by Don Lowry
Strife Games' SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR (reviewed here last issue) has been bought and republished by Game Designers' Workshop, who have also published a new title, TSUSHIMA (humorously subtitled "Wooden Men and iron Ships"), and made provisions for combining the two games to simulate the whole conflict The two games can be purchased, and played, separately or jointly. Our review copy is the joint version, which comes in one 12" x 15 1/2", clear plastic zip-lock bag and includes one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet (printed both sides) of Combined Game Rules. PORT ARTHUR ccnsists of: a 22" x 28" map sheet printed in black and blue on white, light card stock with most charts tables, etc. printed thereon ; one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of 1/2" square unit counters (green with white East Siberian, white with green Russian Siberian, green with black Russian European, blue with black Japanese regulars, white with blue Japanese Kobi, blue with white Japanese Guards, white with blue and green Japanese captured Russian artillery); and an 8 1/2" x 11", 8-page rule book. TSUSHIMA consists of a 22" x 11" sheet of 5/8"- square unit counters (Russian black and white on green, Japanese black and white on blue); and an 8 1/2 x 11", 8-page rule book. TSUSHIMA is a strategic game of the naval war between Russia and Japan, 1904-5, designed by Marc Miller. Counter's represent individual ships. The map represents a portion of mainland Asia, and the islands of Japan, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Each hex represents 102 statute miles, and the hexes do not extend to the land areas. Charts, tables etc. are printed on the map sheet. Each turn represents one month and is divided into 7 phases: Japanese movement , spotting and combat, Russian movement, spotting and combat, and a miscellaneous phase for ship repair, troop transport, morale determination, etc. PORT ARTHUR is a divisionbrigade level game of the land campaign in Manchuria in the area from Port Arthur to Mukden, with each hex representing 6.6 miles and each turn also representing 1 month, also divided into 7 phases: Japanese movement, combat and supply and reinforcement, Russian movement, combat, and supply and reinforcement, and "terminal" miscellaneous phase. When the two games are combined the 7 naval and 7 land phases alternate, naval, military, naval, etc, so that tile first phase is Japanese naval movement, and the lastis the land "terminal" phase. Sea zones are outlined in white on the PORT ARTHUR map corresponding to coastal hexes on the TSUSHIMA map. The interelation of the two games is cleverly done. If you're interested in esoteric conflicts, and especially the interelation of land and naval operations T.R.J.W. should be worth your while and the $10.00 And i f your interests are strictly military or strictly naval you can (jet just the component that interests you, at $6.00 each. All are available from Game Designers' Workshop. Thumbnail Analysis
Game Review: 1815: The Waterloo Campaign (Napoleonic) Game Review: Russo-Japanese War Game Review: Gamma Two New Format Game Review: NFL Strategy (Sports) Game Review: Hex Sheets Back to Campaign # 73 Table of Contents Back to Campaign List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1976 by Donald S. Lowry This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |