INTRODUCTION: "it was a dark and stormy night.." it eventually happens in any group of otherwise sane and happy people afflicted with Wargamis Miniaturis Obsessis. Some fool says, "Hey! We need to do a strategic campaign game -- you know, something where the individual battles mean something." Naturally, instead of lynching this clod, everybody goes for the idea like fleas for an old dog. Well, by gum, it does sound like fun! So a lone workaholic or a committee of the damned sit down and go to work. Let's see. There's the strategic campaign map, rules for moving on it, rules for hidden movement, rules for a partridge in a pear tree, etc. Hmm, maybe it's easier to take a published boardgame and use that. Ripoff Publications' fine boardgame WHIPS AND MIDGETS already has most of the rules needed for a map game, although, of course, there's still those rules for getting troops from the map to the tabletop, some special rules for the Scottish caber-throwing brigade and the Burgundian pie-men, and some "bells and whistles" to add interest and help the boardgame mesh with the miniature rules. So, the deed is done (hurrah!), and, more or less on schedule, the campaign game starts. Don't count on resting on your laurels and living happily ever after. Is some poor soul stuck running the whole thing so that his gaming participation is limited for the next few months or years? Is the required paperwork the envy of the Pentagon? Then, since the whole cobbled together system is complicated and makes the strategic game a form of "playtest", there's those inevitable rule changes. Oh, boo! Everybody put a lot of time and effort into the strategic game by the time these sorry rascals rear their ugly heads, particularly those changes that may help one side and hinder the other. Discussions about rule changes can be heated if not downright homicidal. Then, there's those strategic moves that can't be finished while that Marine Corps major in your group marches off to invade some Caribbean island and those important battles where the key player with the necessary troops meets some valley girl in a bar or on the way over and never shows or calls. Do I hear a heartfelt cry of anguish? Arrgh!! Sound familiar? If it does, you're one of that devoted breed of wargamers who has worshipped at the shrine of the strategic campaign game (Our Lady of Perpetual Motion). Aren't they fun! Aren't they also a pain in the [CENSORED]? They are enjoyable (I manage to get talked into another one every few years, or so), but they are also a lot of work and consume lots of valuable hobby time. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a fast, simple method of getting into and through a strategic campaign game while avoiding many of the hassles and pitfalls? Does a bear live in the woods? Well, hold onto your hats, because such a system does exist and old sly boots is finally edging his way to the subject of this article. This system is called "SASS", or, "Short And Simple Strategic", although some of you will undoubtedly spend many happy hours working on alternative words to match the letters. This system was originally an undeveloped idea for use with miniatures, then defined and playtested for use with the FIREPOWER boardgame as an article for the Avalon Hill GENERAL (due in Volume 21,6), and, finally, this article squares the circle by bringing the system back to miniatures. I don't claim that this system can cure the common cold or even match a well-run map game, as it is not as wide open and the flow of the campaign is pre-determined to a certain extent, but it is much simpler and faster to use. "SASS", once the initial setup and preparation work is finished, can be worked in during only a few minutes of regular gaming session, leaving plenty of time for important matters like fighting tabletop battles and hoisting a few brews. it accomplishes the major purposes of any strategic game - it makes the individual battles mean something in an overall context, generates interesting tabletop scenarios, permits hidden movement and nasty surprises, strategic maneuvers and combinations, and rewards superior planning. A major advantage of the system is that no "referee" or "moderator" is required -- all the participants get to playthe game. The system can be adapted for any period or environment, but, for purposes of illustration and to avoid using up too much of my valuable hobby time, this article will be restricted to outlining procedures for strategic land campaigns of the pre-mechanical period. Note that many of these rules are very general in nature -- exactly how to apply them depends on the miniature rules and the group involved -- the system is nothing, if not flexible. THE BASIC GAME RULES "God sends meat, but the devil sends cooks." 1.0 ORGANIZING THE OPPOSING ARMIES 1.1 COMMANDERS: First, decide what players will be on what side. 1.1.1: Let the players on a side select a commander-in-chief and rank the remaining players in order of seniority. 1.1.2: When the commander-in-chief is not present, the highest-ranking player for a side present for a meeting handles any and all strategic operations for that side at that meeting. 