Modern Tactics: Afghanistan

by

Vuca Simulations

 Vuca Simulations started not too long ago at all. At first, it seemed like a small meteor in the lower night sky. Then it turned into a supernova in the center of the sky. It has turned itself into a wargaming powerhouse during that time. Of course, if your senses had been attuned correctly you would have expected it. Even their first game was exceedingly well crafted and a pleasure to play. Since then, the gameplay and graphics and design seem to have gotten better with every release. 

 This game was designed by Shayne Logan, who already has a good number of excellent games under his belt. I assume that insurgency wars are as hard to design for a wargame as they are for a country to win. Most have proven totally unwinnable for the nation that is trying to pacify an entire populace. The Romans finally learned how to deal with it better than any other empire or country. They would simply move the, or most of, rebelling population somewhere else. The insurgency wars of the last few hundred years are usually between a much greater military power and a home-grown movement. That is why they are probably harder to design than normal wars. The greater military power can simply stomp like an elephant onto the insurgents due to their overwhelming power. However, the insurgents are like a will o' wisp or ball lightning. They are always present but almost impossible to catch. So, the greater power cannot bring its might to bear. Let's take a look at the game and see how well Mr. Logan has done.

Back of the Box from Vuca Simulations

 This is what Vuca Simulations has to say about the game:

"Dust kicks off an unpaved road, echoes bounce inside walled compounds, and one radio call can change the plan. Modern Tactics: Afghanistan drops you into platoon-level firefights from 2006–2009, where coalition patrols trade impulses with a nimble insurgency across villages, vineyards, and wadis. Every activation is a hard choice—move, fire, breach, rally, call support—while civilians, contacts, and rules of engagement keep the battlefield tense.

What it feels like

Snap decisions, constant pressure: Alternating impulse play captures the push-and-pull of real operations.

Asymmetric warfare done right: Coalition (Canadian, U.S., ANA, SOF) faces Insurgent forces with Fanatics, Recruits, Bombers, Snipers, IEDs, and hidden contacts.

Terrain that tells a story: Walled and multi-hex compounds, high and low walls, irrigation ditches, grape fields, rough ground, and wadis shape LOS, cover, and movement.

Civilians and ROE matter: Unknown contacts, civilian presence, and collateral risk influence your tempo as much as raw firepower.

Combined arms, cleanly integrated: LAV III, Bison, RG-31, Leopard 2, and air support (including Apache gunship) join infantry, engineers, mortars, and AT weapons.

Highlights

Twenty scenarios spanning quick raids, relief missions, and set-piece assaults—e.g., Barton’s Holdouts, Open Market, Operation Medusa, High Value Target, Snake Pit, Outside the Wire, Strongpoint, and more.

Play the compounds right: Edge-hex firing arcs, interior LOS, and wall bonuses reward careful positioning and breaching.

Air & artillery windows: Timed off-board fire missions and gunship arrivals open corridors—or close them.

Risk vs. momentum: Smoke, interdiction, suppression, and morale create openings…but overreach gets punished fast.

What’s in the box

Scenario & theater playbook (Afghanistan) • Core rules (v1.0) • Geomorphic tactical maps • Coalition and Insurgent counters (infantry, leaders, weapon teams, vehicles, markers) • Player aids and reference tables.

Scale: ~50 m per hex; each turn ≈ a few minutes

System: Hex-and-counter, alternating impulses; leadership, morale, suppression, breaching, vehicles, OBA/air

Players: 1–2 (team play possible)

Playtime: 60–120 minutes per scenario (varies by scenario size)

Designer: Shayne Logan"

 

 The game components are what we have come to expect from Vuca Simulations. The maps are naturally a depiction of the terrain that most battles in Afghanistan were fought. So, they are completely correct and look spot on. That being said, it is a pretty drab and inhospitable looking place. The maps are a little stranger than most. There is an eight-piece fold out one which is pretty much standard in size. Then there is a two-piece fold out one that is longer on one side and shorter on the other compared to the pieces of the other map. All of the map pieces are double-sided for as much differing terrain as possible that you would want in a game.  

