MMP P500 for February 2010
Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
A quiet month deserves a quiet geeklist. While all titles advanced, it was the relatively old members that saw increases in preorder rates over December.
What's on Deck
In production related news, a bunch of ASL stuff has been shipping including a title to benefit research into a cure to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Heaven Can't Wait
Scott de Brestian designer of Kingdom of Heaven let the masses know that Heaven isn't far off on February 9th telling Consimworld:
"we are finally on the road to publication. The rules are currently being laid out and the go ahead has been given to produce the final art. At long last, you should have this in your hands before too too long!"
Iain Drops a Name
As for my GCACW countersheet, it was quickly replaced by MMP - but I have yet to play the title. I remain put-off by the new counter graphics (Niko ¿por qué? ). And have been even more insanely busy. I believe the only gaming I've done in the past several weeks involved the 1990 Victory Games title Carrier ... a good game by the way.
Adam Starkweather has talked about it ... I'm just saying is all !
Dot Com!
No new news regarding MMP's slick test website ...
http://mmpstore.sillydog.net/
And of course the olympics have put the NHL on hiatus.
As always, keep your heads up and sticks on the ice!
Preorder Summary Stats:
Bamm! (Games that just made the cut)
Damn Close (titles within 10% of their preorder Goal)
Guderian's Blitzkrieg II 449 / 452 (at press time)
Karelia 502 / 550
In the Green Zone (titles within 20% of their preorder goal)
Angola 439 / 500
Kawaguchi's Gamble 475 / 530
Last month's
Winners:
61 Stonewall's Way II
54 None but Heroes
33 Last Stand
32 Salerno
23 King Philip
21 Crusade
20 Karelia
18 Warriors Japan
18 Setting Sun
18 Guderian's
14 Lincoln's War
14 A Las Barricadas
14 Angola
13 Storm Over Dien
13 Storm Over Normandy
11 What Price
6 France 1940
4 Help Arrives
4 Kawaguchi's
Losers:
None
Production Queue news:
Released Last Month:
Several ASL titles
Shipping Soon:
At the Printers:
Operations #54
Where Eagles Dare
No Question of Surrender
The Tide at Sunrise
Awaiting a Slot with the Printers
Breakthrough: Cambrai
Kingdom of Heaven
Under Development:
War of the Suns
Be sure to get notified about future lists by subscribing to:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/428854
And check out the latest preorder lists for:
MMP's ASL products http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/50464
GMT's new titles http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/51036
GMT's reprints http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/48007
Columbia Games' http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/52164
Legion Wargames http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/51498
My standard disclaimer regarding MMP's ASL titles:
I don't include any ASL preorders in this list since:
(a) ASL preorders rocket up to their goals in a few weeks. They don't need wider visibility to make it to press.
(b) These lists are a ton of work, and take time that has to come out of my limited game time budget
(c) I have no interest in ASL myself.
(d) There's now a well done ASL list, follow the link above
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
A las Barricades
Total Pre-Orders: 99 (+14)
Pre-Orders Needed: 525
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
My Two Cents:
It's back, and better than ever. Preorders of it's siblings are picking up too.
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
To the Barricades!, the first title in the War Storms series, is a game which attempts to simulate, at platoon and company level, the battles which took place on the different fronts of the war. The rules are oriented towards the tactical simulation of combat involving armored vehicles, infantry, artillery, and aircraft, and as such they are especially suited to represent almost any 20th century armed conflict as it actually happened.
Retail Price: $44.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: Juan Carlos Cebrian and Nicolas Eskubi
Developer:
Artwork: Nicolas Eskubi
Components:
- 4 full-color maps
- 2 countersheets
- 1 full-color rulebook in both English and Spanish
- 12 scenarios
- 2 dice, box, and lid
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2.
Board Game: Angola
[Average Rating:8.23 Overall Rank:2066]
Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Angola
Total Pre-Orders: 429 (+14)
Pre-Orders Needed: 500
Months on the List: 20
[COLOR]
My Two Cents:
The elder statesman of the list, and survivor of "Adam's Walk '09" increases it's preorder count and get's back into double digits last month. [/COLOR]
The card mechanics in this one ... wow Jon Gautier's review here on BGG won me over with the description of card play alone. An unique and very interesting departure from the Igo-Ugo mindset.
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
Angola recreates a brief portion of the violent, decades-long Angolan civil war that began in the 1970s with the fall of a colonial power and dragged its bloody way into the 21st century thanks in part to cold war politics. Angola is a multi-player game in which players control the various Soviet- and US-backed factions that vied for control of Angola from 1975 to 1976. Originally released in limited quantities by Ragnar Brothers of the UK, Angola quickly became a rare and highly sought after game of almost cult status. Why? Angola features a number of innovative game systems that keep players guessing, create plenty of tension, and reward the right balance of boldness and caution. MMP is now updating this classic with the fabulous graphics of the IGS line of games and bringing it to a wider audiences.
The map is divided into areas, and units represent military formations and also special weapons, such as artillery, rockets, tanks, and airplanes. A unique command and activation system has players committing in secret to the order in which they will activate a limited number of their units for the turn. The players then take turns activating their units in the determined order. The result is like a tense game of poker, with players trying to analyze the map and out guess their enemies.
Retail Price: $75.00
Pre-Order Price: $56.25
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=6...
Designer: Phil Kendall
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Lee Brimmicombe-Wood
Components:
- 2 decks of cards (110 total)
- 32 page full-color rulebook
- 2 player aid cards
- 22" by 34" inch map
- 3 countersheets
- 4 six-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Crusade and Revolution
Total Pre-Orders: 335 (+21)
Pre-Orders Needed: 580
Months on the List: 5 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
SCW games are all the rage, but this one's a child of PoG and has Niko at the drawing board ...
The Buzz:
December's excellent discussion on the SCW and its simulation in card drive games is preserved here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/472246
An excellent series of After Action Reports on CSW:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?13@200.S93eaMBrC4A.23163098...
A card-driven point-to-point movement strategic wargame that covers all the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Its rules are based on Ted Raicer’s "Paths of Glory".
In July, mgringo told us:
I've played it a few times now. There is a terrible need to get to the later stages of the war because you don't get LDUs until then. The first stage is War of Columns which has a lot of light units and maneuverability. By the end of the game it feels like the lines are impossible to hold (no matter who is trying) with lots of penetrating attacks from every side (esp for Republicans), but putting in a decisive hit is certainly difficult without leaving yourself wide open.
and Wakroo added:
I am a friend of the designer and I have played many times. Yes, the first stage is very mobile, with only small units and not so many, so there are not deep breakthroughs (usually), as you cannot keep the lifeline secure. When the large units get into play there are not so many, so you are forced to advance all over the zone you are attacking in. But that's how the SCW was fought, more similar to the First World War than the Second. In a game I am playing now as the Nationalist, I have been forced to make a step back in two zones as the Republican was seriously menacing my forces in space and I would probably lose the it and the troops if I stayed. I need some replacements right now!
And in December the game's designer had this to say about politics and war in the game:
Thanks for all the comments, even if some of them are quite critical with the game. Let's see if I can modify those negative opinions and explain properly my point of view, which I have transferred to "Crusade and Revolution" (C&R).
Firstly, I want to say clearly that politics DO HAVE a great importance in C&R. Antonio, I am not "tired" of the political aspect of our Civil War, but when designing the game I wanted to avoid what I consider mistakes in other games about the same subject. In my opinion, many games give politics a preeminence over military aspects that was not real between 1936 and 1939. In other words, the Spanish Civil War was a WAR decided in the battlefields, even if there was also a political aspect that influenced -but did not decided- the course of the war.
Do not forget -this IS important- that C&R tries to simulate the Spanish Civil War from a historical point of view. There is not a historical determinism, but both players are limited by the historical events. So you will not find counter-factual options or radical "what ifs?" here.
I will try to explain myself through an example: in other games, there can be internal fights inside both sides, REAL combats between regular units in the front. Historically this did not happen until the very end of the war, only in the Republican side, and only in Madrid. It was completely inconceivable among the Nationalists, who were under a rigid and unified military command whose main objective was to win the war. The Republicans had serious unity problems, and there were political tensions and even armed confrontation between factions (as the May Events in Barcelona in 1937, with street combats between the anarchists and the communists), BUT they never affected the front in such a direct and dramatic way.
With this example I want to explain that while designing C&R, I had some basic objectives:
- Simulate the Spanish Civil War from a historical point of view (the game is based in the historical development of the war).
- Make a good balance between playability and simulation (easy rules, acceptable simulation, good balance between sides).
- Give great importance to the military operations, because the war was decided in the battlefields.
- Reflect the prominence of the political aspects of the war.
Antonio says that the military aspect of the Spanish Civil War is not interesting because the result was decided from the beginning. I disagree. Actually there are many wargames were one side is condemned, but this does not minimize the interest, because the challenge is to play with that side obtaining a better result that the historical one. So when you play with the Republicans, you try "not to lose", avoiding a collapse and trying to have better levels of Victory Points and Republican Morale than the historical counterpart in April 1939.
Having said all that, trust me if I say that any player who forgets the "political" aspect of the war will usually lose. I hope you will be pleased to read this! There are lots of political, economical and social aspects that have presence in the game, in the rules or in the cards. And they influence the war result, or better said, the success of each player. So, for example, if one player makes better use of the propaganda that his opponent, he will obtain a Victory Point that can be a key factor at the end of the game.
Sorry if I write too much or if I am not clear. If you want to know more about C&R you can read the report that Ignacio and I are writing about our game in progress. It is here, in C&R's Consimworld Discussion Forum:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?50@139.TgaYaJffyr7.5@.1dd16...
You can find a single file with all the War of Columns Phase (the first 5 turns) in the header. We are now in the 6th turn, and the games goes on! I think that reading that report you can see if the game satisfies your desires about the political aspect.
Of course, I will gladly read any comment and answer to any question or suggestion.
The Company Line:
In July 1936, a failed coup d’état provoked a bloody civil war that would devastate Spain during nearly three years. The eyes of Europe turned towards a divided nation where not only armies fought, but also ideologies.
Crusade and Revolution is a wargame that uses the popular card-driven system to recreate the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) at strategic-operational level. Each player leads one side (Nationalist or Republican), and manages all the challenges that the actual combatants faced: mobilization, recruitment, movement and the combat of a nation at war with itself – and the political stage as well.
