Balkan Fury

by

TKC Games

 The whole problem of the Balkans for the Axis powers in World War II can be laid at Il Duce's door. Mussolini was upset about Germany taking all the glory with their rapid march of conquest through Europe. So, he decided that he would attack Greece from Albania that Italy had conquered earlier. Hitler had expressly told Mussolini in at least one of their conferences to not stir up trouble in the Balkans. Not that he was afraid of the armed forces of those small countries. No, he was afraid of English intervention in Greece, as had happened in World War I, and the possibility of the English bombing the Romanian oil fields. Germany had no real oil fields and even before the war was trying to make as much synthetic oil as possible from the coal that they had in abundance. Besides a few oil fields in Hungary, the Romanian oil fields were all there were in Europe with the exception of the Soviet Union, from which Germany was getting oil due to the 1939 Non-Aggression pact with the Soviet Union. The Italian army was fine in 1936 when it helped put Franco on his pseudo throne. By 1940 however, the Italian Army was already far behind the other major European powers. So, Il Duce botched the Greek invasion which, cue the I told you so, led to British intervention in Greece. Yugoslavia also had a coup that put them firmly on the side of the Western Allies. Germany had to bail out Italy in Greece and on the way through decided to try and conquer Yugoslavia. This led to a continual fight against Yugoslavian, Greek, and other nationals rising up and becoming almost as large a problem as Napoleon had with his Spanish Ulcer. Many historians have written that the Balkan episode delayed Operation Barbarossa long enough to make certain that Germany did not win in the Soviet Union in 1941. Il Duce stumbled from one failed attempt to recreate the Roman Empire to another. Germany had to bail him out in North Africa and after he was deposed captured him from his own people and set him up almost in a sort of Manchukuo in northern Italy. It is possible that the entire Italian Balkan adventure was the reason that Il Duce ended up hanging upside down at a gas station. This game, Balkan Fury 2 gives you the chance to invade Albania, Greece, Yugoslavia and to also try your hand at Operation Mercury in the island of Crete or to defend against those same invasions. 

 This is what TKC Games has to say about the game:

"BALKAN FURY 2 is the eagerly anticipated revision and expansion of the second game in the TSWW series. Balkan Fury is an exceptionally fun game to play… and now includes an much extended timeline, partisans, partisans and more partisans… plus of course all the original elements of our top selling game!  In the revised edition the game rules, order of battle booklets, and at start booklets are perfect or stitch bound (depending on booklet size), whilst the charts are printed on the high quality card stock so beloved of owners of Day of Infamy, Barbarossa, and Singapore!  Of course, we still provide you with 2 D10 dice (we can delete them on request if you have enough dice to start a shop already) and the usual TSWW refinements ranging from “what if” forces to a game system that gives historical results if you play using historical decisions.

Balkan Fury is the all-encompassing operational game covering the campaigns in Albania (39), Greece (40 and 41), Yugoslavia (1941), the Balkan partisan wars (1941-43) and the Aegean. The game mates with Barbarossa, Blitzkrieg and Mare Nostrum seamlessly to provide coverage of the War in the West from 1939-43…"

Balkan Fury includes:

MAPS

2 TSWW Standard size maps (each about 18″ x 26″) covering the Balkans. On map area includes Albania, Greece, Yugoslavia, plus parts of Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Maps are to our latest graphic standards and are updated to include the very latest information..

COUNTERS

2800 counters on 11 countersheets with the forces that fought in the Balkans, representing Albanian, Croat, Serbian, Yugoslav, Yugoslav Communist, Slovenian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Montenegran, Italian, Greek, Bulgarian, German, British and Hungarian forces, with 2 in game modules at a 5 day rather than a half month scale to permit a super detailed approach to operations in Albania (1939) and Crete (1941) to be shown.

ORDERS OF BATTLE

The OBs are dramatically expanded with 20 plus modules and scenarios provided to help players learn the game system, ease into the fury of combat in the Balkans and finally master the Grand Campaign overall.  Highlights include various small learning modules, the Italo-Greek War, the planned but never attempted Italian invasion of Yugoslavia, Operation Marita, the German invasion of the Balkans, Operation Merkur, the catastrophic assault on Crete by the Luftwaffe’s crack paratroops, Balkan Fury – the over arching grand campaign, and much, much more.

RULES AND CHARTS

Fully updated to include the very latest TSWW rules and Chart elements, like the rest of Balkan Fury 2, they include all known FAQ and Errata elements from the first release of the product, and build upon the success of the original game.

2 D10 DICE!

 

 If you own a TKC (The Knowledge Company) game, congratulations! You have in your possession one of the finest simulations of World War II in your hot little hands. If you do not, wherefore Romeo or Juliet are you not possessed of one? They have a large number of simulations about World War II in their TSWW (The Second World War) lineup. These are going to be joined soon by a good number of them from their upcoming TFWW (The First Worls War) series. I am waiting with foetid breath the release of these new games. I will have a link at the bottom to the other review I did of TKC's Barbarossa.

 So, the first thing you need to know is that the boxes that their games come in are large and weighty. This one is a bit lighter than usual because of only having two maps. This is instead of the usual amount that needs an auditorium to set them out. 

 The maps remind me of the old Europa maps. These would be them if they were updated to 21st century standards. I am a big fan of the TSWW maps. The rules for the terrain mean that you do not have to argue about what terrain is actually present in each hex. This is a direct quote from John Bannerman, the designer and publisher, about the maps:

"Our maps are UV coated (which does reduce fading a bit) and then single side matte laminated with a plastic finish.  This should (and does) make them all but impossible to tear or crack.  It also means you can spill a drink without major issues if you mop it up quickly."

