Something a little different this time. In place of our usual intro., we're starting off with a guest column by our esteemed President. Last year we released "AFRICA 1880" in collaboration with the French game company Tilsit Editions. This was the first title reciprocating the release of four of our games by them in their language: L'Armee du Nord, Jena!, Mississippi Fortress, and Autumn of Glory. Europe is a treasure trove for the lover of general, or family type boardgames. While other publishers seem to be leaping for the brass ring offered by the conversion of their games to a computer format, I'm a firm believer that boardgames, being inherently a social activity, still have that value. Also, more simply put, I love boardgames; always have, and I have yet to experience the same thrill of exploration and possession in the computer format that I've experienced with them. Thus, these European boardgames... "way cool" as my 11year old daughter would say. For me, however, a connoisseur's delight! This year will see an expansion of our relationship with these Frenchmen. Slated for release in their language in 1998 will be our games: "The 6 Days of GlorylLes Jours de Gloire; War Without Mercy/Objectif Moscou; Clash of Armor/De Metal et de Feu; and Borodino 41/Borodino 1941." Crossing the Atlantic Ocean our way will be at least as many titles. I'll only list the first ones to appear, the rest will be announced in the next TAOW. Note that all games are in both French and English. THE TALES OF ULYSSES: A children's game for ages 5 through 10 based on The Odessey. Designed by yours truly when I thought there might be a snowball's chance in hell of introducing the classics into the American elementary educational scene. ("Can they play it on the computer?" No, of course not, I replied. "Oh, well I'm afraid that doesn't conform with our illusions of a technically advanced, gimmick based excuse for spending your tax dollars on the education of your children." Oh well, what do I know.) In any case up to four players divide the spoils of Troy and try to get back to Ithaca. Play this with your kids and they'll soon be astounding their teachers with their knowledge of the Greek mythos, expounding on the ultimate folly of hubris while, at the same time, exhibiting aerte on the playground! Main Components: Mounted gameboard, 40 some cards, 4 resin or pewter cast ships. MONTJOIE! (or JOAN OF ARC here in the states - no one is likely to know that "Montjoie" was the battle cry of the French knights): Each player assumes the role of one of six belligerents during the 100 Years War France, England, Flanders, Brittany, Burgundi or Navarre. During the game hey collect prestige points by occupying provinces and capturing cities. Victory goes to the player who collects the most and thereby gains the throne of France. Main components: Mounted gameboard, 80 cards, 36 resin cast figures representing castles and fortresses. Availability June COURTISANS: Striving for fame and favor in the court of Louis XIV. If youve seen this French language film "Ridiculei" you have some idea of what's in store for the players. Main Components: Mounted gameboard representing the chateau and grounds of Versailles circa 1685, 112 cards, 24 stand-up card figurines, 2 resin-cast figurines of Louis XIV and his Queen. Availability: July So What Else Is New? Another action packed issue! And, this coming close on the release of Sea of Dragons and War Without Mercy. So check out the advertisements scattered throughout this issue for La Bataille de Lutzen, Summer Storm plus White Ensign. WORKS IN PROGRESS (Editor's Note: In no case should any of the titles mentioned below be ordered until they're announced for sale. Also if a previously talked about title isn't mentioned here, we haven't abandoned it. There's only so much room and we try to concentrate on what's imminent). Brandywine and Germantown take the Battles of the Age of Reason (BAR) system into the period of the American War of Independence. Based on Paul Dangel's game system for Clash of Arms' Kohn, Zorndorf and Leuthen games and using the same ground scale of 100 meters per hex, each increment now represents 50 men, instead of the usual 100. Brandywine will be released as a boxed game with Germantown as an expansion. The two maps and two countersheets (one color, one black and white) cover the entire Brandywine battlefield. In Brandywine, Howe's flank march takes place off board. An optional rule varies his arrival time. There are several one map scenarios, including von Knyphausen's diversionary attack at Chadd's Ford and Howe's main attack at Birmingham Meeting. Germantown consists of one map and an exclusive rule book. Both include extensive historical commentary. Look for them in late fall. - Richard Kane Chariot Lords - Clash of Arms has built its reputation on historical accuracy and a serious scholarly approach to gaming. Well we'll soon put a stop to that nonsense as the Boys from King of Prussia will be publishing my Chariot Lords late in 1998. It's a four player area game on warfare in the Biblical Age. It takes five hours to play. The game opens with the wars of Ramasses the Great and the Hittites, passes through the Sea Peoples invasion, the rise of Assyria, the Cimmerian invasion and ends with the coming of the Medes (all preCyrus stuff). The style is similar to Britannia'" (each nation moves and fights