1.2: ARMY SIZE: The size of the armies that can be deployed in "SASS" games depends on what the players involved have available. Pool the group and make a quick count of the painted figures, guns, etc. available for each side. If necessary, use a "referee" to determine balanced but not identical orders-of -battle for both sides. The referee can still participate fully in all the tabletop battles as long as someone else on the side handles the strategic operations and the referee doesn't reveal what he knows about the other army. Better still, if your miniature rules include a viable point system, a referee is unnecessary. Simply assign a balanced point total to both sides and let the two commanders-in-chief work out their own orders-of-battle. Basically, balance the strategic game armies the same way that a huge tabletop battle would be balanced using the group's miniature rules. However this is done, both sides should start the game in the dark as to the exact numbers, types, and quality ratings of the opposing army. 1.2.1: AVAILABLE FIGURES AND THE ARMY SIZES: Except for rarer or more exotic types of troops, the total armies organized strategically need not be restricted to what figures are actually painted and available. As long as a side is not left too dependent on the presence of one particular player and his figures, these numbers can be exceeded by a fairly wide margin as it is strategic madness with this same game system to have every figure massed at one place at one time. For common troop types, say line infantrymen of the Napoleonic era, it is safe to allow 120 to 150% of the painted figures actually available. For example, if the group has 800 paintedline infantrymen available fora side, 1000to 12001ine infantrymen could be used "on paper" for the strategic army. 1.2.2 ORGANIZATION: The troops should be organized and officered appropriately for the period and rules used. 1.2.2.1: In most periods, this will be some variation of two or more battalions and/or regiments with possibly some attached artillery, etc. and a commanding general organized into brigades, the brigades organized into divisions, etc., depending on the size and scale of the miniature rules used. 1.2.2.2: Guidelines should be laid down, conforming to the period (ie. for the American Civil War, as a general rule, have brigades with four to six regiments), the miniature rules used, and the desired number of maneuver elements (see 1.2.5). 1.2.3: TROOP SUBSTITUTION: The units organized for the strategic game should be identified by name or number. The identifications do not need to have any relationship with the figures actually available (although that can be done), so that, normally, for a tabletop battle, any available and suitable figures may be substituted for the "paper" strategic game units. 1.2.3.1: Using "paper" units avoids many of the problems encountered when specific units are not available at a meeting when a battle is due to be fought. 1.2.3.2: This is also the reason that your strategic armies can be larger than the total number of painted figures actually available as the same figures can masquerade as different units at different battles. 1.2.4 THE ORDER OF BATTLE SHEETS: The referee or the commanders-in-chief must prepare complete "order of battle sheets" of the strategic armies showing the strategic unit identifications and organizations, unit strengths, unit quality and/or troop types, general officers and their commands, etc. Leave room next to each unit to mark losses. 1.2.5 MANEUVER ELEMENTS: The "maneuver elements" for the strategic game should be of some convenient size that will permit each side to have 8- 15 maneuver elements. More maneuver elements will still work, but can clutter the strategic matrix and make strategic operations consume more time. Use your own judgement. 1.2.5.1: Except for very small games, don't use individual battalions and/or batteries as the maneuver elements. For moderate size and scale games, maneuver elements should probably be brigades ortheir equivalent, but, for larger scale games, divisions or corps are more appropriate. 1.2.5.2: Both sides should have roughly the same number of maneuver elements. Allow no reorganizating between or transfer of figures between different maneuver elements during a game. 1.2.6 LEADERS: For miniature rules where leaders play a key role, both sides should have an approximately balanced number of "generals" that are not attached to any of the maneuver elements. 1.2.7 COUNTERS: Make up sets of contrasting color two-sided cardboard counters with the identifications of the maneuver elements (called "combat counters") for use on the strategic matrix, and also have about half that number of blank ("phony") counters available. Senior generals should also be represented by a "general counter" each. 2.0 THE STRATEGIC MATRIX 2.1 DRAWING A STRATEGIC MAP: A major difference of the "SASS" system over other strategic campaign game systems is the lack of a real map. Instead, the essential elements of a map are abstracted onto an easy-to-draw diagram. The "strategic matrix" consists of nothing more than a sheet of cardboard ruled off into ten lines and three columns forming thirty "boxes", as shown in a reduced sample below: Be sure to make each box large enough to hold at least two stacks (one per side) or the cardboard counters. The individual columns represent 5 "theaters of war" of unspecific size and the individual lines represent Turns (unspecific units of time). 2.2 STRATEGIC TERRAIN: Each box on the strategic matrix represents a possible tabletop battle site, and needs terrain for the potential battlefield. It is essential that the terrain be predetermined so that the commanders can study the battlefield terrain before moving their forces into a box. 2.2.1 BATTLEFIELDS: Those of you already using geomorphic terrain modules have it made. Assign an identification number or letter to each terrain module, randomly determine thirty different assemblies that are possible, and mark how they are to be placed together and oriented in each box, as in the sample shown: Use whatever fits the table and is appropriate for the modules used. if terrain modules are not available, take a look at the terrain pieces that are available, draw scaled-down copies, and assemble them, as diagrams on paper, into geomorphic terrain modules. Then use these "paper" terrain modules to mark the boxes as with actual terrain modules. 