2 MOVES nr.

52, published Aug/Sep 1980

Opening
Moves
ORIGINSBO
Even though only a sm~lI fraction of us
that grand council that constitutes the
Circulation: 9500 MO VES readership - attends the Origins
convention each year, we should all
nonetheless pay attention to it as an event.
Editor/Executive Art Director Redmond A. Simonsen
Much transpires there that affects the hobby
Managing Editor Robert J. Ryer
we collectively create and carry on. Manu fac-
Art Director Manfred F. Milkuhn
turers strain to have new products to an-
Contributing Editors nounce; designers come to spread their
Greg Costikyan, James F. Dunnigan, Eric Goldberg, Phil Kosnett, gospels, press the flesh, and be influenced in
Steve List, Thomas G. Pratuch, Charles Vasey turn. Business decisions are made and struc-
MOVES Magazine is copyright 1980, Simulations Publications, Inc, Printed in U.S,A, All rights reserved. All tures created which steer the course of the
editorial and general mail should be addressed to Simulations Publications Inc" 257 Park Avenue South, N. Y., N. Y.
10010. MO VES is published bimonthly. One year ,ubscriptions (six issues) arc available for $11.00 (US), Back issues gaming juggernaut. So for that reason, we're
Or single copies of the current issue are available at $2.25 per copy. Please remit by check or money order (US funds), spending a few more pages on Origins this
Printing and Binding by Wellesley Press, Inc., Framingham. Mass. year (and by the way I hope you've noticed
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Readers are in>'iled lO submit articles for possible publication in MOVES Magazine.
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Manuscripts must be typewritten. double-spaced. on 8Y,xll white bond ...... ith generous line length of 55 lO 65
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stance. however, can SPI assume responsibility for manuscript, and illustrations not specifically solicited. 1. The Hobby Industry Association
members have decided to call our hobby
"Adventure Gaming" - so if you hear
things that you thought were "wargames"
being called "adventure games" you are tun-
ed to the right channel. The decision was
In this issue ... based primarily on marketing considera-
tions, and the title is aimed at prospective
TITO Livesl DICK RUSTIN 4 gamers and dealers, not alte kampjeren like
you and me. If, however, you have occasion
C'Est La Guerra IAN CHADWICK 8 to entice someone into the hobby, why not
Conquering the Magic Kingdom NICK KARP & sco TT LAIKEN 15 use this new term so that we all speak the
same language, OK guys?
The Forest for the Trees TERRY ALAN BANEY 19 2. The next Origins will be on the West
Coast, near San Francisco. Far oUl! It will
Con Crit PHILIP R. COLUMBUS 23 also be the first one officially sanctioned and
governed by GAMA (The Game Manufac-
Photo--Toons REDMOND A. SIMONSEN 22 turers Association). GAMA's main mission,
so far, is to regularize and administer the
From Sea to Shining Sea JERROLD THOMAS 24 operations of the con and provide continuity
from year to year.
Charle-Mail JOHN BOARDMAN 28 3. The Origins Awards continue to
struggle along (perhaps GAMA will
Stat Rep: Bulge CLA UDE BLOODGOOD 36 crystalize the system) - more thoughts on
this is a subsequent issue. The winners are as
Opening MOVES REDMOND A. SIMONSEN 2 follows:
MOVES in English CHARLES VASEY (ed) 25
JUL IAN BARKER, ANDREW J. FINKEL, H.G. Wells Awards
ROBERT SAMUEL MALIN
Best Historical Figure Series: System 7
Forward Observer ERIC GOLDBERG 30 Napo/eonics (GDW); Best Fantasy/SF
Figure Series: Ral Partha Collectables;
Designer's Notes SPIR&DSTAFF 33 Best Vehicular Model Series: Ogre
(Martian Metals); Best Miniatures Rules:
Feedback/Playback Questions vox POPULI, vox DEI 38 System 7 Napoleonics (GDW); Best Role-
Playing Rules: Commando (SPI); Best
Professional Miniatures Magazine:
Courier; Best RolePlaying Magazine:
Journal oj the Traveller's A id Society;
Simulations Publications, Inc., 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY. 10010
Best AU-TIme 20th Century Naval
Rules: General Quarters; Best All-Time
Ancient & Medieval Rules: Chivalry &
Sorcery (FGU).
{cont;~ued on pogt /81
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4
DESIGN & OPERA TlONAL ANAL YSIS
TITOLIVES/
The Designer Expounds and Explains
by Dick Rustin
Tiro was one of those very different game
designs that by its very nat ure caused me
to take a radical approach to its map system.
By t he way, if you are taken aback by t he
non -traditional approach, you have Joe
Balkoski to thank for the area-type map and
me to blame for the use of shape and color
symbols to convey the necessary informa-
tion. I, to be serious, am pleased with the in-
nova tive approach we all took in design ing
and formatting this game abou t a very
unusual slice of WWII. If you're xenophobic
about reallv different games, maybe this arti-
cle will get you going on this one. - RA S
As the designer of Tito, SPI's simula-
tion of World War II guerrilla warfare in
Yugoslavia, I am in an excellent position to
offer insight into how the game should be
played, but in an ambiguous spot when it
comes to offering something of a review of
the game. Both are my goals here, and I will
try to achieve my objectives objectively.
Tito is a game of maneuver, just as guer-
rilla conflict is invariably a war of maneuver.
Tactical and strategic options abound in the
game, but most are governed by a player's
ability to master the art of maneuver. To be
sure, the problems faced by the opposing
players are completely different, and each
must develop a system of maneu vers, tactics,
and strategy to fit overall objectives.
For the Yugoslav player, whose main
striking force is Marshal Tito's pro-
Communist People's Liberation Army of
Partisan guerrillas, the objectives, as quanti-
fied by victory points, are to disrupt the Axis
war effort and eventually gain geographical
and political control of post-war Yugoslavia.
To do this, he must build from scratch a
powerful, cohesive army, while dodging the
blows of the occupation forces. When the
Partisans are strong enough they will be able,
with aid late in the game from powerful
Soviet and anti-Axis Bulgarian units, to carry
the fight to the Axis, \',"hose multi-national
forces are crumbling under the pressure of
outside events.
For the Axis player, who commands
German, Italian, Bulgarian, Croat, and Ser-
bian occupation forces, the goal is to damp
the guerrilla movement - he never wiII be
able to eradicate it - so that the Partisan ob-
jectives will be thwarted.
The Map
The game map, an area rendering of the
12 zones into which occupied Yugoslavia was
carved, greatly facilitates play while retaining
the realistic feeling of geographical move-
ment. Given the factors of time and space,
(Yugoslavia is only 600 miles long and 300
miles across at its widest point , while each
game-turn represents three months) , a semi-
abstracted movement system is both neo:.:es-
sary and desirable.
I can comment on the area map with ob-
jectivity, because it was not my idea; rather,
it was created by the game developer, Joe
Balkoski, of the SPI staff. I originally
designed the map for traditional hex move-
ment. Tracing Yugoslavia's squiggly
coastline, rivers, lakes, and roads on a
homemade light table - a garden table
whose top was more opaque than
transparent - was literally a backbreaking
job. The futility of that labor was forgotten
and forgiven long ago. But I'll get you
anyway, Balkoski!
Each of the 12 occupation zones is rated
both for its sympathy to the Partisans or the
monarchist Chetnik guerrillas, and for lhe
likelihood that guerrilla units will be created
by spontaneous uprising if the Axis player
does not garrison it sufficiently. Both players
are restricted in movement. Axis units of cer-
tain nationalities may enter only certain
zones, although some restrictions are eased
when the guerrilla campaign gathers
strength. Guerrilla units may enter adjacent.
zones only. Axis units may move through as
many as three contiguous zones.
Within the zones, there are a total of 89
population, industrial, and transportation
centers known as Objective Displays. Every
Yugoslav locality with a pre-war populatjon
of at least 4,000 is depicted individually or is
included as part of an industrial complex.
Also depicted is the trunk railway, part of the
route of the peacetime Orient Express, over
which Germany supplied troops in Greece
and Crete, and shipped home vital raw
materials for the war efforl. Each display is
in its true geographical position, and is
shown as an enlarged rectangle.
Possession of those displays is, in the
final analysis, the coin of the realm. The
Yugoslav player earns victory points and ad-
ditional units by occupying them; he is
denied any such benefits if the Axis occupies
them or if they are vacant. Each display has
its own recruitment and victory point values,
reflecting its population and importance to
the Axis war machine. The number of new
units that a display may generate may vary
according to a die roll, and also can be af-
fected by weather and the political sympathy
of a zone. For example, a Partisan unit in
royalist Serbia ".,ill generate no recruits in a
village during winter, nor in a market town
during a drought.
Within each zone there are strings of
three triangles and three circles, and a single
small box. These are the main abstractions in
the game. The triangles represent moun-
tainous rural arcas (Yugoslavia is 80070
mountain or rugged limestone plateau).
When occupying a triangle, guerrillas are
deemed to be conducting such acts of hinter-
land sabotage as ambushing convoys, attack-
ing outposts, and mining roads. Recruits and
victory points may be gained by undertaking
such activities.
Circles, known as Hideaways, yield no
victory points or reo:.:ruits. They reflect situa-
tions where guerrillas either have been forced
to lie low, or are in transit from one zone to
another. With few exceptions, foot-slogging
guerrillas are forced to spend a full game-
turn in a Hidea,. . ay circle when entering an
oo:.:cupation zone.
Each of the three main elements in the
game has its own circle and triangle. In addi-
tion to the Partisans and Axis, there are the
Chetniks, each of whose units may switch or
become neutral on any turn via a die roll.
When neutral, a Chetnik unit is placed in the
small box in a zone, and is controlled by
neither player. The Chctniks are doomed to
virtual extinction by the withdrawal of sup-
port by the Western Allies. This can happen
on one of five different. turns, depending on
the lack of anti-Axis activity by the Chetniks
on that turn. Chetniks may continue to sur-
face, via uprisings, but will quickly disband
or defect to the Partisans.
Combat
Combat between opposing forces is
mandatory when they occupy the same Ob-
jective Display, and the losing side must
abandon the display. Combat in mountains
is voluntary. Guerrillas may be attacked in
Hideaways only by special, pre-planned
Anti-Guerrilla Operations, in which the Axis
player may commit. up to seven divisions per
operation. He is limited to two per game-
turn, and between five and eleven per game.
The total amount is determined by lhe Axis
player randomly, secretly, and verifiably at
the start of the game. The Yugoslav player is
rarely certain how many such drives will be
launched. Combat losses are doubled in such
operations, and a victorious Axis player can
scatter guerrillas to Hideaways in less

hospi.table zones at unfavorable times of the
year in this manner.
Although there may be up to 21 separate
stages, phases, and segments in some of the
17 game-turns, most occur only in special
cases. The order of the major, recurring steps
places a premium on maneu ver. They are:
AXIS REINFORCEMENT
ANTIGUERRILLA OPERA nON
DEPLOYMENT AND COMBAT
YUGOSLAV MOVEMENT AND COMBAT
VICTORY POINT STAGE
AXIS MOVEMENT AND
NORMAL COMBAT
GUERRILLA RECRUITMENT
AND UPRISINGS
REDEPLOYMENT OF ANTIGUERRILLA
OPERATION UNITS
Note that the Victory Point Stage occurs
before the Axis player has a chance to react.
Thus, the Yugoslav player is assured of vic
tory points for gaining objectives. But he
must occupy them in sufficient strength to
withstand Axis counterattacks. Because a
retreating guerrilla unit must be placed in a
Hideaway circle, no recruits can be obtained
from a lost objective.
The Axis player may choose to attack
guerrillas wherever they arise, but in so doing
will leave many objectives unguarded. Thus
the Yugoslav player is in an excellent position
to occupy them on the next turn. On the
other hand, the Axis player may choose to sit
Reproduction of Tim map
tight and guard major objectives, leaving less
important ones to the guerrillas. But this is a
risky tactic requiring a careful balancing of
German forces.
The Axis player can benefit from look-
ing ahead and paying close attention to his
reinforcements, which he gets on almost
every turn. He may cede an objective to the
guerrillas on one turn bu t may force them out
on the next by deploying reinforcements
there. The guerrillas may have to evacuate or
initiate combat at unfavorable odds.
The same tactic may be used with units
returning from Anti-Guerrilla Operations.
They are removed from the map after a
special combat segment, and do not return
until the end of a game-turn. In the mean-
time, however, the Yugoslav player has
greater freedom of movement. Because
historically security surrounding such opera-
tions was generally terrible, the Yugoslav
player also has a chance to move up to six
units before the special combat occurs.
Actually, the Anti-Guerrilla Operation
is probably the most intriguing aspect of the
game - a Balkan version of cal and mouse.
The Yugoslav player does not know where a
blow will fall (zones are picked secretly by the
Axis player); he knows only that they will
come in mountains or Hideaways.
Thus, certain key maneuver decisions
must be made, often a turn in advancc. The
Axis player should mount operations in
5
tandem to eliminate retreating units during
his second operation. However, the drives
are deemed to be launched simultaneously,
although executed consecutively. Therefore,
if there were no guerrillas in a zone original-
ly, an attack hits empty air and any chance to
bag units retreating from a first attack is lost.
The Yugoslav player thus has to weigh the
pros and cons of concentration and disper-
sion. And the Axis player may schedule an
operation for an empty zone in the hope that
up to six enemy units will walk into a trap
during the bonus movement phase prior to
combat. Decisions, decisions!
The Axis player should launch as many
such operations as possible early in the game,
when guerrillas are weakest. Guerrilla units
begin the game as puny groups. Once certain
numerical levels are reached, they may be
built into brigades and Partisan divisions.
Once brigade or division strength is reached
in force, guerrillas are almost unassailable,
particularly in Hideaways, where their com-
bat strength is doubled.
All Ax!s maneuver decisions must be
colored by the possibility of uprisings. An in-
sufficiently garrisoned zone may have guer-
rillas coming out the woodwork just when it
appeared that the insurgency campaign had
been stalled. A zone's tendency toward
uprisings reflects a blend of terrain, popula-
tion density, and the historical bellicosity of
its inhabitants. The fiercely independent
{continued on page 7]
6

Created by Tito (Partisan only); ITALIAN UNITS [10.0]

OUTLINE SUMMARY
3 groups: Croatia Effects of Italian Pullback (10.21):
OF KEY RULES FOR TITO 2 groups: Bosnia, Dalmatia, Slovenia, Movement restrict ions in Croatia
STACKING [8.2] Baranya, Carinthia No further I talian participation in Anti-
DIVISIONAL I group: Albania, Is lands, Istria, Macedonia, Guerri Ila Operations in Bosnia and Serbia
STACKING Montenegro, Serbia
UN/TSIZE EOUIVALENT~ Effects of Italian Withdrawal (10.221:
Division 6/6 UPRISINGS [7.5] Die roll eq uals number of Italian divisions
Brigade 3/6 If garrison shortage exists ... withdrawn from map
Regiment 216 ... 1st difl roll: No fu rther Italian participation' in any
Anti-Guerrilla Operation
Battalion 116 Apply zone's Uprising Modifier
German reinforcements from Box #6 of
Group 0/6 Modi fied result of I or more: Uprising Allied Progress Track
*Maximum of7 division equivalents per Number of groups created: garrison Effects of Italian Surrender (10.3): ,
Display, Triangle, or Circle. shortage (in Axis divisions x modified
die roll) German reinforcements from Box of JI7
CHETNIKS [7.2] Allied Progress Track
... 2nd difl roll:
A. Collaboration Operation Konstantin (10.32)
Even number: all reinforcing groups are the
Between Game-Turn 2 (inclusivel and same as the zone's Alignment Value + 1 to Chetnik Collaboration die roUs
Allied Support Withdrawal (exclusive): Croats may enter Dalmatia
Odd number: half the groups are Partisan,
DIE STATUS halfChetnik
1-2 Pro-Axis Unnecessary if zone's Alignment Value is REPLACEM ENTS [13.0]
3-4 Neutral Neutral; create groups as though odd Axis (13.5)
5-6 Pro-Yugoslav number had been rolled
1Serbian and 2 Croat units per Game-Turn
Between Allied Withdrawallinclusive) All fractions are rounded up in favor after Game-Turns 2 and 3, respect ively.
and the end of the game: of Par tisan
Yugoslav (13.4)
DIE STATUS GUERRILLA BRIGADES Determined by die roll(s) (13.63, 13.64)
1-2 Pro-Axis AND DIVISIONS [7.8] Partisan: Game-Turns 2 to 17 , in Bosnia,
3-6 Disband Units N""dBd Lowe, Unit Croatia, Serbia, Dalmatia, and!or
To Build on Map ~quiv8ltint Slovenia Hideaway circle
7+ Defect
Chetnik guerrilla 25 groups 3 groups Chetnik (Pro-Yugoslav): Game-Turns 2
Die roll modifiers (cumulative): bde(s) to 8, in Serbia andlor Montenegro
+ 1 if Chetllik ullit is Pro-Yugoslav Partisan bde(s)* 30 groups 3 groups Hideaway circle
+ 1 if Italiall Surrellder has occurred Partisan div(s)" 25 bdes 6 groups!
+ 1 if Allied Support Withdrawal has occurred 2 bdes
-1 if Chetllik ullit is Pro-Axis "First such unit must be created in the same VICTORY POINTS [14.01
- 1 if Tito has been eliminated location as Tito; none may be built when T ito Gains (14.2)
B. ~lIied Support Withdrawal is off the map. Note: No brigade or division Objective Display: as per map
may be built in a Hideaway circle. Monntain triangle: \4 of Yugoslav Strength
GAMETURN PROYUGOSLAV CHETNIKS ON MAP
ANTIGUERRILLA OPERATION Points, bUl 110 more than the number of
9 Less than 20 percent
Yugoslav unitsin triangle
10 Less than 40 percent DISPLAV [8.47A1
Untransferred German Units: 5 VP's per
11 Less than 60 percent This is a new graphic aid enabling the Axis unit per turn
12 Less than 80 pcrcelll player to see at a glance how his AGO units are
available for garrison duty. Units allocated to losses (14.31
13 ASW occurs automatically an AGO are placed in a numbered box during 25 on turn Tito is eliminated
GUERRILLA REI NFORCEMENTS [7.41 the AGO Planning Segment (8.42) and placed 5 on each turn Tilo is off the map after
on the map in the Deployment Segment (8.44). Game-Turn J
For Objective Display:
Boxes are numbered for a player's convenience 5 per turn if no Chetnik guerrillas are 011 thc
Die roll x Recruitment Value only; operations may be conducted in any se- [he map prior to Allied Support Withdrawal
No more reinforcing groups than Yugoslav quence the Axis player wishes. After the AGO
15 per turn if no Chetnik unils are on the
Strength Points in [he Display Combat Segment (8.45), units are placed in the
the map prior to Allied Support Withdrawal
Halved by:* box corresponding to the Occupation Zone lO
which they will be returned during the 25 per turn if no Partisan units are on
I. Winter in a Village the map
Redcploymem Segment (S.47).
2. Drought in a Market Town 5 for each optional Soviet reinforcement
3. Opposite Alignment Value of zone ullit used on Game-Turn 15
4. Tito's ab~ence from map (Par tisan only) 20 for each Soviet or Bulgarian unit on the
*More than one halving cancels any 1 2 Bos map on Game-Turns 16and 17
reinforcements.
For Mountain Triangle;
V. of Strength Points in Display Serb Istr Slav EVENTS TRIGGERED BY YUGOSLAV
BRIGADE STRENGTH OF
No more reinforcing groups than Yugoslav 45 VICTORY POINTS [14.4]
units in Triangle
Halved by:" German movement restriClion> eased
Cro Mont Dalm (6.64A)
I. Winter
It.alians may participate in Anti-Gue'rrilla
2. Opposite Alignment Value of zone
Operations in Serbia and Bosnia (6.64B)
3. T ito's absence from map (Partisan only)
lsi Alb Mac Bulgarian reinforcements to Serbia (6.64C)
"More than one halving cancels any
Axis pla yer may start trying to identify
re inforcemencs. Tito (9.4)

[conlinuedfrum page 5/
mountaineers of Montenegro will revolt 830;0
of the time unless six Axis divisions are on
garrison duty there. In a pinch, the Axis
player may strip more docile zones of gar-
rison troops in the hope that an uprising will
not occur. The chance of uprisings in
Dalmatia and Albania is 50-50; there were
not too many hiding places along the
beautiful Adriatic coast, and the pre-war
population of all Albania was only four times
that of Belgrade.
Strategy
So far we have reversed the usual order
and discussed tactics before strategy. This is
because many of the game's concepts are
original and require amplification.
Strategically, the Yugoslav player must
choose between making an early rush for vic-
tory points and amassing strength patiently
and methodically. Either course will provoke
the Axis into a violent reaction, so it would
behoove the guerrillas to be as strong as
possible when the reaction comes.
When the Yugoslav player achieves 45
victory points or reaches brigade strength,
the Axis player has greater latitude in move-
ment and Anti-Guerrilla Operations, gets
more reinforcements, and may start his hunt
for Tito. Tito, represented by a counter,
shifts combat odds one level iri favor of Par-
tis an units with which he is stacked, and
generates reinforcements on his own. He is
most charismatic in his native Croatia, where
he raises three groups per turn. He may be
eliminated or driven from the map for a vary-
ing period of time, and he first must be iden-
tified and located. The hunt for Tito may
consume several turns, and may never be
crowned with success.
Early in the game, the Yugoslav player
should concentrate his forces for mutual pro-
tection in the mountains, where victory
points and new units can be obtained
gradually. Keeping an eye out for Anti-
Guerrilla Operations, Tito should move as
soon as possible with his main force from
Serbia to Croatia. Units created by uprisings
in other zones also should be routed to
Croatia. During early turns, the Axis will be
about a half dozen divisions short of fully
garrisoning the whole country, so uprisings
will probably occur. An early drive for vic-
tory points will spread the guerrillas thin
when their units are weakest. If he fears Anti-
Guerrilla Operations by the Italians in
Croatia, the Yugoslav player may try to ex-
ploit Axis movement restrictions by a quick
thrust into Bosnia or back into Serbia, where
the Germans will be hard-pressed to cover all
objectives. However, he will taking a big
chance in doing so.
The early appearance of Croat units,
equal to six divisions, presents the Yugoslav
player with a problem and an opportunity.
The Croats, weak in combat strength, free
stronger German and Italian units for offen-
sive action, but they also present targets for
selective attacks. The trick for the Yugoslav
player is to hit the Croats and survive a
counterattack. He may have to wait several
turns before being able to do that.
Toward the halfway point in the game,
almost imperceptibly, the Axis will pass to
the strategic defensive. Though the guerrillas
may be in no more than moderate brigade
strength, the important thing for the Axis
player is to sense that this turning point has
occurred and to change his tactics according-
ly. Early in the game, he can afford offensive
action against exposed guerrilla units. But by
mid-game, the guerrillas should be firmly
established in Croatia. A few turns more and
they will be ready to strike at a wide array of
objectives in division strength.
The Axis player should then try to fence
them in by occupying key objectives, and
should refrain from making attacks which
would unbalance his forces. He should try to
keep the Yugoslav victory point total as low
as possible for as long as possible.
A handy rule of thumb: Assuming that
Tito is supporting a Partisan attack at max-
imum brigade strength (56 Strength Points),
19 Axis Strength Points are sufficient to keep
the odds at 3-to-l, for a 500;0 chance of repel-
ling the assault. Without Tito, o,ijly 15 points
are needed. Against maximum division
strength (84 points), 29 defense points are re-
quired with Tito present and 22 with him ab-
sent. But alas, like Zorro, Tito is everywhere,
and he is nowhere.
Setbacks and Exploitation
A number of outside events - the sur-
render of Italy, defection of Bulgaria, and
entry of strong Soviet units - eventually will
hand the tactical initiative to the Yugoslav
Player. Except for Italian surrender, which
can come later than it did historically, these
events are predictable, just as they were ap-
parent to both sides during the war.
But although the disappearance of the
Italians and Bulgarians leaves gaping holes in
the Axis defense, the Yugoslav Player must
maneuver skillfully to fully exploit the
situation.
Italian surrender triggers a wide-open
special movement phase in which the heavily
reinforced Germans may attempt to disarm
the Italians, and the Partisans try to build
brigades from defecting Italian divisions.
Both Players must weigh the advantages of
reaching the Italians versus occupying key
objectives which may be left unguarded in
the stampede. For both, this means planning
moves a turn in advance of anticipated
Italian surrender.
Certain events in the Mediterranean
trigger pullbacks and withdrawals of Italian
units, and eventual surrender of the entire
22-division occupation force. The events are
abstracted on an Allied P rogress Track, and
there is a chance that some of them may go
against the Allies, thereby delaying Italy's ex-
it from the war. The events include key bat-
tles in North Africa and the Sicily landings.
Late game-turns should witness a rapid
escalation of Yugoslav victory points. But
not all should be lost for the Axis Player. If
he can keep some zones out of Partisan
hands, he might yet strike a blow for the
postwar Western world and salvage a victory
inthegame.
7
For example, the victory points which
the Partisans do not get if they fail to take
Istria reflect the possibility that the entire
area might be ceded to Italy after the war.
Historically, Yugoslavia got only half the
province, and that only after years of post-
war diplomatic wrangling; they never did
take Trieste, the Istrian capital. Moreover,
Stalin and Churchill unofficially had agreed
on an East-West partition of postwar Yugo-
slavia (interestingly, Tito was to have gotten
the western half and the Serbian monarchists
the eastern). But the Partisans' resounding
success frustrated that arrangement.
Therefore, the Yugoslav Player must be
in a position to quickly reinforce in strength
the huge territorial gains the Soviets and
Bulgarians will make on his behalf in Serbia
and Macedonia on Game-Turn 15. This may
mean leaving a big chunk of Yugoslavia thin-
ly occupied by guerrillas late in the game - a
risky step because by this time the reorganiz-
ed Croat army may have up to 17 divisions on
the map.
But neither can the Yugoslav Player risk
having his Allies overstay their welcome. If
the Soviets andlor Bulgarians remain on the
map for more than one turn, the Yugoslav
Player loses 20 victory points for each such
unit. In the case of the Soviets, this is a reflec-
tion that a too heavy reliance on Soviet aid
would mean that Stalin, not Tito, would be
calling the shots in post-war Yugoslavia. A
continued Bulgarian presence could rein-
force Sofia's historical claim to Yugoslavian
Macedonia.
By piling up di visions in Belgrade -late in
the game, the Axis Player can make the
Yugoslav capital impregnable to anything
but the bubonic plague and the Pittsburgh
Steelers. But this would be done at the ex-
pense of objectives elsewhere.
Conclusions
All told, I must admit immodestly that I
am satisfied with the way Tito turned out.
Both the game developer and I agree that the
major drawback, as revealed in late
play testing, was in play balance. The game
was too historically accurate; it always seem-
ed to end in a smashing Partisan victory no
matter what the Axis did. Most of the
changes in the addenda accompanying this
article are designed to correct that im-
balance. The revised victory conditions (rais-
ing each level of victory by 100 points) give
the Axis Player adequate reward for keeping
key areas out of Partisan hands, something
the Axis failed to do historically.
My only other cavil is about the amount
of die-rolling and mental gymnastics involv-
ed in computing guerrilla reinforcements.
My original design gave a fixed amount of
Partisan and Chetnik reinforcements for any
given objective. This was changed in favor of
a variable amount dictated by a die roll. The
reinforcements generated by upnsmgs
originally were to have been handled by a
table, but lack of space did in that idea.
Finally, I would like to offer my sincere
thanks to Joe Balkoski for his developmental
efforts and for his preparation of as clear and
[conlinued on pagd .I}
8
REVIEW & CRITICISM
C'EST LA GUERRE
A Survey of Napoleonic Games, Part I
by Ian Chadwick
Even t hough Napoleonic games are not the
most popular of historical game groups,
t here are a t errific number of such games in
print. Simulation designers are just suckers
for t he perio d - old Nappy B did arrange
some extremely gameable battles against all
sorts of colorfu I opponents, So prolific are
the desig ners an d so persevering is our
reviewer tha t we must clip t he survey into
two parts lest it dominate our magazine,
Now, if we do a game on t he Old Guard in
Texas captained by a rescued Boney, maybe
we can capture t he SF crowd for t he
Emperor. N'cestpas? -RAS
The campaigns and bailles of Na poleon
Bonaparte place a close second in popularity
(0 East Front World War II games in t he war-
game market . The bal tie of Waterloo was the
subject of one of the first simularions
published (Avalon Hill. 1962) , and it seems
to have become compulsory now for every
wmpany to produce at least one game on the
subject to qualify in the industry as a
"regular." Eight of the games revie wed here
dea l with Warerloo alone, and Ot hers have
scenarios covering that battle. This ubiqui ty
attests either (0 the incredible popularity of
the battle or (0 the intense desire to produce
the definitive Waterloo game. Whether or
not the latter has been accomplished has no t
stopped new companies from reill1erpreting
and redesigning the game for what appears (0
be an all-consuming markel willing to pur-
(; hase their games.
The campaigns of Napoleon often offer
superb simulation possibilities - balanced
forces, mobility, combined arms - demand-
ing situations that force players ,to be con-
stantly alert and bold while testing their abili-
ty to act and react swift ly and decisively. The
romance of Napoleon and the "what-if"
possibilities attract wargamers 10 Ihe
Napoleonic fold; the romance is enhan(;ed
not only by the almost mythical character of
Bonaparte, but by the age itself. Nevel' again
would the world see such flamboyant
leaders, the royal tTappings of soldier-kings,
and massed cavalry charges, the intricate for-
mations, the derring-do of Imperial Guards-
men, the loyalty, the honour and glamour of
the era. The nineteent h century would see the
world mechani ze and mobilize far too rapid-
ly to make war any thi ng but a desperate,
bloody necessity.
By N apoleon's time, warfare has evolv-
ed arigid, almost vertebrate formality. The
parade-ground precision which so delighted
F rederick the Great was considered the
penultimate in efficiency by almost all con -
remporary commanders. Warfare had been
reduced to a science by its many iheorists. It
was into this sterile, uncompromis i n~ land-
s(;ape that the ragged armies of the Revolu -
tion swept and grew to change forever the
fa~e of old, dynastic Europe.
Mythmakers to the contrary, Napoleon
was not a genius of military theory. He did
not revolutionize warfare, but merely took
best advantage of its current shortcomings.
He was t he grea t opportunist, utilizing speed
and aggression to achieve surprise and gain
rhe initiative against h is foes. Napoleon was
onlv too readv to use his reputation to
dis;upt and de~oralize his enemies and cause
them endless apprehension at his smallest
movements. They themselves were quite
prepared to be dazzled and overwhelmed by
his mythi~al image. Yet not a ll were fooled,
and after years of being ou tma neuvered and
ou tfought, some of Napo leon's opponents
began to understand the namI'e of their
defeats. They began 10 institute organiza-
tional reforms which, combined with
Bonaparte's own steady decay, led ineviTably
to \Vater loo and St. H elena.
Napoleon was, however, a generally
superior 5t ra tegis t and spent considerable
time and effort in co-ordinating his troops to
meel strategic goals. He was also far more
capable than his (;ontemporaries in the
wielding of large numbers of troops, a talent
which did not rub off on his own marshals.
But Napoleon ignored the finer details of
small unit tactics and, as a resul t , fared worse
, in set-piece battles than in his lightning at-
tacks and disrup tive skirmishes, It was not
until his final years in exile t hat he recogni led
the superiority of a double over a triple lin!;
formation, and he never used il in bat tie. It is
difficult to portray t he very real a nd impor-
tant role each commander has on his Iroops
and on the outcome of !;ach battle. Pelly
rivalries, suicidal bravado, poor judgement,
oc(;asional genius, lj,nd even mi nor illness had
significant effects on the command abilities of
the leaders and thus on the performance of
their troops. No mere quantification of
abilities'can hope to portray the complex Tac-
tors of leadership. Some interesting
"chrome" rules have tried to capture the dif-
ferences between commanders and their
capabilities (for example, OSG's Leipzig
shows Napoleon yet in bed), but none has yet
fully de veloped the spectrum of individuality
that existed.
Designers, blessed with 20120 hindsig ht ,
have been able to offer players a great dea l
more intelligence about their opponents'
forces and movemenl than Ihe actual com-
manders had. P layers are not hampered by
the guesswork bluff a nd blindness that con-
fron ted the leaders then. And despite
Bonaparte's semaphore network or th!;
system of scouts and spies, the speed of in-
formation was only as fast as a horse could
ride. The almost total intelligence available
to the players is perhaps the biggest criticism
I have of these games, but it is almost un-
avoidab le given th!;ir framework.
There st ill remain many balll.es and cam-
paigns to design into games and many to re-
do ac(;()rding to slate-of-th!;-art standards.
The bloody y!;ars in Spain have been only
lightly dealt wit h, and to date no one has pro-
duced a game for the Egypt ian campaigns.
Many of the European battles have been
reproduced poorly in one scale when anot her
might do them JUSt ice, and some have yet to
see the light of day in the marketplace. Buffs
shou ld have many years of games yei to
come!
Purely for convenient comparison, the
reviews have been organized into categories
depending on the scale of operations,
although in some cases arguments can be
made that a game belongs elsewhere. Two
games whi(;h deal with the Napoleonic era
arc not reviewed here: Frigate (SPI) and
Wooden Ships and Iron Men (AH). Both are
naval games and have little to do wit h
Napoleon outside of their historical dating.
Napoleon ignored t he navy, to his regret , and
very fe,v naval engagements had any signifi-
cant effect on his strategy or campaigns
(Trafalgar was a disaster, admiltedly, but
Napoleon managed to ig nore il preily much
as well).
GO\-\' has produced two games systems
which usc miniatures rules to simulate tac-
tical battles of the period: Fire and Steel and .
the shorter, cleaner version, which is more
well-knovm, Syslem Seven. This is an ex-
celleni system, bUT musl be considered as a
miniatures, not a board, game framework. A
fine collection of cardboard counters is
available from GDW to represent the many
nationalities and their ever (;hariging armies
for use with the game system. System Seven
is very playable and enjoyable as we!l as be-
ing an excellent introduction to miniatures
without the expense or the usual effort.
Games have been rated by playability!
historical accuracy! component q uali ty.