Crusade and Revolution (C&R) brings together the great hallmarks of our hobby—enjoyment, playability and historical simulation. It makes good use of the great virtues of the very popular card-driven system. Using this famous system and adapting it to the peculiarities of a conflict that has its own personality, Crusade and Revolution will seem both brand new and also familiar.
Each player has his own deck of 55 strategic cards, which are the heart of the game. Each card has four possible uses but the players must choose which use best fits their needs.
- The possibilities are: Events: Each card shows a historical event that directly affected the course of the war. They can be political, military, economic or social events.
- Operations: Each card has an operations value that is used for activating units on the game map for movement, fortification or attack.
- Strategic Redeployment: Each card has a Strategic Redeployment value that is used for moving units great distances on the game map.
- Replacement Points: Each card has a value of Replacement Points that are collected and used for reconstructing damaged or destroyed units at the end of the turn.
The better the historical value of an event card, greater its number of Operations, Redeployment and Replacements. Players are faced with the constant battle of how to use their cards: use an interesting event, launch an offensive in a vulnerable zone, move units from one front to other, or accumulate replacements to recover from losses?
Game Details:
- Solitaire Rating: ?
- Game scale: Each space represents approximately 60 kilometers.
- Time scale: Two Months per turn (except for the very early phase of the war when turns are a month in length
- Units: From columns, regiments and brigades in the early stages of the war to great corps sized armies modeled in European style
- Scenarios: Three
- Playing time: From 4 hours to 12 hours to the full campaign game
Retail Price: $80.00
Pre-Order Price: $60.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: David Gomez Relloso
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Nicolás Eskubi
Components:
- 22"x34" Game Map
- 1 5/8" Diecut Countersheet
- 1 1/2" Diecut Countersheet
- 1 Rulebook
- 1 Playbook
- 4 Player Reference Cards (2 copies of 2 cards)
- 1 Card for Event Markers
- 2 Decks of Strategy Cards (55 each)
- Six-Sided Die
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II
Total Pre-Orders: 437 (+18)
Pre-Orders Needed: 450
Months on the List: 14
My Two Cents:
As of this list going to press, GBII is one preorder from hitting it's goal. The Boy is back in town!
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II depicts the German drive to capture Moscow in the fall of 1941 (Operation Typhoon) and the first Russian Winter Counteroffensive. In 1942, the German player can attempt another stab at Moscow, or conserve his strength to deal a death-blow to the November 1942 Russian offensive Operation Mars (as happened historically).
Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II is a reprint of the 8th game in the award winning Operational Combat Series. It mates with the 2007 CSR Award winning game Case Blue to show all of the Eastern Front south of Army Group North from 1 Oct 41 through the end of May 1943.
Owners of the 2001 printing of this game that have Case Blue do not need to purchase this printing. Owners that do not have Case Blue might be interested in this version because it incoporates the upgrades that occurred in Case Blue. In any event. The set ups, rules, and Orders of Arrival have been updated to the Case Blue Standards. Known errata in the original has been corrected.
Retail Price: $160
Pre-Order Price: $120
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=6...
Designer:
Developer:
Artwork:
Components:
- OCS Series Rulebook
- Guderian’s Blitzkrieg II Specific Rulebook
- Two OCS Charts and Tables Booklets
- Three 22"x34" Full Color Game Maps
- Four 22"x14" Full Color Game Maps (includes Moscow Blow Up Map)
- 2,800 Counters (7 sheets of units, 3 sheets of markers)
- 19 Scenarios (1 one map, 3 are two map games)
- Box and Dice
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5.
Board Game: Help Arrives!
[Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
[Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Help Arrives! (A las Barricadas)
Total Pre-Orders: 211 (+4)
Pre-Orders Needed: 300
My Two Cents:
The home stretch is in sight for fans of the ALB system.
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
War Storm Series presents the first expansion of the tactical game set in the Spanish Civil War, A las Barricadas!. Help Arrives... in the form of new units such as the International Brigades, the Italian Corpo Troppe Volontarie, and the German Cóndor Legion.
Help Arrives... with 300 new counters and 12 exciting new scenarios that expand the original game and cover almost every type of unit that took part in the conflict.
Retail Price: $40.00
Pre-Order Price: $31.50
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Designer: Juan Carlos Cebrián
Developer:
Artwork: Nicolás "Niko" Eskubi
Components:
- 1 map
- 2 counter sheets
- 12 scenario cards
- Charts
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Karelia '44
Total Pre-Orders: 496 (+20)
Pre-Orders Needed: 550
Months on the List: 15
My Two Cents:
jumps back into double digit growth as it draws within 10% of it's goal.
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
Karelia ’44 is an operational level game that focuses on the last major campaign of the Russo-Finnish Continuation War (25 June 42—4 Sept 44). STAVKA planned an offensive during the summer of 1944 to coincide with the Normandy landings. The objective was to force Finland out of the war. Towards this end, the Soviets amassed two ground armies, one air army, and an impressive amount of artillery. Confident after a series of victories against the Germans, the Red Army attacked in Karelia on 9 June 44. The attack began with an overwhelming artillery barrage (second only to the Oder crossings in intensity). Finnish lines were pushed back and then breached—the race for Viipuri/Vyborg was on. The capture of this city would open the road to Helsinki.
The game features a unique “Boss Point” System which precludes either player from knowing how long the game will last. For the Russian player, this represents the gun to his head of an unhappy dictator who will gladly send you to a Gulag forever if you fail in your goals. For the Finns, you know that you are understrength and that the Russians will destroy you if given enough time, but you need to hang on for dear life in order to be in the best possible position when the Boss’ patience runs out.
Karelia '44 is the 14th game in the award winning Standard Combat Series. Emphasizing easy to play rules, SCS lets the player get right into the game!
Retail Price: $42.00
Pre-Order Price: $31.50
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=6...
Designer:
Developer:
Artwork:
Components:
- SCS Series Rulebook
- Specific Rulebook
- Two Full Color Play Aids
- Full Color Game Map
- 280 Counters
- 3 Scenarios
- Box and Dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Kawaguchi's Gamble: Edson's Ridge
Total Pre-Orders: 475 (+4)
Pre-Orders Needed: 530
Months on the List: 23
My Two Cents:
This title just keeps going, Area Impulse at the tactical scale, just stay off that damn Hill!
The Buzz:
The illustrated After Action Report will hopefully catch people's attention:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/402992
In February, Area-Impulse designer Michael Rinella had this to say about Kawaguchi's Gamble:
I've seen this game kicking around at the WBCs for a couple of years. Had it demonstrated to me last year. This is a sweet addition to the area-movement line, and a World War Two Pacific theme is especially welcome.
CSW folder (Edson's Ridge):
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@166.L8WaetvBo4f.22@.1dd2...
Cover art : http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?233@166.L8WaetvBo4f.30@.1dd...
The Company Line:
Kawaguchi's Gamble: Edson's Ridge covers the area of Edson's Ridge and the surrounding jungle just south of Henderson Airfield on the island of Guadalcanal during September 1942. The Japanese, as part of a complicated multi-pronged attack, sent three battalions, nearly 3000 men, charging towards the ridge protecting the airfield. Almost 800 Paramarines and Raiders defended the ridge with amazing courage and, despite suffering horrible casualties, kept from being overrun and saved both the airfield and possibly the Marine presence on Guadalcanal. The Japanese are often cited as having lost nearly 80% of their men attacking the ridge.
Kawaguchi's Gamble: Edson's Ridge is five turns long, each turn is a variable length of alternating impulses. The game length between experienced gamers is 2.5 to 3 hours.
Retail Price: $44.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Designer: Brian Youse & Ken Dunn
Developer: Ken Dunn
Artwork: Nicolas Eskubi
Components:
- 22"x34" full-color mapsheet
- 2 sheets of 5/8" counters
- 4 player aid cards
- full-color rulebook with examples
- 4 six-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
King Philip's War
Total Pre-Orders: 290 (+23)
Pre-Orders Needed: 560
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
The growth numbers are up in January ... Kahn !!!!!!!!!!
[/COLOR]
See my interview with John above for some comments on King Philip's War.
The game's designer John Poniske was kind enough to stop by November's list and (and I can only speak for myself) made some very intelligent points regarding his project and its historical period. Check what he had to say for yourself at:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/47058/item/1061400#ite...
He further detailed the game in late October on CSW as follows:
The game plays for nine turns beginning in 1675 and ending in 1676. the test-play sequence of play is as follows: • Diplomacy Indian English • **Reinforcements English • Supply Requisition Indian English (Beginning each Season but Winter) • Movement & Combat Indian • Movement & Combat English • (Winter Attrition) Indian,English • Victory Conditions Check • Move Seasonal Turn Marker * Ignore this phase on the first turn
The Indian player's key leaders are King Philip of the Wampanoag who begins in Mt. Hope, Rhode Island and Canonchet of the powerful Narragansett tribe. The war is fought across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Plymouth (then a separate colony) and Connecticut. Philip begins with only his small tribe and several smaller related tribes. Each turn he attempts to cause as much damage to the English settlements surrounding him as he can, at the same time he uses a graduated diplomacy chart to entice other tribes to join his cause. Ultimately he will approach the Mohawks in New France, but the Mohawks are iffy and could very well enter the war on the side of the English as they did historically.
During the game the English player attempts to destroy the Indian warbands while also trying to destroy the Indian tribes' supply bases (villages). The more villages that are destroyed the more likely tribes will pull out of the loose confederation. In the beginning the English are ill-prepared and are rocked back on their heels into defensive positions. The Indians pretty much rule, until winter comes. By then English reinforcements are building along with their own Indian allies, and Indian casualties are mounting. Combat units are double sided and are simple to work with, two strength points on one side, one strength point on the other. The big English advantage is that English casualties will eventually return to the game. Once Indian casualties leave the map they're gone for good.
As battles are fought, a unique events die is rolled which can halt the battle, introduce reinforcements to either side, bring in spies, guides, cause an ambush or worse, a massacre. As the game proceeds. settlements and villages are first damaged and then destroyed. Forts have an additional step. As the game proceeds, the entire board looks like it is aflame. The intention was to approximate the look and feel of this devastating war in which some 90 settlements were partially or fully destroyed as well as countless Indian villages.
