Courier Dispatch News

CITW Announces
Spring Wilderness Project

by Dick Bryant

The WILDERNESS PROJECT is an ongoing attempt by the members of the CITW to run large miniature games in such a way to better show the effects that the so-called "fog of war" can have on a battle. In the WILDERNESS PROJECT games, players and the actions that they are in are run in separate rooms, with communication and travel between the rooms restricted. Hence, while players know what is going on in the room where they are, their knowledge of the remainder of the game is limited and often out-of-date. Hence, they often must make decisions without a perfect knowledge of how the game is going.

The CENTRAL ILLINOIS TABLETOP WARRIORS has announced that Frank Chadwick and Greg Novak will be running a "Bathtub" version of the Third World War in Europe, based on the background from Tom Clancy's book, RED STORM RISING.

The "bathtub" system wasinvented by Frank Chadwick, and isa means of fighting a campaign game with reduced troop strength, while keeping the historical ratio between sides. Currently "bathtub" Europa reduces the forces of both sides by a factor of 25. Thus the American 7th Army, with a current strength in Europa of several divisions and some 250,000 men, will be portrayed (before Reforger Units arrive) with the following:

    1 Armored Battalion, M-1
    1 Mechanized Battalion, Bradley
    1 Armored Cavalry Troop, M-1/Bradley
    1 AH-64 Company
    1 Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion (2 155mm Batteries, 18" Battery)
    1 Lance Battery
    1 Engineer Company
    1 Heavy Engineer Company
    1 Hawk Battery
    1 Vulcan/Chaperal Battery

For the miniatures game, these units will be organized according to COMMAND DECISION, and the Modern COMMAND DECISION rules will be used. The basic command level for NATO will be the battalion, while the Warsaw Pact forces will operatewith a joint command structure at the Regimental level. Ground and time will also be factored down by a scale of 25, so that a scale map of Germany, with one hex equal to one mile instead of 20 kilometers, will be used with one day of game time equal to one month of real time.

The background to the war is as presented in RED STORM RISING, so will not use Chemical/Nuclear weapons. The following command structure for the sides will be used; players are needed at all levels:

NATO

Headquarters, NATO Forces, Center
CinC
Air CinC
Staff Officers

Group Headquarters - North, South
Commander
Air Group Commander
Staff Officers

Brigade - by Nationalities
Brigade Commander
Brigade Staff Officer

Battalion
Battalion Commander

WARSAW PACT

Central Strategic Direction
CinC
Air CinC
Staff Officers

Front - as needed
Front Commander
Front Air Commander
Front Artillery Commander

Regiment
Regimental Commander
Regimental Deputy Commander

For the lower levels of command players with some experience with COMMAND DECISION will be required. Higher level command requirements are for an interest in wargaming, and a willingness to sit down and do some long range planning.

If you live in the Midwest - or anywhere for that matter and are interested in taking part, please contact the following: RED STORM RISING, c/o Greg Novak, 618 West Union, Champaign, IL 61820. You will be put on a mailing list and sent additional information as it becomes available.

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