The Maps certainly do not give you a Garden of Eden feel.

 There are two three-piece fold out Players Aids. These are made of card stock but are more flexible than others I have seen. They are also laminated and in full color. The lamination was definitely an excellent choice on Vuca Simulations part. It will help them hold up for the game to have a long-life span. They are double-sided with the inside three being the different CRTs. The outside three are a Players Aid, with the Turn Sequence, Other Combat, and a Terrain Chart that is in spreadsheet form without any images of the terrain in question (do not worry there is another one that does have images). 

Some pages from the Players' Aid fold out.

 Next up are two single-sided card stock, also laminated, Track Displays. These track Victory Points, Enemy Casualty Points, Impulse Points, and Impulse Point Modifiers. The last one is called the Scenario Display, and it has the Turn Track and the Terrain Key on it. This is the one has the images of all the terrain on it with all the pertinent information for each type listed to the right side of the image. It is made just like the other Aids but rectangular and is slightly longer than the other pages.

 There are five decks of cards. Four of them, USA, Insurgent, Canadian, ANA (Afghan Army), are used to show all the information of each different types of units on both sides. The fifth deck is the Luck deck. This, naturally, represents the 'friction' of war as Moltke described it. The cards are a little bit smaller than a regular deck but also seem to be laminated. They have nice large writing, and the pictures of the different units and pieces of equipment are certainly what you would expect in a Vuca Simulations game.

Luck Cards

U.S. and Insurgent Unit Cards

 Then we come to the five countersheets. The countersheets are split about 60/40 between each side's units and playing markers. The troop counters are 3/4" and the vehicle ones are 7/8". They also come pre-rounded for those of us who care about that. The artwork on them is nicely done without unnecessary gaudiness. The information on them is quite large but you also have it on the unit card decks.

Insurgents and other counters

Canadian and more Insurgent counters

U.S. and ANA counters

 The Rulebook and Playbook are also pretty much standard Vuca Simulations fare. Thet are both in full color and also seem to be slightly laminated. Not enough to give you horrific glare but certainly much more substantial than a magazine. The Rulebook is 48 pages long and is in double columns. However, the printing is nice and large, and it is filled with play examples. So, do not be daunted by the 48 pages. It also comes with an Appendix which is really just a very handy set of "common combats in flow chart form". This is an excellent player aid to keep at hand. The Playbook is 26 pages long and is set up the same way as the Rulebook. The first five pages are some designer notes and a little bit of history. The rest is taken up by the setup and rules for the 20 scenarios it comes with.

 The game box is filled up with all of the wonderful things that we have come to expect from Vuca Simulations. All wargames are pricier now than ever before. However, with Vuca Simulations games you definitely get your money's worth. 

Turn Track and Terrain Key

 With modern day simulation games, or even ones going back to a World War 3 in the 1970s or 80s, you can go one of two ways with the games. Most designers go for the kitchen sink approach to the modern battlefield and try to design a game that is full of micromanagement and flashy details on weapons systems. There is nothing wrong with this approach and it is also seen in other periods of war simulations. Sometimes, I love to get mired with minutiae. Other times, I am looking for a game that has some depth but is quicker to learn and you can get up and playing faster. This game was designed with the latter in mind. Do not get me wrong, it does have plenty of depth. However, you are not making die rolls to see where each bullet fired by your soldiers land. Mr. Logan has made a name for himself by designing all of the Old School Tactical, based in World War II, wargames. If you are conversant with those games, this new Modern War series will be very easy to learn. Sometimes an 'easier' game is decried by grognards as not being as good as a wargame with a 100-page rulebook and needing to phone a friend for help deciphering them. Please try and remember the gameplay is the thing. 

