Designed by Michael Rinella for MMP This is a gamer’s game based on the successful Breakout Normandy covering the entire Market Garden operation (or operations) from Neerpelt to north of Arnhem itself. As a design it suffers from the problems of its subject especially that the role for the Germans is passive for much of the game. These difficulties have been exacerbated by some rather questionable design decisions in terms of history. These come in two varieties – the OB errors and the system problems (the traffic jams are hardly to be seen). All that said it has a great deal of charming cheek, is fun to play once you crack the different roles of the two sides and has much of the zen of the real thing. Although there is much I might be tempted to change I can also see that a very great deal of work has gone into getting it to this point and there will be few easy tinkerings to solve items that might irritate. Monty’s Gamble has caused a great deal of discussion and a great deal of playing. Although its rules are a bit hard on the old brains (unless you are a Breakout Normandy frontschwein) they are being upgraded and the map and counters are great fun. It is also (I think) damn good value for money. We love it for its virtues…. [A new rule set can be downloaded from the MMP website.] The basic game system is that of the area impulse games started with Storm over Arnhem. The rule book is pretty much a Breakout Normandy cut and paste so if you know that system you are on a roll. The game comes in two varieties – the short and extended versions. The first covers four days and another six days can be added on if you at least get to Nijmegen. I reckon the short scenario could be played in three hours with knowledge but much longer the first few times. I have not played the longer scenario. Let’s start with the map executed in a very naturalistic style by Joe Youst. You are looking down on the villages, fields, woods and rivers of the real thing. The map stretches from the Neerpelt zone (Zone F) through Valkenswaard, into Eindhoven and canal country, through Veghel to the Maas, then into Nijmegen and the Waal. Although nipped between Eindhoven and Veghel the map opens out across the Maas with the Reichswald and Groesbeek Heights (yes we have some hills). Across the Waal one moves into the Island with its polder areas, then to the Rhine and the towns villages and woods around Arnhem. The edges of the map are surrounded by zones much as in the Cassino game. The operations areas of the three airborne divisions are marked in the badges of these formations. Vital VP areas are marked in red. I thought the map was both practical and attractive, I cannot think of a map that said “Play Me” more than this (though Liberty comes close). The counters are pretty plain and simple executed in blacks, greys, greens and tans. They have the usual three factors (Attack – Defence – Move) plus either a symbol or a silhouette. We found little difficulty in using them. However, when Spent (flipped over) the counter is white with the factors and symbols in the main colour. These were less easy to differentiate though (in practice) few problems arose. The game has come in for a degree of stick for its historical work. There are of course always going to be arguments over where the spare strength point goes but I would identify the following major areas of complaint: The Recce regiments of the infantry divisions which were usually very lightly armed (bren carriers etc) are represented with an attack value of 5 (the same as a strong German battalion). This is far too much, it is too much even for the armoured cars of the cavalry regiments. The British infantry brigades are value 5 only slightly more than the many 4 valued German battalions. The paratroops are over-strength. The German artillery units appearing near Arnhem are far too powerful (a single German battalion being the same as the entire Guards’ Armoured artillery force). This can be fatal for the paras in Arnhem. The Glider Pilot battalion have become more effective than an SS PzrGrenadier battalion. How much these matters will annoy you depends on many things. One can and should adapt play to the game rather than the history. However, I think it would be fair to say that the narrative is less satisfactory than it might be for those who are well-versed in the battles. I also think it does not usually (with the possible exception of the artillery) interfere with the main drive of the topic. But enough of this and let’s look at the game. The central spine of the game is rather neat - instead of bashing away one needs to knock down the dominoes in the right order. The reinforcements, supply and powerful artillery mostly live in Zone F (way down south). You must therefore link up first with Ridgway’s boys, cross the canals and then drive to the Maas. Until then the paras must exist on rather wobbly supply lines (made doubly wobbly by the risk of bad weather). Only when you cross the Maas can you receive the Wessex Division (43rd) and you have to be across the Waal to get the Tyne-Tees (50th). There is no messing about here you must crumble in the correct order. If XXX Corps act too slowly then it will lose the short game and never get a chance at going for the extended game. The German acts mostly as speed-bumps and artillery observer. At Arnhem with care it can get in, winkle and clear the paras but do practice it solitaire first. Although the rationalisation behind these