Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires

by

Flying Pig Games

Part Deux

 So, we left off with a bit of history about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The repercussions of that event are still being felt around the world. It directly led to the later US involvement in the 'Graveyard of Empires'. It is pretty hard to imagine that the timeline for all of these events up until now is only 45 years. However, this game deals specifically with the Soviet Union against the Afghanistan Mujahideen, a name the western countries have had to learn all about in the ensuing years.

 I can never play a game without a tie-in to a movie or a book that I am perusing at the time. In this case, I was presented with the game and had to find something to get me into the mood to play it. The movie 'The Beast', fit the bill nicely. The movie is about a T-55 and its crew in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupancy during the 1980s. It is an excellent movie about people fighting for their homeland. It also shows the savagery of the women against the invaders. Many times, during the centuries, invaders would be much better off being captured by the men they were fighting instead of their womenfolk. Well, that is enough of that, onto part deux. 

 For those of you not living under some strata of compressed earth Mark H. Walker's name should be well known. This is what his website has to say:

"Mark has been designing board and computer games for over a decade. In that time, he has designed over a dozen games and developed, produced, and published over 100 more. In November of 2014 Mark founded Flying Pig Games, a game company dedicated to publishing high-quality strategy games. In September off 2015, Mark opened the doors to a second game imprint, Tiny Battle Publishing. (I think you have to tack on just a few more years than a decade by now)"

 This game is the second in the series of 'Squad Level Battle Games' the first was '65 Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam'. Unfortunately, '65 is out of print but do yourself a favor and look for it in the resale market. One of Mr. Walker's axioms is 'the playing is the thing', meaning that the rules will be as condensed and easy to understand as possible, among other things. He wants the player to be playing and not reading a 100-page rulebook. This is shown in all of his designs that I have played, and '85 is no different. One other thing that his games are known for its size. I am not talking about table space. I am talking about the size of the counters, hexes, and the writing in the rulebooks etc. I am assuming because he is an old grognard he feels pity on the rest of us grumblers and our fading eyesight. 

 If you have played '65 you really only need to glance at the new rulebook to get up and running. As mentioned, the rulebook is extremely large in print and thin on length. It has both a Contents and an Index. If you cannot find your way around it, then I suggest that wargaming may not be your best choice for a hobby. To put it into perspective, this is a rulebook that deals with squad-level war in the almost modern battlefield. We are talking missiles and all the new-fangled weaponry that they had in the 1980s. To be able to make a rulebook for a game in the modern era that is also easy to read and understand, and also be terse, is pretty much unheard of. 

 These are some of the units you will be sing or fighting against:

T-55

T-62

BTR-70

BMP-1

Mi-24

RPG equipped infantry

Spetsnaz

DHSK

Numerous rifle equipped units

Commanders

 At first, it seems that fighting the bear that went over the mountain is pointless. However, if there ever was a country that guerilla war could thrive in it is Afghanistan. True, there are no jungles, but the terrain is tailor made for the defender. Without the 21st century's drones the battles devolve into small knife fights. The Russian player at times will feel like he is trying to kill a wasp with a 20lb sledgehammer. The trick for the Afghan player is not to have the sledgehammer land. The gameplay is fairly reminiscent of the US against the North Vietnamese in the game '65. In both the under armed side had best use Ali's axiom and 'Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee". The Soviet ability to use helicopters really puts you to the test when defending against them.

 

 This is a game on the squad-level. Each one of your units/counters means a lot. You cannot go crashing in guns blazing and not expect to not take horrific casualties. The eight scenarios are spread out among a varied amount of different type actions. The fact that you can receive any variation of the Action Cards means that each time you play a scenario it is different. You have no idea of what your enemy is holding in his hand, or you in yours. It will also be easy to make your own scenarios. If you are into historically accurate games where the game play is paramount, then look no further. This game has a huge amount of game play in it along with some of the largest counters I have ever seen. Thank you again Soaring Porcine Amusements for allowing me to review '85.

 The next part of the trilogy will deal with the solitaire expansion '85 Alone in the Mountains'.

Robert

Flying Pig Games:

Best Strategic War Games | Flying Pig Games

Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires:

Flying Pig Games

 Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires

by

Flying Pig Games

 We are going to do things a little differently this time around. I am going to make this a three part look at this game. I am also going to start off with something that I have never done, which is an unboxing for the first part. The second part will be a look at the actual game play and the third will be a look at Alone in the Mountains: '85 Solitaire Expansion.