The Indian player wins if he has destroyed both Boston and Plymouth, two key English settlements, or is ahead in points. The English player wins by eliminating King Philip and Canonchet, or is ahead in points.
The Buzz:
A simple (~12pp rules) treatment of King Philip's War (1675-1676), the bloodiest of the Puritan/Native conflicts.
The latest map art:
The Company Line:
King Philip’s War 1675-1676 was a momentous example of New England frontier savagery. A loose coalition of angry tribes inspired by the King Philip (the Wampanoag sachem, Metacomet) burned and sacked Pilgrim settlements throughout the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the then separate colony of Plymouth. Ultimately, more than 2600 Colonials were captured or killed, Twelve Colonial settlements were completely destroyed and six more heavily damaged. Boston itself very nearly came under attack. At the same time, countless Indian villages were burned and 6000 Indians were slain or captured, and sold into slavery.. In all, 1,200 homes were burned, and vast stores of food destroyed. Metacomet himself was eventually ambushed, beheaded, and quartered.
King Philip’s War can be played in five turns (introductory level) or ten turns, once concepts are fully understood. Each turn will vary in length depending on the uncertain arrival of Indian Allies. Game length between experienced gamers is 1.5 to 3 hours.
In King Philip’s War the Colonial player wins by eliminating the historical leaders of King Philip and Canonchet or being the first to accumulate 30 victory points. The Indian player wins by seizing the settlements of Boston and Plymouth, or by being the first to accumulate 30 victory points.
Retail Price: $40.00
Pre-Order Price: $30.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: John Poniske
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Mark Mahaffey and Niko Eskubi
Components:
- Map 22” x34”
- 2 Double-sided Player Aid Sheets 8.5” x 11”
- Rulebook
- 176 5/8" counters
- dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
La Bataille de France 1940
Total Pre-Orders: 272 (+6)
Pre-Orders Needed: 495
My Two Cents:
The best performing ALB title continues to lead. Last month's demo announcement couldn't have hurt.
The Buzz:
An online demo based upon Operation Niwy is available at:
http://www.warstormseries.es/OPNIWY/opniwy.zip
Along with a ZunTzu gamebox ( http://fmh2la.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p6m_fV5TmrhKCHL6v9cuYj...)
The Company Line:
In May, 1940, World War II took a turn that will change history forever—the German Army invaded France through the neutral countries of Belgium and Netherlands and thus avoiding the fearsome Maginot Line. The French Army, supposedly the best army of the time, felt far from any threat. Against all expectations, the neutral nations were quickly overrun, and the British Expeditionary Corps was forced to be evacuated, almost miraculously, from the channel port of Dunkirk. France capitulated in two months.
This game recreates those events and allows players to reproduce, at a tactical level, the most famous battles of the “Blitzkrieg”. Based on the “A las Barricadas” game system, with new rules added to simulate to this historical period, France 1940 promises many enjoyable hours of fierce game play involving infantry, tanks, artillery, and aircraft from all the armies that took part in this campaign.
Retail Price: $50.00
Pre-Order Price: $37.50
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Designer: Juan Carlos Cebrián
Developer:
Artwork: Nicolás "Niko" Eskubi
Components:
- four 11.5" x 15.7" maps
- 3 sheets of counters and markers (400+ counters)
- 30 page rulebook printed in two languages—Spanish and English
- Two dice
- 12 Scenario cards
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Last Stand - The Battle for Moscow
Total Pre-Orders: 234 (+33)
Pre-Orders Needed: 560
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
My Two Cents:
I have a love-hate relationship with Yamazaki's Red Star Rising. I'm really interested in the battle for Moscow, but I'm wary of the so-called "interesting sequence of play". Yet I'm intrigued by it as well. I really want to see how the ski troops work. I don't care for variable victory conditions either - there's been too much of that on the East Front of late. Claiming that this battle decided "the future of mankind" seems a bit much as does the contention that the game itself "has no competitor" ... an open invitation for me to go on one of my EFS rants if there ever was one 
It's a bit like listening to the late, great Mohammed Ali.
In the end however, it's a new take on Typhoon, includes the Soviet counterattacks, untried units, ski troops ... and its a lot of game for the price.
Yah, I'm getting it
The Buzz:
In Dec '09 the game's developer, Adam Starkweather, told us:
Word count for the rulebook will end up around 15K or so. AVL is 11K and RSR is 19K as examples. I am usually fairly far over on page count to make sure it is in the budget.
The Company Line:
In October 1941, the German Army launched Operation Typhoon – the last major German offensive of the year. In an all-out attempt to defeat Russia and end World War Two, the Germans managed to see the spires of the Kremlin as their high water mark for both this battle and for the war. Over two million men fought in this desperate battle that would decide the war and the future of mankind.
Masahiro Yamazaki, the designer of the MMP games Red Star Rising and Stalingrad Pocket has designed his greatest game on this great conflict—Last Stand; The Battle for Moscow 1941-1942. Using all the tricks in his designer’s bag, Mas has made this titanic struggle playable but without sacrificing a great sense of history. Offering 3 scenarios to show different aspects of the campaign, and a unique way of showing the plight of the Soviet morale as a nation faces possible complete military defeat, all in a manageable size, Last Stand is a game that has no competitor.
Retail Price: $45.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.75
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: Masahiro Yamazaki
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Masahiro Yamazaki and Niko Eskubi
Components:
- One 34 by 22 map
- 560 ½” counters
- 32 page full color rulebook
- 2 player aids
- Solitaire Rating: very good to excellent
- Complexity: Medium
- Playing Time: 3-10 hours
- Scenarios: 3
- Game scale: Units are divisions, turns are ten days, and hexes are 17.2 kilometers across.
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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Lincoln's War
Total Pre-Orders: 150 (+14)
Pre-Orders Needed: 650
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
Designer Interview
During the first week in December, John Poniske the designer of Lincoln's War was gracious enough to sit down with me virtually and discuss particulars of the game.
Hi John, Thanks for taking the time to speak with me in the virtual sense :-)
Thanks for the invitation, Iain.
Suddenly, your designs are on preorder lists everywhere. Leapin' Lemmings with GMT, Fire on the Mountain and Maori Wars with Legion, and now two titles with MMP, King Philip's War and Lincoln 's war. They're across the scale range as well: Euro, grand tactical, operational, and two strategic titles.
You left off "Hearts and Minds" due to be released January 15th. It’s a great good thing. It only took ten years, and a major recession before things finally turned the corner. Go figure.
"Hearts and Minds", good catch John. Yet another game focusing on political influence, and yet another publisher (Worthington). Will gamers who enjoy "Hearts and Minds" get a sense of how Lincoln's War plays? Do the titles have much in common?
Nope, not much in common. HaM is actually closer in its elements to WtP than to LW. HaM does concentrate on regional control, where LW concentrates on control of cities and cutting rail links. Ham deals with guerrilla war on a broad scale where LW only touches on the topic with token leaders like Morgan and Quantrill. HaM has no defined “front” where LW usually revolves around three fronts, one in the East, one in the West, and one on the coast.
It seems to me that the MMP titles focus on situations where the ultimate strategic outcome was inevitable. King Philip could have won his War, but the endless tide of Europeans wouldn't have been stemmed. In the ACW one could argue, that if the North didn't quit the war due to low public support, the outcome was simply a matter of time. Interestingly, the former is an obscure topic and the latter a fairly common one.
Actually the chances that King Philip (also Metacomet or Metacom) would have prevailed were slim or none. Disease had so weakened Indian martial strength that the best they could hope to do was push the colonists into their original coastal enclaves, which in fact they did. Had the Mohawks signed on as allies instead of enemies, the loose Wampanoag coalition might have continued to fight on for another year, particularly with the Abnaki continuing to make inroads in the north but culturally they were never comfortable with the kind of protracted war the Europeans fought. No, the best advantages Philip had were, surprise, ferocity, and the unwillingness for the English colonies to cooperate, and even then only for a cycle of seasons.
The outcome was inevitable for another reason. Our vaunted pilgrims were land-hungry and expansion was always a factor in the war. Narragansett land was prime real estate that Connecticut, Massachusetts and Plymouth all had their eyes on. Indeed, there were actually real estate transactions being made before the war ended. Plus, at a time when slavery was just another entrepreneurial enterprise, it became a kind of twisted sport to capture and sell Indian captives into Caribbean bondage. Weakening the native hold on the land was a bonus. Like all military games, the cardboard pieces we play with are bound up in the blood and tears of real people.
The Civil War is another matter. As long as Lincoln was in charge the outcome was inevitable and I think the South knew it. Decades of political harangue had always settled into a kind of “civil animosity.” What was different about the election of 1860, is that a politico with a shot at the executive chair had not only taken a stand on slavery (as moderate as that might seem to us today) but circumstances in Democratic Party ensured that the chair was his. Lincoln was the ultimate politician and could compromise with the best of them, but when the South decided to secede. Lincoln refused to go down in history as the President who saw the break up of the first practical modern democracy.
As long as he was President, Lincoln would have found a way for the North to fight for reunification. Had Lincoln been ousted, McClellan would not, as many have suggested, have immediately sued for peace. He would have continued the fight, but his aim would not have been reunification at any price, but rather, peace with honor. The South saw him as tractable, Lincoln … not so much.
What drew you to these topics? What aspects of them fascinated you the most?
My ideas are many and eclectic. I come up with several every day usually while on walks or while driving in my car. Another great source would be military magazines. King Philip’s War sprang from a Military History article some five years ago. The fact that the conflict was so devastating and yet practically unheard of outside of New England fascinated me.
Lincoln’s War sprang from something completely different. I was raised in Springfield , Illinois , also known as “ Lincoln Land .” Twelve years ago I completed a card assisted ACW block game called "Butternut and Blue." I even called Columbia Games and discussed the idea with them at the time. But layoffs, moves and putting food on the table interrupted progress on that front.
In time I was introduced to Mark Herman’s “WE THE PEOPLE,” what has become my favorite war game. I became determined to be the first to produce the first ACW CDG. I may not have been first, but I think I offer the war gaming community a significant alternative to existing Civil War CDGs. After displaying it at several conventions, Perry Cocke of MMP took a shine to it and held onto it until the time was right ... which is now.
Lincoln's War appears to approach the ACW from a completely different angle. Is this essentially a game about Lincoln 's struggle to achieve victory *and* remain in office?
