5.12.18

The Union Forever


I generally don't play American Civil War (ACW) games, but sometimes along comes a little game and though the era doesn't grab me by the ears, I have to put aside my dislikes, really look at it, read the rules, and play it a few times.

In this case, it is an ACW era game called "The Union Forever", which is pocket battle game #11. Design by Paul Rohrbaugh with artwork by Luke T. Moore and copyright © 2012 by LPS, Inc, second reprint. (LPS, Inc is known by several other names, such as Against The Odds magazine, Turning Point Simulations and Last Stand Games)

I'll be honest, I am not sure why I picked it up, or read the rules or studied the artwork (ok, it's a graphic design, but truly awesome map art). The more I read the rules, the more impressed I became, that here is another version of Paul's unique card driven combat system, different enough from his other games, that I had to play it. I was not disappointed.

Please do note, I am not going to go into all of the rules. I will hit the main ones and generally describe the rest.  This does two fold purpose - 1) it doesn't present all the rules to be copied and 2)  hopefully will get your interest up enough to request this  pocket game the next time you purchase something from LPS, Inc and I believe High Flying Dice Games has a limited supply too.

"WUT, no history???"
That's right, not going to go into a lot of the history on this game or the ACW, as every one has anywhere between 3 or more books on the subject. With that in mind, on to the game...

The Game:
"The Union Forever" is a grand strategic treatment of the American Civil War. It is presented in the pocket game style (i.e. post card size) format of a whopping 4" by 6" in size. That's it. The game map is printed on the front, the rules are on the back and the counters run along the edge, waiting to be cut out. With the Union in blue and the boys of the South in Butternut brown.

Note: Butternut is a somewhat light brown/tan color. It was made from nut shells (walnut to pecan), acorns, and lye. I have heard and read of rusty iron nails being thrown into the mixture, along with bark, roots, branches, leaves, etc. Different qualities and quantities of materials in the making of the dye solution, along with normal fading of the material, would lead to the various shades of butternut.

The game map is very interesting. It shows the majority of the CSA states, missing Texas, but that's AOK as the pocket game would need to be re-formatted to about 5"x16" in size to show Texas correctly (yes, Texas is BIG, at least another 10" in this scale to truly display the state correctly. I am a Texan, I know these things :D ).

The game map is well designed, with each of the states further divided into 2 areas along with several mountain ranges that block movement. On the lower right of the game map, Charleston Harbor is present, representing the naval blockade of the CSA, and is labeled "The Anaconda Plan".

Yup, looking closely, one can even see McCrady's restaurant, yeah, see that little bright dot over yonder. George Washington actually ate there. Each of the armies have their setup indicated on the game map.

On the right side of the game map, there are 14 counters, six double-sided counters representing the Union (the Union counters have a combat factor (CF) and six counters for the CSA (note that only three CSA Army counters are double sided and use the CRL for their CF). The flip side is a reduce state for the Union and a "-1" to the CRL for the South. CSA Militia (CM) have no flip-side and are eliminated when called for a flipping. The counters are very well design too.   I would like to mention at this point that there is no mistake for both the Cumberland Army and the Mississippi Armies of the North. Yes, those reduced (flip side) numbers are correct.  

There are two additional markers. One is called "The Anaconda Plan," which goes on it's square. The flip side of it is "Blockade Broken". And of course, the "CRL" marker used for tracking the progression of "Confederate Resistance Level" (CRL) thru-out the game. No game turn counter is provided, as one is told in the rules to use a penny as a turn marker.

Record Track:
The record track along the bottom edge of the game map serves a dual purpose, both as Game Turn (GT) record keeping and the Confederate Resistance Level (CRL) progression tracking. Each game turn is divided into 6 month periods of time with Summer/Fall and Winter/Spring, starting of course, with Summer/Fall 1861. The GT starts on the "1" space.

The Confederate Resistance Level (CRL), shows the attack/defense number for the CSA Armies for that turn and starts on GT8 with a CRL 4. The CRL marker can go down (to the left) or up (to the right) depending on Rebel Invasions, Anaconda Plan/Blockade Broken and carpetbagging, oops, I mean Union Pacification.

Notice that the first square on the Record Track is labeled as  "C.S.A. Surrenders" with a CRL of 0. If the CRL marker gets to that space anytime, the game is over, the South loses.

There is a  tenth square on the Record Track (GT 9), if the game does go past GT 8 and there is at least a CRL of 1, the C.S.A wins. No Spanish-American War, no WW1 as we know it and certainly, there would not have been a WW2, but probably a series of regional wars thru-out the world.

The CRL is the heart and soul of the game for the CSA player. As such, it is pure genius, as far as I am concern. Paul coming up with such a simple system to show the deterioration of the CSA armies over the long haul of the war without the use of extensive complicated rules is simply amazing.

Setup:
The players do need to provide the following: a 1D6, though to be honest both players need 1D6 as passing the die back and forth gets old, FAST! A deck of regular playing cards and 16 pennies. These pennies are used in-addition to the game turn marker, as territory markers to show what areas the Union controls.

In the game it is called "Pacification" when the Union controls an area, though I tend to think of it as "Yankee Carpet Bagging". One is reminded to please use the Lincoln head up on the penny. Paul does have a wicked sense of humor at times, lol.

The card deck is prepared for the game by removing all the Kings, one Joker, and all of the six to ten cards. The cards left for use are the Ace to Five cards, the 8 face cards - four Jacks, the four Queens and one Joker. This will make a deck of 29 cards for this game. Shuffle the hell out of that deck, make sure there are red cards, as you know how sneaky them Yankee devils can be and place the deck of cards where each player can access it.

At this point, I went to look on High Flying Dice Games, LLC web site and look what I found - yes, a card set for "The Union Forever". Cost is very reasonable at $*. Best bet is to buy 4 games and get this card set for free. That way shipping won't eat you alive.

The three starting Union Armies are placed on the starting area, off the map, that blue belly blue edge on the northern edge, and a penny is placed (Lincoln head up, please) in the NW portion of Virginia as it was pacified by the Union (this being West Virginia) at the start. The CSA player places his three starting Armies on their start areas. The three State Militia (CM) counters, can go anywhere, except Ky and Mo. The three extra Union Armies are reinforcements coming into play on turns 2, 3, and 4.

A turn is comprised of several rounds of drawing a card and ending the turn when the Joker is drawn or all the cards have been played (yes, in case the Joker card as the first or second card drawn, discard the Joker as both players need to have performed at least one ACT and re-draw a card). Play will continue at this point and the current game turn will end when all the cards are drawn .

Activations:
ACTs, are used by the players to move units and have combat. Each player alternates performing a card draw from the deck:

If the card is red, the Confederate player is allowed an activation (ACT) and If the card is black, the Union player an activation (ACT).

If the card is odd (Ace, three, five), one Act is allowed.
If the card is even (two or four), then two Acts are allowed for that side.
 
Please note a single unit can not perform two acts in a round from an even card draw, such as move then attack. It can do this under the special activation of a face card.

Face cards are considered to be a "Special Activation"  by allowing the following:
(a) Attempt to remove (CSA) or restore (Union) the Anaconda Plan or
(b) Perform two acts (in this case the same unit may be selected for each act) or
(c) Restore a weaken unit to full strength (flip it back) or
(d) Return an eliminated unit to play at full strength.

