It's been quite a while since we last did an issue. Since #30 a lot has happened, and we have released or imported mucho new titles. Rather than dwell on the reasons for delay, let's bring everyone right up to date.
Origins Award!
Not only did we release Fear God & Dread Nought, but it won the 2002 0rigins Award for Best Historical Miniatures Rules this summer. The Larry Bond stuff always falls in two categories, both miniature rules and boardgame, since it can be played either way. This massive work completes the Admiralty Trilogy, which now spans naval conflict through the 20th Century; from the First World War (FG&DN) through World War Two (Command At Sea) and Modern (Harpoon4). Anyone familiar with one these can glide through the rules of the others. Contents: 3 books, 4 countersheets and loads of other bits. If anything else, this is the heaviest item we've ever published (each book is in excess of a hundred pages!).
La Bataille de Orthez:
Wellington vs. Soult in the twilight days of the First Empire. While Napoleon is busy keeping the Austrians and Prussians out of Paris, Soult is trying to keep the English and Portuguese out of southern France. Well received by La Bataille series aficionados, a review of the game in Paper Wars won the Charlie award for Best Wargame Article in 2001 (congrat-ulations to the author, Juan Rosario, by the way).
If you are interested in tactical Napoleonics Orthez is just the ticket. Possibly the prettiest game in the series, the rules are a refinement of tile simplified version we published in Lutzen in 1998, so it makes a good introduction to the series as well.
Brandywine-Germantown:
Rich Kane, author of our Flint & Steel miniature rules (another Origins award winner), adapted our Battles of the Age of Reason series to the American Revolution and the two major battles of the Philadelphia campaign of 1777. The result is a marvelous rendition of the rebel vs. redcoat era at the tactical level. Rick Barber's craft reaches its zenith with the map artwork, surpassing, at least in my opinion, the work he did in Summer Storm. His work is no longer that of graphic artist but that of a historical - cartographer. We were so impressed that in our next game, American Rev. BAR volume VI, Monmouth, the map will be designed before the actual game!
South Atlantic War:
This is a revision of the Falklands War scenario book done by GDW way back in the early Harpoon days. Ed Kettler has included new scenarios, expanded the campaign materials based on Source material that has come to light since the 80s, and written a whole new section on ground combat. Includes a new introduction by Admiral, Sir John Woodward. Perfect bound 176 pages.
Rebel Seas: The British Navy at Bay:
Mark Campbell has taken his game Close Action three steps back and into the American War of Independence with twenty new scenarios. Each scenario is illustrated with the same amount of meticulous research and commentary found in the boxed game. Rebel Seas is the first of three planned expansion books covering the years 1774-1792. To be followed by Monsoon Seas (the campaign for India) and European Waters.
Samurai & Katana:
Pascal Bernard of Tilsit Editions completes his historical trilogy with this treatment of 16th century Japan. Similar in concept to his other two games,. oan of Arc and Azteca, players lead a faction vying for the coveted title of Shogun. As the daimyo of one of the great clans you have to make bard decisions while managing resources. Do you spend your good cards winning battles, or take a chance playing thern to cause special events? Would it be better to take territory or cause casualties to your enemies? Money and manpower are limited, but not nearly as limiting as the honorable path can be. Game includes a mounted board, cards, a lot of plastic samurai and die-cut coinage.
The Grand Alchemist
The life of an alchemist during the Renaissance was always exciting. our laboratory was always on the verge of being discovered. Other alchemists are constantly spying on you and trying to steal your formulas, or subverting your apprentices, or killing them in duels. The formulas themselves can blow up in your face. And, there is always the Inquisition. Those fine fellows in black robes would love to catch you, torture you or worse, or simply lock you up and throw away the key.
Now the upside is that you travel around Europe in ships and carriages, visit exciting cities, read very interesting books, are sought after by princes and kings for your knowledge. And one day, and you are quite on the verge of this everyday, the smoke will clear from your experiment to reveal a pot full of bright and shining gold! For multiple players, mounted board, cards and wooden pieces.
Snail Race and Snail's Pace:
Two for the kids. The obvious goal is to get your wooden snail across the finish line first. Each track (and there are 6 different ones per game) has its own pitfalls and follies. Of course, your opponents are not going to let you spring out ahead without first stinging you with a dart or two; jostle you off the track, or latch on with a hook for a free ride (and it is rumored that some have resorted to vitamins for an extra kick out of the block). With even six players, a race will only take ten minutes to complete (the whole circuit in less than an hour). Grand Prix racing a la escargot! Eating the losers is optional,
Upcoming Titles
The following titles are anticipated any day and may be available by the time you read this:
METRO:
This curo classic was originally published as Iron Horse many moons ago and was available only in German. This new edition is a co-publishing venture by us (Clash), Queen Games of Germany, and Tilsit Editions of France. 1898, construction ofthe famous Paris subway system is just getting under way. Each player builds several different tracks, scoring points for their length; the longer the better. Opposing players stifle your engineering genius by misdirecting your lines into unprofitable stations. On the whole a game takes just over an hour to play. For 2 to 6 players.