is a bit wobbly (the two reinforcement divisions are supposedly in a traffic jam) the effect is to really encourage a sense of hustle. The Sequence of Play opens with the Dawn Phase (each turn is one day) with reinforcements being placed (airborne reinforcements are placed in the UK not on the map), a weather roll being made (beginning 19th September only) and various counters being reset. It should be noted that both sides know exactly when and where each reinforcement is coming so that the sense of risk for the allied line of communication is somewhat reduced. Something more random might have helped. On D-Day the Dawn Phase is replaced by a number of Invasion Phases (a term escaping from Breakout Normandy) which show the opening rather well. Firstly, there is an air-bombardment of the various flak towers to try to suppress them for the landing. Secondly the XXX Corps guns go on a Corps shoot on the German front-line. Thirdly, the paras drop and may undertake some limited moving and fighting. Finally, XXX Corps launches its first attack. After that the first turn returns to normal in sequence. Players then alternate impulses with the Allies moving the impulse number chit up the track, if the first Allied 2d6 roll of each Allied impulse is greater than the impulse number then night has fallen and the turn is finished for everyone. This arrangement can be messed about with by various factors – spare supply and the Advantage chit. Players then complete the Refit Phase in which they place supply and un-spend and un-disrupt as many units as they can. Those beyond supply availability remain in their current state. Finally, and very importantly, is the Regroup Phase in which each non-flak Tower units may regroup one friendly area. This method moving does not cause spending of the unit and is thus a good way to move German forces at minimum supply cost. Areas are controlled by exclusive occupation by one side, they all start German controlled. Jolly chits are used to record para controlled zones in div colours, but the key is to switch to XXX Corps control as XXX Corps units enter each area and trace control back to Neerpelt. The level of control determines movement costs and even a vacant area (that is one vacant of enemy units but enemy controlled) has a cost as one moves in carefully. Free areas (that is one free of enemy units and under friendly control) as the only ones for regrouping and it is vital not to let German troops cut these lines of free areas. Each impulse must be one of four types. Only Fresh troops (not spent or disrupted) can be used in an Impulse. Each can only activate the friendly units in one Area. The major type is Assault, this consists of moving and (if enemy units are encountered) fighting them. It can also include bridge demolition and seizure. Infiltration is a rather jolly variety of assault only open to the sneaky Boches with their panzerfausts, snipers and spandaus. Each unit dices against the TEM (terrain effect modifier) of the Area, so the more close the terrain (say Arnhem) the better it is for infiltration – do not try infiltrating across the flat lands of Herpen. If you exceed the TEM then you must assault, otherwise the unit gets in without combat. The third type is Bombardment where you fire artillery or use Air support. Finally there is a Pass Impulse. In most impulses an activation by the Allies can be accompanied by an activation of Zone F (as a piggy back) so that one can keep pushing supports up the road. I must say the rules about crossing uncaptured bridges and canals are the least understandable but in general you take a bridge by either controlling both ends or by seizing it as part of your Assault movements. The movement costs are ranked 1 MF for entering a friendly area. 2 MF to enter a Vacant Area (enemy control but no units) 3 MF to enter an Area with non-Fresh enemy units 4 MF to enter an Area with Fresh enemy. There are also moves that consume all one’s MF. In certain cases exiting contested areas can have different costs (armour, for example, can exit infantry contested Areas). Use of the Allied Free areas on the road can give a speed advantage though considering the roads are chock-a-block this seems wrong. In fact the weakest point of the game (I think) is not its Order of Battle but the lack of the real feel of a highway bumper to bumper with trucks. Bridges impose limits on crossing boundaries (five units an impulse). Ferry crossings are much slower and gum up some of the German armour pushing in from the east. There are also (once the Area is XXX Corps controlled) boat assaults such as Gavin’s paras so bravely undertook at Nijmegen. These can be very useful where Nijmegen is still held in depth. Paratroops units may not leave the areas with their symbol marked on the map. This has caused some huffing but in general it makes the paras feel like they should – holders of ground. Assaults consist of moving into an area and attacking it. You need not attack if the area is empty or if it already contains your units. In the latter case you may attack. Attack Value plus 2d6 is compared to Defence Value plus 2d6. If the total for the attack exceeds the defence then the attackers are spent (including any artillery support), and Casualty Points equal to the dice differential inflicted. Units are spent, can then be retreated and then suffer up to two levels of disruption before vanishing. If the two scores are the same then the attackers are spent and