Fortress Europa

Designed by John Edwards (Avalon Hill redesign by Alan R. Moon and Richard Hamblen); published by Avalon Hill (4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD, 21214). This is a division-level (with some regiments, brigades, etc.) game of the D-Day invasion through the end of the war, covering France and Germany from June 1944 to March 1945. This game is basically Russian Campaign at a division level and with added complexity (and, I suspect, the Avalon Hill redesign was to make the game as similar to RC as possible), such as reduced strength units, multi-mission air units, fortresses, rangers, volksturm, etc. A host of optional rules add more complexity, and I suggest that 31.4 (French-American attack coordination), 31.10 (moving German headquarters by rail), and 31.14 (the Allies can not use Bremen as a port) be used and the rest ignored. The extended game (31.15) seems rather senseless, as the German player receives only a few Pitiful dregs as reinforcements yet still has to meet the March I victory conditions. Overall, the game revolves around the German player preventing the Allies from reaching the Westwall until bad weather negates the Allied air forces while preserving enough strength to man the line. While the game is not the definitive treatment of the campaign, it is both interesting and enjoyable. One map, 520 counters, 16 page rules booklet, many charts, boxed $15

Source of the Nile

Designed by Ross Maker and Dave Wesely (additional design by Mick Uhl); from Avalon Hill. Discovery Games first published this one and picked up several awards for it at Origins 1979. Avalon Hill has now acquired it. Basically, the game is a multiplayer solitaire game on the exploration of central Africa. A mostly-blank map of the region is provided, and players fill in the terrain with markers as they explore. It is multi-player in that several may play at once, with the one accumulating the most victory points (awarded through the discovery of various features and objects) being the winner; it is solitaire in the sense that there is little or no interaction between the players in actual play. Each player outfits his expedition and takes off into the wilds, perhaps to die of thirst in the desert, or be captured by hostile natives, or fall ill in a swamp, or, hope against hope, return to civilization and publish his spectacular discoveries and hairraising adventures. One map, 380 counters, 16 page rules booklet, expedition log pad, event card deck, four dice, three crayons, boxed $15

Circus Maximus

Designer: Michael Matheny; publisher: Avalon Hill. This is a game of chariot racing in ancient Rome. Each player controls and plots for a chariot, with flips, rams, wrecks, and much more possible. A campaign game is included that provides a season of ten races with various improvements to your own teams and nefarious actions to your opponents' possible. While not complex, the game is detailed and colorful. One race-track board, 110+ counters, 16 page rules booklet, a thick log pad, boxed $??

Engage and Destroy

Designed by Chris Kurzadkowski (with Lynn Willis); published by The Chaosium (Box 6302, Albany, CA 94706). This is an 8 1/2 by 11 inch soft-cover book of rules for modern-era armor miniatures. Those familiar with miniatures rules will have no problem using this book, nor with the rules themselves. The rules are complete, covering the important aspects of modern armored warfare, and the system is quite reasonable. One 48 page rules book plus four pages of charts $7.95

Railway Rivals

Designed by David Gwyn Watts (John Desmond, American edition editor); published by Fairmont Simulation Gaming Co (873 North 24th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130). Ever wanted to build your own rail net when playing Rail Baron? Well, with this game you can. A map of the western U.S.A. is provided, and each player must build and then operate his own rail net, with the person accumulating the most wealth winning. The only drawback to the game is that the players must use some sort of transparency (not provided) to be able to reuse the map. One map, rules, 5 tokens, bagged $?.??

Angola

Designed by James Rosinus; published by Gameshop (no address). This is a basically simple game of the three-way struggle for control of Angola following the Portuguese withdrawal, at (hypothetical, I suspect) regimental and battalion level. An interesting flourish is that each unit can attack several times in a turn, as long as the owning player has (and is willing to expend) supply for each attack made by the unit. Special rules cover tactical air support and the ability to fight a guerrilla war (should a player decide he can not win conventionally). The map is a bit unfortunate, as the complexity of the terrain in Angola is simplified into just rough (mostly in the western part of the map), clear, and rivers. One map, 120 counters, rules, boxed $??

Doro Nawa

Designed by Jim Bumpas; published by Paper Wars (PO Box 2342, Isla Vista, CA). This game covers the Japanese campaign in Malaya and Singapore (December 1941 through February 1942), at regiment/battalion/ company level. The heart of this game is its turn structure. Each turn consists of ten or more impulses (the Japanese player decides how many impulses follow the tenth); in each impulse, each player may choose to a) move, b) have combat, or c) receive replacements. This allows some interesting effects, with players mixing their options to f ight battles of attrition or campaigns of maneuver. A turn can get somewhat long, so it is possible to end the game on any turn (there are ten turns total), with victory depending on how close the Japanese have come to Singapore at the end of any turn. One map (of high quality), 250 counters, 8 page rules booklet, bagged $9