CHARMED: The Book of Shadows:
That's right. Clash is taking its first leap into the licensed products genre with this game based on the popular television series. You have possession of the Book of Shadows, and every diabolical scumbag the forces of darkness can throw at you is coming your way. As Piper, Leo, Phoebe, or Prue you pop, fizzle and frazzle these baddies to protect it. Lo unto us all if they do get their mitts on it, however, for an age of chaos and destruction will result! The artwork is simply first class as we have come to expect from Tilsit Editions. (As the grognard may suspect, this game is lighthearted fare -- and probably better than the actual T.V. program.) Update: Now in stock.
Gnome Tribes:
Yes, in the world of gnomes there are four tribes. And since you didn't know that you probably don't know very much about gnomes. They are crafty, greedy, devious and aggressive. They are also innovative. But their technical innovations all spring from their Laboratory. This Laboratory is held in common -- until one tribe gets Uppety and tries to take exclusive control of it. Then the gnomes become nasty little brutes as they war amongst themselves. That gnome you have in the garden, is he smiling? If not he is probably a grizzled veteran of at least one gnome-war. Perhaps he piloted one of their balloons, or was a submariner of the Big Wet? Whatever you do, don't turn your back on him; as he may hold a grudge. It's his garden, you know. Gnome Tribes is a multiplayer game of territorial conquest and surprise.
Castle Lords:
While King Richard is away crusading greedy nobles are trying to steal his throne. One castle after another falls; his legacy diminishing with each. Soon there will be nothing for him to return to. But you, brave knight, are loyal to Richard. You have witnessed enough of his land despoiled, and will do something about it. You gather men of like mind and together you retake one, then another, and then another of these castles in the name of Richard the Lionhearted. But, in this forlorn land there are other chevaliers who vie for Richard's favor, and they are not your friends. Castle Lords is a card game for up to six players. Update: Now in stock.
Pigs In Space:
I bet only a few of you know that pigs like beer. In space, a particularly ruthless breed of porkers lives only for the golden beverage. They'll do anything to acquire it, or the ingredients necessary for brewing it. Of course, they prize certain elixirs over others, and are particularly fond of one brewed from acorns. In fact, these nuts are now considered sacred by them, and shortages on their home planet has caused them to search the galaxy for other sources (every spacefaring species had at least one good reason for making their first big leap). So astroswine now ply the trade routes battling pirates, rival clans, wayward asteroids and, most dreaded of all, the planet killing spaceworms. Pigs In Space is a multi- player game including cards, planet tiles, counters and lots of bits.
Project 300 Titles
(Wherein we propose several titles for the reader's consideration.) All the following may see print eventually, but their priority depends on your response. We've listed their prepublication prices on the order sheet. These prices are good until we receive the 300th order, after which the regular retail price is in effect. Also, upon receiving that magic 300th order we kick the game into production and announce its publication date on our website.
1777: The Year Of The Hangman:
The Philadelphia campaign of 1777 was one of the few campaigns in the American War for Independence that had the right ingredients for an operational treatment. Players familiar with my games LArmee du Nord and JENA.' will find the leaming curve a breeze. Player's of Kevin Zucker's Campaigns (?f Napoleon series (The Emperor Returns in particular) will recognize some of its roots. I was truly surprised to find that the rules amounted to only fourteen and a half pages after they were typeset, especially considering all they encompass.
I wrote the Historical Commentary so that you can set up the situations while you are reading it. Thus, the scenarios range from a massive campaign of roughly 115 turns, to solitaire vignettes (such as The Paoli Massacre: who'd want to be Wayne anyhow?) that last maybe ten minutes. As such the scenarios illustrate and interact with the HC the way the maps interacted with the text in The West Point Atlas (?f the Napoleonic Wars. Because the game map also encompasses West Jersey I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include a bit of 1776, so you'll find a minicampaign game for the battles of Trenton and Princeton in there also.
And, there are a few what if' scenarios and rules included that pose some questions I found especially ironic. For instance, what if General Charles Lee had not been captured? Or, how did the Conway Cabal actually influence the war? Also, how did the brothers Howe, by choosing Elkton, Maryland over Newcastle, Delaware for their landing, seal Burgoyne's fate on the Hudson River two hundred and more miles away?
I loved researching and designing this one. "Learn by doing," they say. I think you will like it; the game struts its stuff. For two players (though solitaire value is good... at least I thought so). See accompanying advertisement for other details.
