The Fate of All

Strategikon Book I: Alexander's Campaign Against the Persian Empire, The First Diadochi War, and Other Deeds

Thin Red Line Games

Megas Alexandros, the son of Philip II and Olympias, both of which have had numerous books written about them, was born in July 356 B.C. Philip II was a hard man and king who had two desires. The first was to be considered Greek by the Greeks; most thought of the Macedonians as barbarians. The second, to invade the Persian Empire supposedly in retaliation for the two Persian invasions of Greece. Olympias was another matter entirely. To Alexander she was a doting mother who considered her son to be divinely born, or at least half divine. To others, she was Mommie Dearest on steroids. Anything or especially anyone who got in Alexander or his offspring's way was considered fair game for horrific retribution. The story of Alexander's invasion of Persia and his marching all the way from India and back is the stuff of legends and is well known. However, the stories of his generals are not as well known. Napoleon was well served by most of his Marshals. In reality they could not hold a candle to Alexander's generals, especially the Diadochi (Successors).

I am breaking a rule that I have followed since I started wring for AWNT a good number of years ago. This rule was to never compare one game to another, the main reason being is that much like children, all games are different, and they are the offspring of each designer's thoughts. There are two games that I would never part with. These are the Art of Siege and The Conquerors, or just Conquerors. Both were released by SPI in the late 1970s. Between the two, The Conquerors is in the number one spot of this grognard's heart. I have three copies of the SPI version, two just for extra maps and counters. Both I got for a steal, and even another version by Excalibre Games released in 2011. As grognards we all have our most favorite games, and we also have extra copies in case of something untoward happening (much like how Foghorn Leghorn has his numbered feathers for emergencies). However, my heart skipped a beat when I opened the first map I came across and looked at the area of Lydia. I was absolutely enthralled. I was not really expecting to be. This game after all is about Alexander's invasion of the Persian Empire (The Conquerors also has a campaign about the Roman war with Antiochus the Great). Whilst I have read all of the books that have been written about Alexander and his great enterprise, I was never really a fan of Alexander's. Some things he did have really touched a chord with me such as smashing Cassander's head into the wall repeatedly when he laughed at the obeisance that the Persin nobles showed Alexander (Cassander being no favorite of mine). The Diadochi and their wars and battles have always meant much more to me than the great Alexander. I saw that one of the scenarios was about the first Diadochi War. Then I saw a counter that really grabbed my wargamer's heart. It was a counter for Antigonus, who according to Plutarch "was the oldest and greatest of Alexander's successors". To finally find a boardgame with a scenario about one of my heroes pretty much put me in awe of the game. It was from that moment that I began to realize that I had found a successor, no pun intended, to SPIs The Conquerors.

Thin Red Line Games are known for their massive simulations about the Third World War happening in 1985. It seems the minute they go into print they go out of stock and the games then hit astronomical resale numbers? on those markets. I had read about those games, but never have I seen one up close to see for myself what all the other grognards were swooning over. Having seen the contents of this box I can now say that they have absolutely wonderful production quality. If they World War III games are like this no wonder, there has been such hubbub over them. This is a list of their WWIII games:

In a Dark Wood

1985: Under an Iron Sky

Less Than 60 Miles

1985: Deadly Northern Lights

The Dogs of War

1985: Sacred Oil

Die Festung Hamburg

This is what comes with this game:

4x 90×60 cm matte plasticized map, covering Greece, Anatolia and the Middle East

1x Battle Map

5x 5/8″ matte plasticized counter sheets

20x Fate Cards

Rules Booklet

Scenarios & Designers’ Notes Booklet

Strategikon Booklet, containing examples and suggestions for the Commanders

2x Charts & Tables booklets

4x Player Aid Charts

2x 10-sided dice

10x zipbags

Game Highlights

30 km per hex, one month per turn

Units representing various formations, from Phalanx to Chariots

Order of battle and commanders based on primary sources and the most recent historical research

Realistic supply problems with realistic and possibly violent solutions

Cavalry Reconnaissance, Foraging and Raiding

Reaction Movement, not so easy retreats and catastrophic routs

Attrition and Army Morale, your first problems in the morning

Naval Warfare

Satrapies, Taxation and Bribes

Revolts, Treachery and worse

Five Different Scenarios with different complexity

A picture of all you get with your purchase

This is what Thin Red Line Games has to say about their magnum opus:

"Loosely inspired on SPI’s “The Conquerors”, The Fate of All is an operational / tactical simulation covering the first four years of the campaign led by Alexander the Great against the Achaemenid Empire ruled by Darius III.

