Turn 2 can pose

yet another threat. These ships, including some car

riers c an m ov e as raiders on the northern flank. A

raid t o t he A le ut ia ns saves Allu as an American

p or t a nd as a base for l and -based ai r f or f ut ur e

turns. By returning to Dutch Harbor, the American

ships ar e av ai l ab l e t o come t o t he de fe ns e of the

Hawaiian Islands in Turn 3 or to move on the

Japanese Islands, alone or in conjunction with a

move from the direction o f I nd on es ia . T he ir

ultimate use will depend on Japanese dispositions in

Turn 3 b ut t he ir options cannot help bu t create

problems for the Japanese player. Th e raiding

threats to both fl an ks mi gh t be uti lized to destroy

isolated Japanese u ni ts , t hu s w ea ke ni ng t he forces

available for th e climactic battles the Japanese com

mander is seeking to force. If the Japanese player is

serious about controlling the Hawaiian Islands an d

perhaps the Mandate, the lost POCs in various

other areas m ay o ff set the disabilities that the

Ameri can p l ay er will suffer from the lack of his

major repair facilities.

T he J apanese player wh o is committed to on e o f

the variations of th e ideal s tr a te g y m a y i gn or e t he

raiding possibilities presented by the above disposi

tions o f the existing American forces. He maydecide that if he controls both Samoa an d Pearl

Harbor an d prevents the major American fleet rein

fo rcemen ts from arri v in g , he ca n deal with the fleet

forces an d the few American land-based ai r units

that will keep reappearing, even if these land-based

ai r units have a multitude o f a re a s t ha t t he y can con

test. Th e arrival of limited reinforcments for the

American late in th e g am e i f Samoa is reconverted)

ma y give the Japanese p l ay er t i me t o gai n enough

POCs in the other areas an d whittle down th e Allied

forces.

Depending on ship losses in t he b at tl es f or t he

Hawaiian Islands and the Mandate, a relat ively

small Japanese PO C lead ma y not prove to be

enough to win the game, particularly if the

Americans have a raiding lane open to key Japanese

held a re as . W it h t he American p lay er al way s mo v

ing second, it is no t clear that a decimated Imperial

Japanese Navy will be a bl e t o h ol d o ff weak Allied

units. Th e key battle ma y b ecome t h eco n t est for the

US Mandate in Turns 5 an d 6 by the Ameri can l and

based air u ni ts t ha t will have reappeared. T hus,

Turns 5 an d 6 ca n be crit ical, as mu ch s o as Turns 2

an d 3 at least if the New Hebrides is no t lost to in

vading Japanese marines. T he a pp ea ra nc e o f

American rein f or ce me nt s a s l at e as Turn 7 could

still turn the t ide a ga in st t he Japanese player wh o

has only a relat ively small lead. a mutually

destructive battle has occurred, t h e Ameri can rein

forcements will t ip t he b al an ce even more than if

they join a largely unhurt fleet.

Th e net effect of the dispositions outlined above

is that the Japanese player ma y still try to follow theideal strategy an d it might still work, but if it fails

t he g am e is likely to be los t on the spot. F ail u re t o

ne ga te t he a rri va l o f American reinforcements

w ou ld m e an t ha t a decimated Japanese fleet would

h av e t o face the remnants of the American forces

plus the substantial reinforcements du e t o a rr iv e.

With a diminished PO C lead du e to Allied raids, the

possibilities of a Japanese ~ t o r y will all b u t d i sap

pear. T hus, the ideal st rat egy may t ur n o ut pitting

the outcome o f the gam e on m ajo r battles in the

Hawaiian Islands an d the Mandate in which t he a d

vantages to the Japanese pl ay er a re m uc h fewer

than s upposed. I the Japanese player simply opts

to try to control the Hawaiian Islands, the

American reinforcements will arrive, an d the PO Cga in s t ha t t he Japanese expec t will be fewer than

specified in the ideal strategy, permitting the

American p l ay er t o compensate f or t he loss of Pearl

Harbor repair facilities an d the Hawaiian Island

POCs.

Delayed Defense

Th e s ec ond m ea su re t o u ti li ze in f ac ing the

Japanese ideal strategy is designed to enhance the

prospects of the American p la ye r w in ni ng th e

critical battle by choosing the t ime in which t o p ar

t i ci p at e. T h is tactic requ ires t h e d elay ed d efen se o f

the Hawaiian Islands a nd t he US Mandate. Rather

t ha n d ef en di ng t he t hr ea te ne d a re a o n T ur n 2 the

American pl ay er c onc ede s t he m t o t he Japanese,

saving strength for th e crucial battle on Turn 3. Th e

American flee t f or ce s an d land-based a ir will

probably be insufficient on Turn 2 t hu s s im pl y

being defeated in detail by the J apanese. Rather,

th e sh ip u n it s threaten the Japanese perimeter areas

an d t he l an d- ba s ed ai r units ar e placed ou t o f

harm s way. S in ce t he J apanese effort calls for a

maximum concentration in the key areas , any fleet

moves to knock ou t l and -based ai r in the Coral Sea

or elsewhere wil l be at odds more advantageous to

t h e Ameri can p l ay er an d will p ermi t fav orab le at tri

tion. It should be n ot ed t ha t to o wide a dispersion

o f the Japanese carrier forces to damage land-based

a ir m ig ht even permit a Turn 2 challenge in a key

area. Of course, this situation would only result

from a major deviation by the Japanese player from

th e ideal strategy, so in effec t the countermoves by

the A me rica n commander will already havedefeated the ideal strategy as presented.

O n T ur n 3 the Japanese challenge can be me t in

earnest with all available American forces. Six land

b as ed a ir units should b e av ai l ab l e, a formidable

force versus carriers s ub je c t t o disabled results. At

least three an d maybe four of th e five American car

riers also will be available. Th e Japanese will have,

assuming no losses I I carriers with 32 b on us a ir

factors plus one additional carrier with 3 strikes if a

speed roll is passed. Th e Americans will h ave t he six

a ir f ac to rs with 2 shots an d 2 to 6 bonus s hots

f ro m t he ir t hr ee or four carriers. Thus, the lineup is

9-10 American units versus 11-12 Japanese ones. It

is by n o m e an s c le ar that the edge in thi s case is with

the Japanese given the greater staying power o f th e

American land-based air. Th e American surface

fleet will be roughly equal to t he J ap a ne se t o ta l ,

although again t he a tt ac k b on us o f the Japanese

cruisers gives the Japanese p la ye r a n edge in a sur

face action. By c om pa ri so n, o n Turn 2 the

American p la ye r w ou ld h av e only two or three ai r

forces an d four or five carriers with a maximum of

six regular an d 6 to 20 bonus s hots . Th e Japanese

w ou ld h av e n in e c a rr ie rs f or s ur e with 27 airstrikes

an d possibly two more with five strikes ifspeed rolls

ar e passed. More importantly, t he re w ou ld b e up to

eight Ameri can u ni t s versus u p t o Japanese ones.

G iv en t he number of land-based a ir a va il ab le , t he

American chances ar e better on Turn 3. Th e

Americans gain ten armor factors three land-based

air an d assuming on e 0-2-7 c ar ri er s un k o n Turn 2

while the Japanese gain only three armor factors.T h er e a r e a number o f possible s ituations that

ca n o cc ur o n Turn 3. the J apanes e commander

opts si mp l y t o capture Pearl Harbor, the American

player will h av e t o d ec id e w he th er or not t o d

th e Hawaiian Islands. his raids elsewhere

been successful, the PO C situation might lea

to continue his assaults in other areas an d co

th e loss o f Pearl Harbor. H e m ig ht d ec id e t o u

land-based ai r in H aw ai i t o attrition the J ap

carrier force trading the replaceable land-bas

for irreplaceable in many senses o f the

Japanese c a rr ie rs . H e m a y a ls o a cc ep t the cha

in the Hawaiian Islands if circumstances so di

but his fleet units at S am oa , G ua da lc

Australia, Midway, and/or Dutch Harbor wav ai l ab l e i f n eed ed.

the Japanese player allempts to lan

Yokosuka M arin es at Johnson Island on Tur

d i fferen t respo n se ma y be appropriate. T he

tion o f up to six Japanese Ai r flotillas to th e

on Turn 3 changes the bailie odds significan

favor of the Japanese. On Turn 2 the Ame

p la ye r m ig ht consider placing on e land-base

unit in the Hawaiian Islands in the hope o f disa

or sinking t he m ar i ne unit. A lucky s h ot c o

effect n egat e this portion o f the Japanese stra

If the Japanese player opts for a n ight actio

succeeds, t h e ai r unit ca n simply retreat saving

for Turn 3 action. Even i f J oh ns on Island

h ow ev er , t he American still ha s s om e o p

available. Th e 1st an d 2 n d M ari n es appear at

Harbor on Turn 3. Lacking a ny o th er cour

action i f t he H aw ai ia n Islands were controll

the Japanese on Turn 2 they c an p ut t o s e a in

f or t t o recapture Johnson Island. Even i f t he

in th e first round of combat the Japanese w

fo rced t o ex pen d ai rst ri k es ag ai n st t h em in or

preserve the port as an airbase. Th e Ame

player will also have three battleships at se a

Hawaiian Islands, so the Japanese player wil

to counter at least these units as well. Japanese player is concentrating solely on

trolling t he H aw ai ia n Islands, th e presence

ai r flotillas will probably assure victory fo r h i m

he must at least be c ar ef ul t o guard a ga in

possibility of American raiders rein forcin

Hawaiian Islands. Reinforcements combined

a successful American invasion could doomwhole strategy o f controlling t h e Hawaii an I

an d capturing Pearl Harbor.

the Japanese.player is trying to contro

the Hawaiian Islands an d the Mandate, t h e

tion is much different. If Johnson Island

A m er i ca n, t he l a nd b as e d a ir c an d ef e nd H

an d th e fleet u n it s co ul d co nt est th e US Man

fo rci ng t wo b att l es, o n ly on e o f which th e Am

p la ye r n ee ds t o win. Th e fleet uni ts will in

cases be forced to fight in the M a nd a te a r ea

J ap a ne se c o nt r ol o n T u rn 2 would prevent su

ing Hawai i from Au stral ia. Ameri can raid ers

Pearl Harbor o n T ur n 2 that succeed in holdi

Central Pacific could a ls o r et ur n t o M id wa y.

forces from the southern areas negate Japanes

trol of th e Marshalls, then t he se for ce s a s r

could threaten t o i n terven e in either th e Haw

Islands or the US Mandate. A Japanese

forced to deal with both possibilities could di

his forces to o widely. Since the American

wo ul d mo v e secon d , he wo ul d k n ow wh et h er

t he J ap a ne se player were committed to t he

strategy o n T ur n 2 an d use his raiding forces

appropriate fashion. Alternately, particularly

J apanes e control J ohnson Island, th e America

throw his land-based ai r u ni ts i nt o th e batt

Samoa. T he J apanes e player, ifhe holds his ca

back as raiders, will know t ha t t he America

c ho se n t o d ef en d o nl y th e Mandate, but at

some o f his other s urface craft will already

been committed to the Hawaiian Islands unl

t ru st s t o luck t o p re ve nt a n A me ri ca n i nv as

Johnson Island. Thecombined American fleeai r forces will have a slight superiority o

surface in n um be rs i f not quality an d a s lig

feriority in airstrikes, although again th e

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Table I

Hypothetical Decisive Action US Mandate

Japanese Strategy Variation and the American Flexible Response

Forces with ai r capability available:

J apanese: I I CYs and CYLs with 32 airstrikes American: 3 CYs with 2 airstrikes

6 ai r forces with 12 airstrikes

sunk . Th e American without overlap or over

can expect to disable two ships and score two h

Th e expected 7 damage points should sink or inn

maximum damage on two Japanese carriers. Th

in theexchange, four Japanese carriersare remo

f rom the next round of action. Th e surviving f

carriers will have approximately nine shots ver

the remaining land-based ai r units with e ight .

this s tage , t he advantage shifts to the land-ba

air. The ultimate outcome is likely to bea t least

l and based ai r unit surviving to control the area

a significant number of the Japanese carriers suor damaged . Thus, while the American car

forces ar e virtually gone, t he Japanese neet wil

virtually impotent from Turn 6 onward to deal w

the threat of t he Ameri can car ri er s t ha t begin

pearing in large numbers. Of course, i f the open

ai r round goes poorly, the Japanese player

wi thdraw from the area , accepting the fai lure of

strategy bu t preserving his carr iers for later acti

Conclusions

From th e above comments, it is obvious that

Japanese player can force a key battle as early

Turn 3 in th e game if he so des ires by following

Hawaiian Island-US Mandate variation of

strategy. Th e g amble involved, h owev er,

not iceably l arge r than assumed. Th e dela

defense approach combined with the lossesvaluable POCs to Ameri can and British raid

elsewhere may well prove that a double assault

the Mandate and the Hawaiian Islands will succ

less often than it fails. Even the Japanese conc

tration on the Hawaiian Islands combined wit

dispersal of the forces slated for t he US Mandat

perimeter defense is less likely to achieve ult im

victory. Th e American could very well survive

loss of Pearl Harbor if he has had successful r

elsewhere.

Th e counterstrategy of an Ame ri can nex

response to the varia tions of the ideal Japan

attempt to win an ear ly v ic to ry a re summarized

Table 2. Forces available to both sides will v

depending on previous actions and speed rolls

the outline is thesame, with the key action proba

occurring in Turn 3, perhaps in t he Hawa

Islands and perhaps as a result of raids elsewh

Th e chances of victory ar e a t worst equal f rom

American point of view. t he game is decide

Turn 3 under these circumstances, then so be i t.

the ideal Japanese strategy will have accomplis

is to br ing the game to a major decision early rat

than late. Balance is still present, given the fact

a few rolls of the dice may determine victory

defeat. If a veteran Japanese player has determi

that t he l at er phase of V T favors the Americ

or tha t his particular opponent will win i f t he ga

is not dec ided ear ly , t hen he would quite logic

force an early conclus ion to the g ame. H e co

not, however, expect t o emerge v ic to ri ous m

than half the t ime, and perhaps less. He will

deny h imse lf t he opportunity of taking advantof potential mistakes by his opponent later in

game.

The foregoing discussion of the ideal Japan

s t ra tegy would indicate that it fails t o t ake into

count all facets of V TP lt rests on a tot

predictable response fo r the American command

Allied raiders threaten no vital a rea, and , in f

the American player will obligingly commit

forces piecemeal on Turns 2 an d 3. It must be

mit te d t ha t if t he Amer ican p laye r does act

p re dic ta bly , then the s tra te gy will work. F

gamers, however, ar e willing to assume tha t t

opponents will be so kind. A more though

American response provides a greater element

chance and largely dest roys the advantages gai

bythe Japanese capture of Pearl Harbor and ma

the Hawaiian Island-Mandate strategy a risky o

this new eventuality or lessen t he ir l and bas ed a ir

defenses in Indonesia. Aggressive patrols on turn 2with expendable ships can cause a lot of problems

for a Japanese player unwilling to change his goals

an d determined to t ake Pearl Harbor.

Table I includes an example as to how theact ion

in the Mandate might occur. Th e table assumes that

only a ir action occurs since the number of surface

craft available in a given game is variable and hard

to predict. Similarly, expected losses froma surface

action involving many ships has too many

possibilities. Th e table also assumes that only three

of t he Ameri can car ri er s a re left to participate as

well as the six air forces. The Japanese have II car

riers with 32 airst rikes . On the first round of action,

the three American carr iers ar e disabled, sunk, or

receive maximum damage , as do three of the

Japanese 4 strike carriers a typical occurrence in a

straight carrier fight with bonus shots). The remain

ing car ri er s a ssau lt t he l and-based a ir with an ex-

pected 3.3 hits and 11.5 damage. Thus, with

average luck and no lost hits or overkill on a par

t icul ar a ir uni t, two of t he Ameri can uni ts will be

3 CYs sink or disable 3 Japanese four strike CYs

6 AFs attack six CYs and CYLs with 2 disables

and two hits with 7.0 expected damage 2 sunk)

2 AFs at tack 2 CYs and CYLs with .67 disabled

and .67 hits fo r 2.4 damage sun k and

I disabled)

4 AFs a tt ack 4CYs and CYLs with 1.3 expected

disables and 1.3 expected h it s w ith 4 .5 damage

sunk and I disabled)

I AF remaining ensuring American control

Total expected disables by American AF 4 .0

Total expected damage by Ameri can AFs 13.9

American Counter

Raid north f rom Pearl Harbor

Threaten Indonesia an d South Pacific from

Australia

Continue raids on Turn 3

Possibly contes t Hawai ian Islands with land-

b as ed a ir on Turn3Threaten Control of the Marshal Islands

Raid as above on Turn 2

Land-based air unit to attempt t o s ink or disable

marines on Turn 2

Continue raids on Turn 3

Possible counterassault on Johnson Is land with

Is t and 2nd Marines on Turn 3 combined with

land-based air defense of Hawaiian Islands

Raids as above on Turn 2

Land-based a ir def end Hawai ian I sl ands on

Turn 3 with neet in Mandate, or combined neet

and land-based air defense of Mandate

Raids as above on Turn 2

One land-based air attempts to sink or disable

marines on Turn 2

Maximum effort in Mandate in Turn 3 if JohnsonIsland has fallen with marine counterassault in

Hawaiian Islands

la Yokosuka Marines assault Johnson Island

on Turn2

Japanese Variation

[ Control Hawaiian Islands on Turns 2 and

3 with major port ion of neet

II Control Hawaiian Islands and US Mandate

on Turns i and 3 by dividing Japanese

neet on bot h Turns

lIa Yokosuka Marines assault Johnson Island

on Turn 2

ROUND 4

Table 2

Total expected Japanese damage versus

American AFs 21.3

ROUND I

3 CYs sink or disable 3 American CYS

8 CYs and CYLs attack ai r forces with 3 .3

expected hits and 11.5 expected damage

2 AFs sunk)ROUND 2

4 CYs with 1I strikes attack the 4 AFs with 1.8

expected hits and 6.3 expected damage 2 AF

sunk, including previously damaged one)

ROUND 3

2 CYs and CYLs attack 2 AFs with I expected

hit for 3 .5 damage AF sunk a t b es t)

ai r have superior s ta yi ng power . The

anese will have at best II carriers since thecannot speed roll from the Japanese

The American could have four carriers and

air forces hardly an inadequate force. In effect,

delayed defense of the key areas will permi t the

player to challenge th e Japanese thrust

rom a position of much g re ate r s tren gth th an

ha ve b een the case during Turn 2. The

of the knockou t punch suc ce ed ing a re

Iy red uced.

Of cou rs e, t he s impl es t b ut most effective

to any Japanese designs on t he Hawai ia n

is to duck the heavy Japanese patrols on

twO and threaten to control t he Mar shal l

yourself. the Japanese have ove r com

their offensive-minded patrols they may

t roub le knock ing out a strong American

t ro l in the Marshal ls which wou ld deny Truk

patrollers access to the Hawaiian Islands on

n 3. Some players won t recognize this unt il it s

o late; others will be forced into spreading their

more sparsely than they would ke to cover

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


32

AVALON HILL

ST S LL R LISTAs is our custom, we once a ga in p re se nt t he

sales rankings for the Avalon Hill game line based

on t ot al s f or our 1980 F is ca l Y ea r w hi ch b eg an

May 80 and ended A pr il 8 1. F ig ur es f or t he All

Time list include all versions of a t it le s ol d t o date

provided the game system has not changed over

the years. D D Y and FOOTB LL STR TEG Y

for instance have collectively gone through eight

different editions, bu t are considered to be

basically the same game. GETTYSBURG on the

other hand, changed drastically in each of its four

versions and is t herefo re omi tt ed f rom the list

even though the collective totals of its many ver

s io ns w ou ld ordinarily q ua li fy f or 10t h p la ce .

Note that the current edition of B TTLE 0THE BULGE will soon disappear from t he l is t

w he n i t is r ep la ce d b y the new versi on whi ch con

stitutes an entirely new game. Titles are placed on

the All Time list only after having soldin excess of

100,000 copies while under Avalon Hill owner

ship. Sales rankings do no t include sales made by

a different publisher.

1980 AH BEST SELLERS E N SOUP ND OTHER RECIPES

6. The Expert. Talk l ik e y o u h av e a reput

Use selffulfillment with chatter suchas, I b

last thirty-seven opponents with this strategy

not too worried about your defense .

7. Cohorts. B ri ng a lo ng a fr ie nd or t wo

them to stop by and look the game over ever

in a while. T he y should say things like, Isn

the same s tra te gy the last guy you were ptried? .

8. S mo ke sc re en . L ig ht up a cheap c ig ar

middle of a tight contest and direct the s

towards the board. You should then be a

move some counters around u si ng t he smo

cover, especially since your opponent will pro

be coughing and feeli ng il l. However, mak

y ou p os it io n y ou rs el f on the correct side

board, upwind, or the smoke will backfire.

rooms with variable winds.

9. The Lucky Me Syndrome. A few g

claim to b e a bl e to control t he die by t he p ow

thought. Of course, they don t come ou t and

They intimate it through hints and subtle acIt s amazing how gullible people are and how

they are taken i n by such phoni es. You ll neveanyone accuse another of h av in g thisthough, as this is an open admission that

power d oe s i nd ee d e xis t, w it h a ll its f ri gh

ramifications. You too can have t he powerby announcing that y ou ha ve a lw ays be en

with the die. This works best when playi

opponent for the first time.) When you

favorable result, say you re sorry you are so b

When your opponent th ro ws a bad r es ul

you re sorry; you didn t know you could cont

rolls so well. If y ou l os e, s ig h d ee pl y a s if rel

and say you re glad you don t win a ll t he t i

y ou wi n, act matter-of-factly. The word w

around that you are a lucky guy , and yo

well on your way to becoming the KreskKriegspieling.

1 Cry. Preferably real tears.

Of course, after using t he se t ac ti cs , y ou

find that no one will play wit h you anymore.

a ll , a gamer without opponents isn t wort h t h

his beans are in. I know , I know, I should jus

up.

by Alan R. Moon

Throughout h is tor y a major weapon at the

disposal of any a rmy has been overlooked. Bean

soup. Garbonzo beans being especially effective.

But b ean soup is o nl y one of many physically

harmless, bu t psychologically deadly tactics gamers

can u se i n t he ir q ue st f or v ic to ry . S o, t hi s should be

seen as a recipe book f or g am er s. M y t en b es t.

I. Operant conditioning. From the moment

you sit down at t he ta ble , hum constantly,

preferably in a l ow t on e. W he ne ve r your opponent

makes a good move, rai se t he t one of your humming

slightly. He will begin to hesitate and listen for the

higher hum at crucial moments in th e g ame as

reassurance he is m ak in g t he r ig ht m ov e. That s

whe n you have him. He s conditioned. You ca n

now use your new found power in one of two ways.

One, don t hum w he n he is about to make a good

move. He ll wait, and think about it, but he ll in

evitably make another move i nstead. Two, hum

higher whe n he m ake s a bad move to confuse his

conditioning. This negative feedback will turn him

i nto a mess of mixed responses and f rom then on

you can hum or not hum at random.

2. Consu lt ing The Oracle. At impo rtant

moments during your opponent s turn, pick up the

rulebook. Ask him if he s sure his move is legal. Ask

h im r ep ea te dl y h ow many times he s p la ye d t he

game. Mumble aha or hmmm a lot whenlooking through the rulebook.

3. The Prim Rose Path. Study and k no w t he

historical situation and tell your opponent the

mist akes he can make by following an historical

pattern. Keep trying to te ll h im h ow h is s tr at eg y is

l eading him to a disast rous histori cal conclusion.

Make parall el s bet ween his play and t he mist akes

made b y t he a ct ua l commanders. your opponent

doesn t know anything about t he actual hi st ory of

the g ame , try to c on vi nc e h im to follo w t he

historical path oran ahistorical path, depending on

which will lead to disaster.