 The year is 1979 and the Cold War is in full swing. Some people in the Kremlin decided that it was a good idea to invade Afghanistan and put their own puppet government in place. Afghanistan had been a country that had been a tough nut to crack for many armies and governments for thousands of years. It was the map board used in the 'Great Game' by Russia and England in their attempt to conquer more of Asia in the 19th century. Afghans have a well-deserved reputation for being hard fighters and implacable foes. They also invented Polo and enjoyed using the heads of their enemies as the ball. This should clearly clue you in as to the mettle of the Afghans. 

 The back of the box says:

"'85: Graveyard of Empires is the second game in the Squad Battles series. Building on the mechanics introduced in '65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, Graveyard of Empires features tense squad-level battles between the Afghan Mujahideen and the Soviet Red Army in an exciting card-driven, hex-and-counter game."

 As an aside, if you haven't heard of or played '65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, do yourself a favor and look into that excellent game.

This shows some of the counters and a piece of a map from the game

  This is what comes with the game:

5 richly illustrated, 11” x 17” geomorphic game boards. 

4 lavish sheets of thick 1” and 1.375” counters. 

1 deck of 54 action cards, 4 Event Cards, 5 Bonus Victory Condition Cards. 

Full color rules and scenario booklet.

Player Aid Cards, 

Terrain Effect Charts.

A die.

A box to keep it safe and warm.

 I thought one-inch counters were big. These 1.375" ones, for aircraft, tanks, and other vehicles are massive. Yes, the hexes are quite large enough to not be dwarfed by those counters.

 Because of the size of the counters, there are only so many counters that come with the game. However, just like its older brother '65, this game is about Squad Battles and not large military actions. So, you have more than enough counters, and a good variety of them, to keep you playing for a good long time. 

 The game boards all fold out to give you their 11" x 17" full size. The landscape that the game represents is seen in in wonderful detail, if a little muted in color. They represent the different battlefields extremely well. 

 The Player Aids are 8.5" x 11" in size, and they are made of card stock. One gives you the Sequence of Play and a turn record track. The other is two-sided and has the Terrain Effects Chart on one side and the Range Modifiers etc. on the other.

 The Rule Book is 35 pages in length. It is in full color and is in nice, large, type for us aging grognards. It comes with plenty of example of the rules. The Rule Book also has all nine of the game's scenarios included in it; the ninth scenario was a Kickstarter exclusive. This does not seem like many. However, the game is card-driven so you have endless possibilities for a hand of different cards each time you play a scenario. Because of their small size, it does not look like it would be any trouble to make your own scenarios to add to the mix.

 The deck has 54 Action Cards in it. These have actions for both sides in the game on them. The cards are also used to determine hits on vehicles. There are also four event cards. The above says it comes with five Bonus Victory Condition Cards, although my game came with 11.

Action Card

 If you have bought or played any of the different games from Flying Pig Games, you will be excited about the care and attention that is given to the manufacturing of them. If for nothing else, you should look at the Flying Ham Steaks rendition of Hermann Luttman's 'A Most Fearful Sacrifice'. Yes, once again it is out of stock. I do believe that it will be reissued again and again as that magnum opus deserves. I had the pleasant experience of playing '65 more than a few times and by looking at '85's rules it looks like playing this game will be just as enjoyable. 

 Thank you, Flying Pig Games, for letting me take a look at and review '85 Graveyard of Empires. Stayed tuned on this same bat channel for the other two perusals of the game.

Robert

Mark H. Walker's '85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires:

Flying Pig Games

 Old School Tactical VOL IV on Kickstarter NEXT WEEK! First pledgers get a game for $1 USD

by

Flying Pig Games

 The portable porcines are at it again! OST Volume IV begins selling on KS on September 21st 12 EDT.

 This is straight from the old boar's mouth:

"Old School Tactical, the acclaimed tabletop wargame series, is gearing up for its next exciting installment as it transports gamers to the battlefields of the Italian Theater during World War II. The much-anticipated Old School Tactical Volume IV, along with its expansion "For the Empire," is set to launch on Kickstarter on September 21st at 12 Noon EDT.

This Kickstarter campaign promises an opportunity for history buffs and strategy enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the intense battles that defined the Italian campaign from 1943 to 1945.

Sign up to be notified the second we go live: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhwalker/old-school-tactical-vol-iv-italian-theater-1943-45.

After the success of the Allied forces in North Africa, strategists turned their attention to what was deemed the 'soft underbelly' of Europe — Italy. The campaign was devised to eliminate Italy from the Axis alliance and divert Axis troops from other fronts. Commencing with the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the Allies embarked on a relentless push against formidable resistance. The drive through Sicily, the landing at Salerno, the harrowing Anzio beachhead, and the continuous push towards Rome were marked by numerous river valleys and fortified defensive lines that posed immense challenges for both sides. Names like the Volturno River, the Rapid River, the Liri Valley, the Gustav Line, and the Caesar Line became synonymous with the grueling battles that unfolded. The campaign exacted a heavy toll on both Allied and Axis forces and concluded on May 2, 1945, with the formal surrender of all Axis troops in Italy.