The final goal is to give a realistic representation of ancient warfare, without strange salads of godly interventions, auguries and Homeric duels. In the end, players will find that the problems faced were similar to those encountered during the Napoleonic era or the American Civil War.

The four maps cover Greece, part of the Balkans, Anatolia, Egypt and the Middle East up to Babylon. The scale is 30 km per hex with monthly turns.

The maps are designed using the latest archaeological studies and findings, but despite centuries of research several things are still only vaguely known: Some examples are the extension and path of the Persian Royal Roads, the location of several important cities and the exact route of Alexander’s Army. In these cases, the “most accepted theory” rule has been used.

Counters are 5/8″, each one representing a formation, from a Macedonian Phalanx Taxis (approx. 1500 soldiers) to a Cavalry Ile (200 – 300 mounted soldiers). Commanders and naval forces are also represented and will be key elements for the final victory.

Rules are centered on the problems of army organization, supply and morale: Commanders are essentials, armies must be organized in a balanced way, or they will move slowly, cavalry must be used for foraging, raid and reconnaissance, morale must be kept under control using sound military achievements or donations.

Political aspects are also a key element: Actions like Plundering and Sacking will have a negative impact on the local support by the ruling class and population, and both sides will have to use money or threats to gain it back. Last but not least, treason, revolts and dubious allies will be a problem too."

The map pieces put together

I will just say at the beginning that the booklets and pieces of the game are really a sight to behold. There is a gaggle of player aids that come in the box. Here is a rundown on them.

The Rulebook is in full color and is 23 pages long. The front and back cover have the famous mosaic of Alexander attacking Darius III in the latter's chariot. The different sections are headed by titles made to look like ancient Greek writing. This is a nice added touch to the game. Next up is the Scenarios and Designer Notes Booklet. It is 19 pages long and both of the above are designed in thick magazine style. The print is large enough where you do not need a magnifying glass and the rules etc. are written out so that you are not jumping back and forth to learn them. The Strategikon is an eight-page booklet of examples of all of the types of play. It is wonderfully illustrated for the player to follow along easily to learn the ropes. The charts and tables booklets, you get one for each player, are done the same way as all of the rest of the booklets mentioned. They are six-pages long and give the player everything he needs at his fingertips. There is a map made of card stock of the entire area of the map. It comes with the Forage Value of each of the different Satrapies. Then there are two card stock sheets for each side's Force Boxes. Each side has four armies and four fleet boxes with the Persian side getting an extra box for troops in Persepolis. This means that the map is not cluttered with large stacks of individual units. Last is a card stock sheet with the Calendar, Satrapies Alignment, and the Movement Points track. The counters of troops and markers are on five sheets and are a nice size of 5/8". The troop counters are little works of art and even show portraits of the different leaders on both sides. There are four wonderful maps from roughly Babylon to the entire Greek Peninsula. There is also a large fold out map for the tactical battles that comes with extra-large hexes. Both the counters and maps are in matte and come 'plasticized'. I know these help with waterproofing; however, it will be a cold day in hell before I let liquid of any kind near any of my games. Of course, this is a personal preference and is a very nice touch that has been added to the game. It will also help the life span of the maps. The game has a deck of 20 Fate Cards that are in line from an artistic point of view as the rest of the game. These give a historical feel to the game and also give it a bit of a wild card approach to play. So, there you have the long list of what you get. I cannot stress too much the excellent design and manufacturing of the game parts. You really have to see and feel them for yourself.

Phoenicia and Cyprus

Macedonia

Just as with any other game, the gameplay is the real thing. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a barnyard animal. So, how does the game play? I was a bit hesitant about how the game was designed and plays. After all, this was a game that was meant to replace one of my favorite games for 45+ years. I am here to tell you that it not only matches, or surpasses, The Conquerors in gameplay, especially the tactical part, but blows it out of the water in the art department. It almost makes me a little sad. It makes me think of the games like Philip II and Alexander. One was excellent for its time and the other is just superb. This 'game' is much more a military and political simulation of the time period. The designer stresses the fact that supply is one of the major factors in the game, just as it should be. The game puts you in these ancient leaders' shoes. You do not feel that you could put Panzers on the map and the game would play out the same. Supply and strategic thinking are the name of the game in this simulation. You actually get to see if you can emulate Alexander, or you can stop him with Memnon's take on what strategy the Persians should have used. As Alexander, you have one of the greatest fighting forces of all time. However, they can easily be swallowed up by the vastness of the greatest of ancient empires up until that time. As the Persian player, you have vast amounts of troops at your disposal, but they are not a homogenous force whatsoever. Most of them are of a lesser caliber than Alexander's troops. The ones that are able to stand up to the Macedonians' foot soldiers are few and far between. The Perian Empire was based upon some of the greatest horseman that had been seen in the ancient world up to that point. The Persian player has excellent cavalry and also a good number of them. You need to use them both tactically and strategically to win against a deck that is definitely stacked against you. As mentioned, the rules are set up for the player to easily learn how to play and find a rule or situation that may come up in the game.

