The Hunted

Twilight of the U-Boats 1943-45

by

GMT Games

 The German U-boats experienced two 'Happy Times' in World War II. The first was right after the fall of France in 1940 and lasting into 1941. This took place in the North Sea and North Atlantic. The second Happy Time was directly after the the entry of the U.S.A. into the war. This took place on the east coast of North America. In the second Happy Time, 609 Allied ships were sunk to only 22 U-boats. Roughly one quarter of all Allied shipping sunk in World War II occurred then. However, those are featured in the first game of the series by GMT Games 'The Hunters'. This is the story of 1943-1945, and it is a totally different tale. In 'Black May' of 1943, 118 U-boats were at sea. The German Navy lost 41 of them in May 1943. The amount of Allied shipping losses continued to fall even before then. German Admiral Dönitz ordered a temporary halt to the U-boat offensive in order to come up with some ideas to stem the tide against his U-boats. This game is a solitaire simulation of U-boat warfare in the last years of the war. As with most of the German 'wünderwaffe' (wonder weapon), the weapons that were being developed for the U-boats came too little and too late.

 As mentioned, this is the second game in the series. I will have a link below to my review of the first game: 'The Hunters'. The series has actually been expanded to include the Italian Submarines in the newest iteration called 'Beneath the Med'. There is actually a fourth title in the series 'Silent Victory', where you play as an American submarine Captain against the Japanese. This is what comes with the game:

One ½” full-color counter sheet

One ¾” wide full-color counter sheet

Rules booklet with designer's notes

Five player aid cards, 2-sided

Six U-Boat Display Mats, 2-sided

Two U-Boat Patrol Maps, 2-sided

U-Boat Combat Mat

Eight U-Boat Kommandant Cards

U-Boat patrol logsheet

Three 6-sided, two 10-sided dice, and one 20-sided die

 These are the areas of the world's Oceans that you can patrol in:

Arctic

Atlantic

Australia

Brazilian Coast

British Isles

Caribbean

Indian Ocean

Invasion (Atlantic)

Mediterranean

North America

Norway

West African Coast

These are the U-boats that you can command during your patrols:

Type VIIC

Type VIIC/41

Type VIIC-Flak

Type VIID

Type IXC

Type IXC/40

Type IXD-2

Type IXD/42

Type XB

Type XII (hypothetical)

Type XIV

Type XXI

 The new weapons and U-boat improvements include these:

Decoys

Schnorkels

Homing Torpedoes

FaT Ladder Search Pattern Torpedoes

However, the Allies also have these counter measures:

Hedgehogs

Squid

Fido

Heavily Increased Aircraft Presence

 The player has the use of twelve different U-boat types. You will be facing both day and night combat encounters. To spice up your patrols you can be assigned these 'Special Missions':

Abwehr Agent delivery

Supply Delivery

Replenish

Minelaying

 The sequence of play (synopsis) is:

Consult U-Boat Patrol Assignment Table

Conduct Patrol

  Check for Encounters in Each Travel Box entered

  Check for Random Events

  Resolve Air or Ship Encounters (Enemy ship engagements is always voluntary)

  Attempt Repairs

  Return to Port

Refit U-boat

  Check for Crew Recovery or Replacement

  Check for Crew Advancement

  Check for Kommandant Promotion or Medal Earning

Take your crew and Kommandants life in your hands once again.

 Your goal in the game is to take your U-boat to sea and to sink as many Allied ships as possible, with the caveat of returning you and your crew home safely. The game adds some RPG elements to its wargame base, by having your Kommandant able to receive both promotion and earn medals. You can even be awarded the coveted Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. For anyone who has played the first game, winning medals and just staying alive is a lot harder in this game, as it should be. The game does incorporate a multiplayer aspect. However, it is not you playing against the other player. You are essentially both playing solitaire and trying to outdo the other player on the tonnage of sunken ships you both inflict. 

 As in the first game, to add a little to the historical side of the game, you can play as a historical U-boat Kommandant. Each of the Kommandants come with certain enhanced abilities in the game. Alfred Eick for example, gives the player both 'Expert Gunner' and 'Vigilant'. Extra Gunner gives the player an additional -1 to hit targets. Vigilant allows the player a +1 on crash dives. These are the historical Kommandants you can play:

Alfred Eick

August Maus

Heinrich Timm

Werner Henke

Jürgen Oesten

Werner Hartmann

Albert Lauzemis

Robert Gysae

 The game components are pretty much exactly what you would get in the first game, 'The Hunters'. The counters are easy to read and very colorful. You will experience no eye strain while reading them. You also get eight counters with portraits of the historical Kommandants to add to the immersion level. The Rule Booklet is in large print, and is also in color. The 'Designer Notes' are interesting, because the designer (Gregory M. Smith) did not even want to do a follow-up game about these years of the war for U-boats. He felt the historic 'brutal aspects' of a game would be uninteresting to players. The first game had such an overwhelmingly favorable response, and the fact that so many players clamored for a 1943-1945 game, that he acquiesced. He states that he did not sugar coat the war or try to tip the game in the U-boats' favor. The seven double-sided U-boat Mats are the main game piece and the best piece of artwork in the components. The Patrol maps that you will use in your cruises are also very well done. The whole ensemble is meant to be both functional and good looking.

 The game is hard, and it is meant to be because that is how it was historically. However, we do not play these games, especially solitaire ones, to win all the time. We play them to try and simulate a certain part of history. I feel that the game captures the moment in time perfectly. If you as Kommandant are sent to the Indian Ocean your crew's life and your stock has just risen. Should you pull the short straw and are given the North Atlantic, good luck and may the fates be with you. Thank you GMT Games for allowing me to review this gem. A big thanks to the designer for listening to the player base and following up 'The Hunters' with this game. 