Movement:
Movement is very simple - an ACT allows a unit to move into an adjacent area.  Areas are denoted by solid lines for state borders or dashed lines dividing up a state into smaller areas. Units cannot move thru the mountain borders. There are no stacking limitations.

There are certain restrictions for movement, such as CSA Army units can only enter those areas labeled with that Army's designation, Union Armies cannot leave an area until it has been carpet bagged (i.e. in game speak "Pacified", come under Union control) unless the unit is moving off the map to the North. Off map movement is not allowed in any other direction.

Combat:
An Act allows one friendly unit to attack all of the enemy unit(s) in the same area. The active player declares the attacking unit and must target all the enemy units in that area. Both sides will roll 1D6 each and add the following to the die roll:
(a) + the printed CF for the Union, full strength or weaken.
(b) + for CSA full strength or -1 if weaken to the CRL.
(c) +1 for a CM unit (may defend only).

Combat Results:
Please see the Combat Results section of the rules. The final outcome can be 1) attacker retreats, 2) no result, 3) defender loses a step, 4) defender retreats or 5) defender loses step and has to retreat.

Pacification:
An ACT allows the Union to attack an empty uncontrolled area in order to pacify it (bring the area under Union Control).  Again, both sides will roll a 1D6, with adds to both die rolls. If the Union result is greater, then the area is pacified and has train loads of carpet baggers swarming all over, lying and cheating the good people out of their land and their Grandma's blankets.

Area Control Effects:
The CSA can never regain control of an area the Union has pacified and this also affects the CLR track.

Anaconda Plan & Rebel Invasions:
Again here is where some incredible thinking has gone into this game to simplify blockades and CSA invasions of the North but to show the effects of having or not having blockades can do as well as Invasions of the homelands of the Northern Aggressors.  Very impressive.

End of Turn:
When the Joker is turned over or last card is drawn, the game turn is over. Shuffle the cards again. The CRL is moved 1 space to the left if the Anaconda Plan is still in effect (i.e. not blockade broken).

Winning the Game: 
The Union wins the game by reducing the CRL to "0" by the end of any turn, but not later than GT 8. If by the end of GT 8 the South still has a CRL of 1 or more, the South wins.  

Well, that's it for what the game is. Now it's time to talk about it.

Time for the buns ratings:
•  Complexity of the game = LOW
•  Solitaire = MED
•  Enjoyment Level = HIGH (imho). If you know me, you know I like these little games. Each doesn't take all week to play or a master's degree to figure out how to play.
•  Nail biting = 8 fingers worth. Will the die rolled the way you want or not, will you sack the die like Lincoln did to the Union Generals, for other dice in your collection?
•  Historical Level = It's good.  It's grand strategic in scope. You have some state militia and some armies. Can't find fault with the history.
•  Length of typical full game = about 1 to 2 hours.
•  Out of the 6 games played = the South was full of carpet baggers by turns 6, 7, or 8. I lost 5 games, but then the fickle finger of fate smile once upon the South and "Dixie" became the new National Anthem. The Yellow Rose of Texas almost made it, but now we know why Texas wasn't included on the map.

After Thoughts: 
During the writing of this review, I interspersed my thoughts in with the rules.  Pocket games are hard to design with having to pack "fun" and history into such a small format. A game needs to be both historic accurate and very fun to play to bring people back to play it often or request it when buying other merchandise. 

Making a game on the entire American Civil War and including such things as Lee invading the North, Blockades, the effect of support and supply on an entire national level of the C.S.A that affected morale, troops, ammunition, etc, with such simple rules, makes this game to me, an outstanding success. It may not be one I will play all the time (not having Texicans whipping on dem Yankees, is a bit of a let down to me), it does raise the bar in game design of small games on an entire war.  It is different (and more difficult) to do this type of pocket game versus say a specific battle like The Bulge (and Paul used 4 pocket games to game that one) and succeed, as I believe he has with this game.

And yes, as mentioned above, the flip side is correct for Union Armies Mississippi 4/3 and Cumberland 5/2. I checked with Paul and he ensured me that those counters are correct. 

What I would like to see in the pocket game format from Paul is the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  Now those would be some pocket games! 

Sure, there are other ACW games out there, but not at this scale, compactness, and need I mention "fun"?  Nah Suh, I didn't think so.   
 
Thanks for reading
-ab


This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.
And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.




1.11.18

Bitter Heights, Battle of Mitla Pass, 29-31 Oct, 1956

a very simple explanation of a very complicated war "The Sinai Campaign, 1956"...

Sept 1955...
President Nasser in September 1955, in violation of international agreements and in what amounted to an act of war, sealed off access to the Israeli port of Eilat, effectively stopping Israel's sea trade with much of Africa and the Far East. Also, Nasser had set up and was aiding his terrorist funded "Palestinian fedayeen" organization that was used to conduct terror raids on Israel from the Sinai.  

On 26 July 1956, Nasser announced Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez canal, most of whose shares were held by Britain and France. With no help from the U.N. regarding the fedayeen terrorists, the closed shipping, and diplomacy failing to reverse Nasser's decision concerning the Suez canal, Israel, along with Britain and France, embarked on preparations to stop the terrorists, open shipping, and regain control of the Suez canal.

The conflict...
29 October 1956, Israel invaded the Egyptian Sinai with a para-drop on Mitla Pass, along with attacks along the Israeli-Sinai border. Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum for a cease fire, which was ignored by both sides. All was going accordingly to plan for the 3 allies. On 5 November 1956, Britain and France landed paratroopers along the Suez Canal. The Egyptian forces were defeated, but they block the canal to all shipping by sinking 40 ships along the canal (the Suez Canal was closed from October 1956 until March 1957 when the last of the shipwrecks were cleared.). 

Heavy political pressure from the United States and the USSR led to a withdrawal by all 3 allies. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had strongly warned Britain not to invade; he threatened serious damage to the British financial system by selling the US government's pound sterling bonds. Historians conclude this crisis "signified the end of Great Britain's role as one of the world's major powers". I guess they didn't wear "I like Ike" buttons. 

Note: Eisenhower years later admitted that not supporting Eden over Suez had been his greatest foreign policy mistake.

Aftermath...
As a result of this conflict, the United Nations created the UNEF Peacekeepers to police the Egyptian–Israeli border, with 3,300 United Nations troops. 

Israel fulfilled some of its objectives, such as attaining freedom of navigation through the Straits of Tiran, which Egypt had blocked to Israeli shipping since 1950 and at least 10 years of freedom from terrorists, while Britain and France did not (regaining the Suez). British Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned, France remembered this embarrassment from the US years later, Canadian Minister of External Affairs Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Soviet Union was able to invade Hungary without worry from the UN or the US. And Nasser came out of this in a very favorable political light, having secured a new level of prestige among Arab peoples as a leader who had defied European empires and survived a military invasion by Israel.

What and where is Mitla Pass?
Mitla Pass is a 480 meter-high, 32 km-long snaky pass in the Sinai of Egypt, wedged between mountain ranges to the north and south, located about 50 km east of Suez and has been the site of numerous battles thru out the ages. During the Sinai Campaign of 1956, many have said that the battle for Mitla Pass was unnecessary, that it was a political objective and not a tactical or strategic objective. However, it is a natural bottleneck on two of the three major east-west highways crisscrossing the Sinai Peninsula.