Strategic Games. These are the games
which cover an entire campaign or greater,
concentrating on the more general aspects of
strategy. The first such game was SPI's Leip-
zig (1971) which covered the spring and sum-
mer campaigns in Europe, 1813. It was a
landmark game and one which inlroduced to
the field a lot of new concept s, such as unit
breakdowns, leader combat bonus, and a
host of what-if scenarios . It was, however,
no great shakes in the gra phics field. It
crealed a standard of rules which would laler
be followed in 1812, La Grande Armee, and
other games. It has gone out of prin t, bu t is
still remembered by many as a good game .
So rar, only TWO attempts have been
made to simulate Ihe entire period of
Napoleon's ascendancy (or at least the ma-
jority of it): Le Grand Empire and War and
Peace. Both fail in their attempts for dif-
ferent reasons, but one common problem is
the scale which, in both cases, restricts more
than defines.
Little has been done on the .\Irategic
"level in this era, and it is an unfortunate lack-
ing. There arc many campaigns that could be
well portrayed in a large scale. OSG has I:ap-
lUred a fair amount of realism in their opera-
tional level games, but that scale is tO O small
to show the entit'e Russian army or the
Spanish wars, unless one has unlimited room
for the number of maps such an undertaking
would entail.
A major drawback with strategic games
is th at they must ignore any tactical finery
and concentrate on the larger objectives. The
use of t he tactical matrix in War and Peace
is an attempt to impart a multi-levelled
flavour to the strategic game, but it fails to
live up'to the intent.
The stratcgic scale is best suit ed to show
the flow of campaigns, to preselll the conflic-
ting and shifting po litical alliances, and to
convey the often overlooked nature of the
Napoleonic campaigning: weeks of long
marches puncluated by short, often in-
decisive bal t les. Perhaps d esig ners will return
10 this scale and preselll us with m:w or up-
dated games to Covel' the larger s<.:ope of
operations.
Operational Games. These are the
games which simulate either parts of a larger
I:ampaign or the entire campaign, but focus
I heir attention more closely than the strategic
games on logistic and operational functions.
The di vid ing line between these and strategic
games is so mewhat vague at times, especiall;.'
when examining OSG's line. Avalon Hill's
War and Peace uses many rules which are
operational by definition , but its sca le is
definitely strategic GDW 's 1815 is
somewhat anomol ous here since ils rules lean
heavily on tactical play but the scope is
operational.
OSG's series represents a new and
refreshing advance into the Napoleonic field.
The system they preselll is an excellent forum
for reproducing the wars of the era and for
limiting the intelligence of the players as to
the enemy's forces . They promise a serie~ of
games on the Napoleonic wars, but they
might prove overly ambitious if they altempt
9
to present the entire Russian or Spanish cam-
paign, for example, in this scale. Their games REVIEWS
are quite good and very playable. Particular-
ly recommended is Napoleon at Bay, which SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.); RGA
allows the players a great deal of mobility (Rand Game Associates); MGP (Mornings ide
Game Project); SC (Simulations Canada); AH
while demanding swift, decisive action and
(Avalon Hill); GTG (Gamma Two Game,);
reaction. Unfortunately, both attempts to GDW (Game Designers' Workshop); aSG
present a mini-game using this system ha ve (Operational Studies Group) .
resulted in games which cannot qualify in the
same league as their larger cOllsins . Arcola
and Battles of the Hundred Days are slow,
STRATEGIC G.AMES
unimpressive games whose maps limit move- 1812 (SPI, 1970)
ment and mobility without offering any in- Design: Phil Orbanes and John Young
crease in playability. Better to stick to the
larger games they produce. STRATEGIC GAME
Tactical Games. Each of these games 8 pages of rules, 240 counters, one 28" x 23"
deals with a specific baltie, and t hey often in- unm ou nted map, boxed us one game" 48
volve unit formations, ranged artillery, and km/inch, 15 days/turn. Counters are corps
and multiples of corps. BI B/C
similar rules to simulate small unit tactics and
detailed combat. The more the game focuses This is Ihe area movement version of
on the smaller units, the more complex it the 1812 campaign, boxed with the hex-
becomes. The most complex and demanding grid version. The map is divided into
of the Napoleonic games are to be found here areas roughly equivalent to provinces,
- from Wellington's Victory to the new and further divided into movement areas.
enrries from Yaquinto Games. The map is coloured as if to prove the
One can derive a rather serious four colour map theorem, covering from
misintcrpretation of the era by concentrating Prussia to Moscow, SI. Petersburg to the
only on lactical games. It has been pOillied Ukraine.
out that Napoleon could ha ve won at
Waterloo, but what are not portrayed in the
tactical game are t he advancing armies of
Russia and Austria. ViclOry may well have
been short-lived if Bonaparte had won his
last bailie .
Tactical games, perhaps betler than any
OTher scale, succeed in simulaTing th e com-
plexities of Napolevnic warfare. Obviousl y,
the st rategic and operalional COlicerns are ig-
nored at [hi s scale, but the tactiml simulation
is usually more realist ie t han its companions
in larger scales. These are also some of the
earliest wa rg ames , and herein lies the grand-
fathcr of t he popular sys tem, Napoleon at
Waterloo (SPI).
The folio games have proven highl y
popular in thc markctplace. They sacrifice
history for playability, dcfining themselves
best as " game" rarher than "realistic"
simulations. Artificial restraints, rules exccp-
tions, and fudging of OB'.'i al"e often madc to
force the ga mes to cling to particular ve rsion
Counters may be exchanged for
of history and at least reflect the historical
larger or smaller sizes like mon ey. The
out<.:ome, ~ven if they do not provide the
supply status of an area is depleted 1001)"10
means [0 achieve it. In the NAW system,
or 50070 or un depleted as shown by a
l'avalry acts merely a~ swift infan tr y (with
counter in the prov ince. The 22 turns
some notable exceptions, such as Austerlitz)
cover the campaign from late June to la te
and artillery has no limbered or unlimbered
December. Victory is determined by point
status. One must accept the simplil:ity in ex-
levels, which depend on I:Ombal (plus one
change for a highly playable game.
The NAW system and its satellite games for a French win, minus one for a loss) or
the elimination of the Napoleon counter
are one level of tactical game. The other is
(minu~ five). Two scenarios cover parrs of
(he super-Iact ical, as seen in Wellington's
the campaign, One the entirc six months.
Victory. I n these garnes, great detail is taken
Rules cover fortresses, leaders, sup-
inro account in the rules and players must ab-
a
sor b lot of rules to be able to play properly. ply and area depletion, a tactical combat
matrix, forced march, and .attrition. The
However, di rficult as these games are, they
are usually very rewarding, albeit long. Once game is a combination of a number of
contemporary game ideas, but only
the mass of rules is conquered, these games
often prove surprisingly playable . moderalely successful at combining them.
The area move ment game is, however, the
Thi> article deal> wilh Strategic and Operational more enjoyable of the two - it is easier
games 011 the following pages. Tactical games will and faster t a play, ali hough it is lac king in
be covered in MOVES 53. historical t1avour.
10
Combat is interestingly handled in
(his game. Both retreat and combat ancl
post-combat pursuit are involved. plu;
the multi-optioned tactical matrix. It is by
far the core of the game. The CRT has an
annoying percentage matrix which
detracts from an otherwise enjoyable
system. Supply is critical in this game,
particularly to the French. Attrition alone
does enough damage to army coherence,
but depletion of supply not only
eliminates units, but hampers and chan-
nels movement around depleted areas. In
both games, the Russians can engage in a
"scorched earth" policy to destroy supply
potential for the French. The French have
few precious depot units to assist their ad-
vance, but in the latter part of the game,
few if any remain. Supply does not affect
combat.
This is a good game, if not par-
ticularly memorable. Play is not difficult,
but the campaign game is rather long. It is
easy to determine the eventual outcome
earlier than the actual end, however, by
judging t he state of the French army.
HEX (TACTICAl) GAME
12 pages of rules, 160 counters, one 34" x 22"
map, one 120" x 60" add-on map, both un-
moun/ed. Boxed WiTh STraTegic game. 25
km/hex, 10 days/fum, division and corps
size coun/ers. B/B/C
This is the same campaign as covered
in the area version, but with more tradi-
tional game functions and greater depth
(including correspondingly greater com-
plexity). Rules cover similar areas as
above - forced march, leaders and sup-
ply, attrition, retreat before combat,
automat'ic elimination, fortresses - but
[here is also disruption, zones of control
(10 [al for (;U valry, partial for infant ry),
and French political losses.
Victory in the game is again based
upon a point structure, depending on
French control of fortresses and major
cities, as well as the elimination of
Napoleon. The three scenarios are similar
to the three in the area game, covering
campaign and t\""O mid-campaign situa-
tions. Should the French not achieve the
points any turn as shown on the 1urn
chart, they must remove one corps. This
definitely puts the onus on the French to
attack certain targets and make the points
swiftly and wit h lillle loss.
This is a tough, bloody game. If the
French can catch the Russian, he can
usually beat him by combat alone. The
Russian, however, can easily avoid direct
combat against strong French troops ear-
ly in the game. Instead, he stays ahead of
the advancing French Army and depletes
the areas, forcing the French to expend
depot units. Supply is difficult at best,
and often causes more losses t han com-
bat, but supply does not affect combat
per se.
All attacking units mUSl attack a
defender from only one hex; units in dif-
ferent hexes may not attack together.
Stacking is unlimited for combat, so it
does not mean only a very few units may
ever attack at one time. Units may only
stack for purposes of combat, however,
so you have thinly spread armies which
consolidate only for battles - a nice
touch which adds historical colour to the
game. It also costs an extra movement
point to unstack.
Units retreating before combat are
disrupted, which disallows both move-
ment and attack (they defend normally).
A unit disrupted twice is eliminated.
Leaders add d",fensive or offensive
bonuses.
This is a long, slow game, difficult
for the French to win in the long run.
Despite this, it is highly playable and gives
a fine insight into the campaign and the
reasons for Napoleon's defeat. Similar to
the area version, the game is usually
decided long before the actual end of the
game. The French player must move fast
and decisively, but be careful of his unit
density. A few Russian units in the wings
can easily slip behind the lines to isolate
the bulk of the French army and destroy
weak units and supply depots.
This is a game worth a few playings,
although the length may discourage a few
who like to see fast games. Still, it gives an
adequate appreciation of the campaign .
LA GRANDE ARMEE
(SPI,1972)
Design: John Young
10 pages of rules, plus charts, 400 Coullters,
one 28" x 22" unmounled map, boxed.
15 km/hex, 10 days/turn. Army /0 brigade
size counters. B + IBI B-
Subtitled "The Campaigns of
Napoleon in Ccntral Europe 1805-\809,"
this game has three scenarios (1805, 1806,
and 1809) to examine the 5t rategic nature
of Napoleonic campaigning. Basically,
the game derives its system from [he
carlier Leipzig (SPI) and it also bears a
strong resemblance to designer John
Young's 18 I 2 (SP I). The coun ters are well
enough designed, but the map is old and
drab by today's stundards.
Many of t hc rules are familiar to
Napoleonic games: forced march, for-
tresses, supply. In combat, all attacking
units must be in the same hex, but a
defending hex may be attacked any
number of times. Units pay to enter and
leave hexes occupied by other friendly
units. Forced march and retreat before
combat cause disruption. Supply units are
expended by combat, and depot units
may create supply units if they do not
move that turn. Units may only stack if
they will be combined into a single unit or
a supply unit is expended for stacking.
Leaders add bonus points to combat,
which differ for offense and defence.
The most interesting rule is the onc
covering unit breakdown. Armies break
down into corps, corps into divisions or
brigades, in quant ities that depend on the
nationality and the year. Smaller units are
weaker, but faster, than larger units. This
allows, aside from greater mobility and
line formation, more objective hexes to be
held. When and where to break down or
combine units is a central themc in the
play 0 f the game.
Victory points are accrued for con-
trol of specific cities or fortresses. The
onus is definitely on the French to attain
the objectives, attacking out from France
into Central Europe. The game is always
nuid and interesting. The French have a
more serious supply problem, which
hampers their advance, severely at times.
Also, in thc 1805 scenario, the French
must be careful not to activate the Pms-
sians and drag them into war.
Pressure i5 always on [he French, but
his superior army and greater mobility
(not to ment ion t he questionable benefit
of central p'osition) can be wiclded to win
games. Not to be so cocksure, this is a
relatively easy game t.O learn, but a more
difficult one to master. The key is not so
much combat and the vertebrate structure
of lines and locking ZOC's, but
maneuver, and the careful use of forced
march. Mountain passes tend to funnel
movement, so they are crucial and should
be captured early to assure safe advance
and retreat. Fortresses may be taken by
combat, or besieged (a costly process),
but they also play an important role in the
game for defense and supply.
This game should be in every
Napoleonic buff's collection. It may lack
in graphics, but it offers an insight into
the tactics and strategy of Napoleonic
campaigns and maneuvcr. Still highly
playable after all these years.
NAPOLEON'S LAST
CAMPAIGNS (RGA,1974)
Design: No credit given
6 pages of rules, 72 counters, one 24" x 17"
unmounled map, boxed with eight other
games. 10 km/hex, no lime scale given.
Corps size uni/.). C/C/C
Mercifully out of print, this game of
the Napoleonic campaigns of 1814 and
1815 is suitable only as a collector's item,
albeit ari unplayable one.

The map is divided into areas, and
units move only to adjacent areas unless
they force march (only the French may do
so). The rule for movement into forests
defies logic and makes for sloppy play (at
best). Combat is resolved by first selecting
tactical cards, modifying for leaders, then
consulting two of the most arcane and oc-
cult tables ever seen. It is a wargamer's
nightmare to dive into the Stygian depths
of those tables so, as a result, combat is
usually avoided. Victory for both (!?)
scenarios revolves around the Allies cap-
turing Paris and driving the French back
into France. Other rules torture supply,
replacements, and fortresses with equal
obfuscation.
Given the unlovely map, the short
bUI confusing rules, the lack of standard
symbols on the counters, and the mher-
wise shoddy production, one can only
hope that no one elects to resurrect this
game from its well deserved obscurity.
WELLINGTON
IN THE PENINSULA
(MGP, 1975)
Design: Vincent Cumbo, Albert Nofi,
John Prados
16 pages oj rules, 200 counrers, one
129" x 23" unmounled map, boxed. No
distance scale given, 30 days/turn. No unit
size or scale.
Using an area map-rather than hexes,
the game covers the campaigns in the
Iberian Peninsula in ten scenarios. NO!
even state-of-the-art in its day, the game
graphics and counters are drab and col-
ourless. This is unfortunate, because the
game plays well and can be enjoyed for ils
play otherwise.
Rules cover unit denominations
(SP's can be broken down like change),
forced march, sea movement, retreat
before combat, supply, attrition, for-
tifications, sieges, and a host of special
rules for each nationality which add col-
our and chrome to the game without clut-
tering it up. Leaders are optional and are
recommended for the scenarios, but not
for the campaign game.
Although I disagree with the ra-
tionale for using an area as opposed to a
hex grid, the area map proves quite
playable here. In all, the game plays
quickly and smoothly. There are two
levels of victory in the scenarios (plus a
third in the campaign game) depending on
control of areas or cities. The special rules
for each army keep players busy trying to
achieve their goals with different and dif-
fering forces - a definite plus in the
game. Fortifications may be besieged or
stormed, which can prove costly to both
sides.
Leaders are treated nicely in the
game and should be in the mandat ory, not
optional, rules. They affect supply, for-
tifications, Spanish command control,
and add to or subtract from percentages
of their force in combat, rather than of-
fering a constant amount.
This is a simple, not simplistic game.
It captures much of the period's flavour,
even if combat does not reflect
Napoleonic principles. It would not hurt
at all to re-do this game. Upgraded
graphics and some rules refinement could
turn this into a popular game, and there
are few enough games about this theatre
of war as it is.
LE GRAND EMPIRE
(SC,1978)
Design: Stephen Newberg
12 pages oj rules, 255 counters, one 28" x 23"
unmounled map, ziplock bag. 175 km/hex,
1 year/turn. Counters are armies and Jleets.
CICIO
This is an allempt to cover the entire
scope of the Napoleonic wars from 1795
to 1815 on a map from Spain to India,
Scandinavia to North Africa. The
silhouette and marker counters are
variously coloured, including dark blue,
purpie, and green which are very difficult
to read. The map is done in shades of
green, yellow, white, and blue in an unap-
pealing combination.
Rules cover major powers and
neutrals, the two leaders Napoleon and
Nelson, ' same hex combat, and varying
movement factors for the armies. The
ability of a counlry to at lack is limited by
the year's quota on the reinforcement-
time track. Stacking and movemenl rules
pay little attention to reality; it is impossi-
ble for an army in Prussia to march to
Moscow and back in less than three years!
The game is easy to play, but the extreme
simplicity avoids the strategic complex-
ities of Napoleonic maneuver.
There is only one scenario: (he cam-
paign game, whose opening set-up is
poorly explained in the rules. Victory is
assessed by control of London, Paris,
Moscow, Alexandria, and Berlin, and a
French victory is almost impossible to
achieve. The lack of short scenarios ig-
nores the true nature of t he era, which
was marked by intense campaigns
separated by long periods of inactivity.
Also, the changing economic and political
face of Europe is not a factor, nor is the
evolution of the various armies. You are
instead given a rigid system for neutrals
and alliances. What you have is France's
Revolutionary Army attempting to con-
quer Europe. While the early game may
bear some vague historical likeness, it
degenerates into a mid- and endgame far
removed from Napoleonic aims and war-
fare. Interesting, however, is the a.bility of
the French to launch an invasion inio
Great Britain.
While one can applaud the effort in-
volved in such a grandiose undertaking,
the game does not live up to the designer's
objectives, let alone a historical veracity.
Instead of a NapoleQnic game, it plays
more like a slow Bli1zkrieg. The game fails
both as a simulation and as a game - a
sad product from an otherwise good pro-
ducer.
11
WAR AND PEACE (AH, 1980)
Design: Mark McLaughlin
Development: Frank Davis
28 pages oj rules, 1040 counters, Jour
11" x J6" mounted maps, boxed.
40 miles/hex, 1 month/turn, ca. 5,000 men
or 6 vessels(Slrenglh point. BIC -/C
War and Peace simulates the wars of
the Napoleonic era from 1805 to 1815, on
maps stretching from Lisbon to Moscow,
and from London to' Florence. Nine
scenarios covering the major campaigns
are playable on one or two mapboards,
and one campaign scenario is playable on
all fouf. Counters are provided for all the
major and minor powers, including
France, Russia, Spain, Austria, Prussia,
and England.
Among the rules covered are leaders,
fortresses, entrenchments, sieges,
alliances, morale, overrun, forced march,
and attrition. Leaders affect combat,
which is a series of attrition rounds con-
tinued until either force is eliminated or
withdraws. By rights, this means that
most often t he larger force can hold out
longest, but the at trit ion rules force severe
penalties on overly large forces.
All units must attack from the same
hex on (he first round, but can be rein-
forced from different hexes in later
rounds. Combat resolution is affected by
leaders and morale. Units cannot move
without a leader, and forces controlled by
a leader are removed from the board so
only the leader(s) is in play. Supply is trac-
ed either from a supply source (a major ci-
ty) or a unit of the same colour already in
supply. This has the effect of simulating
fragile lines of communication and sup-
ply, but it also depletes a force by having
to leave a trail of units behind. CGmbined
with attrition, this is a severe penallY for
advancing armies. The supply depots and
wagons of t he era are not considered.
There is a distressing similarity
among armies of the different nations,
their leaders, and their supply require-
ments. The French, who enjoyed superior
supply and movement especially in the
early years, have no such advantage in'the
12
game. Nor can Napoleon control more
troops than any other leader, although he
adds a greater modification to the die roll
than other leaders. The lack of significant
difference among the armies generally
makes the game a contest not to deter-
mine the superior strategist, but to iden-
tify (he better dice roller.
The scenarios cover the many cam-
paigns well, although the lack of an earlier '
campaign scenario for northern Italy is
disappointing. The two scenarios cover-
ing t he Peninsular War are interesting and
enjoyable as well as being difficult con-
tests for the players. Victory conditions
are straightforward, although they
se,ldom reflect the actual historical situa
tions or necessities (they almost always
revolve around t he control of cities only).
As could be expected, the campaign
scenario begins well, but deteriorates into
a very unlikely situation early in the
game. It does bring in some nice rules 10
cover production, naval units, alliances,
and a few enjoyable optional rules.
The playaI' the game - despite the
optional tactical matrix - simulates little
of the feel for Napoleonic strategy and
tactics. The necessity of a vulnerable sup-
ply line gives an idea oft he di fficulties of
extended campaigning, but it would have
been better if depot counters had been
provided. The CRT works, but its ex-
treme simplicity (odds cover only I to I, 3
to 2, and 2 to I and up) does not allow any
real flexibility. The overall feel is one of
blandness; nowhere is felt the bitter COll-
test between radically different armies the
wars often were. The rather dull map and
counter .graphics do little to relieve this
sensation.
The game is not without its redeem
ing characteristics. The scenarios cover
ing the Spanish peninsu la are tough, en-
joyable games with a lot of colour in
them. The game just has no real
Napoleonic feel to it, and the numerous
dice rolls required detract from the inten-
sity of play. A little more attention to the
art and to the historical background
would have improved this game 1000"/0
but, as it is, the game has little to recom-
mend it or make it stand out in the crowd
of current wargames. A wit described it as
"Third Reich wi t hout I he excitemcn t."
OPERATIONAL GAMES
WATERLOO
(AH, 1962, rev. 1975)
Design: No credi t given
4 pages of rules, 170 counters, one 27" x 22"
mounted map, boxed. No distance scale given,
2 hourslrum. Division size units. B - ICI 0
The "classic" Waterloo game, cover-
ing the campaign from 16 to 20 June on a
map stretching from Charleroi to Wavre to
Waterloo. One of the earliest wargames, it
is a far cry from state-of-the-art, but so
many of us cut our teeth on it that we still
have space for it on our shelves.
As with many early wargames, the
map leaves much to be desired. It is mostly
empty white hexes (called "squares" in the
rules) with seemingly random splotches of
green forest, brown slopes, and wavering
blue rivers (whose meanderings are often a
point of contention in the game). Counters
are pastel shades of blue, lime green, and
pink. The rather bloody combat results
table can be found in almost every AH
game for their first ten or so years.
There is little historical accuracy in
either map set-up or counters. In play, this
was the first of many Waterloo games in
which opposing armies formed more or
less solid fronts across the board, quite
unlike the real battle and more WW2 than
Napoleonic. Units are only minimally dif-
ferentiated by function - cavalry is simply
fast infantry as far as the game goes.
Leaders are given only for "colour" -
they have no effect on play. French victory
is secured by eliminating all Allied units
from the board.
Despite its lack of realism, the boring
graphics, and the distance the game is
removed from reality, it is still a playable,
balanced game. It is hard to be seriously
angry at one of the grandfathers of modern
wargames. Too many hours were spent
joyfully pushing counters up the road
toward Brussels or defending bravely at
Ligny to find severe fault here. No matter
the age or the flaws, it is a good game to
pass on to the novice, and one which still
offers some pleasant playing nostalgia to
the old guard.
NAPOLEON
(AH, orig. GTG, 1974)
Design: T. Dagieish, L. Gutteridge,
R. Gibson
4 pages oj rules and historical article, 48
wooden blocks, one 17" x 22" mounred map.
No map scale given, 2V, turns/day. No unit
scale given. Ale - IB
That this is definitely a beer and
pretzels game should not make serious
gamers turn away and scoff at it. It. is
highly playable, fast, and fun, if not more
than passingly hist.orical.
Units are wooden blocks with
military symbols and markings to show
strength (from 2 to 4 spots on one side). A
unit's strength and type is always hidden
from the opponent until battle, and the
top marking is the current value. As the
unit loses strength, it is turned to re-orient
a lesser strength marking at the top of the
counter. Units move along major and
minor roads from town to town, cavalry
able to march further . and all units
capable of forced march with possible at-
trition. Play alternates between French
and Allied turns, with every third turn a
night turn that hampers movement and
combat. Combat is mandatory between
opponents in the same town. Battles con-
sist of arranging your units into three col-
umns and "firing" by rolling one die for
each strength marker currently displayed
on each unit. Hits occur when a six is roIl-
ed. There are modifications by unit type
and fonnation, with rout possible if one
entire column is eliminated from play.
The Allies (AnglO-Dutch and Prus-
sians) have a larger army, but are
hampered by a weak opening set-up and
the slow consolidation into a meaningful
force. The French may win by moving
quickly enough to defeat the separate and
smaller Allied forces before they can
unite, but a run of bad dice can spoil the
attempt. The French can seldom move
sufficient force to make the outcome that
definite or one that can survive battle at-
trition and remain formidable. Ultimate-
ly, victory consists of reducing one side's
army to about half strength before time
runs out ... and time is on the Allied side.
It is good for a few quick games, and
the outcome is hard to predict since the
dice play such a large part in combat. It is
a lot of fun to play every now and then,
though continuous play becomes tedious
and you ache for more substance. This is
by far the best of the three similar games
produced by Gamma Two and the most
balanced of the lot. It is a good way to
break reluctant friends into the hobby.
1815 THE WATERLOO
CAMPAIGN (GDW,1975)
Design: frank Chadwick
12 pages oj rules plus 6 pages oj charts, 230
counters, one 36" x 24" unmounted map,
zip/ock bag. 600 ydslhex, 2 hours/lurn.
Brigade and division size units. B/B/C
Li ke Friedland 1807, this game essen-
tially grew from the NA W system, adding
GDW's own touch to bring in chrome and
colour. The map covers roughly the same
area as AH's Waterloo and the entire
three days of campaigning, from the
french border to Waterloo. The counters
are colourful enough (there are ten colour
combinations!), but the map .is drab and
lifeless. The map does not resemble the
terrain except vaguely; it seems to conmct
with other sources as to geography.
Nonetheless, there are a lot of good
ideas and interesting rules in this game.
Each army has different stacking Iimita-