Old School Tactical Volume IV introduces gamers to this demanding theater of World War II, featuring British forces engaging German and Italian units in treacherous terrain. Players will command Vickers machine guns, Commandos, Bren guns, PIATs, and sticky bombs as part of the British arsenal, alongside an array of vehicles such as Sherman and Churchill tanks. The German and Italian forces, on the other hand, deploy formidable panzers, including the Marder III and Elefant.

A visually stunning map depicting the picturesque Italian countryside has been meticulously designed to provide the backdrop for thrilling scenarios included in the playbook.

Old School Tactical is a two-player wargame that allows players to recreate these historic battles using counters representing soldiers, weapons, and vehicles. The gameplay revolves around the strategic use of Impulse Points to coordinate actions for each player's forces. At the end of each battle, casualties and victory points are tallied to determine the victor.

Infantry units target other soft units using their Firepower value against the target's Defense value, with the attack's effectiveness influenced by Leadership, support weapons, and terrain. Close Combat occurs during intense situations when infantry units move into enemy hexes. Assaults are resolved using the Infantry Combat Table, and the results are implemented. Attacking armored vehicles involves rolling to hit the target, and the attacker's Firepower is applied against the target's defense values. Dice rolls for vehicles are made using the Vehicle Combat Table.

Each game includes:

3 sheets of unit, weapon, vehicle, and condition counters.

A large 30" x 41" mounted game map with 1" hexes.

18 luck cards with unique effects.

36 unit data cards.

Scenarios such as "Find Those Guns," "Guards Brigade," and "Fallen Allies."

A player aid card.

A color rule book.

Dice.

A massive box to store all components.

Old School Tactical IV Italian Theater 1943-45 and "For the Empire" expansion offer an immersive and historically accurate gaming experience that will delight both veteran wargamers and newcomers alike. Don't miss your chance to be part of this Kickstarter campaign and secure exclusive rewards. Sign up at the provided link to be notified when the campaign goes live.

About Old School Tactical:

Old School Tactical is a renowned tabletop wargame series that brings historical battles to life through strategic gameplay. Developed by Mark H. Walker, the series has gained a dedicated following for its authenticity and immersive experience. Old School Tactical Volume IV takes players to the challenging Italian Theater of World War II, introducing British, German, and Italian forces in epic battles. The "For the Empire" expansion adds depth and excitement to the gameplay, offering players a chance to rewrite history through strategic decisions and tactical brilliance."

Mark H. Walker

Owner, Flying Pig Games

 Red Blitz

An Expansion for Old School Tactical Volume 1 Second Edition

by

Flying Pig Games

 Flying Pig Games should have really used hog instead of pig for its flying porcine. Their games are enormous with massive maps that come with 1" hexes. The counters come in two sizes. The armored vehicles are 7/8" and the soldier, etc. ones at 3/4".

 This is what Flying Pig Games has to say about Red Blitz:

"In the vein of Old School Tactical Vol 2's Phantom Division we present Red Blitz. This boxed expansion will add more scenarios that occur during the vicious fighting of Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944.

Specifically, there are 6 challenging new scenarios, and an extended battle to be gamed on Vol I's Map 1. The extended battle is a multi-part legacy scenario, where the day's gains remain in your hands and reinforcements are fed into the battle. A running score is kept and the winning side is determined at the end of all the rounds.  

The "one-off" scenarios are fought on 4 new pocket maps, depicting summer and winter terrain. Additionally, Red Blitz presents new combatants, including the SU-76M, SU-85, OT-34, PT34, ISU-152, IS-2, StuH-42 and the Nashorn."

Red Blitz Includes:

4 new 11" x 17" game maps (4 x summer and 4 x winter).

A playbook with 6 new scenarios and a separate, new campaign.

A sheet of gorgeous counters, including--but not limited to-- the new units cited above.

A box to keep everything safe and warm.

This is an expansion. You must own Old School Tactical Vol I 2nd Edition to play.

 The expansions maps are up to Flying Pig Games usual beauty and usefulness. They are paper maps and not mounted. To me it is not big deal. I just break out the plexiglass. Some people may feel differently. The Maps are 'Pocket Maps' numbers four through seven. The Maps are identical on both sides except for one side is summer and one is winter. The counters are just as huge and little works of art like all of the Flying Pig Games I have seen. The vehicle/weapon cards are also up to the same high standards. There are four German cards and six Soviet ones. The Soviet player gets some monster tanks (IS 2, and ISU 152) along with a flamethrower T-34 and a mine sweeping one. The Playbook is fourteen pages long. It is in full color and has large type that is easy to read. All but one page is devoted to the new scenarios. The expansion's components are all comparable to the ones you get with the main games. 

