Red Parachutes is the second in Avalanche's "Decisive Battles of World War II" series. It covers the Russian attempt to establish and break out of the Bukrin bridgehead and unhinge the German Dnepr River line south of Kiev. Although this is one of the more interesting battles from the eastern front, Red Parachutes is only the third attempt (the first two coming from People's War Games and S&T) anyone in our hobby has made to break out of the this bridgehead. [Ed. Didn’t John Prados do something on this? And I think the recent Spearhead Bold Stroke cover this from a “Big Picture” point of view?] The Bukrin-Kanev battles contain almost anything WWII fans would like in a game: tanks, artillery, airborne, river crossings, massive artillery bombardments and both sides forced to fight as aggressively as possible. The Germans, under immense pressure from a Russian pursuit, are trying to retreat West of the Dnepr River, form a stable defense line and at the same time, contain and then reduce a bridgehead the Russians have already formed on the west bank. As usual for the middle period of the war, the Germans are outnumbered, outgunned, out-tanked (and very nearly outflanked!) and have the additional problem of a Soviet airborne assault landing God- knows-where behind them. The Russians have a bridgehead already established and an overwhelming force they can expend faster than Congress at Pork Barrel Convention. But they have to reinforce the bridgehead at an agonizingly slow pace and then try to break out of it, not an easy task given the rough terrain in the Bukrin area and the usual German intransigence. Avalanche Games certainly gives the battle all that it is due. With one map and nearly a thousand counters, Red Parachutes comes under the category of a "big little game". It takes a long time to play, but there are several smaller scenarios that break the battle down into more manageable servings. Still, given the unit density, stacking, combat calculations and the situation's inherent complexity, Red Parachutes is far from being a casual gaming experience. The physical quality is quite high. The map is handsome and units are color-coded for their commands. Charts keep all of the information you need right at your fingertips. One problem I had was with the artillery. First of all, I had to hunt and hunt the game rules to find the gun ranges. For those who have played the earlier Salerno game and know the system, this won't be any problem. The other problem is also minor but frustrating. Each artillery unit carries an "ammo" counter that is used not only to show the unit's supply condition but to mark its targets. This is, in itself, a good idea, but in a game the size of Red Parachutes with stacks and stacks of counters herded into small areas, it's not only easy to "lose" your batteries but spilled stacks can also become a problem, given the frequency with which you have to find your guns and place or flip their ammo counters. Moreover, the combat system has some problems. On the plus side, it has some very interesting rules and procedures. Players secretly choose combat option chits that are then compared on a matrix to increase or reduce loss and retreat results. Armor and massed armor provide combat bonuses, as do anti-tank units and fortifications. Unit morale is also important. Given all of the above, it's obvious Mr. Knipple has worked hard to create an interesting system. But the problem is that he may have lost himself in some of the details. One sore point is that tank units suffer no penalties for attacking into "bad" terrain like woods, rough, swamp, etc. The morale rules are also somewhat overwrought: players have to do a morale check for each unit involved in combat to see whether it uses its full strength. In a game this size with the amount of fighting the situation requires, each engagement can become very time consuming as you check your unit morale and then add up your combat factors, all the while trying to remember who is full strength and who is halved. The whole thing seems very inelegant and superfluous. Given the short shrift passed to the armor, you wonder why so much detail has been put into morale. In spite of my reservations about some of the combat systems, the game is still very well produced and glitch-free. It's quite obvious that the design and playtest team put their hours in to produce a solid game. Fans of the series will certainly want Red Parachutes on their short list of games to buy. CAPSULE COMMENTS Graphic Presentation: Very high. A colorful but accurate and user-friendly map, tasteful counter art, excellent chart layout. Playability: Well-organized, coherent, accessible and clear. However, time-consuming and complex. Replayability: Given the tense situation, fans of the series will want to play the game many times to "get it right". Creativity: Fairly standard battalion-level World War II with lots of special units, combat options, and interesting combat results. Historicity: Very good. Wristage: Way up there on the Wrist Richter. Comparisons: Denser and more detailed than either of the earlier Kanev games. Overall: If you like the series, you will definitely want Red Parachutes. So far, this is the "expert" rendition of the battle. from AVALANCHE GAMES One map, 980 counters, charts, 16 p. rulebook, errata and new scenarios for Avalanche; boxed. Avalanche Games, POB 4775, Virginia Beach, VA, 23454. $38.00. Back to Berg's Review of Games Vol. II # 22 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. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com