Just like The Conquerors, you can have land combat resolved in a simple way or actually use the tactical map for the battles to play out (the tactical portion of The Conquerors was the only real downside to the game). In this game the tactical gameplay is just as good as the strategic.

This is the Sequence of Play:

1. Events Phase

a. Fate Step

b. Bribery Step

c. Revolt Step

2. Administrative Phase

a. Taxation Step (January only)

b. Maintenance Step (January only)

c. Recruitment Step

d. Build Baggage and Siege Trains

e. Remove Depleted Markers (April only)

f. Remove Requisition markers

g. Adjust Plunder markers

h. Flip Breach markers to the Siege side

3. Faction 1 Campaign Phase

The first Faction executes the following steps:

a. Siege Resolution Step

b. Siege Declaration Step

c. Naval Assignment Step

d. Sea Shipping Step

e. March, Fight & Die (MFD) Step

f. Final Supply Check Step

4. Faction 2 Campaign Phase

The second Faction executes the steps of Phase 3

Two different event cards form the deck. Oops, there goes Cleitus the black. The latter might show his marriage to Roxana.

The Fate of All has been able to make me decide to put an old friend on the shelf probably never to be played again. This is both a sad moment for me but also a revelation and a wonderful feeling of great gaming to come. The fact that the designer was also a fan and used The Conquerors as a steppingstone mitigates my sadness. I am a self-professed ancient's nut when it comes to military history. The fact that this game has a scenario about the first Diadochi War is just the best icing I have ever tasted on the cake.

The Battle of the Granicus setup.

"The Shattered Bonds

The first Diadochi war, 320 BCE

In 321 BCE, most of the internal rebellions caused by the untimely death of Alexander and the subsequent splitting of his empire have been quelled, and the Diadochi are finally ready to put every energy toward their common goal: Killing each other.

As Perdiccas moves to settle the score with Ptolemy, a coalition formed by Antipater, Craterus and Antigonus prepares to invade Anatolia, hoping to undermine Perdiccas’ dominant position and to bring support to Ptolemy before it’s too late.

The defence of Anatolia is entrusted to Eumenes, a previous secretary of Alexander raised to the rank of general thanks to his capabilities. Perdiccas also assigns Neoptolemos, an able officer but with a reputation for troublemaking, to act under the command of Eumenes.

As Antipater and his allies move into Anatolia by land and sea, Perdiccas’ faction is hit by a string of defections: Neoptolemos, the fleet admiral Cleitus the White, the Lydia Satrap Menandros, and the Karia Satrap Asandros all side with the enemy.

It’s only the beginning of a bloody war that will claim the life of most of its protagonists."

Read the introduction carefully.

Thank you, Thin Red Line Games, for allowing me to review this excellent addition to your stable of games. I have read so much and seen how well your Third World War games play and look. I was really wondering how you would do with a game from this era. I need not have worried. Great gameplay and wonderful artwork are what grognards' dreams are made of. In this game you have succeeded in making dreams come true. I hope the readers take a look at those Third World War games when they click the link below to this masterpiece. Luckily, Thin Red Line Games does do reprints on occasion.

Some of the counters in all their glory.

Robert

Thin Red Line Games

The Fate of All

Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863

Worthington Publishing

So, where do we begin this review? Gettysburg July 1st, 1863 touched off the bloodiest three days in the American Civil War. However, Gettysburg was not the largest battle in The Civil War. That distinction actually goes to The Battle of Fredericksburg. Because of the ramifications of the Battle of Gettysburg, most people assume it was the largest battle (one can make the case that the fall of Vicksburg at the same time was more momentous) of the Civil War. Yes, it did have the most casualties on both sides of any battle during it. However, at the time, it was not seen as the momentous occasion that it was. Lee was able to escape back to Virginia, much to President Lincoln's chagrin, and drag out the war almost another two full years.