 Once again, Flying Pig Games has given us a very nice expansion to one of their core games. To play the scenarios in Red Blitz you need to either have a copy of Old School Tactical Volume I 2nd Edition or the 2nd Edition Upgrade for the original Old School Tactical. The scenarios will also need some of the counters from the main game. The new maps and units, especially the units, bring a great amount of added value to the base game. Thank you, Flying Pig Games for allowing me to review this expansion. 

 If you have not looked at Hermann Luttmann's magnum opus 'A Most Fearful Sacrifice' game about the Battle of Gettysburg, you owe yourself to take a look. Here is my review of it:

A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg a Hermann Luttmann Game by Flying Pig Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

Robert

Flying Pig Games:

Flying Pig Games

Flying Pig Games Red Blitz:

Old School Tactical Red Blitz | Flying Pig Games

 

'85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires 

by

Flying Pig Games

 The aeronautical porcine is at it once again. This time they take us to Afghanistan in the 1980s. This is when the USSR tried their hand at pacifying that country. For Russia to have control of Afghanistan had long been a part of their strategy. England and Russia played the 'Great Game' for it during the 19th century. Now the USSR tries to see if they can do better than the Tsars. This is the second game in their Squad Battle Series. The first was '65 Squad Level Combat in Vietnam, which has earned some very deserved kudos from the wargaming public.

  This game is on Kickstarter right now. It has already almost doubled the first pledge hurdle. Now it is working on its stretch goals.

 "’85 Graveyard of Empires is the second game in the Squad Battles series. Building on the mechanics introduced in ’65 Squad Battles in the Jungles of Vietnam, Graveyard of Empires (GoE) features squad-level battles between the Afghan Mujahideen and Soviet Red Army in a card-driven, hex and counter game."

  "GOE introduces card-activated events, immersive helicopter rules, more tactical decisions, new powers and abilities, and of course beautiful counter and game board art. The counters are 1” or larger (for the vehicles) and the game board hexes are huge. Included are counters for Mujahideen RPG and RPD teams, rifle squads and heroes, as well as captured T-55 and BMP armored fighting vehicles. The Soviets respond with Spetsnaz, line rifle squads, heroes, Hind-24 attack helicopters and several types of AFVs, such T-55, T-62 tanks, BMPs, BTRs, and more."

 To add to the game, you can also buy an add-on that allows you to play solitaire.

 "Alone in the Mountains is a solitaire expansion for '85 Graveyard of Empires. Utilizing an updated version of the same solitaire system used in Night of Man and '65 Squad Battles in the Jungle of Vietnam, Alone in the Mountains comes complete with a full sheet of counters, a new map, rules, solitaire action cards, and 6 solitaire scenarios for Graveyard of Empires. All that for only $45."

 The soaring swine have some of the largest and beautifully made games in the wargaming world. I urge you to take a look at this and all the others they have to offer.

Robert

'85 Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires -A Squad Battles Game by Mark H. Walker — Kickstarter

A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition/Reprint | Flying Pig Games

Old School Tactical | Flying Pig Games

 Fatherland: The Long Road Expansion

by

Flying Pig Games

 For some unknown reason whenever I look at the title of this expansion, I am always reminded of the Nazis singing Die Wacht am Rhein in the movie Casablanca. Which, of course, is then followed by the Marseilles being sung by the rest of the patrons in the bar.

 I cannot do a rundown of the history behind the game because luckily it did not happen and hopefully never will. You will however get to test the different NATO and Warsaw Pact armaments from 1985. The biggest addition to the NATO forces in the game are:

10 - Leopard II tanks

10 - Leopard I tanks

10 - Marder (not the World War II variety) The 1985 Marder was equivalent to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It possesses a 20mm automatic cannon and also carries Milan anti-tank missiles.

1 - Tornado multirole aircraft

2 - PAH-1 helicopters

10 - Panzergrenadiers

You also get three of the last units of Jagdpanzers to be designed after World War II: the Jagdpanzer Kanone 90mm, plus several other vehicles.

 These are the only rule changes when playing this expansion:

As a member of Nato, West German forces use the American/NATO Action Cards.

Armed Mobs do not count against stacking restrictions.

Armed Mobs will never attack West German units.

The West German player may control Armed Mobs that are generated in a hex containing a West German Combatant.

The West German player may control Armed Mobs after a West German Combatant moves into their hex.

Armed Mobs controlled by the West Germans assume the morale of the best West German unit in the hex.