tions, and there is disruption when over-
s:acked. Artillery is limbered or
~jn!;mbered and can fire or move in a turn.
Cavalry is treated quite nicely; not only
do certain units possess shock points (as
do a few infantry units, by the way) which
modify the combat die roll, but attacking
cavalry suffer after a combat (attacking
or defending) of greater than 1:2 by being
put in a state inelegantly described as
"blown."
Step elimination allows armies to
maintain at least minimal cohesion, and
players need what help they can get
through the game's 49 turns. Weather is
rigid, unless you use the optional rules;
mud occurs when the chart says it does,
and movefflent grinds almost to a stand-
still. Other rules cover supply, night
turns, trenches, II corps delay, bombard-
ing artillery, and some optional rules in-
duding offboard movement, which
should beused.
Victory, like most of these games,
depends on the elimination of enemy
units and, for the French, exit toward
Brussels. No surprises here. There is only
one scenario, but it could have done with
shorter scenarios to cover different
aspects of the battle, similar to NLB. True
to most Waterloo games, the tendency is
for the Allies to form a solid line across
the board and retreat thus to Waterloo. I
liked this game when it came out, but it
was overshadowed by NLB the next year.
Too bad, because it has a lot to offer, and
even NLB could learn some lessons here.
The game is interesting, highly play-
able, but by no means outstanding. There
is some unusual and enjoyable treatment
bf unit functions, but the poor map quali-
ty detracts from the appreciation of the
finer elements. This game could well do
with a revision in the art shop at GDW,
which would then make it a considerably
, more enjoyable game. While it's there,
perhaps some work could be done on the
scenarios ....
NAPOLEON AT BAY
(TSG, 1978, later OSG)
Design: Kevin Zucker
20 pages oj roles plus 32 pages oj historical
narrative and scenario, 400 counters, two
34" x 22" unmounted maps, ziplock bag (se-
cond edition boxed). 3.2 km/hex, 2
days/turn. Divisional/corps size counters.
BIAIB
This was TSO's (later OSO) first
' foray into the field of NapoleOnic war-
fare. Its format sets the stage for later
games to follow; unnumbered, narrative
rules format, study folder, quality
counters and components ... unfortu-
nately the use of artwork throughout the
rules and study folders was dropped in
favour of a more condensed booklet.
The game deals with the two months
from late January to late March 1814,
when Napoleon fought a brilliant defense
of France against the encroaching Allies
after his defeat at Leipzig. Rather than
the major battles of his early career, this
campaign was a series of small
engagements, delaying actions and a back
and forth struggle against the ponderous
but advancing Allied tide. Although
heavily outnumbered, Napoleon held off
the Allies, even managing to counter-at-
tack locally, for two long months. It was
perhaps his finest campaign.
The game was a major breakthrough
in dealing with operational levels of
Napoleonic campaigns. The emphasis is
not on moving continuous lines or masses
of units, but on maneuvering small forces
commanded by leaders and their subor-
dinates. The ability to coordinate the
forces and maintain effective command
chains best will decide the usual winner.
A player's activities in the game
revolve around his centre of operations,
essentially supply and command hq. Each
turn a player begins the sequence of play
by consulting the administrative point
table to see what, if any,addition he gets
to a point pool. These points, which may
be accumulated, are the key to campaign-
ing. They are expended in order to move
(create movement commands), and to
determine the severity of march attrition.
If an army has a line of communications
open, it may create one movement com-
mand per admin point expended which
allows one force (i.e. all units subordinate
to one leader) to move. Without move-
ment commands, a force must attempt to
use the leader's initiative to move. Ex-
tended (separate from forced) march re-
quires another movement command to be
expended.
Combat units do not appear on the
board; instead, only leaders and com-
manders appear. Organizational displays
off board keep track of what units are in
command by whkh leaders. This
significantly reduces the intelligence
available to an opponent and adds an at-
mosphere of enjoyable suspense of the
game. Combat is mandatory between
forces in mutual ZOC's, so you get to
witness strength of forces at this point in
the game. This leads to the realistic tactic
of sending small forces to engage the
enemy forces and learn their composition.
Units in different forces may not
combine in an attack, although they may
suffer all adverse results of combat, so care
must be taken as to how combat is
resolved.
In the command phase of each turn,
players may reorganize their forces -
transfer units between leaders in the same
hex and eliminate combat units so as to
transfer their strength points to other
units stacked in the hex. Combat results
are different here than any previous
game: first it is resolved which (if any)
side retreats. The retreating force loses
SP's equal to the length of the advance of
the enemy. The victor also suffers losses
in battle often as much as the retreating
side. Pursuit, or advance after combat, is
related not only to the path of retreat, but
to the pursuing leader's initiative rating.
13
Odds of 7 to 1 or greater may produce a
repulse which allows the phasing force to
continue its march unimpeded.
The game is fairly easy to leani. If
you can get used to refering to an
organizational chart to see what your
forces have in them, it's a smooth flow-
ing, exciting game with a lot of probing,
manoeuver and bluff involved. The rules
do not read as well as some do, but they
are well enough written that few am-
biguities arise.
The components are made surpris-
ingly well although the maps are plain and
rather unexciting (apparently the second
edition has very colourful maps). Terrain
affects movement differently for infantry
and cavalry, while only primary towns,
rough, marsh, bridge or river hex sides and
hill/woods hexes affect combat; even that
is only a one-column shift for the
defender.
The counters are printed in nine col-
our combinations. For an unknown
reason, both Allied and French share blue
(albeit different shades) and the French
Guards are shades of brown. It would
have made life a lot easier if the blue were
allocated to only French units, especially
since it is very difficult to distinguish be-
tween various shades of blue if the
counters are spread all over the map.
Special rules cover replacements,
reinforcements, French garrisons,
weather, morale and optional rules of
which only the intelligence rule affects the
game by any degree. Only two scenarios
are described in the rules folder - the
campaign, and the six days from February
J0, for which both maps are used. Victory
in the campaign game depends on the
state of the morale track marker and in
the scenario if the Allies have a LOC be-
tween units and Centre of Ops on the
western map or if French losses exceed
one-third of Allied losses.
The study folder, along with a
historical narrative by Vincent Esposito
(reprinted from The Mililary History and
Atlas oj the Napoleonic Wars), has an ex-
tensive OB and 24 maps with positions of
larger formations printed on them. The
players are expected to examine the OB
and maps and use their imagination to
reconstruct a scenario from this informa-
tion. It takes some effort, but it works
fairly well - lazy garners should forget
even opening this section. As for victory
conditions, attrition due to combat and
march, or other considerations, players
will have to thrash it out between '
themselves. This may seem a little weak to
players, since the scenarios are left wide
open to interpretation and usually endless
argument, but it is excellent for getting
players involved in the "interior" of the
game; you become a mini-designer by try-
ing to build and balance one of these
scenarios. A nice touch, although perhaps
one or two more of the defined, printed
scenarios might have been included if
nothing more than to establish play-tested
guidelines.
14
This is a fine game to play and to
have in your collection. The feel for the
operational level of Napoleonics is there
and players must be more than com-
batants; they must by the very nature of
the beast be commanders and logisticians.
There is little." to be said against the game,
except perhaps for the dull graphics on
map and counters. A cute note was to
enter a section from Tolstoy's War and
Peace as the designer's notes. All in all,
well done and a remarkable entry into the
market from a then-new company.
BATTLES OF THE
HUNDRED DAYS (OSG.1979)
Design: Kevin Zucker, Thomas Walczyk
10 pages of rules and charls, 100 counters,
one 17" X 11" unmounted map. zip/ock baR.
3.2 km/ hex, 2 days/turn. Brigade and corps
size counler units. C/ B I C
This game is intended as an introduc-
tion to the OSG operational level
Napoleonic games but I believe it only
proves my contention that every company
feels compelled to produce a Waterloo
game, at. any cost.
The game covers the period from
June 14 to 21,1815 and the battles leading
up to Waterloo. The actual playing sur-
face is only 7 l/z" X 1O l/2" the rest of the
area being taken up with the organiza-
tional charts. The rules are in the
ponderous, OSG-narrative style.
This is really an attempt to cram an
excellent operational system into a tac-
tical matrix; where the rules work in the
open they cramp a smaller game. The en-
tire feeling for manoeuver is removed and
is dominated by the rules structure, not by
the flow of the game. It's simply not
worth the :-ffon to learn the long rules to
play such a small game.
The map is a poor cousin to
Bonaparte in Italy, or Napoleon at Leip-
zig (like its sister micro game, Arcola, it is
pretty meagre fare). The counters are fine
and the rules reflect the same careful work
that OSG has put into its larger games.
Too bad, because this game just doesn't
work.
I look forward to the larger cam-
paign game of the 100 Days but even for
we diehard collectors of Napoleonia and
everything Waterloo-ish, this is pretty
slim pickings. Best wait for the complete
boxed edition.
ARCOLA
(OSG,1979)
Design: Kevin Zucker
8 pages of rules, 100 counters, one 11" x 17"
unmounted map, zip{ock bag. 3.2 km/hex, 2
days/turn. Brigade and division size units.
B/B/A
This is one of the scenarios in OSG's
Bonaparte in Italy. Somewhat larger than
its sister micro-game, Battles of the Hun-
dred Days, it suffers from the same faults
and then some. The map area is too smal1,
although the counter density is quite low.
The system is ill suited for a small game
and the maps share none of the brilliant
colour of the larger game from which it is
taken.
For further notes, see the review of
OSG's Bonaparte in Italy.
BONAPARTE IN ITALY
(OSG,1979)
Design: Kevin Zucker
20 pages of rules plus 20 pages of scenario
data and historical narralive, 300 counters,
three 35" x 23" unmounted maps, boxed. 3.2
kmlhex, 2 days/ turn. Brigade and division
size units. AI AI A
This is the latest of the highly suc-
cessful operational-level Napoleonic
games from OSG. Having found a win-
ning system, they continue to capitalize
on it, bringing consistently high quality
games to the market.
As the title suggests, this game covers
the campaigns in northern Italy, 1796-97
and 1800. These campaigns were unique
in the command of Napoleon, since his
army wasn't fully developed until around
1805. In the late 1790' s, the armies were a
rag-tag post-revolutionary force often not
much better than an armed mob - even
the arms were questionable since supply
was usually horrible.
Ev.en more than its predecessors, this
is a game of manoeuver; the counter den-
sity in any scenario is extremely low and
the areas large; a third of the counters are
blanks or markers. There are eight
scenarios and one campaign game for
1796-97. The scenarios use one or two
maps, the campaign game is rather vague-
ly des!;ribed and it's hard to tell if all three
maps are used or not. Since they do not fit
together in a neat block. but rather have
only certain portions overlapping, this
means that a rather large space is required
for the campaign.
The components of Bonaparte in Ita-
ly are superb: the maps are almost ex-
crutiatingly pretty, using a gradual change
of colour from beige ("bottomland") to
dark green (mountain) to suggest dif-
ferent elevations. Unfortunately, OSG
chose to colour their roads dark green, so
they are difficult to discern in mountain
areas. The French counters are grey and
blue the Austrians white and yellow and
the few Italians and neutral markers an
olive-drab. The effect is quite enchanting;
almost too pretty to play on for those us-
ed to La Grande Armee!.The kind of art
work that graced the rules of Napoleon at
Bay will not, sadly, be found here. Nor
will the portraits as seen on Napoleon at
Leipzig'smap. Toobad .
The game is easy to assimilate for
those who have played either of their
micro games or Napoleon at Bay. Se-
quence of play is almost identical to the
former game but many new rules in ex-
istence simulate the earlier period of war-
fare and the vastly different armies. Ar-
mies may be active or inactive and activa-
tion depends on the expenditure of ad-
ministration points. Inactivation has to
do with foraging and attrition. Foraging
itself (and its fun companion, pillaging)
affects a unit's attrition quotient and in
turn is affected by the terrain type.
Special rules cover the situation in
Northern Italy specifically; citaldels may
be besieged, uprisings can occur (and be
quelled), weather can be downright nasty
and units may move off-map (at last -
someone realizes the world does not end
at map borders!) Other rules cover the
crucial role of bridges, engineers and
bridging trains, the fluctuating Austrian
morale and the considerations of the
politics of the Piedmontese. Campaign
rules also cover replacement troops and
leaders and optional rules offer lower in-
telligence, indiscipline, sickness and
special attrition (sounds like my
office ... ).
The 1796-97 scenarios all use ' the
standard rules, and victory conditions vary
widely with the scenario played. The 1800
(Marengo) scenario has a number of
special rules mostly dealing with combat
and victory depends on the state of the
Austrian morale in this scenario. Scenario
lengths range from 4 turns (Lodi) to 12
turns (Arcola).
This is, as we have come to expect
from OSG, a fine game. It is especially en-
joyable to see a game dealing with a par-
ticular area of history left relatively un-
touched by the wargaming industry.
Recommended highly.
Note: The OSG micro-game, Ar-
cola, represents one scenario in this
game. It uses the same basic rules but with
only the counters necessary for that battle
and on a considerably smaller map . It is
intended as an introduction to the system,
but, like its companion Battles of the
Hundred Days, the size of the map limits
and constricts overly much. The feeling of
manoeuver is lost on such a small playing
surface. You're better off getting tne
complete game. The maps are much bet-
ter in the larger game .
 15

OPERA TIONAL ANAL YSIS

CONQUERING
THE MAGIC KINGDOM
A Guide to Barbarian Kings-manship
by Nick Karp and Scott Laiken

This game Ipublished in Ares 3) is one of
t hose wh ich si mp Iy feels rig ht and one which
I believe will still be played once other titles
have lost their charm. The compactness and
compensating openness of the game's
system produces a playable and malleable
specimen that promises to be a hardy
packhorse for the imagination of players. I
know that my own fancy had some exercise
in inventing about ha lf of the names on the
map. 100 you know how difficult it is to
create several place names that don't sound
completely silly?) - RAS
Barbarian-Kings is a game in which two
to five players assume the roles of empire-
minded kings on a mythical continent. The
players raise armies and attempt to conquer
neutrals and each other in a struggle for con-
tinental domination. The game is one of
diplomacy and intrigue as well as battle, and
every aspect of the game is influenced by
powerful but risky magic. Combat units can
move only if led by a king or hero, but can
block the movement of enemy units and
Unless a player is sure that he is the sole
owner of provinces of a particular racial
makeup, his best strategy is to diversify and
pick two provinces with differing occupants
whenever possible. One should also take the
countermix into account. Since there are
more elven than dwarvish counters, fo r ex-
ample, the probability is less that the elven
countermix will be bought out on the firs t
turn.
Another important factor in choosing a
home province is its location on the map.
Ideally, a player's provinces should be
mutually defensible, far away from those of
other players, near to rich and diverse neutral
provinces, and either in or behind defensive
terrain. In most cases, it will be impossible
for a player to obtain areas matching each of
these conditions in his initial choice of pro-
vinces; all these factors should be con-
sidered, however, and the provinces wit;' the
..,...*
010 4
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012 4
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013 4
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0144
greatest overall advantages should be
chosen. The objective of the initial place-
ment is to give a player the ability to expand
very quickly by building armies of different
types on the first turn and to secure a viable
base for later recruiting and expansion.
Unit Purchasing
A player must make important decisions
as to what units to buy. If a player has chosen
his initial provinces well, then there will be
units available when it is his turn to buy
them, at least early in the game. Toward the
middle of the game, the countermix will be
depleted of most unit nationalities. In fact, a
player may find himself having to invade a
neutral province just so he can buy an
undepleted nationality's units.
Basically, there are three types of units:
infantry, cavalry, and fleets. Infantry are the
most cost effective in terms of the ratio of
020 4
4r
0214
~
022 4
10@/
0234
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024 4

:.: :.:
engage in combat without leaders. Move-
ment is plotted, but since each player has on-
11:
~
* 1~4 10(f/j/ *~ 11:

Ai Ai 1O4 104
ly a few units that need to be plotted, writing 0424
orders is comparatively simple. 030 4 0314 0324 - 0334 1 034 4 04D 4 .
- 041 4 -0434 -0444

tli/
Barbarian Kings is a capsule game
(II" X 17" map, eight pages of rules, 100 *~*
:0: Ai IO
flif/ 1O 111 1 '} ' 1 '}1 111
I"
counters, originally published in Ares), but - 050 4 0514 0524 - 053 4 054 4 14112 14122 14132 14142 14152
there are many options open to the players at
all levels ofthe game. This article is intended
primarily to provide hints to the player on
21J 1 2~1 21J 1 2til Phase
"1
~ ~2
~ ~2
1611 2 16122 16132 16142 "
14162 14213 14223 14233 14243
some of the strategies and tactics that have
been found most effective. Players should
have a copy of the game itself handy as they
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 15 I;"?
I

8;r3 8,y3 8,y3

read this article, although complete 22112 22122 2213 2 22142 22152 32313 32323 3511 2 35122 35132
knowledge of the rules is not necessary.
Home Province Selection 7 t 3 7 t 3 7 t 3 7 t 3 7 f 3 7 f 3 1~.? Btr
3 B;r3 Bit
3

A player's choice of his initial home pro- 32212 3222 2 32232 32242 32252 32262 3233 3 35142 35152 35162
vinces at the beginning of the game is an im-
portant one. Several factors must be con-
sidered when these provinces are chosen. The
most obvious (but by no means the most im-
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portant) factor is each province's Taxation ,
Value. A high Taxation Value is desirable to 51(2 5,2 51?2 5~2 5#2 5,2 ~4 ~4 5 2 5 2
~ ~
begin the game with, but as the differences

-
23212 2322 2 23232 23242 23252 23262 2334 4 23354 2B112 28122
between the Taxation Values of most pro-
vinces is only four or five sequins, this is not
nearly as important a factor as others.
One of the most important considera-
~ ~ ~~ ~
111 1 2 11122 11132 ~ 1 1 142 11152
6#
21313
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tions is the nature of a province's occupants.

The first turns of the game, constituting a 4 t."'2 41\. 2 4~t2 4t."'2 41\"2 41\"2 ~3 ~3 ~3 Bd,3
mad dash to purchase units, usually results in 21212 2122 2 2123 2 2 1242 21252 21262 21343 21353 21363 49512
a depleted unit supply by turn two or three.
16
combat strength to purchase price. They are
almost always bought out by the end of the
first few turns, however.
Cavalry will generally be available
throughout the game, because it is usually
not worth the additionaI50-100OJo above the
purchase and maintenance cost of infantry to
get an additional movement point. The one
exception to this is elven cavalry, which are
the fastest land units in the game. They are
expensive, and not particularly good in com-
bat, but their great speed makes them worth-
while.
Naval units , unlike most cavalry, are
true bargains. Although not quite as effec-
tive as infantry in combat, they are usually
cheaper to purchase and to maintain . The
generally low combat strengths of naval units
are more than made up for, however, by the
effectiveness of naval actions. Only 5 of the
47 provinces in the game are landlocked,
representing less than a sixth of the total Tax-
ation Values available. All-sea provinces
represent as many points of Taxation Value
as the landlocked areas, and these provinces
are usually more easily captured and held, as
there will rarely be more than one naval
power in one section of the map.
A major advantage of naval units is
their ability to transport land units. Ocean
provinces are generally longer and thinner
than land provinces, and thus naval
transport effectively increases the distance
that land units can travel in one Movement
Phase. Naval units also possess great flex-
ibility, enabling land forces in coastal pro-
vinces to strike into many more areas than
they would otherwise be able to reach. Fleets
are also useful in circumventing blocking
forces that have been set up on land. Finally,
naval units can participate in combats in
coastal areas, throwing their weight into bat-
tle in addition to the strength of any units
they might have been transporting.
The Ai rships of Wys have both assets
and liabilities. Their high speed and unique
mode of travel make them perfect for secur-
ing provinces in the opening turns of the
game. Their high combat strength, combined
with their ability to carry other units, makes
them equally powerful in battle.
The airships have one major drawback,
however: their cost. Fourteen sequins is
enough to make a player fearful of using
them in any battle where there is a danger
that they will be eliminated. They are also ex-
pensive to maintain, and for sheer combat
power, the player is better off buying more
cost-effective units.
Races
The five non-human races all have
special abilities and liabilities. While not as
cost effective as humans, certain races gain
defensive benefits in their home terrain. An
elven unit is effectively quadrupled in forest;
a war frog is quadrupled in swamp; and
dwarves are doubled in mountains . These ef-
fects make it difficult, and sometimes next to
impossible, to oust a non-human unit
defending its home territory.
The last two non-human races are the
whales and the orcs. Whales are fairly expen-
sive to purchase and are unable to enter
coastal provinces, reducing their effec-
tiveness to situations involving naval combat
and blockades. The orcs, on the other hand,
although weak, are the most cost-effective
units in the game, and have many uses
wherever cheap units are needed for a
sacrificial blocking position or other such ac-
tions (i.e., where physical numbers of units
are important, but strength is irrelevant).
The preceding comments are limited to
those situations in which a player has a
choice as to what units to purchase - a
choice that will become increasingly
restricted as the game progresses. Players are
restricted by the provinces they control, by
the sequins in their treasuries, and - most
importantly - by the countermix. Toward
the middle of the game, it will be rare for
there to be infantry or naval units of any type
available, and the players will be waiting like
vultures for units to be killed so that they
may be quickly grabbed and rebuilt.
Precedence dice rolls for building units will
often be very important; a player can
minimize the effects of these rolls, however,
by giving himself as many options as possible
on what units to build.
When buying units and deciding
whether to maintain them, a question will
arise as to how much to spend and how much
to keep as a reserve. It is usually a good idea
to keep about 10 sequins available, slightly
more if one has a wizard who casts spells that
require cash expenditure. A cash reserve is
always a good thing to have, as it can be used
for bribes and to maintain units in the event
of cash shortages in later turns. In any case, a
reserve of more than 20 sequins is rarely
needed.
Another important question concerns
how many heroes to buy and the abilities to
assign to each. In general, it is a good idea to
keep at least two heroes on the map, in addi-
tion to a player's king. Keeping an extra
leader around at all times is definitely better
than ever being short a leader and thus being
unable to move an army. The extra four se-
quins per turn will insure that the owning
player will be able to outmaneuver under-
staffed opposing forces . .
The choice of abilities for a player' s king
is very important. Magical talents (especially
Mind Magic) alleviate the need for buying
wizards early in the game, freeing needed se-
quins for buying heroes and combat units. If
a king's Magic Value drops to 1, however, he
cannot be fired as a wizard could be, and the
player is stuck with a dud ability. A combina-
tion of march and tactics abilities is a king's
most reliable choice. This choice will put the
king up with his front-line armies, where he
will be the best protected and of the most use
(although, it is true, he will be taking more
risks) . A mixture of heroic and magical
abilities is usually not a good idea. To use one
or two heroic abilities, a king will have to be
in the front lines where he will be taking risks
without the protection that three martial
abilities provide.
Magic
One of the most enjoyable aspects of
Barbarian Kings is magic. Magic and its ef-
fects will be in evidence throughout the
game-turn as spells can be cast at almost any
time. Magic is almost as effective as it is fun .
With the aid of a few sequins spent on con-
juring, a wizard can wipe out an army, con-
vert a gaggle of neutrals to his player's con-
trol, freeze an ocean, or rai.se zombie armies
from the dead .
There are four Branches of Magic to
which a wizard may belong: Mind Magic,
Elemental Magic, Illusory Magic, and
Necromantic Magic. Of the Branches,
Elemental Magic contains the spells that will
give the greatest tactical advantages. This
Branch contains spells that are involved
mainly with blocking enemy movement by
storms, floods, and the like. The problem
with these spells is that, li~e all magic in Bar-
barian Kings, they are undependable and
cannot be counted on to work when needed.
Thus, although the spells are useful to pin an
enemy force down while the wizard's player
is on the offensive behind enemy positions,
the Elemental spells are of little use while on
the defensive except as an extremely risky, or
desperate, venture.
One spell in the Branch does not affect
movement, but can be used to harrass the
enemy directly: a Tornado spell which makes
tax collection in anyone province impossible
for a turn. One must always be careful of re-
prisals when one sends a tornado, however,
and if you have a province with a higher
Taxation Value than your enemy's highest, it
is not to your advantage to start a tornado
war. Even when an enemy has no means of
retaliation, tornadoes are mainly just
nuisances. Sometimes you can really catch an
enemy with his pants down, though , if he has
amassed a huge army and is depending on his
next turn's revenue to maintain it. Hitting a
province with a Taxation Value of eight or
ten can destroy three or four units for lack of
maintenance if the owning player has a
depleted treasury, without the wizard '5
player ever having to go into battle!
Mind Magic, true to its name, is subtler
than Elemental Magic, but is also less effec-
tive in many cases. The Branch' s magic deals
basically with gaining the friendship of
neutral or hostile forces. The Branch has
several powerful spells, but its most effective
spell, Allegiance (which allows a player LO
gain permanent control of any number of
neutral units) is useless after all neutrals have
been eliminated , a condition that usually ap- -
plies by the end of the fourth turn. Thus, it is .
a good idea to purchase a Mind wizard early
in the game, unless you assign the Branch_to
your king.
lIlusory Magic, by far the weakest of the
Branches, is not worth wasting a wizard on.
The Branch possesses only "three spells,
which allow a wizard to make units invisible,
to detect invisible units, and to create illusory
armies. The first spell is not as effective as it
might be, because the spell affects only one
leader and the units stacked with him. The
necessity of the presence of a leader with the

invisible units makes the spell too expensive
for use on blocking units intended for
defense where such a spell would otherwise
be highly effective, so the spell is essentially
offensive. There is only the usual one third
chance that the spell will work in the first
place, making it a shaky foundation upon
which to base an offensive. The spell which
detects invisible or illusory units is also ex-
tremely limited, and the spell to create il-
lusory units is equally useless, as the rules
state that illusory units must be removed
upon demand by a player who wishes to con-
struct new units. With the countermix limita-
tions, the above restriction is tantamount to
declaring illusory units useless. The Branch
of Illusory Magic is not recommended for
use by any spell-caster at any time.
A player who wastes his forces and
leaders attacking another player at the begin-
ning of the game will suffer for it later when
he has to fight to gain provinces t.hat other
players have taken by just waltzing through.
By the same token, unguarded neutral pro-
vinces are to be preferred over guarded ones,
for the simple reason that combat is a risky
business. The Allegiance spell of the Mind
Branch is of paramount importance at this
time, not only because it gives a player units
and provinces cheaply, but also because it
frees a player's armies to take other areas as
well. The same criteria as those for choosing
provinces at the beginning of the game
should be used for occupying provinces.
RepToduC'lion of Barbarian Kings map.
17
Players should be less picky at this point,
however, and try for quantity as well as for
quality.
As a general rule, units should not be
disbanded if it is at all possible to maintain
t.hem, especially later in the game when unit
scarcity becomes more noticeable. There are,
however, exceptions to this rule.
If a hired wizard backfires while casting
a spell, and his magic value drops to I, he
should be beheaded and replaced. Wizards
are too expensive to maintain as duds when
an expenditure of six sequins will bring them
up to full strength.
The second exception should be used
only in rare emergencies; and is most effec-