The beginning...
At 17:00 on 29 October 1956, Israeli units parachuted into the eastern approaches of the Mitla Pass at the start of the Sinai Campaign 1956. There were only enough C-47 Dakota transport aircraft in the Israeli Air Force to drop the bulk of one parachute battalion, 395 men in all, east of the pass. 

Given the high state of readiness the paratroopers of the 1st Battalion, 202nd Brigade had achieved, not to mention their proven combat prowess, a battalion was thought to be sufficient to achieve the straightforward goal of creating a diversion in the rear of the Egyptian forces in Sinai. 

To ease the isolation of this small force, the rest of the parachute brigade was to rush overland to Mitla Pass by way of the southern road, from Kuntilla via Themed and Nakhle. If successful, the paratroop battalion—and later the entire brigade—would be in position to block an important Egyptian line of reinforcement and retreat.

Due to a navigation error, the C-47's landed Eitan's 395 paratroopers three miles away from Parker's Memorial, their intended target. Eitan marched his men towards Jebel Heitan, where they dug in while receiving supplies of weapons dropped by French aircraft. At the same time, Aluf-Mishne (Colonel) Sharon's 202nd Paratroop Brigade raced out towards the Mitla Pass.

As the paratroopers were being dropped into the Sinai, the Israeli 9th Infantry Brigade captured Ras al-Naqb, an important staging ground for that brigade's later attack against Sharm el-Sheikh. Instead of attacking the town by a frontal attack, they enveloped the town in a night attack, and negotiated their way through some of the natural choke points into the rear of the town, surprising the Egyptians before they could ready themselves to defend. The Egyptians surrendered, with no Israeli casualties sustained.

The 4th Infantry Brigade, under the command of Colonel Josef Harpaz, captured al-Qusaymah, which would be used as a jumping off point for the assault against Abu Uwayulah. Colonel Harpaz out-flanked al-Qusaymah with two pincers from the south-east and north-east in a night attack. In a short battle lasting from 3:00 am to sunrise, the IDF stormed al-Qusaymah. 

The portion of the paratroopers under Aluf-Mishne (Colonel) Sharon's command continued to advance to meet with the 1st Brigade. En route, Sharon assaulted Themed in a dawn attack, and was able to storm the town with his armor through the Themed Gap. Sharon routed the Sudanese police company, and captured the settlement. On his way to the Nakla, Sharon's men came under attack from Egyptian MIG-15s. On the 30th, Sharon linked up with Eytan near Nakla.

The Battle for Mitla Pass...
Dayan had no more plans for further advances beyond the passes, but Sharon decided to attack the Egyptian positions at Jebel Heitan. Sharon sent his lightly armed paratroopers against dug-in Egyptians supported by aircraft, tanks and heavy artillery. Sharon's actions were in response to reports of the arrival of the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the 4th Egyptian Armored Division in the area, which Sharon believed would annihilate his forces if he did not seize the high ground. Sharon sent two infantry companies, a mortar battery and some AMX-13 tanks under the command of Mordechai Gur into the Heitan Defile on the afternoon of 31 October 1956.

The Egyptian forces occupied strong defensive positions and brought down heavy anti-tank, mortar and machine gun fire on the IDF force. Gur's men were forced to retreat into the "Saucer", where they were surrounded and came under heavy fire. Hearing of this, Sharon sent in another task force while Gur's men used the cover of night to scale the walls of the Heitan Defile. During the ensuing action, the Egyptians were defeated and forced to retreat. A total of 260 Egyptian and 38 Israeli soldiers were killed in the battle.

Although the battle was an Israeli victory, the casualties sustained would forever haunt Sharon.  In particular, Sharon was criticized for ordering the attack on Jebel Heitan without authorization, and not realizing that with the Israeli Air Force controlling the skies, his men were in not such danger from the Egyptian tanks as he believed. While Dayan himself maintained that Sharon was correct to order the attack without orders, and that under the circumstances, Sharon made the right decision; he criticized Sharon for his tactics of attacking the Egyptians head-on, which Dayan claimed led to unnecessary casualties.

The game...
Bitter Heights, The Battle of Mitla Pass, October 29-31 Oct, 1956 is another game from High Flying Dice Games, designed by Paul Rohrbaugh with graphics by Bruce Yearian. Published in 2012 and is up for review.  

1.0 Game components consist of  the following:
  • a 11"x17" game map
  • 90 double sided counters (unmounted)
  • one 8.5"x11" player's aid card
  • and a set of rules that are 4 pages in length
The game does require a little work to get it ready for play (just mounting and cutting out the counters). It's cost is very reasonable at $11.95 plus shipping. This is a lot of bang for the buck in this inexpensive game.  The origins for Bitter Heights comes from Paul's design of Operation Kadesh game (the 1956 Sinai Campaign still  available from High Flying Dice Games, along with the game's card set).  One thing about High Flying Dice Games is the artwork is impeccable, the rules are all there, and very inexpensive. To get the best value, order 3 or 4 games (they would set you back far less than say one game from any other company) for the same price of mailing. Check High Flying Dice Games web site for other games. 

The players will need to furnish one D6, a deck of cards, in addition to mounting and cutting out the counters, as mentioned before. Also available is mounting of the counters for a small additional cost.

Of course a card set is available for this game  for an additional amount. (note - if you order four or more games at the same time, you can choose this card set for free.).

Otherwise, a regular card deck is used. Remove all the 6 to 10 cards (6, 7, 8. 9, 10) from the card deck, make sure there are two jokers, and  shuffle, shuffle shuffle. Draw one card - on a red card draw, the Egyptian player plays and on a black card draw, the Israeli plays. 

The game, depending on the scenario selected (section 7.0) can have up to 20 turns with many rounds, which actually makes for a long game.

Game Errata:
There is a small slip of paper dated Sept 2012 for 2 important pieces of game errata, oops, excuse me, I mean game addenda. (I have not found any other EXCEPT one)
    • PAC (Player's Aid Card) Interdiction (correction): A unit firing out of an interdicted area has a -1 DRM (not +1 DRM).  The rule 4.3.1 is correct.
    • 4.2 Combat Resolution (correction): An attack succeeds with a modified DR of 4 or more. It is ineffective with a modified DR of 3 or less.
    •  Other errata I have spotted:
      • there is on page 2, under 5.0 Rally, at the end of the 2nd sentence a "(?)". Mark it out if you want too (I used white out). 
If you find something is not "just right" and/or you have a question when you start to play, read the rules again and go by what the rules say. I have found that everything, even if it isn't in a section of the rules where one would think it should be, is always in the rules.   And of course, Paul will answer questions on any of his games. Cheerfully I add. 

2.0 Sequence of Play:
Sequence of play is one of the easiest I have seen.  Five steps is all there is, with two steps, one preformed at the beginning of the game turn and one performed at the ending of a game turn with the drawing of the second joker. Otherwise per round there are only three steps used.
  • 2.1 Air Determination Phase: (performed only at the beginning of a turn). Both players roll a die for air support. Highest die roll wins, with the winner getting a number of air strikes equal to the difference between the 2 die rolls. (example - Egyptian rolls a "1", while the Israeli rolls a "6".  The Israeli player receives 5 air strike markers to be used for the game turn (not per round). Also, each side, depending on the game turn track, will receive a +1 to their die roll (Israeli gets +1 from Game Turns 3 to 10, while the Egyptian gets a +1 from Game Turn 13 to 20.). Rolls that are tied, result in neither player receiving any air support. The max amount of air strikes is 5 for the Israeli player and 6 for the Egyptian. 