 So, in this expansion Flying Pig Games have gone for the straight military World War III simulation as far as units. There is no Yog-Sothoth unit, or any other nightmare added to the mix. This does not mean that they do not show up in some of the six new scenarios that this expansion brings to the table (literally).

 Fatherland comes with a new mounted map. It also contains a full counter sheet of those beautiful one-inch counters that came with the main game, The Long Road. So, now you can see how the Bundeswehr would have matched up against both Soviets and Vampires etc.

 This is a great add on for an excellent game. This is a piece from the rules of The Long Road:

"So that is the twist, a wargame with paranormal elements. Make no mistake, I’ve strived to make this an accessible, yet accurate wargame. Included is everything from advanced sights, multi -spectral smoke, artillery-delivered minefields, to electronic counter measures, anti-tank guided missiles, attack helicopters and the man-portable, air defense systems required to bring them down. You’ll command the weapons of the time; Abrams tanks, T-80 tanks, M60A3, T-64B, and Sheridan tanks. Bradleys, M-113s, BMPs, infantry, spetsnaz, and more."

 Now we can add to the mix a lot of West German troops and armaments. What is there not to like? Plus, we will get the grognards arguing about which one is better, the Leopard II or the M1 Abrams. The game system used is Mark H. Walker's Platoon Commander Deluxe. Which if you have not played in some version, I think you should check it out.

 Thank you, Flying Pig Games, for allowing me to review this expansion.

Robert

Flying Pig Games:

Flying Pig Games

Fatherland: The Long Road Expansion:

The Long Road | Flying Pig Games

My Review of The Long Road:

Mark H. Walker's The Long Road: World War III ... With a Paranormal Twist by Flying Pig Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

 Mark H. Walker's The Long Road

World War II... With a Paranormal Twist

by

Flying Pig Games

 Normally, I will start with some history of the battle or war that the game I am reviewing is about. In this case, World War III never happened at this time. However, we also have some interesting additions to this modern-day warfare tactical game. So, I will let Flying Pig Games take the helm. This is their write up about the game:

"The agents of those powers might be nothing more than a special ops team of mysterious origin sent to assassinate a world leader, nothing more than a militia, ambushing foreigners raping their mother country; nothing other than normal. Then again, they might be other than normal, or—by definition—paranormal.

So that is the twist, a wargame with paranormal elements. Make no mistake, I’ve strived to make this an accessible, yet accurate wargame. Included is everything from advanced sights, multi-spectral smoke, artillery-delivered minefields, to electronic counter measures, anti-tank guided missiles, attack helicopters and the man-portable, air defense systems required to bring them down. You’ll command the weapons of the time; Abrams tanks, T-80 tanks, M60A3, T-64B, and Sheridan tanks. Bradleys, M-113s, BMPs, infantry, spetsnaz, and more.

But of course, war isn’t won by equipment; war is won by soldiers. In The Long Road soldiers’ training and morale is integral to the game, integral to combat resolution. But even more important than the rank-and-file grunts are the heroes. The men and woman who can - turn the tide of battle. We’ve included them too. People like Mike Hudson, Colonel Adrik Aleksandrov Shabalin, tank commander Sergeant Matt Dahl, and Commissar Colonel Elena Petrova. Heroic humans, but humans, nonetheless.

But there is something more. Somethings that are not "humans nonetheless." Demons that summon electrical storms, rendering advanced weaponry nearly useless, Lycan clans that fight with assault rifles, RPDs, and RPGs, as well as the fang and claw of their elders. A witch with an agenda, plus the powerful spells to make it happen, and of course, Katarina Ubirek; an amoral Romanian vampire worth dozens of inexperienced soldiers in combat. You know those things that you have read about, watched in movies, heard about on horror podcasts? Well, in The Long Road they are real.

But not every scenario contains nightmares. Sometimes you’ll fight with/against/in spite of these paranormal beings, yet often your battle will be about nothing more than depleted uranium rounds, reactive armor, maneuver, and massed fires. In fact, we include a separate scenario book in the game titled Long Road Tactics that includes nothing but historical, for lack of a better word, scenarios.

So that is The Long Road; part military horror, part authentic recreation of World War III, but all fun. We hope you enjoy it."

According to the Floating Porcine this was the game that The Long Road was based on. It was from Tiny Battle Publishing.

  So, there you kind of have it. World War III with Vampires, Zombies, Lycans, and Witches. I think Mr. Walker has been watching too much of the Underworld series of movies (although they are very good). Now, Vampires, Lycans and Witches are my kind of people. However, I am not a fan at all of the Zombie movies and its attending craze. Apparently, in my mind I can grasp the idea of the undead sleeping in their coffins to rise every night but cannot grasp walking corpses coming out of their graves to shuffle off to Buffalo. Oh well, let us see what the game comes with:

7 sheets of thick (2mm thick), large (1" square, large) counters.