The Branch of Necromancy is an effec-

tive Branch. It has spellsto kill enemy units
and leaders, and to raise units from the dead.
Although the kill spells have the usual one
third chance of working, they are so enor-
mously effective if they do function that the
Branch is worth having for them alone. The
elimination of a hero at the wrong time can be
devastating to a marauding enemy. The kill
spells cost the casting player sequins if they
are , successful, but the cost of the spells is
usually substantially less than the purchase
cost of the units they destroy. The spell that
raises killed units from the dead is equally ef-
fective, allowing the wizard' s player to gain
units without paying anything for them (sav-
ing an average of four or five sequins per unit
for an army of often six to seven units) and
also without. having to worry about
precedence rolls during the Finance Phase.
The spell is dangerous to operate, as friendly
units are sometimes killed when the spell
backfires, but it is far more profitable than it
is risky.
As noted before, the effectiveness of
magic is limited by the generally less than
50070 chance of a successful cast. Never-
theless, a good player will always take magic
into account when planning a campaign of
any sort. Magic is one of the aspects of Bar-
barian Kings that distinguishes it. fr,om an or-
dinary battle game; it makes each game un-
predictable while adding lots of player value
at the same time. Friendly magic can be a
great asset if used at unexpected momen Is.
General Courses
When a game begins, only about 15070 of
the provinces ' on the map are player-
occupied, and about that many more will be
occupied by neutral units. Most of the map is
complet.ely empty, and a player's objective
on the first few turns should be to take as
many unoccupied provinces for himself as
possible. If a player is unlucky enough to
begin the game with player neighbors, some
attention wiII have to be paid to defense as
well, but n~utral areas are easy pickings, and
first attention should be paid to capturing
unoccupied and neutral-guarded territory.
Players should not worry about. maintaining
lines at this point of the game, but rather
concentrate on grabbing as many t.ax points
worth of provinces as they can.
18
tive when one player holds all the provinces
of a given race. The trick is to disband units
in one province in order to put them back in
the countermix so that they can be rebuilt
elsewhere. This is an expensive and
dangerous tactic, and its success will often be
determined by a risky precedence roll. It is
sometimes necessary, however, when a player
has overextended himself and left his rear
areas open to plunder unless reinforcments
that would otherwise be unavailable appear
very quickly.
Two other tactics that deal with pur-
chasing units are rather nasty. The first is
building more units than one needs just to
prevent another player from building them.
The infantry and naval units of a nationality
can often be completely bought out by a
player with his initial sequin allotment at the
beginning of the game, and if several players
gang up, they can deplete the counters of
several nationalities completely. This would
leave a player's territories open to capture,
because he would be unable to build on the
first turn.
Another tactic, in a similar vein, is to at-
tempt to buy all the naval units available.
The total cost of all fleets is less than 120 se-
quins, a small enough sum to be handled by
one prosperous player over a few turns if his
opponents are not vigilant. If a player ever
manages this feat, he is in excellent shape,
and will probably win the game.
Combat
Combat in Barbarian Kings is fairly
abstracted. Nevertheless, there are several
tactical tricks that are important to under-
stand and use effectively.. Blocking actions
are a good example. Using these actions, an
enemy army of any size can be stopped by
one unit placed in its path. When combined
with the game's system of movement point
by movement point movement, the result is
that blockades can effectively be set up by
having a leader drop off a sacrificial unit in
the path of an enemy army and then
withdraw while the main body of a friendly
army gathers. This tactic cannot hold enemy
advances for long, but it is a way to delay an
enemy, especially if cheap orcish or feudal in-
fantry can be used.
Another important use of the Blocking
rule is in garrisons. Although a player will
only be able to set up real lines in rare in-
stances, there will always be certain major
avenues of approach to a player's most
valuable provinces. Obviously it would be
financially impractical to leave a full-fledged
army to guard each of these provinces, but if
a few blocking units are left to screen a
player's outer perimeter, the units will be
able to hold an approaching enemy force un-
til a defensive army can arrive, with newly-
built reinforcements if necessary. Again,
cheap orcish or feudal infantry are the best
units for this purpose.
Unless a player is willing to expend an
excessive part of his income buying and
maintaining leaders, there will always be a
shortage of leaders available for maneuver-
ing if a player attempts to assign a leader to
each friendly stack. This difficulty can be
overcome by equipping leaders with the
march ability and using each to move two or
more stacks. Leaders are able to pick up and
leave off units along their paths of movement
so long as no unit or leader exceeds its own
movement allowance. Although it is true that
a unit profits from a leader's march ability
only if the leader begins and ends his move-
ment stacked with that unit, nevertheless the
players will find this tactic necessary and
more effective than limiting the number of
moving stacks to the number of friendly
leaders on the map.
Combat units can also attack without
the presence of a leader, and leaders can exit
enemy occupied areas without the enemy
having a chance to block them. Thus, pro-
perly utilized, one leader can drop off a
blocking unit in an enemy occupied province
and then go to fetch a friendly army. Even
more dramatic than a hero with a single
march ability is a king with two or three such
abilities. Such a king can handle almost all
troop movement necessary for a major war.
Unless a player has odds of s,ix-to-one in
a battle, or he knows that he will be able to
govern the retreat of the enemy stack
through the retreat ability, it is a good idea
for a player to drop off one unit in each pro-
vince the player controls that is immediately
adjacent to the province where the battle is to
occur. Once again, orcish and feudal units
are ideal for this sort of frontline garrison
duty. It is unpleasant to force the retreat of a
powerful enemy army, only to see it split up
into small groups which capture your own
provinces by their retrea ts.
Another important tactic is the use of
different races for different tasks. When at-
tacking elves in a forest, use elves. If you do
not have any, attack the province only if ab-
solutely necessary. In its own territory, a
non-human unit is as strong as two or three
civilized legions. Cost-effectiveness is an im-
portant part of the game, and the utilization
of the proper units for an attack will be
necessary to a player's success in battle.
Player-to-Player
One important aspect of the game that
has been neglected so far is inter-player rela-
tions. Barbarian Kings is intended to be a
multi-player game, and although it can be
played with two, it is best with four. When
five play, the map gets crowded too quickly,
too few units are available to be built, and
the number of turns when the players are ex-
panding through neutral territories, one of
the most enjoyable periods in the game, is
greatly reduced. As in most multi-player
games, alliances are the key to winning.
These alliances include informal deals be-
tween players as well as the written contracts
allowed in the game. Two players can
almost always overwhelm one quickly, even
if that one has a greater tax base than both of
the other two combined. The two have
greater flexibility in bui lding uoj ts, tv.,ice the
chance of achieving precedence in the
Finance Phase, and the special abilities of
two kings - a not insignificant advantage.
Alliances can and should be brought about
and ended through bribery. The game is at its
most enjoyable when players are bidding for
each other's allegiances.
Barbarian Kings is a true player's game.
It has a basically simple system with lots of
subtle and not~so-subtle tricks for the players
to discover, only a few of which have been
mentioned here. Most of all, however, the
game is lots of fun.
Barbarian Kings
Addenda
[7.1] Clarification. If more than one Player's
units occupy a province during the Finance Phase,
none gets to Tax the province.
[8.2] Addition. If a king is captured by a neutral
unit, he is returned to his owning Player if (1) the
neutral unit is destroyed; (2) if its allegiance is ob-
tained through an "Allegiance" spell; or (3) if the
owning Player expends four times the neutral
unit's province's Taxation Value. Each Movement
Phase that a captive king remains a neutral's
prisoner, there is a one in six chance (a I on a six-
sided die) that he will be executed. In all cases,
kings may not be rescued simply by moving
Friendly units into the province where the king is
being held, but must rather be ransomed or have
their captors destroyed. Captured kings may not
use spells.
[9.6] Addition. A unit may not retreat into a
neutral-occupied province.
[9.8] Clarification. Neutral units that receive
"Retreat" results are eliminated instead.
[10.42] Clarification. Any units stacked with a
Hero affected by this spell may move with the
Hero and engage in combat at the ca:;ting player's
discretion if the units are stacked with the Hero at
the end of the Movement Pha.le. Note, however,
that sllch movement and combat is restricted by
other aspects of this spell.
Opening MOVES {conti" uedjrom page 2/
Chartes Roberts Awards
Best Pre-20th Century Game: Napoleon
at Leipzig (OSO); Best 20th-Century
Game: Cityfight (SPI); Best Fantasy/SF
Game: Creature that Ate Sheboygan (SPI);
Best New Game: Ironclads (Yaq); Best
Professional Magazine: Fire & Move-
menl; Best Amateur Magazine: Per-
fidious Albion; Hall of Fame: David Isby;
Outstanding Service to the Hobby: Dick
Bryant, Jay Hadley.
Pete Reese racked up a 13-0 record in
SPI's Chickamauga and Napa/eon al
Waterloo tournaments at Origins 80, garner-
ing a cool $350 for his efforts and a round of
applause from SP I.
I extend my personal congrawlations to
all the companies and individuals.
-Redmond

THEORY & TECHNIQUE
THE FOREST FOR THE TREES
Terrain As an Element of Limited Intelligence
by Terry Alan Baney
Until the millenium arrives and we play out
our simulations upon king-sized interactive
video-boards, we must deal with the
strengths and weaknesses of paper-limited
games. The relative knowledge of the bat-
tlefield terrain and the essentially different
levels of terrain "savvy" between com-
manders is not an easy thing to account for
in such games. If I let my imagination run a
bit, I can just see some bewildered Soviet in-
fantry commander in the artificial canyons of
Manhattan being ambushed by teams -of
streetwise US commandos outflanking him
via the BMT subway tunnels, -RAS
There appears to be increasing altention
given lately to the consideration of terrain in
wargame simulations. Articles of this kind
have periodically surfaced in MOVES (per-
haps because it offers one of the few quality
forums for the broad discussion of game
design and theory), and most game reviewers
throughout the hobby make at least passing
reference to terrain accuracy when analyzing
a new release. In virtually every instance, the
MOVES articles have been extremely helpful
in challenging both the professional and the
novice designer to take a closer look at the
realism level of terrain depiction, yet it re-
mains a neglected feature in comparison to
the apparently more dynamic topics of eom-
bar strengths, movement rates, and combat
result stab les.
Certain ingredients, such as the not-so-
new-but-still-developing "line of sight" con-
cept, have taken advantage of the increased
awareness of natural terrain differentials in
tactical-styled simulations and a step closer
towards bridging the realism-portrayal gaps
between miniaturists and board garners .
In general, though, the bulk of the new
tcrrain awareness has been directed towards
its effects upon combat and movement. In
truth there is little here that is new; effects of
this sort have been a part of game design
since the earliest amateur efforts. Of course
map renderings have become much more
detailed and explicit over the years, and con-
siderations of graphic accuracy here have all
but superceded the once dominant struggles
to outdo competitors on the validity of one' s
Orders of Battle.
Coupled with these trends has been a
growing tendency to delve into simulations
of uncertainty, fog-of-war, and the like,
especially on the part of the SP I design
specialists. Inverted unit counters whose
strength levels are not revealed until engaged
by t he opponent and, of course, various
forms of hidden movement have been but the
beginnings of such exploration. The success
of such attempts may depend upon one's
preferences in gaming play, but I cannot per-
sonally recall ever having heard a gamer or
reviewer complain about the inverted unil
system in, say,' SPI's Panzergrnppe
Guderian. Obviously it is gutsy innovati.on of
this sort which continually propels the hob-
by.
My intent here is not simply to chart the
trends of the past , bul also to encourage that
wider concerns be taken into account.
Despite the successful strides made in coming
to grips with uncertainty regarding the
whereabouts and status of the opposition
forccs, there has been only marginal allen-
tion giyen to unfamiliarity with terrain.
Naturally (or even unconsciously) war-
gamers have become accustomed to the
absoluteness of the game map . Among the
first cognitions of the typical gamer survey-
ing a new game release are the attractiveness
of the map and the graphics employed in it .
Aside from the nnit counters (and perhaps
such variables as topic preference, game size,
rules length, and price), I think it is fair to say
that the mapping graphics are a vital force in
assuring gamer satisfaction. Redmond
Simonsen has said as much in his contribu-
tion chapter to SPI's Wargame Design
volume.
There have, to be sure, been some ef-
forts made to vary this absolutism slightly by
allowing for map sections to be filled
together in a variety of directions, and also
through the design of alternative scenarios
and variants. Of late, there has even been
some attempt to allow for shifting terrain
counters which can be used to alter the map
display for the operation and simulation
desired. But by and large the map sets the
operational boundaries of the contest. It has
been easier (relatively speaking) to fiddle
with uncertainty considerations by adjusting
the CRT, unit factors, and so on. Mean-
while, terrain itself has long remained a
largely known and unalterable ingredient
beyond improved graphic art depiction and
the introduction of manmade obstacles such
as fortresses, mine fields, one-way roads, etc.
I n more contemporary warfare at least,
a commander's uncertainty over terrain has
been lessened by the sophistication of in-
telligence gathering techniques . It has been
suggested, however rightly or wrongly, that
the United States can produce a satellite
photograph of every square yard of land
mass on the globe. With this kind of data in
19
. .
hand, it is nol surprising that strategies and
options can be calculated with a fair degree
of confidence Ihat at least the encountered
terrain will not offer any rude awakenings.
One can perhaps hide a few tanks or missile
silos, but hardly a forest, mountain range, or
lake.
Obviously, such an intelligence capabili-
ty did not always exist. As one pursues more
historical campaigns to simulate, the absence
of concrete knowledge of distant lands on the
part of an invader becomes a matter for
sleepless nights of speculation. Any student
of the Russo-German War of 1941-45 (and
wargaming is rife with Eastern Front
devotees) has likely encountered the writings
of German commanders who bemoaned the
fact that "Operation Barbarossa" was
undermined by poor intelligence regarding
not only Soviet tank strengfh and replace-
ment resources but also the Russian roads,
rail lines, and even urban locations . Von
Rundstedt in particular complained that the
maps and information he was given for his
Army Group South strikes into the Ukraine
were frequently in error on all of these
_aspects .
It would seem reasonable, then, suggest
that as one delves even more deeply into the
campaigns of the past the commander's
knowledge of foreign terrain configurations
and placement would lessen, yet wargaming
today tells us that Napoleon's battle maps
were every bit as clear and outlined as those
of NATO. It does seem a little curious to
have Alexander the Great maneuvering
around the remnants of the Persian Empire
perfectly confident of the fact that thiny-
three hexes (of clear desert terrain) to the
southwest lies the Nile Delta which is seven
hexes in length and one hex in width. Despite
such concerns as supply, command control,
and morale, our General Sherman can still
accurately state the location of every type of
terrain his troops are likely to encounter en
route to Atlanta. And (of no small impor-
tance) he can plan his strategy with this data
on hand. Board wargamers (and miniatur-
ists, in most cases) have a satellite vision of
unerring accuracy of the bat tlefields whether
they be present day NATO commanders or
Germanic tribesmen .
As a commander, one might know a
great deal about one's opposition force levels
but little of genuine certainty about the op-
position's countryside. Once captured and
taken prisoner, an enemy was not only asked
the whereabouts of his buddies but also the
nature of the terrain up ahead, distances be-
/com;tJued on page J2J
 Ask your SPI game dealer
about these sfIf game titles!

Ii.'f I ~
7 1+2

~f

~ 00 [g

DragonQuest The Wreck of Deathmaze TimeTripper

AN EXPERIENCE IN
HEROIC ADVENTURE
The leading edge product of a complete
fantasy role-playing line. Players assume
the roles of characters in an adventure set
inside a fantaw world created by a
Igamesmasler.! , Discrete game systems
I
control such functions as combat, magic
use and monster generation.
2820, $9.95
the 8SM Pandora
An sf adventure in deep space. Fro m one
to fivc players become Crew membcrs o f
a biological survey mission and allCmp!
(0 keep their ship from emeringcold shut-
down. As they anempt to restart the
ship ' s systems, Ihey must also re,apture
or destroy t.he alien liFc forms now run-
ning loose in the ship's corridors .
2960, $5.95.
COR RI DORS OF DOOM
A unique fantasy adventure game for o ne
to six players in which they create their
Own dungeon room by room from the
playing pieces. As the party wanders
through the labyrinth in search of
treas.ure~ they en~ounter monsters~
magical potions and statues , and unex-
pected traps .
2800, $5.95 boxed,
A soldier in Vietnam accidcntally Create,
a time warp thal sends him back \0 some
of the most famous battles in history and
ahead to fantastic advent ures in the
future , From one to four players become
TimeTrippers, searching lO retu rn to (heir
present; Timemaster game also included_
2970, $5.95,

~
~ I~ I ~
~
Frodo
(3)5 -<S>
5

World Killer
THEGAMEOF
PLANETARY ASSAULT
A planet ', defense fmce, attempt to pro-
tecl their mother world from an invading
armada of aliens . Simple but unique
three-dimensional space combat; open
ended format for extended scenarios.
Featured inAresnr.1.
2980, $5.95.
The Creature that
Ate Sheboygan
Science fiction monsters - giant gorillas,
spiders, dinosaurs and th e like - attempt
to ravage a lyp ical American city before
policc and Nalional Guard can react.
Monslers have special abilit ies to choose
from; human player mu,!' bala nce mobile
and attack force,_
2330, $5.95 boxed.
War of the Ring
BASED ON J.R.R. TOLKEIN'S
L ORO OF THE RINGS
Two games systems in o ne. In character
game, the Fellowship trics \0 elude
Sauron's evil minions a nd destroy lhe
One R ing in lhe Crack of Doom; in cam-
paign game, the armies of Middle Earth
clash ilta con tinent wide campaign_
1790, $18.00.
John Carter,
Warlord of Mars
Character ad\' cmure gamc in wh ich each
player portrays a hero and a villain, who
steals the hero ' s true love and attempts to
nec aCrOSS Ihc wilds of Barsoom. Three
levels of play from duel game to army
campaign game. Fai thful adaptation of
Edga r Rice Burroughs' John Carter of
Mars series. '
2380, $19_95.

Here are the rest of SPl's great science fiction & fantasy releases
After the Holocaust ($14.00) BattleFleet: Mars ($15.00) Demons ($5.95 boxed, $3.95 soflpac k)
Freedom in the Galaxy ($19.95) Invasion: America ($ 18.00) Objective: Moscow ($27.00)
Outreach ($12.00) Sorcerer ($12 .00) Sta rForce ($12.00) Sta rG ate ($3.95) Sta rS 01 d ier ($12.00)
Swords & Sorcery ($18.00) Titan Strike! ($3.95) Vector 3 ($3.95) War in the Ice ($12.00)
 21

Ask your SPI game dealer

about these military game titles!
1 Ark 14 Vac
C>O Meln lSh McCslnd
Interdict
r M: rt

~
II SMP Supply Nd so-n
IIil fO Indpnt
21'lfJ17
4-6
114
RI "-TB:

Kursk NATO Division Drive on Washington Pea Ridge

HISTORY'S GREATEST
TANK BATILE July 1943
T he battle that [limed the ride of WW II.
Gcrman pHnl.rs attempt to break
through soli dl y entrenched Soviet forc",
to ca pture Kursk, T h ree scenarios cOver
t he campaign from a hYl)otherical May
a."au lr 10 the overwhelming August
Sovie t countc ro ffe nsive.
2680 , $15 .00
Commander
LEADERSHIP UNDER FIRE
Over 20 differen! aspects o f modem com-
bat are covered as the Warsaw Pac! at-
templS 10 brea k through NATO forces in
Germany. Rules cover chemical. nuclea r
and electronic wa rfare; battle modes; a nd
comba! suppon elemenls . Two player,
soli [ai rc and ' ' contro ller! \' crsions.
2310 , $27.00
j
THE BATTLE OF
MONOCACY JUNCTION, July9. 1864
Simulation of the tast o ffensive in the
East by Confederate forces as they cross
I he Monocacv Ri ve r EO brllsh aside the
defending lJ~ion army. and lhreaten
Wash ington. D .C. Based on the TSS
sysl em, the game cove" figh ting in
whea tfield , a nd Ihc effec t General lubal
Earl y had,In his t roops.
2940, $8.95
THE GETTYSBURG OF THE WEST,
March 7-8. 1862
Based on the TSS system , Pea Ridge
recreates the battl e tha l gave contro l of
th e trans-Mississ ippi al'ea 10 Ihe Union.
T he Union army' must wi thstand an at-
tack by Rebel forces t.l mo st twice its size.
Special rules covel' night li me maneuvers
a nd t he ba ilie lasti ng into the second day.
2950 ,$8 .95

$
8 6 12
II
)132

~UNREST [1J 00
~ [TI ~
Dive
.or
Bm br
R~
88

Battle for Stalingrad
THE STR UGGLE FOR THE CITY.
Septem ber-November 1942
T he battle tha t e nded German expansion
10 the e~SI . German forces dr ive in lo the
cit y at will uru il a Soviet reacti on is Spu rk -
"d . As Ihe fig hting etHers Slalingrad, the
opposing fo rces become locked in a ,ee-
saw ,m ugglc for vital objectives.
2 840, $ 15.00
Empires of the
M iddle Ages
A DYNAMIC SIMULATION
OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE. 771 -1467
A mu ltip layer game in which up [0 six
players becomc dynasts and build
historical kingdoms inlO vaS[ empires.
Special ru les cov"r Crusades, the Schism,
plagues, and invasions ' by Mo ngols,
Smacem and ViKings. 2700, $ 18 .00
Air War (Updated Edition)
MODERN TACTI CAL AIR COMBAT
A richlv detailed simula tion of almost
every aspect of modern aerial co mbat.
Modern aircra ft since 1952 do hat lie in
hislorical and hypot hel ical scena rios,
Original Ajr War has heen updated to
give players niore flexibility and new
airplanes and missiles.
26 70 , $22 .00
Leningrad
THEAOVANCEOF
A RMY GROUP NORTH Surnmer 1941 .'
1\ rc<.:reation of 'he Ge rman drive to take
Leningrad . Crack Germun un its aHcmpt
to Overrun and des tro y U I1lried Sov iet
un;ts and seize the cil)" before Soviet rein-
forcement, blu nt their all"ck . Air powcr,
sup ply lines and lerrai n ~rc crucial factors
in Ihe game. 2860 , $5 , 95

Here are the rest of SPl's most current releases ...

Cityfight ($23.00 ) Patton's Third Army 1$5 95 ) Commando 1$ 19.00 ) Paratroop 1$5.95)
Bloody April 1$27 .00) Mech War 2 1$35.00) China War 1$5 .95) Berlin '85 1$5.95 )
Battles for the Ardennes Quad 1$20. 00) Army Group South Quad 1$20 ,00)
Campaign for North Africa 1$44.00 ) Great War in the East Quad 1$20 .00) Agincourt 1$14. 00 )
p lus James F. Dunnigan's The Complete WargamesHandbook$7.95
22

ORIGINS BO FOTO-TOONS
A Tongue-in-Cheek View of the Convention
bv Redmond Simonsen

ANO JUST BY FL IPPI NG THE PAGES.

IS8Y'S PICTURES OF SIMONSEN WRIGGLE AND SQUIRM .
Eric Smith and John BUlterfield of SPI playa quick gam e of Ace of
Aces with Mike Vitale of Gameshop, Inc.

ACTUALLY, iT'S A WH ISTLE

THAT ONLY MY STAff CAN HEAR.
Eric DOl! , corporate leader of AH,
surveys the sce ne from the AH booth.

YES, ALL MY LATEST GAMES

COME PACKAGEO LIKE THIS.
Kevin Zucker, AH designer (ex-SPI, ex-OSG),
helps to clean up the wreckage of Game
Designer's Guild party,

DOES IT HERTZI
ONLY WHEN I CRASH I
SPI's rental I ruck proudly display, its bal-
,Ie scars, won in an unequal ramming con-
lesc with the Holo MOlel marquee
(Kamika, .c Herman at Ihe wheel),
TH IS IS EASYI YOU SHOU LO SEE
THE WAY I GO UPSTAIRS!
Alien Doum, Fire & Movement Assis-
tant Editor, challenges reviewer Eric
Goldberg to fightin' words at the "SPI ' EOAWH, FIRST I CUTS 'EM UP
Roast" Allen surv ived with only a rew 'EN THEN I TO IKS 'AIR PIKSHAI
millor bruises. _. Da\'id Isby, honorary Engli,hman and SPI
de,signer, aims his lens ar YOllr Editor.

AND NOW ACCEPT1NG THE AWARD

FOR BEST SANDBAG OF AN OPPOSING REVIEWER,
Eric (Commando) Goldberg grabs plaque from pre,erller Bill Sommers
at Origins Award ceremony. Brad He"eI models SPI hal in
background. SPI won three awards (see page 2 for comple[e lis t).

HE WAS FROZEN IN THAT POSITI ON

WHEN THEY SHOWED HIM WAR IN THE ICE.
Left to right, Randy Reed, Phil Kosnett, and Keith Poulte r
chal it up at the Guild party.