Robert

GMT Games:

https://www.gmtgames.com/

The Hunted:

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-590-the-hunted-twilight-of-the-u-boats-1943-45.aspx

My review of The Hunters:

https://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2020/07/the-hunters-german-u-boats-at-war-1939.html

 

The Hunters

German U-Boats at War, 1939-43

by

GMT Games

 Amazingly, the German  U-Boat service during World War II suffered 75% casualties. 75%, let that sink in for a bit. The odds of playing Russian Roulette on the dock without bothering to go to sea are much better. One of the most decorated and prolific U-Boat commanders (Wolfgang Lüth) actually survived the war a whole seven days , and was shot by a German sentry on 5/14/1945.The other amazing thing about the North Atlantic Campaign was what were the Allies thinking! They had barely escaped World War I by using the Convoy System. So, in 1939 you would assume that the Convoy System would immediately be implemented once more. To one's astonishment, it was not. The worst time for Allied losses were just after the US entered the war. The U-Boat sailors called the first six months after Germany declared war on the US as the '2nd happy time'. One other item that is not well known about the undersea war was that the early German torpedoes were just as prone as the US ones regarding how many were duds. In the early part of the war the U-Boat's deck gun was more important than its torpedoes, not for self-defense, but to attack lone ships that they found. This being the third iteration of the game, let us find out what comes in the box:

Rules booklet w/ Designer notes

One full-color,2-sided countersheet

Four Player Aid Cards, 2-sided

U-Boat Combat Mat

Four U-Boat Display Mats, 2-sided

U-Boat Patrol Log Sheet

Three 6-sided, two 10-sided, one 20-sided dice

 This is the write up by GMT Games about the Game:

8 German U-Boat types represented

9 Patrol Assignments

350+ named shipping targets

Special Missions for Abwehr Agent Delivery and Minelaying

 Combat encounters with individual ships, ships with escort,   convoys, and aircraft

Daytime and Night Engagement including wolfpack patrols

U-Boat Damage includes flooding, hull, torpedo doors, periscope, 

 fuel tanks, crew injury (by crew type), engines, hydrophones, flak   gun(s), deck gun, batteries, radio

Crew Advancement, Commander Promotion including special   decoration up to The Knight's CrossMulti-player and Tournament Rule options (including Wolfpack Tournament)

Evasive Maneuvers, Patrol Abort, Variable Escort Quality, Resupply at Sea, Gibraltar Passage, Reassignment to Newer U-   Boat, Torpedo Duds, Random "Historical" Events, and much,   much more!

 The Hunters is a solitaire game of captaining a U-Boat in the years 1939-1943. Your goal is to complete missions and rack up Allied ship and tonnage loss. This is almost a role playing game about a U-Boat commander. As, or if, you complete missions you can be promoted in rank, and also win medals for your accomplishments. These are the U-Boats you can command in the game, and where you can patrol:

Type VII A

Type VII B

Type VII C

Type VII D

Type VII FlaK

Type IX A

Type IX B

Type IX C

Patrol Assignments include:

Atlantic

British Isles

Spanish Coast

Mediterranean

Norway

West African Coast

North America

Arctic

Caribbean 

 So next, let us look at the game's physical components. This game does not come with a map that will cover up two dining room tables. It also does not come with enough counters to equate one for one for an infantry battalion either. This game is all about information, and it makes sure that the player has a ton, and it is at his fingertips. The Rulebook is in color and is twenty-eight pages in length. This includes a historical briefing about the ten actual U-Boat commanders you can play as. In a nice touch that some games have, you also get a two page spread of the front and backs of all the counters. This is a great help with any mishaps that might occur. The print is smaller than I would like in a rulebook, however it is not GMT Games' fault that I am getting older. Another good design choice I am seeing more of, is that the Rulesbook has an Index on the back cover. The rules are much easier than would seem by their length. Once you have a game or two under your belt the game speeds along like clockwork. There are two 8-1/2"x11" maps. One is a copy of the official German Navy map with the coordinates shown just the way it was used in WWII. This map shows all of the areas of the North Atlantic and its environs that you can cruise in. The other map is the same size, but this continues down to Africa and South America. There are four double-sided pages/mats for each of the type of U-Boat you can command. Next, there are five Player's Aid pages for the Random Events, Encounter Chart, and Target rosters etc. These are all 8-1/2"x11" sized like the maps. The print on these is larger than the Rulebook, and they are also color coded for their use. The counters are 1/2" in size. These are nicely done and easy to read even with some of them having almost painting quality backgrounds. The game does come with a Patrol Log Sheet for the player to fill out. I know, boo hiss! These are my least favorite components in any game I come across. I have more than a few games where you have to keep track of your manpower for each division or whatever on a log. Definitely not my cup of tea as far as games go. I find them tedious and a real joy killer. I know, how much more is it of an onus to write down or mark a page than move a counter on a scale. For some reason it just irks me. However in this game it does not effect me at all. Because the game is more of a role-playing one, and you are listing your achievements, I do not have a problem with this log sheet. So, the components are up to GMT Games pretty high bar. Let us see what else we have.