The next question about the battle comes from the grognard community itself, or at least a portion of us, and that is why another game about this battle? The big three games in wargaming are Waterloo, The Bulge, and Gettysburg. Someone said once, (it has been attributed to a few people), that NATO, nukes, and Nazis sell games. However, the big three games that I just mentioned are really the big sellers. The American Civil War is slightly behind World War II in wargaming circles. It is even a large seller in the European markets. So, why another game? Is it just a money grab or is there something else to it. To my way of thinking, it is not a cash grab. Designers have been bombarded with Gettysburg games since they were children. I believe they feel a burning need to try their hand at it. They have tallied up the pros and cons of all of the different Gettysburg games they have played and want to put their own spin on it.

So, let us take a look at this go round by designers Grant and Mike Wylie and see if they have hit the mark or couldn't hit an elephant at that distance, much to Sedgewick's chagrin.

This is what Worthington Publishing has to say about the game:

"GETTYSBURG 1863 is Volume IV in the Old School Wargames Civil War Brigade Battle series. The game allows gamers to refight the historic and pivotal battle of Gettysburg in 1863 using a large mounted map board, large pieces, and a streamlined set of series rules that is just 8 -12 pages long. The Battle Booklet will give you historical details, design, notes and 7 scenarios:

July 1 - Meeting Engagement

July 1 - Take That Hill (Can Ewell take Culp's Hill?)

July 2 - The Fight for the Flanks

July 2 - The Fight for Little Round Top

July 3 - Lee's Folly

July 4 - Should Meade Have Attacked?

July 1 - July 4 (the full battle)

The single day scenarios should take between 1 to 3 hours to play with the full battle taking 6 - 10 hours to play.

Special rules for early or late arrival of reinforcements, Follow up attacks, new terrain rules for multi level hex changes, a new rout rule, and more!

Game Scale:

Game Turn: 1 hour

Hex: 200-250 yards / 183-229 meters

Units: Infantry/Cavalry Brigades & Artillery Battalions

Game Inventory:

Two 22 x 34" full color mounted map boards (34x44" when combined for game play)

Five dual-side printed countersheets (540 3/4" counters - including 4 extra Tide of Battle counters intended for the earlier Antietam & Shiloh games)

Two 8-page Brigade series v1.4 rulebooks

Two 16-page Gettysburg playbooks

One Cavalry Battle Board Play Aid

Two Order of Battle Charts

Two Reinforcement/Casualty Charts

Two dual-side printed Combat & Terrain Charts

Two 10-sided dice

One Counter Tray

Solitaire Playability: High

Complexity Level: Medium

Players: 2 or more

Playing Time: 1-10 hours"

This is what comes in the box

Although Worthington Publishing has been around a good number of years, it is sort of a dark horse. You don't see its games mentioned a lot when games are discussed. This is truly a shame because of their excellent product line. Hopefully, their Civil War Brigade Battle Series will make the above a thing of the past. The series now includes Gettysburg July 1-3 ,1863, Antietam September 17, 1862, Shiloh April 6-7, 1862, The Seven Days Battles, and the newest Franklin November 29-30, 1864.

The Union Counters

The production value of Worthington Publishing has always been one of their strong points. They go for substance rather than art form. The game comes with two 16-page Playbooks and two 8-page Brigade Battle Series rules. They are both in full color and have nice large print. In substance, they are much like a substantial magazine. Next, we have two card stock with all the charts needed to play, and on the reverse, the terrain chart. The player also gets two pages of a single-sided reinforcement chart with a casualty track at the bottom. These are also printed on card stock. Then we have a one-page card stock cavalry battle board. Finally, each player gets his own chain of command fold out sheet. The counters are incredibly easy to read and use and are 3/4" in size. These are not the largest we have seen but they are quite large enough for easy viewing and movement. The very large and nicely done map comes in two parts. There is no ambiguity of each hex's terrain for grognards to fight over. The large box is nice and sturdy which is another Worthington Publishing trademark. It even comes with a sleeve to cover the box.

This is a close-up of the southern end of the battlefield

I am a big fan of Worthington Publishing games, whether they are hex and counter or block games. They have always been a proponent of KISS for game rules and play. However, that does not mean that their games have no historical flavor. You can get as lost in their games as much as you can a game with four to five times the counters and size. Worthington Publishing adds as much historical flavor and reality as they can while still bringing you a playable and enjoyable game. The player has ability in this game to just play a smaller scenario or take the plunge into the entire battle and beyond. This is one of the few games that gives you a July fourth scenario to see if the critics of George Meade are correct.