FIELD REPORT
CONCRIT
A Professional Examines the Mechanics
of Origins
by Philip R. Columbus
Phil and Leah Columbus (a couple I met, I
think, at Origins 78) kindly gave me a lift
across PA after Origins 80. Much bull was
shot during this trek; one of the oxen gored
was the organization and the conduct of the
convention. I asked Phil to write this all
down. He did. - RAS
To one who organizes national meetings
and conferences for a living, Origins 80 this
past June 27-29 at Widener University in
Chester, Pennsylvania was intriguing. The
question that came to mind continually was,
"Why did they do it this way?"
This essay is not intended as a criticism
of this or previous Origins. It is intended to
encourage future organizers to examine more
closely the why of convention organization
as well as the how. To simplify the examina-
tion, the component parts of the convention
will be discussed separately.
Registration: In Advance. The organizing
group must always keep in mind that pre-
registration is a service to the attender. Ad-
mittedly, it can.make running the convention
easier; but that is not its primary function.
Given this fact, why have Origins
organizing groups saddled themselves with
an unwieldy system of pre-registration? Ex-
amine what occurs when the organizing
group receives a pre-registration form:
L Someone must record each registration
in some format.
2. The amount of money sent must be
verified against aU the events checked.
3. The individual events for each registrant
are recorded along with the name.
4. Individual event tickets and a badge
must be collated.
S. A confirmation package is sent to each
registrant.
6. At the convention, the pre-registrant
must stand in line to pick up his badge and
tickets.
Why do it this way? No professional
organization would put itself through such
an ordeal. It is too much work, for too little
gain, with too many chances for error.
The first recommendation is to totally
eliminate advanced registration for in-
dividual events. There is no compelling
reason to exclude someone from attending a
seminar three months prior to the conven-
tion. Such an action is inimical to wha t a con-
vention should be: a chance to meet new peo-
ple to discuss new ideas. It makes a spon-
taneous desire to see an event very difficult to
fulfill. After all, if someone has paid money
to register for a convention, then he/she
should be eligible to attend every possible
aspect of that convention. Finally. many of
the events for which a "sold-out" notice was
received were not playing to a full house.
Opening event attendance on a first-come,
first-served basis would be more efficient.
Concurrently, the organizers should
dispense with the necessity of paying for a
seminar separately. Costs for all seminars
should be borne by the overall convention
budget. [Presuming you could get all the
manufacturers to agree not to charge for
them. - Ed.!
Advanced registration for tournaments
could also be curtailed. At most, an expres-
sion of interest from the potential par-
ticipants is all that would be required. Run
the event like a bakery shop. As each entrant
comes in to the room, he/she is assigned a
number. Number one plays number two, and
so on. The event starts on time with a
minimum of fuss. If a fee is necessary, either
collect it at the door or as each participant is
eliminated. Look at how this revised pro-
cedure would world:
I. The organizing group receives a pre-
registration form with the appropriate fee.
2. The fee is verified and the registration is
recorded.
3. A post card (less expensive than a letter)
is sent as confirmation of registration.
4. Upon arrival at the convention, the pre-
registrant turns in the post card and picks
up a badge.
Registration: On Site. On site registration
would be relieved of its current ills if the pro-
cedure described for pre-registration were
enacted. To register at the convention, one
would:
I. Fill out a registration card.
2. Pay the fee.
3. Get a badge.
The key to all of this - the old military
acronym KISS - translates as' 'Keep It Sim-
ple, Stupid." The vast majority of the
convention-goers will attend without any
problems. The organizing group's respon-
sibility is to minimize the chances for error
and expeditiously handle those problems that
do arise.
EVent Schedule. The inconsistent schedul-
ing of seminars and tournaments is a con-
tinuing source of amazement. It makes no
sense to begin events at odd times, thereby
23
eliminating the possibility of attending
others.
Admittedly, it is impossible to schedule
a convention of this type without some
overlap of events. To minimize these con-
flicts, the organizers should set the length of
all events at an even number of hours and
begin them on the hour. They should
eliminate those events which start on the
quarter hour, thereby precluding attendance
of other seminars and tournaments.
Seminar Quality. The most controversial
subject has been saved for last. Convention
organizers, as non-professionals, can be
forgiven many errors. Despite the implied
criticism of the Origins series outlined
previously, the overall impression has been a
favorable one. The dedication of these
groups and their desire to do a good job has
been evidenced by the amount of hard work
obviously put forth.
The same cannot be said of many of
those people staging seminars and tour-
naments. With a few notable exceptions, the
presentations have been absymally prepared
and poorly given. From a professional,
employed by a game manufacturing com-
pany, the least one would hope for is a semi-
professional effort during a seminar. The at-
tenders at Origins have been shortchanged by
the major game companies in this regard.
They are asked to pay for the privilege of
hearing the unstructured ramblings of game
designers.
Seminars should provide an opportunity
to listen and interact with someone
knowledgeable in his field who is presenting
additional detail on game design, develop-
ment, or use . Instead, they sit through a
seminar" which often deteriorates into a "bull
session" without a leader. More importantly,
the session seldom bears any resemblance to
the concept advertising in the convention
brochure.
Presenters must recognize the increasing
sophistication of their seminar audience. As
the "gee whiz, it's a convention" attitude
wanes, merely standing in front of a seminar
exhibiting physical existence will no longer be
sufficient. Speakers must demonstrate
through their preparation a measure of
respect for those who have paid a fee and
travelled a considerable distance to hear their
ideas. The industry must stand up to its
responsibilities to the people who support it.
Game designers and their employers
should also realize that seminars are both a
marketing tool for their product~ and a
(continu,d on page 3jJ
24
FIELD REPORT
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
Origins 81 in San Mateo, California
by Jerrold Thomas
Such a fuss there was when everyone found
out a serious West Coast exhibitor bid was
going to be presented for 1981 . Many com-
pany mavens were dubious about the ad-
visibility of holding a convention all the way
our rhere! Including me! Even though I think
the west is terif, the idea of carting the
whole medicine show 3000 miles gave me
pause. In the final analysis, I assumed a kind
of neutral posture during the lobbying and
wound up actually being glad it's going to
"go west." This article is a firsJ public state-
ment by the now official organizers of 0-81 .
-RAS
Origins 80 saw some important deci-
sions made which cannot help but change
what Origins, and the gaming hobby, will be.
Since l, as one of the hosts of Pacific Origins,
will be dealing with these changes, I am as
qualified as the next man to speculate on
them.
I want to look at several of the decisions
made at Origins 80. Not all of these relate
specifically to Origins, but all have a com-
mon thr.ust: bringing the gaming hobby into
the mainstream. Such a transition cannot be
easy, swift, or smooth, and I can see the ef-
fects this will have on Origins in particular,
since Origins is the one common ground for
the whole of our hobby.
The first decision had nothing to do with
Origins. It was the decision to go with
"Adventure Gaming" as the name for our
Hobby. The name will doubtless have a mix-
ed reception; yet it was needed. One of the
strengths of our hobby is its diversity - be-
tween Afrika Korps, D&D, and WRG rules is
a great span of interests and products, and
that's good, because it means that we can
have something to appeal to almost
everyone, regardless of background or in
terests. This same diversity is a handicap,
paradoxically, when the hobby seeks to ex
pand itself. As the hobby approaches new
retail and wholesale outlets and new
customers, we find that they often cannot get
. a "handle" on just whal it is that goes on in
the gaming hobby. The appearance of a
number of the principal game companies at
the "Hobby '80" show this January marked
a step out into the larger world of the hobby
industry. The decision to choose a name,
however inaccurate, was another. Such sim-
ple things <Is names are often crucial in win-
ning acceptance in the market-place. A ma-
jor buyer, once he has a heading , can more
easily get involved; media, especially hobby
media, can focus their material better with
one group, and so on. We'l! still have our
diversity, but from the outside there will at
least be the appearance of a community that
exists in spirit, if in nothing else.
The second decision was to award
Origins sites two years ahead. In part this
decision merely reflected the problems
created by the growth of Origins itself; it has
grown too big to go from idea to event in one
year. The next Origins, Pacific Origins, has
been in the planning stages for three years;
Origins 83 is now being planned . That is the
way it should be if Origins is to be a proper
showcase for our hobby.
More importantly, this planning deci-
sion reflected the increasing maturity of the
Adventure Gaming hobby. It was not too
many years ago that our hobby was basically
a "cottage industry." It operated on a day-
to-day basis, and deadlines were made to be
changed as need arose. Now the hobby finds
itself growing into the benefits and problems
of size - deadlines, marketing, cash flow,
etc. - and Origins reflects this growth.
The decision to use Origins to generate
revenue for the GMA was another key deci-
sion. This clearly turned Origins from being
merely the national convention to being the
industry convention . The money generated
will go to further the advance of Adventure
Gaming into the 'hobby world, and this in
turn will generate some subtle changes in
what goes on at Origins.
The main decision that affects me was to
award the Origin bid to Pacific Conventions,
Inc. , the Pacificon sponsors. Pacific Origins
will be a different Origins. Giving PCI the
bid was not an easy decision, and I (on behalf
of all of the people who make up Pacificon)
want to express both my appreciation for the
confidence of those who voted for Pacific
Origins, and my understanding of the reser-
vations of those who could not. Whether r,
or they, or PCI, or GMA like it or not,
Pacific Origins 81 will change Origins.
Origins has always been a polyglot
event. Not only are different people in-
terested in different areas, but there are a
number of different goal-sets, or foci, that
people bring to Origins. Some of the primary
ones are:
A. The Gamer. The gamer approaches
Origins as the gaming event and wants to : see
new products; compete in national tourna-
ments; and meet the "names" in the hobby.
B. The A Type Company. The company
approaches Origins as a gamer-contact
event; its goals are: to gain otherwise unaf-
fordable exposure for its products; to boost
cash-flow through high-margin direct sales
to individual garners; to keep abreast of what
the bellweather companies are doing.
C. The B Type Company. This company
seems Origins as a marketing event, and its
goals are: to make a strong public relations
appearance; to evaluate the reception to its
own and other companies' new products; to
get direct feedback on it operations from
garners. This company is not so much con-
cerned with one individual's responses as it is
to group responses, and Origins represents
the largest possible group.
D. The Retailer/Wholesaler.This group
views Origins as a Trade Show, and seeks: to
evaluate new products; to make/
renew/repair contacts with manufacturers;
to order merchandise for retail sale; and to
evaluate trends in the hobby.
Most companies, especially in our hob-
by, are a mix of A and B; but the decision to
go to California was clearly a B type deci
sion. There is no way to ignore or wholly
avoid the cost factor for east-coast com
panies in coming to California. Those com
panies who have looked to Origins as a cash
flow boost will face decreased net revenues,
though the PCI staff is working on ap-
proaches to keep costs down while still pro
viding as much company presence as possi-
ble. Given this, the PCI staff, and by its ac-
tions the GMA Origins Committee, both feel
that the benefits will outweigh the liabilities .
Pacific Origins will be uniquely suitable
to be both a t.rade and media event. We at
PCl feel that this can be done without
slighting the gamer, either. The site is a hotel,
so it is much more media accessible; its decor
will add to the convention rather than
detract. PCI uses professional booth drap-
ing, which will give she exhibit area the look
of an exhibit area, and not that of a "flea
market." Such intangibles, which often
weigh heavily in the public mind, will give
much greater credibility to the new
wholesaler/retailer while considering adding
Adventure Games to his line.
The greatest benefit to be derived is, of
course, from the new exposur~. It is quite
possible that Pacific Origins will be the
largest Origins ever, but more important is
wno the attenders will be - most will be new
to Origins, and many will be new to any
Adventure Gaming Convention. The same
will hold true for the retailers and
wholesalers who come. Already the West
[continued on page 35/

MOVES IN ENGLISHeditedbvCharlesVasev
~ OSG's ROBIN HOOD,
ARCOLA, AND 20th MAINE
By Julian Barker, Andrew J. Finkel, and Robert Samuel Malin
Every so often, I like to see g8 mes produced out-
side of SP I appearing in MOVES in English. a
policy that is actively encouraged by Redmond
Simonsen_ In this case. I am not fully surewhethEir
you could say that OSG are that much "outside"
SPI! At times they look like pictu res of the old S PI
from two years ago. The choice of the capsule for-
mula shows this young company is alive to the
economic necessities of the present days_ The
following reviews , written by the staff of the Lon-
don Game Centre, show the sort of work
emanating from the other New York company. I
certainly hope they can continue to produce good
games and would like to congratulate them on the
Charlie at Origins80 . - CHV
Robin Hood
As the title indicates, this OSG game is
based upon the legendary English hero's
struggle with the evil Sheriff of Nottingham
in the England of King Richard. Its com-
ponems are well-made and of SPI standard
with 100 counters, a 17" x 22" map sheel
covering a small area of the English mid-
lands, and eigh t pages of well organized rules
in the standard OSG decimal system.
The mapsheet is covered in an irregular
area grid, obviously designed to represenL the
rural patchwork of fields that was so much a
feature of the Middle Ages. Curting the area
in half is the River Trent, which is crossable
at only a few places where bridges or fords
allow access to the opposite banks. The cen-
tre of the map is dominated by Sherwood
forest, th rough which sylvan massif pass a
number of woods connecting the towns,
villages, and three castles. Very usefully, all
the important charts and tables also appear
on the map, which helps in play consider-
ably .
The counters, up to the usual OSG stan-
dard, are in six colours representing leaders,
combat units, travellers, and markers. The
leader units are identified by a weapon sym-
bol (Little John, for example, has a quarter-
staff, and Sir Guy of Guisborne has a mace)
and are rated for personal combat strength,
movement allowance and - in the case of
outlaw leaders - their ability to command
non-leader units. The combat units are also
identified by a weapon symbol, and these are
rated for archery strength, combat strength,
and movement.
Movement is fairly standard except that
the "Merry Men" units have to be accom-
panied by an outlaw leader, and the number
of such units may not exceed the leader's
command rating (or his Ongoing Merry Men
Leadership Ability, as it is known). The only
other special movement function deals with
the castles, which comprise two areas, one of
which is the keep. The keep of a castle can be
entered only by first entering the adjacent
area of the castle. As an exception to this, all
keeps have secret passages that allow a
chance for Robin Hood, accompanied by up
to two Merry Men units and one other
leader, to obtain entry direct to the keep. On
a roll of a five or six on a single die, when at-
tempting to sneak in, a mishap has occurred
with dire consequences to the outlaw units.
After a secrel passage has been used, it is
considered discovered by the Sheriff and can
only be used by uncaptured outlaw units that
are leaving the keep .
Combat takes place within an area and
consists of three distinct segments. First, the
two forces attack one another using archery;
during this attack, the combined archery fac-
tors are applied to the target and a certain
number of enemy units will be eliminated.
This attack is to the definite advantage of the
outlaw player, as he has many more archery
factors than his opponent. Second, there is a
melee _phase where the units close for hand-
to-hand action using a standard CRT, and
both sides can lose units. During this seg-
ment, the Sheriff is at an advantage as his
25
rough bullies have much higher combat fac-
tors . Besides altering the die-rolls in combat,
the leaders may also fight one another,
leading to death or capture.
The Sheriff's leaders that are captured
by the outlaw player may either be murdered
or ransomed back to the Sheriff for a certain
set amount of gold. Outlaw leaders captured
by the Sheriff cannot be murdered (following
Miranda v The People oj Nolfinghamshire) ,
but may be hanged after a delay of two turns
in a keep (known as "due process"). This
delay allows the outlaw player to attempt to
rescue the captured leaders from the keep;
this is where the secret passages become im-
portant by allowing the leaders to sneak
prisoners out of their confinement.
As a random event at t.he beginning of
the Sheriff player's turn, travellers may enter
at one of the roads and move each turn so as
to reach the opposite edge of the map as
quickly as possible within their movement
allowance . Any traveller who reaches the
edge pays a toll of a gold mark to the Sheriff
(who appears to be in the classic "Haul 'em
off the Interstate, sock it to 'em lP Blues"
mould), but if the traveller is robbed en route
by the outlaws, they make off with two
marks for a bishop and one for a noble.
These amounts come from the Sheriff's
treasury which can only be increased with
funds from travellers, by taxing the villages
and also by a bounty of two gold marks for
each outlaw leader hanged.
This is where I found the only obvjous
rules problem . Except for travellers paying
LOlls and the taxing of villages, all transfers of
money take place between the players. As the
Sheriff starts with twelve gold marks and the
outlaws begin with none, for Robin Hood to
meet his victory conditions he has to find
eight marks that must be introduced during
the game. This means that either the Sheriff
helps out by taxing the villages and then let--
ting the outlaws loot the castles or rob v
travellers, or Robin Hood allows a number
of travellers through the Forest to add to the
Sheriff's treasury. The problem is that the
rules do not say what happens if the Sheriff
player has to payout more marks than he has
in his treasury. If it is assumed that no ex-
change of marks takes place , it gives no in-
centive for Robin Hood to rob the travellers,
and produces images of the Sheriff's men lin-
ing the map edge telling travellers to turn
back to avoid the introduction of extra
money to the local economy.
26
Besides the arrival of travellers, there
. are other random events that usually result in
the introduction of additional leaders such as
Will Scarlet and Prince John. All outlaw
leaders have to be recruited by Robin Hood;
Little John, Will Sutley and Friar Tuck all
appear like this, and combat may be re-
quired. There are also a number of special
events that may be declared in certain cir-
cumstances. These include the archery con-
test which the Sheriff player may declare any
time after Prince John enters the game. This
results in Robin Hood being heavily penaliz-
ed unless he enters the contest; if he does he
automatically wins a small prize and under-
goes a free attack from all Sheriff units on
Nottingham Green where the contest takes
place. The other main special event is the
marriage of Maid Marion to either Robin
Hood (a necessity for Robin's victory) or Sir
Guy, who can then stop Robin marrying her
under the bigamy prohibition. (This must be
the only set of rules with a paragraph headed
BIGAMY.)
The game ends and victory is calculated
when one of a number of terminating events
occurs, such as the meeting of Robin Hood
and King Richard, or the death of all the
Sheriff's leaders. Victory is calculated on
relative treasury levels, whether or not Robin
Hood is married to Maid Marion, and King
Richard and Robin Hood must be in the
same area at the moment victory is
calculated. If Robin Hood fails to achieve
any of these objectives, the Sheriff has won.
Unfortunately, this leads to a lack of viable
alternative strategies, and the game does
begin to pall after a few playings as its
possibilities are soon exhausted. Barker
Arcola
Arcola is a mini-game by OSG dealing
with the attempt by the Austrian Army to
relieve the siege of the north Italian city of
Mantua in early 1797, culminating in the bat-
tle of that name. The map depicts the area
south east of Lake Garda where the action
took place. Game Scales are: one unit
strength point = 1,000 men; one game-turn
= two days; and one hex = two miles across .
The game system will be familiar to
owners of OSG's Napoleon at Bay. The only
counters on the map are leaders, and combat
units assigned to those leaders are placed off
the Hex Grid on the Organisation display.
The rules speak of hiding the unils on the
organisation display, but since the displays
(one for each Army) are printed on the map-
sheets, just off the hex grid, the fog of war
will descend only when the two players are
scrupulous enough to refrain from studying
each others display.
The leader counters are the most impor-
tant units in the game. Indeed, in the absence
of the designers notes, it is fair to assume that
the aim of the game system is to demonstrate
that good leadership was the crucial factor in
deciding Napoleonic battles and campaigns.
Leaders are rated for initiative, from five
(Napoleon) down to one for un-named
brigade commanders. Some leaders have
combat bonuses indicated by asterisks on
their counters, the number of asterisks in-
dicating the extent of their favourable die roll
modifier when attacking .
The best way of illustrating the game
system is through describing a typical game-
turn. The Austrian player's turn occurs first.
He may re-assign combat units between
leaders in the same hex. He may then move
one force automatically by expending a
movement command, if that commander can
trace a route to a dispatch hex of no longer
than ten movement points free of enemy
units or their zones of can trol. Subsequent to
this, other forces may move if the Austrian
player obtains a die roll not higher than the
force leader' s initiative. Movement must
cease upon entering an enemy zone of con-
trol. The French player may then force
march all his forces on the map by use of the
die roll versus initiative procedure. In all
movement phases, a force trying to leave an
enemy zone of control has its leader's in-
itiative modified by the leader of the force
entering the zone of control. Units may not
force march into zones of control occupied
by friendly troops.
After the French force march phase, all
the French units in Austrian z.ones of control
must be attacked, but only one Austrian
force may attack each French force. Combat
strengths are compared as a ratio, and a die
rolled. The result will force one side to
retreat, and the other to take losses. The non-
retreating force may try to advance; the
length of the advance depends upon the
modified initiative of the pursuing leader and
a die roll. The retreating forces equal those of
the other force, or one strength point per hex
it is persued, whichever is greater. The
retreating force rolls a die. If the result is
higher than the leader's initiative, it is
disorganised. All disorganised forces (of
both players) roll a die at the end of each
player-turn. A die roll equal to or less than
the leader's initiative rallies the force. While
disorganised, a force cannot move under its
own initiative and. if required to attack. does
so automatically at 1-5 (worst) odds.
The strategic si tuation at the stan of the
game is as follows; the number after each
leader is his initiati ve.
Davidovitch (2) with 19,000 men is ad-
vancing down the mountain passes on the
East side of Lake Garda, opposed by
Napoleon (5), Vanbois (2) and 9,000 men.
Twenty-five miles to the east,separated from
Davidovitch by the mountains, the French,
and the Terrain Effects Chan, Alumtzy (3),
Pzovena (3), and Quanoutch (2) with 25,000
men are unopposed with a clear road to
Verona. Massena (4), Augerau (3) and 14,000
men are in Verona, and the French have two
scattered garrisons (total 4,000 men) in
Legnono and Pechena. Each side is reinforc-
ed at one point by 3,000 men. The Austrians
have seven game-turns in which they must
either exit 10,000 men from the south map
edge between the two major roads (i.e., on
their way to relieve Mantua) or hold Verona
at the end of the game in dispatch distance.
The French are thus outnumbered 47,000 to
30,000 overall, with two large forces con-
verging on their main fortress in the Area,
and the Austrians have a choice of four main
routes off the map edge they need to exit.
What prevents the game from being a mop-
ping up exercise for the Austrians is their
abysmally low initiative. Davidovitch's
despatch range ends 10 miles short of
Verona, after which he will only move if the
Austrain player rolls one or two .
Alumtzy's line of communication is
longer and gives him more flexibility, but his
initiative of 3 tends to prevent him from
blitz.ing all over the map. The Austrian
player's limie of one movement command,
added to Davidovitch's short line of com-
munications, tends to put an early brake on
the Austrian offensive.
The French do not get movement com-
mands, but the high initiatives of Napoleon
and Massena make the French more mobile
than their enemies. Napoleon has a combat
bonus of two; Augerau , Massena and
Pzovena have bonuses of one each, giving
these leaders an initiative to attack, since the
bonuses are subtracted from the combat die
roll on attack.
The real incentive to attack is the
possibility of disorganising the enemy force.
The chances of disorganising forces led by
the main leaders are: 1/36 for Napoleon; 1/9
for Massena; 114 for Alumtzy, Augerau; and
4/9 for Davidovitch. Since disorganisation is
bad for one's health, one can see how the
lower Austrian initiatives and French combat
bonuses redress the balance against the
weight of Austrian numbers . I will not sug-
gest various strategies for each side, except to
say that if the Austrians can coordinate their
two main advances, then the French player
had better hope that his mobility and his good
die rolling in combat both run smoothly.
How would I evaluate this game?
Adversely. Some of the rules gave me the im-
pression that the game was not properly
developed. The rules say that three combat

units may atack out of the mountains. This
favours the side with the larger units and I
fail to see why it is permissible for the
Austrains to attack with 15,000 men in
3 x 5000SP units whereas 12,000 French in
4 x 3000SP units cannot do the same. I think
a limitation based on numbers of troops
would have been preferable.
The map is drawn in such a way that
some hexes contain between 100/0 and 30CIJo
of mountain, the rest of the hex being hills.
W'hich type of terrain governs the hex for
movement and combat purposes? The rules
do not say. The artistic quality of the map
would suffer if the terrain conformed rigidly
to the hex grid, but I wish some of the hexes
where hill and mountain meet had been less
ambiguously drawn.
The worst problem is that ineffective
units (who have taken a certain amount of
casualities and can no longer attack) and
disorganised units if forced to attack, do so
at 1-5 odds automatically. To my mind, this
is avoiding the main problem.
The concept of disorganisation as a
combat result is a good one, yet the way the
rules work, a disorganised force will only be
required to att.ack if a pursuing enemy force
enters its zone of control. While such an oc-
currence would obviously have an adverse ef-
fect on a retreating rabble, the rules as stated
takes no account of the size of the pursuing
force. Will 10,000 men keep running from
1,000 men indefinitely? Since the ability to
reorganise does not depend on whether any
enemy are in your zone of control, then it
would seem that the size of the pursuers are
deemed irrelevent to the ability to reorganise.
Would a victorious army pursue a large
defeated one and, if so, how much larger?
These questions are ignored in Arcola,
wrongly, in my view. I find it difficult to
believe that a disorganised force of 10,000
men would fight with an effectiveness of 200
if pursued by 1,000 enemies, and an effec-
tiveness of 2,000 if attacked by 10,000
enemies. Possibly a reduction of the combat
strength would have been preferable.
On the positive side, I found Arcola very
playable. After five playings, three French
victories to two Austrian suggests that it is
reasonably balanced. The unit. organisation
displays enables the players to keep track of
casualties and changes in command structure
very smoothly. Games took about an hour
each to play and were always tense and ex-
citing.
Both players have a fairly wide choice of
strategies. The concept of mobility based on
initiative brings in a fairly large random ele-
ment which is always good for solitaire
playability and, based on my reading about
the campaign, the game cOllveyed the feel of
Napoleonic command and maneuver very
well. Finkel
The 20th Maine
As two of the major wargame com-
panies, namely SPl and GDW, have shifted
their marketing policy from the belief that
Big is Beautiful to the concept of The Best
Things come in Small Packets, it is not sur-
prising that the comparitive newcomer,
OSG, is following this trend with the release
of The 20th Maine.
This capsule game is a company level
simulation of the Confederate assault on the
extreme left of the Union line during the bat-
tie of Gettys burg.
The game components are of high stan-
dard, as one would expect, knowing that
OSG use the same printers as SPI. The unit
counters and game markers are clear and
functional Counters are provided to repre-
sent regimental officers and regimental flag,
as well as the company sized units. I do feel
that more "in column" markers could have
been provided at the expense of "out of am-
mo" markers; also, four counters were left
blank instead of being put to better use . One
point I would like to make regarding the
graphics is that, for some strange reason,
higher ground is represented by progressively
lighter shades, rather than darker shades to
which most people are familiar with. (At
least, those people in the UK.)
Now to the game system. How has the
designer chosen to reflect the factors he feels
are most crucial in simulating this rather
complex situation? That is, how does he deal
with rested, well led troops in an ideal defen-
sive position being assaulted by a thirsty and
worn, but well led, enemy. Despite the lack
of designer's notes, it is obvious, from play-
ing the game, that the designer bases his crea-
tion on command control and morale. This is
probably the best way of recreating the
desperate struggle that took place on the
rocky ridge of Little Round Top .
The importance of command control is
paramount. Each regimental officer is given
a number of command points which are
necessary to move units, perform volley fire,
change formation, remove or fix bayonets,
initiate melee, and rally disorganised units.
Officers also have a command radius of four
to six hexes. Upon death of an officer, the
27
counter is flipped over to show a replacement
officer of reduced abilities.
Through this sytem, the players are real-
ly put into the "driving seat," and are thus
faced with the tactical problems experienced
by their predecessors. How do they use and
co-ordinate their forces to be most effective?
It is not easy. Initially, 20th Maine has two
officers, fifty command points, and nine
class A units, plus a detachment of one com-
pany and an independartt unit of SharP-
shooters under Captain Morrill (15-4). The
Confederates, however, are somewhat
restricted, having two officers and forty-five
points to control the ten class A units of the
15th Alabama. The 47th Alabama has seven
C class units controlled by one officer with
twenty-five command points. A six point
bonus per officer is granted if the same ac-
tion is ordered for four units simultaneously.
As the game progresses, players make
crucial decisions. Do they spend time rallying
troops disorganised by fire as they advance
towards the enemy, thus maintaining a
cohesive force to press home the attack? Or
do they press on regardless, spending as little
time as possible in the zone of withering
volley fire? These decisions conclude the
fate of the Protagonists much more than the
fate of the die roll. The heart of the system
works well, so let us now examine the body
of the game.
Movement costs command points accor-
ding to formation and direction of advance
in relation to t.he terrain. A unit moves a
maximum of four hexes in line formation, or
a maximum of five in column. Officers move
up to seven hexes. Changing formation or
facing costs a set rate. Facing plays an impor-
tant role in combat, as only the frontal hexes
exert a zone of control. Two units may stack,
together with an officer and the Color Guard
(flag). The top unit gives and receives
casualties in fire combat; they may combine
for melee combat.
Fire combat occurs after movement and
consists of defensive fire, when the non-
phasing player may perform non.volley fire,
and is then followed by offensive fire by the
phasing player; this may include volley fire.
The effectiveness of fire combat is modified
by range, height difference, terrain, the
defenders' formation, and use of volley fire.
In the rough terrain prevalent on the bat-
tlefield, long range firefights are largely inef-
fective., but short range volleys can crea'te
havoc amongst advancing bodies of troops.
In later turns, units are liable to run out of
ammunition; this func tion is built into the
CRT. Line of Sight in ,this heavily wooded;
hilly terrain is obviously a problem.
However, the rules in this regard are clear,
concise, and effective.
One bone of contention that 1 have
regarding fire combat is that concerning fix-
ed bayonets. Does this really prevent a unit
from firing under any circumstances? As for
as I know, ring bayonets were almost univer-
sally used through tOut the Civil War, and it
was not against tactical doctrine to fire with
fixed bayonets even at reduced effectiveness.
Again, the lack of designer's notes gave no
[conlinu,d on page 29j
28
SCENARIOS & VARIANTS
CHARLE-MAIL
Emplres of the Mlddle Ages Postal Rules
by John Boardman
John Boardman is one of the seminal ar-
chitects of simulation game postal play_ If my
tired brain serves me, he is largely responsi-
ble for the system by which Diplomacy is
notated for letter-borne gaming . Empires,
one of those games designed to bring out the
delicious worst in people, has caught the
fancy of the zap-by-mail crowd, and so John
once more proposes the necessary struc-
ture, And all to the good, the medieval pace
of our present postal system should help to
get you in the mood . - RAS
Very often, a multi-player negotiation
game can be adapted for postal play. Such an
adaptation then makes it possible for players
in different parts of the country to engage in
negotiation, back-stabbing, double-crossing,
and other delightful practices which charac-
terize international diplomacy. SPl's Mighty
Fortress, ConqUistador, and Russian Civil
War, and AH's Origins oj World War IJand
Diplomacy also have this character.
SP l' s new Empires oj the Middle Ages is
eminently capable of being treated in this
fashion. Postal playability is a great boon to
the isolated wargamer, who has trouble find-
ing one other opponent for Terrible Swift
Sword, let alone five or six for one of these
negotiation games. But if a postal game gets
under way, this isolated fan need only send
his moves by mail to a "gamesmaster" every
three or four weeks, and engage in a game
that goes on for some 18 months of enjoy-
ment. Furthermore, when you handle all
those negotiations by mail, nobody can get
wise. If, for example, you are playing Russia
in a game of Diplomacy, you and the Italian
player can prepare your stabs without getting
suspicious looks from the Austro-Hungarian
you are about to unload on.
Play-by-Mail Qualifications
In order to be rendered postally
playable, a game needs easily identified loca-
tions and a small number of decision points.
AH's Third Reich, for example, is a very
popular negotiation game, but the hexes are
not numbered. Even if you painstakingly
number every hex on your board, you will
find that so many decisions are needed in the
course of play that a postal game would be
intolerably slow. This author regretfully
abandoned an attempt to adapt SPI's World
War I for postal play, since just about every
action by the phasing player requires some-
thing to be done by the non-phasing player
before play can proceed.
Empires oj the Middle Ages (EMA) can
be fairly easily turned into a postal game,
with only one decision point per five-year
Round. Conditional orders in advance can
handle most of the optional situations that
may arise. All of the game's options can thus
be incorporated into the postal game.
The following modifications to the rules
of EMA should make it postally playable:
,. The rules of SPI' s Empires oj the Middle
Ages will be used except when specifically
modified for postal play.
2. The gamesmaster will undertake to
publish, at regular intervals, the moves sent
in by the players, and his adjudications of
them. He will also set a deadline for the next
postal moves. ,
-. ~~~
'MA~ -s-
. dom process which of the player'S four
2!.W~~J92J;~~j
3. At the beginning of the selected
scenario, each player will be assigned one of
the empires based on a preference list. The
games master will try to give each player the
empire closest to the top of his preference
list. Empires which are not played by one of
the players shall be considered as a collection
of Indepen'dent Areas as described in 4.0.
4. The first Round will begin as the
gamesmaster executes Phases 1 through 5,
and determines whether or not the Christian
Churches are in Schism as described in the
Sequence of Play. Players should have sent
to the gamesmaster their conditional orders
for a Parley, should one be required by the
execution of these Phases. The gamesmaster
deals out five Year Cards for each player,
and makes a note of their numbers and
order. He also carries out all activities of
any Raiders or Magnates, and executes
Defenses against them if players have provid-
ed for them under the postal rules.
5. Along with the information required by
postal rule 4, the gamesmaster will deal an
Event Card for each player. If the card is not
a Holding Card, the gamesmaster will ex-
ecute its instructions immediately and an-
nounce them to the players along with the
results of Phases 1 through 5. If the card is a
Holding Card, the gamesmaster will private-
ly inform the player for whom it is drawn of
its number. A player who has drawn a fourth
Holding Card must discard one of his
Holding Cards without playing it as soon as
he learns of this draw. If he does not do this,
the gamesmaster shall determine by a ran-
Holding Cards shall be discarded. Other-
wise, a Holding Card shall remain private un-
til the player chooses to announce, with his
other move orders, that he is playing it.
6. Upon receipt of the gamesmaster's
report of the events described in postal rules
4 and 5, each player shaH send in five
Endeavor orders for the Round, in any com-
bination of Conquest, Pillage, Ruling, For-
tification, and D iplomacy. Furthermore, one
Defense Endeavor will serve for all attacks,
by players, Raiders, or Magnates, whether
Conquest or Pillage, during that Round and
the Raider and Magnate Phases of the next
Round. Defense Cards may not _be aug-
mented by gold under 13 .11. Players must
pay for each Defense Endeavor even though
only one may be ordered; in the absence of
money in the player's Treasury, the Defense
is not made. Players should also, at this time,
send in any instructions regarding Coloniza-
tion, and conditional votes about Parleys
that may come up.
7. All taxes will be collected after the
Endeavors have been adjudicated . Tax col-
lection orders should be sent in with
Endeavor orders, indicating which areas are
to be taxed and by how much. An area may
be taxed only if it still belongs to the player
after Endeavor orders are executed.
SAMPLE ORDER:
Tax Bavaria \g only if the Unrest has been put
down there.
SAMPLE ORDER:
Tax only areas that speak North Italian.