 This game is definitely based in the actuality of modern war. If you try to play it like the Eastern Front in World War II you will get your hand slapped, or lose victory points, because of it. Yes, the insurgent forces are more brittle. However, you cannot just sit in your helicopters and fire away, although that is very helpful. You as the USA and Cannada and its Afghan Allies will have to put boots on the ground. The bloody infantry are the deciders of war on the ground since time immemorial. This is a game about small unit engagements. Even the units with huge armies and supplies behind them only have a finite number of things. Those troops are also put in some of the most inhospitable and remote areas of combat. They are also faced with a homegrown enemy that has a lot going for it before the action even starts. If you expect to just steamroll your way through these villages etc. you have another thing coming. Likewise, the insurgents have to be completely aware of the modern armaments and mechanized units their enemies have, and their training. The Luck Cards can have a great effect on your plans for your units, especially if the Breakdown Card rears its ugly head. Your opponent gets to remove an enemy support weapon or flip a Weapons Team to its Team side, thereby becoming just infantry.

 The coalition forces should try and keep their helicopters and armored vehicles out of harm's way. The helicopters are worth three victory points, and the armored vehicles are worth two, this is the same as a full squad. The insurgents have RPGs, a heavy machine gun unit at times, and a good number of light machine guns at their disposal. Naturally not in every scenario, but they can be there. The 'bomber' units of the insurgents are one of their most dangerous weapons. If possible, the Coalition forces should target them, and any heavy weapons, that the insurgents have early in each scenario. Then we come to the insidious IEDs. These are hidden until sniffed out by Coalition forces or by the blast that your units will suffer from them. The addition of civilians running amok during these firefights is another thing that the Coalition forces have to be aware of (these are also worth two points to the insurgents). The Rulebook also has some rules for tank-to-tank engagement but there is no chance in this game. This is just because they are Core Rules for the gaming system.

 The game uses Impulse Points and an Initiative Phase. The scenarios go by fast and furious and you can easily get lost in the gameplay. The Luck Cards can, and will, change how a scenario is playing out. Lady Luck is equally distributed between the forces. This is a game for playing and not cross-referencing rules and yet it still gives a good approximation of the realities of the combat. It is a cat and mouse game played out with newer weaponry. Of course, drones are nowhere near as effective or muti-purpose as they are now. These battles took place roughly 20 years ago.

 Thank you Vuca Simulations for letting me review another of your excellent games. A big thank you also to Mr. Logan for designing another great game system for me to get obsessed about. 

Robert Peterson

Modern Tactics: Afghanistan

Vuca Simulations

 Iron Squad

by

Princeps Games

On Kickstarter now

 This is straight from Princeps Games:

"Hello,

My name is Vukasin Nisavic and I am the cofounder of Princeps Games together with my brother Janko Nisavic. When we are not designing games I work as a legal adviser. My brother and I design games, playtest them and we are doing our best to deliver a fine product to the audience. Nothing new with ‘Iron Squad’ regarding this.

While playing board wargames it always bothered me how players can see the enemy’s units on the board. Even though there are some mechanisms which simulate the FOW system in computer games up to a point, all those systems were not quite there yet. There was always something missing. So, I decided to give it a try, and I designed a system that will allow the players to have the same experience while playing board games which they have while playing computer games.

 ‘Iron Squad’ was originally designed for our new ‘Fog of War’ system. We like to call it ‘revolutionary’. This system required a unique game management so we needed a simple game to start with and that’s how the ‘Iron Squad’ was born. Unfortunately, we found that mass production of this kind of FOW system was too challenging for our small company at this time, so we decided to do an overhaul of ‘Iron Squad’ and here we are. You would definitely have to check this FOW system in order to understand the scale of it. Here is the video if you’re interested

https://youtu.be/gIZgbsffANo

With ‘Iron Squad’ we wanted to offer a game with high replay ability, so this time we went for a game board design which will allow players to have a different terrain configuration in every game by using the ‘Terrain Tiles’. Also, a different setup of the game is possible thanks to the mini-map sheets which allow the players to set the starting position of their units in a different way every time they play the game. Players draw ‘Mission Cards’ and the player who completes the mission first is the winner. If this doesn’t happen until the end of round 12, the winner is the player with the most Victory Points.