 Next up, we come to the smorgasbord, or plethora, of Player Aids. There are 18 double-sided (36!) of them that are made from card stock and are in color. These are 11.5" x 8+" in size. There are two more that are double that size and folded to give you eight more Player Aids. That means that the total number of Player Aids is a whopping 44!

 We will now take a look at the counters. There are certainly enough of them to give you Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in whatever hand you use scissors in. The blurb from TKC says that there are 2800 of them and I will just take their word. I know it is enough to make Guns of August pale in comparison. These 2800 counters are just for the campaigns in this small area of Europe. I cannot imagine the lengths that Mr. Bannerman went to, to create these Orders of Battle. The counters themselves are .5" in size. They are on the thin side. However, unless you also wanted to pay for a pack mule to help deliver the game they really have to be. There is a lot of information on them. The size of the information has to be somewhat small, (see above), but unless your myopia and age has gotten that bad, they are readable. The counters use the usual color-coded system for each country and different colored troop/naval counters within that country.

 There are four Manuals or booklets that come with the game. One of them is about the size that you would expect to find in a game box. The other three resemble yearly reports for Project Blue Book in size. Together they are about the size of a small city's phone book. They are printed in a no-nonsense way. They are totally in black and white. There are no examples of play or anything like that. Anything that is needed to be in color for the player is taken care of in the Player Aids. The printing uses the whole page, instead of the two columns we are used to in game rulebooks. The type is on the small side. Again, if it were larger the game would need to come with a back brace. 

The rules Manual, with index, is 142 pages long.

The Axis Order of Battle is 80 pages long.

The 'At Starts' for each scenario is 97 pages long

The smallest is the Allied Order of Battle at 22 pages long.

 The Order of Battle manuals also have a large amount of what ifs information for the players. This includes refitting of ships to the collapse of the entire Italian Army in Albania and everything in between.

 This is not a Euro wargame by any stretch of the imagination. It will not win on a catwalk exhibition of wargames for which is prettier. It is, however, among the penultimate hex wargames of 2025. This is a late 1970s wargame on steroids and using all of what the 21st century manufacturing can muster. Is it a pig with lipstick? Not by any means. It is a tour de force of substance over style.  

 Why do we play these monsters, even ones that are as manageable as this one? That I suppose is the question that has been asked since 1970 or so. There are computer games that can help with the minutiae. However, you lose the comradery and joy of being with and playing with other gamers. I know learning games is much easier with others to help. I still cannot help but think what a caveman from 50,000 BC would think of our wargames. I know, it is a strange thing to think about. In some ways I know that wargames help us to fight off the ravages of father time on our minds. Why exactly are we or have we chosen to be grognards? But I digress, just forget the above and put it down to a fevered dream.

 The one major thing about the campaign is that Britain is in the unusual situation, in this campaign, where their naval assets are in serious danger. Historically the Italian Fleet was not much of a player in the Mediterranean Campaign. Mostly, this was because of orders from on high. Mussolini was just as reticent as Kaiser Wilhelm to risk his big, beautiful ships. The cramped area of the Aegean made for easy hunting of British ships for both the Italian and German air assets. So, while we usually think of the invasion of Crete as a German fiasco it could have easily turned into a British one. When playing as the Italians you do have older tanks and airplanes than the Allies. However, your troops, especially with German help, can still be capably led. Just because the Italians did everything wrong during these campaigns does not mean you have to. 

 Balkan Fury II is a labor of love, just as much as anything that an artist can create. Mr. Bannerman has chosen to take us back to a time in history where momentous decisions were made on a daily if not hourly basis. The main thing from our point of view is that Balkan Fury II, and all of the TSWW 'games', works as a simulation of that period in time. Is this game time consuming to setup and learn? You betcha. Is it fun and stimulating for our historically bent minds? Of course. This game was made for players who love minutiae and well written rules that allow us to see a glimmer of what the actual commanders saw. If we wanted to play an excellent game, we would play chess. If we wanted to just waste some time, we could play Candyland (unless we were playing with special youngster). No, we have drawn the line in the sand, and we want to setup those 2800 counters and place them on a map of 1940 Europe and let the iron dice roll. 

 This game expects a lot of the players. In return it also gives back a ton. Just from a purely historical point of view, to see exactly how each army is setup for each scenario is a revelation. Military history books in the main are usually bereft of maps or have maps that resemble a child drawing something in the sand. Wargames fill in a lot of the empty spaces that books a lot of times leave out.

 Thank you TKC for allowing me to review this in-depth simulation of World War II in southern Europe. If you have not yet, do yourself a favor and look at the other games that TKC has in its stable. If you are intrigued by this game, they have even larger ones to get lost in.

