In a year that has seen the publication of a host of WWII games, Avalanche, a grand tactical game on the Salerno landings in 1943, stands right up there with the cream of the crop. The situation is excellent for gaming, wherein the invading Allied 5th Army, after initial success, was almost blown into the sea by the German counterattack, managing to hang on by their fingernails until Monty, moving even more lethargically than usual, finally sauntered up from the Italian boot to bail them out. Invasion campaigns generate their own, inherent drama, but the Salerno situation is fraught with juicy gaming opportunities. Each game usually has some obstacle to overcome; with Avalanche, it’s the box cover. Done in various shades of reddish brown (how colorful!), it has all the excitement of a 3 AM infomercial on toenail clippers. Inside, however, things pick up. The map is quintessential Simonitch - elegantly simple, clean and easy to read - with a nice feeling for those Italian hills looming over the beachheads. And counterman, Brien Miller, is rapidly moving to the forefront in this area with his work here and for GameUSA. My one complaint is that the map scale, 1.25 miles per hex, seems to have been arrived at less by design need, than a deep desire to keep the game on one map. The rules are fairly well-presented, although a diagram of what the numbers on the naval units were might have helped. (Leyte is similarly afflicted.) So, she looks nice, but how does she run? My boy, she runs better than Barry Saunders. The team of Knipple and Benninghof has added little in the way of innovative mechanics. Their system is more a smoothly honed synthesis of well known design elements, molded into a tight, seamless package, which, come to think of it, is just about the most you can ask from a game. Avalanche uses Igo/Hugo … so step back, before the addled Bergites start laying about thick and fast. Actually, this was my biggest problem in the game (so you can stop with the 2x4’s, guys). AP’s other game, below, uses a chit-pull randomizer system, and, that, too, is an invasion game. So, why not here? Randomization is proving to be a much better way to simulate the ebb and flow of such campaigns, and I think Knipple missed the LST on this one. Like Igo/Hugo, most of the system mechanics are time- and play-honored, and quite familiar, with HQ-controlled supply lines, peripatetic engineers dashing around alternately building and blowing up, and other such stuff. The combat system, however, is where most of the game’s detail is lavished. Both sides start by choosing a Morale Level; any units beneath that level need to pass a morale check to fight, the morale difference giving column shifts … all making for some interesting decisions for the players. The its the old strength comparison method, replete with loads of adjustments, for such as surprise attacks, unit integrity, air power, armor, and artillery and naval support. Leader presence and ammo availability are also factors, as well as the usual terrain stuff. Results are divided between step losses and retreats, with victorious units allowed to attempt breakthroughs if a leader is present. Success, therefore, is on a rather higher plane than the simple, “let’s see if my two 4-5’s can blow away your 6-4.” It is more a question of balancing morale, leadership, armor and other factors. I do question the effectiveness of artillery herein, and I think the CRT may favor the attacker, although the latter reading may come less from the table and more from my experience with the German line, which fell apart faster than a Clinton nomination. Despite the presence of a host of scenarios, your best bet is the historical replay. But before wading in (or ashore), it is best to remember two key rules: (a) only 3+SP units have ZOC’s, and (b)until their HQs arrive Allies that wander inland are out of supply. the latter, plus the rule forbidding Allied Strategic movement for the first two days, while going much towards balancing the game, seem to have been emplaced for just that reason. In my historical replay, my Festung Italia proved less Festung than overcooked pasta. The German beachhead line is pretty slender, although strengthened somewhat by a plentiful supply of strength points and fortifications. Not that they helped much, as the Allies punched through them in short order. So, aggressive sort that I am [Ed. I’ll second that emotion], I launched a blizzard of counter-attacks, wherein I got clobbered once again. I did have some success at the Ranger beach, but the allies still held the beachhead after losing several of my best tank units. Not my finest moment in gaming. Next time, of course, I’ll know better. The Germans must trade space for time, waiting for their manpower to be beefed up by all those panzer units. Then again, this sort of mentality could lead to the cul-de-sac of Maximum Strategy Play, which means the dustbin for most games. Still, Avalanche is a game that plays smoothly, with a ton of fun in the bargain. It manages to capture a lot more of the flavor of WWII land warfare than the somewhat more simplistic approaches XTR trumpets, without falling into the never-never land of some of the recent Dean Essig and Dave Ritchie designs. It’s enough to make me look forward to the next Knipple-Benninghof effort. CAPSULE COMMENTS Graphic presentation: Except for the dreary boxes, quite good. Playability: Once you get going, not bad. Not a major selling point, especially as the games are quite long. Solitaire not good. Replayability: Better for Avalanche, with its varied strategic possibilities, than Leyte, where the end is inevitable. Also far better for those who like the driving, rather than the destination. Creativity: Very good; some nice mechanics herein. Historicity: High, with good feel for tactics and place, especially in Leyte. Wristage: Acceptable. Comparisons: Certainly can hold its own system-wise with the competition. The AP Avalanche is far less over-reaching than the old GDW game, it of the Never-Ending Turns, although it was still a pretty good game. There were several magazine games, I think, one by Schettler, which, by definition, is to be avoided at all costs. Leyte is far better than the old Island Quad folio from SPI days. Overall: Interesting entries into an already over-crowded game market. Comfortable and worth investigating, if you have the time to play them. from AVALANCHE PRESS 1 22”X34” Map; 720 Counters, Rules book, 5 Playaid charts; boxed. Avalanche Press, POB 4775, Virginia Beach VA 23454. $35. Back to Berg's Review of Games Vol. II # 16 Table of Contents Back to Berg's Review of Games List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by Richard Berg This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com