  • 2.2.1 Card Draw: A card is drawn and whether it is red or black, determines who plays that round.
    • Red for Egyptian, Black for Israeli. 
    • an odd number card gives 1 activation,  
    • an even number card gives 2 activations,  
    • and a face card gives 3 activations, or  
    • the player may elect to pass on the card draw. 
    • The first time a joker is drawn, roll 1D6 twice consulting the "Random Events Chart" to see which, if, a random event occurs.  
    • The second time a joker is played, the game turn is immediately over, and section 2.3 is followed. 

  • 2.2.2 Activation: The winner of the card draw can choose one of the four types of activations each round. The following can be performed - 
    • move a unit up to it's movement allowance (section 3.0 - 3.1 and 3.2), 
    • hold position (not move) and attack (section 4.0 - 4.1, 4.2), 
    • attempt to rally a disrupted unit (section 5.0), and/or 
    • performed an air strike (both players can do this) or artillery strike (Israeli player only) (section 4.3 and 4.3.1) or 
    • elect to pass any or all of their activations.

  • 2.2.3 End of Activation Cycle:
    • If the 2nd joker wasn't drawn, then return to section 2.2.1 - Card Draw to continue on the next round. 
    •  If the 2nd joker was drawn, proceed to 2.3 End Phase.
  • 2.3 End Phase: If the second Joker was drawn, the game turn ends and players do the following  -
    • If the turn marker is on the last game turn, game ends and the victor is determine. 
    • If the turn marker is not on the last space, advance the turn marker one space and:
      • Remove all interdiction Air Strike markers from the map.
      • Reshuffle the card deck.
      • Continue with the game starting with 2.1 Air Determination Phase. 
3.0 Movement:
Units can move from one contiguous area to another. Units can move into an area with an enemy unit(s), but not out of or thru an area, if the enemy isn't disrupted (has a "D" counter on it).

Roads: (section 3.1)
If both areas are connected by a road, then units can move up to two areas.

Elevations: (section 3.1)
Elevations are represented by the various shades of white for level 1 to 2 and browns from 3 to 4.  Only area ids 1, 2, and 3 are level 1 (each little area has a round circle that shows the area id and a factor modifier.). The rest are level 2, level 3 and level 4. If an area has any level 4 in it, then it is consider to be level 4 (only areas 13, 19,24, and 31 are level 4)    
  • Each type of terrain affects units and movement:
    • Level 1 and Level 2 - all units may enter and move.
    • Level 3: No Armor or Half Track units allowed to enter, all others can enter and move into.
    • Level 4: No Armor, Half Tracks or Heavy Weapon units allowed to enter, all others can enter and move into.
  • Each area has an area id number in black and a combat DR terrain modifier from 0, -1, and -2 in red.
  • Terrain affects the combat DR modifier.
Stacking:(section 3.2)
Either up to five friendly units or all units of the same battalion plus 3 armor units can occupy an area.  Half Tracks when paired up with their parachute infantry do not count towards the stacking limitations.

Game Scale and LOS:
I love this game map, NO HEXES. It uses area movement with beautiful various shades of brown. Even with the red used, I can see most everything. Bruce really outdid himself back in 2012 on this one.

Scale of the game map is 1 inch equal to 2 miles.   Also, there are small dots in each center of each area that one uses to trace LOS (these are not black, but a darker shade of the gray-brown color used to show level 4 terrain. I colored in those dots with black ink to make the dots stand out better.). 

4.0 Combat: (sections 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.3.1)
All undisrupted infantry, heavy weapons, parachute, and armor can attack enemy units up to two area away. Arty units can attack up to 3 areas away.

Units:
I also like the graphics used on the counters and the different sides coloring. No fancy graphics, but good gaming graphics, easy to see and understand. Yes, they may be considered old school, but sure beat the crap we see now.

Each of the various counters have the standard unit size, ID, and type, with both a normal and a reduced side, with disruption being a counter with a "D" on it. The combat factors listed is for attack and defense, as movement is standard for all (1 area at a time, unless using the road).  Disrupted units cannot move or attack. Remember, if a unit is disrupted and takes a loss (flipped to reduce status) it is still disrupted until rallied.
    • All non disrupted units, have a 2 area range for combat, except Artillery which has a range of 3.
    • All ranged artillery (arty) counters have a small circle in the upper right (the number is in red and is the units range for attacking enemy units).
    • Disrupted units cannot attack or move.  
    • Units can attack one enemy unit provided it is in the attacking unit LOS (i.e. no higher level of elevation between the two units). 
    • Artillery does not require an LOS to the target as long as another friendly unit can trace a LOS to the unit being attacked.

6.0 Special Units: 
The game has a few special units in the game  consisting of Half Tracks (section 6.1) (Israeli player only), for movement of Israeli paratroopers, artillery units (section 6.2, both players,) and entrenchments (Egyptian player only) (section 6.3). Be sure to read the rules on Half Tracks.

There is one counter, I would like to make a special mention of. It is the counter used for the Israeli off board artillery marker (under section 4.3).  It doesn't look like any type of an off board counter, and is not marked as so, but this is it.  :D   It enters play with the arrival of the Israeli 771st Battalion. There is another, but to be honest, I haven't figure it out.  This being the Israeli "Enhance Air Support Marker".  If any of you fine folks have found where this is located in the rules, please let me know and thanks in advance.

7.0 Game length and setup: 
There are 3 scenarios with various variants for each.  These are "Snake Bit" (section 7.1), "Viper's Den" (section 7.2), and the full campaign "Snake's Lair" (section 7.2.5), the longest at a whopping 20 turns).

Time for the buns ratings:
    • Complexity of the game = I found it to be low-intermediate level
    • Solitaire = Medium to high (a little bit of work is needed)
    • Enjoyment Level = High (imho)
    • Nail Biting = 8 fingers worth. It can go down to the last play of the game.  
    • Historical Level = Very High - this game has a very solid historical reference background and a very solid OOB (Orders of Battle).   
    • Length of typical full game = About 2 hours for the smaller scenarios and with the full campaign game, 3 or more hours.
Bibliographies:
An extensive bibliography is included, however, I would like to add a few that are not mention, but do qualify. (note: These may be hard to find)
    • Bregman, Ahron - Israel's Wars: A History Since 1947. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-28716-2.
    • Bromberger, Merry and Serge - Secrets of Suez Sidgwick & Jackson London 1957 (translated from French Les Secrets de l'Expedition d'Egypte by James Cameron)
    • Dayan, M. - Diary Of The Sinai Campaign. New York, Harper & Row 1966
    • Herzog, C. - The Arab-Israeli wars: War and peace in the Middle East. NY: Random House. 1982
    • Katz, S. M. - Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2. Men-at-Arms Series, 194. Oxford, UK: Osprey. 1988
    • Laffin, J. - Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 1948-73. Men-at-Arms Series, 128. Oxford, UK: Osprey. 1982
    • Marshall, S.L.A - Sinai Victory : Command Decisions In History's Shortest War, Israel's Hundred-Hour Conquest of Egypt East of Suez, Autumn, 1956. New York: Battery Press. ISBN 0-89839-085-0. 1958
    • Zaloga, S. -  Armor of the Middle East Wars 1948-78. Vanguard Series 19. London: Osprey. 1981
Second Thoughts:
How does the game play?  Good question. With simple rules and low counters It is actually a low-intermediate complexity game, not introductory. Depending on the scenario selected and variant played, both players have a limited amount of resources, requirements to capture certain areas and for both players, to hold down the amount of units either lost or disrupted to win is not as simple as it sounds.   