4. Time In Your Pocket. Play quickly and com

plain i f your opponent t akes l onger than you do.

Look at your watch a lot. If he s drinking beer,

complain about t he del ay everyti me he goes to thebathroom.

5. Jiggling Jugs. Bring your girlfriend along as

a distraction. Have h er w ea r a h al te r top and lean

2

34

5

6

87

9

11

1979

Rank

ALL-TIME BEST SELLERS

1 PANZERBLITZ

2. OUTDOOR SURVIVAL

3. FACTS IN FIVE

4. LUFTWAFFE

5. BLITZKRIEG

6. PANZER LEADER

7. TACTICS 8. THIRD REICH

9. FOOTBALL STRATEGY

10. MIDWAY

II . SQUAD LEADER

12. STARSHIP TROOPERS

13. BATTLE OFTHE BULGE

14. AFRIKA KORPS

15. ACQUIRE

Iii D-DAY

17. RICHTHOFEN S WAR

18. 177619. TWIXT

20. PAYDIRT

Rank Title

Rank Title

I. SQUAD LEADER

2. FACTS IN FIVE

3. WIZARD S QUEST

4. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

5. PAYDIRT

6. PANZER LEADER

7. OUTDOOR SURVIVAL

8. TACTICS 9. FORTRESS EUROPA

10. ACQUIRE

II . CRESCENDO OF DOOMp. WAR PEACE

13. DIPLOMACY

14. PANZERBLITZ

IS. BOOK OF LISTS

FOOTBALL S T R t \ ~ Y r n _ . , . ~ _17. FEUDAL

18. CROSS OF IRON

INTERN

THIRD REICH

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Strategy in iplomacy yLewis Pulsipher

Part II o a Three Part Series on the Game With o ice

While negotiation is a means of convincingplayers to act as you desire, the art of strategy

choosing the combinations of countries, anddirection of movements (thrust east instead

west, by land instead of by sea) which, if

as p lanned , will result in a win. It is theneglected of the th re e a spe ct s of

play, the one in which the average

is most likely deficient, and the one whicharates most experts from merely good players.

average player is content to let his negotiationsermine his strategy rather than vice versa. Con

quently he seldom looks beyond the next gamethe immediate identification of enemy and

to what he ought to do later in the game.I assume in the following that the player s objec

is to win, or failing that, to draw. Those who

draws in favor of survival as someone elsewill approach some points of strategy dif

but until late in the game there is virtually

difference between the two approaches.Strategy in DIPLOM Y is strongly influencedthe shape of the board. Spaces near the edge are

t han central spaces, so that movement

is as fast as movement through the middle.important , the board is divided into two

rategic areas or spheres . The eastern sphere

cludes Austria , Russia, and Turkey, while theis England, France, and Germany. Italy sits

tride one of three avenues between the twoheres. The northern route through Scandinavia

and the Barents Sea enables Russia to have some in

fluence in the western sphere. The central route,between Germany on one hand and Aus tr ia and

Russia on the other, looks short but is rarely usedearly in the game.

Normally the game revolves around efforts to

dominate the two spheres. Earlyin the game a country rarely moves out of its own sphere-it can t

afford the diversion of effort until the conflict in itsown sphere is resolved. However, the country or

alliance which gains control of its own sphere first,enabling it to invade the other sphere, usually gains

the upper hand in the game as a whole. A con

t inuous tension exists between the need to completely control one s own sphere and the need to

beat the other sphere to the punch. Commonly, twocountries in a sphere will attack the third, attempting at thesame time to arrange a longindecisive war

in the other sphere so that i t will be easy to invade

later . Sometimes the two countries will f ight forsupremacy before the winner goes on to the othersphere; more often, the players of the other sphere,

becoming aware of the threat from the other sideof

the board, will intervene and perhaps patch up theirown differences. Poor Italy is t rapped in the mid

dle. Naturally an alliance which endeavors to

dominate a sphere wants Italy to move into theother sphere, probably to establ ish a two vs. two

stalemate. And the odd man out in a sphere turnsfirst to Ita ly to redress the balance of power. In

either case Italy is stuck in a long war. An Italiwin is usually a long game.

This discuss ion shows us the most importa

principle of strategy: everything th t h ppe

nywhereon the bo rd ffectseverycountry If yoconcern yourself onlywith two or three neighborinpowers you ll never become an expeh playe

though glib negotiation skill can go far to compesate for strategic deficiency. If you as Turkey c

influence the move of one French or English unit

may make the difference between a win anda drawgame years hence. If you can strongly affect the et ire country s movements , even at that d is tanc

you should go far along the road to victory. The epert s trategic player knows where many foreig

uni ts will be ordered each season, and he triesdo so subtly, by misdirection and throug

intermediaries; it doesn t do to att ract too mucattention.)

One of the most important considerationsstrategy is the attainment of a stalemate line byour country or alliance. Your long-range goal is

win, but unless you are a quite romantic player whprefers instability, your immediate objective is to b

sure you can t lose-then worry about going on

win. A stalemate line is a posi tion which cannpossibly be breached or pushed back by the enem

The area within or protected by the line includesupply centers sufficient to support all the uni

needed to form the line. There are many stalema

lines, but these have been discussed at length

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


books and fanzines about DIPLOM CY I willdescribe the two major lines, which roughly coin

cide with the two spheres (and not by accident ) ,and you can find variations ar.d other lines by

studying the board. (U unit, that is, either army orfleet)

Eastern Line A Vienna, A Budapest S Vienna,A Trieste S Vienna, U Venice, U Rome, U Naples SRome, F Adria tic S Venice, U Apulia S Venice, F

Ionian, F Eastern Med. S Ionian, U Sevastopol, URumania, U Bulgaria S Rumania, U Armenia SSevastopol.

Western Line U St. Petersburg, U Norway SSt.Petersburg, U Kiel, A Ruhr S U Kiel, A Burgundy,

U Marseilles, A Gascony S Marseilles, U Spain, UPortugal S Spain, F Mid-Atlantic, F English S Mid

Atlantic, (Can be expanded to hold Berlin andMunich. Alternative: nothing in Spain and

Marseilles, F Portugal S Mid-Atlantic, A Brest SGascony, A Paris S Burgundy.)

With 3 to 5 centers, or as many as 17, within ane, a player is almost certain of a draw. If he

eaches the line soon enough, and alone, he canove on to prevent any other player from conquer

ng the rest of the board, and a draw or win is

A drawback of reaching a stalemateline is thatitput other players on their guard against you.

hey know they can t knock you down to size,ey l l be reluctant to fight one another . This is anger any strong country faces, however, and it

be noted that a perfectly played

game will end in a draw, not a win.This depends par tly on the players styles, of

game among seven extreme placers

see last issue) will never be a draw.)

You can win only if other players makestakes. The better the players, the more likely aw will be.

So far we ve been discussing the fundamentalgic structure of the game. Next we ll consider

at to think about as you devise a strategy, and

stly we ll talk about individual differences been countries.

When you devise a strategy you plan thegeneral

of your movement, expected allies, excted enemies, and what you want countries not

jacen t to yours to do. At each step you shouldve several alternatives, for barring great goodck something will go wrong. Often the styles and

of the players will strongly affect the

t rategy you choose. But let s assume that one

is as suitable (or unsuitable) to your purposesanother. First, consider the nature of your coun

Is it a natural land power, a sea power, or both?it on an outer edge of a sphere, an inner edge

or Austria), or in between (Italy)? Thinkout this, look at the board, and decide where

going to get 8 supply centers to win the

me. You must take several centers in one sphere,r in Italy, even if you control the other spheretirely. Your plan must include I) a means of gaing control of your sphere without hostile incursion

om outside it, 2 attainment of a stalemate line inleast one part of the board, and 3 penetrationto the other sphere (or Italy) to reach 8 centers.ote that Italy is within the eastern stalemate line,

that the western line is anchored in the easternhere (St. Petersburg). These seemingly minorints may have a strongeffect on your plans.) You

plan to jointly control your sphere with an ally,

then the penetration must amount to eventualof the o ther sphere as well. You must in

ude a means of reacting to any attempt to disruptur plan from outside your sphere. You must pro

ide for other contingencies; for example ifmeone dominates the other sphere before youminate yours you must be prepared to stop him.

ou must be flexible, though you ll try to imple

Italy is left out in the cold. I taly must e ither be

sure that neither sphere is dominated by any country or alliance early in the game, allowing Italy timeto grow, or i t must quickly dominate one sphere.

From the strategic point of view Italy is definitelythe hardest country to play.

Here is a brief example of a strategic plan forEngland. Let s say you don t like the Anglo

German alliance, or the German player is

notoriously unreliable, so you plan to offer alimited duration alliance to France for ajoint attack

on Germany. You ll offer Belgium, Munich, andHolland to France while you take Denmark, Kiel,

and Berlin. You don t mind if Russia and Germanyget into a fight over Sweden, but you want Russia to

concentrate, with Austria, on attacking Turkey.This will leave Italy free to peck away, initially at

Germany, later at France. When your alliance withFrance expires you will attack France with Italian

help, and at the same time pick of f Russia snorthern centers (Germany should fall sooner thanTurkey-if necessary you ll giveTurkey tactical advice). You want Aust ri a to at tack Russia afterTurkey falls. This is important, because Austria

Russia would be a formidable alliance against you.It is possible but not likely that you could reach astalemate line as Italy collapsed to an attack from

Austria, but it is much better to have most of theeastern units f ighting one another . In the end youshould be grinding down an outnumbered Italy(England will gain more from attacks on Germany

and France than Italy will, by nature of the positions) while Austria keeps Russia busy. For supplycenters you want England, France, Germany, theLow Countries, Scandinavia, Iberia-a total of

16-plus two from St. Petersburg, Warsaw,Moscow, Tunis, and Italy s three. To gointo all thealternatives would require pages. But as one example, if necessary you could extend your alliance with

a France who will be worried about Italy, and hopeto march into Russia and the Balkans.

Now we come to individual countries. Reams of

statistics are available about the success of each

country in postal play, but the percentages havevaried as years passed, and statistics of Americanand British postal games show some differences.

Generally, each country has a good chance of success except for Italy, which is handicapped by itsbetween-spheres posi tion. (The pi rated SouthAmerican versions of DIPLOM CY give I ta ly a

fleet instead of an army in Rome, and add a supply

center in North Africa. These changes strengthenI taly and probably make DIPLOM CY a better

game.) Russia tends to be an all-or-nothing country

because of i ts extra unit, its long borders, and itsconnection with the western sphere and stalemateline. Russia wins outright far more than any other

country. The inner countries, Germany, Austria,and Italy, are harder to play well.

The next seven sections brief ly sta te what tolook for when you play each count ry . Natural

neutrals are neutra l supply centers which are

usually captured by the Great Power during 1901.The most common opening move is also mentioned,

but remember that tactics are subordinat e tostrategy, and even the most common opening is usedno more than half the time. One general point re

mains to be made. Western countries can waitlonger than eastern countries before committing

themselves to agreements. The easterners are tooclose, with too many centers at stake, to wait.

Austria Land power, natural neutrals Serbia andGreece. Turkey and Austria are almost always

enemies, for Austria is at a great disadvantagewhenthe two ally. Turkey usually owns terri tories on

three sides (Mediterranean, Balkans, Russia) if thealliance is successful, and Austria is just too easy to

s tab. Russia and Italy are the best alliance pros

pects, especially the former. Russia and Turkey

order to avoid becoming the next victim o

eastern juggernaut. Germany virtually aagrees to a non-aggression pact, nor shouldAwaste units in the western sphere. The early gaoften a desperate struggle for survival, but a

player can hang on until events elsewhere anown diplomacy improve his position. Unfortunnormally Austri a must eliminate Italy to

because the seas and crowded German plain

expansion northward; this landpower must bea sea power in order to grab the last few ce

needed.Commonly Austria opens with F Tr

Albania and A Budapest-Serbia followed in FSerbia S Albania-Greece. A Vienna is used to

whichever neighbor, Russia or Italy, seems hoby Vienna-Galicia or Vienna-Trieste or Tyrol

England Seapower, natural neu tral NorEngland has an excellent defensive positionpoor expansion prospects. An Anglo-Ge

alliance is not as hard to main ta in as the AuTurkish, but neither is it easy. England musouth when allied with Germany, but it can h

avoid a presence in the north, facing Russia, wputs itall around the German rear. England-Fis a fine alliance but it may favor Francein therun. Whichever is the ally, England may be ab

acquire Belgium if he works a t it. Pat iencenecessity, however, unless Italy or Russia comto the western sphere. either does, one to a

France (or even Germany), the other to attackmany, England must gain centers rapidlysqueezed to death between its former ally aninterloper.

England can win by sweeping through Ger

and Russia, but all too often the eastern stale

line stops this advance short of victory. Similasouthern Mediterranean drive can founder in

but this par t of the defenders stalemate lharder to establish. If England can get up to a

six or seven units it has many alternativeconsider.

Usually England opens with F London-No

Edinburgh-Norwegian, A Liverpool-EdinbThe army can be convoyed by either fleet whiother can intervene on the continent.

France Balanced land and sea, natural ne

Spain and Portugal. France may be therestricted of all the countries, vying with Russthat distinction. There are many options in a

defensive and offensive posit ion. Alliance

Germany or England are equallypossible, thouis easier to coopera te with England . An a

French player can usually obtain Belregardless of which country he allies with. I

movements are important to France, sincepenetra tion into the Mediterranean is usnecessary late in the game if not sooner. Russi

be helpful against England or Germany. In f

French-Russian-(Italian) alliance againstAnglo-Germans is possible. At any rate, if Fraattacked there are several players to ask for h

A common French opening is F BrestAtlantic (heading for Iberia), A Paris-BurgunMarseilles-Spain.

Germany Land power, natural neutrals Hol

Denmark. Like Austria, Germany must scraearly in the game. But the defensive posit i

better, alliance options are broader-and Italyquite at one s rear.

Alliance with England is difficult be

England usually sits in the German rear as the

goes on. (As England I have been stabbed (intively) several times by Germans who cou

s tand the s tr ain, though I had no plans to athem.) Germany-France is a better alliance, thFrance may gain more from it, and you can bdangerously extended between France and R

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Fortunately, Austria rarely interferes earlygame (nor shouldGermany waste effort inthe

sphere) and conflicts with Russia are rare if

concedes Sweden.A common opening is F Kiel-Denmark, Aunich-Ruhr, A Berlin-Kiel. Kiel-Holland or

nich-Burgundy are also common.

Balanced, natural neutral Tunis. Italy needs

and luck to win. Fortunately the defensive

is good, but immediate expansionssibilities are very poor. Don t be hypnotized by

those Austrian centers so near. f Russia and

ally Italy s lifespan isn t much longer than

-full support of Austria is required. Italyto become involved in the eastern sphere more

the western. Unless England and Germany are

cking France, Italy stands to gain little in that

ection. Although Turkey seems far away Italyattack her using the Lapanto Opening .

1901 A Venice H, A Rome-Apulia, Fles-Ionian (which is also the most common

opening) followed in Fall by A Apulia

F Ionian C Apulia-Tunis, build F Naples.

1902 F Ionian-Eastern Mediterranean (orF Naples-Ionian. Then in Fall 1902 Italy

convoy A Tunis to Syria. This attack requiresstrian cooperation, of course.

Balanced, natural neu trals Sweden,mania. With a foot in the western sphere owing

its long border, Russia has an advantage in exnsion but its defensive position is weak despite

extra unit. Russia often feels like two separateuntries, northwest and south, and it may prosper

one area while fai ling in the other. The easternis more important and usually gets three of

ssia s starting four units.

Russia has no obvious enemy. Because thetro-Turkish alliance is so rare Russia can usually

its ally-but don t become complacent. In

north Germany can usually be persuaded not to

rfere with Sweden. An Anglo-German attackcertainly take Sweden and threa ten St.

tersburg, but Russia can lose its northern centerstill remain a major power. A Franco-Russian

can be very successful provided Germany

England start the game fighting one another.

A common Russian opening is F St. Petersburg)-Bothnia, F Sevastopol-Black, A Warsaw

raine, A Moscow-Sevastopol . Moscow-St .is rarely seen (and very anti-English).

is anti-Austrian (with Moscowraine). Sevastopol-Rumania is very trusting of

Balanced, natural neutral Bulgaria.

rkey has the best defensive pos it ion on theard. Its immediate expansion prospects are not, and at one time it was notor ious in postal

for spreading like wildfire once it reached

or seven units. Now players realize th at an

stro-Russian all iance, or the Italian Lepanto

ing, can keep Turkey under control.

Austria is an unlikely ally-see Austrian notes

why. Russia-Turkey can be an excellentce, but if Russia does well in the north Turkey

find it se lf sl ipping behind . None theless,can t be choosers. The Italo-Turkish

is seldom seen, perhaps because all toon Italy becomes the next victim for Russia and

ey. A fight between Italy and Turkey on oneand Russia and Austria on the other is rare, for

y prefers to go west and hope Austria will attackssia after fin ishing with Turkey. Turkey has

of t ime to look for helpfrom the other side of

board while fighting a dour defensive, but help

A commonTurkish opening is A ConstantinopleBulgaria, A Smyrna-Constantinople (or Armenia,to attack Russia) , F Ankara-Black. The favored

alternative if Russia is definitely friendly is Ankara

Constantinople, Smyrna H.

Next time we ll turn to an examination of tactics

in DIPLOM CY

H Philosophy Continued from Pg

OF THE GIANTS It will contain many differenttypes of s ce na rios inc lu ding wars between

k in gd om s, q ue st s, t re as ur e h un ts , e sc ap es , an d

pursuits. In most s ce na rios p la ye rs will be a ble to

select their own forces and objectives. Characters

will inc lu de most of the familiar fantasy a nd h ero

types like dwarfs, goblins, ogres, and magicians.

And, of course, giants. Designed for two to eight

players.

Three of the o the rs are c ard g ames ; o ne about

gangsters, one about the M id dl e East, and one

about senatorial politics.

. A la n R Moon

S MUR I

Work has just begun on the S MUR I update,

so t her e is not really that much to r ep or t. A new

game map is now in preparation which is both at

tractive a nd fu nc tio na l. Eac h p ro vin ce wil l be a d if

ferent color f rom its adjacent provinces; thus per

mitting immediate recognition. This gives the map

an appearance similar to th os e U.S. map s you see

in schools. You know- the kind with each state in a

different color. The mountainous provinces will be

d is ting uish ed b y terrain symbols rather than the

s olid o ra ng e c olor u se d on the current mapboard.

We re planning to add two additional noble

families, thereby increasing the number of players

to six. This will necessitate slight alterations to the

victory conditions to reflect the increased number

of players. S MUR I is most enjoyable when

diplomacy takes an active rol l; a nd th is inc re as e in

the number of players will definitely increase the

diplomatic infighting.Several new game mec ha nics are b eing c on

sidered with a v iew towa rd adding new play

options to the game system. The most ambitious of

the se is the use of cards instead of dice to deter

mine the sequence of pl ay. Each p la ye r would

choose one card from a hand of six. Theplayer with

the lowest valued card would take his turn first and

s o o n. Each c ard c on tain s c ertain a dv an ta ge s a nd

disadvantages; so a player want ing to go first can

also find himself severely penalized in another area.

Thats about where Ia m righ t now. There ll certainly

be m or e l at er as the game progresses. Mick Uhl

STRUGGLE OF N TIONS

A first phase playtest k it was sent out in March,with printed prototype components. However, the

rules were in v ery rou gh s ha pe , a nd the playtesters

h av e h ad difficulty gett ing into play with what s

been provided t o them so f ar. Ou r weekly testing

sessions here are pr oceeding fine, and a f i rst

draft of the rules is in p ro gres s. T his wil l g o out to

the Second Phase p la yt es te rs t hi s s um me r.

Right now the g ame is s la te d fo r a winter release.

Work is also underway correcting the provisional

components for a fin al p rod uc tio n p re ss run .

T he u nu su al step of sending out a design

sketch with rules ind ic ated but not always

specified, was tried in an attempt to hurr y up

development toward an Origins release.

STRUGGLE OF NA TlONS will not hurry up.

D UNTLESS G METIE

T his p roje ct h as b ee n ta kin g u p more t ime than

it was su pposed t o. A number of production in

money ended u p c os ti ng m or e of b ot h, and th

result is that an estimated March release was pushe

back to late summer. Sturmovik has been likewi

affected; because of production difficulties on th

data cards, the old Expansion Kit will be split in

two parts if it s done at all). STURMOVIK will ha

32 aircraft from the Russian/AsianlPacif

T he atre s, a nd SPITFIRE will include 28 aircra

mostly from the period 1939-41 .

. . . Kevin Zuck

OBJECTIVE TL NT

Progress on the Avalon Hill revision of OBJE

TIVE: A TLANTA h as u nd erstan da bly b ee n slo

due to the great number of other projects I am

volved with. However, the rul es are c ur re n

u nd er go in g a m as si ve r ev is ion which I feel

necessary to eliminate out-of-date and obscure te

minology. The rules will also be presented in a mo

clearly defined format. After this has been a

complished to my s atisfa ction I wil l b eg in work

redesigning the charts and organization display

The counters and mapboard I also intend to disca

as I want to introduce standard period symbolis

onto both i tems. As far as graphics are concerne

my p la ns inc lu de c olor-co ding the countersdistinguish the u ni ts a nd t he ir v ar io us f un ct io n

T he map bo ard I would like to airbrush and, if it go

well, should be a vast improvement over th

original. A. Sheaf

GUNSLINGER

GUNSLINGER is in final pl aytest at last. P

duction d elay s a nd an unexpectedly large numb

of suggestions and comments from enthusias

playtesters have led to our missing the early su

mer ORIGINS deadline, but the f in al g ame will

out later thi s summer . Actually, the fulsom

response might h av e been e xp ec te d, for GU

SLINGER is a completely new tactic

system-and nothing generates enthusiasm a

discussion like novelty and tactical s ys tems. T

b as ic g ame is a straightforward system that e

plains combat in split-second showdowns. Ad

tional rules add stalking for longer periods of tim

campaigns that combine showdowns into long

games and role-playing rules that allow the playe

to develop their characters from game to gam

T he res ult is a simple, fast game that can be e

tended into a longer, more serious game for ro

playing enthusiasts and gaming clubs.

M GIC RE LM

The initial rewrite of the M GI REALM rul

has travelled strange paths. Many people have o

fered some intriguing suggestions for improving th

g ame, s o rathe r than simply rewri ting the rules

we planned last summer, we are reorganizing aadding to the presentation. With the gunfighte

fading i nto t he sunse t at last, we should start

playtest of the new M GICREALM rules sometim

this summer yes, we wil l p la ytest the second e

tion rules). Players who are familiar with the e

i st in g r ules w il l f in d the overall game unchange

with s ome v ery n ic e c ha ng es t o the details of pl

here and there. The delay comes from the

changes and the reorganization in the presentatio

ALPHA OMEGA

T he b ig ge st p ro blem with ALPHA OMEGA

restructuring the game to fi t the Avalon Hill form

have you seen the size ofthose maps?). It is agoo

de al l ike fitting a q uar t of water in a pint bott

without losing anything. We re working on this, bprogress is problematic with o the r pr oj ect s

truding. Fortunately, the game system is qu

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


- - - - - - - - ~ ; . . . . . - - - - ~ ~ - - - - - - - . . c - - - - - - -

But What Happens When The Beach Hits Back?