Robert Peterson

TKC Games

Balkan Fury

My review of TKC's Barbarossa:

Barbarossa by The Knowledge Company - A Wargamers Needful Things

 Ju 87 Stuka Ace

by

Lock 'N Load Publishing

 The JU 87 Stuka, short for Sturzkampfflugzeug, was the German Luftwaffe's dive bomber from the Spanish Civil War until the end of World War II. The German World War I ace Ernst Udet was an early proponent of the dive bomber concept. He was very impressed by the American Curtiss BFC-1 Hawk and its steep diving capabilities. He brought back two of them to Germany for testing. The JU 87 first flew in 1935. From then on it was an integral part of the German Lightning War concept. The JU 87 was also equipped with two small propellers, one on each landing gear, that made a banshee like scream in a dive. The German name was Lärmgerät but they are generally known as Jericho Trumpets, a Biblical reference to the 'Horns of Jericho'. If you watch any documentaries about World War II their scream will inevitably be heard in the soundtrack. Through the Polish and Western European campaigns, the JU 87 was a symbol of terror, and the Jericho Trumpets had Allied soldiers keeping their heads down even if the Stukas had already dropped their bombs. Their slow speed and small amount of defensive armament made them sitting ducks during the Battle of Britain. They were pulled from those air battles rather early because of losses. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd, 1941, the Stukas were once again in the forefront of the campaign. This game from Lock 'N Load Publishing is the latest in a spate of games dealing with this iconic German plane. Let us see what this game has to distinguish it from the competition. 

The Game's Counters

 This is what Lock 'N Load Publishing has to say about the game:

"Ju 87 Stuka Ace is a solitaire tactical air combat game by Lock 'n Load Publishing that places you in the cockpit of the infamous Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, one of World War II’s most feared dive bombers. As a Luftwaffe pilot, you’ll embark on historically accurate missions spanning multiple theaters of the war—from the blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland and France to the ferocious battles of the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean.

But the war isn’t just about history—Ju 87 Stuka Ace also lets you explore "What If?" scenarios, putting the Stuka in alternate wartime operations, from early missions in China to hypothetical carrier operations aboard the Graf Zeppelin. Will you rise to become an ace or fall victim to the dangers of aerial warfare?

 Engage in historical and alternate history missions, including:

Close Air Support – Strike enemy forces before they can counterattack.

Anti-Shipping Raids – Sink enemy warships and supply convoys while dodging AA fire.

Strategic Bombing Runs – Destroy critical infrastructure, bridges, and fortifications.

Interdiction Missions – Disrupt enemy supply lines and armored advances.

NEW: The Stuka in China (What If?) – Explore an alternate history scenario where Germany supplies Stukas to the Japanese forces against the Chinese Nationalists in 1937. 

NEW: German Carrier Operations on the Graf Zeppelin (What If?) – Fly missions as part of the never-completed German aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin, where Stukas are adapted for naval operations against the British Royal Navy and Soviet forces.

Each mission presents unique challenges, targets, and enemy defenses, ensuring high replayability."

 This is what comes with the game:

1 x Counter Sheet (100 counters)

1 x Spiral Bound Game Manual (86 Pages)

1 x Spiral Bound Theater Book (44 Pages)

1 x Single Sided 11 x 17 Pilot Org Play Card

9 x Double Sided 8.5 x 11 Aircraft Reference Cards

4 x Double Sided 8.5 x 11 Player Aid Cards

1 x Single Sided 8.5 x 11 Player Aid Card

2 x Pilot Campaign Log 8.5 x 11

2 x Double Sided 8.5 x 5.5 Pilot Player Cards

1 x Plastic Insert 

2 x Career Cards (Tarot Size)

28 x Action Cards (Poker Size)

11 x Altitude Cards (Poker Size)

49 x Flight Cards (Poker Size)

10 x Objective Cards (Poker Size)

31 x Target Cards (Poker Size)

3 x Munition Cards (Poker Size)

36 x Special Flight Cards (Poker Size)

9 x Bonus Ace Cards (Tarot Size)

1 x 3" Deep Heavy Duty Box

As you can see you get to fly all of the different versions of the JU 87

 Right from the start you should know that I am blown away by the entire ensemble of game pieces in JU 87 Stuka Ace. Actually, I should rephrase that, I am blown away by all of the games that Lock 'N Load sent me this year. Their design, art and manufacturing are really second to none.

 The Neoprene Mat is a great example of the game's blend of art and function. It is great to look at but is also not large at all, and still it contains almost all of what you would need to play. Next, we will look at the Player Aids. If I counted correctly, there are 15 of them that are 8.5" X 11". Out of these, 13 of them are double-sided, and two are single-sided. These come in full color and are made of card stock. Nine of these that are double-sided are different variants of the JU 87 that you can fly! The next 8.5" X 11" card is double-sided with one side having the Pilot Campaign Log and the other having the Mission Report. Then there are two half page cards that are Pilot Player Cards. These show your rise in rank, if you become lucky and good enough at the game.

 The Manual and Theaters books are both spiral bound, as all of the Lock 'N Load Rulebooks have been for a while. The Manual is 83 pages long. It is printed in enormous type size and is in full color with many pages of examples of play and pictures of the game's components. The Theaters book comes in at 41 pages. This goes from Spain/China in 1938 until the Soviet Union/Italy in 1944. Once again, the type size is the same ginormous one from the Manual. I believe you might be able to read some of it from 10' away.

 The game's different decks are amazingly well done. Their size alone is something to write home about. The 'smaller' ones are the size of normal Poker Cards. Then they have some that are described as 'Tarot' sized Cards. I think that is the first in any description of a wargame that I have seen. If I had a Tarot deck handy, I would compare the two. However, I will take their word for it. The pictures that decorate the different cards remind me of watching The World at War with my parents when I was a child. All of the information on the cards is completely legible and large enough to read easily.

 The game also comes with two very nicely done bookmarks. One is just about the game and Lock 'N Load Publishing in general. The other is sort of a public service announcement with some important phone numbers on one side (Depression or Suicide hotline etc.). The other has some quotes from the Bible. If you have no interest in that side, the hotline numbers are still good to have around.