Paul in his designer notes states that the Israeli player will feel a lot of pressure thru-out the game. This is very true. He also states that the Egyptian player can't just sit there and expect to win. True again. They have to inflict as much losses as possible to the Israeli player to even have a chance to win (not just garner a tie-game).  

I was able to play the game solo with a just little work. Two player is the way to go for this one, though. Unfortunately, my gaming partner doesn't like the card draw system (I do). I like the card draw system. IMHO, it simulates the fog of battle very well, much better than the archaic u-go, i-go system of play. I like it so well, I use it even in games that don't have it (modifying that gaming system of course). 

Out of the five 2-player games played, the game was enjoyable, gaming partner was a pain in the butt, as he won all 5. The 5 solo games were enjoyable, too, just having a live opponent made me think harder. 

But the question remains, will one return to this game to play it again?  I would say yes. With area movement, armor, arty, infantry in several flavors,  low counters, and a hellacious card system for combat and movement, what more could one want?

-ab


This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information. 
And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.


12.9.18

Mounting and cutting out counters

There are those gamers who prefer to buy their games with die cut counters and there are those gamers who don't mind mounting counters, cutting them out, and enjoying the fruits of their labor while applying band-aids.

I am one of those. I have enough scars from slicing off finger tips (true stories), cutting hands and plain just looking like one was in a tiff with Miss Loretta who did not argue, but would just tell you, "don't make me cut ya". 

I have developed my own way of mounting and cutting out counters thru out the years, and what tools I use. It may not be perfect, but it works for me. Heed the warnings: 

WARNING!!!! GO SLOW!!! Neither this blog nor myself will be held accountable for your actions or lack of ability. Know your limitations.

With the warnings out of the way, here is how I mount and cut out counters:

Background on the different tools used and why:

  • 12" steel rule
  • 18" steel rule
  • utility knife (aka "U.K.")
  • glue stick (GS) or 3M spray glue 
  • X-Acto with #11 blade (not used by me)
  • a cutting mat - 11"x17" and/or larger
  • backing for the counters: white, 24 lb (I use Ultra Pro Magazine Size Board for comics. Acid free and THIN!)
The 12" ruler has a rubber backing on it (rubberized electrical tape, I put on) to keep it from slipping. The 18" ruler has a cork backing, but I only use it when I have 11"x17" game maps to cut out, as the cork is aprx 1/32" of a stand off and sometimes the ruler will slip a little bit, not allowing a perfect cut. While the rubber backing on the 12" rule grabs, doesn't slip and is thinner.

The U.K. is used instead of a #11 X-Acto type knife blade, because, I have big hands and can hold it easier. The blades on the U.K. are not any wider than the #11 blade and to me is safer to use.  

One can use either a glue stick or 3M Adhesive spray. Though to be honest, the 3M spray requires one to be outside and goes everywhere (nothing like having arm hair stuck together). The glue stick is easier to use, especially inside a house and holds everything as well as the 3M spray. I tend to buy 10 of them at a time when they are on sale for school supplies (50 cents for a BIG stick).

And most important, a self healing cutting mat. My first mat was 11"x17" in size and perfect for smaller 8.5"x11" size projects. I recently bought a larger cutting mat as my projects are getting larger, bigger than letter size, almost 11"x17" in size.  Save yourself some money and buy a larger one. You will use it sooner or later. :)

BE CAREFUL!

 
 
Here is the counter sheet I am going to mount. It is a set of replacement counters that I made for a WWI pocket game, called "Fateful Day 1914". It isn't very large and has both a front side and back side to it, with fold lines.  

Since the fold lines are visible, fold to crease the paper on the "fold line". 

Once the paper has been folded, coat everything with the glue stick.(I use the purple kind to easily see where I miss spots  :)  ) then line it up and press it down, lining up the front and back correctly. In this case, if the lines are folded, it can be glued on both sides and glue from one of the edges, as this lines everything up correctly.

Here are both sides glued down. Don't mind the wrinkle as it's outside of the area needed. As long as there is no wrinkle in the counter art or project, everything is good.

Let it dry for 10 mins or so. And rub it down!!! Note: Some printing paper used will require longer drying times and possibility of being put under a weight for a few hours.  You won't know until you mount.

I am using a new protection product after mounting the counters but before cutting them out, Krylon Low Odor Clear Finish, Matte as a permanent, protective coating. This protects the counter better from wear. Why this one brand? Very low odor, and cleans up my hands and spray tip with soap and water. Easy to use. 

Don't forget to let it dry for several hours before cutting out.


👉 If you use such a product be sure and test it on your counter sheet BEFORE using on everything. As a wood worker, I have ruin a couple of finishes by using a clear spray product to protect the wood and finish without testing it out first.


WARNING: 
Line up your ruler and make 2 or 3 light cuts. NEVER bear down heavy and try to cut thru in 1 cut. You will probably ruin your cut and possibly hurt your self. 

👉 Remember to go slow, keep finger tips out of the way and keep the blade as straight up and down as you can.  Be Careful!

Depending on what you want to do, I carefully cut the counters in strips. Look carefully to see what is the least amount of work using scissors will be. In this case cutting in strips either way will be the same amount of work, i.e. scissors cutting.  You can use a U.K. or #11 knife if  you want, just easier on me to use scissors.

Using a pair of scissors, I cut the counters apart.  This is one of the reasons why I use the comic backing board. The counters are thick enough for me and easy to cut out. 

And for the grand finale, clip the counters to round the edges for a more posh look. 

You can see what I use here for rounding the corners. Several sizes are available, I just found that the 2.5mm rounded counter is the best for me as it is good for 1/2" and up to 1" counters.

Take your time, measure twice, cut lightly several times, and above all, be careful.

Yes, lots of warnings, just be careful.  Don't be in a rush.  
 
And you too can make your own mounted counters. I like using the comic backing board as it is sturdy enough and thin enough to cut thru with scissors. 
 
Also, make sure you make a copy of those counters you are going to be mounting (BEFORE CUTTING) and use that. That way you still have the original counters in case you lose one. And, yes, this is legal.  One can always make a copy for personal use. Just don't copy and give away or sell, that is verboten.

Enjoy and let me know how your mounting project came out!
-ab


 
This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information. And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.

2.5mm Gaming Counter Cutter

Note - this post did use a lot of photos, so just use your imagination...

A long time ago... 

I used a toe nail clipper for clipping the corners of gaming counters (aka "tags"), and I was pretty darn good with it. But over the years after losing hand dexterity  and strength, these were not suitable anymore.   


A search went into action and I found a clipper that is designed for trimming, and or rounding corners on all sorts of craft projects, cards and counters.  I read about it on a site (sorry, I don't remember where) and decided that these were what was needed.

The device:
is correctly known as a "2.5mm Radius Deluxe Corner Rounder Punch Cutter by Oregon Lamination Premium" available online at Amazon for $54.50 with Prime shipping.

Originally, I had bought the 2mm version and liked how it clipped the corners of the smaller 1/2" counters, but on larger counters, it was hardly noticeable. Sent them back (one of the kudos of buying from Amazon) and bought the 2.5mm. Very different, very nice and works well on 1.5" size counters. 