the Point Unit is disrupted. If the defence value exceeds the attack there is a general disruption. The Attackers use the attack value of one assaulting infantry or Armour unit plus one for each fresh supporting unit, supporting field artillery and get a divisional integrity when three units are from the same division. SS/Wehrmacht attacks get a negative adjustment. The defender gets much the same but gets river defence points plus the TEM value. This can have interesting effects. A good German battalion with two others is not 12 but 4+1+1=6, but so are the three brigades of a UK infantry div (nine to ten battalions). The TEM makes the city hexes very hard to capture easily. Lots of weak enemy units (once again working against the British infantry who have big brigade units) can absorb a lot of Casualty Points. Bombardment Phases come in two varieties – bombardments where Air or Field Artillery units fire at the enemy. A key here is that Field Artillery is not spent by doing this, and thus can engage in a steady programme of shoots throughout the day. Barrages are the second variety, they spend the Artillery but allow a doubling of combat values – a veritable drumfire. The attacker aggregates his lead units value (doubled or normal) plus one for each supporting artillery unit plus his dice and compares it to the target area’s doubled TEM (plus Flak if an air bombardment, or defending artillery if an Artillery Bombardment). An excess of Attack value causes Attrition points (a deficit causes no loss to the attacker) but these are not as useful as Casualty Points. They usually require more to damage units and no unit may go through more than one damage state. So you cannot pulverise the target all at once, but a steady programme of shoots during the day is very useful. Bombardment also cannot ever kill a unit. A big air bombardment against German flanking forces which spends them can as valuable as anything as they cannot move in their own turn. To add to the fun and frolics there is an Advantage Chit. This starts out in Allied hands and moves as used or the situation requires. It can be used to require re-rolls and to declare a double area impulse (in which units of two areas get activated). The loss of units can also force the loss of the advantage. The losses are one Allied unit or three Germans (these losses must occur in the same impulse). If you already have the advantage then these losses will cause adjustments to the Sunset Modifier which can increase or decrease the number of impulses. The Advantage Chit is also worth one VP, and this can be vital where Nijmegen is German-held. Supply is used to refit units. Supply depots are placed on the map and then broadcast supply. This broadcasting costs more the further it has to go and the more damaged that a unit is. Sin e supply can only be placed in Free Areas for the German this means that refitting units in an adjacent Area in which they have infiltrated is more costly. Airborne supply can drop in contested areas but if it does then the supply is limited to that area. Excess supply is collected to use to ‘fix’ the impulse marker. Most Allied supply originates in Zone F and then pushes up the roads to the front line stopping where necessary to be used (there are five 5-value markers). Oss has a single 10-value marker to represent the large supply dump used by both sides, but it can only be used in the Oss zone. Each airborne division has a supply unit (but these are limited in drop zones) which is severely affected by weather. German supply chits go up in bad weather, the Allied ones go down. There is also an airdrop supply unit that can be used anywhere to help isolated troops. After September 19th the Allies can suffer from Isolation. This causes losses to the units based on a die-roll. It occurs where the unit cannot trace supply to Zone F. It cannot be overcome by using a supply chit, reflecting rather more vital matters than just ammo and food. In the extended game this can really damage the 1st Airborne if it has not been linked to XXX Corps. As with all impulse games one needs to choose whether to make big attacks which consume lots of units but may achieve breakthroughs (if you have excess Casualty Points you may be able to move further that same impulse). Bombardments are a useful way to smash up defenders before the attack goes in. Since bombardments do not suffer a down side one can risk making them at a poor differential. For the German with few activities one can find bridge blowing and bombarding useful activities. The Germans would prefer to move (if they move at all) late in a turn. Since moving (even without attacking) spends the activating units one does not want to move too close to the Allies as they may jump on the spent Germans and pulverise them. If the Allies have moved already then they will lack reserves to do this, but with an unknown number of impulses one cannot see when this is safe. Usually units of Germans and paras will prefer to regroup (which does not require spending). As this requires the destination Area to be Free this can mean one uses individual parachute battalions to enter Vacant areas so that their chums can join them in the regroup phase. This is very important in 82nd Airborne and 1st Airborne areas where formations must survive on only their own supply and will wish to minimise being spent. It is also a very good reason to infiltrate Arnhem to prevent the paras regrouping in there. The short game is