There are so many factors which can lead to a different game. You have the ‘Terrain Tiles’ which bring new configuration of the game board. Then you have mini-maps which allow a different setup. Each player has 5 different Missions Cards to draw. In addition, you have a ‘Weather’ and ‘Day&Night’ modifiers. At the end, there is a very interesting combat system with a modified D20 dice which allow the players to choose the impact of luck.

‘Iron Squad’ is currently live on Kickstarter and you can check the campaign page and back the game by clicking on this link:"

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/princepsgames/iron-squad

These are two reviews I did of other Princeps Games:

The Battle of KhalKhin Gol July - August 1939 by Princeps Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

March on the Drina WWI by Princeps Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

This is a review that Polydor did:

FREEZING INFERNO - A Wargamers Needful Things

Stalingrad Eastern Front 1942/43

Expansion for Old School Tactical Volume I

by

Flying Pig Games

Designed by

Shayne Logan

 Stalingrad, the name conjures up some of the worst warfare in WWII. We normally read about sweeping military maneuvers. There are none inside the battle for this city. We also read about certain points on a battlefield that are taken and lost several times by each side. This is one of the very few where we read about fighting for different floors inside of each house. The city that was lived in, more like survived in, by the two armies was as badly destroyed as if it was the 13th century and had been attacked by Mongols. It stands to reason that a city named after a murderous maniac, and then attacked by another one, would be turned into hell on earth. 

 

 The expansion comes with:

a 30" x 41" historical mounted map

a full sheet of OST counters

a scenario booklet with EIGHT scenarios

a beautiful new box to store everything in

This is an expansion. You must own Old School Tactical Vol I to play Stalingrad.

 This expansion for Old School Tactical Volume I has been as hard to find as hen's teeth. Luckily for us, the Propellered Porcines have finally been able to reprint it.

 The map is the usual massive, mounted type that we have become used to from Flying Pig Games. It is really just a cavalcade of broken houses, torn up ground, and indiscriminate rubble that the actual city did look like after and during the battle. The immersion factor of the map is definitely a 10 out of 10. The counters are also what we have become used to from Flying Pig Games in The Old School Tactical Series and many of their other games. They are big and hefty. A full countersheet comes with the expansion. You get a cavalcade of different tank models. These include:

Marder II

Panzerkampfwagen VI E

StuG III B

Panzerkampfwagen IV (E, F, F2)

T 34

T 34/ 85

KV I

 The Russians get Guard units along with NKVD. The Germans have Assault units along with Pioneers. The Soviets also get three counters of Ampulomets. This was a makeshift Soviet weapon used in 1941/42. Think of a British PIAT, sans the spring, and with a black powder charge. It fired a glass container of phosphorus and Sulphur that ignited when exposed to air. It was one of those weapons where you have to guess if it did more damage to friend or foe. A simple Molotov Cocktail seems a lot more user friendly. This just shows Flying Pig Games, and Shayne Logan's, attention to detail, and historical accuracy. The series was designed by Mark H. Walker.

 The expansion comes with eight scenarios. These are:

Rattenkrieg - 7 Turns

Siberians - 9 Turns

The Nail Factory - 10 Turns

Desperation - 11 Turns

13th Guards Sacrifice - 12 Turns

Factory to the Front - 9 Turns

The Forsaken - 12 Turns

Death of the 6th Army - 16 Turns

 My favorite scenario is Desperation and the German drive for the Volga's riverbank. 

 A question was just posted online asking if the OST games came with a scenario editor or creator. The short answer is no. However, you physically own a boardgame. What I mean is that unlike a computer wargame where you would have to learn how to code and then mess with a games code, you have everything already at your fingertips in a boardgame. So, in actuality even with the scenarios provided you have a myriad of choices. Do you think that one scenario is too much in favor of one side, then switch it up. You could add or subtract units at your pleasure. Give the Russians Guard units instead of regular infantry, or you could swap a German pioneer unit for a normal infantry. In reality, even small tweaks like this give you an unlimited choice on each scenario. You could change as much or as little as you feel comfortable doing. Is it possible to 'break' a scenario by doing this? The answer is a definite yes. However, you can rethink your changes and start from scratch. We play wargames not just to be amused but also to use our minds. So, my suggestion is use yours and go for it. In the larger context this works for all games. I have seen far too many posts from people who print that a single rule ruins a game they just bought, and they are going to sell it or hide it away. If you do not like how a rule works tweak it to your hearts content or just ignore it. The rant is over, and I am stepping of the soapbox. 