 This is the Sequence of Play:

1. DETERMINE PATROL ASSIGNMENT

 A. Consult U-Boat Patrol Assignment Table

 (7.0) [P1]

 B. Enter patrol assignment on Log Sheet (on

 row corresponding to patrol start date)

 C. Place U-Boat Marker on Display Mat

 beside first Travel Box of assigned patrol

2. CONDUCT PATROL

 A. Check for encounters for Travel Box

 occupied by consulting Encounter Chart

 (8.0) [E1]. If no encounter occurs, repeat

 this step for next Travel Box entered. If

 encounter is rolled, follow steps below:

RESOLVE ENCOUNTER

 a. Determine Random Event (if

 rolled, 12.0), or resolve Air or

 Ship Encounter (8.0). Engaging

 enemy ships in combat is always

 voluntary (8.1.4).

 b. You may perform additional

 rounds of combat as necessary

 against unescorted ships (9.4.3) or

 attempt to “Follow” escorted ships

 or Convoys (9.7) until the encounter is completed, reloading   torpedoes between instances.

 c. Additional rounds of combat may

 also occur should your U-Boat

 be detected and undergo repeated

 depth charge attacks. This cycle

 repeats automatically until your

 U-Boat escapes Escort Detection.

 d. Attempt to Repair any Damaged

 U-Boat systems once all combat rounds are completed (10.7).

 Note: Following is still allowed

 once you escape detection.

 B. Proceed to next Travel Box and repeat

 until U-Boat enters and resolves any

 possible encounter for final Travel Box

 (7.5). Upon completion, place U-Boat

 marker in the In Port (Refit) Box.

3. REFIT U-BOAT

 A. Assess U-Boat damage and duration

 required (10.10) to complete all repairs

 (record Refit duration on Log Sheet to

 determine when next patrol will begin).

 Note: if the next patrol start date is after

 Jun-43, the game ends.

 B. Check for Crew Recovery and possible

 replacement (10.11).

 C. Check for Crew Advancement (11.1).

 D. Check for Kommandant Promotion and/

 or Knight’s Cross Award (11.2 and 11.3).

 E. Check for possible U-Boat Reassignment

 (11.4).

 F. Replenish and set Torpedo Loads (4.5)

 and replenish Ammo markers (4.6) in

 anticipation of next patrol. All damage

 and crew injury markers should be

 removed from the U-Boat Display Mat

 in anticipation of next patrol assignment.

  Because of the loss rate of U-Boats and sailors, the game keeps track of everything that might go wrong on a mission. A Submarine is a very complex machine of war, and could suffer myriads of problems even before you make contact with the enemy. These are some of the random events that you roll a dice for, once every patrol:

Man Overboard

Gyro Compass Fails

Torpedo Breaks Loose

"Hals und Beinbruch" - Literal meaning 'neck and leg break' slang for 'good luck'.

 This is another situation where a game has been good enough to get me reading a lot more about the North Atlantic War. I knew the basics and a smattering of things, but certainly not the amount that I should have known about it. You have to understand that this is from someone who watched the director's cut of 'Das Boot' without a bathroom break! The game itself transcends wargames and really is more of a role playing game for the player. Like all the great games that go down to this level you, the player, become enmeshed with your cardboard warrior. As the years go by in your U-Boat you are forced to decide to go for the glory or just weather the storm and be content to survive until 1943. This is my first foray into the cardboard U-Boat world, but hopefully not my last. However, another game will have to be pretty good to want to make me consign this game to the shelf. Thank you GMT Games for another enriching and great gaming experience. I will be reviewing 'The Hunted' next from GMT Games. That follows the U-Boats from 1943-1945. You can continue with your U-Boat commander from this game or create anew.

GMT Games The Hunters:

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-556-the-hunters-3rd-printing.aspx

Rulesbook, Errata, etc.:

http://www.consimpress.com/downloads/the-hunters/

GMT Games:

https://www.gmtgames.com/

Robert

Red Storm

The Airwar Over Central Germany, 1987

by

GMT Games

 The nightmare has become real. Both sides stared at each other, and this time neither side blinked. Germany is now the playing field for this deadly game. The worst thing is this war will make the Thirty Years War look like a Boy Scout Jamboree. You, the player, are in charge of NATO or the Warsaw Pact air assets. Both sides are equipped with state of the art armaments, and also some that are long in the tooth.

 This is the back story to the game:

"March 1987: The hopes raised by Mikhail Gorbachev's reform efforts in the Soviet Union and nuclear disarmament talks with the United States are suddenly crushed when a military coup removes his regime from power.  Hidden behind a disinformation campaign, Warsaw Pact forces prepare for war against the allied nations of NATO.

May 1987: More than 2,000 aircraft in the Warsaw Pact air forces reach a peak of readiness.  They plan to overwhelm the NATO air forces and provide cover for the Soviet armies in East Germany to roll across West Germany to the Rhine in less than a month.  For NATO commanders, the long-feared “Red Storm” in the skies above Germany is finally here..."

 The box is the usual size for games nowadays. However, the weight of the game is more than above average. It does not come with mounted maps; it really couldn't due to space constraints, so that is not the reason for the heft. When opening up the box, you cannot but help hear the Ronco commercial in your head; "wait, there's more". The parts of the games just keep on coming. While this is not indicative of a good game, it is of a complex one. This is a little blurb about the game and its pedigree:

"The second sequel to the Charles S. Roberts Award-winning game Downtown, Red Storm is a standalone game that utilizes the Downtown game system to depict a hypothetical air war in May/June 1987 over the central portion of the NATO-Warsaw Pact front in central Germany.  Like Downtown and Elusive Victory before it, Red Storm is an “operational” level air warfare game where players manage large strike packages and numerous combat air patrols in an effort to strike enemy targets, protect their own ground troops, and secure control of the air above the land battle raging below.  Both sides field highly advanced all-weather aircraft, long-range air-to-air missiles, precision bombs, sophisticated electronic warfare assets, and networks of surface-to-air missiles and radar-guided AAA."