Not exactly, the politics I use are abstracted. It is basically a war game in which politics interferes with the player’s grand strategy. I focused on politics, because the “We the People” approach had hooked me. But for obvious reasons the exact same approach wouldn’t work in the Civil War. Instead I researched night and day, attempting to introduce as many period problems and lesser known Civil War personalities as possible. The key to the game is a fluid victory track which represents the political will of a player’s administration.
Each card a player holds has multiple purposes, among them are buying political will, interfering with an opponent’s political will, ordering armies in the field, nudging a reluctant commander and among other things, purchasing promotions. Player’s literally spend their victory points to further their cause. Another interesting aspect are ESPs (enthusiastic Support Points), players can set aside political will to back a particular military action which … if it is not actually conducted, flushes victory points down the toilet. Yet another unique aspect would be the seditious characters each player is forced to deal with as the game progresses.
Let's focus for a moment on how and why a player might "purchase promotions". It's my understanding that both Lincoln and Jefferson Davis made poor choices in commanders. In Lincoln 's case it was often out of political necessity, for example to curry the favor of specific constituencies. Little Mac is an example, as were a veritable Legion of German / Dutch / Irish American leaders who were appointed and retained for purely political purposes. On the Confederate side, Davis seems to have been one of these leaders who was incapable of admitting he'd backed the wrong horse so to speak.
Given that you've abstracted the politics of the day, do these sorts of purely political appointments come into play during Lincoln 's War? If so can you give us a sense of how?
LW must be looked at more abstractly than most Civil War games. On the surface each general unit appears to be a military unit representing a large body of fighting men, and that is what he represents, but the emphasis is not so much on the strength of his men as on his own abilities. His men and material are simply an extension of his own abilities. When he is promoted, therefore, his military capability is increased. I have attempted to award greater ability to those generals who historically performed better than others, and hopefully players will recognize relative balance based on historical performance.
It is up to the commander in chief to promote those generals whose abilities will be of the most immediate use, be that because of abilities that can be transported to a troubled spot in time or because a general on the line is in need of the moral support. Perhaps the concept is better understood with an explanation of another game element. ITs, or Immobilization Tokens, are placed on a General as a battle result. ITs reduce an army’s movement, combat capability and when more than one is present ITs prevent offensive operations. Yes ITs represent battle casualties but more to the point they also represent a General’s lack of support, as well as hesitation or indecision. The player as Commander in Chief can choose to goose a General into action by paying PCs to remove ITs.
Each turn, both players have an opportunity to expend PCs (victory points) to purchase promotions for as many generals as they can afford to promote, keeping in mind that if their PC balance remains at 0 by the end of the campaign turn they will lose the war (Also a player with a 0 balance is prevented from offensive operations). Likewise if the point spread reaches 15 at the end of any campaign turn, the player with the least points will lose the war. So you can see that a player must spend his PCs carefully and only on those generals who will do him the most good. One further point, all generals are not available at the same time. They trickle in as reinforcements, a player’s promotions are restricted to the Generals in play and reinforcement Generals may not be promoted, so just like Lincoln and Davis, players can only promote from the martial pool that is available.
If these appointments aren't modeled, what does "purchasing promotions" entail? Are we talking about advancing Grant to full command of the Union forces?
Yes, Grant can be promoted to GIC, but only in steps (It would take two promotion steps to make him 3 stars and an additional promotion to make him GIC) and then only after he arrives on the scene. A GIC has special capabilities including a Consolidation move that draws forces from adjacent hexes without having to activate the Generals that mobilize to his hex.
Are some generals more "prone" to receiving ITs? Take McClellan for example.
I considered this, Iain, but I already hindered such Generals in their token’s offensive and defensive capabilities as well as their card representation so I didn’t think it “politic” to degrade them any more. McClellan, for example, is very good on the defense but less than stellar on the offense, and Lincoln ’s comments about “having the slows” does make its way into the game.
So politically beneficial generals like Sigel for example arrive when called for by the reinforcement schedule. But does retaining them, or for that matter promoting them yield any political or material benefit?
A good point and one I had not considered. No, there would be no direct effect. Although as a General’s abilities rise to the surface, a player is more likely to place them in charge of an army. Here I should explain my simplified chain of command. The General on top of any army stack is considered the army commander. However he cannot be placed in command unless he possesses the highest rank (ranking consists of 1, 2, or 3 stars). If two or more Generals occupy a space at the beginning of the game, the player decides who to put in charge. After that if a General of equal rank enters his space he becomes subordinate to the existing army commander. The GIC always takes command of any army he joins.
Regarding game mechanics, is the game Point-to-Point, Hex, or Area movement based?
Hex movement, but not your average hexes. These are large hexes that allow for easy movement and easy recognition of necessary information. Much easier on older eyes.
Are we talking about *big* hexes, ones where the entire Shenandoah is a hex for example?
Close. The better part of the Shenendoah Valley is spread over two 1+” hexes
Do players draw from a common deck, or do they each have their own?
Players use separate decks. They have to, as each card represents a personality that served their country in either a military or political sense. Again in an abstract fashion, the PCs each personality brings to the table represent the relative worth of their advice, or you might look at the strength of their PCs as representing the strength of their general worth to their country. From that perspective, you might find it interesting that certain politicians lend NEGATIVE PCs to a player’s hand and the PCs of certain Generals are unpredictable.
How does a player win the game?
Victory is a matter of points as I have already indicated. A player can approach this several ways. He could simply attempt to out-PC his opponent by banking every PC in his hand. This is unwise however, because his opponent will surely promote a limited number of Generals and begin an offensive that he will be unable to stop. A player could focus on a military game and promote with every PC he’s got but as I previously explained, once he is driven to 0 PCs he has no choice but to squat and watch his opponent bankroll his PCs. The Union player could play a naval game and spend on ever expanding blockade, the affects of which would reduce the size of his confederate opponent’s hand. On the other hand, his opponent can buy cheaper raiders to rob him of PCs and while the Union player is building his navy, the confederate player is more than likely building his army. As with everything, it’s a balancing act.
So if nothing ends the game early, the player with the highest total Victory Points at game's end wins?
Correct. A high score for Lincoln assumes him winning the election and pursuing the war to a successful close. A high score for Davis assumes that Lincoln loses the election to McClellan and although the war resumes with a different master at the helm, Southern peace overtures are taken into consideration. The likelihood of some form of Confederacy surviving the war increases.
How would you contrast the use of cards in Lincoln 's War to enhance political support to the use of Ops to spread Political Control (PC) in such classic CDGs as We the People and Hannibal?
I literally love both games, and I considered using the same system but did not feel it worked well in the case of the Civil War. Where, WtP and Hannibal allow cards to represent either an activation or an event, “ Lincoln War" cards offer a player far more options. As I worked on the game, card strength evolved into a very versatile element. Players will be able to utilize their PCs (Political Currency) in so many ways that each card hand will offer an infinite number of possibilities every game.
What made you decide upon a dice-less combat system and can you give us a sense of how it works?
Sure. I simply wanted to make combat a little more chesslike. What I mean is I wanted to remove the luck-heavy element of most standard wargames, you know, dice dependent combat. So initially combat results were nothing more than (to erroneously quote Forrest) getting to the front fastest with the mostest. I Quickly realized that removing all luck made for a much less tense game. So I introduced resource cards: a wide variety of behavior, material, and terrain modifiers represented by card events. I did limit these events in the deck and a player is limited to playing only one per combat. A player can always play "Poker" and lay out a "0" resource card as a ruse if he likes but that modicum of luck increased the enjoyment of the game. Combat results were simplified to four categories. Skirmish, in which case the strength ratio was a difference of 0-1, a minor victory where the strength difference was 2-3, and a major victory where the strength difference was 4 -8. A difference of 8 strength points is essentially an overrun.
Somewhere along the way, a playtester suggested that my combat system did not allow for the occasional miraculous reversal of fortunes that belied the uneven ratio of one army to another (the Confederates seemed to pull off at the most inopportune times). To rectify this I added a disaster element. Before the battle results is applied each player draws a card. At the bottom of the card are randomizing symbols. If a star is drawn, a random general in that combined army is rolled for (So in this instance I suppose it's not entirely diceless) on the leader casualty chart. He can be wounded, captured or killed; in each case he is removed from the army and a general of uncertain abilities takes his place. If the victor draws a disaster symbol it is ignored. If the Defeated player draws one the negative effects of the battle are increased. If however, both players draw a disaster symbol (rare but possible) the battle results are reversed and the outnumbered, outgunned army pulls off a miraculous victory, ala Stonewall in the valley.
You and I have discussed history in the past, and I know a big reason we play wargames is to learn more, to delve deeper into a historical period. What aspects of the ACW do you think gamers will discover from Lincoln 's War? What will make them come away from the game saying "I didn't know that!" ?
The primary lesson players should take away is that these two Presidents had more on their plate then just ordering Generals to get something done and then watching it happen. It didn’t work that way anymore then, than it does today. Another point to be made is the opposition present in both the military and political ranks on both sides of the Mason-Dixon. Oh, one more thing comes to mind, the wide range of talent (meaning, from incompetent to brilliant) in both the Presidential administrations as well as among field commanders.
Thanks again for your time and efforts to bring us fascinating historical games.
My pleasure, Iain.
Friend of the show Nik Ruf added a couple questions as well
Niko:
How does this work as a 3-4 player game? Does a side with 2 players split command for the eastern/western theater of the war? How do players on a team manage their cards? And what is the playing time for the 3 or 4 player game?
I'd be really interested in this game if it works well with more than 2 people.
Niko, I'm glad you asked. This was a late idea in the design process but an interesting approach. When playing a four player game, each side has a political commander and a military commander. The Political commander has complete control over the cards (resources). He can bank PCs, play events and erode his opponent's PC bankroll as he sees fit. He can also suggest military strategy to his military partner AND provide him the PC funding necessary to operate campaigns, buuut, if the military commander decides to do something different, once he has the PCs, that is entirely up to him. He has complete control over the army and navy. He can of course suggest strategy to his political partner but the political commander can always choose to ignore him. Does this sometimes cause rancor in the ranks? It could, and when it does it makes the game all the more memorable.
Niko: Thank you for the answer. That's an interesting take on how to make an ACW game for more than two people. I just wonder about downtime: does the military part of the game take much longer per turn than the political part?