 All of the game materials, including the box, scream "look at me!" when you get the game into your hot little hands. The meticulous care that was taken from the packaging down to the smallest detail in the counters tells you that this is something special. 

You can play a campaign game where you rise in rank and awards

 The JU 87 variants you can fly are as follows:

JU 87 A-1 Anton (you can also fly it in Spain and China)

JU 87 B-1 Berta

JU 87 B-2 Berta

JU 87 B-2 Trop (Tropical for the Mediterranean areas)

JU 87 C-1 Caesar

JU 87 D-1 Dora

JU 87 D-3 Dora

JU 87 D-5 Dora

JU 87 D-5N

JU 87 R-1 Richard

JU 87 R-2 Richard

JU 87 G-1 Gustav armed with the two 37mm cannon

JU 87 G-2 Gustav armed with two 37mm cannon

 The game is for solitaire play only. However, in this hectic world we now find ourselves in this is not a minus point for the game. Gaming clubs and even gaming nights are getting few and far between for most people. So, these solitaire games and especially excellent ones like this definitely have their place. The only thing some of you may miss is the ongoing battle with 'Joe' over the rules. Fill in whatever name you like all clubs had one.

 The size of the rulebook may seem daunting but remember that it is done in very large type and has many full-page illustrations of play. At its heart, the game is not hard at all to learn. Your choices, which are myriad, and some luck are the cornerstone of its gameplay. One of your most important choices is how low do you dive before dropping your bomb/s. The lower you go the more accurate you are, but it also means that you will be that much longer in a straight unswerving flight path. Of course, that choice only appears if you have made it through enemy fighter and flak to make it to your target. 

 The game is easy to learn and relatively quick to play, especially if you are just doing a mission or two. It also does not take up a lot of space so that you can play it on the dining room table. The setup and breakdown time is also short so you should not get too many side eye glances from your significant other. Much like the Romance Languages things in the kitchen and dining room are usually in the female's zone of control. You will be happily bombing some target or parachuting to avoid the flames in no time flat. 

 The game also gives you some what if scenarios. These are interesting to me in games only if they are plausible. One what if in this game has you flying off the German carrier Graf Zeppelin. The ship was pretty completed before the war placed it on hold. So, that is entirely plausible. The other what if has the Germans selling some JU 87s to Japan and they use them against the nationalist Chinese. This too is in the realm of possibility, so I have no problem with it. 

 One of the biggest reasons I have for really enjoying the game is the fact that you get to fly all of the different variants of the JU 87. This means that you get to try your hand at the tank killer G1 series (Panzerknacker) or properly known as the Kanonenvogel. These JU 87s had two 3.7cm large cannon pods underneath each wing. The G series planes were also up armored (much like the Soviet Union's IL 2 and the German ground attack plane the HS 129) to help the plane and crew survive their low-level attacks. The German pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel made the G series famous. However, to be fair, his attack on the Soviet Union's battleship Marat and its sinking had already made him famous and the early war years had made the JU 87, and its sirens, one of the most recognizable planes from World War II.

The gameplay overview is this:

Mission Setup

 1. Prepare Flight Deck

 2. Prepare Objective Mini-Deck

 3. Setup Player Sheet

 4. Setup Aircraft Sheet

  * Select Payload

 5. Prepare Action Deck

  * Take Initial Hand

Mission Overview

 1. Take Off

 2. Approach

 3. Target

  * Attack (Bomb, Strafe, or Gun)

 4. Return to Base

 5. Refuel

 Thank you, Lock 'N Load Publishing for sending me this wonderful, stupendous, action filled, just trying to stay away from the word excellent, game to review. Happily for me, and hopefully for you, their care package to me had to be dropped off with a truss. I will soon be reviewing these games:

Point Blank Winter Victory

Glory and Empire First Victories Wellington Versus Napoleon

Close Quarter Battles Waterloo

Blood and Fury World War 85 - This last one I will need some help from one of my sons to carry it to the table.

Robert Peterson

Lock 'N Load Publishing

Ju 87 Stuka Ace

This is a link to their new AI assisted manuals/rulebooks

Ju 87 Stuka Ace Manual Rev39-AI

 France '40

by

GMT Games

designed by

Mark Simonitch

 The 1940 French Campaign cannot be discussed without mentioning one individual, and that is Erich von Manstein. The idea for the 'sickle cut' came from his rather fertile brain. To go back a bit, you have to understand what the pundits, generals, and leaders had in their minds at the time. The French Army was the largest army in Europe. Who actually won World War One has been debatable down to this day. However, the French Army was absolutely one of the main reasons that the Germans finally lost. In 1940, all of the smart money was on the Allies. It is true that Germany had defeated Poland in a very short time. There were some mitigating factors about that victory, the largest being the stab in the back by the invasion of the Red Army. So, to a betting man, the size of the French Army and its strength was considered to be the largest factor in the coming campaign for Western Europe. The fact that there was also a British Expeditionary force added into the mix didn't help with the odds either. The bristling fortresses of the Maginot line also added to the thought that Germany had bitten off more than they could chew. The funny thing about the campaign is that both sides could not get the 1914 campaign out of their heads. The Allies based all of their plans on the Germans trying a repeat performance. Meanwhile, the Germans could not think of anything better to try than the same right hook toward Paris. The fact that most of the German High Command was absolutely in love with trying the same thing over again is a bit more than puzzling. More than a few of them fought tooth and nail for a repeat performance. Then along comes von Manstein with the audacity to suggest that maybe, going by how 1914 turned out, they should try something else. Was the furor on the German side just jealousy over the fact that none of them thought of it first, or our ideas that the German Great General Staff was filled with brilliant generals totally off the mark? Strangely the arguments on the German side continued until they inadvertently flew over the Allied lines and gave them the rehashed Schlieffen plan. At that moment Manstein's sickle cut became the idea for the campaign pretty much by accident. With this game we get to see why France fell in such a short time and all of the bookies went broke. It actually has two games included, so we also get to play out Operation Dynamo and see if the British, and some of their Allies, can escape the collapse of France. The box also has a nice picture of a French Char B1 tank on the cover.