2.2.2 SETUP AREAS: When setting up a tabletop battle, the same side always enters and/or is placed on the same edges of the tabletop with reference to the strategic matrix boxes. Decide before a game starts which edges which side uses. For example, side A always uses the side shown as the top of a box and side B always uses the side shown as the bottom of a box. 3.0 PLAYING THE "SASS" GAME 3.1 STARTING THE GAME: Use competitive die rolls to determine which side sets up first. The commander-in-chief (or ranking player) going first places any one of his counters (may be a combat, general, or phony counter) in any one of the three boxes on the Turn 1 line of the strategic matrix. The other commander-in-chief then places one of his counters, 0 etc., alternating until all combat, general, and phony counters are placed. 3.1.1: All counters should be placed and kept (at all times, unless a rule states otherwise) inverted on the "strategic map" so that the other side cannot tell the combat counters frorn the phony counters. The players of a side may look at what they have, but all that can be seen by the other side is how many counters of the other side's color are located in each box. 3.1.2: After completing this initial setup, every Turn is played the same. 3.2 PLAYING A TURN: A Turn on the strategic matrix consists of resolving the situation in all three boxes on the current Turn line. Only the current Turn is resolved -- ignore boxes on later Turn lines, even if they contain units from both sides (their locations in later Turn boxes merely indicate when those counters are available). The full resolution of a Turn (if there are several tabletop battles) can take several meetings, or, if there are no battles (rare), several Turns can be resolved at the same meeting until a tabletop battle occurs. Typically, the strategic matrix will generate 10-15 tabletop battles during a campaign. At the start of a Turn, the ranking player for each side secretly writes orders to "fight" or "withdraw" for each of the three boxes on the current Turn line in which both sides have counters. Then, going from left to right (start with the "Wing 1" box, go next to the "Center" box, and finally to the "Wing 2" box), the written orders are revealed, compared and resolved as follows: 3.2.1 WITHDRAW DECISIONS: For the moment, skip any box or boxes where both sides have fight orders or which contain only the counters of one side. in boxes where one or both sides have withdraw orders, the withdrawals to other boxes are handled immediately when the box is reached (moving from left to right). 3.2.1.1: Any or all of the withdrawing counters may be moved down one line in the same column. For example, counters in the Turn 1, Wing 1 box may be moved into the Turn 2, Wing 1 box. 3.2.1.2: Any or all of the withdrawing counters may be moved down two lines and shifted to an adjacent column. For example, counters in the Turn 1, Wing 1 box may be moved into the Turn 3, Center box. 3.2.1.3: If both sides in a box have withdraw orders, use competitive die rolls to determine who moves first, then alternate moving one counter at a time until all have been moved from the box. 3.2.1.4: After all withdrawals are finished, all counters that had fight orders in a box from which the enemy withdrew are moved as covered in 3.2.1.1 and 3.2.1.2. 3.2.2 FIGHT DECISIONS: Boxes where both sides have orders to fight are resolved next. if both sides have orders to fight, but both sides prove to have nothing but phony and/or general counters in the box (having nothing but phony and/or general counters in a box must be admitted if both sides have fight orders) both sides must withdraw, as covered in 3.2.1.3. If one side has at least one combat counter in a box and the other side has all phony and/or general counters, the side with all phony and/or general counters must withdraw, as covered in 3.2.1.1 and 3.2.1.2, followed by moving the other side, as covered in 3.2.1.4. If both sides in a box have order to fight and each side includes at least one combat counter, a tabletop battle is setup. Resolve tabletop battles in the order of the boxes, from left to right. 3.2.2.1 TABLETOP SETUP: The tabletop terrain and entry/setup edges are already determined from 2.2. The forces engaged are determined by the combat and general counters in the box,which manifest themselves when the figures that they represent appear on the tabletop (miniature rules featuring hidden movement may conceal even this). 3.2.2.1.1: Whether the forces enter or are setup on the tabletop depends on the miniature rules and local customs for setting up a game - use the format for starting a game with which the local group feels comfortable and works well with the rules. The whole purpose of "SASS" is to allow players to setup tabletop battles pretty much as they always do while adding a strategic background. 3.2.2.1.2: For multi-player games, the ranking player for a side does not necessarily have to be a battle's commander - let the players rotate the duties of commander and subordinates over a series of battles to give everyone a chance to, play at various levels. Alternately, one player on a side can serve as commander for all tabletop battles fought in one column, another player for the battles in another column, etc. 3.2.2.2 BATTLE LENGTH: Again, this depends on the rules in use. All battles should be required to last a certain specified number of tabletop Turns before determining a winner. The number to use should be decided before the "SASS" starts and should permit most battles to be finished in the period of a typical local gaming session. 