SAMPLE ORDER:
Tax every area with a positive Social State, for
whatever amount will not cause the Rebellion
Value of that area to exceed 4.
SAMPLE ORDER:
If the Unrest in Bohemia has been put down, tax
Bohemia 2g . If the Unrest has not been put
down, Plunder Bohemia.
8. All Endeavor orders will be executed
simultaneously. Fortifications become effec-
tive for Defense in the Round after they are
built. Social States and other determinatives
for Effectiveness Ratings are calculated as of
the beginning of the Player-Turns as far as
Endeavors by other players are concerned.
However, for a player's own purposes,
changes he makes in a Social State will be
cumulative.
EXAMPLE : France owns Burgundy and the Holy
Roman Empire own, Switzerland. The Social
States of the two areas are respectively + 3 and
+ 1. Burgundy is attacked twice from
Switzerland. If the first attack lowers
Burgundy's Social State to + 2, then + 2 is the
value figured in to the Effectiveness Rating as
(he Target Area Modifier on the second attack .
However, if the French Ruling of Burgundy
causes it to drop -1 in Social State, this does
not affect the Social State of Burgundy as a
Target Area Modifier for foreign attack.
EXAMPLE: Brandenburg has a Social State of - I.
On his first Endeavor, ils owner Rules 10 raise its
Social State to O. This is then "Social State of
Base Area" should the owner of Brandenburg
Fonify it on his second Endeavor of the Round.
He may further raise the Fonification Strength
to 3 on the third Endeavor of that Round.
However, should Brandenburg be attacked on
that same Round, the Fortifications are not
effective, and for Ihe first attack Brandenburg's
Social Slate enters the compulatjon of Target
Area Modifiers as -I . During that Round, as
far as the attacker is concerned, Brandenburg's
Social State does not change except as a result of
[he attacker's own actions.
MOVES in English [conlinuedfrompoge27]
indication to the rationale behind this rule.
Playing the game with this rule forces one to
use Musket & Pike tactics . Surely this was
not the designer's intention.
Playing the game with made up optional
rules, not allowing units to fire in the turn
they fix bayonets or are in melee, enabling
them to fire only once per game-turn (to
simulate the difficulty of reloading with the
bayonet fixed) and modifying fire for inac-
curacy caused by having the bayonet attach-
ed , makes t.he game more complex but more
realistic, given that each game-turn is ap-
proximately six minutes (this is not stated in
the rules) .
Melee takes place within a single hex
based on a differential combat results table .
Points are added or subtracted according to
the presence of officer or flag, whether all the
attackers have fixed bayonets, are attacking
the enemy's rear or across barrier hexsides .
The results of melee are retreat with loss and
disorganisation, loss, or disorganisation .
Morale checks are obligatory in all cases.
Morale checks are taken as a result of fire
9. A player may send in more than 5
Endeavor orders, and indicate conditions
under which some of them may be ignored.
The games master will execute these orders
until five have been finished .
SAMPLE ORDERS :
I. Rule Aragon, with additional 2g expenditure.
2. Rule Aragon, unless Unrest has been put
down in Endeavor I.
3. Use Aragon as a base to Conqucl' Castille
unless there is Unrest in it.
4. Establish Diplomatic Tie with Tuscany.
5. ~stablish Diplomatic Tie with Tuscany. (This
will be ignored by the gamesmaster if a Tie
already exists, unless the player specifies
otherwise in hopes of a "e" result.)
6. Use Aragon as a base to Conquer Castille,
with additional 5g expenditure.
7. Rule Castille with additional 2g expenditure.
8. If Unrest persists there, rule Castille wit h
additional 2g expenditure.
9. Use Verona as a Base to Conquer Venice,
with additional expenditure of 6g.
If Order 1 succeeds, Order 2 will be ignored.
If Order 3 succeeds, Order 6 will be ignored.
If Orders I and 2 fail , Order 3 will be ig-
nored, as will Order 6 . If Order 7 succeeds ,
Order 8 will be ignored. If Order 4 succeeds,
Order 5 will be ignored. Only Endeavor
orders that can be attempted will be
reported; thus, if this player is not able to try
Order 9 this Round, the owner of Venice will
not learn that there are hostile designs
against his city.
10. Orders which the player cannot afford to
execute are invalid. If a player submits fewer
than 5 valid orders, 5 Year Cards will still be
turned up for him .
11. If a player takes any action which might
cause another player to call a Parley under
20 .0, the gamesmaster will call players ' atten-
tion to this and call for votes with the next
Round's moves. Parleys will be adjudicated
berore the other Phases a re worked out by
combat as well as melee. A unit's initial
morale is decreased for each strength point
lost (noted on regimental status sheets as in
TSS). It is decreased further for receiving
volley fire, being fired at from the rear , and
for being disorganised. The Confederates
suffer additionally for being fatigued. The
die roll is modified if an officer or flag is pre-
sent in t.he affected hex. Failure of a morale
check results in disorganisation, retreat
disorganised, or disintegration of the unit,
removing it from the board.
Disorganisation immobilises a unit and
reduces its combat ability. Disorganised units
may be rallied at the expense of command
points or by chance on the roll of an in-
evitable 6. Ammunition supply, fatigue, cap-
ture of-flags, officer casualties , and the 20th
Maine detachment are other elements
reflected in the simulation .
Do the heart and body function in tune
with each other? In the games I played,
there did not appear to be a perfect strategy
for either side . As always , or so it seems,
units will break at the crucial time, blowing
all the best plans to the four winds. This then
29
the games master. In the event that a Parley
depends upon a player's initiative (for exam-
ple, as in 20Al), other players will send in
their votes conditional to a Parley being call-
ed. The votes will not be printed unless the
Parley actually takes place.
SAMPLE ORDER :
If the Byzantine Empire contests Poland's
acquisition of Bulgaria by a Dynastic Inheritance
Card, France votes to support the Polish claim .
SAMPLE ORDER:
If anyone calls for a Crusade under 23.0, the
Holy Roman Empire will vote in favor of a
Crusade.
12. Treaties' must be submitted to the
gamesmaster in identical signed texts by all
participants in order to be valid. The penalty
for breaking a Treaty shall be Excommunica-
tion only if the Treaty so specifies, and if the
aggrieved party calls for it. Other agreements
among players must also be phrased as
Treaties.
SAMPLE ORDER :
The Holy Roman Emperor agrees to pay the
King of Poland 109 if at the forthcoming Parley
(he King of Poland vo te~ (0 support the Holy
Roman Empire's claim to Burgundy.
13. If the conditions for a Crusade should
exist, players should cast a vote under 23 .0
for the next Round . They should send in con-
ditional votes for a Parley in case it takes
place, and orders for Phase 5 as well.
14. After publishing adjudications of
Endeavor orders, and the Colonization
record, for each Round, the gamesmaster
shall carry out and report Phases I through 5
for the next Round. These items will all be
published by the gamesmaster, and a
deadline will be set for the Endeavor orders
of the ne.xt Round . This sequence will con-
tinue until t.he end of the Scenario, at wh ich
point the gamesmaster will determine the
winner under 26. O.
puts the onus on the players to do as the
original commanders had to do; make the
best of a bad job. The excitement is intense
when one is trying to rally exhausted troops
to make that counterattack that is going to
gain those few vital yards. Therefore, I do
feel that the designer achieves his aim in giv-
ing players the feel of bloody, close combat
between determined troops, as well as
simulating the intense struggle which formed
a crucial part of a crucial battle on the hills
around Gettysburg.
OSG has found a good system for
simulating the pressures of tactical warfare . .
Some refinement is required, however, in the
detail of Civil War combat - e.g., the fixed
bayonets problem . Also, I feel that
designer' s notes would have aided the ap~
preciation of the system and of the events be-
ing simulated. As capsule games, with detail-
ed rules, ra ther than "pint and a pif' games
(as us Britains call "beer and pretzels"
games) are the trend at the moment, let us
hope that future designs are as well produced
and, more importantly, as rewarding as The
20th Maine. Malin
30
FO.
by Eric Goldberg
A Whirlybird in the Hand ...
Of all modern inventions, the helicopter
most excites the imagination of military
theorists. The grounded helicopter is an
awkward creature, but the air transforms it
from an ungainly contraption to a metallic
bird of prey. lIS mobility is the envy of all
other vehicles: a helicopter possesses a for-
midable combination of horizontal speed
and vertical range. This advantage is abetted
by the best weaponry and electronic counter-
measures (ECM) that technology can pro-
duce and money can buy. An armed heli-
copIer is a highly dangerous offensive force
and an elusive target.
Helicopters, it seems, elude attempts to
portray them in simulation games as easily as
they elude their real battlefield foes. Ever
since Grunt, where helicopters were treated
as stationary targets which did not even merit
counters, designers have pussyfooted about
the question of helicopters, fervently praying
that the gaming public would not mind . The
gaming public took the relegation of the
helicopter to second-class status with good
grace, until SPl talked iiself into a helicopter
game through its feedback process .
Actually, SPI might have been able to
skirt the problem of helicopters if I had not
had such a spectacular record of failure with
game ' suggestions. After Atalurk! was
soundly rejected by the S&Treadership with
one of the five lowest feedback ratings in
history, I boldly asserted that I could write a
suggestion guaranteed of success. Greg
Costikyan, while approving of my love for
obscure periods of history (how many
readers really know - or care - about
Kemal Alaturk and the Greco-Turkish War
of 1920?), challenged me 10 prove my state-
ment. I narrowed my choices 10 tactical re-
creations of either modern amphibious or
helicopler operations. SPl would have been
saved much embarrassment had the former
been chosen, but ChopperStrike! appeared
a much safer bet. The rest, as they say, is
history.
The feedback respondents rewarded my
perspicacity with a strong, though not re-
sounding, vote of confidence for Chopper-
Strike! The staff turned its attention to the
first problem presenled by the suggestion:
the proposed title was already trademarked
by Milton Bradley. After a short period of
musing about such names as Gunship,
Whirlybirds, and Cobra (redux, presum-
ably), Redmond Simonsen arrived at the
working title of Air Cay. While that choice
did not exactly inspire dancing in the streets,
it was the result of the only decision-making
process associated with the game that did not
self-destruct.
Scattered around the world are over
seven hundred souls who believe that Air Cav
will soon fly. Their sorely tested faith has
been bolstered by premature advertising and
enough rash promises to supply all the
presidential aspirants during the upcoming
election. Sad to report, the game is very little
closer to publication than it was when first
announced over two years ago. One begins to
believe that SPI bathroom graffito which
maintains that the helicopter will be obsolete
by the time Air Cay is published.
The initial design team of Tony Merridy
and myself gave way to others at SP!.
Free1ancer Merridy submitted a second de-
sign to OSG, which pulled off a scoop of
sorts at Origins '80 by releasing Air Cobra.
There are four main points that should
be addressed when designing a game on
helicopters. The first concerns the dramatic
difference between the movement rates of
helicopter and ground units. Unless all
scenarios pit helicopters against other
helicopters (an implausible supposition at
best), there is a difference of an order of
magnitude (i .e., ten times) between speeds of
ground and air units. One solution, to give
helicopters a reasonable movement allow-
ance (say, about 30) has ground units moving
at a crawl. The other solution, in which
ground units can tootle along at a fair pace,
effectively allows helicopters to move
anywhere on the map in one turn. Air Cobra
chooses the former approach, but gives the
illusion of rapid movement by ground units
by splitting their movement allowances into
as many segments as possible.
The second poser to the prospective
designer is one of spatial relationships and
militiary uses. The problem is just an exten-
sion of that broached in the previous para-
graph: helicopters simply do not operate as
ground units do. Where ground units move
two-dimensionally from a simulation van-
tage point, a helicopter moves through three
dimensions. And while ground units tend to
follow a doctrine of interdependence upon
each other, helicopters operate as lone
wolves, using their mobility and armament to
offset marked vulnerability. Air Cobra does
not pretend that it has a simple way to show
this disparity, though it is fully covered by a
series of complex rules.
Thirdly, modern weaponry is far
deadlier than any of its predecessors. If an
acquired target is hit, there isn't going to be
much left which is useful for more than scrap
metal and filling open graves. Helicopters ,
being armed to the teeth, are usually used
against a large number of opposing ground
units. While the odds are with the helicopter
unless it is facing large numbers of highly
sophisticated anti-air weaponry, there is
always a small chance that a ground unit will
be lucky and destroy the helicopter as or just
after it comes into view. In game terms, this is
the age-old dilemma of a good die-roll un-
balancing a scenario. To use a chess analogy,
two or three helicopters are queens confront-
ing many pawns and a few knights. If one
queen is lost early on, so is the game. Air
Cobra leaves the players to discover this
quirk of airmobile operations by themselves,
and offers no mechanics to rectify the instant
invalidation of victory conditions. Aside
from the usual response of starting the game
over again once the players realize the winner
is pretty much determined, I propose an end-
game mechanic. The scenario is re-started,
and the fortunate player is awarded a slight
addition to his force (or the unlucky player is
correspondingly handicapped). Without
some sort of compensating rule, fully 20070 of
all scenarios will degenerate into farce. .
The last problem 'Unique to the
helicopter is again one of technology .. The
equipment with which, for instance, the U.S.
Army supplies its troops defies the mental
capabilities of a good number of those
soldiers. This situation arises not only
because our all-volunteer army contains a
high number of illiterates; it is also an indica-
tion of the complexity of some of that equip-
ment. A game designer has the luxury of
assuming his audience is no! illiterate
(though some of 1he game questions received
at SPI make me wonder about an occasional
individual), but he has the added headache of
simulating the interrelationship of all the
wonderful gadgetry lavished on helicopters
and their earthbound counterparts. Unfor-
tunately, these marvels of invention cannot
be abstracted or, as several notable designers
are wont to remark, factored into the Com-
bat Results Table; they are an integral part of
helicopter warfare. The Air Cobra design
resolutely wades through this deep waler.
The simulation of the complications of
modern technology is consistent with the
motif of the game: when in doubt, make it
intricate.
Of course, there is a design decision that
this wargame has in common with every
other: should it be game, simulation, or a
combination of both? The debate as [0
whether the two can co-exist has raged in the
design community for years. Basically, those
R&D personnel who look at the question
theoretically maintain that the combination
is difficult, if not impossible, except for
those who are inordinately proud of a recent
design. I feel that it depends on the situation:
an operational study of the War of the
Spanish Succession can be both an exciting
game and an exacting simulation (and will be
hailed as such by all three people who buy it),
while the battle of Agincourt can be nothing
more than a crashing, though historical,
bore. Air Cobra recreates a situation not
nearly as inflexible as Agincourt, and does
try to sneak in a game somewhere in the
package. However, the emphasis is strictly on
data presentation. The elements which make
for exciting play have to worm their way
around an awesome amount of in formation.
The physical presentation of Air Cobra
is superior OSG, which means one of the best
in the field. The box cover of Air Cobra
displays a striking picture of a helicopter
loosing a missile, and very \visely refrains
from detracting from that illustration. The
copy on the side of the box appears to be an
incomprehensible conversation between two
helicopter radiomen; those who understand
arcana such as "Fire from Bravo two, alter-
nate at Bravo six. Fire at will." without
reference to Berlitz may have careers as

linguists in the offing. OSG looks to be
following a trend in the hobby: the names of
game and graphic designers are in large type
just below the title.
The interior of the package is as im-
pressive as the price of the game. The
counters, which come with the inevitable big
splash of color, show overhead silhouettes of
the ground units, and worm's-eye view
silhouettes of helicopters (so each is depicted
as it would appear to men of the firing unit).
The print on the unit counters is confined to
the vehicle type (e.g., Gepard) and identity
code (e.g., Golf 61). Even some of the
markers look different and interesting_ The
whole effect is very tasteful. The map, to use
a well-worn cliche, grows on the viewer. The
universal first impression of the double-map
is (politely) Napoleon's 1980 Campaign or
(throwing tact to the winds) an immediate
grab for sunglasses. However, as one
becomes acclimated to the map graphics,
they will be appreciated. Larry Catalano has
gotten around the problem of contours
overlapping woods quite well. Furthermore,
while there is a great amount of detail, it is
organized for the convenience of the players,
a fact which will be greatly appreciated in
view of the difficulty of assimilating the
game system. When counters are placed on
the maps, the contrast is a bit jarring to the
eyes, but after an hour the retinas become
soothed .
The tcxt encompasses 112 pages, 88 of
which must be used to play the game. Forty-
cigh[ of these pages are displays on thc order
of A ir War, which means that , though essen-
tial to play, they need not be read for content
(deciphered, yes; memorized, no). Each
vehicle type has it s own terrain effects chart
(!), observation table, and combat results
table, in addition toa description of its char-
acterIStics. The other displays include
organization charts, which at first glance ap-
pear to be models of DNA molecules. If a
player has any ground units, he must prepare
one of these organization displays for each of
his units . The nccessary bookkeeping is a
combination of marker placement on this
record and written notes. Generally, all in-
formation needed during play can be found
either on the unit data or organization
displays, though some numbers are buried in
the rules.
The rules themselves are good, and very
good if allowances are made for Air Cobra
being an Origins release. Every company in
the field frantically pumps at least one game
through the production cycle as Origins ap-
proaches. The reason for this is two-fold:
first, a company's creative and economic
health is measured by industry observers at
[har convention; and second, games released
at Origins usually receive heavy play in the
media (this has become less true as the
number of new releases increases each year).
The rush to complete games for the conven-
tion has told on the quality of the product.
This was highly evident at this year's Charles
Roberts awards, as no game released at last
year's Origins won one of those awards . This
problem manifests itself in the organization
of the rules and the displays of Air Cobra,
but is not overly severe. Most data and re-
strictions can be found where expected, but a
few crucial numbers and notes are well-
hidden (but almost everything one reads in
A ir Cobra is importan t).
Each turn is divided into four phases,
which is a deceptively low number. The Ar-
tillery Phase is used only when those
weapons systems are available to one player,
and is handled in the manner one has come to
expect in modern games. The Command Seg-
ment requires the player with ground units to
determine the command status of his units.
The chain of command in initiated from the
highest ranking headquarters, and varies
depending upon battlefield conditions and
administrative competence of the com-
manders. The sub-routines here are com-
plicated, excessively so for one not interested
in the workings of the company and platoon
during the modern era.
~ GAME OES1GNBk TO~" MURID't C./lUHIC DE!:i1MER: lARR T
~ being on one side of the contour or other on
-OPERATIONAL STUDIES GROUP-
In summary, if units are in Visual or
Radio Command (the names are fairly self-
explanatory), they have no problems . If a
lower-level headquarters is isolated from its
superior HQ, it can act on its own initiative
(which must be generated at the beginning of
play). Units that are out of touch with any
HQ's are severely hampered in the scope of
their operations. Helicopters, however, pay
no heed to command restrictions, as doctrine
maintains I hal they perform as self-
con tai ned figh ting units .
Play then proceeds to the first of two
identical Combat Phases. The tit I.e has very
little to do with what actually happens during
such a phase. Every action aside from com-
mand is performed by units during one of t he
seven segments of these phases; the segments
may be further sub-divided into as many as
three stages. Each unit must assume a "pro-
file" during the first segment, which may be
changed on succeeding segments. A profile is
a statement of intent by I he player for a unit,
much like the "bound" in Panzer Battles and
Mech War 2. There are technically only
Movement and Fire profiles, but there are a
31
lot of actions, such as taking cover in
defilade, which arc profiles without the
name.
The players alternate performing game
actions through the use of "plays." A play is
a variation on the theme of alternate use of
units (i.e., one player uses a unit, then the se-
cond, then the first, ad infinitum) in which
movement of a single unit or fire of many
units upon a single enemy target constitutes
one play. Confusion sets \n when players
must remember a list of actions which are not
plays, a list, unfortunately, which is not en-
tirely complete. Usually, the players can
figure out whether an action should be a play
by comparing it to a listed action.
Movement, as mentioned earlier, is
regulated by segments. A unit's movement
allowance is divided by six, so that a unit
must adopt six movement profiles to utilize
its full allowance. This makes a gamey tactic
with units that have movement allowances
less than six: the smart player will make sure
that he uses his fi re pro files during the
segments in which a movement point cannot
be expended. The terrain conceptualization
is excellent. The contour system works so
that the contour breaks are in the middle of
hexes; a unit 's position must be indicated as
its organization display. Helicopters may fly
nap of earth to take advantage of terrain pro-
tection from fi re , at contour level if they wish
to flirt with danger, and at low level to put
airspace between them and the ground units.
Interestingly, a helicopter is prohibited from
rising above 100 or 200 meters (as to which,
the rules are not clear) because of possible ex- '
posure to all sorts of long-range anti-air
weapons systems. All in all, the movement
system is perhaps the finest comprehensive,
though not the most elegant, treatment of
movement to appear in a modern game.
Observation is messy. That statement
applies to just about any game which has
such rules . The person who invents the first
smoothly functioning observation system,
should such a beast be possible, will win the
lasting gratitude of his colleagues. Ground
units usually possess a 360 field of vision,
0
0
while helicopters use search arcs in 60 incre-
ment s. A protractor is recommended gear
when playing Air Cobra. Throw in the
ramifications of radar, night, smoke, and the
various permutations of ECM, and the
player is ready to collapse from nervous ex-
haustion.
Combat is, as might be expected, an in-
tense affair. Several forms of destruction are
available to the discerning warmonger, and -
each has its very own procedure. Weapons
are first divided into ground, air, ground and
air" and missile systems Gust to keep the
reader alert, he is informed in passing that
helicopters at nap of earth are treated as
ground units). The mix includes small-arms
fi re, tank main guns, artillery, more missiles
than could possibly exist, and rockets, which
mayor may not qualify as missiles. These fall
into eight main categories, each with its own
special rules.
The combat results are very simple: a
unit is either destroyed, s.uppressed, OJ' not
32
affected. The efficacy of modern weapons is
such that by the lime men decide to retreat.
they or thcir vehicles have been shredded.
Only certain weapons systems cari cause sup-
pression, which represents going to ground
or buttoning up. The mechanics for supprcs-
sion are unusual: if a weapons system
capable of suppression misses its larget, the
owning player gcts a second chance, the
result of which can only be no effect (again)
or suppression.
Since the segments represent five second
intervals, the movement of missiles is
covered . First, of course, one must deter-
mine what type of missile is being fired.
Some are" fire and forgct ," which need only
be launched to seek the target, but some re-
quire guidance from the firing unit. Thus, a
unit firing the latter type of missile must pilot
that missile to its target, or lose it entirelv.
The varying speeds dramatically shov." the
relative slowness of Soviet missiles compared
to those of the NATO alliance, which is the
type of lesson morc simulations should
teach. Thc intcrplay between so-called
"sman" missiles and ECM is muddy, which
is primarily t he fault of a lackadaisical sct of
ECM rules than anything else.
Units remain inverted (until observed),
and there are many decoy units, but still the
overrun and close assault rules arc rarely us-
ed. '"\Then the person I played g~t a chan~e 10
close assault, he was so pleased to ini t ia t e ac-
[ion \vith onc of his ground units that he
committed many ground units to banzai at-
tacks upon well-placed defenders.
Forest for the Trees [conlj""odjrompage 19/
ween points, and other pllysically related in-
forma t ion. Even if a commandet fcIt
rcasonably sure of wha t lay in store al"Ound
the next bend, he woul d ne ver pass up an op-
portunity to drill a prisoner or local resident
familiar with the tcgion .
Jus t how a more real istic incorporation
of lerrain uncertainty mighl fi[ into OLlr war-
gaming practices is, frankly, a matter I can-
not claim to have resolved. Otherwise, I
might be one of {he hallowcd few in design-
dom capable o f making some sort o f living
out of th is hobby. As a novice ama teur,
however, I haven' t let my lack of profes-
sional cxpe rienc~ prevem me from spending
rainy Connecticut weekends armed wit h a
blank SPI hex sheet and somc equally blank
counters. Beyond this, I have {o rely on
t1ights of hexagonal fantasy.
Using counters to represent terrain
features is not really ne\v. But what if ttlOse
terrain types and their placement only
became known on the map area oncc thcy
had become known through physical en-
counters? The width and depth of River #A
could remain unclear until one or more
friendly units had been ihere to see it for
themse lves. How certain can you be that the
information gotten from a capt ured enemy is
ar:r:urale?
The idea or concept of terrain uncertain-
ty and surprise made some kind of crude
The artillery ru les are straight out of the
modern game production line. osa has
finally provided the gaming public with a
sighting and gunnery chart to which the key
is written in plain English . Those who strug-
gled mightily with the obscure instructions to
similar rules in Panzer Battles will heave a
sigh of relief. The rest of the esoterica which
are virtual camp followers to modern games
are covered, with the mysterious exception of
morale rules. Perhaps the command rules are
intended to cover this important facet of
combat., but if so, the treatment does not
seem satisfactory.
A few scenarios are provided, plus a
"roll-your-own" variation. One of the
scenarios places one player in the role of a
Major Isb)', extending a long tradition that
began with Lake Pinsky. Generally, the
scenarios are interesting and time-
consuming. The box copy informs the pro-
spective purchaser that the lime frame of
play is 90 minutes to 5 hours, which is
ludicrous even in a field which specializes in
low estimates to lure customers. OSG also
made a serious mistake in not providing an
introductory scenario; this is a game \vhich
wiJl swallow the unsuspecting player, thus en-
couraging a dislike for it.
The "roll-your-own" scenario rules
show much care and attention. Undoubtedly
the avid players of Air Cobra will choose to
use those rules and eschew the prepared
scenarios once the game is learned. The only
quibble I have, and it is a minor one, is that
the end of the mapboard is, as with almost all
sens~. Obviously some types of terrain can be
estimated through an educaled guess. One is
not likely to bump into an iceberg in Egypt or
a dustet" of pine trees on 1wo .Tima. But the
not ion of revealing \0 the commander/player
only what is actually kno\vn with regard 10
terrain would seem to be a viable ing redient
in simulating t he realism of war conditions.
Should concepts along thcse lines begin
to be built into some wargame sil1lulal ions ,
other comiderat ions may arisc. Clearly , if
one is designing a simulatioll of an historical
bat tie (such as Agincourt, GeLtysburg, etc.)
[he actual terrain of [he lime must be
depicted. Variations with regard to type or
location of terrain would obviousl\! undo the
historical iment of Ihe simulation" No doubt
there are de votees of this hobby who ignore a
great deal of the gamesmanship and prefer to
use t he package as a V~ hide for pure rc-
enactment. Yet the problem (at least fur lhe
gamer) would be centered on how to ade-
quately simulate a commander's lack of ab-
solUte" familiarity with a region while still
conducting the campaign withill thl; para-
meters of historicity .
It would seem rcasonable to assume that
jf thc defending forces are more or less nativc
to t he territory then Ihat commander/player
ought to be given access to terrain informa-
tion denied to the invader. Many might argue
Ihat such a one-sided arrangement would
adversely affect play-balance. Yct the com-
other war games, the end of t.he world for
play purposes. If a helicopter ,Pilot finds
himself in serious trouble, he would, in real
life, scoot away as far as possible, and then
link up with friendly forces for a second try
at his objective. Here, between players who
play for guts, one can have the spectre of
ground units cornering a lone helicopter
against a mapedge in a bizarre game of cat-
and-mouse.
Overall, the game is a sophisticated
simulation of modern airmobile warfare.
There are some errors of design judgment,
which can be excused in a product of this
size. Some important elements of modern
warfare are glossed over (by comparison with
other, less crucial elements), while rules such
as moving to contact (i.e., entering play) are
overdone. However, these are statements of
the designer, and they should be respected as
such. While I am no expert in helicopter (or,
for that matter, modern) warfare, I can
vouch for Tony Merridy as such an expert.
He displays his knowledge in completist
fashion, which should please the serious
students of his subject.
If you want a detailed simulation of air-
mobile operations, Air Cobra is your game.
If you want a game that plays well, this is not
it. In the latter case, perhaps you should wait
for Air Cov. But if you want to wait for Air
Cay, you better have patience.
Air Cobra, from Operational Studies Group,
16 W. 32nd St. , N.Y., N.Y . 10001, $24.
mander in possession of such terrain
k nowlcdge cannot be certain (as simulations
playns currently' arc) [hat the less infot'med
invader will channel his attacks in [he logical
dircl,tinns. Wi thout any clear appreciation of
tcrrain 10catiul1, an invader cannot ncccss-
arily be assumed to gravitate IOwards ke y
positions that intelligence wou ld deem ap-
propriate.
For {hose garners who prefcr to pla:y
soli lait"C-style, or for others who enjoy hypo-
thetical balilefields divorced from any
historical or even present day environments,
[he prospects of cmploying terrain uncertain-
lies would seem bcst simulated by a system of
randomizers. Again, given an absence of the
absurd (I hat Egyptian iceberg), a series oj
feasi b Ie te rrain cncou n t e ts could be arrived
at and a system for determining their actual
typc and location be developed .. Of coursc ,
on(.,e deTermined , t he terrain would remain in
place and strategies would then be plotted
based upon what one actually knows.
I would hope that gamers, be they SPI's
specialists or weekend fUDsters, will give
these ideas sorne considerai'ion. Perhaps
future MOVES authors will provide a dear
focus on feasible systems [0 depict terrain
uncert.ainty, including beneficial arguments
against such notions. As a MOVES sub-
scriber, I would feel lhat "confic[ simu-
lation, theory and lechnique" continues to
be an on-going process capable of remark-
able inno vaT ion .