 The components are as follows:

Two 22” x 34” maps
1,260 die cut counters
One Rules Booklet
One Scenario Booklet
One Appendices Booklet
Five Full-Color Player Aid Cards
Three Full-Color Aircraft Data Cards
Two 10-sided dice
NATO and Warsaw Pact log sheets

 We will go over the components separately as far as their form and function. The two maps show the central area of the conflict. They depict from the Rhine to the Southwest of Germany. Their scale is roughly 2.5 nautical miles per hex. The maps are well done (this is GMT Games after all), and the information on them is easy to see without needing any deciphering. They are, of course, a bit spartan looking compared to a game about ground combat. There are three books for the player to use. These are: Rules of Play, Scenario Book, and the Appendices Book. The Rulebook is sixty pages long, but it is set up well and has a five page index in the back of the rules. The Rulebook also has information included to play out two different types of campaigns: Bombing and Recon. The game also comes with 'Limited Solitaire' rules for players to switch from one side to the other while playing. As a bonus, the game comes with 'Full Solitaire' rules that include the use of a 'bot'. The scenario book comes with thirty-six scenarios including the solitaire ones. The Appendices book has a full Order of Battle for both sides. This is also where you will find a eight pages dedicated to play examples. The Designer Notes and especially the 'Tactical Hints' are a very worthwhile read. All three books are in full color, and though stuffed with everything under the sun, they are easy to read. There are three Aircraft Data Charts. One is for USAF Aircraft (flipped side is for UK and FRG aircraft), and one is for the Warsaw Pact aircraft (flipped side is for GDR aircraft). The other is for aircraft from Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands. With some of these countries you will find some old aircraft still in use, such as the F-104G Starfighter. There are five full color Player Aid Cards, and each of these has four pages. The Flight Log Sheets are double sided, and look to be about twenty-five pages so it is awhile before you will need to copy them. The Sam and AAA Log Sheets also come with a black and white representation of the game map on the back. With all of the above you can see that the player is well supplied with assistance etc. You can also buy cards for the Planes and AAA from Game Crafter. There will be more information on this going forward.

The NATO forces are outnumbered on the ground and in the air. The NATO player does have technology on his side in 1987. Playing as NATO, you are effectively fighting a zombie apocalypse. You keep destroying Warsaw Pact flights, but they keep popping back up as though springing from the ground itself. As the Warsaw Pact player, you have to go for broke, and hope that you can overwhelm NATO by sheer numbers.

Aircraft Data Sheets

 This game is both large and complex. It has a very high complexity rating on BoardGameGeek of 4.43 out of 5.0 (on the box it is listed as an 8) . You not only have to take care of your flights, but tons of other things also. The player is responsible for his side's missile AAA, and other ground AAA assets. You are responsible for your radar, electronics (jamming etc.), and anything that goes with a late 20th century airwar. The player is in charge of choosing targets, flights, and your planes' loadout. Before you get dismayed, the game scenarios hold your hand and walk you through the rules by using a graduated level of complexity in them. Scenario one is discussed below. Scenario two is a large fighter sweep of Warsaw Pact planes to engage and knock out as many NATO fighters as possible. The game also comes with four other dedicated solo scenarios.

 Your first scenario is a solo one to introduce you to raid planning, aircraft movement, SAM acquisition, and air to air combat. The player must plan out a Warsaw pact recon flight path. In this scenario you just have to get the Warsaw Pact flight within one hex of each of the four target hexes at medium or lower altitude the NATO side has four conditions to meet for victory:

"1. Detection [10.1] and Visual Identification [10.4] of the WP Recon flight.
2. Achieve Full SAM Acquisition [15.21] on the WP flight at the end of two Admin Phases.
3. Conduct a successful BVR air-to-air engagement [11.2] of the WP flight. If the engagement occurs, resolve it as if it were normal BVR air-to-air combat, but the NATO player may not fire any shots.
4. Conduct a successful standard air-to-air combat engagement [11.2] of the WP flight. If the engagement occurs, resolve it as if it were a normal air-to-air combat, but neither player may fire any shots. Treat “Abort” Morale Check results as “Disordered” instead. If the NATO side accomplishes these four tasks, NATO wins. Otherwise, the WP side wins."

Counter Sheet One

 If you are a regular reader you will know that I have just entered the world of 2D air games recently. Red Storm takes this to a whole other level. It is not a game where you just have to work out the odds for a deflection shot, or maneuver your planes for a tail shot. The game has many things going on all at the same time. I admit there was a moment where I thought "what have I gotten into" when I opened the box. Luckily the designers had a dolt like me in mind when the developed the rules. As long as you take the time to get the basics down and then go through the scenarios as you are supposed to, you will be fine. The game comes with enough scenarios for any gamer. The only thing I wish was that the game wasn't predicated on nukes being used after six weeks. You can make your own scenarios, but it would have been nice to see the Air Forces duke it out after a few months at war, debilitated pilots, low stock, etc. The scenarios are made up of every conceivable type of air warfare engagement, from ground pounding right up to stopping tactical nuclear attacks. Like other Lee Brimmicombe-Wood (of Wing Leader fame, love those games) designs this one requires you to read the rulebook, and to keep it handy during play. The amount you put into the game will proportionally affect what you get out of it. I say take your time, and enjoy learning this notable game on the Cold war gone hot. Trust me, you will be up and destroying things in no time. I am using the aircraft and AAA cards that were made up by Game Crafter to use with the game. They look much like the aircraft cards in the Wing Leader series. I will provide a link to them. There is also a P500 for a new expansion to Red Storm, called Red Storm: Baltic Approaches. Thank you GMT Games for providing me with this very well done game to review.