HIT THE BEACH by li m Stahle

Even if he wins one or two of these attacks, he

h om e free. I16 an d 117 a re e as il y b ot tl ed u p bsurrounding r iv er s, a nd t he other t hree hex

subje ct to counterattack by the four majorsions, 3 an d 5 Parachute and 77 an d 271 Infa

with 15 attack factors, supported by plentiful

divisions. Even if the Allies do succeed in gettoehold on the coast an d s ur vi ve t he e ncounterattack their supply situation will be c

until they capture a port. Th e only available

are Amst erdam and Rott erdam and Antwe

neighboring Belgium. Holding the fortress of

terdam with its tripled defense, prevents thefrom usi ng eit her Amst erdam or Rott erdam

Panzer di vi si on s s tr ea mi ng f ro m t he W es t,

wit h th e r iv er b ar ri er s, will ke ep A nt we rp o

Allied hands.About t he best that t he Allie s c an e xpe ct

against t he Nort h Sea is to m ak e a 2 1 with thre

borne divisions against Amsterdam, coupledsuccessful i nvasion against one of the two

hexes a dj ac en t t o A ms te rd am . T he G er ma nso nl y r etr ea t a c ou ple s ta ti c divisions a cr os

dyke, beef up Rotterdam an d use the Emden a

t o h ol d t he R hi ne . Th e Allies will be bottled u

t iny beachhead wit h suppl y for t wo divisions

hordes of Panzers on t he march See Figure 2)

this is what the Allies get after risking their vaairborne divisions in a 2 1 attack. The Allied

can write of f most of t he Nort h Seaas a viabl e

sion area.There is o ne m or e be ac h hex in t he Nort h

K19. l ooks l ike an easy, unopposed l andi n

look closer. Units invading KI 9 must at tack tjacent 2SS in O st en d, with r et re at b lo ck ed

HQ. Since 2SS is doubled even paratroopers

quir ed to m ak e a I-I. Wit h t he masses of Gearmor and i nfantry stationed to t he West, t hethat t he All ied player can hope for is a beac

bot tl ed by Dunkirk t he Schei dt River, an d

w erp see F ig ur e 3). N ot m uc h ga in for riski

airborne division an d the first invasion.

N ot e a c ou pl e m or e f eat ure s about t he

Sea defense. Th e hexes most li kely t o be at ta116 an d 117, are defended by static divisions

m or e v al ua bl e u ni ts ar e positioned on hexel ikel y t o be i nvaded, maki ng t hese uni ts safer

also ar e f ar the r west, allowing them to q

a ss is t t he ir c om ra de s d ef en di ng P as de C al a

Havre, Normandy an d Brittany.Continuing al ong t he coast we e nt er F ra

the Pa s de Calais. This is theclosest invasion a

Bri tai n, t he beach t hat Hit ler expected t he Ai nvade. It is the scene of t he Bri ti sh evacuat

Dunkirk and t he debacle at Dieppe. Shouenemy choose Pas de Calaisas their invasion a

will be t hree in a row.

Pa s de C al ai s is a ve ry d if fe re nt sort o

from North Sea. Supply is general ly not a pr

at Pa s de Cal ai s, whereas i t made an offensively impossible from North Sea. Thereare five c

p or ts t o c h oo se f ro m, w hic h a re t he key t o t heThey are hard t o t ake, because t hey doubl e o

t he d ef en de r; h ow ev er , t hi s m ak es t he m e a

hold once taken. Pa s de Calais has betterexitsinterior t ha n N or th Sea, maki ng an invasion

diffi cult t o bot tl e up. Since Pas de Cal ai s is ffrom t he Rhi ne than t he N or th S ea , a b ea ch h

no t qui te as dangerous; a l ine can sti ll be form

the Meuse. Th e biggest danger comes from isot he b ul k of the G er ma n a rm y We st of the

should t he All ies successfuly i nvade an d q

break out.

Th e German beach defense is cruc ial to the

game. Thi s is one aspect of D D w hic h h as r emained constant throughout the game s long

h is to ry . A poor d ef ens e c an give t he g am e a wa yright from t he beginni ng; whi le a good defense can

give the Allied player certain defeat if he invades thewrong beach. Thi s is as t ru e in D D 77 as in its

predecessors.

On e approach to formi ng a good defense is try

ing to hold everywhere, not allowing the Allies a 3 1

attack on an un def end ed bea ch hex anywhere. I

ha ve seen a d efe ns e that all ows t he All ies ashorefr ee o nl y in one hex in Normandy; e ven t he m os t

re mote beaches in S outh F ra nc e a nd the Bay of

Biscay are 3 1 proof. However, a good die roll at I-I

or 2 1 in Pas de Cal ai s can pu t the Allies on thebeach with little between them an d t he Rhi ne. I cal l

this ty pe of defense an iron ring with a marshmallow center. the outer ring is pierced, the rest

fal ls. A defense of this type is useful if you believe

that t he Alli es will i nevi tabl y win shoul d t hey get a

be ac hhe ad. It gives the German player a good

chance of winning on Turn 1 a ls o gives him agood chance of losing on Turn I.

I p re fe r a more conservative defense that makes

North Sea, Pa s de Calais, an d Le Havre impossible,

invasions at Normandy Brittany, an d South

France subject to being tightly bottled up and Bayof Bis cay a very l on g, s lo w m ar ch t o t he R hi ne . A n

example of such a defense is s ho wn in F ig ur e I . Letus t ak e a tour of t hi s defense, hex by hex an d beach

by beach, to see how effecti ve it is, an d h ow it c anreact to an invasion of any of the seven beaches.

We will start ou r tour at the G er m an p or t of

Emden. This is s af e f ro m a ny All ie d attack even

a ir bo rn e . W ha t is interesting about Emden is the

masses of tanks an d panzer grenadiers right outsidethe city. From here t he 3SS, 15SS, 25SS, an d 9SS

d iv is io ns c an q ui ck ly c ov er a N or th S ea i nv as io n

wit hi n a t urn or two. Their high mobility can enablethem to reach as far as Lyons or Rennes in four

t urn s to help bottle up a South France or Bri tt any

invasion.A more cent ral posit ion for t hese uni ts would be

t he st arred hexes near Frankfurt b ut it w ou ld t ak et he m t oo long t o b ac ks to p a N or th S ea i nv as io n.

T he y c ou ld a ls o be h al te d by a n as ty r iv er i nt er di ct io n o n hex 010.

Continuing along the coast we come t o Holl and

an d the North S ea i nv as io n a re a. H er e we do notwant t o gi ve t he All ies an y easy opportunity t o ge t

ashore, since it is so close to Germany. The first five

he xe s a re all d ef en de d by five or six defensive fact ors, wit h a t ight screen of static divisions and head

quarters to t he r ea r to keep a way a ny on e falling

from the sky. Th e most that the Allies c an getagainst anyone of these hexes is two infantry divi

s io ns i nv ad in g f ro m t he s ea , p lu s o ne f ac to r of air

support f or a t ot al of nine factors. Thus t he best

attack that t he enemy can make is a I-Ion any hex.

Figure 1:

6

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including HQ s)

The defenses of North Sea, Pas de Calais,Le Havre all fol low the same strategy. Depend

strong forces to hold the beaches or counteratta

lucky beachhead , with bot tl ing up of the ene

onlya last resort. In Normandy, Brittany, and So

igur 5: Counterattack VS. R29; welcome ashore.

The third hex, Le Havre, is a fortress garrisoby two static divis ions. is worth 12 factors

defense. Using four infantry divis ions, two

borne divisions on S30, and a factor of air supp

the Allies can attack with 23 factors-not quite

The 352nd Infantry division discourages airbo

units from landing across the Seine. Note that if352nd Infantry were on S30, it cou ld be a tt ac

fr om R29 in conjunction with airborne divisio

leading to a bridgehead across the Seine on Tur

However, in T30 it can only be attac ked by

borne, a 2 1 at best, requiring three airborne d

sions. Le Havre falls, but there is no bridgehacross the Seine, the invasion can be hal ted al

the lower Seine. airborne seize a bridgehead

Le Havre holds, a counterattack can wipe out

invasion and isolate the paratroopers. Should

Havre fall and the paratroopers be successful,

should be able to eljminate a few airborne divisiand fall back to the Seine-if you sti ll hold Rou

the few that they do, they normally won t survturn one. If your opponent chooses Pas de Cal

sleep well; you have the game in your pocket.

Lit tle Le Havre is only three hexes wide, bucan be dangerous if the Allies get a fi rm footho

The key to Le Havre is Rouen. the Germans

hold on to Rouen, they can bot tle up the invason a line Dieppe -Rouen-Le Hav re , o r at wo

Somme-Amiens-Rouen-Lower Seine, as in Fig

4. Should the Allies secure Rouen early, they

break out towards Paris and trap the troops in N

mandy, Brittany, Bay of Biscay, and South Fran

Rouen can only be attacked by airborne oninvasion turn. With the two s ta ti c divis ions ,Allies best odds are I-I, risking all three airbo

divisions. he loses 2 3 chance), hehas lost mos

his airborne strength. Even if he wins, the Germcan still counterattack with five infantry divisio

ISS, and Lehr panzer divisions. You can consi

Rouen pretty safe on turn one.

There is also the beach to worry about. ISSDieppe contributes its strength to the defense of

first beach hex, Q28. The best attack frombeach is 8-14, or 1-2. Using two airborne, the Al

can get a I-I, but this is very risky, and requires

third airborne divi si on to make a soakoff agai

Rouen. Most Allied commanders won t t akerisk.

The next hex is undefended The Allies can

ashore free at R29, but we have quite a welcomparty waiting behind the beaches. See Figure 5

one counterattack possibility.

lYRE

We have seen that Pas de Calais is a very tough

beach. There are no free hexes, and lots of

counterattack s tr ength. In mos t games the Allies

won t even consider a Pas de Calais invasion, and in

F NTRY P R HUTE

6

5

Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne are next. They

are all fortresses defended by two static divisions,

worth 12 factors. The best attack withoutparatroopers consists of two armored divisionswith air support , or II factors; again one factor

short of a I-I. Dunkirk can be attacked at I -I withparatroopers dropping on N22, bu t a soakoff must

be made against 6/ 2 Parachute Regiment.

Paratroopers landing at N23 can up the odds to I -I

against any two of the fortresses, but the 84 Infan

try must be attacked also. Since a I- I only has a .33

chance of succeeding against the coast, it is not too

likely that the Allied player will take the chance, norsucceed if he does. In the unl ikely event of one of

the fortresses falling, you should crush the airborne

divis ion exposed in the open, hold onto the other

fortresses, and build a wall of units directly outside

of the captured fortress. worse comes to worse, it

is back t o t he Meuse, but this will happen only if

you are facing a very bold, very dar ing, and very

lucky opponent.

Come on in said the spider to the fly. Hexes

025 and P26 look weak, but they are a trap for an

inexper ienced All ied player. They are airborne

proof, but they areeach defended by only two static

divisions. The allies can hit both hexes with a tempt

ing 2 1 (however they are one factor short of a 3-1).The strength of these hexes comes not from the gar

ri sons in the hexes but t he la rge uni ts beh ind the

lines. They can be counterattacked on the first turnby 2SS, ISS, 84, 85, 91, and 352 Infantry, the 6/ 2

Parachute, and some static divisions, with at least

30 factors. This is enough to crush units ashore on

both hexes. Don t forget about an addit ional 20

factors from Normandy that will be available to at

tack on turn 2. theAllies get ashore here, they will

soon wish that they had attacked elsewhere.

The last hex in Pas de Calais, Dieppe, is de

fended by the crack ISS Panzer Division. Being

doubled in the city, i t is worth 14 factors . Two ar

mored divisions, an airborne division, and air support are required to make a I-I. Note that retreat

cannot be cut of f without attacking the 91 st Infan

try. Attacking Dieppe is taking a bigrisk, with small

chance of success. Should the Allies be foolish

enough to attack Dieppe, and lucky enough to win,tears are in order. When your eyes dry, trycounterattacking the lonely airborne division,

soaking of f against the city. you can t do that, all

is still not lost. Hold onto Amiens and Rauen for

dear life, and form a line including the Somme and

the lower Seine. Figure4 shows what can be done to

bottle up Dieppe. Beware: you will have quite a

fight on your hands; be sure to evacuate everythingto the west, so that it won t be trapped in case the

Allies do break out .

My strategy is to strongly defend the five ports,

being able to drive into the sea any uni ts that

ruggle ashore on any of the three clear beach

Ostend, defended by the 2SS Panzer Division, is

proof, and it requires two infantry divisions, an

rborne division, and air support to get a I-I.

hould it be t aken , the Germans are in the samesition as if KI9 is successfully invaded. Because

Allies would be doubl ed in the c ity, count er

is out of the question. Fall back to Dunkirk,

Schedlt, and Antwerp as in Figure 3

R CHUTE

3: A successful invasion of K19 bottled up bymassiveGerman

rces, rivers and fortresses after turn 2.

I

The next hex, 121, is a clear terrain hex. is un

ubled, which makes it easy to attack, and easy to

nterattack. The 6/2 Parachute Regiment pro

cts the hex from airborne assault . The Allies can

tack it with at most two armored divisions and

rc raft, for a tot al of II factors. Since we have

ree static divisions defending it, the Allies are onector short of a 2 1 attack. We will be seeing a lot

f this one factor shortage up and down the coast.

case the Allies do make a successful 1 1 and gain

toehold, they can be annihilated by 2SS, 6/2

achute, 5 Parachute, 84 and 85 Infantry, and aof the omnipresent static divisions, with at least

factor s, enough for a 3 1 against an armored

ivision supported by defensive air. L21 is not aalthy place for the Allies in June.

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38

France, ou r primary goal is to bottle up theAlliesin

a small area, rather than hold all the beaches and relyon counterattacks.

Normandy is the site of the actual invasion, an d

for that reason you can expect some Allied playerst o invade No rman dy . Af ter all, if it work ed forE is en ho we r, it s ho ul d w or k f or me. W e will m ak ethat a lovely trap t o fall i nt o.

Th e key feature of Normandy is that it is a small

peninsula, with good defensive terrain at the base.Ou r strategy consists of strongly defending the base

of the peninsula against the initial seaborne invasion, an d t hen t o ho ld it ag ain st l an d a tt ac k f ro ma ny b ea ch he ad t ha t m ay be e st ab li sh ed . The keyhexes t o h old ag ai nst th e se ab or ne i nva sio n a re

Caen an d Bayeux. Five factors on each, doubledbecause of the cities an d s ur ro un de d by a nt iparatrooper d ef en se , a re s uf fi ce nt t o p re ve nt I -Io dd s. A t 1-2, t he Alli ed p la ye r w ou ld a lm os t ce r

tainly be tossing away two infantry divisions, an d

he usually won t take the risk.Part of the paratroop defense is the 12SS on

Carentan which serves a d ua l role of defending

R34 an d S35. Th e Allies can land at these hexes, butwill have to fight to stay. Th e best that they can getagainst the 12SS is four infantry divisions, two airborne in T35, a nd a n air factor, totalling 23 factors,on e short of2-1. Cherbourg must be held by a static

division. No t only does that serve to slow down theAllies, but it prevents them from landing aparatrooper in Cherbourg in c on ju nc ti on with alanding in Brittany or Le H av re , g iv in g t he m t wobeachheads for the price of one.

A likely a tt ac k on Normandy would involvelanding all around Cherbourg, an d using airborne

divisions a nd t actica l air t o g ai n 30-6 5-1) o dd sagainst Cherbourg. Soaking of f against 12SS fromS35 an d attacking Cherbourg from R34 will forcethe Germans to evacuate Carentan or come ou t intothe open to fight for it. I advise retreating to an impregnable line along the Vireo

The key cities are now Bayeux again, an d S t. L oan d Avranches. Hold these with y ou r armored

strength nearby protect them a ga i ns tparatroopers, an d worry mainly about the secondinvasion. Th e Allies will have a tough time gettingeven a 1 2 an ywh er e, to m ak e c ar pe t b om bi ngu se ful . See F ig ur e 6 f or t he German defense at theend of Turn I, an d note thatthereare plenty of rein

forcements on t he way. A Normandy invasion willbe b ot tl ed u p wi th t he cork welded on .

igur 6: Allied beachhead sealed in Normandy on turn

Moving around the coast of France we come toBrittany, which looks like a large Normandy. Th e

method for holding Brittany is similar to that forholding Normandy, but on a larger scale. Since it is

farther from Britain, the Allies have fewer troopslanding and supply is less plentiful than in Norman

dy. On the other hand since it is a larger peninsula,it will require much more of a commitment of Ger

m an t ro op s t o h ol d a line at the base.

This latter fact requires the Brittany garrison toslow up t he Allies for a few t ur ns t o en ab le rein

f or ce me nt s f ro m N or ma nd y, Bay of Biscay, an d

P as De C al ai s to a rr iv e to man the trenches. Sincethe Allies will have fewer troops an d supplies, the

task is easier.

We w an t to d en y t he Allies t he use of a p or t o n

turn I. Th e idea is t o f or ce t he m t o use a n e xt ra turn

to acquire a port wi th its l ar ge s up pl y c ap ac it y

before they can attack the main line. Avranches an d

St. Malo are well defended. Avranches is I-I proof;

the best attack that the Allies can make against it is12-14. This is important since Avranches is also thekey to themain defense line. St. Malo is also needed

for the main line. t can be attacked at I-I b ut n ot2-1. Would you believe another 23-12?).

Brest is of double importance. Not only is it the

best port in Brittany, but its value as a sub base keepsthe Allies from getting one replacement factor per

turn. t is defended by a tripled 3-4-3. You can expect the Allies to eventually capture B re st , b ut t hehighest odds that they can get on Brest on the initialinvasion turn is, of course, 23-12.

Lorient also has a high supplycapacity. It can beattacked at 15-6 o n t ur n one, which is a risky 2-1.Th e 712th Static defending there is important fordelaying the Allies on Turn 2.

Normally, we can expect an Allied invasion of

Brittany to involve four infantry divisions landingon the beach hexes from V39 to U42, with airbornelanding to seal of f Brest. t is tempting to counterat

tack this weak force with your nearby panzers, bu t

t hi s s tr at eg y could easily lead to disaster.

Remember that the Allies have air power, airbornedivisions, an d six combat divisions landing everyturn fuelling their attack. The Germans will take a

long time to concentrate, will be outnumbered in ashort time, an d the loss of a few key German unitscan hurt b ad ly . I n t his c ase , d is cr et io n wins o ve rvalor. It is betterto avoid combat a nd t o fall b ac k t othe St. Malo-St. Nazaire line. The712th StaticDivision is used h ere t o delay t he Allies f or a t ur n, in

X40, while o th er units move into position. See

Figure 7 for the positions after turn I.

igur 7: Allied invasion of Brillany and start of Germanwithdrawal

to S Ma lo- St. N a za ire line a t the e nd of turn 1

Figure 8 shows the St. Nazaire-St. Malo defenseline after Turn 2, ready for the first Allied assault.

St. Malo can fall; ifso merely retreat to Avranches.Rennes is the key point of the defense, along withSt. Nazaire. If either city is taken by the Allies, the

Germans must retreat to the Seine or fight the Alliesin t he o pe n. He x A A4 0 is undoubled. This isn t too

dangerous because theAllies canattack it from onlyone hex, an d the powerful German armor nearbycan counterattack any Allied success against AA40.

igur 8: A llie sbottled up by the S t. N az air e- St. Ma lo de fe n

t h e e n d of turn 2.

Beware of paratroopers landing right b

f ro nt line t o surround your strongpoinlanding deep to the r ear to grab ports. Ga

C he rb ou rg , A vr an ch es , a nd Nan tes for c e

Keep units in La Rochelle, Bayeux, and Caento be safe. Having an enterprising airborne cing a port behind your back, followed by armo

infantry landing unopposed, can be embarrato say the least.

You should be moving everyone available

S ou th F ra nc e, Pas de Cal ais, a nd re pl ac

centers in Germany, to your critical line. Pu t

t io na l u ni ts in W3 7, a nd Y38, t o f or ce t he Alsoakoff additionally if theytry to attackSt. M

Rennes. Counterattack any threat fromdoubled an d tripled positions. With any luc

Allies will require a second invasion at NormS ou th F ra nc e, or Biscay to spr in g th e B rb ea ch he ad f ree , a nd y ou will b e a b le t o fall bt he Se in e with no threat of a second invasion

your replacements not too far away.Th e Bay of Biscay is an enigma. On thesu

it looks likea poor choice for an invasion. t

f ar f ro m t he R hi ne . Troops landing there wilou t s ho e l ea th er a nd t ru ck tir es b ef or e t he yGermany. Since it is so far from England, the

shipping requirements severely limit the numdivisions that c an l an d at Biscay t o o nl y f oturn. This is a m er e tr ic kl e c om pa re d to a ny

invasionarea. On to p of that, thesupplysituano t very good. Th e Allies must secure a port e

even have a chance of staying ashore. Th e ope

rain behind the beaches makes it easy f or t hem an s t o c ru sh a n in vasio n with a s tr on g a rmcounterattack. Th e Bay of Biscay can be igno

a feasible invasion area by the Germans.But not safely ignored.

Th e danger of a German counterattack ofirst couple of turns is negligible because thmans cannot afford to commit much counterstrength to such an out-of-the-way part of F

Similarly, they cannot pu t much strength thprevent a landing. Infantry and static divisiBiscay will be st ran ded by an Allied b re

a ny wh er e else, an d Panzers are needediscourage landings in more critical areas.

B ut t he wi de o pe n t er ra in t ha t ex po se s

troops on thebeach to a counterattack also prtheGermans from forming a line to bottle up

vasion short of the Loire. Strategic movemeallow a division to rush from La Rochelle to Ponly two t urn s, so it wasn t as far remo vedcritical areas as it seems. The shortage of suan d l einforcementscan be overcome by captu

port in n ea rb y B ri tt an y or marching overlaMarseilles. No, comrades, the Bay of Biscay cbe ignored.

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The problem o f defending Bay of Biscay is; ho w

d ef en d a long stretch of beach with only a few

bile units that won t be trapped if t he a ct io n is

M y s ol ut i on is to hold the cities o f St.

Nantes, La Rochelle, an d Bordeux, using

medium Panzer formations 4-4-4 s) an d a

of static divisions.

St. Nazaire can at bestonly be attacked at 2-1 b y

infantry divisions, the airborne division, an d

support. Since it is a fortress, units ca n be pinned

side it, an d there is a lo t of counterattack strength

door in Brittany. Nantes ca n o n ly b e attacked

I-I, an d losing Nantes is meaningless if St .

aire holds, because the Allies ca n use Nantes as

only if they ow n St. Nazaire an d t he f ar bank

the lower Loire.

La Rochelle is more promising, bu t th e Allies

only ge t a I- I attack here also. A victory here

pu t th e Allies so lidly ashore; a defeat here

ld effectively eliminate the first invasion. th e

ar e going to ri sk it all on on e di e roll, they

uld be wiser to do it in th e North Se a or th e Pa s

Calais, no t in t he B ay of Biscay.

Bordeaux is the soft spot of th e German

Here th e Allies ca n make a 3-1 attack see

9 without fear of counterattack or of being

bottled up. Note that Bordeaux is v er y, v er y

from the Rhine. yo u have to give th e Allies a

eebie, this is t he b es t place. Nevertheless, if I ha dmore d iv is io n, I would pu t it in Bordeaux or

to help hold the l ef t f la nk of th e Bay of

;

9: Allied 3-1 a ttac k on Bordeaux requires TA C suppor t. Ge rns retreat is shown in red.

