Note: MagWeb does not include games included with Conflict magazines.--RL

The Minuteman game included with this issue of CONFLICT magazine is a prototype of a design being prepared for Avalon Hill; it represents months of research and testing but is not yet finished or polished enough to qualify as an Avalon Hill product. Usually at this point the designer and a few chosen testors play the game continuously to assure that it is balanced and debugged. Such an operation is generally conducted on a small scale because each copy of the game has to be hand made by the designer. Since making up a test copy generally takes 40 or more hours, the number of test copies produced is usualy kept to an absolute minimum.

CONFLICT magazine has been authorized to give away this game to assure that the test version will appear with a minimum of errors and/or distortion. We want your assistance in making this the kind of game which belongs in the Avalon Hill line-up. It isn't often that the general public gets such an opportunity and Avalon Hill wants to see what will happen if the public is given its chance to be heard. As an added bonus, Avalon Hill has announced that the best 6 critiques will receive free copies of the game when it comes out. I will be sole judge of each critique received.

What I'll want to know is what you think of the game.

Remarks are not very helpful unless you can pinpoint the cause of your dissatisfaction. For example, "I don't like your game because it takes too long to play," would be a helpful remark since I know what is causing the problem.

There are a number of things about the Minuteman game which I want to explain. When I began researching this project 18 months ago, I originally envisioned a game where each unit was a single counter. After I worked up the order of battle, I realized that making a single counter for each unit would create a monster with over 500 pieces.

Most of Avalon Hill's games that have a high number of unit counters have poor sales. To avoid this problem I tried combining the units so that there were usually two per counter. Although this reduced the number of counters to 224, I don't know if the reduction was enough.

Marksmanship

There are two schools of thought about American marksmanship. The British were taught to throw their muskets to the shoulder and fire in the general direction of the enemy without aiming. The Americans were supposedly taught to aim and this is thought to have made a big difference in accuracy.

At the moment, I am unconvinced that any difference in accuracy is all that significant.

Although the American rifleman was spectacular with his weapon, the bulk of American forces were armed with the smooth bore musket. The American long rifle took more than twice as long to load and could not carry a bayonet. Consequently, it could not hold positions when rapid fire was needed and it was atmost useless against a bayonet attack.

The smooth bore musket had less range than the rifle but was capable of getting off 4 or 5 rounds per minute. Since the majority of combat was decided at clex range, its lack of accuracy was not as much of a handicap as is supposed.

The British fired a 73 caliber ball out of their 75 caliber muskets. The ball bounced from side to side as it went down the barrel and its final direction of flight was rather unpredictable. The American forces used a 74 caliber ball. It also bounced down the barrel, but not quite as much. However, neither was comparable in accuracy to the rifle.

The small difference in caliber had only a marginal effect on its flight path, whether aimed or not. Another myth which beclouds the issue is that the American soldiers shot their food for a living before serving in the army. While this might have been true of the riflemen, it is not true of the majority who served. Furthermore, because of the poor accuracy of the smooth bore musket, it was not used for hunting game. So why should a man who was raised in the city until he was 20 years old be more accurate with a smooth bore musket than his well trained professional British or German adversary?

If you consult the fire tables, you'll see that in my opinion, the opposing regular forces were about equal in marksmanship. If you can't buy that rationale, how about considering the fact that it takes time to aim. Since the American forces aimed before firing, their rate of fire would not be quite as high as the British or German.

At the moment, I am also considering the elimination of the battalion/regimental size counters from the game. At this point in history, the battalion and regiment were names used interchangeably, which adds to the confusion. We've been mulling over the possibility of using only brigade sized counters. When you use the General counters, you'll get a general idea of what a brigade size unit would be like. Do you think the General playing pieces add to the game?

Subscribers to CONFLICT magazine have an advantage on this project because they will have the maximum amount of time to conduct the testing. This is not a race. No awards will be made for the first cntique submitted.

