Viva

Thumbnail Analysis Game Review

by Don Lowry


Flying Buffalo Inc., mentioned above as publisher of TUNNELS & TROLLS, also publishes this game of civil war in Mexico. There are three scenarios: an imaginary but typical revolution of the 1800s; Pancho Villa vs. Carranza in the early 1900s; and Maximilian vs. Juarez in the 1860s. The game comes in a 9"x12" clear plastic zip-lock bag, which contains: a 17 1/2"x24" light cardboard mapboard printed in black and a bit of brown on lots and lots of white; two 5 1/2"x8 1/2" and one 3"x5 1/2"' sheet of 1/2"-square die-cut unit counters (tan, light blue and pink); three 8 1/2"x11" sheets stapled together in one corner, containing the rules and scenarios; and three 4" x 4 1/2" clear plastic ziplock bags for storing the unit counters.

The mapboard represents almost all of Mexico (except the far northwest and Baja California) and small portions of Texas and Guatemala. Each hex is about 50 miles across. (Each turn is approximately one month). There are also three smaller maps on the mapsheet each one representing one hex of the main map - one for Mexico City, one for Vera Cruz and one for Guadalajara.

The counters represent only so many troops, and not specific units - and can be broken down and combined freely, as in AH's 1776. Also like 1776 combat only takes place between enemy units in the same hex. No matrix is involved, however. One unique idea is "attrition". At the beginning of each player's turn he rolls a die for each of his stacks of units to determine possible losses and immobility. V

ictory conditions are based mainly on control of geographical objectives. If the subject interests you, this is not a bad game at all. And the $5 price tag is most reasonable. It is available, of course, from Flying Buffalo, Inc.

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© Copyright 1976 by Donald S. Lowry
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