 This is what Mr. Simonitch says about the game:

"France '40 contains two separate games: Sickle Cut and Dynamo. Both games use the same rules and share many game pieces, but each has a separate full size map.

Sickle Cut: Guderian's Drive to the Channel

This game covers the crucial week in May 1940 when the German army broke the French line on the Meuse and raced to the sea at Abbeville. The game starts on May 13th, the third day of Case Yellow. Six panzer divisions have passed through the Ardennes and are now at the Meuse River. The French and British have raced through Belgium to reach the Dyle Line and cover the Gembloux Gap. The stage is set. Can the Germans cross the Meuse in front of strong opposition? And, if they can, will they be able to break out from the bridgeheads and advance across the map while threatened by Allied reinforcements pouring in from the north and south?

Dynamo: Retreat to Victory

This game covers the British withdrawal to Dunkirk and the evacuation. The game starts on May 24th, the day the British decide that the B.E.F. is in real danger of being cut-off from their supply base and the best option is to head for the coast at Dunkirk. However, many of the German panzer divisions are closer to Dunkirk than the British. Can the British reach the coast before the Germans? Can they hold the Dunkirk perimeter for eight days while they evacuate?

The rules for both games highlight armor, air support, and morale. Special rules include: Allied Heavy Tanks, DeGaulle, Rommel, Hitler's Halt Order, and French Command Paralysis.

2ND EDITION

France ’40 2nd Edition is a major upgrade to the original game. The rules for Extended Movement, Combat, Advance After Combat, Breakthrough Combat, and Determined Defense have been updated so they are more in line with the recent games in the 19XX series (such as Stalingrad ’42 and Salerno ’43). A new scenario has been included designed by Mark Merritt that combines both maps.

In addition, many new units have been added and some old units modified to provide a more accurate order of battle for both Sickle Cut and Dynamo. A few minor cities, some roads, and a fortified hex were added to the Dynamo map.

And most importantly, both scenarios have been sent through the playtest cycle again to make sure they are better balanced than they were in the first edition.

This game has long been one of my favorites due to the exciting situation and short playing time. I’m really pleased with this 2nd Edition and excited about the new features it has."

The Sickle Cut Map

 This is what comes with the game:

Two Paper Maps

Two Countersheets

24 Page Rulebook

16 Page Playbook

Two Identical Player Aid Cards

Two Setup Cards

Two 6-sided Dice

You can also buy a mounted map for the game. The only issue that might crop up is that the new version of the game has a two-map scenario. Naturally, the mounted map has only Dynamo one one-side and Sickle Cut on the other.

The back of the box has the solitaire suitability and complexity both listed as a five. GMT Games states that playing time should be between four to six hours. 

Dynamo Map

 We will now take a look at the game's components. The Rulebook is 24 pages in length. It is in full color and also has many examples of play for the player to learn the rules. The type is nice and large for us old grognards. The Playbook is 16 pages in length and is produced in the same way as the Rulebook. You get some extended examples of play along with the 1st and 2nd Edition Notes. For the history lover, there are six pages of authentic situation maps of the campaign. Then you get the rules and setup to play the two games into one combined game. There are two card stock full-sized unit at start and reinforcement cards. On one side are the units for Sickle Cut and the other side for Dynamo. One is for the German player and the other for the Allied player. There are two card stock four-page fold out players aids. These have everything needed for play ie. the CRT, Sequence of Play, Terrain Chart etc. The type size on these is also quite large. There are two full countersheets. The counters are 9/16" in size and are very easy to read, and their larger than 1/2" size makes them easier for your fingers to manipulate them. They come with the standard 'NATO' markings except for the armored units which have a small picture of tanks from the unit on them. Both maps are very well done and are not just paper but have a laminate coating on them. The terrain is easy to see and there should be no quibbling about what terrain is in each hex. 

 The game components are fully up to GMT Games standard of excellence. 

Counter Sample

 The two games are part of the Simonitch 1940s wargames, which include:

Ardennes '44

Holland '44

Normandy '44

North Africa '41

Salerno '43

Stalingrad '42

Ukraine '43

These two games are in GMT Games P500 system:

Italy '43

North Africa '40

This is the Sequence of Play:

"A. GERMAN PLAYER TURN

 France ’40  Player Aid Card   2nd Edition

 3

 EXPANDED SEQUENCE OF PLAY

 B. ALLIED PLAYER TURN

 1. German Initial Phase 

• The German player flips all Air units from their Used side to their 

Ready side. 

• The German player places his Reinforcements in their Entry Hexes.

 Dynamo scenario only: 

• Starting on Turn 6 the German player must withdraw the units 

listed on the Dynamo Turn Record Track.

 • Each Panzer division under a Halt! marker and currently in 

supply receive one replacement step (22.3).

 2. German Movement Phase (7.0)

 During this phase the German player may conduct any of the activities below in any order:

 • Move some, none, or all his units. 