I f t he Allies d o a tt ac k in t he B ay of Biscay, the

player must be careful to a v oi d t w o t em p t

traps. D o n ot g et i nv ol ve d i n a mobile battle ou t

the open. y o u a re not doubled, yo u ca n expect

attrition, which yo u cannot afford. Al though

Allies get o nl y f o ur divisions per turn, they get

four divisions every t ur n, a nd don t forget

airpower an d those sneaky airborne divi

ons, which ca n isolate half your attacking forces if

are no t careful. An d if s ec on d i nv as io n t im e

mes with your best troops slug gin g it ou t near

you ar e in trouble; the flower of th e

ca n be cu t of f by a dash across France.

attack if yo u a re gu ar an te ed t o c ru sh t he

i nv as io n i mm ed ia te ly . O th er wi se slowly

The second trap is to at t empt t o b ot tl e u p t he in

io n with a line along the Loire, from St. Nazaire

Vichy. What works in Brittany will no t work in

because the line is to o l on g t o h ol d. is 24

xes long, as compared with 21 hexes of the Seine

Bes ancon to Le Havre), an d you still have to

Normandy and Brittany. A breakthrough at

leans will trap everything west o f there, an d a

ccessful invasion a t N or ma nd y will be e qu al ly

With s uc h a long line garrisoned, there will be

enough troops available to hold North Se a

P as d e Calais.

The best move to handle an invasion of Bay of

scay is a s low retreat all th e way to th e Seine

ver, using your panzers a s a s cr ee n to prevent th efrom utilizing strategic movement. yo u ar e

th e Allies will arrive at th e Sein e in strength

a r ou n d T u rn 9.

Our tour of the French coast ends at the

Mediterranean beaches of South F r an ce . L on g a

favorite resort area it was also a favorite invasion

area, until th e 1965 rules made an invasion of South

France futile because supply lines could no t reach

all th e wa y f r om t he p or t s to t he R hi ne . N ow , in th e

1977 edition, Marseilles ca n support up to 22 divi

sions up to 2 4 h ex es a wa y, f ar e no ug h t o include

St rasbourg and 9 h ex es acros s the Rhine. An inva

sion of S o ut h F ra nc e m us t b e r e ck o ne d w it h.

Since South France is s o f a r f ro m th e other inva

s io n a re as , a ny troops committed therewi ll b e

on

their o wn f or quite a w hi le , u nt il they ca n be rein

f or ce d f r om a cr os s F r an ce . Similarly, they cannot

b e u se d a ga in st an invasion at an y o th e r a r ea fo r

quite a w hi le . Fo r this reason, I d o n ot d ef e nd t he

beaches a t S ou th France, n or d o I plan a counterat

tack. Rather I u se the s ames trategy as I use at Brit

tany: bottle up the invasion. Th e Rhone valley

makes an excellent bottle, an d L yons makes a v er y

good c o rk . H ow ev er , b ew a re of a ve ry dangerous

leak at Sete.

Initially, th e Allies ca n walk as hore anywhere

bu t Sete; they will b e u n op p os ed . A t Sete t he y c an

only ge t a I-I, which they will frequently pass up in

favor of easier pickings to t he E as t. H o we ve r , Sete

is th e key to th e whole area.

igure to First German resistance to a n A llied inva sion of South

France is established on turn 2.

Withdraw to Valence an d th e mountain hex

MM31. This denies the Allies Strategic Movement

on t he i r s ec on d t ur n ; th e farthes t they ca n get isMo nt eli mar . Meanwhile, move u p th e infantry

f ro m L yo n t o the Valence-Grenoble area, an d rush

everything that moves from th e Atlantic to Lyons.

On Turn 2, y ou c an build a formidable l in e w it h

units in Grenoble an d V al en ce , w it h a delaying unit

in MM30 see figure 10). Be wary of putting

anything in he x MM31 o n T ur n 2 if MM30 is va

cant; if Valence is successfully attacked from

MM30, everyone i n M M3 1 is cu t off.

O n turn 3 th e Allies will normally attack th e

sacrifice unit; they c a nn ot m o un t effective attacks

against Valence an d G r en ob l e. N o w you ca n pu t

strength on hexes LL29 an d LL30, continuing to

hold Valence. Congratulate th e Allied player if he

takes Valence o n t ur n 4; your delaying troops have

done their jo b with light losses. You should be able

to squeeze a n ot he r t ur n o r tw o ou t of this delayingaction, allowing th e Allies to hit y ou r o ut po st s

h ex es J1 2 4an d KK30) o n t ur n 6 or 7. By t hi s time

th e Allied player w ill b e w on de ri ng h ow y ou c on -

igure Main line of defense on the L yons line, w ith outpost

JJ24 and KK30. E st ab li s he d o n t u rn 5 or 6, wi th p le nt y of r

forcements on the way.

jured such an impressive line ou t of nothing

figure II). With four or five turns, yo u ar e able

build an unbreakabl e line a lo ng t he u pp er R ho

wh ich will require a second invasion to crack.

Should th e Allies at tack at Sete an d su cceed ,

above defense is outfl anked and it s back to

Seine. He simply marches to th e south and west,

Toulouse an d Vichy, an d he ll be comin round

mountain in no t im e. Y ou c an m an ag e to slow

advance with a screen of Panzers and headquarte

bu t there is no stopping it. is possible to cont

the advance w it h a l in e along the Loire-Eure-Sei

bu t there is no wa y that th e German Army c an hthat, hold th e Lyons line, an d still prepare f or

second invasion.

Fortunately, defending Sete is no t all t hat ha

If the Allies attack it on t urn I, the best that they

get is a I-I. they fail to take it then, you hav

chance to rush s ome reinforcements up there. T

can t attack Sete overland until turn 3 at

earliest, an d that gives you a chance t o p ut a ba

up position on th e mountain hex TT40, which eff

tively blocks the exit from Sete, an d ca n lnly b e

tacked from on e hex. Two 4-4-4 s in TT40can be

tacked at 1-2 at best. In fact, if Sete gets threaten

by an enemy on GG35 its g ar r is on s ho u ld

mediately pull b ac k t o TT40 to make their stan

W e have co mplet ed the tour of my Germ

defense. It is not an opti mal defense-I doubt t h

perfect defense exists-but it is a ve ry good one

makes North Sea, Pa s de Calais, an d Le Ha

totally unappetizing. Normandy, Brittany, a

South Fr an ce pr esent the A ll ie s w it h an e

beachhead b u t n ot hi ng more, l ea vi ng t he B ay

Biscay as th e b es t b et of a sorry lot. Wherever

Allies hit t he b ea ch , t he beach will h it back.

Comments and or criticisms may be directedJim at his 6617 Mayfair Dr. Apt T I F

Church 22042 address. Rule lawyers are ur

to exercise caution however as Jim happens tothe author of the 77 edition rules.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


qu d

le der l n

4

BUNKERS

Mention bunker to a wargamer. Images

course through his mind. Casemented guns at Pas

de Calais. Serried rows of Dragon s Teethentwined with squat concrete s trongpoints in theWest Wall. Perhaps a concealed log and rock command post within a reverse slope of Okinawa s

Shuri line. Massive structures outside; inside Errol

Flynn brushes of f falling dust as the light bulbswings to the tune of a direct hit by a 12 shell.

These are t the bunkers of SQUAD LEADER

Most field bunkers were dugouts with a roof.

Pits or t renches l ined with whatever was close to

hand. Coconut logs shared honors with c rushedpumice on many a Pacif ic island. House foundations and simple wood patchwork were used

routinely by the Germans. Relatively small, cheap,

and easywereconstruction standards. Sure ittook alot of time to throw together but Organization Todt

was busy elsewhere and a good squad leader usedwhatever was available.Why bothe r to cheapen the SL bunker image?

The value of a fortification is measured against itsintended use. Avalon Hill did not provide you with

a portion of theMaginot Line inits original counter

mix. Understand the structure to get the besttactical use from it. Now that we ve agreed on

exactly what we re talking about let s review theSQUAD LEADER bunker s strengths and weak

nesses.

Bunker s Strengths:

53.2-Ifin a wire hex cannot be entered directly

from an adjacent hex in oneAdvance Phase. may

enter the bunker in the nextMovementPhase unlessoccupied by enemy units in which case it may enter

during the next Advance Phase.55.-Minefields (but not booby t raps ) may be

placed in a bunker hex (i.e. on top of a bunker) to

By Jon Mishcon

protect against closing infantry without hurtingfriendly infantry within the bunker.

56. I -Strong fire modifiers, especially fromrear. Note the effect on firegroups listed in the A section of page 34.

56.21-Units inside do NOT count againstexterior hex stacking limits.

56.5-Indirect fire uses rear fire modifiers.

56.51-AP ammunition is t reated as Area Fireand the most effective result which can begained is

a normal (M) Morale Check. This is a planned, butyet unpublished, modification of 134.12.

56.52-Flamethrowers outside the covered arc,add rear modifiers.

56.54-Overruns, use rear modifier.

56.6-Units may rout to a bunkeras if it were abui lding and broken uni ts within bunker may stayadjacent to enemy.

56.8I-Units outside a bunker protect units inside from immediate Close Combat by advancingenemy units.

101.9-Units within get bonus for preStuka attack Morale Check.

105.3-Units within may remain adjacent toAFVs in pre-1942 scenarios even if they ll break.

106.I-May not be bypassed by infantry or

vehicles J 12 3111.8-Cost of entering bunker not doubled in

Deep Snow.

111.93-Allows safer rally attempts in ExtremeWinter.

114.52-Ski troops can t enter while on skis.

is evident that being bunkered provides strong

fire protection and allows real morale/rally advantages. That s why you buil t the damn thing . Now

let s review the weaknesses.

A Bunker s Weaknesses:

25.3-Units within may not grow conce

counters.37.37 37.48-Bazookas, Panzer

Panzershrecks and the not yet released RecRifles may not be used from within.

54.2-No entrenchments in same hex.56.I-Only placed in non-bui lding or

woods hex.56.22-Costs I t o leave bunker and

outside receive no benefit from bunker.

36.3-Units may only fire out along c

arc.56.4-No vehicles, howitzers, or morta

use.56.52-Flamethrowers firing through C

Arc, add no modifier.56.81-Units within may never force

Combat on units atop a bunker.56.82-Units may NEVER leave bunke

enemy is atop.56.83-Units within may never fire a

bunker top (and vice versa).56.9-Concealment counters do not ha

coming fire.

75.9-Not placable in marsh.105.2-No morale bonus for being n

AFVs pre-1942.

107.6-Suppression fire effects units

bunker same as those outside.

9 . I-Subject to critical hit.111.81-Snow smocks no advantage wit

Boil down the weaknesses. Bunkers are

. alluring trap s, but tr ap s nonetheles

essence of all-or-nothing defense. The onlycovering terrain they may occupy is orchardmeans the vast majority of the t ime your

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


be in open terrain . And that means you can't

out without moving in the open. Regardless of

difier are you sure you want adjacent units to be

to fire in when you can't fire back? Neverthat one lousy scout sit ting atop can trap a

atoon within the strongest bunker. Most players

learn that bunkers are a nice p lace to avoid.

did so many nationalities spend so much time

ilding them?

The answer lies in balancing the various features

ker offers. 1will offer general usage ideas and

they may app ly to speci fic scenarios in theparagraphs before answering the above

The BackwardLoner This bunker faces toward

l ines. Usually in front of your main line of

Perhaps just within small arms range. fenemy moves past it without neutralizing it, its

an; may allowa rear ATR shot or may pre

a r ou t. At temp ts t o engage i t through its

Arc Defense Modifier places the attacker

your forces. is most vulnerable to entry

the Advance Phase from an adjacent hex.nsider this for covering the roads in Scenario 21.

The CommandPost This bunker is behind your

in some covered spot. A reverse slope is ideal.an 8-0 l eader within and you've creat ed a

ntral rally point for an extended f ir ing line.

cked with an additional three squads it makes a

counterattack jumpoff point. Hex 304 in

21 can be used for all the troops entrenchedhill 546.

The Magic Cire e Popularized by fighter pilots

a bygone era. Three bunkers may be pl aced in a

iangle such that the covered arc of each has a clear

to the top and rear of its neighbor. Better still,

bunkers can be grouped in a perfect circle

ound a cent ra l open hex. Any attempt to

proach the blind sideof one is met bya hai l of fire

the others. Review Scenario 9 in this l ight.

Why were so many bunkers buil t when their use

so limited? 1believe there were two basic reasons.

SQUAD LEADER p layers have yet to ex

erience a powerful preparatory bombardment.

roof of a bunker allows defenders to sufferrough a Field Marshal Monty style blasting with

imal casualti es. Further, if you don't trust your

oops to be able to survive the rigors of fire and

the plus modifiers of a bunker do

stantially even the odds. Refer to Bob Medrow's

cellent table on probability of uni t survival in

lume 17, Number 2. A 6 morale unit is 8 7 less

t han a 7 moral e uni t to survive a l2FP attack

0 DRM. Change the DRM to 3 for both and

the 6 morale uni t is only 7 less likely to sur

the same attack. Low moral e unit s benef it

ore from cover t han do crack troops.

Each of these ideas stresses the key points of

nker usage. A bunker must be protected; either

othe r bunke rs in a mutual protection plan of

ing fires or by outside troops. The fire and

rale advantages aremost valuable when used for

ops with limited fire and morale abilities. Used

operly they may add substantially to your defen

capacity. A new scenario has been provided in

issue s inser t page to allow players to exper i

with the ideas contained herein.

One last no te on bunkers: the original rules

oklet showed a bunker incorrectly facing a hex

rather than a spine Bunkers, like AFVs, must

a hex spine to determine their Covered Arc.

H Philosophy Continued from g 5

nice- apart from the upgraded presentation, the

only changes we are contemplating fall into the

nature of chrome to jazz up play somewhat.

Richard Hamblen

R SKY T MORNIN

With the exception of ARAB ISRAELI WARS

up to now Avalon Hill hasn't produced a single con

temporary era wargame despite the fact that most

gamers seem highly interested in the present

military situation. Now we are taking a long over

due step to meet the demand for modern era

games.

Keeping in mind our stated policy in favor ofplayable, competitive-oriented games, Ihave come

up with a game that sounds too good to be t rue.

This game simulates the course of a wor ldwide

strategic naval contest between the Soviet Navy

and the NATO naval forces now deployed at sea.

As you might expect the game focuses on the

distinction between the Soviet submarine sea

denial strategy and the U.S. strategy based uponcarrier task forces. The order of bat tle includes all

the major ships and weapons currently in operation

as well as ships and weapon sys tems being

developed during the current decade.Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the

game, however, is the fact that the design is based

on the immensely popular VICTORY IN THE

PACIFIC. Thus the focus of the game is on act ion

and playability, notcomplexity. And yet, we expect

R SKYA T MORNING to be one of the mos t in-

teresting and innovative game systems we've ever

developed as the re are tremendous differences in

contemporary naval weapons from the days of the

U-boat and the batt leship which dominated the

Second World War; anti-surface and anti

submarine missiles, improved radarlsonar equip

ment, satellite and undersea detection, ballistic

missile submarines, etc.

Since this game is still in the design stage, I in-

vite any interested gamers to write to me if you areinterested in playtesting, or if you have any infor

mation which will be of help.. Frank Davis

P NZERGRUPPE

The revision of the PANZER BLITZ PANZER

LEADER game system is progressing very well.

The playtest kits should be in the mail in a few

months. The interest all over the country in this

revision has been overwhelming. The general con

sensus of opinion is that it is a labor worthy of our

best efforts and long overdue. The only problem

with updating such a viable old system, is that

sometimes Iam reminded of the 90 year old grandpa who wanted to marry the 16 year old girl But

Grandpa, what will you do in ten years, cried hischildren? You ll be 100 and she ll be 26. Well,

replied the old coot, I r ec on I ll have to get me

another 16 year old.The nuts and bolts of our rewrite can be broken

down into several basic areas. All rules modifica

tions and changes are designed to fit in to one

generic se t of rules, intended to cover the European

Theatre of operations for World War fromSeptember of '39 to May of '45 . The new rules pro

vide a more realistic game and clear up many prob

lems. The spirit of t he game remains unchanged.

The flow, ease of play and standard format remain

as before.Artillery effects have been modified to a

system similar to A.I. W This has been modified to

reflect W.W.II unit densit ies and artillery tactics.Movement rates for vehicles have been reduced

and a new terrain effects chart with some revised

costs and effects produced. These changes correct

two of the most serious problemswith the PANZ

BLITZ/PANZER LEADER system.

A more drastic revision is the incorporation o

step reduction system with backprinted counte

The step reduction adds a new wrinkle to

C.R.T. and does away with all or nothing outcom

of the existing game system. The addition

morale rules increase the possible outcomes ofagiven combat.

The Weapons Effects Chart has been grea

expanded and the different weapon capabilities

more accurately portrayed. Long range shotsnow more of a hitor miss affair. Infantry uhave been brought into the Weapon Effects Ch

with their firepower and weapons types adjus

by nationality and year of the war.

It is our hope with this revision to produc

simulation on the war in North Africa, as well as

pansion kits for PANZER BLITZ and PANZ

LEADER. On the negat ive side most of y

counters with be obsole te , but on the plus si

all equ ipment , rules e tc . will be 100 inchangeable.

Kirk Bram

STRUGGLE FOR RNHEM BRIDGE

The intense street fighting during the Mar

Garden Operation for control of the famous robridge at Arnhem is depicted in graphic detail. Tgame is tactical in nature and deals with only th

portion of the city in the immediate vicinity of

bridge where elements of the British 1st Airbo

Division fought for i ts control and finally their v

survival.

The mapboard is 22 x 32 witha scale of

proximately 1 100', and units representing

dividual squads or two-three vehicles. To many t

may sound like SQU LEADER all over again,

it has very little in common with the SL system

first glance at the mapboard which lacks a hex g

of any kind will tell you that. Instead, the game u

a map divided into various city block areas- ea

based on the actual street configuration at the ti

of the battle. All the famous buildings and strehave been noted for added color, but the re i

minimum of complexity associated with the t

rain- such information having been factored i

the configuration of the areas themselves.

The game i tself revolves largely around

Movement/Fire phase of each game turn. Each o

of these phases is divided into a varillble numbe

alternating player impulses. During an impuls

player may either move or fire any number of un

currently occupying a common area. Once a umoves or fires it is considered committed and

turned over to show, in most cases , a reduc

defensive factor. This also symbolizes that it mnot move or fire again during that phase. If a pla

should decide not to perform any act ion, he m

pass. Players must pass if they have no units el

ble to move or fire and the phase ends if b

players pass consecutively. The strategy a

timing that must accompany a pass option is

tremely important and keeps the excitement le

high throughout. The net result is a game turn wa simultaneous feel, yet with the action-reaction

sequential movement games.

Combat is resolved without a Combat Resu

Table of any kind and requires both players to

teract during each attack. The defender will usua

have the choice of retreating from an a re a t o c

serve casualties or remaining in place and tak

greater losses. Off-board artillery effects are a

included, as well as the ability to se t fire to buildi

within a block to flush units from their position

Victory is determined by control of the all

portant areas surrounding the bridge ramp andbridge itself. How fast and how thoroughly the G

Continued on Page

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


42

e

ARM: What is your j ob a t Avalon Hill, Dale?

DAS: Well, I was hired on as a graphics person an d

generally I turn ou t most of the components insidethe game boxes.

ARM: Would you expla in how a mapboard is pu t

together?

DAS: Usual ly there s a prototype ma p to workfrom. To do the final map though, we start from

scra tch by first creat ing a base ar t which usually

consists of the areas and symbols which will appearin black. Then overlays are added in order to createthe other colors an d terrain features.

ARM: Is there any limit t o how many colors you

can use?

DAS: What we use here at Avalon Hill is a four-color process which simply means we can only use

four colors, bu t since the four colors are usual ly

black and the three primary colors there is

technically no color that we cannot create.

ARM: You are a lso in charge of doing most of theart for THE GENERAL How do you recreat e

game components for articles in the magazine?

DAS: We don t really. What we do is have a velox

shot, a kind of photocopy, of the base art an d thenwe just build up the mapboard using overlays again

to recreate the origina l. We do the same thing forthe colors of the counters, beginning with the black

an d white ar t an d adding overlays for color.

ARM: Some people are probably a lit tle confused

by a lot of these terms. What do you mean by anoverlay?

DAS: An overlay is a sheet of plastic acetate that is

pu t down over the base art. The overlay itself is notthe co lo r you want it to be. I t is merely a device to

show thecamera department where you do wantthecolor. The material we use for overlays is called

amberlith. This is a clear plastic with a kind of

coating over it which can be cu t away in areas. So,when we ad d colors to a black an d white illustration

we merely leave the amberlith in the areas where wewant color. The camera department makes a

negative f rom this which is the reverse of the

overlay, which means that the amberlith becomes a

clear area in the negative. Th e camera department

ST FF RIEFING

n Interview with Dale Sheaffer

t hen makes a p la te f rom the negative, with these

clear areas becoming holes theprinters run thecolorthrough.

Dale A. Sheaffer

Born: 3/23/52

Started Wargaming: 1962

r Experience: None

First Wargame: Gettysburg

Favorite Wargame: Gellysburg 77) and Russian Campaign

Favorite Non-Wargame: o

Outside Interests: Music, Art, Hisrory

Employed by AH: 979AH Artwork: W P, FE, COD 3R, AW, SON, TLD AF, DL, FT,

BB GOA, FITW CM, GL

ARM: That sounds kind of technical. When I think

of an art is t I usually envision someone sit ting infront of an easel with brush in hand, But the re s

rea llya lot moreto whatyoudo. How muchof your

jo b is technical vs. purely artistic?

DAS: The bulk of my work is technical. Before I

camehere I ha d a good groundingin commercial ar t

bu t I didn t know very much about photographic

procedures which is primarily what is used to create

the game components. I spend a good deal of timewith the camera depar tment an d the prin ter s tolearn their terminology an d the things they can an d

cannot do.

ARM: Are the box covers done the same way as the

rest of the components?

By Alan R. Moon

DAS: No. Since box covers are usually painthere is no base ar t so we can t use the o

method. Instead, we shoot a color photogra

the actual painted artwork and then separaphotographically into four different colors;

red, blue, an d yellow. These four colors armade in to four negatives which reproducpainting when printed. This process is called aseparation.

ARM: Which of the two methods mentione

duces the more vivid color?

DAS: There are advantages and disadvantaboth. Color separation eliminates the probl

constructing a base ar t an d overlays which is

ably its biggest plus.

ARM: Why isn t this method used for the dia

for THE GENERAL?

DAS: Two reasons. It is much quicker an d

cheape r to do it t he other way. We have, on

sion, done full color illustrations inGENERAL mostly map boards that werepainted originally.

ARM:Were you surprisedat what yourduties

ou t to be at Avalon Hill, having been trainedschool for something completely different

that bother you in any way? Do you ever feyour artistic talent is being wasted?

DAS: Not really. First off I took commerc

which is exactly the kind of training you neejo b like this. I was a good pen and ink man

also helps. I haven t done much in the wayan d ink illustrations yet, bu t you never know

I ll be doing in the fu ture. As for my tal en t

wasted,I would also have to say no. It s

channeled into other directions. There is achallenge in what I do now, especial ly in t ry

reproduce exactly what I want througphotographic process.

ARM: I get a great deal of satisfaction from

the finished product of a game I ve worked oyou get that same kind of satisfaction from w

on the components?

DAS: I m always glad when they finally com

righ t, but no real a rti st is ever truly satisfie

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


any of his finished products. Th e minute I see afinished map, I immediately think of a new or a dif-

ferent way I should have done i t.

ARM: Of all the things you ve worked on what is

the one thing you feel most satisfied with?

DAS:To date, the things I am most pleased with ar e

the GUNS OF A UGUST ma p and FORTRESS

EUROPA counters.

ARM: What makes them bet ter than some of the

other things you ve worked on ?

DAS: In the case of the counters for FORTRESSEUROPA they finally came ou t looking the way I

wanted them to look. Almost all the little problemsthat we had with them weretaken care of an d we got

a finished product that sat is fied me. In the case of

theGUNS OFA UGUSTmap I was experimentingwith new techniques an d procedures an d the end

product, while not exactly one of ou r flashier maps,

satisified me personally because it meant that what Ihad attempted to do worked an d worked well.

ARM: How much timedid it t ake to do the GUNS A UGUST map?

