Tank Charts

WWII Miniatures Rules

Reviewed by Rod Burr

TANK CHARTS Set No. 5 is the latest installment of the TANK CHARTS rules reviewed in the Volume 11, number 4, issue of THE COURIER. This set contains the last major rules additions, as well as charts for the rules and more tank characteristics, including some early war Germans, and Italians, Hungarians, Poles, Japanese, French and late war Russians. Only one more set of TANK CHARTS is currently envisioned.

The rules additions cover some important areas previously ignored. The single largest segment of the additions is rules for aircraft. These are detailed and resolution is determined in a manner quite similar to the artillery rules. These include determining the effect of each individual bomb dropped, and are perhaps a bit more detailed than the rules' scale requires. The single most important addition to the rules is morale.

Three alternative, but similar, systems are offered based on the amount of complexity desired by the players. The basic system is morale done by unit (single AFV or heavy weapon, or infantry fire team). The first alternative adds higher level unit morale checks and situation modifiers (e.g. platoon and company). The third system is very simple and consists of rolling a 1-6 die, adding a couple of modifiers and then checking the result. Other rules additions include minefields and a point cost schedule for the various unit types.

The addition of morale rules (with the promise of command control rules in set no. 6) rectifies the main lack I saw in TANK CHARTS in the previous review. They are quite a good set of rules for the player who is especially interestcl in low level, relatively detailed WWII land combat rules.

TANK CHARTS are published by Forrest Publication, P.O. Box 2637, La Habra, CA 90631. Sets No. 1-5 are available currently and Set No. 6 is promised for 1981.

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