Not really, Niko, I would say that, if anything, the opposite is true. A savvy political player will probably take more time in deciding how he is going to disperse his favors, and he then has to contend with his opponent eroding his political will through card play and through military strategy, and then there are the seditious characters whose damage must be dealt with. Combat is relatively quick and simple, once a player has gone through a couple battles. And unless a political player is particularly aggressive, battles are reduced, while maneuvering is increased.
The Company Line:
Lincoln’s War is a two to four player, “broad strokes” political approach to the Civil War, covering the 1861 call to arms through the fateful 1864 Presidential election. Political but no less combative, Lincoln’s War offers a unique, dice-less combat system, the introduction of 132 military and political personality cards—including 14 seditious characters, the challenge of juggling political resources (essentially victory points) to conducting military campaigns while maintaining national morale, make Lincoln’s War a delightfully fresh approach to the American Civil War.
Retail Price: $80.00
Pre-Order Price: $60.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: John Poniske with Mike Joslyn
Developer:
Artwork: Niko Eskubi
Components:
- 24” x 34” map
- 16-page rulebook
- 10 page optional rules and background booklet
- 160 Operations Cards (80 Union, 80 Confederate)
-140 1” counters
- 76 5/8” counters
- 2 player aid cards
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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None but Heroes
Total Pre-Orders: 351 (+54)
Pre-Orders Needed: 510
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
My Two Cents:
This title continues to out perform its classmates. People love Dean's work and seem excited about this rebirth.
The Buzz:
In December '09 Bottoscon founder and presumed Canucks fan, Rob Bottos, told us:
The new rules feel streamlined and combat flows much more smoothly. The idea of closing rolls, and opening volley's has the feel of being much more realistic. The command rules have been tightened up and the Corps Attack Stoppage has been totally revamped to more closely mirror what occured during an actual battle. A Corps may execute one complex order per day - complex orders allow offensive combat - no restriction on divisional orders, so you need to plan your attacks carefully. Once a Corps attack fails, your battleline will become much more fragmented as you commit your divisions piecemeal. The game still uses the i go, you go model, but the changes have created what I feel is a more lively field of play. The rules are very well written and bear close resemblance to CWB. One thing that is nice is that combat is now not so regimented. A unit may move and fire, or may charge. So you may have some of your regiments move, and if they've only expended half thier movement they may still fire, whereas other regiments may charge- use full movement but they may not stop and fire before closing witt he enemy.
There will be a LoB preview in the upcoming issue of Operations.
The Company Line:
McClellan fought Lee's army back to the banks of the Antietam creek near the town of Sharpsburg. There both armies stood to fight the bloodiest single day battle in American history.
None but Heroes is a game about that terrible day. Players tackle each other head-on. Can you do better than McClellan? Can you fight McClellan off like Lee? The stakes couldn't be higher! None but Heroes is the first game in the new Line of Battle Series. While drawing on the lessons of over 20 years of ACW design work of its two ancestor series, LoB represents the next generation of ACW game design. No stone was left unturned in making this system the best gaming experience possible. All the unit rosters and paperwork that interfered with the fighting is gone. The typical (and time consuming) multiple fire phases have all been integrated into movement so the action is non-stop.
Retail Price: $80.00
Pre-Order Price: $60.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: Dean Essig
Developer:
Artwork:
Components:
- 2 22"x32" mapsheets
- 5 countersheets
- Series rulebook (approx 56 pages)
- Game Exclusive rulebook (approx 48 pages)
- two 4-page charts/tables booklets
- two 6-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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Salerno
Total Pre-Orders: 195 (+32)
Pre-Orders Needed: 550
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
Designer Interview
I had the opportunity to talk with Nathan Kilgore about the variable Combat system and the Salerno game in particular during December of 2009.
Hi Nathan, thanks for taking the time to "talk" with me.
Your title "Iron Tide" is a well regarded evolution of Balkoski's Victory in the West system. How similar is the Variable Combat System? How has it evolved?
VCS will be a slight return in the direction of VitW system with a full support point system added and step terrain elevations. The players who know VitW will have an easier time with the VCS series.
Iron Tide made improvements and changes, as necessary, to the subject and location and altered forever some of the core rules in a very good way as it turns out.
VCS builds on the theme and adds more to the situation in terms of new ways to handle the far flung airborne and seaborne forces in the Italian theater.
As I recall, one of the core features of the Victory in the West system is that everyone's units have unknown combat strengths. Units tend to be classified by "quality" or "morale": A, B, C and there are a range of possible values over each quality range. Is this still the case in VCS? Can you describe some of the resulting dynamics?
The strength chits will be reduced to two types and coded by color, then number as I did in Iron Tide. The variation differences were too slight to be worth bothering with and simplifies the process without giving any of the flavor up. The sides also share the pool of chits which streamlines the turns a bit.
VCS will use some familiar and some fairly new concepts in the exploration of the sea invasion method. At the operational scale, players have to forge a lodgment and supply base while expanding air and sea control. Use of paratroops will be used to quickly capture ports and strategic points.
All things cost support or victory points and loss of assets can doom a plan in its infancy.
Sometimes the best way to study what might have happened is to recreate it, along with the tools that can get you there or even more important, tell you what is not feasible.
So units have two levels of quality, what are the ranges of combat values for the two levels of quality? Are attack and Defense strengths the same?
The range of A rated strengths run from Blue-Low-4 to High 14 and Red- Low-7 to High-16.
The same number rating is used for both attack and defense.
Am I right that the game features three invasions: Operation Avalanche as well as Slapstick and Baytown? I got the sense that they were of differing scales/styles, care to elaborate? How do the invasions interact with one another / impact each other?
I'll start with Operation Baytown. It began on Sept. 3rd, 6 days before the other two operations. It took the British 5th and Canadian 1st infantry divisions direct from Sicily to the toe of the Italian boot in a mighty punch into basically thin air due to the Axis pullback. Here they met narrow cliff roads, steep mountain canyons and demolitions crafted to exact the maximum delay.
All of this is considered a threat to the Axis but is handled by treating the Allied units as reinforcements slated for around mid game unless the Axis pulls out of Map C, (the southern third of the game), at which time they become immediately available.
Next, Operation Slapstick is the capture and landing of Taranto, the huge port and Italian naval base by the British 1 Parachute division. It was abandoned by the Italian fleet on their way to surrender and internment at Malta. The story of the two forces passing one another, in and out of the harbor is part of history. This is also on Map C, which measures about 3 miles per hex.
The German, yes, at this point nearly all of the Italian divisions were disarmed, is faced with the entry of three forces entering the map and with the job of handling the main invasion at Salerno, while not getting themselves in a corner. Its a huge job and planning the movement, timing and the schedule of incoming divisions from the north to form an attacking force as ordered by the German 10th Army commander, Vittinghof, isn't easy.
I also understand the game's map is rather unique, containing three separate areas connected by movement tracks. If correct, can you give us a sense of how that came about, and how it plays?
In order to create the history, the decisions and all of the involved forces so the story could be told in full, I had a huge job and decided that it would either involve 6 full maps, with 50% of the terrain used only for long, outflanking moves, or that I could do everyone a favor and use two scales, two terrain charts and put it all on one map. Maps A and B=1 mile per hex and Map C= 3 miles per hex. This was probably the hardest adjustment to find the historical start and arrival times of the units and scale the movement to match this.
It took time too. No one had ever done this to my knowledge.
How it works, is that the biggest challenge is to play the German and use the narrow window of time in the first few turns to meet the Allies as they did historically and attempt to drive them into the sea. One mistake in judgment and an aggressive Allied player will bag your divisions and crush you.
How are the "Transit Tracks", described as central to the German's defense, controlled? How can the Allied forces control them?
Transit tracks are treated as one giant hex. If you want to control it, you have to occupy it in strength or deny entry by blocking the roads. Since they are so large, control is necessary for supply traces.
In Iron Tide, combat strengths "stick", i.e. once drawn they remain with the unit throughout the game (IIRC). Of course they remain under the unit counters - instant fog of war, and if played "without peeking" very good solitaire playability. Will we see the same in dynamics in Salerno?
Salerno, and the proposed line of games that will follow, will use the proven method of requiring units to keep their strength counter. If an excessive amount of time will be covered in a campaign, I want to allow periodic release of the units' assigned chit. I have variants for Iron Tide that allow this to happen every few turns and will encourage this to happen again, depending on the duration of the turns.
VCS will use the system to prevent excessive peeking and foreknowledge of the enemy intentions without resorting to full "double-blind" play that requires much more time and a referee for the most part.
Full usage of hidden units and secret planning for their use should be fair game for future VCS designs. The only problem I see is verification, which will require note keeping. Note keeping should be kept to a bare minimum because it is against players nature to like to remain in the dark and the temptation to keep notes on their main threats when revealed in prior combat or movement. As it sits right now, there are no hidden units in Salerno.
What drew you to Salerno as a topic? How do you see the Variable combat mechanics fitting with the scenario?
I got the idea from my years at working with the Victory in the West / Operation Typhoon system that SPI produced. Joe Balkoski told me that if SPI had survived, Salerno would have been the next step in the series. Of course that never happened, and S&T #89 Sicily was the last of the series games in that line.
Until Iron Tide was produced, there hadn't been a similar title to that system in over 20 years. From Iron Tide on, now there are several offshoot systems using the strength chit in one way or another. It is a great idea.
Nuts and bolts question, is the CRT 2d6 based as in Iron Tide?
Yes, the D10 just hasn't the variation and is predictable to a certain extent. The CRT lends itself to the non-linear combat results and combat shift method.
I am returning a breakthrough result and retaining the B result where both sides suffer.
Oh, I like the bell curve, so 2d6 is always welcome 
I learned a long time ago that it can lend a dull game a swift kick when you least expect it.
One concern I have with games where units have status counters is the height of stacks. What's the stacking limit in VCS Salerno?
Three combat units per hex is the norm. If two regiments stack, only one can attack or defend, so its not economical to stack in general unless a parent unit carries smaller units, which do not use chits anyway.
I have heard this expressed as a complaint, but figure that these are mostly people who like pulling enemy stacks apart and checking their hidden parts for dissection.