• Conduct Auto-DS combat against any defending hex where at 

least 10-1 odds are obtained. Indicate the units that participate in 

that attack with Auto DS markers (7.7). Advance After Combat 

for these units is conducted at the end of the Combat Phase.

 • The German Player may place disrupted units in full retreat 

(13.1.3).

 3. German Combat Phase (8.0 - 15.0)

 A. The German Player may attack adjacent enemy units or conduct 

Disengagement Attempts (20.3) in any order. As each attack is 

resolved apply the step losses, conduct the Retreat, the Determined 

Defense, and the Advance After Combat before moving to the 

next combat. 

B. After all combats are completed, advance all units with Auto DS 

Markers (7.7). 

4. German Recovery Phase (13.4)

 All German units that are Disrupted may recover one level—those 

that are Disrupted have the marker removed, and those that are in 

Full Retreat have their marker flipped to the Disrupted side. Units 

adjacent to enemy units must roll for Recovery (13.4.2).

 5. German Supply Phase

 A. Check the supply status of all German units (18.0).

 B.  Roll for Attrition (18.5) of all German units that are:

 • marked with a red Out of Supply marker (including those just 

marked), and

 • adjacent to an enemy unit. 

6. GQG Phase —Sickle Cut scenario only

 Any GQG markers scheduled to be removed are removed at this 

time (21.2.6). The German player places the remaining GQG 

markers currently in the GQG Marker Holding Box on Allied 

stacks containing at least one French unit. He then rolls two dice 

and removes the GQG markers with those numbers (21.2.4).

 1. Allied Initial Phase (depends on the scenario)

 Sickle Cut scenario only: 

• The Allied player flips all non-Disrupted HQs that can trace a 

Line of Supply to a W, S, SE or E Entry Hex from their Used 

side to their Ready side (17.2.1).

 • The Allied player draws a number of units from his Reinforcement Draw Cup and places them on a friendly controlled Entry Hex.

 Dynamo scenario only: 

• The Allied player flips all RAF units to their Ready side (22.6).

 • Check to see if Belgium surrenders (22.4.1). Belgium automatically surrenders in the Allied Initial Phase of Turn 5.

 • If Turn 4 or later, the Allied player may evacuate units from 

Dunkirk (22.5).

 2. Allied Movement Phase

 Identical to the German Combat Phase except switch the term 

German with Allied. In addition:

 • Sickle Cut scenario only:  The Allied player may use Rail 

Movement (7.6), and may complete the Dyle Line IP’s if still 

occupied at the end of the Movement Phase of Turn 1.

 3. Allied Combat Phase

 4. Allied Recovery Phase

 Both phases identical to the German Combat and Recovery Phases 

except switch the term German with Allied.

 5. Allied Supply Phase

 Identical to the German Combat Phase except switch the term 

German with Allied. In addition:

 • Allied HQs do not roll for Attrition. They are eliminated if they 

cannot trace a Line of Supply to a friendly Combat unit. 

• Do not roll for Attrition of Fort Units until all friendly Combat 

units stacked with or adjacent to the fort are eliminated. 

• Sickle Cut scenario only: On or after Turn 5 the Allied player 

may use the Hitler’s Halt Order rule (21.3) to slow German 

mechanized units. 

• Dynamo scenario only: In the Allied Supply Phase of Turns 1 

and 2 the Allied player takes any Halt markers in the holding 

display (always either one or two) and places them on a German 

panzer division and then rolls two dice to remove up to two 

Halt markers.

 C. END PHASE 

Record the completion of a Game Turn by advancing the Game 

Turn marker one box and proceed to the next turn."

 I have to confess that I am a fan of the 1940s game system and have played all of the above released games from it and enjoyed playing them all. So, my expectations for France '40 were probably higher than normal. They seem to have the perfect mix of playability and be historically correct at the same time.

 There are numerous rule changes in this second edition compared to the 1st. The components have also changed a bit. Here is that list:

1.11 new units included, plus many units had their values changed. 

2. New CRT

3. A few roads were added to both maps.

4. Determined Defense Table changed significantly.

5. Disengagement Table changed.

 Mr. Simonitch states that he tried to fix the play balance in Sickle Cut because it was too difficult for the German Player. I find this interesting because I have seen people posting that it is now too hard for the German player. Two things come to my mind. The first is that you cannot make everyone happy. The second is that hopefully you will not be playing against a French opponent who is as abysmal as the French Command was in 1940. After all, the Allies had more men and tanks (although spread out and poorly used) and it should have taken the Germans much longer than it did.

 One of the most interesting rules of the series is the one that deals with 'Determined Defense'. Usually in games, you roll the die and crosscheck the number rolled in the CRT on the appropriate odds ratio column and voila, you follow the instructions under that column piece. Not necessarily in this game. The defending player may choose to use a 'Determined Defense' against the attackers. As the rules state "A Determined Defense represents a hold-at-all-cost order or an immediate counterattack". You do have to first deal with any step losses from the CRT roll before the defender can make use of this rule. Then one of the defending units must be a 'Lead Unit' (see rule 11.2 in the link to the online rulebook below). You then would roll and look at the 'Determined Defense Table' to see if and what applies to this action. 

 This game itself has some rules that add some historical reality and flavor to the game. The first are the 'GQG' (Grand Quartier General) markers. There are six of these markers that the German player can use in the beginning of the game. This number drops due to die rolls and what turn it is in the game. These are placed on different French stacks be the German player. The GQG markers are effectively army fetters that hogtie those French units affected by them. This is to show the incredible confusion in the French High Command at the beginning of the 1940 campaign. The Allied player gets to use the 'von Rundstedt Halt Order' once on or after the fifth game turn. This is to replicate the Germans' actual halt order during the campaign. They had become almost frightened by their own success and were afraid that all of the Panzers would be cut off by an Allied counterattack. Both of the above rules are used in the Sickle Cut and Combined scenarios.