3.2.2.3 DETERMINING A BATTLE WINNER: Yet again, no hard-and-fast rules are possible, but a common system appropriate to the miniature rules should be determined for all battles before the "SASS" starts. 3.2.2.3.1: Use systems that work best with the miniature rules used and favored by the local group. 3.2.2.3.2: For rules systems that typically end with both sides still on the table at the end of a specified number of Turns, a strong recommendation is to assign points for casualties and for key terrain objectives (buildings, fortresses -- lots of points, hills, crossroads, bridges, etc.). The winner can then be determined to be the side that has the most points at the end of the specified number of tabletop Turns that constitute a battle. To avoid very marginal wins by just a few points, a minimum number of points more than the other side may be established as required to claim "victory" - otherwise, the battle is a "draw". 3.2.2.4 RETREAT FROM A BATTLE: As soon as a battle is finished, the ranking player on the losing side must "retreat" the side's counters into another box or boxes on the "strategic map". 3.2.2.4.1: Any or all of the retreating counters may be moved down one to four lines in the same column. 3.2.2.4.2: Any or all of the retreating counters may be moved down two to five lines and shifted to an adjacent column. 3.2.2.4.3: For every line moved down (less the extra number of lines required to change column) a retreating counter "recovers" 20% of its losses in the battle (ie. from 20 to 80% of the losses can be recovered, depending on the number of lines moved). Round all fractions down when computing this. Note that this applies only to losses in this battle no percentage of earlier losses can be replaced. Whether these percentages are computed by miniature unit or by counter in their game is up to the players and the rules used. Even a combat counter or miniature unit that was totally eliminated can recover losses. Recovering lost generals can be handled in a number of ways, but one suggestion is to roll a die and place a "replacement general counter" (representing a newly appointed officer or the old one recovered from wounds) that number of lines down from the current Turn line. 3.2.2.4.4: Once all retreating counters have been moved, the ranking player on the winning side moves their counters and recovers losses the same as covered in 3.2.2.4.1 through 3.2.2.4.3, above. 3.2.2.4.5: If the battle is a "draw", use competitive die rolls to determine which moves first, then the ranking players for each side alternate moving one counter at a time until all have been moved from the box. Rules 3.2.2.4.1 through 3.2.2.4.3 apply to these moves. 3.2.2.4.6: These moves after a tabletop battle are the only times that casualties can be recovered. 3.2.2.4.7: Both sides count up their losses, after recovery, and mark the involved unit's current strengths next to their names on the order of battle sheets. If desired allow badly reduced units of the same type and quality to be reorganized within the same combat counter into fewer but larger units by disbanding a unit or units and transferring figures to other understrength units, etc. Show all this on the order of battle sheets. 3.2.3 ONE SIDE ONLY IN A BOX: After all battles are resolved, any boxes containing only the counters from one side are moved as covered in 3.2.1.1 and 3.2.1.2. This is also done in the box order from left to right. 3.3 CONTINUING THE GAME: As soon as one Turn is completed, the next Turn starts, using the counters in the boxes on that Turn line, etc., until a strategic game winner is found or all ten Turns are finished. 4.0 WINNING A "SASS" GAME 4.1 WHO WINS: The winner of the game is the firs-Ae to gain 16 victory points and also have more victory points than the other side. If neither side has 16 victory points and a majority by the end of the game, a side with at least 3 more victory points than the other side wins. All other results are "draws". 4.2 GAINING VICTORY POINTS: Victory points are gained for what happens in each box, as follows: 4.2.1: "0" victory points for both sides if both withdrew from a box, both had only phony and/or general counters with fight orders in the box, or neither side had any counters in a box. 4.2.2: '1' victory point for a side in a box with fight orders when the other side has withdraw orders. 4.2.3: '1' victory point for a side in a box that wins a tabletop battle. 4.2.4: "1" victory point for both sides if a tabletop battle ends in a "draw". EXCEPTION: To prevent both sides from doing nothing, set some minimum standards of activity (percent casualties, number of melees, etc.) to qualify for one victory point each. If the minimum is not met, both sides get "0" victory points. 4.2.5: "2" victory points for a side in a box that wins a tabletop battle by eliminating, capturing, and/or driving all enemy figures from the tabletop. This also applies if one side decides to "cut their losses" and end the game by exiting the tabletop before the agreed-upon number of tabletop Turns are completed. 