Being yet another pip-system variant for DBM. One might suppose that Wally and Z only moan and gripe about the pip-system in DBM; such is not the case. We also complain, laugh at, and deride the thing. A bloody demanding task, too! Every once in a while we propose a better way; here's one such beastie. Using an ordinary deck of playing cards, assign one side RED and the other BLACK. One person draws a card, and that color has the equivalent number of pips to move, subject to one limitation: no command may be allocated more than 6 pips in a single draw. Face cards are special: Jack/Queen One Ally or Sub-General may move all elements in their command one move. This includes bringing on f. lank marches. Card is useless if you have no Ally or Sub Generals. King CinC may move all elements in command one move. _ Ace All elements on that side may make one move. Joker If available. The last side to move selects one element and moves it, and resolves combat for that action (locked units from a previous move are unaffected unless a unit is moved into the combat). The other player moves a single element and resolves combat. This continues until both sides have moved ten elements, or one side ends the cycle by not moving. ADDITIONAL GAME-IMBALANCE-PREVENTING RULE: No side may have more consecutive moves than the number of commands on that side. This will eliminate the I go/You go routine, and perhaps make a more dynamic field. In one game I lost, My Worthy Opponent had a flank march that came on immediately, and then rolled seven "1"°s out of eight tries. Her victory would have been more complete had rolls been at least average. C'est la guerre! Or as the Aussie's cheer goes: "Say Lager!" As always, feedback written on a sawbuck gets my undivided attention; dumb looks are still free. Back to PW Review September 1994 Table of Contents Back to PW Review List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 Wally Simon 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