Using tweezers and Plexiglas usually solves this, and the reward is felt after a couple of turns at actually not knowing where the next exact 3-1 will be found. Its exciting again!
I'd like to know more about the single unit attacking/defending concept. It reminds me of the basic "triangle" structure of most modern armies wherein units consist of three subordinates. When one subordinate attacks its two sisters are held in reserve, cover the flanks, wait to exploit, are recovering in the rear, etc. Does the owning player decide which units defends or attacks in the stack in VCS? If a defending units takes loses, are units stacked with it impacted? If so how?
Combat deployment for Salerno restricts the frontage to a single brigade or regiment and two attachments of battalion or company size. A divisional frontage of 3 miles is pretty narrow for 10,000 + men and equipment. The concentration limits are there to show what was not normally possible. It was usually much wider than a single hex on Map A which measures about 1 mile.
The owning player decides which units attack and defend. Results affect everything in the stack, so non participating units lending integrity benefits may advance and retreat even though not contributing combat strength.
MMP is known for, and justifiably proud of its acronym series, particularly of Gamers lineage, OCS, SCS, TCS ... and now IGS. What's it like giving birth to a new series in the footsteps / shadow of these giants?
I've been at this since my first VitW game in 1981. I started putting the Iron Tide game together in 1992. I sent it out for blind testing in 1993 to prove that it was workable, mostly to myself. The nuts and bolts were the product of many years of work and play. Several people have joined me on this road. Just because we don't work at the same projects doesn't mean we have a different vision, Brian Youse has been a fan of this system for many years. Joe Balkoski has sent me encouragement. I feel that its time to place some faith in the efforts of these people and produce a line that stretches that limit to outside of the WWII bubble. What better group to do this with than MMP?
You've been involved with wargames and their production for decades now. I've read with interest your comments on how the production process "used to be". What sorts of capabilities are you excited about in this day and age. Are there technologies, tools, techniques, that exist today that you are looking forward to capitalizing upon?
Since my first design, Iron Tide, the industry has leapt ahead to fully computerized printing techniques. The old ways are like comparing a modern car with a Stanley Steamer. Both utilize creative ability, but one is much preferred over the other.
For Salerno, playtesting was 90% completed by using Cyberboard. I know of no other game that can claim this.
The new polymer screen tables are getting some interesting coverage. Its possible that they could become more popular.
Salerno has a preorder price just over 30 bucks ... not much more than the Victory Games and Avalon Hill titles I sold back in 1986. How is that possible? Are we seeing the oft promised impact of modern printing techniques, computers, etc?
Looks like players will be able to take advantage of what MMP is offering and get much more than they used to for the price.
You've touched upon Salerno's lineage, but why did you choose to carry through on the game's promise? What about the situation makes it a good introduction to the VCS style for a new generation of gamers?
VCS Salerno will challenge your mind. It will also feed your love of history and hopefully open doors to some fresh ideas. I think that the major conflicts have all been done many times over and improved thinking will lead to improvements in simulation from our history lessons.
The usage of tools to teach history are next. This can be a start to educate as well as entertain.
As I understand it, the invasion of Salerno was a close run thing, the Germans counterattacked and came close to overwhelming the beachhead- it was a dynamic and challenging situation for both sides. Why aren't there more wargames on Salerno?
It was work, and lots of it to build something that nearly no one had ever done. I think an article by Joe Miranda in one of the older Fire and Movement magazines summed it up. Paraphrasing here, "Designers simulating simulation are losing something in the process".
What that means to me is that something is lost in the final product. At least many of the books we use for research had to actually interview some of the participants. I have found it refreshing to be one of the first to break new ground here.
Is there a stigma around Med theater invasion games? Italian campaign games? Are other theaters simply more popular (ie it's not a stigma per se, just a lack of enthusiasm for the theater)?
People are locked into normal pathways. What they don't see as a strategic lynchpin to the entire war doesn't excite them. The key concept here is vision. I believe that once this story is told and the tools are in their hands, more designs will be forthcoming.
Thanks again Nathan.
My Two Cents:
An evolution of Balkoski's classic Victory in the West system, and interesting approach to untried/unknown unit strengths at a good price. I'm interested to see how it's complexity stacks up to SCS.
It's good to see a game about the invasion of Italy. I'm also interested in seeing how the "transit tracks" and their control plays.
The Buzz:
Playtest cyberboard map at:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?233@757.MYGXao8xCt6.0@.1dce...
The Company Line:
MMP is proud to announce the creation of a new series of games, the "Variable Combat Series (VCS)." The Series opener is VCS Salerno, a game undertaking the nearly impossible task of depicting the 1943 Allied invasion of Southern Italy and places all of the invading forces on a single mapsheet.
The main invasion, Operation Avalanche, is portrayed on Map Section A which is 1/3 of the map at 1 mile per hex. The east coast, Map Section B, is also at 1 mile per hex and contains strategic ports, highways and the main Axis airbase of Foggia. The last 1/3, Map Section C, is drawn up at 3 miles per hexside and is used by for the other two main operations, Operation Slapstick, the capture of Taranto, and Operation Baytown, the methodical capture of the Calabrian peninsula (toe of Italy).
Retail Price: $42.00
Pre-Order Price: $31.50
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: Nathan Kilgore
Developer:
Artwork: Nicolas Eskubi
Components:
- One mapsheet
- 1 sheet of 1/2" counters
- VCS Standard and Salerno Exclusive rulebooks
- charts/tables booklet
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
The Setting Sun
Total Pre-Orders: 253 (+18)
Pre-Orders Needed: 590
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
Growth stays in the double digits ... in fact remains the same rate at 18 last month.
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Land, Air and Sea combat in the Pacific using an Area Impulse system ... what's not to love. Well, the high preorder goal for one and the cover price for another. Yet given a full deck of cards and size of the counters - the preorder price is par for today's market.
The Buzz:
Adam was kind enough to enlighten me as to the unique card play in this title and it's sibling "What Price Glory?" .
------------------------------
Iain:
Adam, I'm a bit confused by the description on the preorder site, which makes "The Setting Sun" sound like a card driven game. I get the feeling you're doing something new here. Can you give us a sense how TSS and "What Price Glory?" use cards?
Adam:
I am still tinkering with The Setting Sun (since I get more cards with the MMP version than with the Japanese version) and have a prototype in testing that you pick your cards - but the original game has you drawing cards from a deck for The Setting Sun and choosing the cards you want in What Price Glory.
But both work the same way - the big deal here is that you can chain events together. So I can play up to, say 6 cards, in one play and the way they interrelate determines what you do that turn. I don't think CDGs work this way but I have been out of the loop on the latest stuff - so maybe they are now similar. The heart of CDGs that I have played is about the choice of doing one thing (move, reinforce, events) and the tension that creates. Here the game play is more about all the choices in the world and you choose what to do with those choices. Not sure that was clear or not - but the play feels very different from CDGs that I have played.
Can you choose to make a few chains, and not just one? ie you play your chain #1, I play a massive six card chain and then you play second chain? Or is it basically Igo-Ugo, with each of us playing our single bundle of events?
it is I play a card (or cards) then you play a card (or cards) - but you can have several chains in your go...of course, you play a bunch of cards and your opponent plays just a few - he'll have a lot more cards than you do as the turn goes on...
Very true, so there are interesting pacing and "he who goes last laughs last" issues to consider.
The system doesn't sound particularly solitaire friendly, does it adapt in some way to solo play?
these games are not terrible solo (as your plans get easily upset and you must adjust throughout the turn) - but I wouldn't recommend them as solo games.
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The Company Line:
The Setting Sun is an area game on the great battle for the Philippines in 1944 and 1945. From the Kamikaze attacks to the great sea battle of Leyte Gulf, the entire campaign is presented in The Setting Sun.
Although aspects of the greatest sea battle in history have been in game form, never have all three aspects of the campaign been in one game. The Setting Sun will cover the great battle for the Philippines in 1944 campaign with equal respect to the air, naval and land battle. Players will be in the shoes of the two of the greatest commanders of World War Two; Douglas MacArthur and Tomoyuki Yamashita as they duel over the fate of the Philippines. You choose where to invade as the Americans and how to defend and defeat the US invasion as the Japanese. Using a system that has evolved from the popular Storm over Stalingrad game, Tetsuya Nakamura has created a unique system to go with this unique campaign.
The heart of the game is the use of chained game cards that allow for a near infinite variety of moves and combats. You must play a card to do anything but each card can modify each other so you can tailor make your operation to suit and each combination is unique. You must randomly draw your hand each turn and fight with the cards you were dealt literally.
Game Details:
- Solitaire Rating: Fair
- Complexity: Easy
- Playing Time: 4-5 hours
- Scenarios: 1
- Game scale: Land units are regiments, ships are individual ships for capital ships and flotillas for the smaller ships, air units are in groups of 50-150 planes. Turns are 15 days.
Retail Price: $60.00
Pre-Order Price: $45.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: Tetsuya Nakamura
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Nicolás Eskubi
Components:
- 34” x 22” map
- 140 One Inch Counters
- 88 5/8th inch counters
- 55 Playing cards
- 12 page full color rulebook
- 2 player aids
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Stonewall Jackson's Way II
Total Pre-Orders: 336 (+61)
Pre-Orders Needed: 560
Months on the List: 3 (added November '09)
My Two Cents:
Growth drops by exactly 100 preorders, but remains a healthy 61 - last month's best growth figure.
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I have every game in this series, and I will buy this reprint. New scenarios alone make it worth the admission price. I'm hoping I'll love the new counters in Battle Above the Clouds - they'll be used here as well. 64 page game specific rulebook, I pray it's 75% design notes. 15 scenarios is good.
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
Stonewall Jackson’s Way II: Battles of Bull Run is the 9th game in the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series. This game is actually two complete modules in one: it includes a complete revision and augmentation of Stonewall Jackson's Way (SJW; the first game in the series), and an entire new module covering the First Bull Run Campaign, called All Green Alike (AGA).
The two maps included are newly painted by original map artist Charlie Kibler and include new historical and terrain details (to bring them up to the standards of the latest games in the GCACW series). The counters have also been updated to the new look established by Nicolas Eskubi for our latest title Battle Above the Clouds
Retail Price: $83.00
Pre-Order Price: $62.25
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...