4.2.6: "2" victory points for a side in a box where there are no enemy counters or where the enemy counters have fight orders but are revealed to be only phony and/or general counters by scouting (see Option 6.2) and/or spy missions (see Option 10.3) or by the presence of an enemy combat counter with fight orders in the same box. That's it?! Well, not really; that's only the basic concept. Adding your own "bells and whistles" (also called "optional rules" or "ad nauseums") is less hazardous with the straightforward "SASS" system than with most map systems. Some suggested examples are as follows: OPTIONAL RULES "Twice is he armed that hath his quarrel just, and three time he who gets his fist in first." 5.0 STRATEGIC MATRIX LAYOUT AND SPECIAL RULES: There is no reason why the strategic matrix may not be laid out with more than three columns or more than ten lines. This was just a convenient size for the article, and does give a good game of easily manageable proportions. If other, expanded, layouts are used, still resolve the boxes from left to right every Turn (EXCEPTION: see 5.3) and the required number of victory points to win be equal to half the number of boxes plus one. As a hint, generally speaking, the system works best with an even number of boxes. 5.1 COLUMN LABELS: Let's face it; calling the columns "Wing 1", "Center" and "Wing 2" is less than inspired. For a game, the columns should be relabeled for more "flavor" of a particular time and place. For example, a French and Indian War strategic matrix might have columns labeled "Mohawk Valley", "Lake Champlain", and "St. Lawrence". 5.2 BOX AND COLUMN RESTRICTIONS: 5.2.1 KEY BOXES: Specific boxes can be made more or less important than other boxes in terms of victory points. For example, marking a "+1 "or "-1" in the corner of a box would show that a side that wins or "draws" a battle or forces a withdrawal from that box gets one more or one less victory point than normal. 5.2.1.1: A good way to show that one "theater" (column) is more important than another is to include positive and/or negative boxes in columns in proportion to their importance. 5.2.1.2: The positive and negative boxes should approximately cancel each other out on the entire strategic matrix. 5.2.2 SUPPLY/FORAGE/POLITICAL RESTRICTIONS: Limits can be placed on the number of combat (or any type) counters allowed in one column at one time to reflect supply and/or foraging limitations. There could also be "political" reasons forcing the deployment of a certain minimum number of combat counters in some columns -these political restrictions could be kept secret during the game. These restrictions could be varied for each column. NOTE: These types of rules generally require a referee for the game's setup, or cards as covered in Option 10.0. 5.3 THEATER IMPORTANCE: For a proper campaign perspective, the activities in the more important columns should be resolved after the 2 activities in the less important columns. Thus, the left to right sequence for resolving activities in the boxes given in these rules can be modified as needed to model a particular campaign. 5.4 TERRAIN DIFFERENCES: If different theaters feature different types of terrain, the modules used to represent the battlefields can vary from column to column. For example, use primarily modules that feature many trees in a column that represents a heavily wooded theater. 5.5 SCALE: As mentioned in 2.1, the scale of a "SASS" game is unspecified. It depends on the campaign being modeled exactly how far apart the columns are and what length of time a Turn represents. Players must use their own judgement for these determinations. 5.6 DISTANCES AND INTERIOR LINES: To show theaters of war that are very distant, the number of lines that must be dropped to move from column to column can be increased. if theaters are not equidistant, the number of lines to drop for column changes can vary from column to column. For games representing a situation where a smaller army on interior lines faces a larger army, the counters of the larger army can be required to drop an extra line or more on the strategic matrix when moving from column to column. EXAMPLE USING 5.1-5.6: A strategic matrix is needed to model a Virginia campaign during the American Civil War. A smaller Confederate army with interior lines faces a larger Union army. The three columns are labeled (from left to right) "Shenandoah Valley", "Northern Virginia", and "James River". To show the relative importance of the three theaters, four Shenandoah Valley boxes are marked --l", five Northern Virginia boxes are marked "+1", one James River box is marked --l", and the sequence of activities for the game will be Shenandoah box, James River box, and Northern Virginia box. Terrain modules featuring prominent hills should be used for boxes in the Shenandoah Valley column, modules featuring many swamps and streams for the James River boxes, and a real mixture of modules for the varied terrain of Northern Virginia. To demonstrate the approximate distances and Confederate interior lines, Confederate counters must be moved down at least two lines and Union counters must be moved down at least three lines to move from column to column. The scale is approximately 3 days per Turn, so ten Turns covers about one month. 5.7 VARYING THE TABLETOP SCENARIOS: What types of scenarios does your group normally fight and enjoy, and how can these be integrated into the "SASS" system? Different types of scenarios can be mandated for various boxes by the placement of special terrain and/or by special rules requiring special setups for a particular box or boxes. For example, Louis XIV era (when sieges were very common) campaigns should include a number of boxes containing fortresses assigned to one side or the other. A decision to fight in a box containing an enemy fortress requires the other side to lay siege or attempt to storm the position to meet minimum activity requirements (see 4.2.4) or to avoid giving the defender enough points to win the table top battle (see 3.2.2.3.2 - make the fortress too valuable to ignore). 