The counters that are clipped:

Here are 1/2" counters from "Road to Richmond" by SPI from a long time ago. The counter on the left was trimmed with this device, while the counter on the right couldn't pass inspection.

Here are larger counters from "Swashbuckler". They are 5/8's and larger. Which chair would you prefer to sit in at the table? The fresh nice looking one or the rickety one?

This is a whole lot nicer than toe nail clippers for sure.  If I could afford to buy another one of these I would get the 4mm for rounding corners on the card sets that one can buy from various gaming companies. (Unlike a lot of folks who get sent items such as these, I buy.  I buy everything so I can give an honest opinion and not one that has been bought, so to speak.) 

Now for the bad:

The clippers are not highly rated on Amazon or on you tube videos. The three main problems seem to be #1 - too strong of a return spring, #2 - a weak pivot latch that cracks, and #3 - nothing to stop the handles from being pressed too far down (thereby creating problem #2 causing the pivot latch to crack - catch -22, huh). 

However, this is fixable:
Yes, it is and I can show you how on the #3 problem, thereby hopefully, not leading to #2 and allowing one to keep the strong spring, without being force to change it out.

Here is the fix for the handles:

See the little blue block?  That limits how far the handles can be squeezed, thereby hopefully, keeping the pivot latch from cracking from too strong of a grip and spring. It is aprx 1 and 1/8" long, 3/4" square. 

The top blue insert is removed and 2 holes are drilled. Then using very small screws attached . I drill each hole at an angle to each other instead of side by side, hopefully to make the holding power stronger. Since the plastic is an oily plastic, there might be a glue that will work, but probably not and definitely not super glue. 

The fix for the broken pivot latch is a bit more work, and requires taken the device apart. Once apart, gluing the broken latch, and drilling a hole to accept a steel pin or small bolt to reinforcement the glue joint. At this time, the spring can be replaced with a weaker one. This fix is well documented in a video that can be found on you-tube...  and right here (and thank you to the original poster - good job):

And two more things:
1) If a counter is not perfectly cut square (90 degree angles), the clipped area will not be rounded as it can't be inserted into the pit. A 3mm or larger might be needed for larger counters. 

2) See those two holes? They hold the anvil of the cutter to the frame.
The holes are a little rugged and the fix from the company is a piece of plastic tape over them.  Being from China, it is not very good clear tape and needs to be replaced.  Easy to do, just be aware of it. 
 
What I did was cut a piece of card stock the size of the anvil and using double sided tape placed it over the anvil.  Having this makes sliding the counters easier.

Outside of the few problem areas, I have been enjoying having nice corners.  After making new counters for the games I play, I spend the 20 to 30 minutes extra and round the corners to make them "extra nice".  :D

-ab

This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.  And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.

3.9.18

Nemesis

nem·e·sis
/ˈneməsəs/
noun
synonyms: "archrival", "adversary", "foe", "opponent", "arch enemy"
  • a long-standing rival; an archenemy
  • a downfall caused by an inescapable agent
  • a conflict simulation by High Flying Dice on "The battle of Abbey Ardenne", 7 June, 1944
The Game:   Nemesis, The battle of Abbey Ardenne, June 7, 1944 is published by High Flying Dice Games. Designed by Paul Rohrbaugh and with graphics by Bruce Yearian, it came out in 2016.

The game is considered a mini game, but to be honest, this is a misnomer. There is nothing mini about this game, from the quality of the game graphics by Bruce and to the execution of  play as designed by Paul.  It's quality that one has come to expect from HFD. Priced at $*, it is a bloody bargain.

Canadian Nemesis: The 12.SS-Panzerdivision was positioned 50 miles behind the coast, had 20,540 men and a full establishment of 150 tanks (including Panthers and Pk IV's). This unit was a fanatical Hitler Youth formation raised to believe in the German master race and the Fuhrer. Two thirds of these soldiers were 17-18 years of age and had received sophisticated battle training starting at the age of 15-16. They were a dangerous combination of patriotism, self-righteousness and youth.  

The idea for this Waffen-SS division was first proposed by Artur Axmann, the leader of the Hitler Youth, to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in early 1943. The plan for a combat division made up of Hitler Youth members born in 1926 was passed on to Adolf Hitler for his approval. Hitler approved the plan in February and SS-Gruppenführer Gottlob Berger was tasked with recruiting. SS-Oberführer Fritz Witt of 1.SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte-SS-Adolf Hitler" (LSSAH) was appointed divisional commander. Personnel from the LSSAH provided the regimental, battalion and most of the company commanders and upper NCOs for the division, about 2000 personnel was transferred. In September 1943, the division had over 16,000 recruits on its roster, undergoing training in Beverloo Camp, Belgium.

With the cadre (the upper NCOs and Officers) of the 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" coming from other SS-Divisions, (especially from the LSSAH on the Eastern Front, where fighting between the combatants was kill or be killed), the indoctrination (i.e. Boot Camp) was often brutal for the Hitler Youth. The 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" after 2 years of training were well trained, and obedient from this brutal training.  

Standartenführer Kurt Meyer commanded the three battalions of the SS-Panzergrenadierregiment 25.  With this regiment, Meyer and the 12.SS would become the nemesis of the Canadian Army in Normandy.

June 7, 1944:  SS-Panzergrenadierregiment 25 under the command of Standartenführer (Colonel) Kurt Meyer had moved into the area very early on June 7th, moving at night on June 6th, to avoid the constant Allied air patrols and naval bombardment. Meyer established his headquarters in the Abbaye d'Ardenne (actual name L' Abbey d'Ardenne),  because the Abbaye turrets gave an excellent view of the country side facing the channel. It was from this turret that the discovery was made that the Canadian 9th Brigade was advancing toward Carpiquet Airfield and had an exposed flank.

When the 9th CIB and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers began to advance on 7 June, they were met by the reminding troops of the 716.Infantrydivision and some of the remaining 21. Panzerdivision.  As they pushed thru these units into Buron and Franqueville, and Authie, Standartenführer Meyer's SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25, composed of two fresh Battalions (actually three, but one was held in reserved), 50 PzKpfw IVs of the SS-Panzerregiment 12 and the 3.Battalion/SS-Panzerartilleriregiment 12, attacked from the north-west into the exposed 9th CIB's flank at aprx 1000. The fighting was vicious hand to hand, close quarter battles. The 9th CIB was forced out of Authie and Buron after suffering heavy losses. The SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25 also lost aprx 300 men and 15 tanks.

With the help of the big naval guns, and the 12 remaining Sherbrooke Fusiliers tanks and a brief rest, the 9th CIB fought their way back into Buron and Authie, at aprx 1300, forcing the Germans in turn to withdraw. However, the 9th CIB was decimated during this counter attack.

The fighting was so fierce that a street corner in southern Authie was named "Place des 37 Canadiens" in honor of the 37 Canadians killed there that day.

The 9th CIB casualties for June 7 lists for the North Nova Scotia Regiment 84 killed, 30 wounded, and 128 captured and Sherbrookes casualties were 26 killed, 34 wounded along with 28 tanks destroyed or damaged.

The Germans also paid heavy with the Sherbrookes claiming to have destroyed up to 35 German tanks (Pzkw IV's), thus reducing the effectiveness of the SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25. 