3 MOUNTED 17” x 22” map geomorphic boards. Not paper, not stiff cardboard, but rather 2mm-thick, wrapped and backed mounted game boards.5 sheets of thick (2mm thick), large (1" square, large) counters.

72 full-color Action Cards in two decks. The game isn't card driven; it's card assisted.

6 Over-sized Monster Champion Cards

Full-color Rules Book

2 Full-color Scenario Books

2 Player Aid Cards.

5 ten-sided dice for resolving combat.

A quarter ton of scenarios. 

"A quarter ton of scenarios". Do yourself a favor and got to Flying Pig Games and read their information about each game. Mr. Walker has a bit of a sense of humor, and it shows in each one.

Combat between 'regular' forces

 So, before we get into the mechanics etc. of the game. Let us look at the components. 

 The maps are muted in color. You might think that this might make them boring to look at. That is not the case at all. The colors match perfectly with Armageddon being fought, especially with the likes of Lycans and Vampires added to the mix. The three maps give the player a good amount of different terrain to fight on, with the added fact that more than a few scenarios only use one map. The counters are the usual Flying Pig Counters, which is to say, they are extremely large, thick, and come with excellent artwork. Their size makes that incredibly easy to read. Even though there is a good amount of information on them they do not look 'busy'. You might be tempted to use the counters to steady a table leg because they are so thick. The counters also come pre-rounded and are desperate to remove themselves from their sprues. There are two decks of thirty-six Action Cards. The first deck is used when only fighting with 'normal' units. The other deck is used for the Actions of the paranormal units. Both decks' artwork again shows Flying Pig Games attention to detail and wonderful choice of color and scenes. There are also six oversized cards that show the abilities and attributes of the paranormal Champions. The Player Aids are made of hard stock and in full color. One is single-sided and has the Sequence of Play and the Turn Record Track on it. The other one has the different tables used on one side and the terrain chart on the other.

 The Rule Book is thirty-nine pages in length. It is in full color and the type is large. The actual rules take up twenty-nine pages. Then there is a look at the individual Action Cards. Next up is a three-and-a-half-page Sequence of Play and Rules. On the back page is the index. These are always helpful. The Campaign Book is the main part of the game. It has eighteen scenarios that take you through the story. Naturally, each of them can also be played separately. If you are not in the mood for the paranormal, the Tactics Book will be right up your alley. This is eighteen pages long. It comes with a total of ten scenarios. Six of these are the US versus the Soviets. There are also two scenarios that use the East German troops. The last two scenarios are meant for solo play. The first one contains zombies, but the second is you commanding Soviet forces against US forces.

 Everything that comes in the box is produced to the high standards of all of the Flying Pig Games I have ever played.

The US forces go against the Lycans

 This is the Sequence of Play:

"2.1 DETERMINE INITIATIVE

  Both players roll 1d10. High roll wins the initiative. In the

  case of a tie during any rolls or rerolls the rolling stops

  and the player who DID NOT have the initiative the

  previous turn is given the initiative. Unless the first turn

  initiative is delineated in the scenario, reroll all first turn

  ties. Either player may reroll the number of times

  allowed by the Focus marker in the Initiative box (see

  3.1).

2.2 DRAW ACTION CARDS

  During the scenario setup, draw the designated number

  of Action Cards from the draw pile after both sides have

  set up their forces. During this phase on subsequent

  turns, each player draws the scenario-designated

  number of cards from the pile. The player with initiative

  draws all his cards first. Cards may be played when

  appropriate, but no more than two cards may be played

  per player, per turn (exception Winds of War 1.6.1).

2.3 RALLY PHASE

  Both sides may attempt to rally disrupted Combatants by

  rolling 1d10 for each Combatant and comparing it to the

  Combatant’s morale. If the number is less than or equal

  to the Combatant’s morale, it rallies. The Soviets have a

  morale of 3. The Americans, Lycan Clan, and Vampire

  Coven have a morale of 4. Zombies have a morale of 2.

  Other forces’ morale will be identified when introduced.

  The play of Action Cards may alter the die roll. The

  player with the initiative rallies his or her Combatants

  first. Combatants in cover (i.e. would receive a favorable FRT

  shift from any incoming fire originating from an enemy

  Combatant) and/or Combatants not in the Line of Sight

  of an enemy Combatant, or within the LOS of an enemy

  Combatant, but not within at least long range of said

  Combatant and not adjacent to or in the hex with (it

  happens with Zombies) an undisrupted enemy

  Combatant, add 1 to their morale. That’s 1 total, not 1

  per instance.