Gallipoli

Designed by Rick Spence; published by Paper Wars. In 1915, the western Allies decided to open a supply route to Russia by forcing the Turkish controlled Dardenelles. A combined British-French naval force attempted to force the straits but turned back after the loss and damage of several ships. It was then decided to clear the peninsula and silence the Turkish coastal batteries before trying to pass the straits again, but the amphibious landings resulted in such confusion on the beaches that the Turkish forces were able to react and contain the landings. Gallipoli is actually two games in one, with one covering the land campaign and the other the naval action. The land game covers the historical landings (but not the entire peninsula nor the Asiatic shore) at company and battalion level. The naval game has the individual ships trying to force passage, opposed by the coastal batteries and mines. Both subjects are handled competently and anyone interested in this subject should seriously consider this game. Three maps, 32 page rules booklet, charts, 500 counters, boxed $14

Pea Ridge

Designed by Eric Smith; Published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010). This is a game on the decisive transMississippi battle fought on 7-8 March 1862. At 125 yards/hex, 30 minutes/turn, one strength point equal to 100 men, it uses SPI's basic Civil War system rules, developed from Terrible Swift Sword. Beyond the TSS basics, special rules cover the battle, Particularly the Confederate Indian regiments. The map is particularly welldone, and SPI's experience with the TSS systems shows through in all the components. One map, 200 counters, two rules booklets, two dice, boxed . $?

Drive on Washington

Designed by Tom Hudson; published by SPI. This is another TSS spin-off, and the comments on the components of Pea Ridge also apply here. This time, it is the Battle of Monocacy Junction (Lew Wallace vs Jubal Early), 9 July 1864, at 125 yards/ hex, 20 minutes/turn, and one strength point equal to 100 men; its special rules cover the Union burning the wooden bridge and the Confederates finding the previously-unknown ford. One map, 200 counters, two rules booklets, two dice, boxed . $?

Alaric the Goth

Designed by Paul L. Van Patten, Jr.; published by Strategic Studies Games (PO Box 254, Buena Park, CA 90621). This is a multi-player game on the barbarian invasions of the western Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th Centuries A.D. The game is quite abstract and attempts to portray the grand strategic situation rather than any actual invasion. The combat system is mostly a refined variant of Risk's. The graphics are very good, almost surprisingly so for the first effort of a new company. Players who like fast and fun multiplayer games should enjoy this. One map, 8 page rules booklet, 500 counters, three dice, bagged $10

Warsaw Pact

Designed by Stephen V. Cole; published by Task Force Games (not available by mail). This is a game of moderate complexity on a hypothetical Soviet bloc invasion of central and southern Europe. It was published several years ago by JP Publications, but this edition is updated and cleaned up. At army, corps, and division level, the game has several interesting features such as the way Warsaw Pact supply is handled, NATO member country collapse, Austrian and Swiss neutrality, and a wavering Yugoslavia (influenced by on-board events, if not outright invaded by either side). Scenarios cover 1967, 1973, and the 1980s, with various starting conditions for each. Overall, it is an action-packed, enjoyable game. One map, 160 counters, 16 page rules booklet, two dice, boxed .$9.95

McPherson's Ridge

Designed by R. Vance Buck; published by Task Force Games. At 150 yards/hex, 15 minutes/ turn, and one strength point equal to 100 men, the game uses a well-known and established Civil War system, with some flourishes, to cover the first morning (1 July 1863) of the Battle of Gettysburg. One map, 8 page rules booklet, charts, 210+ counters, two dice, boxed $9.95

Ironclads Expansion Kit

Designed by John W. Fuseler; published by Yaquinto Publications (PO Box 24767, Dallas, TX 75224). This is not a game. Instead, owners of Yaq's Ironclads game can pick up this gem and expand their original game in almost all directions. The kit encompasses more ships and more rules (especially concerning combat), including such items as the European and South American ironclads. No map, 24 page rules booklet, 300+ counters, more charts, many ship logs, boxed $14

Pickett's Charge

Designed by S. Craig Taylor, Jr.; published by Yaquinto. Despite its title, the game covers the entire Battle of Gettysburg (it must be getting hard to think of new titles for games on this battle). The most striking feature on the game is the giant-sized hexes, at 32mm (1 1/4 inches) across.

The designer has had much experience in Civil War designs which, coupled with his obvious interest in the period, has resulted in a superior product. The game is somewhat complex and requires some bookkeeping. Rules cover facing, formations, morale, step losses, leaders, charges, and more; a high level of complexity can be added on with expanded formations, expanded combat, ammunition, skirmishers, stragglers, etc. Seven scenarios cover the entire battle and each of its important phases. One map, 28 page rules booklet, plenty of game charts and unit rosters, 500+ counters, boxed $17

Belleau Wood

Designed by Rodger Nord; published by Historical Alternatives (1142 & 96th Avenue, Zeeland, MI 49464). In the spring of 1918, Imperial Germany launched its last great offensives, hoping to defeat the British and French before the Americans arrived in strength. During these offensives, the situation became quite critical for the Allies, and the inexperienced American troops already present in France were throw into battle: Belleau Wood covers the Americans' first battle against the Germans. The sequence of play basically goes: artillery fire, movement, enemy machinegun fire, assault. Thus, the non-phasing player gets a chance to mow down enemy units after they move but before they attack, well illustrating the power of the machinegun on the WW I battlefield. The game is well done though a bit murky in places (it took me a while to figure out how tactical victory points are awarded for holding Belleau Wood itself) but are comprehensible and not contradictory. My only real quibble is that the range on the machinegun units is hard to read, but fortunately it is always 6 hexes. One map, 270 counters, rules, several charts, boxed. $?