 Thank you, Flying Pig Games, for allowing me to review another excellent part to the Old School Tactical family of games. OST Volume 5: Battle for France is on KickStarter right now. The game was funded in seven minutes, but you can still get in on the fun. The link will be below

Robert Peterson

Stalingrad Eastern Front 1942/43

Old School Tactical

Flying Pig Games

OST Volume 5: Battle for France KS

 Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg and DLC Downfall

by

Matrix/Slitherine Games

 This is the final Combat Mission game in the series, and its release will also coincide with the release of a DLC for Final Blitzkrieg. The Combat Mission series is one that has been one of, if not the, best tactical games on the PC for a long time. The different games have spanned the time from World War II to the present. 

 This is what Matrix/Slitherine Games has to say about the dual release:

"Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg (CMFB) follows the Western Allies through the battles along Germany's border and into the heart of the Reich itself. The game covers the October 1944 through January 1945 timeframe with a focus on the American sector of the Battle of the Bulge.

The Sturmtiger

Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg allows you to revisit the famous battlefields along the German border, with the wintery Battle of the Bulge as its main focus. It was a time and place where the Wehrmacht was still highly capable at the tactical level, yet fairly evenly matched against the American forces arrayed against it. The mix of harsh weather in an unforgiving rugged environment ensured the fighting was challenging for both sides.

Two expansive campaigns offer two very different experiences. One focuses on American forces pushing into Aachen, the first major German city to fall into Allied hands. The other portrays the famous drive of Kampfgruppe Peiper deep into the American lines. Also included are one training campaign, 25 standalone scenarios, and multitudes of Quick Battle maps that will test your tactical acumen and give you easy access to the full range of weather, terrain, and forces from this period and place in time.

Close-up shot of a German 88

Features

Tactical warfare at battalion and below scale in a true 3D environment

Command individual vehicles, teams, and squads

Expansive simulation of "soft factors" such as Morale, Experience, and Leadership

Innovative systems portraying Fog of War, Spotting, Line of Sight, Command & Control, and Objectives

Unmatched realistic physics, ballistics, and battlefield effects

Fight in a wide range of weather and lighting conditions, all of which realistically impact fighting abilities

Unique hybrid system for RealTime or WeGo (turn based) play

Full featured Editor for maps, scenarios, and campaigns

Quick Battle system sets up deliberate or randomized battles based on player specifications

Single player and head to head play, including Play By Email (PBEM)

The final array of German heavy armor makes its first appearance in Combat Mission

American forces also have much improved armor, including the M36 tank destroyer

Organizational changes in the formations on both sides give even the most experienced CM player new tactical challenges and opportunities

The winter weather and forested terrain set the tactical experience apart from all other CM games

Three Regions within the game help set the mood with Dutch, French, and German accents

Expansive maps with 1m x 1m resolution allow for short and long range action across complex terrain

Buildings have explicitly simulated doors, windows, and floors

Weather and ground condition modelling systems allow for everything from dry sunny days to muddy stormy nights, with visibility and mobility dynamically affected by the conditions. Some Combat Mission games include the full range of Winter, Spring, and Fall weather as well

Line of Sight and Line of Fire are separately calculated, which means sometimes you can see something you can't shoot and sometimes you can shoot at things you can't see

Soldier posture (prone, kneeling, standing) affects everything including spotting, cover, and ability to engage enemies

The way a nation organizes its units has a huge impact on how they perform in combat, therefore great pains are taken to accurately portray formations as they are in real life for a particular point in time

Lighting affects combat in no small way in real life as well as in the game. The correct lighting conditions are simulated based on time of day, time of year, and weather."

