When I turned Hube's Pocket into Dean, I asked what project he'd like me to work on next. His immediate reply -- Burma. The first thing which came to my mind was the old Monty Python sketch where Graham Chapman yells "BURMA!" and John Cleese asks "Why'd you say Burma?", whereupon Chapman says "I Panicked!". Since the Pythons were in drag doing their old crone routine, I thought Dean might not see the humor in such a response. So, I gave Dean the benefit of the doubt and started digging into the project. As usual, Dean was right, there was indeed a game in Burma.

The Game

The game covers the operations in 1944 from March to August. The battles pit a depleted, yet powerful, Imperial Japanese Army against a mixed bag of Indian, Chinese, British, and American forces (and some Nepalese, Burmese, et al. thrown in for fun).

The operations include the Japanese offensive on Imphal, the second Chindit campaign and Stillwell's Chinese/Marauder operations along the Ledo Road. All three of these operations were being conducted at the same time. From a gaming standpoint, this leads to interesting challenges as both sides have the burden of attack in at least one arena. Each of the operational areas is somewhat isolated but can influence, either directly or indirectly, neighboring battles. Because of this, there tend to be far more strategic decisions than is typical in most OCS games. The Imphal operations pit three excellent Japanese divisions of the 15th Army against the Commonwealth 4th Corps. Initially, the IJA forces are in good positions to dislodge the equal-sized but less flexible Allied forces. As the campaign progresses, the Commonwealth reinforcements begin to turn the tide to the Allies, but the struggle is still desperate and tense. Early success by the IJA can spell doom to the Allies at Imphal.

In the center, Orde Wingate's Chindits are executing the world's first large-scale air landing operation. These forces, inserted well behind the front, were expected to operate for extended periods supplied only from the air. When viewed in today's modern capabilities in communications, intelligence, and logistics support, landing five brigades of infantry behind enemy lines may not seem that big a deal. However, this was revolutionary stuff for WW2, and pulling it off with C-47s can be a challenge for players.

In the west, Stillwell's Chinese Army faces the elite IJA 18th Infantry Division. The backbone of this Allied force is of course the 5307 Composite Unit (Provisional), better known as Merrill's Marauders. These forces are battering their way down the Ledo Road against a very determined resistance.

The game is quite a departure from a typical OCS game in many respects. Past OCS offerings have featured games with sweeping, swirling armored battles. The Japanese have a grand total of three armored battalions, and they stink! However, there are still plenty of opportunities for daring strikes as flying columns march through hidden mountain passes. The excitement is still there, it's just a bit more sedate.

This is a two-map game covering the area from Mandalay in the far south to Imphal in the northwest and Myitkyina in the northeast. Most of the action, however, is on the northern map. For the space-challenged players, most of the five scenarios are actually played on less than a full map.

The terrain in this part of the world makes the northern map of Tunisia look like Kansas. However, the action isn't hindered by this as there are many isolated paths making this mountainous rainforest remarkably porous. A common tactic is to "jump a mountain" and steal a march on a parallel path. This can lead to some tense moments. It takes careful planning and skillful play to avoid disaster -- a hallmark of the OCS.

The Design

The design presented many challenges. Remarkably, there is not a great deal of need for special rules. I credit most of this to the rigorous model presented by the OCS, rather than any particular cleverness on my part.

The chief problem was modeling the character of the IJA. We wargamers tend to talk a lot about the differences between the European armies, but these differences are nothing compared to the IJA.

There was no army in WW2 which could sustain the incredible loss levels the IJA did and still maintain any semblance of combat power. Units involved in this theater typically, that's typically, took 50-60% losses and still had fight in them. Another major problem was the amount of terrain these guys could cover. The IJA had only about five divisions engaged in this area.

However, they were able to project these forces over the entire area. Fortunately both of these problems had the same solution. The IJA forces have been broken down into battalions, including the artillery, which is pretty pathetic, but can hold ground reasonably well. This means that each IJA division has 13 steps at full strength. This makes for some substantial staying power as well as an ability to cover a lot of ground.

The other major problem was simulating the incredibly insufficient, yet strangely flexible supply system. In OCS terms, the IJA forces could subsist on nearly nothing, but suffered horribly from lack of ammunition. The basic problem became how to allow the IJA to do their historical operations of infiltration while limiting their ability to fight. The solution came from the introduction of some new unit types: Mules and Infantry HQs. The mules and Infantry HQs use leg movement and so are able to traverse the mountain paths. This in essence allows the IJA to operate in the mountains, which are denied to the road-bound Allied forces.

Odds and Ends

If you enjoy odd units, this is your game. Already mentioned were the mule units. However, the fun doesn't stop there. When was the last time you got to drive cattle into the mountains. Yes, EatG did indeed have meals ‡ la hoof, but here, you've actually got water buffalo to herd behind your army. On top of this, some of the worst soldiers to take up arms, the Indian National Army, are in this game. But seriously, the OoB in this game has a rich texture and the multitude of nationalities is remarkable (and you can't beat the Commonwealth for goofy unit names).

One of the more common comments from playtesters (other than Dave Powell's infamous "Quirky" comment uttered after Stillwell's Army was cut off by a flying IJA column) were statements like "This game is fun." This, of course, was music to my ears. On a more serious note, it said something about the OCS and this game in particular. Many players tend to shy from OCS because it is tense. Some players simply do not enjoy living life on the knife's edge hour after gaming hour.

This game, although it can be hairy at times, does not have that burdensome foreboding of imminent disaster that permeates most of the other OCS titles. The pace is slower and the terrain more constrained, which tends to reward careful planning and play more than daring deeds. If one were to compare this game to say Hube's Pocket, Hube's would be a fist fight and Burma a fencing match. Because of this players who stayed away from OCS might want to consider this tense but more gentle offering.