This is a link to GMT Games Red Storm:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-614-red-storm.aspx

This is a link to the Game Crafter cards:
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/red-storm-aircraft-sam-cards

Red Storm: Baltic Approaches:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-844-red-storm-baltic-approaches.aspx


Robert

Wing Leader: Victories 1940-1942

by

GMT Games

 Fighting hardware; I am not sure why, but ever since I can remember I have been mesmerized by military craft. Airplanes have always been a favorite of mine. Oh, I like the looks of some non-military aircraft, especially the oddities like BeeGee racers etc., but show me an aircraft with weapons and I am hooked. Strangely, if you follow the Blog, you will have noticed that I did a review of an add-on for the Wing Leader series before the actual game. The review I did was on Wing Leader: Eagles 1943-1945. This is an expansion to Wing Leader: Supremacy 1943-1945. So, now I get to review the game that started it all, Wing Leader: Victories 1940-1942. As I mentioned  in the Eagles 1943-1945 review, I am a late comer to the two-dimensional aircraft games. I am a rabid fan of any flight simulators (military) and have bought everyone that has ever been produced. However, I could never grasp how you could get an approximation of flight in a two-dimensional world. I am here to tell you that I was completely wrong and that the games I have played so far in the genre have been excellent. So, let us see first what you get in the package:

1 x Rulebook (UPDATED to living rules v2.2)
1 x Scenario Book (UPDATED with new scenarios and expanded by 8 pages)
2 x Air combat player aid (UPDATED - to v2.2)
1 x Bombing player aid (UPDATED - to v2.2)
2 x Wing Displays
1 x Map (UPDATED - this is the same art as the Supremacy map, but non-mounted)
5 x Aircraft data card sheets (UPDATED)
2 x Countersheets (140 counters, 1 x 0.5”)
1 x Countersheets (280 counters, 0.5 x 0.5”)
1 x NEW mixed sheet of aircraft data cards and counters (4 ADCs and over 40 counters)
1 x NEW Battle Board (Same battle board as appeared in Supremacy)

2 x 6-sided dice  

 The first thing you will notice about the game is the weight. I know enough about games to know that the weight really means nothing as far as gameplay. However, there has always been, since the soap box SPI days, something in my brain that lights up with a hefty game box. Call it nostalgia or whatever you want, but it is still there. The map is basically a big piece of graph paper with large squares on it. It is a pleasing shade of blue, but that is really all there is. At second glance, you will see that there is a tiny bit of terrain across the very bottom of the map. The weight of the box is from the 420 counters, and especially the five sheets of extremely well done Aircraft Data Cards. These are the crux of the game, and because of that reason GMT Games took a lot of care in their production values. The counters are not slouches either, and represent the usual GMT Games standard of excellence. They represent side views of the respective aircraft and are little works of art. The Players Aid Cards are also up to the usual GMT Games standards. They are both large and very easy to read and discern. Please keep in mind that this is a review of the Second Edition, so all of the pieces have been updated to Wing Leader: Supremacy 1943-1945 style. The rulebook is now updated to the Wing Leader living rules. The rulebook itself is printed in magazine fashion and is forty-seven pages long. It is fully colorized and is filled with pictures and examples of play. The scenario booklet is thirty-two pages long. These run the gamut from fighter interception to bombing runs on land and sea. You have MC.202 and SM.79-II (I love the Italian planes) to play with alongside so many others. From the steppes of Russia to the Pacific Ocean are the scenarios you are given to play.  So, the pieces that make up the game are all  extremely well done quality wise. However, we all know that does not mean that a game is worth its salt. Let us now look at the gameplay.

 The Wing Leader games deal with air battles on a larger than  normal size. The units in the game air squadrons or flights, and not individual aircraft. As mentioned, this is not a top down view of aerial warfare, but a side view one. It took me a little bit to get used to, but I am fine with it now. The one thing on the map that seems pretty innocuous, but in reality is very important is the placement of the sun in the upper left hand corner. The rules go into depth to help you realize the importance of the old adage 'beware of the Hun in the sun'. This is the sequence of play:

"Each turn is divided into a number of phases, which are played in order: Set-up Phase. Set up squadrons that enter play this turn in their entry square or on the map edge next to their entry square [5.3.1, 8.4.1]. Squadrons taking off set up in their airfield or carrier square [13.7]. Place a Vector marker for each intercept squadron entering play [9.2.4] (roll for height errors [13.1]).

Tally Phase.
 The raider player does the following in any order: squadrons attempt to tally enemies [7.2] (any squadron with a tally must drop that tally before rolling a new one [7.2.2]); unalerted squadrons become alerted if warned by radio [7.1, 9.4]; wing leaders issue orders [9.5.5]; fighter-bombers that tally must immediately jettison their bombs [15.2.4]. After the raider player has completed all tallying, alerting, and issuing orders, it is the defender player’s turn to tally, alert, and issue orders.

Movement Phase.
 Squadrons move [8.0] and, during movement, can jettison bomb loads and drop tanks [9.2.1.1, 13.2] and make bombing attacks [15.3]. Escorts react to enemies attempting to move into the same squares as bombers [10.4]. Resolve barrage fire flak attacks [14.2.3].

Combat Phase.
Resolve direct fire flak attacks [14.2.4]. Resolve bombing attacks [15.4], after which remove Bomb Load markers from targets. Resolve air combats in an order determined by the raider player [10.5]. Jettison bomb loads and drop tanks following combat [9.2.1.1, 13.2, 15.2.4].