Allied Forces 

 They are also having a sale right now on the other Combat Mission games:

The Matrix team is thrilled to inform you that this week, from January 15th to January 22nd, our entire franchise Combat Mission will be participating in the Midweek Madness Sale, off up to 50%. For example, you can now find Fortress Italy, Shock Force 2 or Battle for Normandy at half price.

Matrix/Slitherine Games:

Welcome to Matrix Games

Combat Mission sale:

Games on Sale - Matrix Games

 Strategy & Tactics #340

by

Decision Games and Strategy & Tactics Press

  The French & Indian War was really the fourth war between Britain and France over the new continent. It is also the name given to the North American part of the Seven Years War. These are the wars, and their dates, fought on the North American continent:

King William's War 1688-1697 - Known as the War of the Grand Alliance in Europe

Queen Anne's War 1702-1713 - Known as The War of the Spanish Succession in Europe

King George's War 1744-1748 - Known as The War of the Austrian Succession in Europe

The French & Indian War 1754-1763 Known as the Seven Years War in Europe

 So, you can see there was a large history of warfare between the colonial powers before the last war for supremacy took place. In actuality, France really had no chance. The British colonies had a population of over a million in 1750. The French colony in Canada had a population of just over 50,000. With that disparity of numbers, it is pretty amazing that the French were able to battle that long for the continent. 

 It seems at times that the first thing that one of Noah's children did after landfall was to start printing Strategy & Tactics magazine. It was a bit heftier then and was written in Cuneiform but if you can find an old copy you will see that the format hasn't changed that much.

Part of the map for the Battle of Lake George 1755

 The articles for this issue are:

Decisive Battles of the French & Indian War by Joseph Miranda

Timur's 1398 Invasion of India and Sack of Delhi by Cam Rea

Goose Green - The Falklands 1982 by Andrew Mulholland

US Armor in the Philippines: 1941-42 by Russell Moore

 The usual departments are listed here:

On Design by Joseph Miranda

Work in Progress: Carolingian Twilight

The Russian Prewar Experience by Dave Schroeder

Did You Know? by Joseph Miranda

Flashpoints

 Iranian Drones in Venezuela by Javier Romero Munoz

 The Emerging Russo-Turkish Axis by Andrew Mulholland

 Cold War Weapons in the Russo-Ukraine War by Gilberto Villahermosa

 Lightning Carriers in the Indo-Pacific by Patrick S. Baker

For Your Information

 The 1946 Azerbaijan Crisis by Vernie Liebl

 The First Arab Siege of Constantinople, 674 -78 by Cam Rea

 Long Rifles in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans by Arnold Blumberg

 The Renault FT-17 Tank by Maciej Jonasz

Media Reviews: 

 Rome & Parthia, Empires at War Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War 40-20 BC by Gareth Sampson and published by Pen & Sword reviewed by John D. Burtt

 It always happens when I get an issue of S & T that they print an article that interests me even more than my interest in the main article. The French & Indian War really interests me and always has. However, the life and reign of Timur is another bit of history that I have always tried to read everything I could get my hands on. The Falklands article takes a different than usual approach to the Goose Green Battle. As always, each page has something to make you think about or get interested in. 

Counters

 From Sir William Johnson's early victory in the war, to the penultimate Battle of Quebec, where both Wolfe and Montcalm died, along with the Battle for Fort Oswego in 1756. We have a triple dose of grand tactical battles for the French & Indian War to choose from.

 The game scale is 50-100 yards for each hex. Each strength point equals from 40-150 men. The artillery units equal from 2-6 guns. Each game turn represents 10 minutes to one hour. Both of the above vary due to the different scenario sizes.

The map is the standard 22" x 34". The map is split into three sections. The largest is the Battle of Quebec part. Next in size is the Battle of Fort George followed by the smaller Fort Oswego map. The hexes are nice and large. The nature of the terrain is mostly woods and clear hexes with the added fortification lines. The map is a well-done representation of the areas. The counters seem huge at 5/8" for a magazine game. They are also some of the best looking, if not the best, counters I have seen from S & T. The leader counters have small portraits on them. The counters show these units:

Line Infantry

Light Infantry

Grenadier Infantry

Indians

Militia Infantry 

Artillery

Supply Trains

 There are also counters for the different tactics that can be used by each side. These are used in the 'Special Tactics' of the Optional Rules. 