I'd like to have the following things commented upon:

1. Do you think the monthly move makes the game too long?
2. Would the game be better if it ended in December 1778?
3. Would a game with 2 months per move play better than the monthly move game?
4. If each move were to equal a quarter of a year (3 months) would the game be any better?
5. Play a game where any unit which moves along a river adds one square to its movement. Is this a better game?
6. Can you think of any thing you'd like to see which is missing from this game?
7. Can you think of any way to simplify this game?
8. Do you think the Traitors and Incompetents rule is reasonable and makes the game interesting?
9. Do you think one side has an unfair advantage over the other?
10. Does the game seem to have the correct Revolutionary era flavor?
11. If there is something which I have forgotten to mention, please feel free to go on with anything that you feel should be called to our attention.

Your findings must be postmarked on or before the 15th of November 1972 to qualify for the free complimentary game.

Where the rules specify that you use one month per move, we now recommend that each move be counted as two months. Cut out a piece of cardboard which is large enough to cover two months at the same time on the time record and use this as your new time keeper.

Although the rules call for the Americans to use 29 A pieces, combining counters wherever possible made it possible to reduce the number of A pieces to 16. The number of combat factors remains the same but now most pieces have a strength of 4 or 3 whereas before the strongest ones were only 2's. When a loss is suffered, turn the piece upside down to reflect the loss of one factor and use substitute counters when only one or two factors are needed and unavailable. Rifle, Cavalry, Artillery Guard and Lt. Infantry units did not combine with anything other than their own types and were largely unaffected by the consolidation of counters.

After consolidation of pieces, the British army shrank from 98 pieces to 66 and the Americans went from 101 to 64. This made the game easier to play and to set-up. Under the original system, The Americans would bring in their C counters in Jan 76 and their D counters in Feb76 but after the consolidation, both C & D counters come in during the same move.

Rules Changes

Look over your rules; you may want to make the following changes.

HOW TO PLAY RULE #6: Should Read: British and French Reinforcements begin at a port or a sea square adjacent to a coastal hex but cannot move that tum, although they may defend if attacked. British replacements must begin at a port hex and may move out and attack immediately.

HOW TO MOVE Rule #1 should read: All Infantry and Artillery units may move up to four hexes per turn. All Cavalry units may move up to seven hexes per turn. All indian units may move up to 6 hexes per turn. During the months of December, January and Fe bruary all Units except the Indian units move one hex less than normal.

Rule #2 Should read: Units at sea may move up to twenty hexes per turn over water dependent upon the units land movement factors remaining after Embarkation. Embarkation and debarkation cost one square of land movement. A unit at sea may move 7 sea squares for every 1 square of land movement it possesses up to a maximum of 20 sea squares.

Rule #3 should read: Crossing a river at a wide point, such as south of Fishkill, takes one full movement square before proceding on.

TERRAIN ADVANTAGE rule #1 should read: Subtract three from your die roll when attacking units in a fort or port city. When launching a bayonette attack into a fort, thedefenderfires 2 (TWO) volleys in defense before hand to hand combat is commenced.

VOLLEYING Add the following: The player firing a volley has the option of deciding the size and number of factors to be fired during each volley. Any time a bayonette charge is made into a square containing artillery, the Artillery fires twice and its second volley is computed at double strength. Thus an artillery unit with a strength of 2 could fire once with 2 factors and again with four factors or combine both seperate shots into one shot worth 6 factors.

BAYONETTE ATTACK, CHANGE Rule #3 to read: Artillery and minutemen units never launch bayonnette attacks.

Change rule #4 to read: All defenders volley first and any casualties are removed immediately.

To the example following this section add this sentence: If any defenders survive, the position is held and the attack is considered repulsed REINFORCEMENTS AND REPLACEMENTS, Change rule #6 to read: British reinforcements may start in any port or coastal hex occupied by the British player. Provincial units must be brought into play thru the city listed on their counter. If that city is unoccupied or has been occupied by the American player, these units will not enter until the city is re-occupied By British units.

SEA MOVEMENT RULE #1 should read: British replacements may move up to the limit of their movement factors when entering the game thru an open port.

Rule #3 Change 15 to 18 and change the word counters to read Factors.

Rule #4 should read: British units may land in Albany if it and New York City as well as the length of the Hudson are free of American units. Sailing up a river indicated with two lines is permitted only as far as the Port city deepest inland, and then only when American units do not occupy squares which must be traversed.