Brute Force: The War in the West 1940-1945:
Way back at the last Origins held in Philadelphia, Rob Beyma (designer of our War For The Union) had a huge game on display. He called it The Struggle For Europe after Chester Wilmot's seminal work on the Second World War. Duly impressed, we wondered bow it could be structured so that people could afford to buy it (and we could afford to publish it). Steve Rawling masterfully solved the problem by cutting it into three parts. The first part, War Without Mercy, was released late in 1997. It dealt with the eastern half of the war; Poland, the Soviet Union and the Balkans. Sales were brisk enough that we immediately began thinking about publishing part two. 1998 and 1999, however, saw our hobby go into a tailspin bad enough that everything was put on hold (as a result Charlie and I both took second jobs). 2000 saw us emerge battered but wiser.
In 2001, by playing things close to our chests we were actually able to pay some bills. Now, 2002 finds us financially stable enough to go ahead with the project. Brute Force is not an expansion to WWM, but an entirely separate game. It's a sequel only in as much that it will be released second. The maps abut WWM. The standard rules are essentially the same but reflect four extra years of development. Scenarios include Norway (5 turns), Blitzkrieg in the West (9 turns), and Overlord (11 turns). Contents: Two full sized maps, 840 counters, 2nd edition standard rules, exclusive rules, charts, tables and dice.
Epic Of The Peloponnesian War:
This is a game who's time has come. Submitted to us several years ago, it "suffered the shelf' due to the same constraints detailed in the paragraph above. Massive, I like to think it will do for classical Greece what Home Before the Leaves Fall did for the Marne campaign of 1914. 2003 will find us all talking about Athens and Sparta when the film Gates Of Fire hits the big screen, but the big event will be the release of Epic of the Peloponnesian War!
431 BC: Greece is dominated by the Athenian Empire. Only Sparta and her superb hoplite infantry can challenge Athenian might. The result: A 30-year conflict that ended in the destruction of Greek dominance of the ancient world.
Two to four players use military force and political influence in their struggle to control the city-states. Playing time ranges from 4 hours for short scenarios (such as the Argive League), to 20+ hours for the full campaign game. Players mobilize forces four times a year, and deploy them three times each season. As the leader of the Athenian Empire, can you save Athens' glory from the Spartan onslaught? As the leader of the Peloponnesian League, can you free Greece from Athenian tyranny without destroying it in the process?
Players have a full range of strategic options; including sieges, constructing and destroying fortifications, razing enemy cities, foraging and raiding. Cards provide both random events (storms at sea, bad omens, the crippling plague at Athens, etc.) and strategic objectives (city betrayals, rebellion of Athenian regions, Persian support, the Sicilian Expedition, and more).
Fleet units represent 25 triremes, the light war galleys of the ancient Mediterranean, plus associated transport vessels. Hoplite units represent about 1,000 heavily-armored Greek infantrymen.
Each cavalry unit represents about 400 men and horses. Light infantry includes all types of lightly armored foot soldiers, including missile troops and barbarians, with each unit representing between 1,000 and 5,000 men.
The rules account for periods of peace where both sides caught their breath while preparing for the renewed struggle. Simply put, The Epic of the Peloponnesian War is a complete simulation of this conflict. Scenarios include the introductory Argive League, three covering only a portion of the war; as well as the full Campaign Game for 2-4 players (adding Thebes and Corinth to the Peloponnesian side as third and fourth players). Components: Rules and Historical Commentary, 2 maps (22 x 34). 560 counters, 118 event cards, Charts and Dice.
Whistling Death: Fighting Wings vol. III:
Fighter pilot J. D. Webster has finished the big one. The same expertise he brought to the air war over Europe in 1940-1945 in his games Achtung Spitfire! and Over The Reich he now brings to the Pacific theatre. Fully revamped rules with over 100 scenarios, Whistling Death covers all aspects of air combat in the Pacific. If 3 flight training, 5 introductory, 58 air-air, 4 ground combat and 32 air to ship scenarios are not enough, there are also 8 mission scenarios. Over 5 years in development! Did we mention that it's big?
Yet the system is clean and easy to learn. The Japanese called the Corsair whistling death.
Find out why. 100 ship markers and 420 aircraft counters cover 20 Japanese aircraft, 18 classes of Japanese naval vessels, 20 US aircraft, and 17 classes of US naval vessels.
The Barons War: Lewes 1265 & Evesham 1272:
Rob Markham has designed a real treat for us... actually two treats. Henry III's reign was essentially inept, resulting in a rebellion of the English barons led by Simon de Montfort and his son. The talented de Montfort towered over the other barons of his generation. His battlefield was one where cavalry was king (dominance of the battlefield by the Welch longbow was still to come). The Barons' War covers Simon de Montfort's two great battles, Evesham and Lewes. Lewes would propel Simon to the seat of power in Britain, while he would lose everything, including his life at Evesham.