Designers
Notes
WORKS IN PROGRESS
Please do not order these games in ad-
vance of their publication announcement in
Strategy & Tactics.
Magical Research
and Spell Construction
(DragonQuest Supplement,1)
This supplement was configured near
the end of the DragonQuest project when we
realized that there was simply no way that we
were going to get all of the Colleges of Magie
into the existing booklets. At that point,
there were t hree Colleges left over that we
knew we wan ted to do. We also knew that we
wanted to add some high-powered magical
items (demon swords and the like) and that
we would eventually need a system for
magical research and spell constTuction.
So ... what finally came au t of these percei ved
needs and desires was the firs t supplement,
designed to include three Colleges: Rune
Magic, dealing with the use of runes in spells
and with the reading of ancient manuscripts,
the deciphering of spellgates, and similar
subjects; Shaping Incantations, dealing with
the manufacture of such magical items as
amulets, talismans, weapons, arrd staffs as
well as with such esoterica as building and ac-
tivating various types of golems; Lesser Sum-
monings, dealing with the summoning , con-
trolling, and understanding of all things on
this plane of existence (but excluding extra-
dimensional summonings). Fortunately, the
preliminary DragonQuest feedback indicates
that most of the game's buyers desire this
same supplement. Just as fortunate,
perhaps, is the fact that we have a spe(;ial
pool of manpower available this summer
which has never been available before. As an
experiment, SPI has hircd two whiz kids,
Darryl Esakof and Nick Karp, as interns for
I.he summer. Part of the intern program in-
volves training seminars, part involves the
production of an original manuscript. for a
game, and still another part involves col-
laborating with a staffer on a workshop pro-
ject. DragonQuesl Supplement #1 is that
workshop project. I'm not sure how many
games have ever (intcntionally) been design-
ed by committee before. We may be t.he first
to do it suc(;essfully by design. At any rate,
we intend to try. David Ritchie
Battle of Austerlitz
This game has been something of a poor
relation around here, getting bumped back
on the schedule so that other items could be
run through the mill of our Art Department.
Now, it looks like BoA will finally be
published sometime in the next couple of
months. The play balance problem, which
had plagued previous tests, has been resolved
to a degree by simply factor ing in the 12,000
French soldiers who were reported on the
rosters for 2 December 1805, but who, accor-
ding to most accounts, never actually fought
because they were exhausted. In the original
OB, all rounding bf French unit strengths
had been downward to account for this
phenomenon. The result was a 2 to 1 dispari-
ty in actual strength poin ts in the game! The
final OB takes a less draconian approach and
also tends to show more historkal results
when used in play. For the rest, the creation
of rules to cover the French reserve, corps in-
tegrity, and movement through fire zones
helped to alter play balance by showing up
three of the real advantages the French
possessed in 1805. Hopefully, the ofl-
slighted audience for Napoleonic wargames
will be as pleased with the result. as I am . Now
then, Brad ... about that proposal for a four
map version of the game ....
David Ritchie
Arena of Death
The Ares #4 game entered Art Depart-
ment land just before Origins and will be on
the verge of appearing by the time you read
this report. Arena oj Death was originally
conceived as an introductory module to our
new fan tasy role-playing game, Dragon-
Quest and was mean t to be almost pure
"system" with very lit tie in the way of flavor.
Happily, the game has grown "legs" of its
own so that I am now satisfied tha t it makes a
nice stand-alone product. The premise of the
game is one which has been explored before:
"characters" (represeming the players) enter
an arena and combat various and sundry fan-
tast.ic nasties, accumu lating ever greater skill
and experience as they win their combats, or
losing everything as a result. of a single un-
skillful (or unlucky) encounter. Where
Arena oj Death parts company with previous
efforts is in the' 'closed system" approach to
combat., experience, and victory. This is a
game in which the unseen crowd of ghoulish
watchers is the determiner of victory (and
sometimes even sheer survival). Each
character in the game has a Popularity
Rating (representing the character' s
popularity wit.h the crowd) and it is this
number which is used to determine who wins
(first character to reach a particular level of
popularity with the crowd), and it is this
"thumbs up" or "t.humbs down" in a tight
situation.
Players increase their characters'
popularity by expending accumulated Ex-
perience Points as per ot her games of this
type. Unlike similar games, however, Arena
oj Death exacts a certain loss of popularity
when characters do cowardly things (like
f1eeing the arena in the face of superior force)
or dumb things (like throwing weapons into
the crowd). This infrastructure mak es A rena
oj Death unsuitable as an open-ended vehicle
for combat resolution. On the other hand,
though, campaigns have a certain defined
beginning, middle, and end (established in
advance by the players) and allow for a
latitude of strategic maneuver usually not
found in arena combat games. All in all, a
nice change of pace item that should
33
(hopefully) gain its own circle of devotees
separate from that of its parent.
Against FourWorlds
David Ritchie
A4 W, as it is known in the argot of SPI,
has just been ripped apart so that we can lay
all of the pieces out and see what makes the
existing design tick (and how we can make it
tick at a faster rate). A change in scale for the
tactical system (from 1,00Q kilometers per
cube and 5 minu tes per turn to 5,000
kilometers per cube and 15 minu tes per turn)
has resulted in a substantial increase in
realism at that level without any real change
in mechanics (though ranges are much
shorter and there is less maneuvering around
the edges of the display until one floats
aimlessly off map). A new strategic move-
ment system ~llows for jumps bctwecn star
systems with the chances of success being
relative to the distance between the jump
points in light years and the absolute
magnitude of the star into which the j ump is
made. Happily, I'.'e were able to generate the
several thousand calculations necessary to
this system of movcment using a microcom-
puter. The calculations are now laid ou t on a
.lump Table so that players can simply index
their starting point with t.heir point of arrival
and find out what thcir chance of making it
will be (with a die roll necessary to establish
whether the ship actually makes it) . The
game should undergo several more weeks of
this type of tinkering before it finally wends
its weary way out of R&D, but the result
should be a vast increase in both playability
and ac(;uracy. Anyway, that's wha t. I tell
Brad whcn hc asks me when I'm going to
finish the game. David Ritchie
The Kaiser's Battle
This 5i m ulation a f the German 18th Ar-
my's surprise offensive on 21 March 1918 in
Picardy is complete and will be seen in S&T
#83 (circa December 1980). This attack was
actually part of a larger strategic offensive,
code-named Operation Michel, in which
three German armies participated in suc-
cessive hammer blows against the British 3rd
Army under Byng and the British 5th Army
under Gough. All hough the 18th Army's
original directive was no thing more than a
diversionary attack plan, this Army ironical-
ly struck the most thinly- held area of the
Allied line on the Western FrOllt. Within two
days of the start of the offensive, it was clear
that the Germans had made a dean break
and were racing to cross the Somme River
and in1.O open , undevastated countryside: -
The 18th Army's commander was General ~
Oskar von Hutier, the creator of the so-called
Stosstruppen tactics that had proved so suc-
cessful against the Russians at Riga and the
Italians at Caporetto in 1917. The Kaiser's
Battle is a simple game that is grand tactical
in scope. Each hex is a kilometer across, and
each turn is 12 hours long. Since there was
such a huge discrepancy of rival unit sizes on
the first day of the battle, unit scale ranges
from company to division. All in all, the
situation is remarkably reminiscent of the
Battle of the Bulge - an initial overwhelm-
34
ing attack, followed by defensive reorganiza- . birthplace of every Texan) and my Mexican
tion and finally counterattack.
Joseph Balkoski
Fifth Corps and Hof Gap
The first edition of the Central Front
series, Fifth Corps, is in the art department
and will appear in S&T82.The final version
of the game has three scenarios. The Rhein-
Main Raid, The Battle jor Fulda, and Fijth
Corps. A fourth scenario mentioned in an
earlier progress report was cut due to rules
space limitations. As it is, the game will in-
clude an eight-page Standard Rules booklet
and an eight-page Exclusive Rules Booklet.
The game pits NATO against the Warsaw
Pact in the 1980's on an operational scale.
Up to nine Soviet divisions assault the
Fulda/ Frankfurt area of West Germany op-
posed by the equivalent of three and a half
NATO divisions.
Hoj Gap, the first Central Front expan-
sion game, may be connected to the south
edge of the Fifth Corps map to show West
Germany from Kassel to the Czech border. It
should be going to the Art Department in
three or four weeks. This one will have two
scenarios on its own map and a campaign
scenario played on both maps. Hoj Gap will
have twelve pages of exclusive rules and 400
counters_ It will also present new rules that
can be applied to the Fifth Corps scenarios.
John H. Butterjield
Great Battles
of the America n Civil War
Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge and Drive on
Washington have all been well received, and
they are selling very well. I am glad to see that really problems a t all, but more like pure fun.
there are as many TSS system fans out there
as I thought there were. At present, I have lit-
tle to report except to say that we ha ve recei v- designed three new categories of room
ed six prototypes from freelance designers to
evaluate. There will be two (perhaps three)
published in time for Origins next summer.
The six games so far received (and two others
not yet in), are in competition with each
other; the best will be published. The six
presently in the office are:
Brice's Crossroads
Cedar Mountain
Belmont
Brandy Station
Olustee: Battle/or Florida
Port Republic
In addition to the small games, we are
continuing on with Antietam, which will
most likely be released at Origins. If there are
battles you would especially like to see, write
me. If that battle is Chickamauga, don't
bother, I already know that everyone wants
to see that done. Eric Smith
Alamo
Being from Texas, I was the natural
choice to do this game . I did my research and
found that all the popular histories but one
overesti mate the size of the Mexican army by
a factor of 2. There were only 1800 men in
the assault, not 4000 as is so often stated.
With my Texas OB (down to the name and
sources, I have been able to build a great deal
of research into the game with little cost to
simplicity. The system had to allow for the
tremendous disparity in numbers represented
by a counter; 5-10 men for the Texans and
45-55 men for the Mexicans. The system
hinges on the fact that the firepower of the
Texans was very great, but once engaged in
hand-to-hand combat, they were swamped.
The Zone of Control rules are designed to
reflect this situation. Basically, once a Mex-
ican unit isin the ZOC of a Texan unit, the
Texan looses his ZOC and can be bypassed.
Mexican units always have ZOC's. The walls
and other terrain of the fortress are classed as
to whether or not ZOC's extend into or
across them. The game can be finished in less
than two hours and is fun for both sides,
even though the Texan knows he is going to
be killed to a man. Historically the Texas
scored a major victory at the Alamo by
destroying 1/3 of the attacking force. This
may occur in the game too.
Eric Smith
Citadel of Blood
The game has turned out very well, and
by the time you read this will have been turn-
ed in to the Art Department. The main pro-
blems I have encountered in designing the
game were writing a readable set of rules
from the basic material left me in Death-
Maze. DeathMaze is a good game, but the
rules were written in case format as opposed
to sentence format (which is required for
Ares). The rules are written now, and they
read nicely. The other problems were not
I had a great time inventing new magic items,
such as Talismans, and new room features. I
features; furni ture, altars, and artwork. Fur-
niture includes a magical clavichord which is
playing all by itself and may charm the
character into giving away his money. Also
included is a coffin, a book case, a desk, a
mirror, and other features. Altars are very
dangerous and potentially very helpful. A
character must make a resistance check, and
if he passes, he is blessed with a new ability; if
he fails, he is cursed and suffers a variety of
gruesome afflictions. Even with all the nice
touches I have added, the thing I am most
pleased with is designing into the game an in-
teresting quest. The game now has a point:
find the Hellgate and destroy it.
Eric Smith
Asgard
Depicting Ragnarok, or "the twilight of
the gods." Asgard involves the struggle of
the Aesir race of Norse gods to defend their
realm against the hordes of giants pouring in-
to Asgard over the Rainbow Bridge. The ma-
jor Aesir gods - Odin, Thor, Vidar, Freyr,
Tyr, and HeimdaJl- and the leading figures
of the giant uprising --:- Loki, the wolf Fenrir,
the hellhound Garm, Hrym, Surt, and the
Midgard Serpent - meet on the Plain of
Vigrid shown on the game map. Certain per-
sonages possess special movement and com-
bat abilities which help them in battle. Ex-
amples are Thor, who has a hammer that
returns to him after striking an opponent,
and the Mid'gard Serpent, which can infect its
enemies with a deadly poison. Each per-
sonage begins the game with a number of en-
durance points which are lost as a result of
combat. A figure with no endurance points
remaining is dead. Around the gods, war-
riors from Valhalla and airborne Valkyries
battle against Frost-giants, Fire-giants, and
Ghost-giants. The rate at which the giants
cross the Rainbow Bridge must be considered
carefully by the lotun (giant) player, for
there is a chance that the bridge will collapse
if overloaded, killing all giants and per-
sonages on it. Asgard promises to be an ex-
citing and fast-playing game of tense action.
Darryl Esakoj
The Great Palace of Ontonele
(DrsgonQu6st Adventure ")
The Palace of Ontoncle was the
ancestral home of a sect of demon-
worshippers, thriving on arcane summonings
and bloody rituals. Devastated in the height
of its power by a terror transported to this
plane by awesome magics, the palace lay
empty, mouldering through the years. Then
two adepts of a circle of demon lords harken-
ed to tales of the castle's mystical knowledge
and began to vie for the palace's wealth .. ..
The first DragonQuest adventure differs
in several ways from the standard slap-job
fantasy role-playing adventures that have
been flooding the market. First, the adven-
ture is carefully structured (using modified
SPI format). The characters' mission is
carefully outlined, and the motives as well as
the capabilities of the characters opposing
them are described in detail. Gamesmasters
can add their own ideas to the adventure, but
they will have a solid base on which to build
and enough details already provided so that
they need not work out ideas on their own if
they don't want to. The adventure is also
structured to allow the gamesmaster to find a
particular detail without having to wade
through dozens of pages.
Secondly, the adventure has a coherent
rationale. The palace, which is the center of
activity in the adventure, is layed out the way
a real palace would be, instead of just serving
as a maze of rooms for random and mean-
ingless encounters with monsters of various
types. All the adventures to follow will be
planned out in the same way, and hopefully a
whole new level of coherency and rationality
will be added to fantasy campaigns.
Nicholas Karp
Rescue from the Hive
Rescuejrom the Hive: the name sounds
like a silly space opera, but the game itself is
one of strategy as much as action. The game
is set on an Affanti hive ship, a maze of com-
partmenlS and passages suspended in a whirl-
ing cylinder to provide artificial gravity. The
map is divided into six living areas and two
laser compartments, all interconnected by
passages. There are two players, one Terran,
one Affanti. The Terran player ' s objective is
to rescue a captured ambassador and his