Rule #5 Change fifteen counters to read "Eighteen factors". No more than 30 British factors may be at sea at any one time. American counters never go to sea.

Rule #6 No more than 3 British counters may be withdrawn from any single coastal hex in one turn.

Rule #7 Units withdrawing out to sea move from a coastal or port hex up to a m aximum of 20 hexes per turn over water.

If units retire inside after being outside a fortress, only those originally with the fort may return fire. If outside units do not retire inside, both inside and outside segments may fire separately (those outside have no terrain advantage and should be lost first). Units which retire inside a fort may defend against bayonette attacks by participating in the hand to hand combat only .... they do not fire.

#1 There should be a border defining where New York State ends and Canada begins and the same goes for New Hampshire. Although this is not exactly correct for a northern border, it is close enough. Lay a ruler on the N.E. side of the Square which bears the word Champlain. If your ruler is properly aligned, its right edge makes a top for the State of New Hampshire boundary while the left edge of the ruler crosses the South west corner of the hexigon which bears the words St. Lawrence. Draw a line here as a temporary measure.

#2 The City of Montreal is one square too far east. It should be on the island one square west of its present location.

#3 Just as an arrow shows that there is only one way into and out of Boston, another arrow should show that there is only one way into and out of New York. Attacks from across river by infantry on either of these places has no value although shelling from Artillery is effective.

CONSOLIDATED ORDERS OF BATTLE

AMERICAN

JUL75 Mass:4 4 3 4 4 1 4 3 Conn 3 4 2 Artillery 2 N.H.: 3 Penn: 1 R.1.: 3 N.Y.: 4

NOV75 N.J.: 3 Penn: 2

JAN76 Penn: 4 Del: 4 N.J: 3 VA: 3 Va rifle: 1 Conn: 1

MAR76 Va:3 Pen Rifle:1 Conn:1

MAY76 Conn: 1 Penn: 1

SEP76 Penn:2 3

NOV76 Mass:4 VA:4 N.Y.:3 Artillery:2 MD:4 2 Conn cav:2

JAN77 Mass:4 4 Mass artillery:2 Conn:4 N.Y. artillery:2 Md:4 Va Cav:2 2 2 Penn Artillery 2 N.J.:4

MAR77 N.Y.: 1

MAY77 Penn: 1 Conn Cavalry: 2

JUL77 N.C.:4 3 2

MAR78 N.H.: 1 Conn Cav:2

MAY78 N.C.: 1

JUL78 French forces:4 4 4 4 French Artillery 2

SEPT78 Armands Infantry anywhere

BRITISH

JUL75 British: 4 4 4 4 4 G:2 Lt:4 Artillery:2 Dragoons:2 Provincial: 1 In Canada British:3 Artillery:2 Provincial: 1

NOV75 Artillery: 2 British:3 If Boston held Provincials:3

MAR76 British :2

MAY76British:2 3 4 4 British Gds:2 Hess:4 Has Gds:1 Hess Artillery:1

JUL76 If N.Y.C. held Provincial:3 British:4 3 British Gds:3 3 Hess Art:1 Hess Gds:3 Hess Rifle:1 Hess:4 4 2

SEP76 Hess:4 4 Hess Rifle: 1 British Cavalry:2 If N.Y.C. held Provin:2 Hess Gds: 1

NOV76 If N.Y.C. held, Provincial: 2

JAN77 If N.Y.C. had, Provincial: 1 If Montreal held Provin:2

MAR77 If N.Y.C. held, Provincial : 2 Hess: 2

MAY77 Hess: 2 If Burlington held, Provincial: 1

JUL77 Indians In Canada: 3 2

SEP77 If Phili held, Provincials: 3

NOV77 If Phili held, Provincial: 1 If New Port R.I. held, Provincial 1

JAN78 If Burlington held, Provincial: 1

MAR78 Hess: 1 Anywhere in Canada Provincial: 1

MAY78 If N.Y.C. held, Provincial :4 Hess: 2

JUL78 Hess:3

SEP78 Hess: 2

MAR79 Hess:2

MAY79 Hess: 1 INDIANS ANYWHERE IN CANADA:2

SEP79 British:3 Hess 1