After this late day attack, the 9th CIB was forced to withdraw to its D-Day positions, having suffered more casualties than any unit on Juno the previous day. 

Abbaye d'Ardenne atrocities:  The Abbaye d'Ardenne quickly filled with POWs captured during and after the fighting on 7 June. These were soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and the 27th Canadian Armored Regiment (CAR) (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment). Ten of the POWs were randomly picked and dispatched to the chateau adjacent to the Abbaye; the rest were moved to Bretteville-sur-Odon. An 11th POW, Lieutenant Thomas Windsor was brought out to join the group after the first ten men had been selected. That evening, the 11 POWs were taken to the chateau's garden and killed.  

On 8 June, near noon hour, seven more POWs, all of them North Novas who had been fighting around Authie and Buron, were brought to the abbey, interrogated and sent one by one to their deaths. In 10 minutes it was over - they shook hands with their comrades before being escorted to the garden, where they were each shot in the back of the head.

When Abbaye d'Ardenne was liberated by the Regina Rifles shortly before midnight on July 8, their members discovered the body of Lt. Williams. Lt Williams and another man went missing when scouting for wreck armor. It was many months before the rest of the murdered men were found.  

It is possible that as many as 156 Canadian prisoners of war were murdered by the 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" in the days and weeks following the D-Day landings. In scattered groups, in various pockets of the Normandy countryside, they were taken aside and shot. Many have not been found.  

Note - was it deliberate murder or revenge killings? That's the question that the Canadian War Trials couldn't answer. Meyer's was convicted on a few counts, such as being the commander that he was responsible for the actions of his men (pure bull shite as being in the military, I saw where section, flight, Platoon, Company, and unit commanders got out of this and hung others out to dry to take the blame.) Meyer's conviction was overturned from death by hanging (convicted Dec 1945), to life in prison, to being released after serving 9 years (released in 1954) and passing away about 7 years later from a bad heart. So, was it Meyer who gave the orders or was it his officers, NCOs or men believing they could do what they wanted? We will never know.

And here is where the review of the game begins...

Bloody unboxing the bloody parts of the bloody game:  Nemesis is composed of one 11"x17" sheet of heavy card-stock (on this sheet are 52 unmounted counters, a player's aid and the game map), a 4 page set of rules and a small addenda to the rules.  1D6 and a deck of cards will need to be provided.

The 11"x17" card stock is cut in half (follow the guide line) separating into two 8.5"x11" sections.

The first section is the actual game map that is aprx 8.5" x 6.5" in size with 1/2" hexes regulating movement. The terrain chart and various tracks are at the top of the game map and is the rest of 2.5" to make 8.5" x11". There is a compass rose showing north (North is at the bottom of the map) and a heavier line showing the limit of the Allied naval gunfire support. The map is just right.

Some might think the map is simplistic. But, if it was showing more terrain, it would be too much. Roads, woods, towns and villages are shown, along with the southern limit of the Canadian (and British) Artillery support and a compass rose. Nice touch on the compass. The area depicted is where the North Nova Scotia Highlanders regiment (Novies), the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment and the 12.SS fought on 7-8 June, the Buron - Authie area.

The other 8.5"x11" section contains the counters and a Players' information card. These do need to be mounted. Of the 52 double sided counters,  37 counters represent the various information markers (such as "pin", "entrenched, etc"). Fifteen counters represent the actual combat units (and one possible reinforcement). Note: the white box is deliberate by me - I don't believe in showing all sides of counters as it is too easy for some to duplicate.

Out of the 15 unit counters, the Canadian player has 7 double-sided counters representing the Novies along with 2 British regiments (from the British 3rd Division on Sword beach), the King's Own and the Royal Ulster Rifles with 4 armor units in Brigades. And the German player has 8 double-sided counters, the SS-Panzergrenidier-regments 25, 26, attached arty, and two armor Brigades.

Germans are light grey, while the Canadians are green. There is also a number on the German counters and probably the Canadian counters as well. This number I know is red, as Paul uses "red" to signify that a unit is capable of firing up to 2 hexes away. 

And of course there is a HFDG card set that is available that replaces the regular card set. If you want to complete the entire experience, the grab these cards. They sure are pretty and interesting. To either look at them or purchase, all you have to do is click on the card to see them on the HFDG web site.

Now that is all out of the way, onto the setup and play of the game...

Preparing for play
Before starting the game, here is the latest addenda for the game and some of my own.

Nemesis - Addenda, August 24, 2018. New one - Sept 2018

There are a few places in the rules where “Disrupted” units are referenced. These should read "Pinned" instead:

  • case 3.2 Movement, page 2, line 1, word 3 "to an "undisrupted" enemy unit."?  Should read: "to a "pinned" enemy unit". 
  • case 4.0 Assault, Page 2, line 8 (under modify the DR as follows) "+1 Red AF unit firing on "Disrupted" armor unit." should read: "+1 Red AF unit firing on "Pinned" armor unit.".
  • case 8.0 Rally, Page 3, line 1 "both sides can attempt to Rally a "Disrupted" unit." should read:  "both sides can attempt to Rally a "Pinned" unit".
i.e. these are the 3 sentences with the word "disrupted". Just change the word to "pinned")

8.0 Rally (addition). 5 is the highest level either player’s Morale Level can be increased.

this also applies to Rule 9.0 Changing Morale Levels. 

1st, this fix...
8.0 Rally, seventh line (correction). This should read "if the DR is > the ML" (not less than).

2nd, and this fix...
8.0 Rally,  Lines 6, 7, 8 (correction).  A unit rallies if the DR check is < (less than or equal to) the player’s ML and fails if it is > (greater than)the ML.

The easiest way to fix in the rules is to switch the" <  " (less than or equal to) and the " > " (greater than) with each other. WOW, what a change, makes it easier to rally as all my games up to this point have been rough.  :D

2.0 Setup, line 6 (correction),  Place the Turn Marker on the 1000 Space of the Turn Record Track.

It's been pointed out to me that the correct times are correct on the game map game turn track. However, the rules are not correct then, (2.0 Setup, line 6, just change the time "1000" to "1300").

3.0 Game Play:  The game has 8 turns with many rounds, only stopping when both jokers have been turned over for a new turn or if an automatic victory has been scored by either player, ending the game. 

Take this card and shove it:  Each player turns over a card and the highest card wins that round:
  • If the card is odd, then the player gets 1 ACT. 
  • If it is even, the player can do 2 ACTS. 
  • If the cards are even then the player who had not preform an ACT in the previous  round can perform 1 ACT.  
  • If a joker is turned over then the player who drew it, rolls 1D6 for a random event. 
  • If a joker is turned over a 2nd time then the current game turn ends. 
  • If not the last turn, then the cards are re-shuffled, and game turn marker is moved up to next turn and play starts again.
3.1 Activations are the heart of this game Each activation (ACT) allows a player to do one of the following, in this order, in their turn (highest card or in case of a tie, the one who did no acts in the previous turn  gets a turn- see above 2.0):
  • Arty support combat
  • Air Support Combat
  • Move
  • Assault
  • Entrench
  • Rally.
Really, using cards is great. as I have said in previous reviews and probably future ones too, the use of drawing a card to see who goes, at least to me indicates battle much more realistic than ugo-igo games. One can see other ways of using this random movement of game counters by the use of "drawing chits" from a cup, etc.