5.8 COALITION WARS: Campaigns where both sides consist of forces drawn from various nationalities can be especially interesting. 5.8.1 NATIONAL RESTRICTIONS: Certain nationalities can be restricted to certain columns on the strategic matrix or allowed only a limited ability for shifting to some or all of the other columns. For example, to model the strategic situation in Germany during the Seven Year's War, have three columns labeled "French Front", "Austrian Front", and "Russian Front". The Prussian Army's counters (smaller force, central position) can be shifted to any columns, but the French, Austrian, and Russian counters are restricted to their own columns. 5.8.2 COALITION DIPLOMACY CAMPAIGNS: A campaign set in an era where there are many different nationalities or factions that often change sides (ie., the Peloponnesian Wars, Medieval Europe, the Democratic Party, Machiavelli's Italy, etc.) can allow for some really sordid (we're talking knife in the back time here) off-board wheeling and dealing. To start, balanced sides forming two coalitions should be established to begin a campaign. 5.2.8.1 NATIONALITIES: Each player in the campaign controls forces of one nationality. 5.2.8.1.1: Each nationality should have counters of different colors. 5.2.8.1.2: Restrictions, as discussed in 5.8.1, may be applied to some or all nationalities, depending on the campaign being simulated. 5.2.8.2 RANKING PLAYERS: Each player is ranked individually so that the highest-ranking players on a side can be determined, regardless of a coalition's composition. Instead of the ranking player on a side handling all strategic operations, the strategic operations in each column are separately determined by the ranking player with counters (combat, general, and/or phony) in the current Turn's box of that column. if all players on a side are not present for a Turn, the ranking player on their side handles the missing player's strategic operations. 5.8.2.3 INDIVIDUAL VICTORY POINTS: Each individual player gets victory points when his counters are part of a force that does something that gains victory points. For example, if players "A" and "B" are in the same coalition and both have counters in a box where their side has fight orders to the other side's withdraw orders, both players "A" and "B" gain one victory point (see 4.2.2) each. 5.8.2.4 SWITCHING SIDES: A player may switch sides from one coalition to another at a cost of two victory points. 5.8.2.4.1: A "negotiation period" should be allowed first thing every Turn. Every player should then write "loyal" or "switch" (or "sleazy turncoat", etc.) orders which are revealed simultaneously to indicate if a player remains with a side or switches to the other side for this Turn. Much of this can be handled by phone between meetings, so a fairly short time limit should be placed on negotiation periods at gaming meetings. 5.8.2.4.2: Players not present for a turn are automatically "loyal". 5.8.2.5 "BRIBES": Players may give victory points or random event cards (see Option 10.0) to other players during negotiation periods in attempts to influence them to switch or not to switch sides. Thus, victory points and random event cards become the "currency" of negotiations. 5.8.2.6 WINNING COALITION GAMES: The individual player with the largest number of victory points at the end of the campaign is the winner. "Draws" are possible. 5.9 MIXED ENVIRONMENTS: So far, all discussions have concerned land operations. Does your group also play miniature naval battles (this also applies to miniature air battles for twentieth century games) of the same eras as your land battles? The "SASS" system works equally well with naval campaigns and the group's naval miniature rules can be used to resolve tabletop naval battles. To mix land and sea operations in the same campaign, simply use the appropriate miniature rules for the type of tabletop battle being resolved. NOTE: Naval counters should represent "squadrons" or "fleets" and be differently colored or marked on the back to differentiate them from ground counters. Naval strategic operations in a mixed game can be done in two ways, either or both of which can be included in a game, depending on the strategic options desired. 5.9.1 SAME COLUMNS: The naval and ground counters share the same strategic matrix columns. 5.9.1.1: Different orders may be given for the two types of counters that may occupy the same box. 5.9.1.2: A side gains only half the normal number of victory points in a box for the activities of each of the two types of counters. For example, if one side wins a ground battle in a box while the other side wins a naval battle in the same box, both sides gain one-half victory points each (see 4.2.3). If one side wins both a ground and a naval battle in the same box, that side gains a full one victory point. 5.9.1.3: A side winning a naval battle or forcing a naval withdrawal in a box gains the ability of using "naval transport" for grou nd counters also in the box. Ground counters using naval transport may shift columns faster than normally allowed (see 8.0). 5.9.2 LAND AND WATER COLUMNS: Some strategic matrix columns represent only "land" while others represent only "water". 5.9.2.1 COLUMN RESTRICTIONS: Only naval counters may move in water columns (except for ground units using naval transport), and only ground counters may move in land columns. 