One of the rules that makes the game different than most is the 'Tide of Battle Marker'. It is like a wild card to be used by a player once a day during a scenario. This can be used by the active player to:

Reroll any one combat die roll made by their unit.

Reroll any one morale check die roll made for their unit.

Various Game Markers

With a rulebook that is only eight pages long the Worthington Brigade Battle Series is meant to be a player's game. You do not have to read through, or meander with some rulebooks, 40 plus pages to get a grip on how the game plays. Gettysburg was a large battle so you will need a large enough table for the maps and the ability to have it placed there for some time. You are not going to be able to squeeze in a game on the dinner table with only an hour until the food is served. This is perfectly fine and something that most wargamers, and especially grognards, thrive on. Much like a connoisseur of wines we like to gaze at the map and take it in slowly to get the full flavor of the game and setup, although most of us know the historical Gettysburg setups in our sleep. As Lee, do you attack as he thought he must, or do you take a more surgical approach to the battle? Playing as Meade, do you hesitate as he did, and rightly so, or take the bit in your teeth and go for broke? Worthington allows us to try any and all of the strategies that you can come up with. Thank you, Worthington Publishing, for allowing me to review this very well done on a much-gamed battle. Please take a look at the other games in the series and also Worthington Publishing' large stable of other wargames.

Robert

Worthington Publishing

Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863

The Wars of the Sun King: Lace Wars Series - Volume I

Serious Historical Games

This is an expanded edition of the game that was first issued in Vae Victis in 2019. Below is what the designer Philippe Hardy has to say about the game:

"This the Deluxe and augmented version of “Les Guerres du Roi Soleil 1667-1713” (The Wars of the Sun King) published in 2019 by Cerigo Edition.

This the first opportunity to play, with a single set of rules, the five conflicts led by France under the reign of Louis XIV the Great and the great rebellion called “La fronde”.

La Fronde rebellion (1648-1653) – taking advantage of the weakness of royal power while Louis, the future Louis XIV, was still a minor, the parliament of Paris and the nobility revolted at different periods and to different degrees against the regency ensured by Anne of Austria (widow of Louis XIII) and Cardinal Mazarin, hated by all. This weakening of France is a boon for Spain, still at war with France, to recover territories (Catalonia, Roussillon, the North of France).

The War of Devolution (1667-1668) - Spain’s non-payment of the Infanta of Spain’s dowry at her marriage to Louis XIV was used as a pretext for a war of conquest. This was the first conflict initiated by Louis XIV against a militarily and economically weakened Spain.

The Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678) - France wants to bring the Dutch Republic to its knees. This fierce commercial competitor, too tolerant as a state, opposes France’s expansion toward the Spanish Netherlands. This war for glory pitches against each other living legends of the Thirty Years War like Turenne, Condé et Montecuccoli. As a result of this conflict, the King of France earns the nickname Louis the Great.

This is the game map along with some of the counters

The War of the Reunions (1683-1684) - Spain does not accept the annexation by France of enclaves and surrounding areas in the Spanish Netherlands, stating their boundaries were poorly defined by the international treaties ending the War of Devolution and the Franco-Dutch War. Vauban recommends limiting the territorial enclaves, leaning against the mountainous area and securing the enclaves by constructing strongholds; it’s a matter of turf.

The War of the League of Augsburg (1688-1697) - The Habsburg’s victory against the Ottomans diverted the Empire’s attention on the French territorial gains following the War of the Reunions. In 1687, Louis XIV wanted to transform the Truce of Ratisbon into a permanent accord and send an ultimatum to the emperor who refused. The German princes and the great European powers form an alliance to counter France’s politics of expansionism and religious persecution. France finds itself diplomatically isolated.

The War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713) - King Charles II of Spain dies with no descendants. The two principal reigning families of Europe, the Bourbons (France) and the Habsburgs (Austria), are both related to Charles II and claim the throne. The principal stake is the domination of Europe by seizing the enormous heritage of the Spanish Habsburgs. France is confronted with its fiercest military enemies: Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy.

This is the back of the box

Maximise your resource points to recruit armies, build strongholds, lead sieges and battles and win glory points.

Will you be able to vanquish Montecuccoli, Eugene of Savoy or Marlborough with Turenne, Condé, Villars and impose the Sun King’s will? Or Vauban will be the nemesis of all enemies ‘citadels?"