Attack

Volley

Bayonet Attack

Ambush

Forced March

 Each scenario has its own victory conditions. The French and British forces in each battle have a Demoralization Level. The different scenarios have conditions that raise each side's demoralization level. After that level is reached one of the effects are that disordered units cannot rally. The Special Tactics cannot be used on a side that has reached its demoralization level. The different units all have their Combat Factor, Movement Allowance, and Range Factor (if the unit is artillery). Other than some bells and whistles the games rules are pretty standard for this period of warfare. 

 These are some nice small engagements with a minimal of counters and small map footprints. They are a good choice of battles from the war. Players should be able to play a few games easily on game night. Thank you, S & T, for allowing me to review another of your excellent issues.  

Robert

S & T Press

S & T #340

 

 They Were Soldiers and Dak To - Hill 875

by

Cadet Games

 

 This game, or actually games, has done exactly what I love about wargaming. It has presented me with a piece of history that I know little about. So, naturally I had to find books about the two battles. I knew some about the Battle of The Ia Drang Valley, as it was the first time that a group of U.S. soldiers were used in Vietnam en masse and not just as trainers or Green Berets. I had never watched the film 'We Were Soldiers' either. I know, shame on me. I knew next to nothing about the Battle for Hill 875. The way I look at it is you cannot judge a historical wargame without knowing the true details about the battle or campaign.

 Cadet Games gives you both battles inside the box. Let us look at the historical synopsis from Cadet Games:

"At 10:48 A.M. on the morning of November 14th, 1965, the first 80 soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the U.S. 7th Cavalry landed in a small clearing at the foot of the Chu Pong Massif in central Vietnam near the Cambodian border.  The Americans had landed in the middle of the base area for an entire North Vietnamese division, and were almost immediately attacked from multiple sides of their small landing zone - called ‘LZ X-Ray’.

The battle raged over the next several days, with high losses on both sides.  In the end, the Americans had proved their new airmobility tactics and had inflicted high losses on the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers they faced.  The NVA had also learned how to fight the Americans - and had inflicted serious losses on a high-tech superpower enemy by using classic light infantry tactics with only a fraction of the firepower available to the Americans.

This game challenges the players to re-fight the first day or so of that battle - the critical time when the NVA forces had the chance to overwhelm the Americans and overrun the landing zone.  Can you, as the U.S. player, hold your ground and repeat history?  Or will the NVA player triumph and overwhelm the perimeter - cutting the Americans off from supply and reinforcement?  Get ready to re-live or re-write history in the battle for LZ-Xray!

At 09:43 A.M. on the morning of November 19th, 1967, the lead platoons of the 2/503rd Airborne Infantry began advancing south up the north face of hill 875 in the central highlands of Vietnam near Cambodia.  The Americans, just 330 strong, expected to face a company of the NVA.  The pre-assault bombardment by aircraft and artillery had created much deadfall, craters and holes in the thick jungle.

The battle that followed became one of the bloodiest in the Vietnam War.  The NVA had been expecting the Americans and had a plan of their own.  The 2/503rd was nearly wiped out but was quickly reinforced by their 4th battalion.  The battle for the hilltop raged for days with serious losses on both sides.  In the end, the Americans took the hill - but the NVA had slipped away with many of their soldiers to fight again."

Map for the Ia Drang Battle

 So, both battles have the U.S. player definitely on the backfoot. Your job as the U.S. is to survive the onslaughts. If playing as the Vietnamese, you must try and destroy the U.S. units without using up all of your troops to do so. 