5.9.2.2 WATER COLUMN TRANSPORT: If a water column is located between two land columns, any ground counters shifting (otherwise handled normally) between these land columns must be "transported" by naval counters located on the proper line in the intervening water column. The ground units must first shift to the water column in a line containing friendly naval counters, then, when next moved, shift to one of the adjacent land columns. 5.9.2.2.1: While being transported in a water column, ground units may not be used for combats. 5.9.2.2.2: If desired, model naval transports can be designated to be carrying various ground units. The loss of these transports in a tabletop naval battle also causes the loss of the ground units they carry. 5.10 NO PEEKING: To ensure complete honesty, at the end of a meeting the players may wish to list their counters from the strategic matrix and place the lists in sealed envelopes until the next meeting. 6.0 SCOUTING AND INTELLIGENCE: A number of factors can be easily added to help or hinder a campaign. 6.1 OPERATING IN HOME TERRITORY: Prior to the start of the twentieth century it was not unusual for invading armies to be hindered by very bad maps and intelligence of the area invaded. Decide which sides are the "invader" and "defender" at the start of a campaign. 6.1.1: Give the defender some extra phony units. 6.1.2: Don't print the battlefields on the "strategic map", but have a separate copy including them made for only the defender. This way the invader does not know what lies ahead. If the area is considered to be a little more familiar to the invaders, some battlefields may be known to the invader, but not all. 6.2 SCOUTING THE ENEMY: Before deciding on fight or withdraw orders, the sides in a box compare their "scouting forces" in the box. Scouting forces in the pre-mechanical era are usually light cavalry, but may include line cavalry, auxiliary troops, light infantry, rangers, etc., depending on the period. Some scouting forces may be rated as worth more than others for scouting due to their type (ie., a light cavalry figure might be rated as equal to three light infantrymen) or quality (ie., a "crack" figure might be rated as equal to two "average" figures of the same type). This is up to the players and their gaming era. For naval operations, the types of vessels of the era used for scouting comprise the scouting forces. just be sure to define what is included and their values before the game starts. 6.2.1 ALLOCATING SCOUTING FORCES: For each box (handle in the usual order from left to right), the ranking players write the number of scouting figures located there that they wish to use. Not all available scouting figures have to be used, but only those listed will count for scouting purposes. 6.2.2 USING SCOUTING FORCES: The number of scouting figures written for each box is revealed and compared. 6.2.2.1: if the number of scouting figures are equal, no scouting takes place. 6.2.2.2: If one side has more scouting figures than the other, divide the larger number by the smaller number. For every full 10% advantage in the ratio of larger to smaller number of scouting figures, the ranking player on the larger side may flip over one enemy counter to see what it is. For example, if side A has 18 scouting figures and side B has 28 scouting figures, this is 28/18 =1.55 or 155% -a 55% advantage. Side B may flip over 5 side A counters in the box. if rule 6.1.2 is used, an invading player may use one 10% advantage increment to find out the layout of the battlefield in the box. If one side has scouting figures and the other does not, the lone side with the scouting figures in the box may flip over all enemy counters in the box and determine the battlefield layout. 6.2.2.3: All flipped counters remain upright until the time comes for them to leave the box. Then, they are again inverted before being moved. 7.0 PURSUITS: "Pursuing forces" in the pre-mechanical period are usually cavalry, but this can vary according to the rules used and the period -just be sure to define them before the game starts. As with scouting figures, some pursuing figures may be rated as being worth more due to type, quality, or current morale. When a battle is finished, before retreating, compare the victor's surviving pursuit force figures with the loser's surviving pursuit force figures in the box. 7.1 NO PURSUIT: If the loser's pursuit figures equal or outnumber the victor's pursuit figures, there is no pursuit. 7.2 PURSUIT PROCEDURE: If the victor's pursuit figures outnumber the loser's pursuit figures, subtract the number of the loser's pursuit figures from the number of the victor's pursuit figures and have the ranking player on the winning side roll one six-sided die. Multiply the die roll number times the difference in the number of pursuit figures. This is the number of the loser's pursuit figures that become casualties. 7.2.1: If the ranking player for the losing side wishes or if there are insufficient pursuit figures, two non-pursuit figures may be lost instead of one pursuit figure lost for all or some of these losses. 7.2.2: If a pursuit eliminates all the losing figures, the battle's winner gets two victory points, the same as if 4.2.4 applied. 7.2.3: This rule can prove to be very brutal, and lead to a very large number of figures lost. For some smaller games, with some rules, or in periods or areas where pursuits were generally less effective, players may wish to divide the number of pursuit casualties by five or ten to reduce the number of pursuit losses. 