DAS: I could have sat down an d done it all at

once, it might have taken a week an d a half or two

weeks. As i t was, the project extended over about

two months due to the fact that we weren t sure

until the very end what information was actuallygoing to a pp e ar o n the finished product.

ARM: Ho w much time does it take you to pu t

together all the ar t for an issue of THE

GENERAL?

DAS: About a month or so, depending on the dif-ficulty of the illustrations an d the difficulty of

getting the components themselves together.

ARM: Do you play games. Would you consider

yourself a wargamer?

DAS: Yes. My fathe r brought home an original

GETTYSBURG one day, an d my b ro th er a n d I

literally played it to death. My sister even got intothe act. We were hooked from there on .

ARM: Ho w do you think being a gamer effects you

as an art is t working on the components of the

games?

DAS: I know what I would like t o see in terms of

graphics in games. I m responsible for the greyWestwall symbols on thenew THIRDREICHmap

because I always forgot about them when I playedit. I remember purchasing games when I was

younger that used to s tart le me with some of theirgraphics so now I try not to s tart le myself.

RM: Do you think its more important for a ma p

to be functional or attractive?

AS: I think t he re s room to make component sboth functional an d attractive at t he same time.

When I do a ma p I m not just interested in includingthe pertinent information although that s most

portant. I also attempt to create an appearancefor the players so the pieces an d the mapboard

art a suggestion of the per iod the game takes

ace in.

t sounds to me likeyou ar e also interested inan d games as simulations. Is that true?

Yes, both.

RM: Ho w does that relate to your work on a

game?

AS: In the case of a game from a particular period

in history, I will t ry to find samples of maps that

were in use at the time. Fo r ins tance, for a World

War II game I ll try to use the actualsymbology that

was in use then. This enhances the appearance of

the components an d increases the enjoyment of

people who play the game.RM: You have t o work p rett y closely with the

developers at Avalon Hill. Since everyone s artistic

taste differs, does this pose any problems?

DAS: Only when I haven t been warned

beforehand. I m perfect ly willing to do a map for adeveloper or des igner according to his complete

directions. Th e trouble that we sometimesget into is

when the designer doesn t have a clear idea o f what

he wants. Usually, however, the finished product is

the result of input from both the developer and the

artist.

ARM: But aren t there t imes when you disagreeartistically with what the developer wants and youjust know that i t would look better some other way.

What happens in those cases?DAS: You win some. You lose some.

ARM: Does that bother you. Or is that just part o f

the job?

DAS: t bothers me sometimes, bu t I also get a

chance to tell the developer I told you so later on.

ARM: Do you feel this restricts your artistic abilityin any way?

DAS: Sometimes the designer or the developer will

ask meto do something which I may feel is wrong or

won t look right . The challenge then is to makewhatever it may be fit in with wha t I may a lready

have constructe\ . I m always glad if it turns ou t

well, for the players sake anyway.

ARM: There s always a lot of talk about innovation

in games and a lot o f it has to do with how the com-

ponents an d the artwork are presented. Ho w do youfeel that Avalon Hill rates along thelines of innova-

tion?

DAS: That s a tough question. All thecomponentsthat are created at Avalon Hill ar e done f rom

scratch. There is no hard and fast way of doingthings. There are no two maps that look alike. Wedon t have any kind of standard symbology that we

use or anything like that. So, i t s very difficult tosay. On the other hand, it allows me to be creativean d experiment with new symbols for terrain, new

color schemes, etc.

ARM: Are there restrictions on the format an d sizeof the components?

DAS: Yes. We always have to work within thetolerances that have beencreated for the games. We

have standard sizes from mapboard panels, charts,an d counters. The main consideration here is thebox. Avalon Hill has two· standard boxes; the

bookcase style and the fla t box. These create theirown limits, bu t you can usual ly get around any

problems that might come up.

ARM: What game components are you working onat the moment?

DAS: Well, I ve just finished BA TTLE OF THE

BULGE Currently I m working on componentsfor GUNSLINGER I am also working on the re-vised FUR Y IN THE WEST

ARM: Ca n you tell us a little bit about the com-

ponents for GUNSLINGER?

DAS: There will be eight double sided mapboards

which were hand painted by an outside artist which

have already been printed. The counters will becir-

cular as well as square. There will a lso be a myriadof charts and two decks o f cards.

ARM: Along with everything else, you re also

doing the development of Battleline s OBJECTIVEATLANTA aren t you? Ca n you tell us a little bit

about that?

DAS: I have grandiose plans for OBJECTIVE

A TLANTA but due to the press of my other work

here i t s a very slow process. At this date I have a

revised set of rules in manuscript form, b ut t h at s

about all. My long term hopes for the game include

a hand painted mapboard an d new counters.ARM: t seems like anyone who plays games winds

up trying to design them too. Do you design gameson your own time?

DAS: Yes, bu t between working on games and p

ing them I don t have much time anymore.

ARM: We get a lot o f letters from people who w

to submit ar t for THE GENERAL Do youany tips for these people.

DAS: They should wri te to Don Greenwood fHe will send them a form with the guidelines,letthem know ifwe are looking for anything sp

in the way of artwork. It helps to know

tolerances and size limitations so we don t havchop up someone s piece o f ar t because it isn

right size. Most illustrations that we use are penink, done in black an d white.

ARM: What do you think of the latest Avalon

boxcovers?

DAS: I think Avalon Hill boxcovers are constagetting better. Rodger MacGowan and M

Wheat ley who we ve used a lot lately continuimpress me with the quality an d professionalistheir work.

ARM: What do you think about the standard o

in the hobby?

DAS: As far as the indus try itsel f is concernehas definitely been improving. Knowing what

been done in the pas t, all of us in the industry

constantly trying to do better.

R TOP 5 LIST

Times Prev

Rank Name On List Rating Ra

1 K Combs 22 2533XOR

2. W. Dobson 24 2511RJP

3. D. Burdick 21 2179FDL

4. R. Chiang 30 2178GHN

5. D. Garbutt 20 2161EGK

6. T. Oleson 31 2069TTZ

7. B. Sinigaglio 7 2037EGF

8. P. Kemp 15 2034EEI

9. R. Leach 24 2005HLQ 1

10. J. Zajicek 25 2004GJP 1

II . J. Kreuz 17 200IFFK12. L. Kelly 15 1999VWZ 1

13. P. Siragusa 15 I999CEG 1

14. D . Ba rk er 29 I997GHM I

15. F. Freeman 15 1981EEF 1

16. L . N e wb u ry 24 I964EGK 1

17. M. Sincavage II 1964DOI 118. J. Beard 11 I954EFL 1

19. F. Reese 2 I886FDE 2

20. D. Giordano 2 I854CEF 2

21. LeBouef Jr. 10 1853HJR 2

22. P. Ford 2 1853ECK 2

23. F. Preissle 19 1876JLV 2

24. B. Remsburg 5 I832EGL 3

25. B. Downing 11 1815EGJ 2

26. W. Scott 18 1809HGP 2

27. K Blanch 24 1790GIM 1

28. S. Martin 15 I790EGI 2

29. N. Markevich 14 I782CEF 330. G. Charbonneau 5 1775CEG 2

31. F. Ornstein 5 I766EGK 3

32. D.R. Munsell 17 I760FOI 3

33. F. Sebastian 17 1758FNN 3

34. D. Greenwood 22 I756FFI 3

35. E. Miller 8 1739GJO 336. R.M. Phelps 3 1738DFI 4

37. W. Knapp 16 1723JLR 3

38. J.D. Mueller 1 I723MJY

39. R. Zajac 2 1719FGH 44 D.L. McCarty 8 1713DEI 41

41. W. Kolvick 7 1710DEH 4

42. W. Letzin 18 17IODEH 4

43. C . B ra un 3 1706FIN 3

44. N. Cromartie 7 1693FGM 4

45. G. Smith 2 1679CCI 4

46. R. Rowley 3 1666EGK 5

47. D. Tierney I I660CEI

48. P. Carson I I650FCE49. D. Stephens I 1636HIP

50. L. Jerkich I I627CCF

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


44

H Philosophy . . Continued from Page

man player can wrest control of these vital areas at

the end of eight game turns determines the winner

and the level of victory attained.

STRUGGLEFORARNHEMBR DGEis above all

else, a simple game to learn, but is f il led with

countless opportunities f or t he application of dif

ferent tactics and that is what makes it so

fascinating-the complexity l ies in the play of the

game- not the reading of the rules. Players must

concentrate on the actiontaking place as it unfoldson the mapboard, rather than in endless pages of

charts and rules. At thi s t ime, the rules are quite

t ight with final blind testing about to begin to assure

proper play balance. Courtney Allen

G. ., NVIL OF VICTORY

G.I. should be approaching the blind playtest

sta ge in about a month. The basic rules have

undergone about ten drafts in pre-playtest scrim

mage with a few hand-picked experts fromthe

playtest c rew. Ac tua l testing of the twelve

scenarios now remains the largest hurdle to

publication.

Aside f rom the press of other duties, the big

gest delay in getting G I onto the presses has been

an extensive revision of the game system itself.

The next project in store fo r the game system is

a completely rewritten compendium of the entire

system. This set of Advanced Squad Leader rules

will be published in loose-leaf binder format inside a

bookcase sleeve. The net resul t should be a much

shorter se t of rules and a much cleaner set with no

leafing through page after page of rules to decipher

the differences between the basic rules and the ad

vanced rules. Along the way, many design im

provements will be made to the existing game

system (some of which are unveiled in G. .) to make

the game more playable while maintaining the rigid

attention to detail that players seem to crave so

much.

Plans to establish a system of CE reverse side

armor counters have been dropped, although a setof wreck counters will be provided to distinguish

burning wrecks f rom the more palatable variety.

Similarly, plans to expand the Covered Arc in order

to improve the per formance of non-turreted

vehicles ha ve been shelved in favor of a new

stream-lined TO HIT system which is infinitely

cleaner than the old version.

G. . will have much more of everything than

anything in the preceding series (except perhaps

rules). The game will include five mapboards, ter

rain overlays to alter existing mapboards, 12-14scenarios, and more unit counters than Icare to ad

mit. Consequently, you can expec t the highest

price you ve yet encountered fo r a i tem-but it

should represent the best value of the series. Look

fo r it next spring.

Many of you have written us requesting to be

allowed to become a playtester. Usually, we ve

had to turn down such requests as the existing

playtest crew is a large and exper ienced group.

However, we are constantly on the lookout fo r

people whose actions back up their boasts and are

happy to expand our exist ing playtest crews for

people who demonstratethey have what it takes to

be a valuable contributor. An opportunity for such a

display occurred at the seminars at both

ORIGINS and GEN CON EAST this year when

volunteers were given copies of the existing G I

rules and asked to submit critiques. Those who do a

creditable job will be rewarded with an invitation

to join the actual blind playtest that will start this

fall. Hold on fel las it s coming, and it will be

worth the wait .

. . . Don Greenwood

NEWS FROM THE SPORTS DEPTWith the hiring of Joe Balkoski, we expect to be

able to speed up both your production of new

sports games and accessories, and to finally get

ASR onto some sort of a regular schedule. Of

course this last requires the magazine not being

given the bottom priority it has received forthe past

four years, when every other project was deemed

more important . The most recen t issue (the

March issue, which wasf i rs t delayed because of

the Spring releases, and then later because of theSummer releases ), which with luck was mailed

out before the end of June, was the last quarterly

issue, and from now on ASR wil l be bi-monthly.

Please don t laugh- we are serious.

Moving onto more cheerful matt ers , t he

STA TIS-PRO FOOTBALL game is near completion,

and we hope to have it printed and on sale in

August. I t w il l inc lude indiv idual cards for every

member of every NFL team, with even third-string

quarterbacks being rated. We believe that i t will be

the best and most playable statistical football game

on the market.

Other works in progress inc lude a tennis and

hockey game, both in their early stages, and some

discussion of whether or not we would like

statist ical gol f and horse racing games. Joe

Balkoski is in the process of writing a narrat ivehistory of the 1961 baseball season, which wil l

accompany our set of player cards for the season

for MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL and if our type

setters are able to get to it, we also have a set of

great teams of the past for SUPERSTAR

BASEBALL which have been provided by Bob

Biscontini.

. Bruce Mil ligan

SQUAD LEADERT SHIRTS

Yes, we are following up on the success of the

P NZERBLITZ T-shirts with yet another offer

ing on what has become our hottest game. Now

you too can become a SQU D LE DER

whether you play the game or not. The back of

the shirt is adorned with the same Avalon Hil l

logo you ve seen before on the P NZERBLITZ

shirts. Be sure to specify size: small , medium,

large, or extra large. 5.00 plus 5 < : fo r postage

and handling. Maryland residents please add 5 7

state sales tax.

T WARGAMER S

GUIDE TO MIDWAY

Containing thirty-six pages of the best of T

GENER L art icles on the game plus previo

unpublished material as well, this guide is a m

for every fan of the game. Several official r

changes update the game and erase its few m

flaws. A tribute to one of the hobby s elcitizens that has never needed a major revision

game which has grown old gracefully, matu

by gett ing better.

Almost all of the reprinted art icles are f

unavailable issues of TH E GENER L m

from volume 9 or earlier. Included is the

major variant, Leyte Gulf , and the mos

depth article on the game to date T he MIDW

Thesis by two of the game's experts, Ha

Totten and Donald Greenwood. T he Pa

Theatre Via MIDWAy , the other major var

that spawned the MIDWAY Variant Kit, has b

expanded include many more optional r

(some applicable to the MIDWAY game as w

and an additional scenario. T he Battle

Australia , a previously unpublished article a

the ultimate with a hypothetical monster scen

using the components of both the game and

variant kit. Other articles deal with strate

analysis, variants, and other hypothetical si

tions. The best of three Series Replays that h

appeared in THE GENER L is also reprin

usefu l in itself as a f ine examp le of the su

strategies involved when experienced pla

meet.THE W ARGAMER S GU IDE TO MIDW

sells for 4.50 plus 1 7 postage and hand

charges, and is available f rom ourmail order d

Maryland residents please add 5 7 sales tax.

MAGNETICGAMES

Now you can convert your favoJile game

vertical display or secure in-play storage

magnetic tape. unmounted boards and jus

hour of your time. Al l you ll need is a metal sur

and an unmounted gameboard. We supply

magnetic strips with selfsticking adhesive alre

applied. You just cut the Y2 x I strips into

inch squares and apply them to the unit coun

which came with your game. The result is a

thick counter which will stack six high even w

the mapboard is mounted in a vertical position

display purposes. Never worry a bo ut t hat p

move being jostled again between turns.

Naturally this magnetic treatment will be

valuable fo r counters with two-sided printing.

that s ti ll leaves them with a multitude of u

NOTE: it will be necessary to be sure that the

portion of all unit counters are uniformly app

to the top half of the magnetic strips. Otherw

the polarity may be reversed and the counters

actually repel each othe r rat her than attr

Therefore. i t is wise to m ar k the back of

magnetic strips uniformly across the top so a

be sure to apply the top half of the counter totop half of the magnetic strip.

Magnetic strips areavailable from Avalon

fo r 9 < : a foot or 7.50 for ten feet. Unmoun

.mapboards are available upon request fo r

apiece. Usual postage charges apply. as does

5 state sales tax for Maryland residents.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Let ters to the EditorHave you ever purchased a rea lly nea t and

new game and then discover lhat you have

body to play with. So you play it solitaire a few

s, get bored, and putthe game upon ashelfto

her dusl. I have several dust gatherers on my

Recently I took TOBRUK or r the shelr,

it of f and began experimenting with

enario I. Scenario I is fairly simple and readily

itself to computerized play. I decided to

a program thai would play the German

The computer playsa fast hard-hiltinggame.

turn sequence will have to be modified, firsl

compuler plays, then you do. Thisis one game

rn. Limit the game to 30 t ur ns. I f any of themputer' s panzers l eave the board, simply

Ihem, but don'l count t hem as v ic to ry

ints. You should a lso remove all tanks thai

been k-killed. Anyother instructions needed

found at th e begi nn ing of the computer

This program has specific beginning, mid,

end game rOlltines similar to a chess program.

amount of random variation is built into

progr am to keep a human opponell from

cond guessing the computer too of len. Tobl uk

occupies about 4500 bytes or memory. If

instructions are left aLIt it mighl fit i nt o a 4k

chine. This program is written in Level

I h op e you hav e as much fun p layi ng this

ofTobruk's Scenario I as I did creat ing

play testing the program. Ialsohope that this

ogram sparks interest in other possibilities for

computers in gaming. We have only begun

scralch thc surface.

Duthie, Ph.D.

hland, Washington

10 REM TOBRUK PANZERS

15 REM Bruce DUlhie, Ph.D.

October, 1980

Prill Tobruk Panzers

Print

Print This program is designed to play the

rman side in scenario

Print on e of Avalon Hill 's Tobruk Game.

domly place Panzer

Print III-H's on hexes B-R. The Panzer IV's

not be used. To

Print make it more fai r for Ihe computer, all

rman Panzcrs are

Print assumed to be shooting APCR shells.

'K' killed tanks

Print should betaken of fof theboard as soonthey have been

Print knocked oul. The turn sequence has 10

somewhat simplified

Prinl The Germans move f irst t hen you do,

Illay move or shoal, but

Prinl Ilot both. The computer will lell you

it is your turn.

Print Th e computer will ask you a quest ion

time 10 time, you

Print wil l answer with a number. Your

swer should follow the ques-

Print tion mark on the screen, then you press

ter. If a question

Print mark appears with no Quest ion, just

enter.

Input

CLS

Print Move all PZJ's 10 J-2 9

Print move Panzer-H, number S 1-17 three

Print Your TurnA = RND(4)Ir A I then B 8

Ir A = 2 then B = 10

Ir A = 3 then B = 12

Ir A 4then B 14

Print type in th e number of hexes to Ihe

granl

Input C

Ir B = > C then 430 else 150Print how many grants are within 10 hexes

some PZH?

Input A

Ir A>6 then GOSUB 5000 elsc

go to 150

I fA< 4 Ihen go to 6000

Print How Illany PZH's are 'M ' or 'K'

Input K

Print all 'M ' killed Panzers continue to fireacquired targets,

Prinl or fire at the c10sesl grant if you have

target.A = RND(6)

530 If A I then Print all Panzers move back

three squares

540 If A = 2 or 3 then Print fire at the closest

non 'M ' killed grant

550 If A = 4 th en Prim PZH 1-8 move right

front twohexesand pivot to facethe closest grant.

PZH 9-17 move left front two hexes and pivot 10

face Ihe closest grant.

560 If A = 5 then Print a ll Panzers move three

hexes forward

570 If A = 6 then Print PZH 1-8 move left from

IwO hexes and pivot to facethe closest grant . PZH

9-17 move right front two hexes and pivot to face

the closest grant.

580 Print Your Turn

590 Input

600 Print Type the number of grants 'M ' 'K '

killed

610 Input K

620 Print How mallY Panzers can still move

630 Input M

640 IrK > 8 and M > 2 then 650

645 Go to 500

650 Print All movable Panzers move directly

toward the closest grant

660 Print that presents a flank or rear sho .

670 Print Your Turn

680 Input

690 Print Fire if within 7 hexes of your target, if

nOI continued 10 move

700 Print toward your selected target, ifyou 'K '

kill your target, pick

710 Print thcclosest gran(and move toward it.

720 Print Your Turn

730 Input

740 Go to 690

5000 Print PZH 1-2 fire at grant I , PZH 3-4 fire

at grant 2 PZH 5-6 rire

5002 Print at grant 3, PZH 7-8 f ire a t g rant 4 ,

PZH 9-10 first at grant 5

5004 Print PZH 11-12 rir at gr ant 6, PZH

13-14 rire at grant 7, PZH 15-16

5006 Print fire at grant 8, PZH 17 fire at grant

9

5030 Print Your Turn

5040 Input

5050 Print continue firing al acquired grants


5070 Input

5080 Print type in number of grants 'M ' 'K '

killed

5090 Input B5100 If B>6lhen Prinl pretty good shooting for

a dumb machine huh.

5300 Ir B> 6 t hen Print all 'M ' killed PZH's

keep firing al acquired grants. Each PZJ acquire

theclosest non M killed grant and fire at ilUlltil

it is 'M ' k ill ed. Move all PZH's back Ihree

hexes.


5308 Input

5310 Ir B<5 then 5000

5320 Ir B>6then 5300

5330 Return

6000 If A 3 then Print PZH 1-6 firesat closest

grant , PZH 7-12 firesal next closest gran t, PZH

13-17 fires at next closest grant.

6010 If A 2 then Prim PZH 1-8 first at closest

gran l, PZH 9-17 fires at next c10sesl grant

6020IF A I then Print all PZH's fireat closest

grant


6025 Input6030 Print How many grants are now within 10

hexes or a PZH

6040 Input B

6050 Ir B >6then GOSUB 5000

6060 Print How many g rant have been 'K '

killed

6070 Input C

6072 A = A-C

6080 If C >2then 150 else 6000

Mr. Greenwood:

Two hot -sho t repor te rs cover ing the New

York Yankees, were vociferously arguing, who

was the best Yankee right-fielder of all time? It

seems they couldn't decide between Torn Tresh

and Roger Mar is . Their argument went o n h ot

and heavy fora few innings when thehot-dogven

dor came along, overheard their discussion and

said, What about Babe Ruth. There was stunned

silence the rest of the game.

Moral: When trying to prove how smart you

are, don't ignore the obvious.

Wa rgame rs ha ve never been at a loss f or

words. Art icles abound on game variations,

analysis of play, strategy, tactics, as well as trick

play and rule exploiting. Lately, two writers have

emphasized in-depth analysis (Lockwood in 17.3,

Angiolillo in 17.6), and havetargetted chess as the

game to be emulated. They want to analyze

wargames the way chess is analyzed. They break

play down into openings, middle game, and end

game; use terms like posit ional player , l ines

of p lay , g ambi t declined , and combina

tions . Apparently they know their competi

tion , as i t were.

But l et' s not kid ourse:lves-WARGAMES

ARENOT CHESSI Lockwood and Angiolillo are

simply putt ing on irs Oh , aren't we erudite

and estimable because our games are like chess

It reminds me of the TV commercial where the

Ford Granada is compared to a Mercedes; the

reasoning is t ha t i f a Ford can masquerade as a

really good car, it's somehow elevated in stature.

The situation is laughable at best.

Everybody wants to say they're an exper t a t

something , I suppose , and to many i t' s p laying

wargames. Initial reaction by. the non-wargamer

has usual ly been so what . And, despi te the

non-garner'salleged ignorance, his response is not

so far out of line. To mastera wargame, assuming

concerted study and tournament play over an un

broken t ime period, might require three years (if

that) depending on th e game. To attain master

level in chess has been known to require a lifetime

of dedicated, full-time studyand tournament par

ticipation. The point is that anyone wargame is

so, so shallowcomparedto chess, that youmay do

better trying to compare a birdbath to the Atlantic

Ocean.

Analogous arguments would apply to theidea

that our games have a s tate of the art , or that

there should be an academy of a rt and design.

Now rea ll y, wou ld you call t he de si gn er of a

miniatures figure a sculptor? (Oh yeah, wasn't

Michaelangelo one of them?) And with rare ex

ception, artwork, particularly in the famasy/s f

f ie ld , has been sophomoric and unskilled. The

only thing an academy will provide is a chancefor

certain people to feel elitist (while they stand in

their birdbath).

Why don't we face it? Wargaming is a hobby

forthe great majority of its participants. Wehave

fun, we enjoy ourselves and the camaraderie, we

maybe learn something about history (definitely

about dice probability), and we mayevencreate a

line of miniature figures. But then we go back 10

our regular jobs until next time. There's nothing

wrong with beingdevoted to gaming, but let's not

fool ourselves into making a bigger deal Oul of it

than it is.

Robert Morss

Westerville, OH

Dear Sir:

The ideas developed by Craig Burke in his

Ai r Power in VITP THE GENERAL, Vol.