Using an innovative and new system, Rob captures the essence of the medieval battlefield without undue complexity. Leaders are rated for their battlefield capabilities reflecting their ability to perform certain actions. For example, Prince Edward will be able to perform at a much high level than his father, Henry 111, making Edward a much more dangerous commander for Simon to deal with. The system also demands players do some pre-battle planning by assigning Initiative Points of varying levels to their commanders. In essence, this requires a battle plan be created (an important feature of most Medieval battles). Once play starts, players expend Initiative Points and conduct Player Turns for the activated battle. Combat takes takes into account the interaction of the different types of units, as well as the effects of leaders on combat. Different battle types use different dice or combinations.
The crossbow has its place, but it is the cavalry that is the central factor of the system. Cavalry charges can be devastating, but cavalry can also be highly unpredictable. Each cavalry unit is rated for its ability to hold until given the order to attack. Cavalry is thus a double-edged sword-, it is a powerful weapon when used correctly, but it is also highly impetuous and can waste itself on ill-timed attacks. Morale, of course, is supreme and handled on a counter by counter basis, as well as at the overall army level, It is through morale that victory points are awarded.
Only 8 pages of standard rules, two 17 x 22 maps (one for each battle), and some of the spiffiest counters we've ever published (imagine what Terry Leeds was able to do with all those coats of arms?), This game will nicely fill a niche in everyone's collection.
Components: 2 maps, 22 x 17, 280 double sided counters, 3 cardstock charts (8.5 x 11), Rulebook, 16 pages including historical commentary and examples of play, dice (1d6 and 1 d 10) and a box. Playi),W time: 2 to 3 hours. For two players or solitaire.
Funeral In Berlin:
In Berlin, the day the last battle began, the thermometer registered a cool 42 degrees F, but the weather was fair and spring flowers were in bloom. Security regulations provided for blackout curtains to be lowered at 7:19 PM that evening, and they were to remain in place until 5:29 AM the next morning. In deference to the blackout, the Berlin Philharmonic played early, its prograrn to include pieces by Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss. The post office announced that it would no longer deliver packages outside the city, but movie theaters still showed cinemas....
1945, the Reich is in collapse. Hitler determines to sell his last moments to the Russians for as dear a price as he can get. The game Funeral in Berlin is a two-player tactical/operational simulation of the last battle of World War 11 in Europe, the assault on Berlin.
Each Game Turn represents one day. Map scale is approximately 500 yards to the hex. The map covers the general area that included the German inner defenses for Berlin. This ranges from Treptow in the east to Spandau on the western side; and covers the area from Wedding-Pankow down to Mariendorf-Zehlendorf on the north-south axis.
Ground units range in size from companies to divisions, from hardened Soviet Guards forrnations thirsting for revenge to shabby, ill equipped plant protection battalions (emergency units of old men, boys, and whomever could be gotten together, with whatever weapons were left once the Volkssturrn had been armed, to protect important buildings and factories in Berlin).
Designed by John Prados using his award winning Monty's D-Day system, can you boast "Berlin stays German!" day after day? Will Hitler's favorite pipedream, the forces of General Walter Wenck's Twelfth Army facing the Americans along the Elbe, disengage and march cast" Can they link up with the General Busse's Ninth Army retreating past Berlin to the south. Can both then turn in their tracks, assaulting northeast towards the city through Potsdam....'
Or will You be the one to say, as Churchill said after touring the Hitler bunker, "I have tracked the beast to his lair."
Lobositz: Battles of the Age of Reason vol. V:
Paul Dangel answers that age old question; "Hey, can you guys do a game in this series that will fit on my table?"
Well, October 1, 1756 has provided us with an answer. Kicking off the 7 Years War, Frederick is the first to jump when he invades Saxony. The Saxons, unable to resist the numbers the Prussians have brought, fall back to their fortified encampment at the Koenigstein on the Elbe River. In order to save their smaller ally, 50,000 Austrians under Maximillian U. von Browne march to their relief. Frederick, never one to wait on events, leads roughly the same number of men to thwart them.
Fought on the rugged slopes of the Erzgebirge, the Prussian king wins the day driving von Browne back. A battle that would seem almost bloodless compared to those later in the war, both sides suffered fewer than ten percent losses. However, the Saxons were left without hope of relief'. They surrendered and became Prussia's ally for the rest of the war. One map, that's right, only one map, drawn by Rick Barber (his first Computer effort, by the way), 2 counter sheets (one color, one blackwhite), 2nd edition standard rules; etc.
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