The game includes :

• One 59 x 85 cm MOUNTED (!) map

• 324 double-sided, pre-cut counters and markers

• A scenario booklet and a rulebook

• Many player aids

I never played the original. However, I am a self-professed ultra fan of the history of Louis XIV's wars. This is a game that has been needed for a long time.

You can order the game here:

https://www.payfacile.com/serious-historical-g/s/the-wars-of-the-sun-king-1648-1713

This is the link to the website of Serious Historical Games:

SERIOUS HISTORICAL GAMES

This is about the wargaming company Europa Simulazioni

This is their newest release

The following is in their own words:

"Eighteen years have passed since 2006, when we founded Europa Simulazioni for the publication of the first game “All is lost save honour”. That game and the whole ES enterprise was a successful bet, we can say now. The Italian wargame market was languishing. The golden age of the 70s and 80s, when wargames were very popular in Italy, were far away. I myself was not sure that this hobby would last for many more years. I was colossally wrong!

I have been playing wargames since the late 80s, my first real wargame was AH War and Peace. A very sweet and indelible memory of passion for the Napoleonic epic and for that game, a great game still to this day to tell the truth.

But my viaticum towards simulation game design was the meeting with Kevin Zucker and his OSG. Napoleon at Bay changed my perception of how a historical simulation should be built. In short, the theme is to combine in-depth historical research and a game system that reflects as accurately as possible the dynamics and results of the campaign or battle you intend to simulate. It is a true art, of which Kevin is the undisputed master.

Added to this was my interest in a period of history that is very little covered in games: the early modern era and in particular the Renaissance period. The period is fascinating: it is mainly remembered, even in Italy, for the magnificent heights of artistic expression achieved by the greatest exponents of figurative art of all time. But from a military point of view, that era truly represented a turning point. Compared to the previous medieval period, armies began to grow, causing logistical and supply problems to grow out of all proportion. The ancient medieval way of conducting battles remained, but a new way of fighting soon emerged, bringing battle to the place and time deemed most suitable by the commander in chief. In the meantime, we see the use of firearms and the use of mercenary troops emerge. In short, a true revolution, which brought, it must be said, innovation, but also, unfortunately, greater destruction and death, for soldiers and for civilian populations.

Making a game, the first, about the campaigns in northern Italy in the early 1500s, the main phase of the so-called Italian Wars, yes, it was truly a gamble, also due to the serious problems of finding historical sources to draw on for the necessary research.

From there we moved on to build games set in different historical periods, always driven by a passion for History and the consequent desire to bring back to light pieces of our forgotten history. The soldiers, men and women of the past are our fathers and mothers, something of them is in us and we cannot forget them.

What are the “ingredients” of the recipe we use in ES to make a game? The first is a large dose of historical research. This starts first and never ends completely. On the contrary, after each prototype that leads to the final game, we go back and partially reread the sources to verify if they are respected with respect to the dynamics and results of the game. Then we need a system that is respectful of the historical period and the simulation that we want to create. How? A trivial example that I always give: there cannot be, in our opinion obviously, a game system based on the “fog of war” if in that historical period/moment the fog of war was not possible!

The beauty of the graphic components, the choice of materials and the ergonomics of the game are other determining elements. Finally, a monstrous dose of patience is needed: if you are a designer, you will have to put up with the requests of the publisher; if you are the graphic designer, you will have to put up with the requests of the designer and the developer; if you are the publisher, you will have to put up with everyone and everything. Step by step, over the years we have released a dozen games, and more will follow.

And here we are at Caporetto 1917, the last son of the family.

This is a game of considerable size, with a very detailed order of battle. The number of counters around a thousand and the detail of the maps included give an idea of the historical research that was done to complete it. But a game is not a treatise, and it is of no use to anyone if it remains gathering dust on a shelf. So, we have worked very hard in recent months to improve its usability and playability.

Caporetto is a challenge for a designer. This is the most catastrophic battle in Italian history, which has also entered common parlance, and given the initial historical conditions and with a good supporting game system, the Italians cannot win. So, the question arises spontaneously, why a game about this battle? We thought of a historical scenario with two paired players, each one holding a part of the Austro-German deployment and the opposite side to the Italian player's opponent. The player who does better wins. The historical scenario has the initial historical setup and this, as the player can easily understand, makes a big difference. In the free setup scenario we have given a limited possibility to deploy the Italian units in slightly different positions, at the player's choice. In this second scenario, things are completely different, and the German player will have to work hard and not a little to win the same battle!

In this way, players can follow step by step what happened. But also, they can verify that, with a few precautions and a more rational Italian defensive disposition, the battle would have had a very different outcome.