17, No.3), and discussed in Return Fire by

Richard Hamblen, are tantalizing to any gamer

who enjoys playing the WAS/VITPsystem. They

offer further expansion and increased navor to a

game I personally enjoy very much, and I wa s

happy to

see themappear.

In reading Hamblen's Return Fire, in

which he rebuts most of the ideas and comments

favorably on one or two, I was struck by the

thought that in a game of strategic scope-as

VITP mus t be considered-a slrict adherence to

historical accuracy, while commendable in setting

combat values and speed for individual ships, ef

fectively deprives lhe players.of historical options

available to Ihe respeclive supreme commanders

whose roles they play.

One cou ld argue, for e xample , that the

development of a High Seas Supremacy policy

on the part of the Kriegsmarineat the war's begin

n in g would h av e s timu la ted i nc rea sed sh ip

building in Germany; the presence of the Gral

Zeppelin in thegameof WAS implies thatthishad

been considered. Would it not have been almost

equally logical 10 infer Ihal an increase in naval

approprialions might have led 10 the successful

completion of Seydlitz (a Hipper-class CA hull),

Europa and Gneisenau (both passenger liners) as

aircraft carriers? Or t ha t t he Scharnhorsf and

Gneisenau e smight have had their main arma

ment upgraded to IS- inch cal iber , wi th cor

responding increase in gunnery factor value?

4

In VITP, assuming that the Japanese playe

manages to carry his power play on into the en

game, it might be logical 10 infer that America

naval pol icy might have changed 1O respond t

this (essentially ahistorical) situation. If the U

rights successful night actions in the early gam

battering even the fast bauleships built after th

Washington Treaty disappeared, the U.S. hig

command might well decide 10 go ahead, ful

speed, on the Alaska CB's, allocate priority in th

shipyards to the Iowa 8B's and rush them in

action, even bui ld the Montana Super-B8'

designed to meet and defeat the Yamato s.

Moreover, changes in Ihe strategic situatio

might alter entirely the times at which units ent

the game. I f a rule could be evolved, for examplg iv ing the U.S. p layer the abi li ty to choose b

tween expending repair points and pushing th

construction of new ships, or between providin

the shipping for a new Marine unil and speedin

up the arrival of a capital ship, I bel ieve it wou

go far towards capturing lhe feel of occupying Ih

post or CN.O.

Paren thet ical ly , I might men tion Iha t th

jeep c r r i e r s ~ t h e CVE's tha t showed s

superbly off Samar-eQuid be figured into VIT

as carrier lask groups, and into WAS as hunte

killer and escort groups. If Hermes can show u

in Ihe counter mix, why not Card, Bogue o

Guadalcanal (even if only in abstracted form)?I look forward 10 receiving the revised, com

pleted WAS Expansion Kit and s trongly urg

t ha t, a ft er ano ther year or two, you t urn you

talents towards the composition of a similar k

for VITP (with, possibly, addit ional fil lips f

WAS as they evolve and present themselves); I'v

no doubt thai i t' ll f ind i ts market.Rich Banucci, D.O.

Bridgeton, NJ

P .5.: Suggest ed Values for the O llana BB

might be (6) -9 -5 , inasmuch as they would ha

probably been as fast as the Washington s an

slower than the Iowa s. One could even argue f

a defense factor of 10 on the strength of vario

construction refinements planned for incorpor

t ion into the MOJllana s as well as on the increa

ing sophistication and efficacy of U.S. dama

control methods.

Gentlemen:

As a short time but loyal AH fan, I would l i

to express my opinions on what I feel has been

inordinate amount of allention devoted to t

SLICO/ICOD game system in the pages or THGENERAL. Since I've never owned any of the

games I've beendisturbed to see no less than 11 a

ticles (includingscenario evaluations, scenario r

counting, game system design and analysis an

serie s r eplays ) in the l ast six issues of TH

GENERAL. This is far more attention than an

other game or games have received in these sam

issues (Volume 17 as a whole), and I wond

whether this trend will continue? At the risk

receiving tons of hate mail from the game systeloyalists, I hope not.

To be perfect ly honest , I think you have do

an excellent job with t he forma t of TH

GENERAL overal l. I especially applaud yo

feature art icles recently on such oldies-bu

goodies as STALiNGRAD and AFR/K

KORPS. Nevertheless, my reaction upon seeing

new article on either SL, COD, or COl (or mo

than one) has been one of Oh no, nOt anoth

one I realize you can't please all the people

the t ime, and Irealize the enormous popularitythis still-developing game sys tem. I jus t wish

point ou t that such popularitywithtactical WW

infantry combat is far fromuniversal.And while

continue to look for far more art icles or varian

on my personal favorites A/W, AAOC, and CL

I'm instead accumulatingpage upon page of wh

to me is use less information on SL and i

variants.

To conclude then, I'd just like lO ask, o

behalf of all of us non-SL fans out here lO co

s ider us in future pub li ca tions and not let TH

GENERAL become SQUAD LEADE

WORLD. Perhaps I 'l l even purchase SQUA

LEADER one day, just to see what I'm missin

Who knows, I may even like it.

Mark Cotter

Old Town, ME

I try topresent as varieda format as possib

butwe

must weight the coverage to those gamewhich appeal to the bulk 01our readership. Base

on What Have You Been Playing surveys thu

far thatanswerhas been overwhelminglySQUAD

LEADER.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


46

Inline Engine Tahle page 20)

Add the result on each die together.)

Scenarios page 2Sff)

Map edge sides are referred to bythe numbers

on the compass rose poiming toward that side.

Example of Loaded Modifiers page 17)

Maneuver, level and dive spee d incr e me nts

w ou ld b e 3 - 4 , 5 -6 , and 7-8 respectively.

Aircraft Identification, Procedure page 20)

ubtract one f rom I dentif ica tion die r oll

for F guns.

Q . Wha t happens when an aircraft a lre a dy a

maximum dive spee d ma ke s a f urther dive?

A. The aircraft isde stroyed. I n orde r to dive

aircraft w ould have to r educe its a ir spe ed f

probably by applying brake factors.

Q. Does the procedure f or s pO il in g t hr o

clouds lake different altitudes of the a irc r af t

account, similar to sighting over a hill?

A. No. You cannot sight Over a c loud.

Q. The optional rules state that a plane must

i n t he maneuver speed until it spots an en

plane. The correspond ing alt it udes of

maneuver spee ds see m tobe too low I thou

bombers usually flew the highest altitude

could.

A. Y ou may stan bombers a t ma ne uve r or l

speed.

Q. W ill a plane that spreads a half·loop over

or more turns have to climb or dive it s maxim

rate every lurn included?

A, Yes.

A. No. All aircraft are freed fr om th ei r

plotted movement.

Q. I f a p la ne b ec om es spotted because it f

can enemy planes fire on that plane in that t

A. Yes.

VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC:

7 .7 2 D oe s a d am ag ed C Y l os e ilS airstrike att

bonus?

A No

QUESTIONS ANSWERS

Q. I n S ce na ri o 4 , are t he f la k guns specified a

[otal amount divided among all the f la k counters

specified, or d oe s ea ch counte r contain the

specified amOunt of flak guns?

A. The amount is a t ot al d iv id ed among a ll t he

flak counters.

Q. Do a1l the guns in a flak counter f ir e a s one

unit, or may they all fire separately?

A. They m us t a ll f ir e a s one unit.

Q. Does each flak coumer have to spot an enemy

plane be for e the y c an f ir e on that plane ? I n other

w ords, must 16 flak counters make spotting at

tempts on the sa me plane ?

A. On ce spoued, an aircraf t m ay be f ir ed upon

by a ny u ni t in t he g am e; an aircraf t need n ot b e

spotted b y t he u ni t f ir in g on it.

Q. Do ground targets have to be spotted to be

attacked or bombed)?

A. No; bombardiers were usually provided with

maps.

Q. If three planes on the same side are flying in

dividually and only one spOts an e ne my, does

movement have to be logged in a dv an ce f or t he

other two?

Altitude Loss at Non·Level Bank page 11)

A number of conditions have been applied to

the mandatory altitude loss. An aircraf t which

ends the GameTurn in a non-Level Bank attitude

must lose 100 f ee t of altitude unless:

1 The alc was p lo tt ed t o perform a Turn,

Slip, Half-loop or Half-RoB [as before].

2. The ale spent half its turn rounding fractions down) in Level bank.

3. The alc ha s not e xpe nde d enough Move

ment Poin ts to conduct a Ma ne uve r . The rule

a pplie s a t the e nd of the first Game Turn in which

the aircraft is capable of performing a maneuver,

but has not·, and every subsequent turn after that,

until 1 or 2 a pply.

This altitude loss is determined during the

Status Determination Phase following thepial of

aircraft, a nd a ff ec ts i ts n ex t turn s a ltitude . A s

this is an administrative adjustment , the

f ol lo wi ng r ul es a pp ly w he n u si ng t he Optional

N ose A ltitude Rules f or combat:

I. The 100 loss still leaves the aircraft in a

Nose-Level altitude.

2. If a playe r plotte d a c limb of 100 to adjust

for the loss, the aircraft is still Nose-Level

attitude. I f however, more than 100 were plot

ted, th en t he No se -A ttit ude . R ule takes

precedence).

I ~ _ O O _ L ; _ @ _ _ i J _ l J : ~ _ ~ _ [ l _ © _ ~ _ L 3 _ ~ . . . . . I

-2

+1

-I

InvertedAltitude: Towards

Away

Din Glide Bomb Modifiers, correction

These modifiers are f or t he s die.

AIR FORCE ERRATA

Charls Tables:.

A number of modifiers, though spe :ified cor

rectly in the text of t he r ul es , d o n ot appearor are

stated incorrectly on the Charts pa ge 31) . For

Players convenience they ought to m ak e a nOle

o n t he appropriate Charts.

NT Ib Optional Modifiers, add

Target in Slip -1

Dive Speed Firing -I

Slip, Loop, Roll

Firing each) -2

Spin Firing -4

Spotting Modifiers, add

READER U Y E R ~ S GUIDE

TITLE: AIRFORCE A.,.lon H ill r evision only

S UB JE CT : P la ne t o P la ne C om ba t in t he E ur op ea n T he at re of WWII

AVALON HILL RBG RATING CHART

The games a re ranked by their cumulative scores which is an average of th e 9 categories for

game. While it may be fairly argued thateach categoryshould not weigh equally against th e o

we us e it only as a generalization of overall rank. By breaking down a game s ratings into indi

ca tegories the gamer is able to discern for himself where t hegame is strong or weak in th e qua

he va lues th e most. Readers ar e reminded that the Game Length category is measured in multip

t en m inut es a nd t ha t a ra ting of 18 would equal 3 hours.

o

1.82

1. 94

2.07

1.92

2.28

2.10

2.15

2.31

2.32

2.07

2.20

2.45

2.07

2.36

2.05

2.05

2.41

2.43

2.73

2.47

2.32

2.52

2.64

2.53

2.83

2.89

2.75

3.15

2.67

2.68

2.64

2.73

2.77

2.91

2.86

3. 40

3.21

3.05

3.21

2.44

3.05

2.96

3.01

3.15

2.95

3.38

3. 40

3.044.20

3.26

2.66

.5 6

1.69

1.78

1.82

2.14

1.88

2.09

2.09

2.29

1.93

2. 34

2.39

2.71

2.63

1.95

2.07

2.14

2.30

2.86

2.22

220

2.51

2.55

1.94

2.80

2.46

3. 40

2.80

2.61

2.76

2.82

2.37

2.91

2.09

2.43

3.11

3.42

2.76

3.02

2.94

2.81

3.00

3.21

2.93

2.81

3.58

2.77

3.284. 59

3.39

2. 57

1.36

1.60

2.41

2.02

2.26

1.85

2.00

1. 84

2.54

2.35

2.19

2.66

2.64

2.72

2.24

2.05

3.65

4.57

305

2.38

3.39

2.31

3.07

3.91

4. 20

4. 18

3.00

2.28

2.53

4.69

3.41

3.08

3.57

2.82

2.76

4.06

5.13

3.18

2.46

3.19

3.67

2.11

4.32

5.12

4.11

5.38

2.81

5.155.57

4. 06

3. 16

2.18

2.44

2.78

2.36

1.13

2.07

2.62

2.72

2.61

2.43

2.67

2.60

3.36

308

2.59

3.06

1. 86

2.09

3.73

2.55

3.57

3.57

3.43

3.38

2.75

3.25

4. 05

3.30

3.24

2.05

3.73

3.66

3.39

2.99

3.43

4.00

2.23

3.43

3.07

3. 00

2.25

306

3.27

3.73

3.53

2.12

2.42

4. 372.32

2. 80

2.93

2.31

2.52

3.07

2.94

2.33

2.39

2.88

2.63

2.56

2.64

2.60

2.94

1.85

2.62

3.22

3. 00

3.07

2.39

2.23

2.87

2.70

2. 70

2.52

2.79

2.43

2.86

3.25

3.53

3. 06

2.29

3.02

2.90

2.29

2.45

298

2.22

2.60

3.05

3.79

1. 94

2.89

2.77

3.11

2.35

3.40

2.33

3.29

2.522.18

4. 42

2. 75

o ()

:D 3C 1;)

3. 20

3.37

2. 24

3.58

2.27

2.88

3.74

2.97

2.34

2.50

3.65

2.63

1.

3.27

4. 15

4. 03

2.83

1.87

2.14

2.90

2.43

3.31

2.26

2.21

1.98

2.25

3. 30

3.20

3.27

2.07

2.86

2.78

2.12

2. 55

2.55

2.00

2.62

3.03

432

2.19

3.14

4.32

2.01

1.74

3.08

2.28

3.69

2.071.45

5.29

2.81

emo w

0

-0

2.33

1.88

2.02

1.82

2.93

2.38

1. 94

1.69

2.54

2.57

2.34

2.12

2.78

2.45

2.34

2. 03

2. 34

3.13

2.31

2.42

2.07

1. 86

2. 45

1.85

3. 00

2.03

1.85

2. 40

2.39

3.45

2.04

2.56

2.92

3.00

3. 19

2.80

3. 25

3. 00

2.50

3.69

3.30

2.13

3.11

2.74

3.31

2.64

3.79

3. 403.59

3.13

2. 59

o31;)

i1.64

2.04

1.85

1.85

2.13

3.07

1.74

3. 00

2.32

3.29

2.17

2.62

2.71

1.76

2.47

3. 00

2. 84

2.26

2.36

3.48

3.11

3.03

2.57

2.36

2. 40

2.96

2.05

2. 60

2.82

2.91

3.12

3. 10

4.01

3.21

2.58

2.21

3.10

2.48

4. 54

3.28

4. 68

3.27

3.96

2.80

4.33

4.94

3. 744. 30

2.81

2.86

1.93

2.09

1.98

1.97

2.53

2.40

2.11

2.16

2.37

2.21

2.41

2.28

2.92

2.16

2.12

2. 00

2.26

2.35

2.32

2.58

2.27

2. 34

2.62

2.47

2.45

2.04

1. 75

2.23

2.84

2.98

2.41

2.75

3. 04

3.36

2.99

2.69

2.63

2. 80

2.52

3.72

3.39

2.85

3.29

3.18

2.93

3. 18

3.77

3.433.43

2.74

2. 60

c3c

2. 04

2.17

2. 24

2.25

2.27

2.34

2.36

2.37

2.43

2.44

2.50

2.52

2.53

2.56

2.57

2.58

2. 60

2.60

2.64

2.65

2.67

2.68

2.68

2. 70

2.76

277

2.82

2.83

2.83

2.87

2.87

2.88

2.90

2.91

2.93

2.98

3.03

3.04

3. 04

3.07

3.09

3.10

3.18

3.21

3.21

3.25

3.43

3. 443.51

3.54

2.78

On the negative side, the game garnered poor

r at in gs f or Ph ys ic al Q ua li ty 3 .77 ) a nd C om

pone nts 3.79) . W hile these r atings a re probably

a im ed at t he data cards, it should be pointed out

that the artwork, particulary on the boxcover and

counters, is top notc h. The w or st r at in g w as f or

Mapboard 4.94) which also seemssomewhat un

fair. It isn t easy to make a mapboard represent

ing the sky look very interesting.

e[her be low a ver a ge r a tings w er e f or E ase Of

Understanding 3.69), Completeness Of Rules

3.29), and Overall Value 3.40).

The Average Playing Time 9.6) of an hour

and a half is about r ight f or a sma ll sc ena rio w ith

four to e ight planes.

The majority of disc onte nt w ith the A va lon

Hill revision as opposed to the original Battleline

version seems to h av e b ee n a im ed at the multi

colored graphic presentation of the data cards;

or igina l ow ne r s of the game c la im in g [ ha t t he

black white linear chans w er e much e asier to

understand. T his isir onic a s it w as this ver yc on

c ept w hich de la yed our publica[ion of the AH

version.

To ke ep the RBG list at 50title s, the long suf

fering and discontinued KRIEGSPIEL has finally

bee n dismissed f rom its r ightful plac e a t the bot

tom of the chart.

The game recei ved i ts be st r at in g f or P la y

Balance 2.42), which is not surprisingsince most

pla ye rs design their own scenarios and try to

establish equal sides. The other twoabove average

r at in gs w er e f or E xc it em en t L ev el 2 .7 7) and

Realism 2.81).

AIR FORCE was the 53rd game to undergo

a na ly si s in t he R BG . I ts Cumulative Rating of

3.43 placed it a disappointing 46th.

W hile not the f ir st Ba ttleline ga me to be r a te d

(that honor going to CIRCUS MAXIMUS AIR

FORCE is a good example of peoples natural

resistance to c ha ng e. I nd ee d, t he a ct ua l r ul e

changes to AIR FORCE w er e f ar less than those

to CIRCUS MAXIMU The only big change in

the AH version of AIR FORCEwas in the presen

tation of the aircraft data cards, but this change

seems to have irked many of the game s diehardfans. AIR FORCE h as a lw ay s h ad a l ar ge , and

some w ha t f ana tic al, f ollowing w ho w er e a gainst

a nyc ha nge r ight f rom the be ginning. I t is not sur

prising that this feeling is r en ec te d in t he R BG .

H ow ev er , t hi s c as ts some serious doubt s on

whether the se r a tings a r e a tr ue r ef lec tion of the

game. And since the Ba ttleline ver sion w as not

rated, the ratings do not r ea lly tell us how the twO

differ.

1. CRESCENDO OF DOOM

2. CROSS OF IRON

3. RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN

4. SQUAD LEADER

5. CIRCUS MAXIMUS

6 . W .S . I.M.

7. ANZIO

8.8ISMARCK

9 . W AR A ND PEACE

10 . FORTRESS EUROPA

11 . PANZER LEADER

12 . RICHTHOFEN S

13. C AESAR ALESIA

1 4 . 1 7 7 6

15 . 3rd REICH

16 . PANZER8L1TZ

17 . KINGMAKER

18 . DIPLOMACY

19 . CAESAR S LEGIONS

20 . SUBMARINE

21 . STARSHIP TROOPERS

22 . ARAB ISRAELI WARS 23 . CHANCELLORSVILLE

24 . VICTORY- PACIFIC

25 . DUNE

26 . NAPOLEON

27 . FRANCE 1940

2 B. T he LONGEST DAY

29 . JUTLAND

30 . RAIL BARON

31 . LUFTWAFFE

32. MIDWAY

33 . AFRIKA KORPS

34 . FURY IN THE WEST

35 . ALEXANDER

36 . ORIGINS OF WW II

37 . WIZARD S QUEST

3 8 . C R E TE M A L T A

39 . GETTYSBURG 7 7

40 . D DAY 7 7

41 . BLITZKRIEG

42 . TOBRUK

43 . WATERLOO

44 . WAR AT SEA

45 . BULGE

46 . FEUDAL

47 . AIR FORCE

48 . STALINGRAD49 . TACTICS II

50 . MAGIC REALM

AVERAGE

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


Manufacturing Association (GAMA) who indirectax the ir membership by levying a $50/booth ffor attending exhibitors. In any case, the H

reports that the Adult Fantasy and StrateGames category grossed 36,000,000 in 198

This figure compares with 16,000,000

Military Miniatures, Dioramas, and Structure

34,000,000 for Dol lhouses , 134,000,0

for Model Railroads , and 298,000,000

Needlecrafts, Macrame, and Yarns . Nefear- the HIA reports that i f you adjust the def

tion of the category to include the sales of suchdustry giants as Parker Brothers, the Adult Ga

category tips the scales at 213,000,000.

Due to the difficulty of answering game que

tions correctly on two very different sets of ruleAvalon Hill will no longer answer questions pertaing to out-of-date rulebook editions. Questio

must be based on the current rulebook edition,they will be returned unanswered. This policy

aimed specifically at THIRDREICH, but also applto games such as D-DA Y AFRIKA KORP

BA TTLE OF THE BULGE GETTYSBURG a

BLITZKRIEG. Where rule changes in current etions are only of a minor nature this pol icy wil l n

apply, but where changes are extensive such as

the above mentioned t it les we can only answ

questions based on play of the most curreeditions.

n f i l t r t o r ~ s Report

· .332. 180

157

77· 7

· 72· 5

. 5

· 44

17

6 3

Russian View

REICH Series Replay.

the Jolly Roger .LEADER Clinic

the Lead utack to the Viipuri

Maniacal pproach.

Asylum .

View From the Other Side of theRhine

riefing . . . . . . . . . . . . nalysis

Hill Philosophy .

The Charles Roberts Awards were presentedORIGINS VII on July 3rd. This marked the f irst

that the f inal vot ing was done by members of

Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Designalready petitions are circulating to return the

to the public. Membership in the Academy

wever is not all that exclusive and we urge in

ested parties to request membership informa

by sending a stamped, self-addressedto Academy, POB 656, Wyandotte, MI

Vol. 17, No.6 polled a 3.27 score for the issue

it the fourth best issue of the precedingAs usual, the feature ar ti cle got the l ion's

of the votes in our 200 random sample

which awards three points for a first, two

a second, and one point for a third best selec

The complete results were as follows:

Avalon Hill was well represented among the

minees. Both CIRCUS MAXIMUS and WAR

were on the bal lo t for Best Pre-20th Cen

ry Boardgame but lost out to SPI's EMPIRES OF

MIDDLEAGES. CRESCENDO OFDOOM beatFORTRESS EUROPA and three other

ominees in winning Best 20th Century Board

The entire 1980 line ofAH computer games

nominated in the Computer category but lostTEMPLE OF APSHAI by Automated Simula

THE GENERAL was a bride 's maid for the

time in as many tries as FIRE & MOVEMENTt ook top honors in the Professional Board

Magazine category. Gary Gygax gainedoverdue admittance to the Hall of Fame as its

inductee. SQUAD LEADER added CAMPAIGN

gazine's Best Game of All T ime award to its

of Kudos.

The second annual Northeast Gaming Associa

Playoffs will consist of a between-club single

mination wargame tournament based on popularwar boardgames. The rules for TEAM·

wil l govern play. Teams wil l consist of

ur players competing in fourindependentsix-hour

hes. Each of the tw o teams in a meet will be

to veto one of the six eligible wargames,leaving four games to actually compete in.

ggested (but yet to be finalized) base games

e played in NGAP '81 are: Squad Leader Victory

the Pacific The Russian Campaign ChickamaugaAlexander An 8 team tournament is planned.

are absolutely no player eligibility rules. Anyoneplay including somebody who has already played

r team In this manner, it will specifically en-

the formation o f all-star teams and help to

the best possible play in the final stages of

tournament. The tournament is scheduled to begin

September A registration fee will be charged for the

10.00 per team). The registration fee willfor a copy of the 98 revised rules for TE M

as well as a contribution toward the trophyMore details on the scheduling of the tourna

will be announced later. Send all directory reand NGAP correspondence to Jeff Cornett, I I

Frost Drive, Shelton CT 06484 203-929-6147).