8.0 FORCE MARCHING: Ground counters may be moved from a box in one column to a box in an adjacent column and moved down one line (or more) less than normal by "force marching". 8.1: A force march causes a 10% per line saved loss (round all fractions up) to the figures involved. 8.2: Alternately, or, in addition, you may wish to allow faster-moving units (cavalry, horse artillery, etc.) or naval transported units (see 5.9) to force march without taking the 10% losses. 9.0 NEW TROOPS: Not every figure or counter needs to be available at the start of a campaign - some can be kept for later use. Also, recovery rates may be varied. 9.1 RESERVES: A requirement can be established when the game is being setup that some specific number of combat counters on one or both sides must be started in some specified later Turn box or boxes. That way these forces are not in use until later in the game. For example, an interesting strategic situation could be setup where Side A has an overall advantage over side B of, say, 6:5, but about half of Side A's forces start in later Turn boxes so that, in the Turn 1 boxes, Side B starts with a 5:3 advantage that gradually disappears. 9.2 REPLACEMENTS: Additional individual figures or point values that can be used to acquire needed figures may be made available on various Turns. These can be added to any units located on that or any later Turn line to replace losses. 9.3 REDUCED RECOVERY: As an option to rule 3.2.2.4.3 allow totally eliminated units to recover only 15% of their losses per line, instead of the normal 20%. 10.0 RANDOM EVENTS: Prepare a deck of "random event" cards and require each side to draw one card from the shuffled deck at the start of every Turn. 10.11: Cards are used immediately, or, if held, immediately after cards are drawn on a later Turn. 10.2: If a card or cards is to be used by both sides, the ranking players use a competitive die to roll to determine who reveals the first card. The cards are then alternately revealed and used, one at a time, in the usual order of columns. 10.3: Some samples (I'm sure you can think of many more) of what such cards could include are as follows: Spy Mission: "The side drawing this card may use it immediately or hold for later use. On a Turn when this card is revealed, the ranking player may flip over any one enemy counter in one of the current Turn's boxes to see what it is. If the counter flipped over is anything but a phony counter, another counter in the same or another current Turn box may be selected to be flipped over, etc., continuing until a phony counter is flipped over or all units in the current Turn boxes have been flipped over." A large number of these cards could be included in the deck. An alternative use, if rule 6.1 is used, could be to allow an invader to find out the battlefield in any one box of any Turn. Natural Disaster: "Plague, famine, and flood stalk the land. immediately pick any one box for this Turn and all enemy forces in that box lose 10% of their figures (round fractions up)." Similar cards could specify an equivalent disaster to the drawing player's own forces, or to both sides in a particular box, etc. Supply Problems: "Hold this card until next Turn. Then, it must be used. On that Turn's line, if your side has more than two combat counters in the Wing 1 box, all friendly forces in that box lose 10% of their figures (round fractions up)." A similar card could be prepared for each column. Replacements and Detachments: These could be a series of cards, each the opposite of the other, dealing with the arrival or departure of troops (keep counters inverted to preserve secrecy). For cards of this type, discard to a special face-down pile after use. The other side may check these at the end of the game. "A new combat counter consisting of (list troops represented by the counter) is immediately placed in any Turn 7 box (ignore if Turn 7 is already completed)." "Immediately withdraw any one combat counter from this Turn's Center box." "A new phony counter is immediately placed in any Turn 7 box (ignore if Turn 7 is already completed)." "Immediately withdraw one phony counter from this Turn's Center box." Morale: Again, there is the possibility for a series of cards, each the opposite of the other or with possibilities determined by the die. "Immediately pick any one friendly combat counter in this Turn's Center box. There is no money to pay them, so the morale of all troops represented by the counter drops one level." "Immediately pick any one friendly combat counter in this Turn's Center box. There is enough money available to pay them a bonus, so the morale of all troops represented by the counter rises one level." "Spirits for all the lads! When this card is played on any one counter, roll the die: 1-3: That hit the spot. The morale of all troops represented by the counter rises one level. 4-6: These barflies don't know when to stop. The morale of all troops represented by the counter drops one level." Secret Victory Points: A number of these cards could be included in the deck for Coalition Diplomacy Games (see 5.8.2) so that no one is sure exactly how many victory points each of the other players has. "This card is worth one (or two, etc.) victory point. Hold until the end of the game." Try it. You'll find that "SASS" can add some real spice and interest to your gaming at a very modest price in gaming time. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. VI No. 3 Back to Courier List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1985 by The Courier Publishing Company. 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