Some of the Newer Units

 The scenarios each last this long:

Sickle Cut: 10 Turns

Dynamo: 12 Turns

Combined Scenario: 23 turns

 As I said, I have been a fan of the game series since the start of it. So, it comes as no great shock that I am more than pleased with this game's new refined issue. You can, as the German player, recreate history, which is as it should be. Conversely, you can use your French forces to dull and even stop the Sickle Cut Plan from working. The game has the best of both worlds as far as size is concerned. You can have the normal size game that does not take up a lot of space and yet still be a good game. If you have the room, you can also play the combined scenario with both games - sort of a mini monster. If you are looking for both great gameplay and historical gaming, France '40 delivers on both accounts. Thank you, GMT Games, for letting me review the newest in the 1940s series. 

Robert Peterson

GMT Games

France '40 Rulebook

France '40

Old School Tactical Volume 4: Italian Theater 1943-45

A Mark H. Walker Game

Designed by Shayne Logan

by

Flying Pig Games

 Churchill's 'Soft Underbelly of Europe' did not seem so soft or easy as Churchill had in mind. The Allies had knocked Italy out of the war with the invasion of the Italian mainland at Salerno. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell the Germans to take their ball and go home. 'Smiling Al' Kesselring was going to make the Allies pay for every inch of Italian soil that they took. The mountains and rivers of Italy were the perfect natural barriers for the Germans to use to make the Allied offensive a slow grinding process. Even after Rome had fallen, Germans did not give up and were still a thorn in the Allied side until the end of the war.

 This is what comes with the game:

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

A large (We are talking HUGE!) 30" x 41" mounted game map, hexes are 1"

27 luck cards, such as Tank Killer, No More, and Veteran Skills

40+ unit data cards

Full-color Playbook with 14 scenarios, including SAS Raiders- British SAS commandos search for the Italian howitzers to protect the landings in Sicily and Fallen Allies- with the capitulation of the Italian state, the Germans moved quickly to seize power.  Some Italian units did not go peacefully.

2 x player aid cards

Color rule book

Dice

Massive box  

 The Soaring Swine have, and rightly so, a reputation for beautiful and huge, not just large, wargames. The components that come inside this extremely large box are completely up to that reputation.

 The very well-done map shows both the pastoral and rugged terrain that the Allies and Axis soldiers fought over. It does not show the really rugged terrain of the Battle of Monte Cassino. This is shown in the OST Volume 4 expansion 'For the Empire' (that also includes the Commonwealth forces that fought in Italy). As usual, the hexes are large and show exactly what terrain is in each one. You get a Rulebook that is magazine type in style and is 25 pages long and also has an index. You also get an 18-page Playbook in the same style as the Rulebook. Both are in full color and the Rulebook is studded with examples of play etc. The players each get their own aid card with all of the terrain, CRTs, and pretty much everything else you need to play. The counters, along with everything else, are made to the same high standard that we have come to expect from Flying Pig Games. Next up, we have three countersheets. Two are for the units and one for gameplay. The infantry counters are 3/4" large and the armor etc. are 7/8". Then we have a deck of unit data cards, and another deck marked 'luck'. 

 The scenarios included run the gamut from the fighting in Sicily to the landing at Anzio near Rome. I was very happy to see that they included one of the more successful Italian pieces of armor: the Semovente. This was roughly the Italian equivalent of an assault gun/tank destroyer. It was probably smaller than the Hetzer, but it gave a good account of itself in battle.

 Thank You, Flying Pig Games, for allowing me to review another of your games in the Old School Tactical Series. The original game was about the fighting in Western Europe. They followed it up with Volume 2 taking place on the Eastern Front and Volume 3 in the Pacific. They also have an equally wonderful series called 'Black Swan' that was designed by the master Hermann Luttmann. This includes his magnum opus A Most Fearful Sacrifice. This has been joined by a game on the almost historical Pipe Creek campaign. The next massive beauty in the series is coming up and is called The Rock of Chickamauga. 

 I will have at least one more follow up piece on the actual gameplay of OST Volume 4.

Robert Peterson

Old School Tactical Volume 4: Italian Theater 1943-45

Flying Pig Games

My Review of Old School Tactical Volume I

My Review of Old School Tactical Volume II

 Blitz in the East

The Russian Campaign 1941-45

by

VentoNuovo Games

 The campaign in Russia was started on June 22nd, 1941. Amazingly it was not expected at all by the majority of the Russian High Command, (which really means Stalin and a lot of yes men. Most of the others were removed from this earth during the purge). The actual backwardness of the Soviet Union, as far as a good road network, is what really saved them. The strain on German supply and the actual breakdown of all types of motorized vehicles was something they had not planned on at all. In fact, Hitler had actually decreased the number of tanks being manufactured before the beginning of Operation Barbarossa. Still, the Soviets in 1941 suffered horrific loses in numerous kesselschlachts (encirclements) throughout the area of the European Soviet Union. The soldiers of the Soviet Union defeated the original onslaught because of their ability to be just like the moles in whack-a-mole. For every Soviet troop concentration that the Germans captured or destroyed at least one, and sometimes two, popped up again. The campaign went from the Germans almost taking Moscow in 1941 to the Soviets taking Berlin in 1945. One can make the argument that the Lend-Lease program was responsible for as good portion of their victory. However, their losses throughout the war show that they were determined to find victory no matter the human cost.