Avalon Hill, always on the lookout for new

product offerings, has recently released a line of

seven Puzzle Stick Games. Although not typical

fare for wargamers, they may make an interestinggift idea for the non-wargamers in your life who are

nonetheless into puzzle solving. Puzzle sticks arefar removed from traditional table puzzles, and maywell represent the only new puzzle idea to be

patented in several decades. To solve one of thesemulti-solution puzzles calls for a keen sense of

percept ion. Your eye must single out relatedshapes, color, shadings, and density of print . To

makea whole outof seeminglyunrelated parts con

taining minute bits of information is challenging to ahigh degree. Each individual stick is almost exactly

alike. Since each puzzle has more than one solut ion, the Puzzle Sticks player must soon decidewhich picture to attempt f irst. Often the puzzle is

almost finished before disclosing the beauty of its

complex subject and oncecomplete the pictureon the other side might be hopelessly scrambled.An interlocking frame is enclosed in each package.

Puzzle Sticks are playable either as solitaire devices

or in a variety of versions with opponents. Currentsubject offer ings in the Stick Puzzle line include;

GIBSON GIRLS PRESIDENTIAL MUNCHIESH N SCAPES UGUST FRUIT THE BUCK

ST RTS HERE STICK PUZZLE POKER andWIND WHEELS and STEAM Al l are priced at 6.00. For more information on the Puzzle Stick line

send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

The Hobby Industry Association of America in

cluded the Adventure Gaming category in their

Annual Hobby Industry Report for the first t ime thisyear. An Adventure Gaming division was formedwithin the Hobby Association for the f irst t ime in

1980 marking the coming of age of adultgames (bethey wargames, simulations, fantasy, role playing,or whatever) in the hobby indust ry . One of the

benefits of division status within the Hobby

Association is that the Association will match all

funds raised by the division for purposes of hobbywide promotion of that category. With these funds

advertising making the public more aware of

adventure games as a ca tegory can become areality. Thus far, the division's only means of raisingfunds for this purpose has been the sponsorship of

the national ORIGINS convention by the Games

Ava lon Hill has been busy acqui ring gam

from other companies again. The latest acqutions are ex-OSG products PANZERKRIEG, ROB

HOOD, NAPOLEON AT BA Y AIR COBR

BONAPARTE IN ITAL Y BA TTLE OF THE

DA YS NAPOLEON A T LEIPZIG, and DEVI

DEN It is not known at this t ime when these titwill be made available from Avalon Hill, or to wh

extent- if any-they wi ll be revised f rom thoriginal versions.

Anyone interested in applying for a playte

position for the 2 nd Edition of STARSH

TROOPERS should address their inquiries to AlanMoon. Both expert STARSHIP TROOPERS playand inexperienced players will be used. Please sta

which category you qualify for in your letter.

A line of copy was erroneously omitted fro

the WAR & PEACE rulebook. Players may want

make the following addition to their rulebook; Pa29, Section F part 5: Non-French Player Re

forcements. Add to subsect ion f. Janua

1814-All English, Portuguese, and Spanish forc

listed in Scenario VI. January-August, 1814 - Eaturn etc

The winners of Contest No. 100 who correcsurmised that the German's best chance of fivictory lay ina low odds attack taking Rostov we

A. Battaglin, Chicago, IL; S. Packwood, Tuba CAZ; R Bouvier, Portland, OR ; G Hendrix, Housto

TX; R Papandrea, Warren, MI; C Drong, SprGrove, IL; D Kaiser, Lawrenceville, NJ; G Philli

Ann Arbor, MI; F Preissle, State College, PA; aP Siragusa of Houston, TX. Merchandise cred

were awarded to all of the above despi te thresemblance to a list of semi- final is ts a t tAH 500.

The solution to Contest No. 101 consisted

listing the following game titles in the correct ord1. Blitzkrieg, 2. Alexander, 3. Dune,

Chancellorsville, 5. Cross of Iron, 6. Caesar Ales7. Anzio, 8. 1776, 9. Napoleon, 10. Stars

Troopers, 11. Air Assault On Crete, 12. Midwa

13. Origins, 14. Squad Leader, 15. D-Day, 1

UFO, 17. Arab-Israeli Wars, 18. Russian Campaig19. Magic Realm, 20. Tactics II 21. Gettysbu

22. Bismarck, 23. Alpha Omega, 24. War aPeace, 25. Panzerblitz.

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


OPPONENTS WANTED OPPONENTS WANTED OPPONENTS WANTED

Classicist/Revisionist needs flf STAL opponenl

on (heAlaska fronl. (NOll : New Addresq. louis

CO:llncy, 9706 Trappers Lane. JuncaLl, AK

99801. 19(1)789·0046.

Expcricnccd player wanlS 0l3lurcgamcr f o r f lf .ra led, unrated laclical gameS, Sl . COl, COD,

WSIM. others. Also mulli-playcrCM, MR. raloo

ISOO+. nt'xable limes. Joseph A. PercI, 742 S.

PaNCU Cif., AZ 835·7296.

AK, AIW, AOC, DO, GOA. MO, NP.PL. RickyThompson, J005 N. 86th Lane. Phoenix. AZ

85037,849·2728.

Pbm player desperalely ncedOO for AL. I 'm abeginner but hard 10 bea . A system is needed.

Andy DcLaix. 7921 Tuscany Dr.. Tucson. AZ85704, 297-6SI4.

Beginner needs players for 3R. AK, FE, WAS .

Age 29 anyon e in lillie Rock a rea? D:wid

Burro ', 50-1 Green Ml.Cir.1i62.L.R.. AZ72211,(501)225·7392

AREA rlllC'd 1600 scd:s ratedpbm gamesor PB,STAL. Pn:rer ~ I i t m:J lch in PB. Will pia)' any body in any scenar io. Also pbm. 1\1 : t-likc

Fr isk, 18H7Arrow Hg ·y. Apt G-I03 , Covina,CA91722,(213)332-8825.

Regular DIP games. 1st 3rd Sat. la1;h month,noon sharp .Jo in us. ~ i c l 1 ~ c e d 414 W. Oak. £1

Segundo, CA90245,(213)322·0421.

Ftf ·anted. AZ. [1 10 W&P. NP. SI- , lB,

AK. VITI ' ,WAS. PB. PL, STAL.GOA. others.Mike Bohannon. 1839 E. Washington IBBO,

Escondido.CA 92027. (14)489-0311.

Adult gamer interested in r tfSL. COl. \\ISIM.

PL. VITP and lHhc:rs. Ha esome pbmkits. WilllIns er lI11lr:tlers. Randy Worrell. 3110 E. PalmDr.. 1116. Fullerlon,CA 92631.(714)524-9174.

Unfilted player sc.:king opponents for MD andVITI'. Ftf preLLaltand Beacharea. Send a Iwer

o r c al l. Bret HUby. 11129 Grevillea 134

Inglewood, CA 90304, (213}674-3935.

Adult wallis opponelllsrated or nOI for f tf. SL,

COl. COD. FE, AZ. TRC, TLD, or pbrn AZ,TRC AREA 1200 provo Craig 'kans. 6$12

Cr( $Cen l S t .. Los Angel es . CA 900U. (113)

258·5614.

Eltperienced 16 yr.old gamerse-eksopPOnentsror3R. SUB , SL. Wil l l ea rn o the r wWll games.AdamSheldon.9849ChicopeeAw: .. NOflhridge,

CA 91325. 993-8464.

Postal KM Gamesstarting throughout theyear.Send for details. RussellBalgair. 4015 HoweSt..

/lA, Oakland, CA 94611. (415) 547-0667.

Teellager with one year's nperience. Wants f lfforSL.COI. COD,3R.AF. W&P. VITP.Soonn

ill have FE. Brad Larkin, 1451 Onawa Ave..San Leandro, CA 94579. (4151 352-7141.

Nonrated III-argamer haspbm tils for AK. JRC,

Will playlhoseand IHherAH utles,::iLgametles,

FE. AZ.ete.ThomasVallejos.14546MereedSt .•

San Leandro. CA 94529, (415)351-8011.

Is therean)'one in myareawho wouldlike 10 forma c lub to play, analyze. and design wargames?

James Gordon. 1221 S. EI Camino 304. San

M3IeO. CA94402, 574·2980.

The NWA needs represenlation from Ihe northwest plains.Garnersthereand everywherearc in· i led to inquire concerning our activities. You

may besurprised COnt:CI: Nation:.1 WargamingAlliance.9322KenwoodDr. 1218.Spring Valle),

CA92077.(714)697·320S.

AREA 1711 DEIchallengesany AREA membeT

in tOp SO 10 one or t o (simultaneous) gamesofpbm TRC. Richard Phelps , 1617 Que-en

Charlolle.Sunny ale. CA 94087,(408)733·8)99.

W a n t ~ d : pbmopponentfor non·serioushighle elplay in Anzio (bask & optionals). TRC. AK

HOllorsystem for die rolls. Gord Ashaeker.1I4202027 Ave . . S .W. , C alga ry . P r o . , \ Ib er t a,T2T·IH5,244-9101.

Adult ne 10 . argaming wantspbm opponenlSfor SL and COl. Sendsystemyouprefer:.Illtllers

ans '·ered. all gamcs pla)'ed to t he b il le r end .J . C ame r on . 2075 Warden A '· e.. Uni t 3 7,

Scarborough, Ont. . Canada MITIRI. (416)292·8891.

I'm looking for ftf opponents in the Puebloarea

to pia>' C AE . KM, MR. SON , 3 R. TRC. FE,W&P. WAT or anylhing e1.\e you have. SIeveSain . 2025Jerry MurphyApt. 202. Pueblo. CO

81001.545-4107.

Conn.game dub hasmonthlygeneral met'tingat

t he Wes tp or t communi t y ) 'o uth cen te r . Ne

recruiu and i si to rs wel come . We p lay SL.

WSIM. CM, SON. VITP Jeff Cornett. II

ROberl Frost Dr.•Shelton. CT 06484. 929-6147.

Wargame club meets we-ekly. pia) all manufae.

LUrers games including CAE, FE. GE, SL. SH.

AF. DC and others. Tournaments conductedalso. RoyceBrainard. 110 RobertDr .• S. \\Iindor,

CT06074.644-3190.

Adult gamer, avg. player. reliable opponcnts of

anyaile .pbm.PB, AK. Also ftfStamfordvicinity

forAK. CAE.GE, ~ \ O PB. PL. GE. SL. John

Farewell.611\lid[andAve..Stamford, CT06906,(203) 327--()919.

AREA player se-eks allopponents. AREAor lO1.

illplayonh pbm.I haveAK.STAL.WAT.BB.

Will answer all rcquesls . Ke,in Cronin . 1626Wilty St.• Holl)·wood. FL 33020.

Adu lt o ppon ent s wan ted f or f tf . NOI AREA

rated . I ' ll p Ia)' an)' wargllme. Take either s ide.

John Besbekos. Callaway Garden Apts. 11534

Athens. GA 30606. S4S 6376.

Tel:1I Sludent looking for dubs in Atlanta are3.Alsolooking for pbmgame ofTRC or FR. Consider m)'sclfanaveragepla>·er. MarcSchuler. Ga.

Tech Bolt 36551. Atlanta, GA 30322. (404)

872-2009.

Ntoed f iropponenu in south Atlanta.AlsopbmAK,WAT, BB, andSTALwill pia} AREA l am

1200 p rO\ ) o r n on -AREA. Ge rr y Ge rmond.1591-A Sheffield Rd . . C ol lege Pk . GA 30349 ,

991-8592.

Pbm opponents wanted for Sl , COl. VITP.

WAS. Junior p layer of average ability. SteveMunsell. 2327 Da,'ron Cir., r-.larielUt, GA 30062,

(404)973·6040.

SL. COl, COD fal l: lt ic . age 34. s eeks pbmopponents . Fast game using COO or COl rulesprderrcd. D. G. Walters, Mossquoy. Dcerness,

Orkney, Great Brilain. KWI7209. 0856 74331.

Wanted:experiencedIllinoisopponentsfor TRC,

I . illtra'·el.Willconsider GOA. W&P. FE.AlsoIAREAonly) pbmTRC......AT. MyAREAr:uing

is 1800+. EdMineman,424Anita Dr.•Belle,·ille.

IL 62221, (618) 233-6845.

MD. JU. STAL. 26 yr. o ld AREA gamer needslocal ftfopponents. Da idM. Seirn.643Gunders on Apt . 110, Carol Stream. IL 60187. 312)

653·2135.

Ftf in Springf ield area for SL, COl. 3R.SST.SUB and olhers. Gary Crolllell where arc you?NOI AREA membe r but eon side ri na . Denni sCollins. 15 Chatham Villa. Chalham. IL 62629,

483-4019.

Mature pla)'erseeks AREA r:ued STAL, WAT.AK. Prererpbm. will answer alllcuen. RichardDomovic. 3623S. 57th Ave.. Cicero. IL 60650,

(312)863·3031.

Mature playcrs walllel. f tf. pbm. An) ' All GameSI. Louis area. Craig Stephens . 4509 W3lter .Granilecity, IL62040. 931-4606.

Membe rs wan ted f or t he Col lege of DuPageWarsame club.Meetse er)'Sunday. noon, Cam

pusCenter. 'K' building. All games. allgaOlers.allages-III'dcome Paul S. DeVolp;' 603 ColumbineA'·e., Lislc,IL60532.(312)964-1297.

Experienced gamer ants ftf opponents for BL.

SL. COl. DO. TRC_ Manin Reed. 3930 Ken·sington Dr.. Lafa)·elle. IN47905.(317)447·7737.

lndire need of moreexpcrience and bcnercom

petition. NO ice 22 yr. old sects AREA flfoppo

l le ll l{ s) f or 3R) , PB. PL . SL and o th er s. SCOIl

Tomasic, 5980 Roosc elt PI.. Merrillville. IN46410,(219)980-4638.

Naval gamer seekins competi l ion in MD. FT.WAS. IPT,BIS . W5IM, SUB , a ll p bm . SL.

COl.COD. ftf. NIH rated. no opponents refused.

Paul Wor th in gton . t 026 Sal em St ., MichiganCiIY. IN 46360,(219)879-6810.

Friendlyopposition wanted for flf in K.C. area.Have:AK. BB. CAE. W&P,TRC, DO. FE.SST.Will learn others. MikeMance, 1605 K i o w ~ Dr.,

Olalhe, KS66061, (9J3) 782 W70.

AREA 746nc.:dsratedpbmorftfgamesAK.SL.

STAL. Bill Smithhart. P.O. Bm187. Marion. KS

66861, (316)3g2-225j.

Wanted pbm opponent for FE. 4 yrs. CXperiena ith PL, AIWand SL syslems; but ne to divi

s ion unit games&pbm; alllcnerans ·ered. FelixD'AIOOr. 1406Darb)' St.• Plaquemine. LA70764.

687·2642.

Wanted the address of Dan Binsackformerlyof

the)37thASA.andmorerecemlyofFieidStation

Bcriin. Dennis E. Mason, RFD III Box 414.Hul. son. ME 04449. (207)884-8171.

AREA 1200adult wargamer seeks rtf in W&P.AOC. AIW . o r C L; Orono and B3ngor area.

Mark Coner, 249 CemerSt., Apt. 2.Old To . n.ME 04468, 827-6817.

Small group of enthusi:l$IS in thesouth Bos tonarea interested in opponents forSL, COl, cOD,

3R.CM. DIP. Non-ratedbut eager to play . Willlearn pbm sySlems. Sean O'Connor. 15

Woodland Dr., Cohassel, MA 02025.383·9361.

Gamer.33.seeksgroupfOrnot·For·bloodeveningplay, particularly mUlli·pla>·er SL, COl. COD,MMR, WSIM, RB. Stcve McKnighl, 59 Norfolk

St., Needham, MA 02192, 4 4 9 ~ 5 3 7 1SoutheasternMa:u.....argamers meet e eryTues·daynight at theSMC LibrarySouth Lounge. Wegenerally play from se en to ten p.m. Williamo....-en. 371 Rtoed St .• New Bedford. MA 02740,

999-4120.

Ame ri ca n War gami ng A ss oc . N at io na l

Dem(Xralic all·hobby wargaming fraternalorganization. Monthly ne s cller. tournaments,

con ent i on s ad i s o ry boa r d. s peci al ime re stgroups. affiliates, discoums. colleclor's guild,

and more S8/year George Phillies, 122 s IslandDr .• 11204. Ann Arbor. MI 48105.

Pbm opponems amed for 3R eitherside. yourS)·stcm. Shawn LitlCn, P.O. Box 21804. GMF.

Guam,MI96921.

ARESA 1200 seekspbm BL ratedgames onlyand

unrated TRC, AlllettCf$ ans ered. Jack Kuehl,IJOOOGlenvicwDr.. Bums\·ilte, MN 55337, (612)890-16Ij.

Flf pla)'ers aotedforany AH gameespecially to

form teams for TLO campaign. Wish 10 formmons ter game club. J im Bodine. )33) Harriet

Ave. 5.. Minneapolis. MN 55408, 824-169j.

Need competition 16 years old, AREA raled .Have FE. 1776. WS&IM. SL, COt. COD. AO,FL. Own no pbm kits. Greg Miller. 519

Edgewood A e Still a te r. MN 55082 . ( 612)439-7253.

Adult rated games of \VAT wanted . Play eachsideonce.My AREA isapprox. 900. Use2nd editionrules. H. MePherson, j(l()9 COUmr) Valley.

Imperial. Mis.souri. 630j2. (314) 296--6645.

AREA 600 beginner looking for rated or nonratedmalches in BL or PD. Either flfor pbm.ln·

expericnced.looking to learn. Don Dudenl1oeffer, 27 Quamilo, MexiCQ. MD 6526j , ( 314)

581-4002.

Unrated player se-eks opponent s f or SL. COl.COD, W&P. FE. GOA and manyothers. Ftfor

pbm. Anyone wam to t ry macro SL. PB. PL?Frank Kump, 5147 Mild Dr. • S I. Lou is , MO

63129.894-2363.

Ne in Omaha,lookingfor flfinSL. COl. COD.3R. TRC. SUB,FE. Anydubs in thearea?Rand)'Beals. 10067 ArmSlrong. Omaha, NE 68134,

(402»)1-5200.

OMAHA BEACH wargamingclub. invites}'outo

ad emurl' DANGER. joy and accomplishment.Thisclubisoneyearold;andwishesthesegamers

t o j oi n. J ur ge n C . O lk . 3305 Aug us ta Ave .,

Omaha, NE 68144, 333-8099.

Bricktown gamer. 33 y rs. o ld . s ee ks l oc alo ppon ent s. I h a e many g ames inc lu ding SL.

VITP. LW, 10.

KM & 3R. Bob MaeCary. 19Vanafll Dr.• Brickto n. NJ 08723. 920·9S67.

CAE, AZ, TRC, SST. Know mos tgames. DaveMaguire. 316 Strawbr idge. Coll ingswood. NJ08108,S54-5962.

Adult novice player necdsopponenlS. Will playmostany AH game ftfor pbm, STAL. PD. Aduh

preferred. [play forfun andenjO}'melll only. JimVroom, P.O. BollS039. Clinton, NJ08809,(201)

188-2603.

Wanted pbm in STAL. AK.BL. BB, DO.WAT.AZ. LW. PB, PL ir )·ou ha e syslem. 16 yr. old

Non·AREA. Bob Pro encher Jr .. IS RodneyRd.. E. Bruns ick. NJ08816.(20l)254·6372.

Beginnerunratcd 13 yrs. oldseckspbmOf ftffor

LW. SUB. SL,3R. TAc' Need pbmsystem. An)clubs i nmy arca? Wanlbeginnersgame3R. DaveKcsser. 10 Woodfield Ave .. Lawrenceville, NJ

08040. (609j896-955S.

Myapologiestoallthosc hoans ered byad in

16. I ass . ampcd.I couldae«ptonly on a first

comefirst scr ed· ' basis.Dan Sullivan. 113 Spear

St .• Oakland. NJ07436.

S. Jersey argamer Assoc. (SJWA) is stafling iu

n ew membe rs hip d ri e Mike Crane. 219Bidge ood Dr .• Nor th fi el d, NJ 08225 . (609)

646-S124.

Pbm players needed for growing zinc. Crucible

earriesDune, Sourc.:,and more.MikeCrane. 219

Ridgewood Dr.. Northfield . NJ 08225, (609)

646·8124.

Adultgamer,26seel.:srtfcombatinawidevarielyof aames. 1810 3j yr. olds preferred. [I.-lust be

local resident or li e nearby. John Barnes, 4)B

RivervaleCI. . ScQteh Plains, NJ07016. 232·5831.

Pbm opponent des ired ror INS, ftf desired for

most AH games. Mark E\'ans, Box 121. Ossipee,NH 03864. (603)539-2617.

AREA 1500+ oppOnentS desired f t f o r pbm in

AK. WAT. VITP . WAS. Are the re any AREAgarners in l hc Sou th er n Germany a rea? I L t.DennisCook. ACO, 249lh Engr. Bn .. APO. NY

09360.

OppOnent antedror pbm or r tf rorFT. PD. PL,TRC. 3R and WAS. Tom Hastings. 442 W. 258SI.. Bronx. NY 10471. (212)884-7)83.

Nc«l AREAratedWSIM. WAT,STAL. OfSL.

COl pbm. Will answer all cUCfS. Also f t f any

game. All AREA rat ed . J ames J . Pel ly . cloKuhns, Mary A,·e .• Lake Kalr ine. NY 12449,(914)3g2·2845.

Gamer will playSL. COl.COD andFE, flfonly.

You should note that I 'm 10yrs. old. AnthonyCooper. 48 E. HamillOll Ave..Massapequa. NY

11758.795-45lJ.

Untried AREA 1500 will pbmAF, SL.COI, PD,

AIW. CL. Needssystems. Please really ne-ed AFsyStem. MichaelR. Schwenk,41-3545thApI. 5C,Sunnyside. NY 11104. (212)729.7629.

A\·I . . r el iabl e, n on· f an a ti c adu lt ould l ik efriendlynon-rated pbmW&P. TRC.CAE. Rexib le as to scenario. side. 1\-lature opponents onl) ,

p lease. Joseph Kolt . 5102 McCormick Rd..Durham. NC27713.

Ftf in Ft. Bragg·Fayellevilie area. Pbm 3R.Chess . Non · ra t cd p lay. I own GOA, SL. COl.

COD.TRC. BIS.SUB,3R, PL.A1W, FE. WIE.Puz David Ste'·ens. Beo 1/325 Airborne Inf Fl.Bugg, NC28307. 396·9920.

AREA 900seeks similarl)' raledopponent in SL.WSIM. Pbm only. You r s ys tem. All l el le rsanswered . Da,' id Krause, 402 1\lonmouth Dr.•

Gretnsboro,NC27410. (919)294-5675.

16yr. old ould like to ftfor pbm,WAS. AIW,

PL. PB. SL. MR. Competent . Forming elub at

Enl(X HighSchool. Mall Burdell, RL 3 Box 152

Hodge Rd. , Knigh td al e. NC 27545. (919)266-9426.

Need explorers for pbm son. I wil l GM with my

l im it ed int el li gence sySt em Some p laye rsalreadysillnedup,needabout threemorelostall.

John Woodson. 4409 Greenbrier Rd .• Raleigh.NC27603. {919j 772·7793.

Pbm. rtf TLD. TRC.I lIIish to beGermans in allthe games . Also GE. I 'm AREA. J . Brammer,

Box 321. Bdlaire. OH 43906.

Will moderate TLD. operation typhoon. Cam·

paign llamcsonly. Will lakecare of CRT weather

charlJetc. Sendfor detailsand choose yoursidl'.J. Br3mmer, Box 321. Bellaire. OH 43906.

