written by Les Forester
published by The Gamers
420 counters, 4 maps
$38.00

I cut my teeth, and broke a few, on The Gamers' Tactical Combat Series, starting with one of their earliest, Omaha, which was released in 1991 and simulated the Allied landings at Normandy. I played it to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the battle but, at that point, the series rules were still not fully developed and playing the game was quite a struggle. Since then, the basic series rules have gone through a couple of major revisions and are now fully developed and do a wonderful job of simulating combat operations at the platoon level.

The Tactical Combat Series (TCT) is The Gainers' answer to Avalon Hill's Advanced Squad. Leader system but, in my opinion, The Garners do a much better job of balancing realism with playability and simplicity. While, at first, the 28 pages of rules for TCT seem intimidating, they are well presented, complete and much easier to read and learn than Advanced Squad Leader. A unique feature of the TCT is the use of orders to direct the activities of the units in the field. I know of no other game system that integrates a simple process for writing, implementing and executing orders as the basis for what the units do. All other wargames I've played allow the player to move units wherever he wants, without regard to any higher command structure. Through the use of orders, units are compelled to act in some pre-designated manner, either moving into position, holding a position, or simply waiting for the order to move and/or attack!

The TCT sequence of play is quite simple, consisting of five phases:

Command Phase - players try to implement previously written orders and write new orders for units.

Aircraft Fire Phase - If aircraft are present, fire is resolved at this time.

Action Phase - This is the heart of the game system. Each player has his or her own Action Phase with the result of a die roll determining who goes first. During this phase, a player conducts unit operations, in any order, including movement, artillery missions, assault combat, overwatch fires and minefield operations. The Action Phase is highly interactive, and during the phasing player's movement, the opponent has an opportunity to fire overwatch on spotted units which move and/or fire.

Clean-Up Phase - Both players recover their units, based upon their level of suppression or paralysis, smoke coverage is checked and unit morale is reviewed.

Turn End - The turn marker is advanced to the next turn. That's all there is to it. Of course, the first time through, it can be a bit complicated, but after a couple of times, you'll play with minimum reference to the rules. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the most complex game, I'd peg The Gamers' Tactical Combat Series at a 7.

Semper Fi! is the tenth game released in the TCT and has become my favorite, primarily because the numerous scenarios are small, played on four single maps ranging in size from 8 1/2" X 11" to 17" X 22". In all, there are 13 basic scenarios that are very playable in two to ten hours. The battles (Changallon Valley, No Name Ridge, Fox Hill and Hagaru) represent Marine actions that took place in Korea during their first five months in country, beginning August 2, 1950. Changallon Valley is played on an 11" X 17" map and includes two scenarios - an Ambush and Night Attack. Either scenario is small and excellent to learn the game system before proceeding to the larger, more extensive battles. The Ambush is a 15-turn scenario with the North Koreans ambushing the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Division as they proceed up the road to Changchon in pursuit of the battered NK 6th Division and 83rd Motorcycle Recon Regiment. The Ambush includes all the toys, with U.S. aircraft and tanks moving against a relatively weak, but well emplaced small force of North Koreans who are placed anywhere on the map that the NK player thinks is best for springing the ambush and delaying the Marine advance. It's a challenging scenario for both players with lots of strategy and plenty of replay value. The size of Semper Fi! and the number of scenarios and variants make it an excellent way to learn the TCT system and it's a terrific value with a pile `o gaming inside.

Semper Fi! for those that love the TCT series or would love to start playing wargames again, here's another great addition to your library. semper fi!