Caporetto setup

Caporetto Map close up

A true historical simulation must allow for historically reliable results. We think that Caporetto achieves this goal and really allows us to analyze in depth the real reasons for the greatest Italian military disaster, outside of any prejudice about the ability and commitment of our troops and finally looking at historical facts as they happened. And also, allow me, having fun, because this is still a game."

Below are the links to their website and the Caporetto game itself. I have the game, and it is both big and beautiful. I will be posting a review of it in the future. While you are there, do yourself a favor and look at all of their other games.

Europa Simulazioni

Caporetto 1917

ITALIA 1917-1918

A FAREWELL TO ARMS

FROM

NUTS PUBLISHING

The Italian Front in WWI is definitely one of the lesser known periods in military history and so, not surprisingly, one of the less frequently gamed episodes. The narrative in the famous Hemingway novel, from which the game's sub-title is drawn, was my first and only encounter with any battles in Italy during WWI, until SPI's folio game on Caporetto came out in 1978 as part of its quad, The Great War in the East. Currently two other games on the battle are underway, one of which has just been published as I write. Caporetto, in fact, is probably the best known and often only known battle from the period. Sadly too it was a major disaster for the Italian army. Though Italia does include this battle, it provides far more than that single devastating rout. What we do get is a very full and impressive package. Nowhere is this more evident than in the three splendid maps, two of which are double-sided, plus a mini-map.

The mini-map, Monte Grappa, is intended to allow you to dip your toe into the basic rules. Billed as an introductory scenario, it does that job admirably. Though small in scale it introduces virtually everything in the Basic Rule Book. It focuses on the major Central Powers attack at the end of the campaign and provides a short, brutal gripping defence by the Italians which historically stopped the Central Power forces.

Perhaps, it’s no surprise that the first full scenario is Waffentrue: the battle of Caporetto and this gets its own full size map.

The Battle of Caporetto map

The remaining four scenarios are all played out on two full size maps that together are entitled 1918: The Battles of the Piave. On the reverse of two out of these three maps, you again combine them together to form the map for playing the whole Campaign game that covers a period from October 1917 to November 1918. This major undertaking in game time is covered by the Advanced Rule Book which introduces many new concepts and rules, but more about those later.

The larger scale maps combined to form the Battles of the Piave

Italia 1917-1918 is the third game in the series using the same basic system. The first two games designed by Nicholas Rident were Marne 1918 Friedensturm and Somme 1918: Bloody Spring. Whereas this latest Italia, designed by Stephane Senechal, introduces several modifications which are easily identified by being printed in blue and can retrospectively be introduced into the previous two games. In addition, rules specific purely to Italia are printed in red. Being unfamiliar with the system, I found that they needed careful reading, despite being only 18 pages long.

The turn sequence overall is very easy to sum up and grasp, as it is made up of only three Sequences: Administrative Declaration, Operational and Victory Point. The last is very, very brief and takes little time to carry out and the first is hardly any longer. This Administrative Sequence has three Phases - Offensives Declaration which can only be made by the Initiative Player and is determined by a Scenario's rules, a Supply Phase carried out by both players and an Air Superiority Phase which is an optional rule, but so simple, quick and easy that it's hard to see why you wouldn't always use it.

The core and depth of the game all comes in the Operational Sequence. It contains four steps: Movement, Combat, Disengagement and Exploitation. All four steps are executed first by the Initiative Player and then by the Reacting Player. As the Scenarios range from a single turn to two Scenarios lasting 3 turns Scenarios and two Scenarios lasting 4 turns, even the longest two initially appear likely to be playable in a short time. However, this is misleading, as in each Scenario's special rules, the Initiative player has to launch an Offensive every turn. Launching an Offensive means that the Operational Sequence is carried three times in each turn! You quickly realise that most of the Scenarios take nearly the equivalent of 9 - 12 turns and certainly cover a lot of action and require considerable rules' knowledge.

First of all the game layers in many familiar features: weather, creating pontoon bridges along with building and destroying bridges, forced march, the use of trucks, designating reserves and their use and activation, supply depots, disorganisation and reorganisation. Along with these are some interesting developments such as disengagement which follows combat and can only be applied to units identified by disengagement markers placed at the end of the Movement Phase.

However, what significantly enriches, but also adds to game length is an exceptionally detailed combat system. The first complicating factor is the distinction between conventional units, primarily infantry, some cavalry and, for this late stage of the war, an element of tanks as opposed to Support units. The latter include HQs, artillery, a variety of assault troops specific to each nation, along with the optional air support units.