Alln. Northerngarners theNWA offersb igclub

services forsmallclubprices.SL fanstournamemis now forming for membersonly . For infoeon

tact:J.A. Brag,g. I509N.8thSI.,MartinsFCff)'.

OH 43935.(614)63J·3ISO.

1200+ player seeks samefor ratedpbmgames ofAK and TRC. Alsoseeks pbmS)stemror WSIM.Ron Guyre, Star R t. 2 Box 16A, Blakeslc.:. PA18610,(717) 64(j·8091.

COl. SL. SST . MD. VITP, COD, DL, FL. JU,RB. RW, SON, WSIM. LW. J. Bcreda. Jr., 414

GroveSt.. Bridgeport. PA 19405,(2l5) 277·6656.

Adu lt p bm and f tf o ppon en ts ant ed f or t he

follo ingwargames: AF, AZ. BL. BB. DO. FE,FR. GOA, PL . SST . SUB, TAC. W&:P. manyo the rs . Ha ro ld Rober lS . S. Nice St ..Frackvi1le,PA.11931.(717)874·17J6.

A'·g. 24 )·r.old ereran lIIllrgamer scc:ks people 10

playtCSI ne.... WSIM scenariospia)'moderaled flf

AIW. PB, PL SIMOV. RW. I ha enumerous

olher games : i nf o on l (Xal c lu bs . J ack C,

Thomas . 409Cocoa Ave.. Hershey. PA 17033,(717)533·2468.

Aduh looting forpbm opponents. Iam wiliinglOplayany of thefollowing: TRC. FITW.GOA. or

aoyothers l l lat we mayagree upon. SamuelP.

Gallo. 385 Hulton Rd., Oakmont, PA IjU9,

(411)363-0&48.

AVI. to good 16 yr. o ld needs opponents . PbmPB, BL, TRC. AZ o r f t r above plus COD, FT.

FE.3R, GOA. GE and others. Ben usehncr, 20

Hamilton Cir.. Phila.• PA 19130(215)j68-5236.

3R fan lookingfor SJopponents , rtf only.Also

F l f opponen t s anted. WarSamer s c lub

Shamokin. PA Public Library 12 noon to 4 p .m .every Saturday. openmembership. Clubhas SL.COl. COD. Pl , TB,AOC. TRC. JOhn Orayit7..j

E. MontgomerySt., Shamokin. PA 17872. 711)648·9591.

Join theonl)' 'zinedevoted principall)'lo multi·p layerpbm3R. No in hs fourth ) Car. Also car·

riesW&P, SON. EN Garde. more. Samples 50.:

Mark Matuschat, Ij Connor SI .. Unionto n.PA 15401, (412) 4)7-7901.

17 rf. oldbeginnerseekspbm forSI . , COl. 3R.

AOC, AZ needssystem and info. OlaS'·anercd.Marschgatan42. Borlange, SW. S eden.

Opponcnts wanted will play local or pbm, 2yrs.

experience in TAC. BL. VITPunrated bUl cnjo)'sp laying anyone. Jerry D. Forsha. 2570 Mur

fre-esooro Rd., Apt D-I1, Nashville. TN 37217,(6U) 361-6j72.

Attention Diplomats. Ha e you be-en fruslraledin ) 'o ur PBM D ip Barnes . B:ld G1>ling? Theschemerspccializcs in well-run Dipgames. Send

Stamp 10: The Schmer clo Ste \' eo Duke. R I. 3Fairfield Pike, Shelbyville, TN 31160, (615)684-8265.

25yr.old needs ftfopponents for CAE. 1776. SL.

TRC, and others in Huntsyille or Conroe area.SteveWilson. 244SpanishGardensApts., Huntsvilie. TX 77340. (713)291-1615.

Alln. I ry ing garners . Am interes ted in Slartingclub centered in S. I rv ing. Prefer ages 11.16 .

Alr eady p lay pB . SST . GL, SL&2. 3R, SUB.TRC. AK. BL. Tony Lindman, 1305 SandyCir.,lro·ing. TX 75060. lj3·1991.

Opponents lII'anted for ftf competition.Will pia)'a lmos t anyth ing . Prefer land based s tralegical

and gradn s tralegical games. Any period. Willp lay ) our games or mine. Oa,' id Smith . 4111

Ridgeway, Plainview.TX 79072. (806) 296·1157.

Adull pbm opponents wanted forTRC. I usc lheViipuri II defense. General 17-6. Honor die roll

belie ersonly.Cl1arlesJehlen.2298Mimosa.Pt.

Arlhur. TX 77640.(713) 7J6-1020.

Noviceseeks flf for WAS, RW. PL.Anyclubs in

tllis area? Jack Rogers. 23 N. Independence Dr..

Hampton. VA 23669. Work Phone: 122·9961Ext. 671.

Adult opponems an ted f or p bmCAE. CL, TR

andOlherRomangames. Jeff Alsdorf. 7510Ave.. N.W. Seall c. WA98117, (206)784·21

Tacoma garners wan I opponents in teres te

othergames, liketojoinadub,orjust play?have approx. ten garners so far . Mike Ma

2222 S . 96s1 n. Tacoma, WA 98444. (

584-8326.

Adult needsopponentfor JR Iha e pbmkitl.acquirepbm forTRC Of SL. I am lired fpla

bymysclf. ob\iously prefer ftf.Mark AhCfn

l-tarbor St .. Westport, WA 9g595. 268·4371

Wantcd:All GeneralsrromVol. 11-6toVol. 1

with insertS. Call or send lisl with prices asGeo r ge McHugh. 8303 Roanoke A

Washington. DC 20012. (301)587·0825.

AREA 1500(Prov)seeks flf/pbm TRC. 3R.

KM . DUNE. W &P , WAS, V IT P. N eeds)·stems. Adultspreferred. Anyclubs in DC aGeor ge McHugh. 8303 Roanoke A

Washington. D.c' 20012,(301)587-0825.

Beginnerneedsopponem for VITP. An)One

leresled in f orming a pbm lub ? An) ' c lu bfdlowgamersinWhcelingarea?Willans ·c

letters. MichaelSpink. 53 PinOak Hills. Wing. WV 26003. (304) 242-8083.

Ftfopponentswantedfor PL.BIS. DDand

Wililearnothcrgames. Peter Klasinski.4SAvc .. StevensPt .• WIS44SI.(718)344-6382

Selling:lll my games. nomoreroom. SendSfor l is l and prices . Roger Daggs . 644 AlvaA\·e..1239,Da,·is.CA95616.t916}753-018

For Sale: Bis '62530.TAC '58S15.others,sSASE. Wanted: nf 3R. BL. WAS, olhers. TStrong. 1027 E. 71h SI .. Apt.5 . LongBeach

90813.(213)591-0423.

Calirs lookingfor plarers? Pbmsystem? Hozincs? JUSt p la in f un ? COl ll ac r NWA C

Coord . Mike Steagall . 8837 ElIen ood C

Spring Valle}.CA 92077.(714)462·3439.

For s al e o r l rade . o ld Gl'ncralsor games. SSASEfor list. Alsowanttobu)'1914 in gooddilion. Brian R. Willard. 42 Russell Dr . .E . H

ford.Ct 06108.528-0228.

For sale: C O/8 :O. Gelly 58. Guadal . 1Generals, other games, and magazines . SSASE for l is t. pr ice no bidding). andeondiBill Lindow, 146 Springl;ide A e.. tB_14.

Ha'·en. CT06515, (203) 387-6049.

Wanted: Out of print AHgame. Civil W a r c o lto rs i lem. Richard M. Locke. 1566 Oak AEvanslon, IL 60201. (312) S69-227J.

Watllcd dl',peralcly AH games (iE (H

GUAD. Civil War.orig. Bismarck. Wili payfor games in good condilion. Also wam spartsto 1914.JamesMcCull, 255 E. Foster.L

Forest.IL60045.

For sale: Vintage games such as LeMans.'GRAD. andothers.SendSASE Of pho'e fo

and pria' quote. All games exc. rondo GCudna. 309 Langler Ct., Bel Air. MD 21(301)879·1512.

Wantcd:Generals 1)·3.13·6. 14·I.I·lIpay

price. Will take II xI7 lterox copies.Senand price. A[so. f lf opponenlS For Illost

games. UarrySmilh. I CarhonSt.. BinghamNY 13903, (607)723·3989.

SCl king pbmopponent for 1940 PzL and rePzL Doc:s anyoneha e pbm sySlemfor AIBob Pas samonl i. ] )1 Bur den A '· e .. S . I. ,

10301.

Wanted photocopyof rules to GET 1958 hexs ion . Will par reasonable pri(\ . Need b

Larr ) 'L. Bos t ,6106 Elg} ood Ln.• ChaflNC28213.

Wanled: General 8·1,8-3,8-6.9-1. 10·5.11·6.13·2. ])·5 i n gOod condilion. Will

reasol1ableprke. Frceman.914W. MarkA,·e.. Durham. NC 27701. (919) 688·6879.

For sale: GUAD. Complele, perfect condiunpunchedcounters,look\ like itsrighl orf

shdf. Mike Hall . 2730ElmSt .. Harrisburg17103.(717)233·2218.

For sale: Old games . including Guadalc

1914. 1918. original DDetc.Magazinesalso.SSASE for l is t. N.E. Be er idge, Jr .. 212 TeaBorger. TX 79007. (806)274_4966.

GENERAL BACK ISSUES

*On ly I h e following GENERAL back issues ar e slitl ava i lable . p f ice is $2.50 pe r i s s ueplus 10070 poslage

an d hand l ing charges. r\'laryland residents please ad d 5OJo Slale sa les lax . GENERA L posrage COl/POliS maynol be u se d f or I hi s or Olhe r pa r iS o rd er s . D u e 10 lo w quantilies o f some i s s ues we r e qu e sl I h a l y o u specify

alternalC selections shou ld your first c h o ic e b e no longer a \ ' a i lab le . Th e index be low lislS Ihe con lcnlS of

each i s su e by subject maile r ; feature articles a rc des igna ted by a n a s te r is k (*) , s e r i e s replays ar e i la lic ized.

an d lh e numbef fo l low ing each issue is t h e r e a de r r a l in g of I h al p a r t ic u l a r issue as a whole. Th e numbers

following ind iv idua l sub jcc is re fe r to Ih e n umbe r o f articles abou l lha l game i n I h al i s su e . I s su e s l i sl e d i n re d

ar e on e color reprinls of previously oUI-of-Slock issues. *Vol. 12, No . 2 - · T o b r u k , Pallzerbfirz Bulge , B l i l z kr i e g , Pan z er L e ade r . S l a li n g ra d 3.10

Vol. 14, No . 2 - *K i n gm ak e r - 7 , Alexander Squ ad L e a d e r. 3.27

Vol. 14, No . 3 - *A r ab Israeli War s - 3 , Sralingrad Russian Campa ign ,Th i rd Reich, Wa r Al Sc a 3.17

Vol, 14, No . 4 - ·V i c t o ry in Ih e Pac i f i c - 2 , Slalingrad Third Reich, Rich lho fen s War , JUlland, 1776 2.53

Vol. 14 , No . S - · S q u a d Leade r -3 . WS IM . Ru s si a n Campaign, Midway , Sla rsh ip Troopers. Third Reich • 2.7

Vol. 14 , No . 6 - ·D -Day , Victory in Ihe Pacific Pan z er L e ade r . Caesar s Legions, Tobruk . .3 .51

V ol . I S, N o. 1 - ·Ge l y sbu r g - 3 , Squad Leader Sta rsh ip Troopers. Ru ss i an C ampa ign 3.48

V ol . I S, N o. 2 - · P a n z e r Leader , S ta i ingrad , Third Re i ch , D -D ay, Rail Bafon, Victory in Th e Pacific •• 3.44

Vol. I S, N o . 3 - ·A s sau l J on Cfe l e - 3 , Invasion o f Malia, Russian Campa ign ,Th i rd Reich, Squ ad L e ade r , Wa r a

Se a 3.44

Vol. 15, No . 5 - ·Midway . WS & 1M , Origins-Third Reich, Afr ika Ko rp s, D -D ay , Squad L e ade r , F e u da l , A l es i a

Wa r a l S ea , S l ar s hi p Troopcrs 3.13

V o l. 1 5, No . 6 - *C r o s s o f l r o n - 3 , Victory i l l ihe Pacific, War 31 Sea . Arab-Is rae l i Wars , Sla rsh ipT roopers , PanzeLeadef 2.66

Vol. 16, No . 1 - *A n z i o - 3 . PonurblilZ Third Reich, Napo leon , 1776. Dip lomacy 2.67

Vol. 16. No . 2 - *B i sma r ck - 4 , Panzerblil1. A f r ik a Ko rp s , 1776, WS 1M . _ . 3.28

Vol. 16, No . 3 - * P a n z e r Leader, Cross of Iron W a r a l Sea, Tobruk . 1776. Midway 3.33

Vol. 16, No . 4 - ·Mag i c Rea lm -3 , The Russian Campaign Cross o f I ron , Third Reich • 3.23

V ol . 1 6, No . 5 - *Th e Russian Campa ign , Submar ine , Sla rsh ip TfOOpefS, War at Se a , P a n z er b l il z , Rail Baron

Napoleon . Blilzkrieg 3.27

Vol. 16, No . 6 - ·D l I n e - 3 , AI/zio 4 player Diadem Diplomacy, Outdoor Survival, A nz i o - 2 , Panzerbli lz . .3 .8

V o l. 1 7. No . I ·War P e a c e - 3 , War ar Sea. Third Reich. Cross of I r o n. C r c sc e n do of Doom. Midway , Mag i

Realm, Luf lwaffc 2.79

Vol. 17, No . 2 - · C re s c e n d o o f Doom-3 , Vic/Dry In The Pacific Microcompute r Garnes, Walc r loo 3.18

V o l. 1 7, No . 3 - ·A f r i ka Korps, Cross OJ Iroll Third Reich, Crescendo of Doom, A i r F o r ce . Russian Campaign

Victory in Ih e Pac i f i c . _ . 3.34

Vol. 17. No . 4 - · FO rl r e ss E u r o p a - 4 , Cross of Iron Midway, V ITP , 1776, Wizard s Que s l, S l a rs h i p Troopers

Napoleon _ 3.73

V o l. 1 7, No . 5- ·C i rc l l s Maximus , Third Reich 2 Rich lhofen ' s War , Squ ad L c ade r , S l a li n g ra d , P a n ze r L e a de r

K in gmak e r, Mag ic R e a lm 3.07

Vol. 17, No . 6-*Slal ingrad, Third Reich WS IM. War Al S e a, S q ua d L e ad e f, Longe s l Day. Caesar s Legions

VITP , Russian Campaign 3.27

Vol. 18. No 1 - · Fu r y In Th e We st , B ism ar ck , S q ua d L e ad e r, D u ne , D ip l om a cy . A f ri k a K or ps , P a ll lc r bl i lz

Alexander. Wa r Peace .

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


THE GENERA

. .......·······r·············l······. .·..··........·....··. .READER BUYER'S GUIDE : ~ l i S J h : f f ~ i WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN

• 0 ~ ~ ~ [ ~ l g PLAYING?GLADIATOR 9.00 + ; g 3

Man to Man Game of Gladiator ial : i- i ~ t Top ten lIsts are seemingly always in vogue these days. Whether the sub-Combat + 2 : f Q • ject is books on the Best Seller List, television s Nielsen ratings, or event i . + games, the public never seems to tire of seeing how their individual favorites

': ;;. ~ ; l l s;: a. i • stack up numerically against the competition. Our preoccupation with this:. s_· i S= i a ll • national pastime is almost akin to routing the home team on to victoryevery

INS.TRUCTIONS: Rate all categories by placing a C t : I : r 0 - W Snumber ranging from t through 9 in the ap. + ii i iii ;; i 1Ji.. iii ' ~ + Sunday. 0 to further cater to your whims (and to satisfy our own curiosity)propriate

spaces tothe right

It equating excel· +

iii,., a. : ;, a. + we unveilTHE GENERAL s

version of thegamer's TOP

TEN.+~ . > _ ~ » ~ o .lent; 5·a ve ra ge; a nd 9·terrible). EXCEPTION: g g .. ~ ; ; l g 3 .; ' + We won't ask you to objectively rate any game. That sort of thing is

Rate item No 10 in lerms of minutes necessary + oS oS g g Q + already done in these pages and elsewhere. Instead, we ask that you merelyto play game as recorded in 1Q-minute incre- + g g ... c .... C . 't:I = + I th th ( I h h . . h .<nents EXAMPLE: If you ve found that it takes .. 1l g 2 S; 110 1St e ree or ess games w IC you ve spen t t e mos t t ime Wit sin you wo and a half hours to play FRANCE 1940. you + :: :: := :: e, ;: :; • received your last issueof THE GENERAL. With this wecan generatea con-would give it a GAME LENGTH rating of '5:' + g sensus list of what's being p l yed . . not just what is being bought. The

Participate in these reviews only if you are + >=; K;_ = . degree of correlation between the Best Selling Lists and the Most Played Listfamiliar with t he game in quest ion. . -- : :; :

: l Q ' ;;; should prove interesting.1 Physical Quality _+ ;;; < J . Feel free to list any game regardless of manufacturer. There will be a2 Mapboard -+ ~ a g ~ • built-inAvalon Hill bias to thesurveybecause you all playAvalonHillgames3 Components __+.. : : ; l- : to some extent but it shouldbe no more prevalent than similar projects under-4 Ease of Understanding __ • 1: iii ;;::, .. • taken by other magazines with a special interest-based circulation. The

5 Completeness of Rules _ . S J l f • amount to which this bias affec ts the final outcome will be left to the in-

6 Play Balance _ _+ g ; g: h e : dividual s discretion.7 Realism _ _+ 'g : : : ~ ' The games I've spent the most time playing during the past two monthsB Excitement level = ' o 0 = ll

9 Overall Value = • are:• a.g. . . : 3 , = +

0 Game length

--+ 1: l

;:,;3 ~

+ 1. _ The review sheet may be cut ou t, photocopied, + g g g j. t

o r merely drawn o n a sep arate sheet o f paper. t i=; So ; + 2. _Mail it to our 4517 Harford Road address with + :3 c. :your contest en try o r opponents wanted ad Mark i gsuch correspondence to the attentIon of the R +. :3 So 3.D

Department : 8 ~ ~ ~ ; ~ ; d t.................... ~ ~ ; ~ ~~ ~ g ~ ~ ~ ; ~ ~ ~ ; ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ < ~ ~ : : ~ ~ ; ~ ~ . CONTEST NO. 1022. For Sale, Trade, or Wanted To Buy ads will be accepted only when dealing with collector s + Merely write the winning move in the appropriate space of the contest

items out of print AH games) and are accompanied by a 1.00 token fee. No refunds. + form i n this i ssue s inser t. Ten winning entries will receive certificates3. I ns er t c opy on l in es p rovide d 25 words maximum) and prior name, address, and phone +number on the appropriale lines. redeemable for free AH merchandise. To be valid an entry must be received4. Please PRINT. If your ad is illegible, II will not be printed. • prior to the mailing of Vol. 18,No. 3 and include a numerical rating of5. So that as many ads as possible can be primed wilhin our limited space, we request Ihal you use + the i ssue as a whole , as well as l ist the bes t three art ic les. Remember that

official Slate and game abbreviations. Don t list your entire colleclion, list only those you are moSl + in our rating system the lower the number the better the rating, and viceinterested in locating opponents For. :Afrika Korps-AK, Air Force-AF, Alexander-AL, Alpha Omega-AO, Amoeba Wars-AW, versa. The solution will be announced in Vol. 18, No.3, and the winnersAnzio-AZ, Arab-Israeli Wars-AIW, Armor Supremacy-AS, Assaull On Crete/Invasion Of in Vol. 18, No.4. One entry per subscriber.Malta-AOC, Bismarck-BIS, Blitzkrieg-BL, Battle Of The Bulge-BB, Caesar Alesia-CAE, i Assume t hat both airCaesar s Legions-CL. Chancellorsville-CH, Circus Maximum-eM, Cross Of Iron-COl, :ij: w

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r e ~ ~ m E : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : = ~ s c ; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ u ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ s ~ : : : ~ ~ ~ : ~ : ~ ~ y : ~ - : ; g ~ ~ I ~ ~ ~ 1l ~ ~ ~ ~ a r f ~ : ~ ~ e e ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ e e : ~ u T ~Gladiator-GL, Guns Of August-GOA, Insurgency-INS. JUlland-JU, Kingmaker-KM, The :J lii previous turns to performLongeSl Day-TLD, Luflwaffe-Lw, Machiavelli-MA, Magic R ea lm -M R , M id w ay - + U) « CO : .c:

« U any maneuver. The actuaMD, Napoleon-NP, Naval War-NW, Objective: Atlanta-OA, Origins -OR, Outdoor + c: CSurvival-OS, Panzerblitz-PB, Panzer Leader-PL, Rail Baron-RB, Richlhofen s War-RW, • - Moves versions of the aircraft conThe Russian Campaign-TRC, Samurai-SA, Squad Leader-SL, Shenandoah-SH, ~ ...-+--+---------+---t cerned are the FWl90A anStalingrad-STAL, Starship Troopers-SST, Source Of The Nile-SON, Submarine-SUB, • P47D.Tactics II-TAC, Third Reich-3R, Tobruk-TB. Trireme-TR, Victo ry In The Pacific- +VITP. Viva Espana-VE, War and Peace-W&P. WarAt Sea-WAS, Waterloo-WATt Wizard s •Quest-WQ, Wooden Ships Iron Men-WSIM. +

+---

:Ten winning entries will receivecertificates redeemable for free AH merchandise. To be valid

an entry must be received prior to the mai ling of the nut GENERAL and include a nurr::ericalrating for the issue as a whole as well as l is t the bes t 3 a rt ic le s. The solution will be announced in

the next issue and the winners in the following issue.

I ssue as a w ~ o l e (Rate from 1 to 10, with 1 equal ing excel lent , 10 equating terrible)

Best 3 Articles

NAME PHONE _

_

STATE__ ZIP _

1 ._

2. _

3. _

NAME

ADDRESS _

CITY STATE ZIP _

8/12/2019 Vol18i2


THE GENERAL

SEMPER PARATUSOORDEREN, SOUTHERN HOLLAND, September 27th, 1944: LieutenC.P.J. Des Groseil lers urged his straining men to push again. D Company

found a German 75mm antitank gun in the ruins of Oorderen. The breech

been hidden and the weapon had been left in the town cen ter with somerounds of ammunition. Well it just so happened that an enterprising scroun

had found this curious metal block. Lt . Des Groseillers did a little work. NowCompany had its own artillery. Everyone knew that C Company was going

be attacking the German bunker line north of the town. D Company womake sure that Jerry got back his 75mm shells. Perhaps in a slightly used cotion. The Rileys looked out for their own.

Board Configuration

N

VICTORY CONDITIONSThe Canadian player to win must control 3 bunkers at game s end.

TURN RECORD CHART

*German sets up first

1 2 3 4 END0 Canadian moves first

d,I1; 8S7th Grenadier Regiment of 346th Infantry Division. Must set up within bunkers North of row 0 inclusive:

2 3 5 1 3 5 1 5 7 t t f Q ~4

LM

? Y ~ ~ 6-16 2-8

4-6-7 4-3-6 : 812 812.

• • 2 622 2

Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment (RHLI or Riley ). May set up in any building hex South of row Q inclusive and enter o

either (not both) East or West board edge any troops and support weapons not setup on board:

®

75t4-5-8

10

6-14 8 4

LMG2-7

811+

MlrQ *1-8

51 S, 2

SPECIAL RULES AFTERMATH: Division HQ hadordered a brief but heavy barrage that would c

northward through the German lines . Lieutenant-Colonel W.D. Whitaker di

believe the bombardment would affect the bunkers. Therefore, using covering

vol18i2

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