Designer: Joe Balkoski, Ed Beach, Mike Belles, and Chris Withers
Developer:
Map Artwork: Charlie Kibler
Counter Graphics: Nicolas Eskubi
Components:
- GCACW Series Rules Booklet (approx 24 pgs)
- SJW II Specific Rules Booklet (approx 68 pgs including scenarios/designer notes)
- Two 22"x 32" full-color mapsheets
- Three Countersheets
- SJW County Display Sheet (front) and AGA Off-Map Display (back)
- Terrain Effects Chart
- Two full-color Force Displays
- Two 4-page color Charts and Tables
- Two 6-sided Dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Storm Over Dien Bien Phu
Total Pre-Orders: 306 (+13)
Pre-Orders Needed: 520
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
Over 50% in three months, the title's growth rate is dropping to more normal levels.
The Buzz:
Save an additional 10% preordering this title in the Storm Over Bundle ( http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...) I suspect the developer proposed the bundle simply to make my job here that much harder.
The Company Line:
In the spring of 1954, General Giap shocked the world by doing what had previously been considered impossible—defeating a Western occupying force. Storm Over Dien Bien Phu simulates the climatic moment when the isolated French forces (composed of French legionnaires and elite paratrooper units), crumbled under the unrelenting pressure of the Chinese–backed Viet Minh forces.
Using the Area Move system redefined in Storm Over Stalingrad, the game features the use of cards to augment game play, adding to the tension experienced by both sides. The rules are similar in length to those seen in Storm Over Stalingrad, and are of the same level of complexity, with additions made for the situations encountered in this battle.
Additional rules added to the game include sapping, assaulting, and the French supply situation. In addition to these new rules, new cards have been created in order to represent events encountered during the battle. These include “Detonate Mine Shaft”, “Rats of the Nam Yum”, “Giap Demands Success”, “Propoganda”, “Débouchez à Zéro!”, and “B-26 Bombers”.
The game focuses on the attacks on the strongpoints of Gabrielle, Anne–Marie, Beatrice, Eliane, Claudine, Huguette and Dominique from mid–March to early May of 1953. The game is eight turn longs, and can easily be played in less than 3 hours by experienced players.
Retail Price: $44.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: Nick Richardson
Developer: Brian Youse
Artwork: Nicolas Eskubi,
Components:
- 22"x34" full-color mapsheet
- 1 and a half sheets of 5/8" counters
- 16 page full–color rulebook with examples
- 1 55-card deck of event/action cards
- 4 six-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Storm Over Normandy
Total Pre-Orders: 314 (+13)
Pre-Orders Needed: 520
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
After the second best premiere of the class of 10/09, SoN is settling into a more normal growth curve along with its sibling SODB.
The Buzz:
Save an additional 10% preordering this title in the Storm Over Bundle ( http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=8...) I suspect the developer proposed the bundle simply to make my job here that much harder.
The Company Line:
June 6th 1944: American, British and Canadian forces landed at dawn on five beaches in Normandy, intent on starting the operation that would help end the war on the West Front. Storm Over Normandy simulates the first six days of the operation, with the surprise landing on the Allied forces, and the response by the German occupiers.
Using the Area Move system redefined in Storm Over Stalingrad, the game features the use of cards to augment game play, adding to the tension experienced by both sides. The rules are similar in length to those seen in Storm Over Stalingrad, and are of the same level of complexity, with modifications made to represent the scale of the operation.
New cards have been created in order to represent events encountered during the operation.
The game focuses on the landings on the five beaches “Sword”, “Juno”, “Gold”, “Omaha”, “Utah”, plus the Allied paratrooper operations, and the German response over the first week of the battle. The game is seven turns long, and can be played in less than 3 hours by experienced players.
Retail Price: $44.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: Ken Dunn and Nick Richardson
Developer: Brian Youse
Artwork: Nicolas Eskubi, Nick Richardson, and Brian Youse
Components:
- 22"x34" full-color mapsheet
- 1 sheet of 5/8" counters
- 12-16 page full–color rulebook with examples
- 1 55-card deck of event/action cards
- 4 six-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Warriors of Japan
Total Pre-Orders: 302 (+18)
Pre-Orders Needed: 560
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
Continues to have a healthy growth rate after passing the halfway mark last month.
Given how much I enjoy managing the chaos in Warriors of God, I can not imagine a world in which I didn't buy this title. The three scenarios cover only four years - a much small scope that WofG ... meaning no leader death from old age. I'm interested to see how the system plays when leaders live for the whole game.
The Buzz:
It just made the 50% mark in three months.
The Company Line:
Long considered one of the greatest games to ever be published in Japan, Warriors of Japan will feature much of the same system as we have seen in Warriors of God. The game covers the Nanboku-cho period of Japanese history and simulates one of the most dynamic and important periods in Japanese history.
From 1336-1392, all of Japan was aflame with war. After the fall of a corrupt and ineffective emperor, the two great courts of Japan dueled to determine the future ruler of the country. Warriors of Japan covers the vital period following the destruction of the Kamakura shogunate and the fight to find a successor.
Players of Warriors of God will find much familiar here, however, unlike the enormous time period covered in Warriors of God, Warriors of Japan covers only 4 years. Subtle changes in the system to cover this unique period have been exchanged in Warriors of Japan. For example, Leaders no longer die from old age but rather can switch sides unexpectedly during a combat. Subtle changes in the movement and combat rules will add to the strategy to a greater extent than in Warriors of God. A random game start generator will keep each game fresh and interesting.
Game Details:
- Solitaire Rating: Excellent
- Complexity: Easy
- Playing Time: 4-10 hours
- Scenarios: 3
Retail Price: $44.00
Pre-Order Price: $33.00
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: Makoto Nakajima
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Mark Mahaffey
Components:
- 34” by 22” map
- 140 1” counters
- 16 page full color rulebook
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
What Price Glory?
Total Pre-Orders: 276 (11)
Pre-Orders Needed: 580
Months on the List: 4 (added October '09)
My Two Cents:
The card mechanism used here sounds really interesting and the 8 page rulebook is appealing. See the entry for Setting Sun for designer Adam Starkweather's description of how it plays.
The Buzz:
Friend of the Show Michael Lucey had this to say about the "What Price Glory" on October's List:
This is a pretty cool game. I had the pleasure of playtesting this game. I only played once so I cannot really get into strategy. It's an area impulse game first, with the impulses driven by cards which have various actions. Its move or fire with units becoming spent when done. The cards provide the action, a card may be activate one group, or activate multiple groups for one action. Another card would be make one group fresh (from spent) and another allows for one action and then do a 2nd action before becoming spent. You also have mg cards to defensive fire and cards for bombardment. There is even a RR card which is basically Strategic movement. You also have the ability to play multiple cards in one impulse.
Then you have 1 time use strategy cards that trigger events historically accurate for the war, like gas attack or dig trenches for defense.
It really captures the feel of WW1 with the limited movement and slow exploitation abilities but leaves plenty of options for strategy and the card play leads to excellent replayability. Its a area / impulse meets cards rather then a straight CDG, there is no deck managment here. Cards drive the impulses while the impulses drive the game. I was actually skeptical over the need for cards until I got into the game but soon found how elegant they directed the impulses while still allowing for some card managment. Its no PoG, but not trying to be. Its a fun game with a good mix of planning, strategizing and card managment.
Imagine playing BKN where you play a card to assault or blow bridges or bombard rather then just stating the impulse.
The Company Line:
The heart of this game is a new way to use cards to drive the system. Players choose which cards they will use in the upcoming turn from a 16 card deck and plan out how the 6 month turn will play out. Some cards are defensive in nature (the very nasty Machine Guns card for example) and some are offensive in nature (allowing for multiple activations, recovery, railroading and reinforcements). Also in the cards a player can play are major events that change the shape of the war (submarine warfare, air power, neutral entry, Jutland etc.). You will never have enough cards to do what you want to do and your opponent will constantly be ruining your plans by trying to execute his own plans. The player that is best able to juggle their resources will find the path to victory the easiest. The cards also link together and allow for many cards to be played in unison in a unique way to allow for an infinite variance in how to use your resources most effectively.
Although the unique and complex way the player’s card hands interact is the heart of the game, the game also covers in a more simple way all of the major events that occurred in the Great War. Jutland, the 1918 race between US entry and German reinforcement from the East and much more are covered in a highly simple but effective manner allowing the Great War to be experienced in a comprehensive manner and yet the system takes minutes to learn and only 4 hours to play. The sophistication of the card play allows for great replayability.
Game Details:
- Solitaire Rating: Fair
- Complexity: Easy
- Playing Time: 3-5 hours
- Scenarios: 1
- Game scale: Units are corps, turns are biannual.
Retail Price: $50.00
Pre-Order Price: $37.50
MMP website: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=7...
Designer: Tetsuya Nakamura and Adam Starkweather
Developer:
Artwork:
Components:
- 34” by 22” map
- 264 5/8” counters
- 55 Playing cards
- 8 page full color rulebook
- Two player aids
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Breakthrough: Cambrai
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded, September 2009
Production News:
We still hope to see this in the first half of 2010, but it might be slipping due to it's larger than normal counters (1").
The Buzz:
In May, designer Michael Rinella gave us an insight into the game's scenarios:
Basic Game: Play begins November 20th and ends after the November 26th turn (subject to Sudden Death "Haig Decision" die rolls each turn after the end of the second turn).
Scenarios:
Scenario 1: "To the Green Fields Beyond" - The British Attack
Play begins November 20th and ends after the November 24rd turn.
Scenario 2: "High Water Mark"
Play begins November 22nd and ends after the November 26th turn.
Scenario 3: "Prince Rupprecht's Revenge" - The German Counter-Attack
Play begins November 20th and ends after the December 3rd turn.
Scenario 4: Operation 'GY' - the Cambrai Campaign
Play begins November 30th and ends after the December 3rd turn.
So you have five different ways of playing the game.
In March he told us:
I'd love to see this one in the hands of players, instead of playtesters. This was supposed to be the model of future area-impulses games: bigger counters, simpler rules, short playing time. It's been nearly six years since MMP published Monty's Gamble. I am astonished this game doesn't have 750+ pre-orders after 16 months. If you want more games using this system please order this one!
Last autumn he'd told us:
Breakthrough: Cambrai is the best thing I've designed to date, and that includes Not War But Murder.