 So, VentoNuovo Games has decided to enter the fray again by releasing another game about the Russian Front. This one is slightly different then their last one. Their newest release is on the small physical scale compared to most Russian Front games. This is what VentoNuovo Games has to say about it:

"VNG developers have created a brand-new engine for this game that is both easy to learn and hard to master. The base rules are minimal in length with many designer notes, examples, and beautiful graphics. Several optional rules and the Scorched Earth Expansion also add more historical flavor and complexity for more seasoned wargamers. The game engine is the strength of BLITZ IN THE EAST, as it is new, easy, and incorporates all of the historical campaign’s main themes. You will not have the feeling of playing "another" Russian front game." says designer Emanuele Santandrea. The base game, with clearly defined concepts, minimal rules length, and numerous examples, allows novice wargamers to quickly learn and play. 

The map is the ultimate creation of our design team. Emphasizing every detail, it depicts the area of operations at 1200dpi instead of the standard 300dpi. This allows for zooming into details without disrupting the graphics.

The 65 counters represent the Armies/Fronts involved in the campaign and are 2.5mm thick, 18x18mm wide, and pre-rounded.

There are also more than 100 game markers to assist game play.

Each turn is two months. The game offers several scenarios and a campaign to relive the struggle from June 1941 till December 1945 (or earlier).

For proficient players, each turn takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. So, a scenario can be played in an afternoon. For campaign play, assume an afternoon and evening is required to complete.

German panzers are really powerful and can punch a hole in the line. But it is infantry that holds the line. Germany cannot win this war without help from her allies. "We are a small company and dedicate attention to Minor Countries." says Emanuele Santandrea."

The very stylish colorful map

 

 As you can see by the pictures this is a very handsome wargame, as are all VentoNuovo Games, that is in the newer Eurogame format. This has much more glitz than most of us grognards are used to. 

 The map has very large hexes and shows the area of Europe from roughly Berlin to the Urals. It also shows the Balkan nations of the forties. The counters are a sight to behold and come prerounded. There is only one countersheet due to their size and the scope of the game. The Soviets have 30 units and the Germans and their allies have 25. The map and counter information and writing is nice and large for these old eyes. There are two Player Aids that are on hard cardstock. Everything that is needed for play is either on the two-sided Player Aids or on the map. The Rulebook is in full color and is 30 pages long. Its pages are thicker than most Rulebooks. The writing in it is as big as what you get in a Large Print book. It is filled with easily understood play examples. It comes with a deck of 28 cards. These either show a historical picture or a picture of a commander from either side. Visually the game is stunning. The fact that all of the writing is oversized just adds to players' ease in learning the ropes.

Back of the box

 You would think by the size of the game and the terseness of the Rulebook that this would be more of a beer & pretzels game. In this you would be highly mistaken. Although VentoNuovo Games, all designed by the owner Emanuele Santandrea, are very much in the flashy Eurogame category, his games always have some meat under that glittering skin. The rules are designed for both grognards and tyros. 

Counters

  The gameplay is meant to be easily understood and to have the player up and running in as little time as possible. You can jump right in and start playing after only a cursory glimpse through the rules. The cards and the optional rules help to make it a much deeper game than you would think upon first glance. Remember that book and cover adage. Air, Armor and everything else that you have come to expect in a game about the Russian Front is here. What you do not get is tons of fiddly high stacks of counters and a rulebook that looks to have been published in 1975. The gameplay can be as fast as the early blitzkriegs of the war. However, I suggest you put as much thought into it as you would with some of its weightier cousins. As was mentioned, the game is played in two month turns and the designer expects each turn to be around 20 minutes. So, even if you wanted to play the whole campaign through, the game does not need to stay on your table (annoying your wife) for more than a day, especially if you were going to play one of the scenarios.

One side of the Player's Aid

 The scenarios that come with the base game are:

The game comes with two tutorials

  Beyond the Dnieper

  Blitz in the East

Operation Barbarossa

Russian Campaign

A picture of some gameplay

 The game can be enhanced by the addition of The Scorched Earth Expansion. This is some information on the expansion:

125 game markers 2.5mm-thick with pre-rounded corners

28 Game Event Cards

Illustrated rules with many examples

Two historical scenarios plus two alternative "what if" scenarios

"The base game, with clearly defined concepts, minimal rules length, and numerous examples, allows novice wargamers to quickly learn and play.

Veteran wargamers can also enjoy a more complex experience via several optional rules and the Scorched Earth Expansion.

New events and new details add historical flavor and depth with "what if" situations and detailed logistics management to expand your game experience!"

  The new rules and additional scenarios really help to make this game into much more of a grognards game. The additional scenarios are:

Fall Blau

In or Out

Balkans Pacified four turn version. This is a hypothetical scenario; there was no Balkan campaign in 1940-41.

Balkans Pacified full 28 turn version

 I was fully prepared to not take to the game. I am one of those people who thought that because the Russian Front was so massive you need a big game to simulate it. Luckily, I persevered with a Blitz in the East and found that I was totally mistaken. The addition of The Scorched Earth expansion also made my grognard synapses feel more at home. Thank you, Mr. Santandrea, for allowing me to take Blitz in the East for a test drive. As usual, with all of your games, it brings a new twist on an old gaming subject. 

 

 I forgot to mention that the game has a free downloadable Strategy Guide for the players.

Robert Peterson

Blitz in the East

VentoNuovo Games