Administration Phase.
Squadrons roll to escape [11.0]; the raider player rolls first, then the defender. Place or change vectors for squadrons under GCI control [9.2.4] (roll for height errors [13.1]). Place Escort mission markers on eligible squadrons [9.2.2.2]. Change escorts to sweep [9.2.2.2, 15.2.2]. Place/remove flak Barrage markers [14.2.2].

 End Turn.
The turn ends; move the Turn marker up one space. Proceed to the Set-up Phase of a new turn. Continue playing turns until the game ends [12.0].

 Having come to the game with no preconceived idea of how a two-dimensional air warfare game was supposed to work, I had no baggage to interrupt me in learning the game. For example, I have never seen how a rule about the sun is supposed to work in a game like this. It is really not that hard of a game to learn. When your planes are flying before contact the game buzzes right along at a swift pace. When the furballs start flying then you not only have a lot more to think about, but also keep track of. The scenarios are well written out and unambiguous. Your fighters have to intercept the bombers that are going to attack your ships etc. Then like a good little game you are left to your own devices, following the rules, of course, to bring this about. The sun is not the only natural barrier to your goal. Almost all of the scenarios have some cloud cover. These can be just one wispy layer of clouds to a dense cloud cover to hide your enemies. However, like in real life, both sides can use the clouds to their advantage. 

  The designer, Mr. Lee Brimmicombe-Wood, also goes out of his way to support his games. On his website link below, you will find all new scenarios and Aircraft Data Cards for all different aircraft that were not in the official releases as of yet. He also has a good number of new scenarios for the different years of the war. So how does it play? Very well; the rules do not lead you to endlessly flip through the rulebook or search for answers on the web. The fact that this is the second edition with other games and add-ons being released only helps the rules to be that much tighter. The slow pace of the game up until enemy contact only helps to build the anticipation. It seems like a complicated game, but when you break it down step by step it soon becomes very easy to get the hang of. The rules give you a very good historical feel of the actual capacity of the aircraft in both flying and fighting. Thank you GMT Games for allowing me to take this fighter bomber for a spin. I look forward to their add-on coming up that adds even older planes to the mix Wing Leader: Origins 1936-1942. I only hope that the series can be adapted to World War I air combat.

GMT Games:
https://www.gmtgames.com/

Wing Leader: Victories 1940-1942:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-673-wing-leader-victories-1940-1942-2nd-ed.aspx

Wing Leader series:
https://www.gmtgames.com/xsearch?searchterm=wing+leader

The designers website:
www.airbattle.co.uk/w_downloads.html

Robert

Wing Leader Eagles 1943-1945

Wing leader Expansion Nr 2

by

GMT Games

 First things first, this is an expansion for Wing Leader Supremacy; it is not a stand alone product. I must confess that I am a late convert to airwar boardgames. I never played Luftwaffe or any other of the tried and true greats. I do remember playing a rather simple game called Dogfight when I was a kid, but that was it. I am, however, a certified airwar simulation and plane nut. I must own almost every computer game involving planes ever produced. That, along with reading every thing I can get my hands on about airwar and planes, you can see I am no neophyte to the genre. I think I had an innate belief that a 2D representation of planes in combat would not be able to convey flight in anyway close to reality. That is until I bought Wing leader Supremacy. I was incredibly surprised at how the game played and showed air combat. So, I am late to the party, but I am fully on board with the concept now. 

 This is what you get with this add on:

1 x Campaign rules and scenario book
1 x 11 x 17” campaign map
1 x countersheet
3 x sheets of Aircraft Data Cards

1 x Campaign player aid sheet

 Here are some of my favorite planes from the new mix:

Ki-100-Ia - This was KI-61-II airframe matched with a radial engine. This adhoc measure was a very good fighter.
Ki-44-IIa Shoki (Tojo) This was designed as a fast bomber interceptor. The Ki-44-IIb carried 40mm cannon.
Ki-45-KAIa Toryu (Nick) Twin engine fighter Toryu  means 'Dragon Slayer'.
P-47N Thunderbolt One of the fastest piston engine fighters.
Me 163B-1 Komet Only rocket engine aircraft to see action.
Hs 129B-2 Heavily armored attack aircraft. Had an armored 'bathtub' around the pilot like attack aircraft use presently.
He 177A-5 Greif Germany's only operational heavy bomber. It had an unusual arrangement of two engines running one propeller.
La-7 Lavockin bureau late war fighter. It was a match for most German planes at low altitude.

 So beyond the new planes, you also get twenty-two scenarios to try them out in, from protecting Japanese factories from the 'duck whales' (Japanese code for B-29s), to ground attacking in the Kuban. The expansion also comes with three Swedish planes. These were supposed to be used in an operation on May 18th 1945. Scenario E10 has German regular fighters and two different 'wunderwaffen' planes. This would be the last sortie of the Me 163 Komets, and added to the mix are some Me 262s. Among the twenty-two scenarios you will find ground pounding from several countries, to Kamikaze attacks against British Carriers. From the air above Tokyo to the plains of Russia, they are spread around the globe. You will get to fly HE 177s along with HS 129Bs for the Germans. The Kamikaze scenario has KI-48-IIa's attacking the carriers and DDs. The scenario is meant to be played solitaire by the British Player. He has Seafires, Hellcats, and Corsairs to try and stop them. One of my favorite scenarios is to go hunting as the Germans in a JU 87G-1; this was the first model I ever built.

 The next part of this add-on is the biggest. This is a full campaign called 'Fortress Rabaul'. The campaign takes place in late 1943 just before and after Bougainville was invaded. Rabaul was considered the 'Gibraltar' of the Japanese Empire. By this time there were few capitol ships in its harbor, but still tons of smaller warships and merchant ones. The rules for the Rabaul campaign take up the first thirteen pages of the rulebook.