 This is what comes with the game:

32 NVA And Vietcong Soldiers

20 U.S. Cavalry Troopers

2 105mm Howitzers

3 Huey Helicopters

2 A1 Skyraiders

1 Mortar

50 Number Markers

40 NVA Unit Markers

40 Wounded Markers

30 NVA Markers

100 Gray Chips

40 White Chips

23 U.S. Unit Markers

30 Bright Green Chips

50 Olive Drab Chips

20 Green Chips

5 Downed Huey Markers

78 Game Cards

10 Fire Mission Markers

2-Sided Mounted Map

1 Rulebook

1 Battleboard

1 NVA Reinforcement Card With Hidden Unit Boxes

1 Cavalry Reinforcement Card

1 Fire Support Layout

2 Status Markers

1 Initiative Marker

1 Game Turn Marker

2 Landing/Take Off Hex Markers

15 Airborne Unit Markers

2 NVA AAA Unit Markers

2 NVA Mortar Unit Markers

10 NVA Bunker Markers

1 Spooky Marker

 This is quite the list!

 The map is mounted and double-sided. The maps are very nicely done and really show off the terrain you have to deal with. Both Maps show a smaller area than you might have thought. The scenarios for the battles are very early in each battle and only show the part of the terrain that matches with the beginning of both battles. Think of it as a map of one of the fortified positions of Dien Bien Phu and not the entire valley. I cannot go over all of the game's components separately or this would be one very long review. All of the plastic soldiers and counters etc. are manufactured to a very high degree of workmanship. As I mentioned in my last Cadet Games review, if you do get soldiers or planes that are a bit bent, do not sweat it. Just put them in some hot water and they can be fixed into their original positions. One thing that is great for we grognards that are getting older is that all of the components are large. You will not have to fiddle with 1/2" counters in these games. The game comes with two rulebooks. One is for the Battle of Ia Drang Valley (and is the main rulebook for the games). The other is for the Battle of Dak To Hill 875. The Ia Drang Rulebook is twenty-three pages long, while the one for Dak To is just eleven pages. They are in full color and have some illustrations of the rules inside. The components, maps, and Rulebooks are definitely up the level of the other Cadet Games wargame that I reviewed 'Nguyen Hue '72, The 1972 Easter Offensive in Vietnam'.

 The different colored 'chips' to the side of the map are used underneath the plastic soldiers to show the unit's strength. A full-strength unit of either side has 7 'steps' and thirty-five soldiers. It is an easy and simple way to keep track of your units' strength points. 

Everything that was encountered by either side in the battle is included. There are NVA bunkers, anti-aircraft, and mortar units. The U.S. has Huey helicopters and howitzers. These are just a few of the units that you are capable of using in the game. 

 Victory is determined in Ia Drang by the U.S. casualties taken. The smaller the number of casualties means a U.S. victory. In Dak To Hill 875, the NVA player has to eliminate the U.S. soldiers and make sure none are on the top of Hill 875 at the end of the game. The U.S. wins even if they have a wounded unit on the top of Hill 875.

  The other game from Cadet Games that I reviewed was a strategic one encompassing the whole of South Vietnam. The rules for this game are not just leveled down compared to it. The Sequence of Play, movement, and combat have all been designed for a tactical game. The one thing U.S. players have to keep in mind is that neither of these battles shows off the immense resources that the U.S. had during the war. These are both very small action knife fights. In every hex toward your goal might lie an ambush. The NVA player in Dak To Hill 875 can take as many casualties as are needed to reach your goal. As long as you have one unit left and the U.S. has none you are king of the hill.

 

 Both of these battles, as has been shown, are very different from the ones in documentaries. The U.S. player has a very minimal amount of air and artillery to keep the NVA at bay. I am as impressed by this game's rules and play as I was by the Cadet Games strategic game I reviewed. The games have short rulebooks and are easy to learn but still have a lot of depth for the player to revel in.

 Thank you, Cadet Games, for allowing me to review another great product from your stable. Wargamers, and especially grognards, should look past the small plastic soldiers etc. to see the real wargame underneath. These games are not Axis and Allies clones.

Robert

Cadet games:

Cadet Games LLC - Cadet Games

They Were Soldiers, and Dak To Hill 875:

Vietnam War - Cadet Games LLC

My review of:

Nguyen Hue '72 by Cadet Games - A Wargamers Needful Things