daughter hidden somewhere on the ship. The
Affanti player tries to prevent the rescue and
to annihilate the invading Space Marines.
Each player has a certain degree of limited in-
telligence. All Affanti units (and the am-
bassador and his daughter) are wearing
similar suits, so the Ter,ran player never
knows who he is firing at until they fire back.
The Affanti player, on the other hand, does
not know where the Space Marines are going
to breach the hull to enter the ship. In fact,
[he Space Marines can arrive in as many as
six different places simultaneously. Thus the
Affanti player has to prepare for many dif-
ferent eventualities in his initial set-up. In ad-
dition to rescuing the ambassador and his
daughter, the Space Marines also want to
knock out the Affanti laser pods. It is not
mandatory that they do so, but if they don't,
there is a chance that they will rescue the am-
bassador only to have him fried as he exits
[he hive. Nicholas Karp
Sea to Shining Sea fconlinued/rompage14]
Coast is one of the strongest areas in [he
country both in numbers of garners and in
dollars of purchases per capita. The effect
that an Origins convention can have on this
base is incalculable.
Likewise, the gamers who come will be
meeting most of the "names" in the hobby
for the first time. Whatever one might think
of individuals, the fact remains that garners
appreciate direct contact with those "in the
know:"
Pacific Origins itself faces some ticklish
situation. Since we are the first GMA
Origins,.we're on the cutting edge of change,
and much of the cutting will impact on the
manufacturers. We will be charging much
more for exhibit space; we will require ex-
hibitors to belong to or join GMA; and we
will require final schedules of events long in
advance.
Of course, any gains made by Pacific
Origins will not be ends in themselves. The
ideal development is one where Origins can
begin to exhibit the stability of, for example,
the Hobby Industry Association national
conventions, which move on a semi-fixed
schedule with dates and places fixed three
and four years in advance. To accomplish
this, our hobby needs a group in the southern
U.S. to get things together. There are a few
groups, such as PCl and Metro Detroit, who
would be willing to help, but someone out
there has to lay the foundation and supply
the competent local manpower.
The Adventure Gaming Hobby's transi-
tion to more of an orthodox commercial
status may not be an easy one. Do we want
this change? We are stuck with it. Yet there is
great value for our hobby in the small, one or
two-man company, and we need to take
some care that these are not overwhelmed as
other companies grow into different kinds of
businesses. We are going to move forward
regardless, and each gamer can expect that
this movement will result in more of
whatever part of our hobby he or she most
enjoy .
Con Crit [continued/rompage]3]
public relations vehicle for the company. A
well done seminar on a game or game system
can "sell" it to a large audience. A poorly
prepared presentation can do the opposite
and cause one to question how thoroughly
the designer and his company tackle other
projects.
Conclusion. When all the ' pluses and
minuses are totaled, Origins looks like this:
I. The organizing groups have thus far
been dedicated and hard working.
Tito Lives ./oomilluedfrom fX1I!' 71
succinct a set of rules as I have seen in any
game. When a rule cried out for an example,
he provided it. What few minor ambiguities
there were, hopefully have been corrected in
TITO ADDENDA
RULES
[7.22C] (change) Defecting Chetniks are plac-
ed in the Yugoslav/partisan Mountain triangle
of the occupied zone.
[7.23B] (change) + J if Italian Surrender
(10.3, not Withdrawal) has taken place.
[7.42J (addition) Within the limits of the Se-
quence of Play (4.0) and 7.68 (limitations on
the num ber of counters), the Yugoslav player is
free to choose the order in which his rein-
forcement, may be crea ted.
[7.44E] (addition) No Chetnik unit may
generate reinforcement, or Victory Points if an
Objective Display also is occupied by Pro-Axi,
Chetniks.
[7.49] (clarification) The halvings apply to
such factors as weather, etc., and not to a
Recruitment Value of V, of a display.
[7.63A,7.67Aj (changes) No larger guerrilla
unit may be created in a Hidea way circle.
[S.24BJ (change) When engaged in combat en-
tirely against guerrilla units in a Mountain
Triangle, Axi.1 llnits inCllrring a retreat re:;ull
are not obligated to retreat.
[8.55] (change) The intrinsic Defense
Strength 0 f the four cities are not automatical-
ly eliminated by Italian Surrender. (They
reflect historical Italian units that remained
loyal to the Axis after the surrender.)
[8.6[ (change to CRT) Modifications for
Tito, Anti-Guerrilla Operations, and moun-
tain unit, are made to the probability ratio
(8.21 B) and are not column shifts on the Com-
bat Results Table. Thlls, after all such
modifications have bcen made, au.acks at odds
lower than I to 2 are not permitted, and
attaek.1 at greater than 12 to I are resotved on
the 12 to 1 column.
[9.43] (addition) If the 501st is participating
in an Anti-Guerrilla Operation, it need not be
removed from the map during the Planning
Segment (8.42), although the Axis Player
secretly makes a notation as to which operation
the SO 1st is committed. The unit is deployed
normally according to 8.22.
[10.22J (change) Delete the reference 10 Chet-
nik Collaboration die rolls.
35
2. The conventions could be improved
considerably by more attention to the
"why" of operational details by the
organizing bodies.
3. Registration must be simplified.
4. The seminars are woefully lacking in
quality.
Comments from readers of this article
would be appreciated. The author will gladly
correspond with anyone who has an interest
in improving future conventions .
the addenda. My thanks are not only for
myself. If you believe, as I do, that Tito is a
rich, challenging, colorful, and unpredic-
table game, then my thanks to Joe also are on
behalf of all you folks out there in
simulation-land .
[10.21) (change) Italian llnit, may retreat into
the Croatia-Mountain Triangle, bllt must move
Olll in the ensuing Axis Movement Phase.
[10.3] (addition) Chetnik Collaboration die
rolls (7.2) are affected by Italian Surrender.
[1l.22A] (addition) Normal weather prevails
on Game-Turn 1.
[13.621 (change) The Yugoslav player is eligi-
ble for Pro-Yugoslav Chetnik replacements
between Game-Turns 2 and 8 (not 13).
[13.92, 14.3El (clarification) The Yugoslav
player loses 5 Victory Points for each optional
Soviet reinforcement unit used on Game-Turn
15.
[14.3C] (change) The exception to this case
should read: "After Allied Support
Withdrawal (not Game-Turn 13), this Case
should be ignored."
[14,3J (change) The Yugoslav player loses
20 Victory Points (not 10) for each Soviet and
pro-Yllgoslav Bulgarian unit on the map dur-
ing the ViClory Point Stages of Game-Turns 16
and 17.
[14.41 (addition) Add Case 9.41 to those
lisl.ed.
[15.5] (change) Add 100 points to each level
of victory. For example, a Yugoslav Decisive
ViclOry requires grealer lhan 800 (not 700)
Points, and an Axis Deci,ive Victory requires
less than 401 (not 301) Points.
[15.6] SHORn:NED GAME (Optional)
The game ends at the completion of the Victory
Point Stage of Game-Turn 15. Victory is deter
mined according to the original schedule con-
tained in Case 15.5 of the Rules booklet
COUNTER ABBREVIATIONS
Croat
Ust: Ustacha (political mililia); Gd: Guard.
Italian
CD Alpi: Cacciatori delli Alpi; Alpi Gr: Alpi
Graie; Lombard: Lombardia.
German
SS: Schutzstaffel (elite troops); LW: Luft-
waffe (air force field troops) L: Leight (light);
Cos: Cossack.
Soviet
Gd: Guards .
36
BULGE
A Statistical Report of
Game Characteristics
by Claude Bloodgood
Mr. Bloodgood has a professional
background in statistics and accounting and
has created for us a reporting format and
validation system unique in all of wargaming .
He and his fellow members of the prison
population at the Virginia State Penitentiary
devote a good deal of their recreation t ime to
wargaming - and have broug ht to th eir
gaming sessions a careful structure of
records keeping and thoughtful criticism
Statistics for this review were compiled
at the Virginia State Penitentiary, which has
a good core of experienced players and a
steady now of newcomers to gaming. This
cross-section of players provides an excellent
base from which meaningful statistics can be
accumulated under controlled playing condi-
tions with arbiters. It provides an interesting
test for each game available. Rules disputes
between experienced players will focus atten-
tion on hazy rules very rapidly, and problems
thal are not resolved easily will result in the
"problem" game seeing liule action. The
levels of complexity are quickly established,
frequently differing with published or adver-
lised levels. Average playing times are cal-
culated based on actual play, with these times
used for scheduling purposes: in a peniten-
tiary, these limes must be accurate in order to
obtain . approval for adequate playing time
and space from prison officials.
Statistical Analysis
Participating Players: 41
52. 5 ~!o of a~l.i ve players ,elecled [he game from
an inventory of more than 70 available titles
during the six months ending 6122/ 80.
Repeat Players: 36
87.8D10 of the 41 participanto played the game
again after com pleling one set (cach player
playing each side once). This is a key te,L o f a
game's real interest level; 50"7. is average .
Total Games Player: 138
The German Airdrop rule was utilized in 82
games with very little difference in results .
Average Playing Time: 2.93 hours
Total playing time was 404.5 hours fo r 138
games. Players new to Bulge should expect (heir
first game to take a bou t 4-6 hours, unless they
are thoroughly familiar with the rules.
Shortest Recorded Game: 0.20 hours
Played between two experience players and
conceded at the beginning of the third German
player-turn .
Shortest Complete Game: 1.66 hours
Played between two experienced players
repeating on Bulge.
Longest Recorded Game: 9.25 hours
Played between LWO players new to Bulge and
fairlr new to wargaming in general.
Best Side Results: Germans 76-62
Between fairly equal opponents this edge would
be greater, as game-set results compiled include
some unequal pairings.
Game Imbalance: 10.1%
Formula is wins minu> losses, divided by lhe
number of game!; played . Bulge exhibits beller
than average play balance .
Game Balance Analysis
The game imbalance statistic provided
does not weigh the relative player skills; thus,
a closer look is needed. Approximatel.y 40 of
the 138 games played were between seriously
mismatched players, and the better player
won both sides of the sets easily. When these
results are eliminated from t he statistics, the
game imbalance level increases to 14.2070.
This means that the German side should win
57.1070 or the games when opponents are
roughly equal. Playing the Allied side is a
real challenge.
Subjective Analysis by Players
Player Balance: 6.78
Average of 41 responses; 9 is perfecIly balanced,
1 is totally unbalanced.
Playability: 7.93
Average of 41 responses; 9 is supremely
playable, 1 is unplaya ble.
Length of Game: 7.52
Average of 40 reopo n.les; 9 is exact 11' the righ l
length, I is much to short or long.
Game Challenge: 6.95
Average of 41 responses; 9 is cxtremely
challenging, 1 is no challenge.
Rules Disputes: 8.02
Average of 41 respon ses ; 9 is non e of
consequence, I is constant disputes.
Comments on the Game System
Bulge utilizes a game system that in-
eludes many of the best. features of other
games blended into one smooth system. The
mechanics are easily learned, but reading the
fules is essential. Accelerated mechanized
movement is a key factor, and the counter-
balancing rule for Allied bridge interdiciion
is also important to understand; the German
tactics are built around mobility and the
Allied position is dependent on blocking that
mobility. Pre-movement and post-movement
combat also provide for a fast-paced game.
The use of two Combat Results Tables
(Primary and Secondary) is a major improve-
ment over earlier combat systems, with
secondary diversions now possible without
obtaining impossible odds for all attacks - a
good addition to the game .
S.u pply rules are remarkably clean.
Weather and Air Power rules are simple and
effective. The primary complaint is with the
Victory Conditions, which favor the German
player, Even this complaint is not too
serious, for many games are more imbalanc-
ed than this one. This is an excellent game-
system that does not distract player attention
away from playing the game.
INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS
FOR MO VES MAGAZINE
Most of the arlicles in MO VES are written
by its readers. We'd like you 10 give it a try - if
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I. Operational Analysis. Deals with thc tactics
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2. Game. Profile/ Review. Descript ion of a
g am~ or games with particular altenti on to iLl
simulational system and playability. An y crit i-
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ment Oil the move-by-move progress of an ac -
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pl a yings, the mOSE rclevam of which being the
slIbject ofrhe article.
4. Field Report. Provides organized, valid in-
fOrm<lli on o n some aspcct of contl iet simula-
ti o n of general interest.
5. Scenarioplex. An experimental !ie,lion of
scenarios (each no longer than two typewri tt en
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wo rds) 011 almost any subject relaled to gam-
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38
Feedback
MOVES nr. 52, published Aug/Sep 1980
How to use the Feedback Response Card: After you've
fi~ished reading this issue of MOVES, please read the
Feedback questions below, and give uS your anSwers by
writing the answer-numbers on the card in the response
boxes which correspond to each question number, See
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tween express various shades of approval or disapproval.
SECTION A
\-3. No question . Ileave b:ankl.
Questions 4 through 18 ask you to rate the anicles in this
issue on a scale of 1 = poor, 9~ excellent; o~ no opinion.
4. Tito LIves
5. C' esT La G Uerre
6. Conqueri ng The Magic Kingdom
7. Thu Forest for the Trees
8. Con Crit
9. PhotO-lOons
10. Fro m Sea to Shining Sea
1\. Charle-Mail
12. Stat RApe Bulge.
13. Forward ObserVer
14. DeSigner's NOtr Gs
15. Opening MOVES
16. MOVES in Engl ish
17. T~ ;s isslie overall
18. Was this issue bener Than , he last?
19-24. No question
25. Assume ThaT 'IOu do n't subscribe 10 MOVES. Wou ld
the q ual iw of this issue alone motivate 'Iou to subscribe?
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subscription to MOVES? 0= I don' t subscribe; 1 = Th is is
my lirst iSsuo; 2 - T his is my socond or third issue;'
3 ~ Til lS is my fourth or fift h Issue; 4 = This is my SIxth
iss ue; 5 = T his is my sevRmh Through elevenTh issue;
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Through eighteenth issue; 8 = Tlo is is my nineteenth or
subsequent issue; 9 = I am J MOVES Lifetime Subscriber
i reqardless of nlImber of IssueS received I .
27. Wha1 level of comple,iry do you prefer in games?
Ral e yo ur prefArR ~ c6 on 8 I-S sc ale, wi th hig her numbers
indicating increased complexity. Use these ga mes as
g uidelinos; 4-5 ~ Chickamauga, 7 ~ PatroJ.i; 9 ~ Air War.
28. Your age: 1 ~ 13 Yea rS ol d or you nejer; 2 ~ 14-17;
3 ~ 18-2 1, 4 = 22-27; 5 = 28-35; 6 = 36 or older
29. Your sex; 1 = Male; 2 = Fema le.
30_ EducaTion: 1 = 11 YAa rs or less; 2 = 12 years; 3 = 13-1 5
yea rs; 4 = 13-15 years and stil l in SChool: 5 = 16 years;
6 = 17 years or mOrA.
31. How long have you been playing ro ni lict simu lation
games? 0 = less than a vear; 1 = 1 veer; 2 = 2 Y8" rS .8= 8
yef.:l f s; 9 = 9 O f rn ure years .
32. What is the average number of ho urs you spe nd play-
ing simulation games each m o ~m ? 0= none; 1 = 1 hnu r or
less; 2=2-5 hou rs; 3=6-9 hnu rs; 4= 10-15 hours;
5 ~ 16-20 hours; 6 ~ 2125; 7 = 26-3Q; 8 = 31-40 ; 9 = 40 01
more hou rs,
33. How many simulation games 1of all publishers) do
you pOS5P.SS? 1 ~ 1-10; 2 = 11-20; 3 ~ 21-30; 4 = 31-40;
5 = 41-50; 6=51-60; 7=61-70; 8=71-80; 9=81 ormore
34. Did you send in the feed back card for your last issue
of MO VES? 1 = yes; 2 = no.
35. Pick the one area about which yo u wo uld most like to
see games and articles done: 1 = Ancient I Rome, Greek,
Biblical, 3COJ BC - 600 AD); 2 = Dark Ages and
Renaissance 1600 AD - 1600 ADI; 3 ~ 30 Years War and
pre-Napoleonic f' 600 - 1700): 4 = Napoleonic [1700 - TSS Second Edition. In the 4 years since the release of
'830); 5 = Civi l War !19th Century 11830 - 19001; 6 ~ Terrible Swift Sword, there have been numerous ad-
World War I 11900 - 1930); 7 = World War II fl930 - vances in the state of the an for the system. We have
1945); 8 ~ post-World War II 11 945 - present); 9 = received many requests to reissue the game in a second
Science Fiction and Fantasy ,
36. How did you purchase this copy of t he magazine? 1
= by subscriptIon ; 2 ~ by mail as a single copy; 3 = in a
store; 4 ~ it was passed afong to me by a friend; 5 =
other means fdescribe)
37, H ow ma ny people (including ynu rself) wi tl read this
cnpy of MOVES? 1 = one lo nly you rself): 2 = t wo; 3 ~
three".9 ~ nine or more.
38, Do you own, or plan to buy , one of the tollnwing
microcomputer systems? 1 = I own a Commodore PET; 2
= I plan 10 buy a PET; 3 = I own a Radio Shack TRS-80: 4
= I pl an to buy a T RS 80; 5 ~ I ow n some other
microcomputer ; 6 ~ I ptan to buy some other microcom-
puter; 7 ~ I have no ptans to buy a microcomputer
because I am not interested; 8 = I have no plans 10 buy a
microcomputer because I already have acceSS to a com-
pUler : 9 ~ I have no pl"ns to buy a microcompu ter for
some other reason .
Rate the following game proposals on a scale of 1 to 9,
with 1 indicating very little inclination to buy the game if
published up through 9 indicating a definite intention to
purchase it,
39, The Shot Heard Round the Worfd A political-mil itary
simulation of the months of March and April 1775 in
Boston and the surroundi ng villages of Middlesex Coun-
try, Massachusens. The game would pit the skills of a key
group o r rebels, including John Hancock, Samuel
Adams , and Dr, Joseph Warren, against General Thomas
Gage and his force of a few thousand redcoats , The ob-
jective of the rebel player would be to protect the leaders
of the potential rebellion, arouse the local population to
the cause, remove prominent Tories from pOSitions of
power, al l t he while gat hering critical mi litary stores and
weapon" in hiding in nearby villages, As the British player,
you r objectives wo uld be to prevent any mOrA" Boston
Massacres," arrest the key leaders nf the rebellion, and
seize t he rebels' military supplies. The game wou Id
employ Simple game mechan ics - one map, 200
counters , and 12 pages of rules, with the possible inclu-
sion of playing cards , All in all, an accura te simu lation of
lh e pol itical and militory problems in herem in a
"powderkeg" atmosphere, bordering readily on open
wanare. To sell for $10-12 .
40. Mr Madl:,on's War. A strateg ic simulatinn of the linle
understood War of 1812 that waS fought between Great
Brita in and the United Sta les , Th is conflict, fought with
extre mely limited resou rces on both sides, raged
Throughout the North America n continent for two and
one-half years. The British strategy was to conduct a
series 01 amphibious operatio ~s along the A merican
coastline and inland waterways aimed at the capture of
major Cities and mil itary sites, The American strategy was
to wage a guerre de course on the high seaS whilB attemp-
ting The conquest of Ca nada. The game system would be
simple - o ne map Bnd 200 cou ntsrS (possibly for inclu-
sion into S & TI. piuS an 8 O f 12 pawe rules booklet. All i ~
all, an informative si mu lation of 19t h centurv grand
strategic wa rfare. To sell for $10.
41. Prelude to the Civil War. This two-player gam e woul d
recreate American history from 1849 to 1860, from the
end of the Mexica n Wa r to th~ outb reak o r the Civil War.
Each player 1Nmth or South) at tempts to increase his
region' s economic and poliTica l strength while striving to
aVOId the outbr~ak of t he Civi l W ar. If wee Cdn be avoided
18 diificuITtask) , the plaver who has improved his region ' s
sm tus the most is the wi nner _ If wa f breaks OUl, neiTher
pl~yer wins, bu t the il lu minati ng historical i nsi g l1ts ac
qui red from ptay w ill prove most worthwl1ile. Du ring
each one-year Game-Tu rn, each player putS economic
and pol itical pla ns i mo action. A "public sen timent"
scale, ranging from complete reco~ciliation to the out-
break oi t he war, wou ld be affected by lhese action8 .
Random eve nts of the period, such as John Brown's raid,
the Nat Turner revolt, or o~e of the congressional Com-
promises, wou ld also affect public sentiment. Optional
ru tes covering the presidential elections of Ihe period
wo uld be inCl uded, The game would include a 22" x 34"
map showing lhe sequence of new state ad missions and
the undeveloped nature 01 the U,S, interior, coun ters
representing the key historical figures and factions of the
time, and cards . To sell for $15.
edition, which would take advantage of all the testing
since its release by adding new rules and concepts to
make the game more historical and more balanced. We
could do it one of two ways:
42. Issue a second editio n of the ru les to i ~corporate a
new CRT and other charts and tables. The game wou Id
retain all oi its original concepts and would include new
ones as well. Several new one-map scenarios and op-
tin nal ru les would be inclu ded in a 32page rule booklet 10
sell for $4 ,
43. Issue a second edition of the rules and cOU nters, The
rules wou td be the sl andard rules for the Great Battles o f
the American Civil War plus a 24-page booklet of ex-
clusive rules and charts. The game would be substantially
cha nged to suit the new sta ndard ru les, but wou Id play
more historically with a lower casualty rate. Two rules
books and 1000 counters ina ziplock bag for $9.
44, Manifesr Destiny! Throughout the 19th ce ntu ry, men
of imag ination were obsessed by the lure of more la nd
and riches to the west, north, and south, From 1800 to
1900, Ule United States more than sextupled in s,ze as
Americs fulfilled its ma nifest destiny. Along the way there
were many hardships; hostile Indians by the tens of
Thousands; hostile nations such as Canada, Britai n, and
France; hostile territories where man was seemingly never
meant to live; and more. As players , each person would
start off in a sector of the original thi rtee~ colonies and
wou ld try to advance as far and as fast as possible in a
westerly direction. Each player would gradual ly acqui re a
regional makeup as fieW states were formed and the
politics of e'lch state were determined, Each game-turn
would represent five years and wou Id cover the
economic, political, and military problems involved in the
expansion, at other peoples' expense, of The United
States . Special rules would cover ran dom events, the
Civil War Ishould it occur), the Indian Questio n, other na-
tions Isuch as France) and thei r impact on America , and
many other interesti ng special events of the 19th cent ury.
The game would have one 22" x 34" map , 200 counters,
and 16 pages of rutes, To sell for $10,
45. Herkules The A xis Asssull on MailS, Often Con-
sidered one of Hitler's most sig nificant mislakes, the
failure of the Axis to capture or completely neutral ize the
aero-nava l base of Malta eventually played a major role in
seal ing the dnom of Panzerarmee Afrika. Herku les wou Id
simu late what Cou Id have happened had the May 1942 in-
vasion o f the Britis h fortress been carried out as p!anned.
The game wou id use an updated version cf our popula r
Arnhem game system. One 11" x 17" map, 100 back
printed counters, 8-12 pages of ru les. Boxed. $5.
46. Port Moresby. An operational level game depict ing
the Japanese, Australian, a ~ d American operations in
New Gui nea from Port Moresby to Buna, ln ea rly Ju Iy
1942, lhe Japanese established a base at Bu na and push-
ed inla nd along the rugged Kokoda Trail over the Owen
Sta nley Mountains. This adv"nce was stnpped thirty
miles from Port Moresby by Austral ian an d American
resistance, A J apanese ampllibious assau It was also
repelled . The Allies then pushed the J apRnese b.,ck
across the rugged terrain and threw the Japanese off 1he
island followi ng vicious yard-by-yard ba tiles for Gona and
heavi ly for if ied Bu na. The AI !ies had finally proved that
they cou Id defeat The J apanese in j ungle warfar. The
game would be played on a 22" x 8" mo p portraying l he
Kokodo Trail region wilh 100 counters dnd w ould include
rules f or airpower, amphibious opera t ions, and the severe
conditions of warfar~ in mnu ntain jungle. To sell for S7
47. Assault on Salerno. On 9 September 1943, the Allies
retu rned 10 Western Europe, maki ng a rnassiv~ am ,
phibious landi ng on the G lJlf of Salerno. An entire Anglo-
American army Ithe Fifth ) came ashore at dawn in what
was expected to be an unopposed landing. By nig htfall,
progress had come 10 a virtual standstill and the ,A,lIies
held four tenuous and unconnected beach heads against
deTermined German resistance. Two days later 112
Seplember), there had been linle improvement in The
All ied pOSition , a~d six divisions whic h had been rushed
south by t he German commander, Kessel fing, began a
co unterattack w hich lasted for the next three days and
whic h at one point was prevented from crushing t he
lodgment only by 1he timely intervention nf A.fliod naval
gunfire support. Finally, on 16 September, lhe battle for
the beachhead ended when p'ltrols of Montgomery's
Eighth Army linked up with Clark's weary troops. As.sau It
 39
on S olerno would simu late this momentous S!1uggle us- vironment. If the ga me proves sUGcessful , 01her planetary teen questions {lettered "A" through "N"l. Unless other
ing the acclaimed Vicrory in the West game system conflicts on a similar scale would be created. $12. wise nored, these questions are answered with a "/"
presented in S & T 78. One 22" x 34" map, 200 counters, (poorl through "9' {excellen(i rating.
12 pages of rules. Boxed. $8, A. What did you think o f the phySical quality and layout of
54. Empires of the Stell~r Reaches, Util;;: ing elements of
48. Kohlma. In March 1944, the Japanese operation S PI's smashing new multi-player game. Empires of the the mapsheetl
"U -GO ," the invasion of west Bu rma and east India Middle Ages, this game would plaoe each player in B. What did you think of the physical quality and layo u! of
begon . This invasion, long in pfanning by the Japanese pol itica l and mil ita;y control o f the desti~y of a space- the ru les folder?
high command, was a defensive thrust, designed to stop faring race or family of races , and put him in the pOSition C What did you think of tne physicaf quality and layout of
iln expected British attack through Burma befo re it of challe nging the balance of power of the galaxy, Special the u~it coun ters?
started, and to cut the sole rai l connection 10 the British rules would cover such eventualities as ideological war-
O. What did you think of the game's "ease of play" (how
forces in China. The staging area was the Manipur plain, fare, endemic piracy, colonization and consequent anti-
well the game moved alongl?
and to get to Ind ia the Japanese wou ld have to go imperi al ist dynamiCS, and others. The Empires systems
throug h Ko hima. Kohima is a tactical representation of would be utili;:ed to hand le leaders , diplomacy, fonific- E, What did you 1hink of the "compl eteness" of the
the battle in and around the town of K ohima, at " ation, administratio n, conquest, and "standa rd" unreSt game's ru les (was everyth ing thoro~ ghly explained!7
company-battalion level scale and 1000 ft. per hex. The and rebellion las opposed to pa rticu larl y ideolog ical or F. W hat did you th ink of the game's play balance fwas the
game w ill use the popular Wachtam Rhein system, exten anti- imperialist revoltsl. The game would consist of a map game intefesting ior bath sides) 1
sively modified to represent the intricacies or jungle com of our galaxy, cou nters, and ru les, and wou Id sell for $10, G. What did you think about the appropriateness of the
bat. Scenarios would cover both the original Japanese in- length of the average game 7
vestment of Kohima and the subsequent counterattacks Please r~te the suitability of the following games for
solitaire plav on a scale of I to 9 with "/" indicating H. What did you thi nk of the amo unt of "set-up time"
by the British 33rd corps , The game wou ld have 200
negligible suitability and "9" indicating excellem solitaire needed before you could begin playing tt'e game]
CQunters, and a 22" x 34" map. To sell for $9.
play value; "0" indicates no familiarity with the game. J. What did you th ink of the appropriateness of the com-
M ortain. Hitler's counterattack during the Cobrll opera 55. K ingmoker rAH i plexity of this game ?
tion in Normllndy was Germany's last chance to stop the
56. Tyre K, What did you thi nk of thiS garne 's rea lism?
Allied breakout into the heart of France. Hastily organized
and hampered by Allied Airpower, elements of 47th S7. Art of Siege L. What did you l hi nk of this game overall?
Panzer Corps drove into Patton's flank in an attempt to "'- 5-8. The Conquerors M. Would you still have bOught this game if yo u knew
establish contact with the COllSt. It was a small, quick bat- 59. Agincoufl tilen what you know now about it 11 = Yes; 2 = Nol,
tle of German armor vs, U. S. infantry that could have N. Do you thi nk you received your money's worth with
ItO. l ille
been II Germany victory. The game eould be done one of th is gamelll = Yes; 2 = No) .
two ways /rate each oneseparatelyl. 61. Caesa r (AlesiA) (AH)
We will ask vou to rate six games. If you have not played
49. A fast-playi ng regimem-Ievel portrayal on an 62. A Mighty Fortress these games, or have not played them enough to be able
r
11 " x 1 map w ith fewer than 100 countefS. Would uSe 63. Nordlingen to evaluate them, then simp/v place "0" in the boxes.
ou r Victory in the West system IPallon's Third Armvl. To 64. Acre RERLIN '85
sell for $6, 65. Sevastopol 104. A I mapsheell 111. H (sel-u p time)
SO. A deta iled battalionl company level simulat ion usi ng 66. F, ederick the Grf'-'lt IDS. B (rules) Ill. J (complex ity)
elements of our Arl~n(ic W~iI and Highway to the Reich 106. C (cou nte rs) 113. K I realisml
67. Lutzen
game systems, hig hlighti ng the problems of command,
68. M usket & Pike 107. D (ease of play) J14. L (overall)
maneuve r and su pporL Presented at a scale of one half
mile per hex with thrsshour game-turns. Would include 69. Napoleon ' s Las t Bat ties Quod 108. E I ru les completenessl liS. M (then and nowl
one 22" x 34" map and 200 counters. A possible S & T lOll. F I balancel 116. N {money's worthl
70. Napoleon at BAY (OS GI
game to sell for $9. 110. G !lengthl 117. No Question
71. Wooden Ships & Iron Me n fA H)
51. Tne Israeli War of Independen~e. The Arabllsmeii 72. Wel lington's Victory RULGE
War of 1948-1949, the most costly lor both sides in terms 118. A (mapsheet) 125. H Iset-up timel
73. La Belle AII,ance
of losses , waS also a fatal stroke for many of the Arab
'4. Lig ny 119. B (ru les) 126. J (complexityl
governments, The war was fought with weapons 15 years
120. C (counters) 127. K (realism I
beh ind the times (Napo leo nic cannons on d Spitfires were 75. Napoleon at War Quad
not u ncommoni. The problem on both sides was not 121. D (ease of playl 128. L (overall I
76. Wagram
ma npower, bU1 effective weapons and ammunition , 122. E (rules completeness) 129. M Ithen and now)
77. Oua " e Bras
When the war ended in 1949, Israel had not only secured 123. F (balance) 130. N (money's worth)
Its independence, but taken the Negev and Sinai as well . 78. Bataille de la Moskowa IGOW) 124. G (length) 131,132. No Question
Th e game would conoentra te on political even1s , troop 79. Marengo
training, morale, and avail"bility of weapons. Since there LENI NGRAD
80. Wavre
was no army organization until late in the war, players 133. A I mapsheetl l,w. H (set-up timel
81. Ney V$ , Wellingto n
would have the chance to structure thei r own armies. The 134. B (rulesi 141. J Icomplexity)
game wou ld nave 400 cou nters , a 22" )( 34" map, and 82. Battle of Nations
135. C (cou nlers) 142. K I realism)
wou ld be moderately complex. To sell far $12 . 83. Borodino 136. 0 lease of play) 143. l (overall)
52. Assau/r On Bar-Lev. After the Six Day War, the 84. Eyl au 137. E {ru les completenessl 144. M (then and nowl
Israelis had (for the li fst time) to think about protecting 85. Jena-ALJerstad t 138. F (balancel 145. N Imoney's worth)
the Sinai lor an extended period of time. They faced 86. 1815, WatAfloo IGOWI 139. G (Iengthl 146. No Question
massive arrillery bombardments dai ly from across the
canal. Th eir solution was the Bar; Levs, a string of heavily STARFLEET RAITLES (n~)
87. How often is your issue of MOVES seriously damag-
for1ified camps connec1ed by foads and trails, But in 1973, 147. A (mapsheet) 154. H Iset-up timel
ed (torn, mutilated, soilad) when you receive it by mail?
the Egyptians launched a major assault on these 155. J Icomplexityl
1 = never; 2 = almost never; 3 = 1 issue in 12; 4 = 1 issue in 148. B {rulesl
bp.achheads, taking the Israelis complete ly by surprise .
6; 5 = 1 issue in 5; 6= 1 issue in 4; 7 = 1 issue in 3; 8= 1 149. C Icounters l 156. K (realisml
The Israelis rushed tanks up to the front, to prevent the
issue in 2; 9 = always. 150. 0 (ease of playl 157. L foveralll
~g\,ptia~s from spilling in10 the Sinai. Bar-Lev would
Do you lllre~dy subscribe to, or do you plan to subscribe 151. E (rules completeness) 158. M {then and nowl
~o ver this first assaul t, as well as Sharon's counterattack .
T e game would use a mod ified Oerober War system, to the following: ,=
already subSCribe; 2 = plan to 152. F (balancel 159. N (money's worth I
wit'~ ru les covering initial Israeli supply problems and the subscribe soon; 3 = may $(1bscribe at same time; 153. G Ilength ) 160,161. No Question
Initial advantage of Arab anti-tank weapons. The game 4 ~ already obtein through a remil outlet; 5 = do not plan
wo uld !',ave 200 co unte rs and a 22" x 34" map. $9 . to subscribe. INTRUDER (TF)
88. Richard Berg's Review of Games 162. A {mapshee11 169. H Isetup timel
53. Olvmpus Mons. The Man:ian ReVOlution of 2093-95 89. FYEO I For Your Eyes Onlyl 163. B (rules) 170. J (comple_ity)
(pa rI of which was chro nicled in Bartlefteet Mars) saw jilL Ares Magazine 164. C (countersl 171. K f realism)
widespread action on the Martian surface, Agents of the 165. D (ease of play) 172. l (overall )
Rare your reaction to the following types of MOVES af
Ares Corporation attempted to sei;:e a nu mber of impor ticles on a seeleof Iidislikeintensefvl to 9 (g"'/Jt idea J. 166. E Irules completenessl 173. M {then and nowl
tont service facil ities at the war's outbrea k, and later the 167. F fbalancel 174. N Imoney's worthl
assau lt forces of the Ares Corporation attempted to storm 91. Arti cles on the mOS1 recent S & T game.
168. G (le ng1h l 175. No Question
the new Martian capital. Aresis, Olvmpus Mons would 92. ArtiCles on the mos1 recent Ares game.
be an ope rational level simulation of the various assaults 93. Review articles (such as C'est La Guerre in th iS issue) OPERA nON PEGASUS (TF)
on the Martian capital, uSing the latest NASA maps of the covering a mu Ititude of games on related topics . 176. A (mapsheet) 183. H (set-up 1ime)
planet. The game would include a 22" x 34" map, 400 177. B Irulesl 184. J {complexityl
94-96. No questions.
cou nters, and extensive rules for land and near-space
1711.. C (counters) 185. K (realisml
com bat. Included wo() ld be rules for cybernetic tanks,
sudden sandstorms , sand hoppers, and laser and energy 179. D (ease of playl 186. L loveralll
beam weapons. A modified Friction Point system Ifrom SECTION R 180. E irules completeness) 187. M {then and nowl
our Central Front games) would accuratel,. portray the The results of the following survey are used in our 181. F (balance) 188. N (money's worth)
problems of supply and survival in the hostile Martian en- PLA YBACK system. After each game title there are thir- 182. G (length) 189-196. No question
Simulations Publications, Inc.
257 Park Avenue South BU LK R.A.TE
New Yo rk , N. Y. 10010 U S POSTA GE PA I D
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED PERM IT NO. 15
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But these proven tips are just the beginning of THE
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