 The Allied Player is the attacker and he decides if he will raid, and if he does, what to attack. He can choose to attack either the airfields or the harbor. This of course depends on the weather and if an actual raid can occur at this moment. The American Player starts the ball rolling by declaring a raid. He must decide if he is attacking the port or the airfields. Once he has chosen that, he must decide if he is using medium or heavy bombers. The American Player can choose to have fighter escorts or not on this raid. If the weather is listed as 'poor', then he rolls a die against the 'Poor Weather Table' to see if the raid is aborted, or the fighters abort. The Japanese Player then has to determine if he is going to sortie against the raid. The Japanese Player then sets up the sun marker and cloud cover by die rolls (this follows the sequence that is used for playing all of the separate scenarios also). The Japanese Player then sets up his FLAK (two heavy and one light) on the map. If it is a port raid after November 1st he also sets up two heavy cruiser units. The campaign has some special scenario rules that show the various usage of different aircraft by that time in the war. B-25s can either normally bomb, or skip bomb. They can also carry parafrag bombs. Some B-25s were also equipped as heavily armed strafing planes. The heavy bombers are B-24Ds. The aircraft used in the campaign are as follows:

Japanese - A6M5
American - P-38, B-25, B-24

 It would be nice, and you can make it a house rule, to be able to use other planes that were available at the time. The campaign game lasts a total of twelve turns. These each represent a single day. When the weather allows, the American Player can raid Rabaul. This is approximately a third to a half of those twelve days. The campaign is won by the ability to suppress, or not, the Japanese airfields and fleet. The campaign starts on October 24th. The campaign victory or loss is situated around the date of November 1st. This is the date of the Bougainville invasion. If the Japanese airfields are undamaged or only slightly damaged by that date, the American Player loses a CVP (Campaign Victory Point). On that date, if the Japanese cruisers are undamaged or only slightly damaged the American Player loses 1 CVP for each cruiser. The American Player must amass seven CVP to win. A total of five or six is a draw, below that it is a Japanese victory.

 To me, the campaign game add on is just the icing on the cake. The new planes and scenarios are the main course. I do have to point out one fact. 'Eagles' is listed as an add-on for Wing Leader Supremacy, however, four of the scenarios do require you to have Wing Leader Victories 1940-1942. To compensate for that I will say that there is a good sized online presence for the games, and you can download a good number of other scenarios. I will put the link to them below. All in all, a great add-on to an excellent game. Thank you GMT Games for letting me review it. This is a 'Damn Fine!' production. I am not lying, it says it on the back of the rulebook.

Wing leader Supremacy 1943-1945 link:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-549-wing-leader-supremacy-1943-1945.aspx

Wing Leader Eagles 1943-1945 link:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-679-wing-leader-eagles.aspx

Wing Leader Victories 1940-1942 link:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-673-wing-leader-victories-1940-1942-2nd-ed.aspx

Wing Leader Blitz 1939-1942 link:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-612-wing-leader-blitz.aspx

This is at the Printers, Win Leader Origins 1936-1942 link:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-778-wing-leader-origins-1936-42.aspx

Link to tons of planes and scenarios and rules version 2.2 by the designer:
www.airbattle.co.uk/w_downloads.html

Robert

Tank Duel

Enemy in the Crosshairs

by

GMT Games

 Tanks in battle; this is what has drawn a lot of us into wargaming. Remember the pictures and info of the tanks on the back of Panzer Blitz? What is the first thing we all do with a tank wargame? We check the stats of all the different vehicles to see if they match what we believe. If the numbers are different than what we believe we almost invariably let out a little harumph, and scoff a bit at the designer. When a post is made online about the stats that a tank should have, or which tank is better, you might as well just sit back and enjoy the fireworks. To question someone's stats on their favorite tank is worse at times than insulting their mother! So, let us open up the game and let the fights begin.

 The first thing you will notice is the weight of the game. My scale has it coming in at about six pounds. You can tell by the design on the front that this is a game about Russian and German tanks in conflict. The front picture is somewhat strange. It has the commander of a T-34 pointing at a commander of a Panther, and both of these are standing halfway out of their hatches. The Russian commander is just pointing and the German is looking at him with his arm draped over his hatch mounted MG 34. It is a very well done painting of both tanks. It just leaves the viewer wondering if they are playing 'tag' or something else. The game is for one to eight players. The best part of the game for these long winter nights is that it comes with a 'Full Solitaire System'. No need for us to fiddle or wait until some half baked solitaire system is posted somewhere. This is what comes in the box:

● 129 Battle Cards (100 base Battle Cards, 1 Game End Card, 1 Shuffle Card, and 27 Alternate and City Battle Cards)
● 21 Damage Cards
● 6 On Fire Cards
● 6 Broken Cards
● 6 Anti-Tank Gun Cards
● 8 Anti-Tank Infantry Cards
● 30 Other Cards (15 Scenario Cards, 7 Road/Hill Cards, 4 Solo Move Cards, 2 Infantry Advance Cards, and 2 Deep Mud/Snow Storm Cards)
● 10 Robata Cards
● 4 Reference Cards
● 16 double-sided tank boards
● 3 sheets of counters
● 8 player aids
● 1 Solo player aid
● A Rulebook and Playbook

 The game components are 'marvelous, simply marvelous', and come in Corinthian Leather. Sorry, just a joke showing my age. The Rule Booklet is twenty pages long and is in full color. There are many insets to help the player deduce how to play this beast of a game. The Play Booklet is fifty-two pages long and is crammed full of goodies. The first eighteen pages of the Booklet contains a very well done tutorial on how to play the normal game. There are then three pages of Advanced and Optional rules. These include Anti-Tank Guns, Radios, and Infantry. The next thirteen pages are for the scenarios that come with the game and suggestions for creating your own, or modifying the existing scenarios. The Solitaire Rules for the game start on page thirty-six. The solitaire component in the game is called 'Robata'. There is then a five page Solitaire Play Example. The Booklet ends with three pages of Designer Notes. The Player Aid Cards are well laid out and give the player exactly what information he needs at his fingertips. The Tank Boards have an aerial view of the tank that they are showing. They are large enough for the player to keep track of everything from crew to terrain, and also a penetration table for the main gun. The Tank Boards are as thick and durable as a hard mounted map.