3.2 Moving:  A non-pinned unit can perform the movement ACT. From hex to hex up to the movement allowance. Each type of hex costs mps, such as moving on a road is 1/2mp, into a woods is 2mp, entering a town is 2mp, etc.

A unit must stop moving when it enters a hex next to a non-pinned unit. Remember, no stacking and no entering hexes containing enemy units. 

4.0, (and 4.1, 4.2) Did ya hear about the peanut that was attacked" It was assaulted!:    A non-pinned unit can preform the assault ACT (aka attack).  If it is an armor unit, flak unit, or anti-tank unit, it can attack armor units up to 2 hexes (of course there is a penalty of -1 if not adjacent). And there are other +'s and -'s as well to the DR.  BTW, these units have a "RED AF".

If the attacker isn't any of the above, then a non-pinned unit that is attacking has to be next to the unit the player wants to attack.

And the player gets to choose which unit attacks and which unit is being attacked.   Attacks are resolved by adding up all the pluses and minuses (see rules: Case 4.0, Case 5.0 and Case 6.0) and adding to the DR (i.e. modifying the die roll).

  • Roll a 1D6, and with the modifiers, compare this Modified Die Roll (MDR) to the defending unit's defense factor (DF). 
    • If the MDR is < (less than or equal to) the DF, nothing happens. 
    • If the MDR is < (less than or equal to) 0 then the attacking unit is pinned. 
    • If the MDR is > (greater than) the defending units DF, then the defending unit gets a pin marker. 
      • If already pinned, then the unit must either immediately retreat (can retreat if needed (see rules) up to the units MF) or take a step loss (flipped over). 
      • If unable to retreat then the unit must take a step loss. 
      • If already flipped (step loss) and receives another pin result and can't retreat then the unit is eliminated. 
You may be wondering what's this "pinned" and "unpinned"?  Simple - a unit without a "pinned" marker is known as an "unpinned" unit. And can move, attack (assault), and entrenched. A "pinned" unit cannot move (unless forced to retreat), cannot attack, and cannot entrench (but if entrenched when it receives a "pinned" marker, the entrenchment stays. See rules 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 7.0). However it can rally. 

5.0 "O'really? I don't see a VW dropping on me!":  At the beginning of each turn (starting with turn 2), both players roll a 1D6 to determine how many artillery strikes are available for the turn (Canadians add 3), See Case 5.0 Artillery Support in the rules. One important rule in this section is "If target was pinned, it takes a step loss, No retreat option".
This is an interesting variation on having arty support, instead of having a set amount each turn as in a many games one gets a variable for the amount available. Remember this is for the whole turn, not for each round!

6.0 Typhoons out of the sun:  Canadian player also has air support. At the beginning of each turn starting with gt2, the Canadian player performs a DR for the amount of air support for the turn. One important rule in this section is "If target was pinned, it takes a step loss, No retreat option".

Don't forget to place the Air Support marker on the ML/Support Track. And remember this is for the whole turn, not for each round!

7.0 Entrenching:  An "unpinned" unit can perform an Entrenchment ACT and a unit can only entrench out in the open or a village.  While entrenched, the unit can't attack or move. But it does get a -1 to the DR. And if entrenched in a village hex, the the max is -2 to the die roll.

Note: if a unit receives a pin marker and is entrench, it stays entrenched until it is forced to retreat. 

8.0 Rally the troops:  Pinned troops can be rallied.  See the rules and the new addenda above.

9.0 Morale (ML) can be changed:  Both sides ML can go up for capturing towns or the Abbey and go down or up for each unit eliminated from the game. There is even an Automatic Win if one side's morale goes to 0. See the rules.

10. "Fortunes of War":  This is a neat little rule.  The German starts out with the "Fortunes Of War" marker. They may use it or not.  It can be used for a variety of things, such as a re-roll of any DR, return a unit, etc, but once used then must be passed over to the other player.  See the rules.

I like this little rule. It has been said, the "fortunes of men and mice go out the window when the fickle paw of a cat is around" . That would be a bloody bastard German player if they decide to keep it and use it on the very last round of gt8. OUCH.

11. "How to win friends and influence enemies":  An automatic victory is possible by reducing the opponents morale level to 0. The ML is changed while playing not at the end of a round or game turn and as a result, the game can be won or lost at anytime. 
However, if the game goes all the way to end of GT 8, then VPs are awarded for eliminated enemy units, town hexes controlled, exiting armor units via the players side (German south edge, Canadian north edge). 

ab sez: Oi Vey, See the rules. This is where the "Fortunes of War" rule (case 10) can come into play. 

12. Variant Facing:  Using this rule is optional. Basically, armor has a facing rule. The hex to the top of the counter and each side hex to that top hex is considered the frontal aspect and the rear aspect is consider to be the hex on the bottom and each hex to it's side. The rules explain this much better, than I could (plus I don't want to do a rules reprint here).

ab sez: this is one rule that I believe should not be a variant but one that should be used. I have seen this in other games and believe it should always be used as it is the chocolate to the peanut butter.  It adds that certain flavor that is missing from soup, sort of like adding Vegemite to one's soup. 

Time for the buns ratings:
  • Complexity of the game: LOW
  • Solitaire: HIGH (not much work is needed)
  • Enjoyment Level: HIGH (imho)
  • Nail biting: 7 fingers worth. 
  • Historical Level: Medium - this game has a good historical background, even with the two British regiments included. :D
  • Length of typical full game: About 1 to 2 hours, in the beginning, but after a few games, 30mins to an hour.

After Thoughts Part One:  Now this is all of my own thinking - could be wrong or be right, Murdering the English language is my forte. Leave a comment if you can make this review better. And it is my soapbox....

The game, imho, is a great beginners and a low-intermediate level game with just a tad of hardness if the variant rule is  used. The game uses a tried and true movement/combat system using a deck of playing cards as the random generator. It has a wonderful simple map and counter design work by Bruce.  And the counter mix is just right, under ten counters for each side. Also, any mistakes are mine, and mine alone. Mea Culpa

At aprx 0800 hrs, before the 12.SS first attack at 1000 hrs, the Canadians were in Buron and Authie and only aprx 1 mile away from Abbey Ardennes.  The 12.SS observers saw this and gave word that the Novies were in both towns and had an exposed flank, just ripe for attack.

Aftermath:  The game is very well executed. I found myself angry when I lost a unit of our laddies, glad when I destroyed a 12.SS unit and tired when I finished a game. It's a heck of a game. 

Playing this game is making me want to dig out Squad Leader  or Panzer Leader and set up a scenario on this battle.  Nahhhhhh.

If you don't have this little gem, you owe to yourself to purchase it. The price won't break your wallet and it fills a hole where other game publishers fear to tread - Canadian's versus  the 12.SS.

Update:  ATO brought out "Five for Fighting" pocket battle games, 5 beach landings on D-Day!. Reviewed on this blog at this link.

This also has Juno Beach, where the Canooks can go after more 12th SS.

This is my player aid for the game.  You can use it, just no selling.
 

Enjoy the game! 
-ab

Though this movie has nothing to do with D-Day, it has a Canadian unit with "pipers". Piper's are good. I like the pipes and drums as nothing like these make the hairs raise up on the back of the neck.




This blog is considered to be a living blog. Changes will be made to it as needed to clarify, correct errors or update with new information.
And I apologize, but this review may contain references to graphics that are no longer on this blog. Long story, but it was Google who removed them.