basically about Nijmegen. The Allies score only for those VP areas controlled by XXX Corps and connected to Zone F. (They will get half points for Arnhem even if not connected). If six points worth of the victory areas are German contested then a deduction of one victory point is made. A key here is to try to get into Eindhoven on the first day (as it gives a bonus VP). The VP areas south of the Maas are 4 in number (five if you took Eindhoven on 17 September). Between Waal and Maas are 5 VPs, but two are in Nijmegen which is likely to be held in strength. There are two VPs on the Island but without Nijmegen they cannot be claimed, and 11 north of the Rhine. Arnhem is worth four, so will give you one VP if German contested or 2 if an Allied free area. By the end of 20 September the Allies need at least 10 VPs or they cannot continue playing and have lost the first game. The maximum without Nijmegen assuming linking up to the Waal is 8 plus 2 for Arnhem plus 1 if the Allies have the advantage. So even without the early entry to Eindhoven (a matter of dice luck) the magic ten is available, but if the Germans have contested Arnhem and (say) Mook and Whyler in the east or Veghel with a break-in attack, this may drop below the 10. Clearly taking Nijmegen is very important as it will make a score in excess of 10 very important. One must avoid losing the Advantage and the importance of contesting or controlling Eindhoven on the first turn is worthy of note. All of this means that Arnhem is not very important in some ways. The more VP areas the Red devils contest the greater the risk that the Germans will contest six VP’s worth of areas. However, it is always worth clearing Arnhem and I favour infiltration and shelling as the Germans. It has been reasonably objected that Monty’s Gamble is Hamlet without the Prince in that Arnhem is sidelined. Certainly the VPs could do with further thought and the level of activity in Arnhem never seems close to that found historically. The extended game is odd. If you reach your 10 VPs at the end of 20 September then you may play on for a further four days, by that stage you must have reached 15 VPs, if you hit that target exactly then you get two more days. But, if on 20 September you have 11 VPs then the game ends in Allied victory (as you have exceeded the target) and is not played on. Score less than 10 and the offensive is terminated early. One might have expected 10 or higher to allow further play. Weaknesses Monty’s Gamble is a game well worth thinking about when playing. It repays thought, and the average plunger will be beaten by the more cerebral player. It also has much of the excitement of the real thing. I did find it weak in certain areas. Firstly the use of bombardment with the same unit impulse after impulse can sometimes have odd effects. This is especially so with the over-strength German artillery units. Arnhem can often be shelled free of paras, perhaps this is meant to encourage more para aggression but they are already moving well ahead of historical performance much of the time. It is of course true that shelling and mortaring were much used by the Germans to batter the paras but this is too effective. Secondly, the German player does not have a lot to do much of the game. He needs to grasp this and be pretty clear in what he is doing to keep the game moving quickly. Thirdly, the traffic jams are not well handled. If the Germans launch a highway cutting attack in the south XXX Corps units can nip back at full speed despite the roads being cluttered with traffic (supposedly). As the release of 43rd and 50th Divisions is based on crossing rivers to simulate them being stuck in traffic one is faced with the odd feature that the Germans are attacking road areas that are (in game terms) Vacant but should be full of trucks and 43rd and 50th Divisions formations and being counter-attacked by units from miles up the road which get their by driving through the non-existent traffic. This may well cancel out but it ruins the narrative play of the game. Fourthly, if you do get well up the map in the extended game the artillery supply limits experienced on the Island are unlikely to appear. I did enjoy the polder rule which required you to stick to the road net in these areas. The rules are not as easy to understand as they might be, but for Breakout Normandy players they will be easy. The designer has been berated for using the Breakout Normandy format, but I think he was correct to do so. It did not help me, but I may well have been in the minority. The areas of incompleteness will (I hope) soon be covered by a new rule book. Monty’s Gamble is a disappointment in some ways, but (like Pacific Victory which also had some ropey bits) it has a great deal of brio and I find it hard not to like it. Once you have mastered play and play quickly I am sure that it is capable of being completed in an evening. The impulse system has its limits but enough is in here to make a good game. The history may need a couple of more tweaks. Early game will be rather exciting as dramatic errors cause dramatic collapses and I suspect one will need three to five games to get proficient. As I got it for a mere £22.50 as part of a pre-order I thought it excellent value in terms of bang per buck. For this I thank MMP and Michael Rinella and look forward to the El Alamein game using the same system. Back to Perfidious Albion #104 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com