 These are the tanks that you get to play with:

Russian:

T-34/76 M40

T-34/76 M43

KV-85 M43

T-34/85 M44

SU-100 M44

IS-2M M44

German:

PZKPFI AUSF. J

PZKPFW IV AUSF. G

PZKPFW V AUSF. A

PZKPFW VI AUSF. E

SUG III AUSF. G

PANZERJAGER TIGER (P) (Ferdinand)

 The question that pops up is why these tanks? Usually with games you get a range of tanks from a certain year or years of the war. This is a smattering of tanks from the middle years of World War II until the end. The biggest gripe a German tank lover will have is where is the Konigstiger? The Soviets get to use the largest beast that actually prowled on their side with the IS-2M. Why then was the King Tiger not invited to the party?

 This is the sequence of play:

1.Draw Phase [6.0] Players refill their hands to their Hand Size [4.2.7].
2. Initiative Phase [7.0] Players bid for Initiative.
3. Tank Phase [8.0] - In Initiative Order: Administration Step [8.1]    a. Discard Active Tank’s Initiative Card.
   b. Score scenario specific VPs.
   c. If the Active Tank is in Smoke, perform a Smoke Check.
   d. If the Active Tank is On Fire, perform an On Fire Check.
   e. If the Active Tank’s crew is Broken, perform a Morale Check.    f. [Optional] Button Up or Open Hatch [17.3.4].
  Action Step [8.2] The Active Player resolves one Tank Action       [8.3] and any number of Field Actions [8.4], in any order they choose.
  Discard Step [8.5] The Active Player may discard one Battle Card  from their hand or, if the Active Tank’s Range counter is in a red box, they may discard two Battle Cards.
4. Reinforcement Phase [9.0] If any tanks have been Eliminated [12.7], their controlling player prepares a replacement tank.


 The best word to describe playing this game is 'suspenseful'. Which side will spot the other first? After I have missed my shot, will I be able to get another one in before my opponent zeroes in on me? Do you worry about the Anti-Tank Gun or the enemy tank first? Do I bet on my crew being able to pass the morale check or do I discard the four Battle Cards to automatically rally my crew? You feel a real sense of accomplishment when you have played your cards correctly and turned imminent defeat into victory. If it could happen on the ground during a tank battle on the Eastern Front in WWII it is included in the game.


 Theses are the scenarios:

1. Merging Forces
2. Hold the High Ground
3. Capture Hill 818
4. Break Out of the Pocket
5. Establish a Bridgehead
6. Streets of Steel
Robata can be used in six of these scenarios.

Historical Scenario 1: Fog of Counteroffensive
Historical Scenario 2: Hungary for Oil
Robata cannot be used with either of the Historical Scenarios.

 There is also a good primer on making your own tank matchups. The tanks are listed by year and also by size. A 'Suggested Tank Matchup' chart is also included. These were chosen by the playtesters. The 'Notes about the Historical Scenarios' in the Play Book is a must read. I like this quote from it: "Crafting a historical CDG drama in the language of Mike's (Mike Bertucelli) Tank Duel is like composing a haiku poem, albeit armor plated."

 There are a few kinds of cards that come in the decks these are:

 ● Battle Cards, which are shuffled to create the Battle Deck [4.2].

 ● Damage Cards, which are shuffled to create the Damage Deck [4.3].

 ● Broken and On Fire Cards, which indicate which tanks are Broken and/or On Fire [4.4]. 

● Anti-Tank Gun Cards, used in certain scenarios [17.1].

● Anti-Tank Infantry and Infantry Advance Cards, used with optional Infantry rules [17.3]. 

● Scenario Specific Cards, used as Scenario Objectives or for scenario specific rules. 

● Robata Cards, used when playing with the optional Solitaire Rules.

 This game is very good from a technical aspect, and it is also a blast to play. Some games fit into either category. You can have a game that while it may not be easy to play or is very involved, it does give the player an accurate description of the warfare portrayed. Then, you can have games that while abstract or completely ahistorical are still fun to play. This game hits the spot on both meters. The best tactical games make the gamer, for want of a better term, 'feel' for the cardboard men under his control. Tank Duel is one of those games. You do care about saving your tank crew, and not just because of points or whatever. This is one of those games where, win or lose, both players want to try one more scenario late into the night. The game also has endless possibilities for add-ons. I can easily see trying to hunt a Char B1 with a Panzer II. Hopefully sales are great enough to flesh out tank on tank warfare from the Spanish Civil War until the Vietnam War. With a little (probably a lot) of work, we may even see M1 Abrams and T-80s going at each other at some point. Thank you GMT Games for letting me review this excellent game and making my holidays that much better. Now excuse me, my Tiger is being hunted by an IS2 and my crew is already a bit rattled.

Robert

Tank Duel:
https://www.gmtgames.com/p-615-tank-duel-enemy-in-the-crosshairs.aspx