  The above bonus only occurs DURING THE RALLY PHASE,

  not when attempting to negate a hit in the Fire Phase. In

  the Fire Phase, targets receive shifts on the Fire Results

  Table to reflect the cover that they have.

  Zombies never Disrupt, so they don’t need to rally.

  Helicopters automatically rally.

2.4 FIRE PHASE

  Players ALTERNATE attacks as per the rules for Fire

  Combat (4.0). The player with the initiative executes the

  first attack. When neither player wishes to execute any

  further attacks, the phase ends. Mark firing Combatants

  with a Fired marker unless utilizing Gun and Run (4.1.1).

2.5 MOVEMENT PHASE

  First one side, and then the other player moves all their

  Eligible Combatants that they wish to move. The player

  with the initiative determines who will move first. Note

  that unlike the Fire Phase, the players do not alternate

  moving Combatants. One side moves ALL its Combatants

  and then the other side moves ALL of its Combatants.

  Mark moved Combatants with a Moved marker unless

  using Overwatch (4.1.2). Opportunity Fire may be

  conducted by Eligible Combatants during the movement

  phase. Mark Combatants that Opportunity Fire with a

  Fired marker.

2.6 CLOSE ASSAULT PHASE

  Non-disrupted adjacent Combatants that are not marked

  Fired may initiate Close Assault. Players alternate

  declaring and resolving Close Assaults. A Combatant may

  only conduct one Close Assault per phase, but may be

  the target of numerous Close Assaults. The player with

  the initiative declares and resolves the first Close

  Assault.

  Note that Lycan (actual werewolves “L”), Vampires

  (actual vampires “V”), and Zombies attack from the

  same hex as their target is located. Specific Abilities may

  alter these rules.

2.7 HOUSEKEEPING PHASE

  In this, EXACT order:

 1. Remove Out of Ammunition Markers on

  undisrupted units without a Moved or Fired

  Marker on them (4.2).

 2. Remove all Fired, Moved, Blast, Overwatch, Run

  and Gun, and Electronic Counter Measure (ECM)

  markers.

 3. Remove Smoke 1 markers (8.1.5).

 4. Flip Smoke 2 markers to Smoke 1 (8.1.5).

 5. Determine refugees’ status and movement.

  (12.0), create Armed Mobs.

 6. Consolidate Zombies (12.1).

2.8 AID AND FOCUS PHASE

  Place, flip, move, do nothing, and remove Aid and Focus

  markers as designated in the rules (3.0).

2.9 ADVANCE TURN MARKER

  Advance the turn marker to the next turn."

 

 The game rules are based on Mr. Walker's Platoon Commander Games. The story is based on two books that he has written:

Dark War: Revelation

Dark War: Retribution

 The Campaign Booklet follows his characters from the books as they face this new world.

 I love hex and counter board games. I also love role playing games. Most of the time they both have warfare in them. An RPG does not just have a battle(s) as the primary mover of the game. There is a story to be told. In this hex and counter game there is also a story to be told. So, I was a little bit reluctant to dip my toe in these waters. It was like having the worst part of your meal touching the best part on the same plate. It is just not done. My foray back into wargaming during the last several years has introduced me to all of the newfangled ideas that designers put into wargames. Most of them have been different ways to play a wargame as in card-driven, AI bots, and a host of others. The Long Road is definitely a real mix of both the genres.  Once I started to look at the monsters as just different weapons or soldiers, the game clicked for me. Of course, even if you do not take the leap of faith that I did you can still play The Long Road as a straight up tactical wargame. Just like its older siblings in the Platoon Commander series it plays extremely well. All of the newer weaponry that was available during the 1980s is here for you to play with. 

Here are a few of the Champions

 The Champions are very strong, but they are not as strong as say Dracula in the movies. The designer has given them the right amount of power. Without having the correct Action Card Lycans cannot just attack a tank. If, however, you use the 'Ferocity' card then they can wreak havoc on even an armored vehicle. They can use the Action Card 'Panic' to disrupt their enemies. Zombies are a bit of a dull bunch. Fear and panic do not enter their failed brain cells or as Mr. Walker writes "They are too stupid to care." Naturally they have a chance to turn troops that they have bitten.

 Some of the normal weaponry/ordinance Action Cards are:

Airstrike

Counterfire!

Artillery Barrage

For the Motherland

Double Time

Spetsnaz

KGB

 If you have played Platoon Commander Deluxe Kursk from Flying Pig Games, then you already know most of how it plays. To represent the new nature of the conflict compared to World War II many parts have been added. Tanks being able to move and shoot at the same time, Helicopters, and Civilians are among some other things that rules have been added for. If you are a connoisseur of Flying Pig Games, then the choice has already been made in your mind. Even if you are looking for a straight up World War III matchup then this is your game. I cannot recommend this game highly enough. It is deep enough for thinking and easy enough for just fun.  How many other games have B-52 strikes in them? 