I can tell you it was more heavily researched, and it's been in continuous playtest and refinement with the developer Uli who lives in Germany and who along with the playtest group researched German-language sources I couldn't access (plus my German is pretty bad). I was shown the light on some order of battle issues, thanks to them.
Three sheets of 70 one-inch counters. BIG.
Unlike Monty's Gamble we have ONE person for map, counter, and box art, and it's the MMP house artist, Niko. The art is gonna kick ass on this one. I love the samples I've seen.
Quick playing. Multiple scenarios. Sudden death possibilities (the Haig Decision die roll). The "diceless advantage" that made its debut in Not War But Murder.
He's also written that the game is completely playtested and ready to go, and that "once the game hits the pxxx mark I would expect it to go to the printers quickly."
Pictures are worth a thousand words (and the exchange rate on my verbiage is even worse) so here's some images from the web.
Playtest Map on the designer's website:
A playtest in progress:
and another view of the map:
The Company Line:
Breakthrough: Cambrai is two player game simulating the British assault to breach the “Hindenburg Line” between November 20 and December 3, 1917. One player controls the British forces, the other the German forces. The object of the game is to control a certain number of areas on the map or, for the British, to exit units off the map into certain perimeter zones.
Breakthrough: Cambrai is an area-movement game which uses impulse mechanics (where players alternate "mini-turns") similar to popular games like Breakout:Normandy and Monty's Gamble, Market Garden. The impulse nature of the game means little or no down time for each player while waiting for the other to complete a move or attack.
Retail Price: $48.00
Pre-Order Price: $36.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Designer: Michael Rinella
Developer: Uli Blennemann
Artwork: Niko Eskubi.
Components:
- 1 22” x 34” map
- 1 16-page rulebook
- 1 16 page scenario/play booklet
- 3 Sheets of 1” counters
- 4 Setup and Reinforcement Cards
- 2 player aid cards
- 4 dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
Kingdom of Heaven
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded, June 2009
Production News:
"we are finally on the road to publication. The rules are currently being laid out and the go ahead has been given to produce the final art. At long last, you should have this in your hands before too too long!" Scott de Brestian CSW Feb 9, 2010
My Two Cents:
The designer has been posting a very well done, illustrated after action report on CSW:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?13@200.tL0WaCOhpSM.107@.1dc...
In addition, the designer has posted a description of the nine scenarios in the game. So yes, the game costs $60 on preorder ... but for nine fully developed, and fairly varied 2-4 hour scenarios it sounds like a great deal.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/294654
Scenarios cover the first Crusade through the Mongol invasion of the Middle East and beyond. It's like a system of related games set closely together in history.
The CSW forum has some decent screen captures of playtesting art:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?13@1016.Imi3ebl24jw.24@.1dc...
Example of an elegant mechanic discussed to date; one does not need to move along a chain of friendly strongholds, but if your forces do, they avoid attrition - which can be intensified by mountain passes (Hannibal !), the harshness of the open desert, and even haring by Muslim light cavalry (who can tail slower Christian armies).
Some fantastic card art and a lovely map have been posted recently. For example:
And check out the "aging" on the folds of the game map ... gorgeous stuff, as we've come to expect for Mahaffey.
Given the impressive sprint to the finish, it seems I'm not alone in anticipating this title :-)
The Buzz:
The word on CSW is that an illustrated Vassal session will be posted here on BGG in the coming month. Here's hoping.
In April, BGG's charlesf posted that:
Having read the rules, I must say this has the most exciting siege system I have ever come across and exudes a lot of cleverness in many other respects.
The Company Line:
Kingdom of Heaven is a two-player card-driven game that allows the players to experience the great campaigns in the Middle East between A.D. 1097 and 1291. Nine different historical scenarios pit the greatest commanders of the age against one another: Nur ad-Din, Richard the Lionhearted, Saladin, Frederick Barbarossa, Louis IX, Hulegu Khan, Baibars, and many others.
Each turn represents one year, and the scenarios range in length from the 3-turn First Crusade learning scenario to the 7-turn assault of Baibars on the faltering ramparts of the Crusader States. The game emphasizes playability, and every scenario should be completable in a 3-4 hour evening. Complexity is approximately the same as Wilderness War by GMT or Shifting Sands by MMP.
Retail Price: $80.00
Pre-Order Price: $60.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Designer: Scott de Brestian
Developer: Neil Randall
Artwork: Mark Mahaffey and Niko Eskubi
Components:
- 1 22x34” cardstock map
- 110 “poker quality” playing cards
- 528 5/8” counters
- 24 page rule book
- 24 page scenario book
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
-
No Question of Surrender
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded
Production News:
It's in queue, and "going to the printer's shortly (as of Jan 2, 2010) one get's the sense it'll be out for the summer's Con season ... but what do I know?
My Two Cents:
Hell, we all want to try the Grand Tactical Series, but with credit markets tightened who has the capital? This game let's us test the water before diving into the Market-Garden Monsters.
The Buzz:
This title passed it's preorder goal in a big way earlier this year so I'll stop tracking its growth.
The Company Line:
No Question of Surrender is the first game in the Grand Tactical Series of company-level games offered by Multi-Man Publishing to examine the North African campaign. The game will also introduce new terrain types to the system and new special rules to cover events from the battle.
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=6...
Retail Price: $68.00
Pre-Order Price: $51.00
Designer: Nick Richardson
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Rules Writer: Jon Gautier
Graphics: Niko Eskubi
Components:
- Series Rulebook
- Series Rules Summary
- NQOS Exclusive Rulebook
- 4 color division cards
- one 22"x34" map sheet
- 3 counter sheets
- 4 10-sided dice
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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The Tide at Sunrise
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded, July 2009
Production News:
It's in queue, and "going to the printer's shortly (as of Jan 2, 2010).
An ongoing session report is available here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/416255
The Company Line:
Tide at Sunrise continues the philosophy that began with A Victory Lost. Using tried and true mechanics but with some major twists, Tide at Sunrise will be a major test of player skill that is rarely seen in the wargaming hobby. Here, the base system is little more than the tried and true game from SPI called Napoleon at Waterloo. But not all is at it seems.
Retail Price: $40.00
Pre-Order Price: $30.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=5...
Playtime: 3-5 hours
Complexity: Simple
Solitaire rating: excellent
Game scale: Turns: 12 (each turn represents one month of real time)
Counters: Divisions and Brigades for the land units, Capital Ships for the naval units
Hex scale: 10 kilometers
Game Credits: Designer: Yukihiro Kuroda
Developer: Adam Starkweather
Artwork: Niko Eskubi
Components:
- One 22” by 39” full color map
- 140 1/2” land formation counters
- 44 1 1/4” by 5/8” ship counters
- 16 page full color rulebook
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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War of the Suns
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded, April 2009
Production Status
Unknown
My Two Cents:
Finally !
The Buzz:
Mark has posted a near final version of the map:
http://www.west2productions.com/Mapology/_NEW/MapA5.html
The Company Line:
War of the Suns was first designed by Leonard To, a Hong Kong native, more than 20 years ago. It won the championship of the First Wargame Design Competition in Hong Kong in 1984. The game has since been updated in the early 90's, and extensively again during the last 3 years. Offering exclusive research based on recently opened Chinese archives, as well as many Japanese and English sources, has made War of the Suns one of the most painstakingly researched and accurate games of its type ever made.
The game covers the period from July 1937 to August 1945. The roughly 1:3,000,000 map covers most of China proper, Burma, Assam area of India, and parts of Thailand and Indochina.
Retail Price: $160.00
Pre-Order Price: $120.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=4...
Designer: Leonard To
Developer:
Artwork: Mark Mahaffey
Components:
- 3 22"x32" mapsheets
- Over 1500 counters on 12 countersheets
- 48 page rulebook
- 9 player aid cards
- 4 six-sided dice
Game Turn: 3 months
Counters: Army/Division for the Chinese;
Division/Brigade for the Japanese and British
Game Details: Players: 1-4
Scenarios: 5
Complexity: Medium to Hard
Playing Time: 5 to 34 hours
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Iain K
United States
Arvada
Colorado
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Where Eagles Dare
Pre-Order Goal Exceeded
Production Status
WED should be sent up to MMP in late May.
- Source: Adam Starkweather (game designer), CSW April 6th, 2009
Part of the three game batch that is "going to the printer's shortly" according to Brian Youse on Jan 2, 2010.
My Two Cents:
What can I say, people love TDC, this is more of a good thing. If the cost of entry gives you pause, see No Question of Surrender below.
Map prototypes from Adam;s post on CSW:
And yes ... the cat's included!
(a $35 value, yours absolutely free for preordering)
(some restrictions apply)
(your free cat may appear smaller then the one pictured, so small in fact as to be invisible to the naked eye. But it's free! )
The Buzz:
The Company Line:
The eagerly-awaited sequel to The Devil’s Cauldron, Where Eagles Dare completes the Market Garden saga and allows players to play out the entire operation. In addition, Where Eagles Dare is also a complete and standalone game and offers a fascinating game situation in which the outnumbered, elite 101st Airborne division must race from emergency to emergency to maintain the vital lifeline to the British 1st Airborne Division fighting for its life in Arnhem. This single and fragile lifeline would come to be called “Hell’s Highway”.
Where Eagles Dare: the Battle for Hell’s Highway is the next game in the Grand Tactical Series of company level games offered by Multi-Man Publishing. The game will also introduce new terrain types and new special rules to fully explore the battle. Where Eagles Dare will introduce a special off map movement system to allow the Germans to move forces from sector to sector of the battlefield and a host of other rules to make this game as unique and interesting as The Devil’s Cauldron.
Retail Price: $160.00
Pre-Order Price: $120.00
MMP website:
http://www.multimanpublishing.com/preorder/viewGame.php?id=6...
Designer: Adam Starkweather
Developer: Nick Richardson
Artwork: Niko Eskubi
Components:
- Series Rulebook (in full-color)
- Series Rules Summary (in full-color)
- Exclusive Rulebook (in full-color)
- Historical Booklet (in full-color)
- 6 Player aids (in full-color)
- Turn Record and Weather Table Chart (in full-color)
- 2 CRT/TEC (in full-color)
- 4 23.5" by 35.5" full-color mapsheets
- 10 counter sheets
- 4 10-sided dice
- large (TDC sized) box
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What happened?
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Awesome as always man!