Combat starts with the indication of the standard combat units involved and then each side allocates artillery support types that may either be for bombardment or counter-battery purposes and the resolution of whichever types have been allocated. This is the first significant increase to the length and complexity of the combat process.

Familiar Odds Ratio CRT and Combat Modifiers

The next step is wholly familiar and easily applied:- a normal odds ratio CRT [Combat Results Table] comparing each side's strength points to find the appropriate column to roll on. Then add many typical DRMs for terrain, morale difference between lead units, tanks, assault troops, being out of supply etc. One original touch that I like is that should the attacker be left with no unit that fulfils the requirements for a lead unit, the attack is cancelled and the attacking unit with the highest morale loses 3 steps. Ouch!

Normally, the last step rolling the dice and checking the result is the easiest. What is added to the system in Italia gains my qualified praise. Four dice are rolled - two white, one blue and one green. The summed total of the two white dice referenced to the ratio column on the CRT gives you the basic number of hit points each side takes. So far so good. But then you have to reference the blue Central Powers die and the green Entente die to an additional Tactical Coordination Table that has both its own modifiers and set of results that produce both compulsory and optional actions.

Tactical Consideration Table

My praise goes to the granularity of detail added to the combat results, but my qualification is for the considerable length of time that every combat takes. Nor is everything finished yet. The results from the Tactical Coordination Table have all to be applied before the CRT results are dealt with and the hit points have to be converted into step losses.

Hit Point Conversion Chart

The Operational Sequence is rounded out by Disengagement and Exploitation. The first of these, Disengagement, allows units so marked at the end of the Movement Phase to leave enemy ZOCs, however it doesn't allow Support units to move. The other, Exploitation, is even more limited as only those rare few units qualify that received an Exploitation marker because of a Tactical Coordination result during combat. It allows those that are adjacent to an enemy unit to have combat if wished while those marked with Exploitation (or a Reserve marker) that are not adjacent to an enemy unit may move.

Finally, a Turn is rounded off with the removal of appropriate markers and the conventional totalling of VPs. What I've detailed so far allows you to play all the Scenarios. One Scenario is played on both maps that together make up the map labelled 1918 The Battle of Piave, while another Scenario uses the southern portion of both those map sheets. Two further Scenarios are played, one on the west map and the other on the east map of 1918 The Battle of Piave and finally the Caporetto Scenario is played out on its own single, full sized map. They all provide substantial medium to medium/high level games.

Having absorbed all the not insignificant number of basic rules, we come to the Advanced Rule Book and another 18 pages of rules. Its introduction states,

"The Advanced Rules do not make the game any more complex. In the majority of cases they are organised such that players can learn them as they go along."

Just looking at the list on the front cover of the Advanced Rules Book (seen above) had me doubting that statement and reading and assimilating them hasn't changed my mind.

First of all, there are both totally new rules and significant modifications to the basic rules. On the simple level, each player has a new Phase, Strategic Movement, which takes up a full two pages of rules. In many a game, this entails a simple doubling of movement while remaining a specific number of hexes away from enemy units. In Italia 1917-18, these detail the use of Strategic Movement markers and their use in Offensive and non-Offensive turns, the movement of units from the map to the Strategic Reserve Box or Rebuild Track and strategic movement on rail lines.

However, what is the most complex new addition for me is the Unit Admin Phase. It introduces the rebuilding of eliminated units, units’ rest and recuperation and the managing of artillery support. Apart from its extension of the rules, it substantially adds to an already sizeable play area by needing two display charts, one for each player. The relevant rules add two more pages explaining the use of morale tracks and a brigade or regiment track along with four separate boxes for resting, loss, eliminated and encircled units.

Inevitably what I do like most in the Advanced rules are the extensive decks of Event cards of which the four illustrated below are a mere taster. They are something I intend to explore adapting into some of the basic game play.

So, to sum up, the basic game is a detailed and very thorough treatment of this infrequently covered theatre of WWI. It provides real value for an amazingly low price (£50.95 at Second Chance Games - my go-to supplier), though as always I've Nuts Publishing to thank for providing this review copy. Its three maps are an exceptional geographic presentation and the package provides a good range of substantial scenarios with Caporetto probably being the one that most gamers will plump for. For me, the Advanced rules took it to a level of depth outside my comfort zone, so the grand campaign will probably remain unexplored and I would suggest is more likely to be played at conventions where time can be devoted to it.