 There is also an expansion for the game called 'Fatherland' which gives you West German units of the Bundeswehr to command. It comes with a new map, counters, and six new scenarios. I will be doing a review of it shortly.

Robert

Flying Pig Games:

Flying Pig Games

Mark H. Walker's The Long Road: World War III... With a Paranormal Twist:

The Long Road | Flying Pig Games

This is the website on Amazon for Mark H. Walker Books:

Amazon.com: Mark H. Walker: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

 A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition

by

Flying Pig Games

 The big guy is back in the ring. Flying Pig Games has a Kickstarter for A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition coming out on October 26th. If you remember, this has a gorgeous map that is FIFTEEN SQUARE FEET in size. The unit counters are also very large at 13/16". Below will have the Designer Notes from Hermann Luttmann. I will also throw in some pics. Without further ado:

 "GAME CREDITS

Game Design: Hermann Luttmann

Publisher: Mark H. Walker

Game Developers and Testers: Claude Whalen, Stephen Poitinger, 

Zeke Conover and Fred Manzo

Map Art: Rick Barber

Game Counters and Aids Art: Jose Faura

Rules Layout: Guillaume Ries

DESIGNER’S NOTES

Thank you so much for purchasing and playing A Most Fearful Sacrifice! It has been quite a long, grueling process to get this project tested and finished … but it was indeed a labor of love. I have to first thank the individuals you see listed as the Game Developers and Testers. This group of gentlemen is the most dedicated, talented, and valuable team of gamers with which I have ever worked. They have been tireless in their efforts to test every aspect of this design and their contributions and observations have made this a much better game than I could have created on my own. So, my utmost thanks to all of them! I also want to thank Mark Walker and Flying Pig Games. They are a terrific company for which to design, and Mark is a wonderful guy who has also become a good friend over the years. 

I know many of you are saying … “Why another Gettysburg game?”. Well, honestly … why not? This is the iconic American Civil War battle and when taken in its entirety, it is a fascinating study in command, strategy, and tactics. It also tells some of the most heroic - and most tragic - stories to emerge from the annals of military history. The conduct of the battle and the myriad possibilities of how it could have evolved are fascinating topics to explore in a wargame. Overall, the consequences of the Battle of Gettysburg and its reverberating effect on the conduct of the remainder of the American Civil War cannot be understated and thus it has drawn warranted attention in the gaming world. 

Ultimately, the decision to do the entire battle was an easy one to make. We felt that we had a good core system with The Devil’s To Pay, which is essentially an upscaling of the Blind Swords system. But I did not want to do just an expansion to that game (which covers only the first day of the battle) for a number of reasons. Such an expansion’s footprint would have to be quite large in order to cover both the second and third days of the battle. In addition, the extra rules required to handle a multi-day battle would essentially have made the expansion larger than the original game. No – we needed one epic design to handle all three days and that’s what we set out to do. 

The system used for A Most Fearful Sacrifice is basically the same as used in previous games in the Blind Swords family, but because of the grander scope of the battle I needed to re-design the activation system, or the game would take way too long to play. Thus, was born the idea of converting from chit-pull to card-draw mechanics. Not only is it microseconds faster to draw a card than pull a chit, but more importantly, actual game information can be included on a card, and this results in a huge time saver – no more hunting for a rule or event effect on a chart or in the rulebook. Also, by switching to activating units by Corps, this cuts down severely on the number of cards that need to be drawn. Instead, an extra layer of player decision making was incorporated into the concept of the player needing to set up each Corp’s “Division Priority”. This certainly adds an additional element of command and speeds up gameplay at the same time. Other mechanics were also re-designed and tweaked to maintain just as much “crunchy” detail as before but with less effort. All in all, we feel that Black Swan is the ultimate ACW grand-tactical game system, and we hope you agree. 

Finally, we’ve designed thirteen scenarios of varying scopes so that players can explore every portion of the Battle of Gettysburg in detail. There are small and medium scenarios covering just snippets of the battle’s narrative (and these obviously require shorter swaths of playing time) or you can experience all three days in a “grand battle” extravaganza so players can explore all the strategic options for both sides. However, you choose to experience this game, we hope that you ultimately enjoy it. Once again, thank you for your kind support and good gaming!" 

Hermann

Flying Pig Games:

Flying Pig Games

A Most Fearful Sacrifice:

A Most Fearful Sacrifice 2nd Edition/Reprint | Flying Pig Games

Kickstarter for the 2nd Edition:

A Most Fearful Sacrifice -Second Edition by Mark H. Walker — Kickstarter