and then scores points) but with crucial differences (activation is chit driven and you redeploy after combat, combat is of limited duration etc. etc.). Players score points for occupying real estate or emulating specific policies of the original nations (mostly linked to regional hegemony dressed up in Cecil B. de Mille speak). - Charles Vasey "The Cossacks Are Coming!" - As the folks at Clash of Arms have trumpeted everywhere, yes, I'm working on the second edition of this title now. I have added a second map that covers all of Poland to the area to the south as far as Cracow (Krakau). We'll be playtesting the 9th Army's drive on Warsaw in October, 1914, as a new scenario. This new game will have all the battle scenarios that Cossacks had (Stalluponen, Gumbirmen, Tannenberg, Ist Masurian Lakes) and a new set for Poland (1 st & 2nd Warsaw and Lodz). The campaign scenarios include a strategic plan variant for the Germans that will allow for integrated play with HBILF so the German player can choose to concentrate in the East or the West in 1914. - David Bolt RUMORS OF WAR The following game proposals are under consideration here at Clash of Arms. Write and tell us what you think. Under no circumstances can these be ordered. Philip the Macedonian - An operational two player simulation recreating the efforts of Athens and Thebes to withstand the Phillip's pursuit of Hellenic hegemony during the years of 339-338 BC. One player commands the Hellenes (Athens, Thebes, and their allies), while the other controls the Macedonian army and its allies. The partnership between Athens and Thebes is based on the tenuous agreement that Athens will be dominant at sea and Thebes will be dominant on land. Knowing that Makedon can offer only limited challenges to the Athenian's fleet, Philip II of Makedon chooses to wage a land war, ostensibly to enforce a ruling of the Delphic Amphiktyony against the Lokrian city of Amphissa. The Athenian and Theban objectives are to defeat the Macedonians, causing them to withdraw into Thessaly; creating such losses that they will be unable to intervene in Hellenic affairs for years to come. Philip's purpose is to defeat those Hellenic forces which oppose him so that the principal states follow his lead but still have sufficient strength to provide a significant contribution to his projected invasion of the Persian Empire. Barring that possibility, he intends to inflict a defeat on those Hellenic forces so that the principal states are neutralized and unable to jeopardize his realm or projected invasion of the Persian Empire. Each game turn represents a time period, which varies depending upon the season. During winter, a game turn is approximately seven weeks in length, in summer about two weeks. The map depicts the central regions of ancient Hellas (Greece). Each hex represents approximately five kilometers (about 3 miles) across its widest points. The die-cut counters represent three classes of unit pieces and leader playing pieces, plus game markers. Foot units represent approximately 750 warriors (except the Sacred Band of Thebes, which has 300 warriors); Horse units represent 200-300 warriors and their horses; a siege unit represents engineers, skilled laborers, tools and equipment; a baggage unit represents, for the Hellenes, ox pulled wagons and laden donkeys, with numerous campfollowers, for the Makedones, laden horses and relatively few campfollowers. Designed by Thomas K. Sundell Corridor of Steel: Operation Goodwood - By July 10th, 1944 the Allies were facing a crisis in Normandy. No one had broken through and the Germans continued to occupy part of Caen. To counter this, Montgomery planned to create an armored corridor on the east side from the Orne bridgehead using three armor divisions from the British VIII Armored Corps to slice through the open, flat terrain and occupy Bourguebus Ridge. The Canadian II Corps covered the flank and were assigned Caen. The plan called for the British to advance each armor division from the narrow bridgehead one at a time, cross three bridges some 4 km away, and negotiate their own minefield through a open corridor to seize the final objectives. The Allies also planned to crush all resistance with massive carpet bombings prior to advancing. Opposing them were the German I SS Panzer Corps and LXXXVI Corps, both well supplemented with specialist units (in one sector alone, some 78 88mm AT guns and 272 rocket launchers backed up the front line) including the 503rd Tiger Bn. with 36 Pz. VIs and 12 Pz. Vlbs, plus 194 artillery guns. Overall, the Germans had 377 AFVs, the British some 877. In the end, only one of the assigned objectives was taken with heavy losses. It was the Kursk of Normandy. Operation Goodwood, covers this intense battle at the company/battalion level, using a single 22" x 34" map scaled at 850 yards a hex, with 8 hour turns. An unique movement system which reflects how a unit's HQ really controls the unit's movement, plus detailed rules covering unit formations, the massive air attacks by Allied heavy bombers and Typhoons, the destruction wrought by German rockets, and the impact on unit morale makes this a fascinating study. Designed by Perry Moore. Back to Art of War Issue #29 Table of Contents Back to Art of War List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Clash of Arms Games. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com