So the Great Cummins Nostalgia Express rolls on. After the initial blast of WWI and II quads and folios, the Burke and Hare of wargaming, Doc Decision, now dredges up a spate of SPI-style 19th-century tactics, albeit still in a folio format. What's more, unlike that first batch, "The Alamo" is relatively rare and somewhat sought-after . . . it was not heavily purchased when initially released by SPI and very few copies are still to be had. (Ed. Not really true. The original sold 12,000+ copies!) How "sought-after" this new incarnation will be remains to be seen, but suffice it to say that this nearly-20-year-old design does achieve what most folios only hope for: simplicity of play coupled with a highly charged, dramatic situation and numerous tactical options. In case you haven't seen the John Wayne movie, or caught Raoul Julia chewing scenario faster than a Taco Bell burrito as Santa Anna in the TV version, "The Alamo" simulates the stalwart (read: suicidal) stand by a handful of Texans against a vast onslaught of Mexican columns during the Texas Revolution of 1836. The action takes place in and around the mission-turned-tourist-trap in present-day San Antonio. This game is as tactical-level as it gets: the strength points on the Texan units represent the number of men (anywhere from 4 to 9), the Mexican units are battalions of 45 to 55 men, and the map scale is 10 yards per hex. The gravity of the situation is exemplified by the fact that the game usually ends when all Texans are eliminated, though there is a chance of an early Texan victory against an inept Mexican player. As with most folios, the components are minimal and packaged in a one-inch box, the cover art of which is particularly unstriking (why didn't they just use the handsome original?). If this had been ziplocked I imagine the price would have been around $10. I think most games should be bagged to reduce the price and make storage easier, but I feel that as a general rule folio games just don't require a box. (Ed. Joe slept through Marketing 101, so we can forgive his trespasses here.) The mapsheet is full size, although most of it is taken up with charts and displays. I find this arrangement more convenient than easily-fumbled handouts (or worse yet, putting the charts only in the rules). What I do have a problem with is the map itself, a highly austere, oblique depiction of the compound, lacking any period flavor whatsoever. It's like playing the game on a CAD-produced technical drawing. One realizes that, for all of Redmond Simonsen's graphical innovations, his ascetic approach didn't leave much room for historical feel. The counters, representing combat units, leaders, and single artillery guns, are by David McElhannon and remind me of Jon Compton's work (not a bad thing), although I wish the three values on the Texan units (morale, fire strength, and melee strength) were in different font sizes. The game begins with the Mexican player secretly noting where his four starting columns (and subsequent reserve column) will enter the map. The Texan player then deploys freely, though Jim Bowie, who was bed-ridden throughout the battle, has a specific starting hex. The play sequence is move/attack/rally. The Texans go first, giving them a chance to quickly, but not always effectively, respond to the Mexican secret set-up, with the Mexican player getting a replacement and reserve commitment phase at the start of each turn. EZOCs stop movement, although the Mexican player can ignore EZOCs if already occupied by another friendly unit (this represents the huge difference in unit sizes between the two sides). The major terrain impediments are walls, which are punctuated by numerous apertures, and can also be breached by artillery fire. Guns never move, except the Texans can move one gun one hex once per game. Combat is a carpal-tunnel surgeon's dream. Fire and melee are resolved on the same table (one for ranged, the other for adjacent). The CRT has terrain effects directly integrated into the attack strength line, with doorways and outer walls providing the most protection. Combat results are usually morale checks, modified by leaders, EZOCs (for Texans), and the presence of Mexicans in the compound. Missed checks result in disorder, step loss or elimination, depending on how bad the roll was. Another common combat result is counterattack, allowing the defending unit to return the favor (possibly resulting in further counterattacks, ad nauseum). Be forewarned: before combat begins, the players should each grab a fistful of dice in both hands and be ready to fire away. After all, each unit attacks separately, and guns get a separate fire if manned by a unit (which in turn gets its own fire). The result is a huge amount of die rolls. Once the reserve column is in play, expect 50 to 70 rolls per combat phase. Fortunately, these rolls do produce results; this is no game of attrition. Units become disordered, reduced, routed, or just plain dead pretty frequently. Destroyed Mexican units go the replacement track (just how far down the track depends on its condition at the time of death). Naturally, Texan units just go away, and they go away fast. The turn ends with an automatic rally, where units upgrade to their next level of good order. Two optional rules are included: range effects (with exceptions for units armed with Kentucky rifles) and Texan Ferocious Counterattack (which increases the number of counterattacks allowed by a Texan unit stacked with a leader). I would recommend both of these rules as they don't add much complexity and provide a bit more color (not to mention giving the Texan player more of a fighting chance). In order for the Texans to get an early victory, they must eliminate a certain number of units in the first five turns of play. The only way this will occur is if the Mexican player elects to enter all his columns from just one or two sides of the map (providing a target-rich environment for the Texans). If this doesn't happen, play ends when there's no more Texans. The longer the Texans last, the more victory points the Texan player earns. He also earns VPs for eliminated Mexican units. Thus, the Texan player can still win by holding out long enough and taking enough greencoats with him. These victory conditions are the game's strength, as they force aggressive play on both players' parts. And, as the number of Texans dwindle, the more the drama increases as a good Texan player utilizes the terrain to hold out and make infamous "last stands" (invariably, the last handful ends up in the mission, with Bowie desperately rallying from his sick bed). Also, the importance of the initial set-up can't be overestimated, and this is where replay value comes in, as the players will want to look for that perfect deployment. So we have a simple, fast game with high excitement level and good replay value. Of course, the price is incessant die-rolling. We do get a bonus, though, as the errors that plagued the first batch of Decision/SPI flashbacks seem to have been avoided (the rules appear to be a direct reprint of the original). Now, when can we expect the "big stuff" to appear? CAPSULE COMMENTS Graphic Presentation: Good counters, but mapwise were talking Simonsen minimalism. Playability: Very high. None of the usual rules problems that plagued the first reprints. Replayability: High because of the variability in set-up. Creativity: This is a reprint, which is as creative as the Doc ever gets. As for Eric Smith, Creativity is his middle name. (Or is it Reality?) Historicity: More accurate than the movie, but suffers a bit from simplicity. Wristage: Rapid-fire dice action. Comparisons: None, other than the extremely old/rare Rifle and Musket game in "Conflict" magazine and some sorry Rorke’s Drift trash. Overall: If you have a dice-rolling machine this can be a blast. from DECISION GAMES/SPI One 22" x 34" mapsheet, 100 counters, 8-page rulebook. Decision Games, Inc., POB 4049, Lancaster CA 93539. $17. Back to Berg's Review of Games Vol. II # 18 Table of Contents Back to Berg's Review of Games List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Richard Berg This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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