But Wait, There’s More

As any long time Avalon Hill fan knows, there were a number of non-war games released in the classic flat box style format. These included Dispatcher, Verdict, Management, Nieuchess, Air Empire, Verdict II, Le Mans, Baseball Strategy and Football Strategy. If there is sufficient interest from the Simulacrum readership, I can try to wrap up the rest of these games in a future article. Write our fearless leader and let him know what you think. Just be warned that it might take me another three years to get around to it!

Conclusion

In closing, I’d like to revisit an excerpt from a 1982 Avalon Hill catalog which was also included at the end of the last In Memoriam article:

“Being the oldest doesn’t always mean being the best, but in the case of the games listed on this page, longevity has a special significance. These games have not only been around longer than the rest, but they have stood the test of time to become universally recognized as the hobby’s first ‘Classics’. Maintained by a strong, devoted following, these games are still the answer to anyone believing that simple games are the most fun.

There is no subtlety in the rules, it’s all in the play of the game and the decisions of the players. Skill is paramount. Clutter and intricacy are replaced by precision and concision. `Classics’ also serve another purpose, however. With no complications or over-involved rules, their basic system is what is at the heart of all wargames, and playing a ‘Classic’ enables the beginner or novice to break into the hobby slowly and easily.

The nucleus of the rules is a two phase game, movement then combat. Many a gamer has started on one or more of these games, laying the foundation for a life time of enjoyment playing wargames. Be warned though, many gamers come back after first going on, and some never leave, hooked by the ‘Classics’. After all, there is something tremendously satisfying about knowing something well enough to consider yourself a master. Indeed, many of the hobby’s best gamers are part of the ‘Classics’ following.”

Avalon Hill may be gone, but the Classics live on. They are readily available online, and most can be found at bargain prices if you look around a little. Best of all, playing a Classic is like taking a time machine back to the birth of board war gaming -- a time when Avalon Hill was board wargaming!

Coming “Soon”

Part III of In Memoriam will cover Avalon Hill’s slipcase wargames of the early seventies.

In Memoriam: Revisiting the Avalon Hill Classics, Part II Old Games Never Die, Their Counters Just Fade Away

Introduction
Gettysburg '58
Gettysburg Battlefield Edition
Tactics II
U-Boat
Chancellorsville
D-Day
Civil War
Waterloo
Bismarck
Stalingrad
Jutland
Conclusion